Now that the new PvP mode, Seize, has been out for a couple of days, here is the general impression I've gathered on the performance of the different classes. Primarily, this is an evaluation of how the classes fare at level 60, moreso than their direct impact to success in the new mode which relies mostly on human factors than class compositions in DF. Today we will talk something about DPS.

DPS
Monk
Monks’ reliance on positional requirements for the maximum potency is a notable disadvantage in PvP, thus hampering monk’s ability to provide high damage burst relative to its dragoon and ninja brothers. However, the niche of monk in PvP is not as a high-burst melee dps, but rather as a mobile CC-machine with tons of utility, while still having access to the melee LB for assassination potential. Shoulder tackle is a gap closer with a 2s stun on a low 30s cooldown, shared only by plunge of dark knights. One ilm punch is an amazing utility move that removes buffs on targets, proving to be incredibly powerful against scholars, summoners, and tanks that charge into the fray with cooldowns up. Feint (20% slow), dragon kick (-10% int), and somersault (-30% spell speed) cripple DPS casters and healers, while arm of the destroyer is also an AoE silence that completely locks down grouped casters. Axe kick also provides an AoE pacification against melees and tanks. Monks, along with dragoons, have access to fetter ward, which provides them with CC immunity for 9s, allowing you to melee LB priority targets with impunity following a shoulder tackle.

Dragoon
Dragoon burst remains extremely powerful in the new mode, being supplemented by the addition of battle litany, blood of the dragon, and geirskogul. Like monk, having access to fetterward allows for guaranteed LBs on priority targets, while spineshatter dive (60s cooldown), dragonfire dive (120s), and elusive jump (180s) provide a lot of mobility to the dragoon when they’re up. Jump provides an additional “ranged” oGCD burst tool can that be boosted by power surge and BoTD to 390 potency, and weapon throw allows the dragoon to stick to running targets, allowing for dragoons to maintain their melee advantage over ranged. The recent patch that boosted fang and claw / wheeling thrust potency from 100 to 200 when positional requirements aren’t met allows the combo to be a net damage gain even against turning enemies, while impulse rush allows for positional requirements to waived entirely for consistently high damage. Dragoons can opt to start with an initial disembowel combo to provide the 10% piercing debuff on targets, or go directly into a full thrust + life surge combo if the target can be bursted immediately, allowing for a degree of versatility in combat. However, it can be difficult to maintain the BoTD buff at times due to the stuns and sleep, effectively making you a 2.0 dragoon in PvP. Additionally, people seem to like targeting dragoons first for some reason.

Ninja
Ninja was one of the strongest dps classes in the 2.0 PvP modes when it was released, but the addition of a positional requirement to Aeolian edge, and the “waste” of two post-50 skills to enmity-reduction abilities had me initially anticipating them to fall from favor. However, ninja remains a powerhouse in PvP, potentially being the stronger of the three melee dps in the new seize mode. The mudras of ninja not only provide a ranged damage tool, but offer an oGCD burst tool that can be additionally supplemented by kassatsu. The addition of armor crush allows for mudras to be used exclusively for damage ninjutsu, whilst maintaining the important huton buff mid-battle. Dancing edge functions similarly to storm’s eye, providing a 10% damage boost to slashing attacks, while also reducing HP recovery of the target. Coupling this with suiton + trick attack, duality, dream within a dream, and kassatsu allows for insane burst within a small time frame. Shukuchi being on 60s cooldown, and usable without a target, allows for it to be used as both a gap closer and an escape tool, while the traited overwhelm PvP skill provides a second gap closer with a stun on a 60s cooldown. This allows for ninjas to overwhelm and LB priority targets, finish them off with ranged mudra (if they survive), and escape using shukuchi extremely easily. However, the lack of fetter ward means that ninjas are also more susceptible to being interrupted mid-LB, or killed after LB due to being stunned by tanks.

Bard / Machinist
I’m not familiar with these classes, however from what I’ve seen they do really well in the new mode as both attackers or defenders due to being ranged.

Black Mage
Not as much of a god as they were in slaughter, but still a very versatile and powerful class. The new enochian + fire IV allows for insane amounts of damage to be pumped out in a short time frame, but comes at the price of easily being disrupted and losing enochian access if focused. However, if you’re allowed to turret in your ley lines with fire IV, people will be dying very quickly to your high damage barrage, sustained by manadraw in PvP. Additionally, AoE sleep and bind remain extremely powerful tools that can be paired with the mage LB to great effect, and even in less favorable scenarios the 2.0 black mage rotation is still very potent if you’re allowed to turret. Black mage also has a variety of self-peel tools if they’re being focused, such as blizzard 1 40% heavy, blizzard 2 AoE root, aetherial manipulation, and both manaward and manawall. Nevertheless, the cast times of their spell, and their lack of mobility when shooting off spells are extremely unfavorable conditions, especially given how fast pace and dynamic the new PvP mode is compared to the tiny arena of slaughter.

Summoner
Definitely the strongest dps class for PvP at the moment. Aside from their insane immediate burst in the form of tri-disaster + fester + ruin II (weaves) + painflare + energy drain -> painflare, the DoTs can be bane’d to a huge group of people for large amounts of ticking damage, of which can be extremely difficult to cleanse due the sheer number of DoTs being applied. This provides a large strategic advantage to the summoner’s group in a large-scale clash, unless healers use their LB to purify the DoTs. Meanwhile, all of their high-damage tools can be used on the move, allowing for unparalleled in-combat mobility in conjunction with “free” sprints. However, the major disadvantage of summoners is their heavy reliance on aetherflow stacks for any meaningful impact, meaning classes such as monk, paladins, and astrologians pose somewhat of a threat to them.