2021-04-27T17:30:59 02:00

Final Fantasy XIV Class & Job Guide: How to play the game

In this guide to Final Fantasy XIV you will learn:

What character classes there are in FFXIV
How the different roles differ
How to play the different jobs
Strengths and weaknesses of the classes/jobs

In Final Fantasy 14 there are 17 different character classes that you can lead into battle, and they all differ significantly in the way they play. Especially for newcomers, it can be hard to understand the different play styles and find the class that suits you best.

In this class and job guide, we will not only give you an overview of all the classes and their core elements, but also explain where the strengths and weaknesses of each class lie and how the distribution of tasks differs between the different roles.

If you are new to Final Fantasy XIV, you might be interested in our useful tips and tricks guide for FF14. If you're in the mood for a new class, check out our ultimate Final Fantasy 14 leveling guide!

Final Fantasy XIV: Job or Class?

Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) doesn't necessarily take credit for naming its various MMO elements. The terms "job" and "class" are used in the same context, but in the game they refer to two different things that basically embody one and the same thing.

"Class" in the game refers to all character classes that start at level 1. After you reach level 30, your class or job quest will give you a so-called job crystal.

Once you equip the Job Crystal in your arsenal, your class will get a new name, access to new unlockable commands, and will no longer be called a class, but a job. For example, if you equip your Job Crystal as a Pugilist, you "transform" into a Monk.

Roles and role commands

The class distribution in FFXIV is designed according to the well-known Holy Trinity class system that you find in most MMOs. This class system divides the character classes into the types Tank, Healer and Damage Dealer, which are all defined by their own play style and task distribution within the group.

Tanks are referred to as "defenders" in FFXIV. The Healers are simply called "Healers", and the Damage Dealers are embodied in the game by the "Attackers". The latter are then further divided into "Melee Attackers", "Ranged Physical Attackers" and "Ranged MagicalAttackers".

These categories are called "role" in the game. Each of these roles has so-called role commands. Role commands are commands that can be used across classes, but are limited to the specific role. For example, the role commands of the defenders can be used by all classes within this role.

Final Fantasy XIV: Defenders (Tanks)

Tanks are dressed in heavy armor and have the task of intercepting the damage dealt out by enemies. To do this, they must attract the enemies' attention by holding what is called "aggro". Aggro is the term used to describe the hostility of the mobs, which indicates which player will be attacked.

The abilities of tanks are primarily designed to mitigate enemy damage, take on aggro, and support party members with shields or buffs. Each tank has an invulnerability ability that saves you from lethal damage for a short time.

Tanks are often seen as the leader of the group. As a tank, you set the pace in the dungeons and decide how many enemies are attacked at once. On the other hand, many players expect tanks to know and be able to explain the content and mechanics of the dungeons - which you shouldn't feel responsible for.

With the Shadowbringers expansion, Final Fantasy 14 got its fourth tank, the Gunbreaker. Currently, the tanks' strength and usefulness is very balanced. So, there is no "wrong" choice as far as your desired tank is concerned.

The Paladin

Paladins are holy warriors who go into battle with sword and shield and support allies with magic.

Prerequisite: Level 30 Gladiator, Quest: "Free Paladin" (Thal Crossroads X:9.2 Y:11.7)

Since the Paladin is easy to learn, it is most suitable for more inexperienced players, or those who are new to tanking. One of the core elements of the Paladin is the ability to actively and passively block physical and magical damage, reducing it by 20%. Paladins have the best group support of any tank.

With the Cover ability, Paladins can take any damage meant to hit another party member for a short period of time. "Holy Ground" makes you invulnerable for ten seconds, and "Holy Spring" allows you to protect all party members with a barrier. "Klemenz" can be used to heal you or another party member.

Pros:

Very beginner-friendly
Best group support of the tanks
Good self-healing
Passively blocks magic and physical damage

Cons:

Poor aggro build, better as an off-tank
No gap-closer
Mediocre damage

The Warrior

Warriors are animalistic fighters who go into battle with a large axe and rely on an aggressive fighting style.

Prerequisite: Marauder level 30, Quest: "The Warrior from the Mountains" (Upper Decks X:11.2 Y:6.1)

The warrior is a very offensive tank and excels at extremely high health. Where other tanks mitigate physical and magical damage with shields or barriers, the Warrior "eats" the damage with his extremely high health pool and is equipped with abilities that generate his health.

