General

I won't be all repetitive and state what other's have already said. But my biased opinion is that Phantom is the most fun class I've played.

@Vortex

As mentioned multiple times in the previous comments, Night Lords are rather weak. You can't really expect them to do much damage until RED arrives. Also, you are probably comparing your damage to classes like Xenon, Demon Avenger and other newly released classes. Don't even compare. They're so much more powerful, it's beyond compare ( compare, compare, compare).

Yes, I have played BOTH classes. However, I have not enjoyed Night Lord to the fullest yet, as he is in the 180s.

1. Phantoms grind much more quickly than Night Lords. Not only are they wanted in parties, but their mobbing is also more powerful.

2. I would have to go with Phantom, because if you want a Night Lord's fun, you could simply steal their skills.

3. I honestly have no idea, as both were incredibly weak with the funds that I've poured into them. My friends funded their other classes like DB, Xenon, etc. and both my Night Lord AND my Phantom are completely outclassed by them.

4. Phantom's take the cake in a [b]versatile[/b] way. Whilst bossing, Phantom's have a whole arsenal of skills, buffs and attacks despite the 30 second cooldown on Loadout. Also, their ability to [b]take away[/b] Super Weapon Defense/Magic Defense Cancel is quite the upper hand. Not to mention the ability to Crash the boss to avoid Damage Reflect.
Also, Phantoms have a higher [b]% Status Resistance[/b] with Hypers and the Bad Luck Ward skill. With the extra life Final Feint supplies you, added to the avoidability rates of Phantom (which are not that high), I would say Phantom's are better in the [b]survivability[/b] category as well.

Hm.. I'm finding that I am quite weak right now as of earlier levels, was it like this for all of you NLs?

1. Grinding: HS is king - Phantom
2. Fun: You can steal skills (Phantom) vs. You throw stars (NL)
3. Damage: Phantom does more under optimal conditions post RED (i think).
4. Bossing: NLs do more damage, survivability is pretty bad tho as people have pointed out

there's something very nice and fun about being able to steal skills + i love the way that mille looks and feels (super smooth) concerning phantoms
that being said, i still enjoy NLs more just on a playstyle basis of being able to kite back and hit from range and throw stars. gotta enjoy it tho cuz it's all you do, spam dem throwing stars all day long haha

Well, I have a level 201 phantom and a level 200 Night Lord, so my suggestions are not biased.
1. Grinding: Phantoms due to the fact that you have HS.
2. Fun: Phantoms, nothing more fun than stealing skills!
3. Damage: Night Lords do more dmg
4. Bossing: Phantoms give more utility for bossing, but Night Lords do more damage, especially with venom.
Overall, I would suggest a phantom for utility and parties and Night Lords for coolness and damage.

[quote=zRiolu]@CallingCard: + another 30% elemental resistance and abnormal statuses 30% from enveloping darkness[/quote]
Phantoms bad luk ward gives 40% of both resistances, this isn't including hypers that will add 5% more, plus final judgement and judgement draw gives another 20% and they both stack, giving the potential of a phantom to have 65%-85% resistance, way more than a NL imo

NL has nothing to protect themselves from 1/1 atks, they only got 45% avoid from shadow shifter
Phantoms can steal power guard to reduce damage from 1/1, not to mention their avoid is a lil higher since Mist mask and carte noire together gives 50% avoid

And another defensive move is final feint, giving phantoms a second life after they die, no other class has a free wheel of destiny like phantoms

Most phantoms would use magic guard for the first impec memory buff, so that is why, when it comes to defending from a boss or monster, phantoms have it better than NL's

[quote=zRiolu]@CallingCard: + another 30% elemental resistance and abnormal statuses 30% from enveloping darkness[/quote]

And?
Phantoms have 40% resistance.

Played both: Phanton lvl200 (Retired) / Night Lord 186 (Main ATM)

1. Phantom > Night Lord - due to NL lack of mobbing skills and phantoms can steal HS for efficient grinding with its mobbing skills that it can steal
2. Phantom > Night Lord - NIGHT LORD IS BORING AS HELL.
3. Night Lord > Phantom - Concerning with DPM, Night lords have higher DPM than Phantoms but not by a huge factor. http://www.southperry.net/showthread.php?t=62432
4. Night Lord = Phantom - With higher DPM night lord is better but survivability is also a factor,since phantoms have a 1 up skill (extra life) and higher avoid rate than night lord
****Survivability - Phantom > Night Lord - if you don't like dying, I highly suggest Phantom.

