2012-12-29, 09:28 PM
Imo it favors buccaneers, but it's a really close matchup. A LOT (basically all of them, actually) of the disadvantages one class has over the other is offset by another advantage they hold that the other lacks so it's really quite even.
Buccaneers have double the status resistance (after max willpower) but it isn't passive. You already know a lot about this character (and i don't have empress experience) so i don't have to go into it really.
Cannoneers have mostly spacing. They can snipe with bazooka from so far away so if something can't hurt you through DR you can sit back and wait until it dies. Their raw survivability isn't really that great, since their status resist is low and their HP can't take a lot of hits due to lack of avoid. Counter is better than %dodge because it activates invincibility but without an invincibility extender (like my +4 iframes overall) it's only delaying the inevitable if you're stuck vulnerable to a lot of deadly hits. (through sed, empress boxing you in with summons during DR/miss shield, etc) And even then you're going to need stance so super KB isn't more of a pain than it should be. That said, they have the ability to spam a pinning move that lasts for 20 seconds and ignores damage reflect which does a great job of preventing those situations as long as you pay attention to it and don't let it be down for an extended period. Pretty much all of these complaints are directed at empress, though, and as long as you have the DPS to get her to the HP where she'll summon the instructors, none of those concerns matter. I've never fought instructors, but i know you can easily snipe at them with bazooka and they can't go near you. The problem is if status resistance doesn't proc, you're stuck between choosing all cure to attack, or healing while they steamroll you. And god help you if DR goes up during any of that decision making, lol. In every other boss though, cannoneers have a sharp advantage because survivability is easier to get away with not having. (and obviously none of this applies to post-unlimited)
That all said, buccaneers don't exactly have the raw %/s to be as successful as cannoneers especially with an upcoming reduction in boss timers so it's a hard trade off between being able to survive a hard boss on your own or having the damage to solo a hard boss in the first place.
Buccaneers have double the status resistance (after max willpower) but it isn't passive. You already know a lot about this character (and i don't have empress experience) so i don't have to go into it really.
Cannoneers have mostly spacing. They can snipe with bazooka from so far away so if something can't hurt you through DR you can sit back and wait until it dies. Their raw survivability isn't really that great, since their status resist is low and their HP can't take a lot of hits due to lack of avoid. Counter is better than %dodge because it activates invincibility but without an invincibility extender (like my +4 iframes overall) it's only delaying the inevitable if you're stuck vulnerable to a lot of deadly hits. (through sed, empress boxing you in with summons during DR/miss shield, etc) And even then you're going to need stance so super KB isn't more of a pain than it should be. That said, they have the ability to spam a pinning move that lasts for 20 seconds and ignores damage reflect which does a great job of preventing those situations as long as you pay attention to it and don't let it be down for an extended period. Pretty much all of these complaints are directed at empress, though, and as long as you have the DPS to get her to the HP where she'll summon the instructors, none of those concerns matter. I've never fought instructors, but i know you can easily snipe at them with bazooka and they can't go near you. The problem is if status resistance doesn't proc, you're stuck between choosing all cure to attack, or healing while they steamroll you. And god help you if DR goes up during any of that decision making, lol. In every other boss though, cannoneers have a sharp advantage because survivability is easier to get away with not having. (and obviously none of this applies to post-unlimited)
That all said, buccaneers don't exactly have the raw %/s to be as successful as cannoneers especially with an upcoming reduction in boss timers so it's a hard trade off between being able to survive a hard boss on your own or having the damage to solo a hard boss in the first place.