The invulnerability ability "Holmgang", has by far the lowest cooldown time compared to those of the other tanks. The Warrior has a very high single-target damage, but loses AoE damage. The command "Shake" is a very good group shield with low cooldown.

Pros:

High single-target damage
Generates aggro the fastest
Strong group shield with low cooldown

Cons:

Little group support
Difficult to master

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight wields a powerful greatsword and draws his destructive powers from the power of darkness.

Prerequisite: Heavensward expansion, Warrior/Mage level 50, Quest: "Corpses Shall You Give Way" (Scatter Y:13.2 Y:8.8)

The Dark Knight is one of the more complex tanks and is particularly good at mitigating magical damage. The complexity is mostly related to his resource management. Many of his abilities consume a large amount of MP. To compensate, he has abilities that can restore the lost MP, but must be well timed.

To play the Dark Knight effectively, you need to understand his kit and how the various abilities interact. Possibly the Dark Knight's best ability isBlackest Night. This allows you to use an extremely durable shield on yourself or a party member that has an extremely low cooldown time.

Pros:

One of the best shields in the game
Strong mitigation of magic damage
High AoE damage
Can fend off tank busters the best
Has the most interesting storyline

Cons:

Difficult resource management
No group wide defense mechanics
Hard to master

The Gunblade

Equipped with a high-tech revolver blade, these tradition-bound bodyguards fight for the citizens of Eorzea.

Prerequisite: Shadowbringers expansion, Warrior/Mage level 50, Quest: "The Lost Revolver Blade" (New Gridania X:11.5 Y:11.9)

The Revolver Blade is a very interesting tank class, as it can be seen as an interface between tanks and damage dealers. The Revolver Blade's playstyle is very reactive and allows for quick, successive attacks. This also makes the Revolver Blade a very mobile class, but it doesn't bring as much support to the group as the other tanks.

The invulnerability abilityMeteor Falldrops the Revolver Blade's HP to one, making it invulnerable for eight seconds. Healers must therefore react quickly to be able to heal up the Revolver Blade in time.

Pros

High DPS
Very good AoE damage
Good mobility
Easy resource management

Cons:

Hard to deal with tank busters
Invulnerability ability very risky
Error in the rotation causes high DPS loss

Final Fantasy XIV: Healer (Healer)

As a healer, your primary task is to keep the party alive. You heal damage caused by enemies, use shields to mitigate damage, remove negative status effects, and revive fallen party members. Reviving not only costs an immense amount of MP, but also imposes the debuff "Weakness" on the revived party member for some time, which lowers the maximum LP and MP by 15 percent.

The most important thing is to keep yourself alive and proceed carefully. If you are dead, there is also no one to heal the other party members. After that, of course, your focus should be on the tank, since it's his job to take the damage of the enemies. Damage dealers should usually try to avoid taking most of the damage, but also need to be healed to ensure a constant damage output.

As a healer, you not only have the ability to heal individual targets, but you can also heal multiple party members at once through AoE heals. Some healers have so-called HoTs (Heal over Time), through which you continuously heal party members in a small period of time.

Thedifficulty of the healer role increases tremendously later in the game. Since many spells require a certain activation time (cast), you should time this preparation time with the bosses' attacks. During the times when you are not healing, you will need to help the party deal damage.

The White Mage

Using their staffs, White Mages call upon the forces of nature to destroy enemies and heal allies.

Prerequisite: Level 30 Druid, Quest: "Guardian of Tradition" (Old Gridania X:6.0 Y: 10.6)

White Mages are the standard healer class found in many MMO's and are especially suited for beginners. Of all the healer classes, the White Mage has the strongest direct heals (heals that affect a target) and has very good HoTs and AoE heals. The AoE heals are not easy to set, as they only have a short range and therefore depend on the competence of your party members.

The White Mage can heal up the HP of his allies in an instant, but loses shields and group support in return. Most abilities have an activation time during which the class may not move. Thus, the class is less mobile than the other healers. Its most powerful ability is "Relief", which increases the effect of its healing magic and lowers the damage taken from allies.