Overall I suggest main Phantom as an easier and less stressful route. For NL you will get bored and frustrated in the long run, unless they get super op on fifth job release.
Concerning with Red update, phantoms would get a huge %damage boost due to stealing final cut and cross over chain (+160%). Night lords would only get a +30att and 85% boost for QT. I can say that phantom would beat night lords in dpm / bossing when red comes.

NL, nuff said.

@CallingCard: + another 30% elemental resistance and abnormal statuses 30% from enveloping darkness

[quote=zRiolu]@Arios: Yup, Shadow Shifter adds a pretty big avoid boost. Not as big as a db's avoid. But its more than phantom[/quote]
uh no. we get mist mask which is 30% right there.
another 20% from carte noir.
in the end NL only gets 45% total, and phantom gets 50%.

@Arios: Yup, Shadow Shifter adds a pretty big avoid boost. Not as big as a db's avoid. But its more than phantom

Grinding - as everyone has said phantom takes the cake
Fun - This is all completely opinion but some things to mention is that people deem fun in NL's mainly for the throwing of stars and they deem fun in phantom cause of skillsteal
Damage - Right now they are around equally weak and both hard to fund. In RED both get good buff, but Phantom is stronger with CoC and arrow Platter.
Boss - Phantom has no 1v1 skill. He can steal one but it has reduced damage. Phantoms can also steal magic crash and hyper body so that's a plus. NL's are good 1v1 with quad throw but I think they are around equal. IDK who will be better post-RED as I haven't checked out NL's

[quote=zRiolu]
4. Bossing -- NL's because of dat avoid rate.[/quote]

Nope

Ive played both quite extensively on my other account, so i think i get an opinion? Anyways here it is
1. Grinding is phantoms strongest attraction for me at lest. I mained a NL for close to 4 years until the phantom debut. Phantoms Mille has any mobbing move that NL's have beat by mile. (No pun intended. Cause mile is like a shortened mille... Okay. Maybe pun was kinda intended.)
2. Fun. While the blue lines of mille constantly doing damage is very attractive and the skill switch a huge aspect in phantom. I'm gonna have to say NL's are more fun. In my opinion nothing beats the classic jump throw i've used for many, many years.
3. Damage. Well this is a tough one. But I think phantom win this with its quick hits. While NL's do have a pretty high percentage is QT at 293% at level 30 QT phantoms ability to steal buffs from other classes lets its buff up more and gain a higher range than NL faster.
4. Bossing. Another though one. But in my opinion NL's are better bossers. Why? Well because of shadow shifter. The avoid rate for an NL is so good for bossing and avoiding a bunch of 1/1's while phantom can do damage very quickly in moves like Hurricane or Rapid Fire, the fact that NL's can avoid lots of moves from bosses makes them a little more bossing friendly if you are looking for a strictly bossing class.

TLD;
1. Grinding -- Phantoms because of Mille
2. Fun -- NL. Jump throwing is unbeatable by almost anything.
3. Damage -- Phantoms because of their ability to steal buff and moves from other classes.
4. Bossing -- NL's because of dat avoid rate.

[quote=TickleMeChad]1. Grinding - Phantom mobs where NL doesn't which makes training faster
2. Fun - Call it bias but Phantom is probably one of the funnest classes I have ever played.
3. Damage - NL and Phantom are both fairly weak but after the red update Phantom is way stronger than NL by miles.
4. Bossing - NL > Phantom 1v1 but Phantoms are still great bossers (if you can fund yourself decent enough), remember any class is great if you put [b]money[/b] into them.[/quote]

Fixed it for you.

@Vortex dude you said that twice now, just quit nl then.

hmm... I find it extremely hard to level on my NL.. maybe I'll try making a phantom.

Nl>Phantom in fun wise and 1v1 probably.
Mobbing phantom takes
Both get good buffs at red, since phantoms can steal dbs final cut.

1. Grinding - Phantom mobs where NL doesn't which makes training faster
2. Fun - Call it bias but Phantom is probably one of the funnest classes I have ever played.
3. Damage - NL and Phantom are both fairly weak but after the red update Phantom is way stronger than NL by miles.
4. Bossing - NL > Phantom 1v1 but Phantoms are still great bossers (if you can fund yourself decent enough), remember any class is great if you put effort into them.

What do you mean?

You can just be a NL as a phantom, simple fix.