Pros:

Easy to play
Strong direct heals, AoE heals, HoTs
Good MP management
Best solo heal

Cons:

Weak group support
Weak shields
Little mobility

The Scholar

With a book full of knowledge about ancient protective spells and a fairy as an ally, the Scholar supports the party with powerful shields.

Prerequisite: Hermeticist level 30, Quest: "Journey to the Past" (Lower Decks X:4.5 Y:11.2)

Scholars are a pet class and possess allied fairies that assist them in battle. The fairies can independently heal other party members and either boost defense, or damage dealt. Scholars focus primarily on shields. In return, they do not have the same healing potential as the other healers

In addition to MP, Scholars consume the resource "Aether Flux", which is used for particularly strong commands. Since Ether Fl ux isn't easy to generate, you'll need to be proactive and learn when to best use these commands. Due to a very extensive tool-kit, with many abilities that build on each other, you'll need extensive knowledge to really exploit the full potential of the class.

Pros:

Strong shields
Good group support
Good DPS
A pet that heals with you

Cons:

Weak burst heals (lots of healing at once)
Weak AoE heals
Weak HoTs
Forgives few mistakes

The Astrologer

With enchanted cards, the Astrologer harnesses the power of the stars.

Prerequisite: Heavensward expansion, Warrior/Mage level 50, Quest: "The Call of Destiny" (Scatter X:15.2 Y:10.0)

Astrologers are the decathletes in Final Fantasy XIV. Astrologers have two different stances, also called "stances". The "Diurnal" stance adds a HoT to certain healing commands, while the "Nocturnal" stance replaces the HoT with a small shield. So you can adapt to any situation and perfectly complement your other healer.

The core element of the Astrologer is his deck of cards. The astrologer can play six different cards, also called arcana. Activating the cards increases the damage of the selected party member. Three of the cards buff the melee fighters, the other three buff the ranged fighters. By playing a card, you collect "Symbols of Divination." A total of three symbols can be saved. With the Divination ability, the symbols are consumed and increase the damage dealt to the entire party.

Pros:

Best group support of healers
Switches between shield or HoT stance
Very adaptable
Cards increase dealt damage
Very mobile

Cons:

Little DPS
Card abilities are RNG based (random)

Final Fantasy XIV: Attackers/DPS/Damage Dealer

The Damage Dealers, also known as DPS (Damage per Second), are tasked with dealing the most damage in the group. Since the Damage Dealers have hardly any defense mechanics, they should never have the aggro of the enemies and depend on the protection and support of tanks and healers.

Many bosses have what are called "DPS checks." These are mechanics in which you have to destroy predetermined targets as quickly as possible in a certain amount of time. If you don't do enough damage, the whole party will die and you'll have to start over.

To ensure a constant damage output as a DPS class, it is especially important to master your "Rotation", or "Rota" for short. Rota refers to the proper sequencing of your various commands to get the most damage out of your kit.

The rota of your job can change depending on the patch. There are several sites on the Internet, such as thebalanceffxiv, where you can find class-specific, up-to-date rota templates. It's best to train these on practice dummies to get a feel for them. It's best to always try in increments of five. Once you've memorized the commands, tackle the next five.

Melee attacker (Melee DPS)

As the name suggests, as a melee attacker you are always in close proximity to enemies. This naturally puts you at a higher risk of being hit by enemy attacks than the ranged fighters. Many bosses have special attacks that only work around them. As a melee DPS, you'll need to be quick on your feet.

To ensure this, many Melee DDs have fast movement abilities. There are commands to rush at enemies, to quickly cover a distance (gap-closer), or even commands that allow you to jump away from enemies. In most cases, the commands of melee fighters have no activation time and can be executed immediately. This creates a very reactive and fast gameplay.

The Monk

Wrapped in mystical chakras, disciplined warrior monks crush their enemies with their bare fists.

Prerequisite: Level 30 Fist Fighter, Quest: "Duo with Four Fists" (Nald Cloister X:9.4 Y:10.2)

The Monk is characterized by an extremely reactive and fast play style and seems to have sprung directly from a fighting game. Since the Shadowbringers expansion, the Monk is one of the strongest DPS classes. He has three different stances, all of which give him different bonuses.

One of the core elements of the Monk is theOiled Lightning". When performing proper combos, you can charge the gauge of "Greased Lightning", which gives you a bonus to the attack speed depending on the charge level. The Monk's difficulty lies in proper positioning. Many of the Monk's attacks grant you extra effects if you attack the right side of the enemies. This means that you'll always be moving a lot and you'll have to time your attacks precisely.

Pros:

Lots of DPS
Very mobile
The highest attack speed

Cons:

Without proper positioning you will lose a lot of DPS
Hard to play
Forgives few mistakes

The Dragoon

The Dragoon harnesses the power of dragons and swoops down on enemies with his lance from the sky.

Prerequisite: Level 30Pikeman , Quest: "The Eye of the Dragon" (Old Gridania X:14.3 Y:5.8)

As a powerful dragon warrior, the Dragoon is all about jumps. Unlike other melee warriors, you have a set order of command with the Dragoon, with little leeway or flexibility. On the other hand, the Dragoon brings a lot of group support. With the Dragon's Eye command, you can increase a party member's damage by ten percent for 20 seconds

The most important command is the "Dragon Heart" ability. As long as you have Dragonheart active, you can use your jumps to gather energy to perform the Dragoon's most powerful abilities, Nastrond and Starfall. While performing the jumps, you won't be able to move for a short time. That's why you should time them well.

Pros:

Good group buffs
Good damage
Easy to learn

Cons:

Animation lock (immobility) when jumping

The Ninja

With the help of secret ninjutsus, the Ninja strikes from the shadows with two quick daggers.

Prerequisite: Rogue level 30, quest: "The Secret Power of Ninjutsu" (Lower Decks X:6.0 Y:6.1)

The Ninja doesn't bring as much DPS personally, but makes up for it with a lot of group support and flexibility. At the core of the Ninja are the many different ninjutsus he can cast with three different hand signs. Depending on how he combines the hand signs "Ten", "Chi" and "Jin", a different ninjutsu is created.

For example, if he combines Jin, Chi and Ten, the ninjutsu "Huton" is created. Huton grants you a buff that increases your attack speed and decreases the cooldown time of certain commands. With Ten -> Chi -> Jin, you cast "Suiton," which allows you to perform the powerful "Trick Attack" to deal five percent more damage to the target for fifteen seconds.

Pros:

Lots of group support
Very mobile (can teleport)
Can turn invisible

Cons:

Lowest DPS among melee fighters

The Samurai

The Samurai are honorable warriors from the Far East who fight for justice in Eorzea with their katana.

Prerequisite: Stormblood expansion, quest (Nald Crossroads X: 9.2 Y: 9.1)

The Samurai deals the highest personal damage of any melee fighter, but brings virtually no party support in return. The Samurai has access to three very powerful attacks called "Iaijutsu". In order to execute the attacks, you must have previously collected the corresponding symbols through three different combos. The Samurai is characterized by very fast attacks and a very high mobility.

The commands and combinations are easy to understand, so the Samurai is one of the most beginner-friendly classes. In the higher level range, you'll unlock the so-called "Kenki", the samurai's second resource Kenki allows you to incorporate very fast attacks in between the normal commands. This increases the speed of the gameplay enormously and creates a whole new level of flexibility that isn't easy to master.

Pros:

Highest DPS of the melee fighters
Very mobile
Easy to learn

Cons:

No group support
Hard to master

Ranged physical attacker (Ranged-DPS)

Ranged physical attackers, as the name suggests, deal their damage from a great distance. Due to the fact that they don't need to stand by the opponent and most commands are executed instantly, the Physical-Ranged Attackers classes are the most mobile classes in the game.

These ranged fighters don't deal as much damage as the melee fighters, but they bring a whole arsenal of useful abilities to support the party, which can increase the dealt damage of the entire party, for example, or increase the chance of critical hits.

The Bard

Armed with bow and arrow, the bards compose heroic songs to strengthen allies.

Prerequisite: Ranger level 30, quest: "Mighty Melodies" (New Gridania X:15.4 Y:11.9)

Most of the classes in FFXIV have a very static rotation that doesn't allow much flexibility and dictates you the right order of commands. With the bard's playstyle, the exact opposite takes effect. The commands are barely connected and allow for very fast and reactive gameplay. The Bard does little damage, but in return has a bunch of useful group buffs.

The Bard is all about his three songs and the two DoTs "Caustic Bite" and "Storm Bite". Each song has a special effect ("Virtuoso") that has a 40% chance of being activated when a DoT deals damage. The DoTs in FFXIV deal damage every three seconds. Consequently, you have a chance to activate Virtuoso twice every three seconds.

Pros:

Very flexible
Extremely good group support
Very mobile

Cons:

Lowest DPS of all attackers

The Machinist

A true marksman, the Machinist fights enemies with a rifle and creates a combat advantage with mechanical constructs.

Prerequisite: Warrior/Mage level 50, Quest: "No training without an instructor" (X:8.1 Y:10.1)

With the Shadowbringers expansion, the machinist was completely overhauled. Before the expansion, there were hardly any players who played the machinist. Now you can find him in almost every raid. Similar to the Bard, the Machinist convinces with his extremely fast play style.

The machinist has a heat and battery bar that you can fill with certain commands. When the heat reaches a certain value, you'll reach the "Overheat" state, which will allow you to execute very powerful commands like "Heat Shot" and "Crossbow". With a full battery bar, you can summon the powerful combat robot "Automaton DAME" to assist you in battle.

Pros:

Highest damage of the ranged DD's
Cool animations
Very mobile

Cons:

Little group support

The Dancer

Armed with deadly chakrams, the graceful dancers enchant friend and foe alike.

Prerequisite Shadowbringers Expansion, Level 50 Warrior/Mage, Quest: "Excited Citizen" (Lower Decks X:9.8 Y:12.0)

Dancers are one of the newest classes to come into the game with the Shadowbringers expansion. Of all the ranged physical attackers, the Dancer brings the most group support. As the name suggests, the Dancer is all about dancing.

Through "Simple Choreography" and "Complex Choreography" you'll start your dance and get access to different basic dance steps. If you keep the right order and timing, the abilities "Simple Finale" or "Complex Finale" will let you finish your dance and increase the dealt damage of one or more party members.

Pros:

Best ranged fighter group support

Cons:

Little damage

Magic Ranged Attackers (Caster)

Magic ranged attackers, also known as casters, are the least mobile role of all. The reason for this is that many commands have a longer activation time. Activation time refers to the time it takes to "cast" the spell. During this time you must remain in one place and not move.

The magical ranged attackers make up for these movement restrictions with very high damage and useful roll commands to support the healer classes.

The Black Mage

Armed with a staff, Black Mages weave disastrous spells of destruction and harness the power of the elements.

Prerequisite: Level 30 Thaumaturge, Quest: "He Who Hears the Voice" (Nald Cloister X:7.3 Y:12.4)

The Black Mage is also often referred to as the "Turret Mage" in FFXIV, as it is defined by a very stationary play style. This is due to the fact that most commands have very long activation times. In the higher level range, the Black Mage unlocks a very useful teleportation ability. The Black Mage brings no group support and little mobility, but deals an incredible amount of damage.

The core elements of the Black Mage are lightning, fire and ice spells. Lightning spells are powerful DoTs, Fire spells deal a lot of single-target and AoE damage, and Ice spells deal very little damage but restore lost MP needed for the spells. The more fire damage you do, the stronger your attacks become. The more ice spells you use, the more MP you generate.

Pros:

Extremely high DPS

Cons:

No group support

The Summoner

Initiated into the ancient secrets of the Allagers, these mages use a book to summon images of the gods to destroy their enemies.

Prerequisite: Level 30 Hermeticist, Quest: "Playing with Fire" (Lower Decks X:4.7 Y:11.4)

Like the Scholar before it, the Summoner is a pet class that requires you to have leveled the Hermeticist. Unlike the Scholar, the Summoner is all about dealing damage. With "Bioga" and "Miasga", the Summoner has two powerful DoTs at his disposal, which he can also distribute among several enemies with "Banish".

The summoner can summon three different images of primaes to support him in battle. With "Bahamut Trance" he can fill a so-called "trance bar". When it is full, he can summon an image of the mighty Bahamut and deal devastating damage. Later, "Phoenix Trance" can even be used to summon a phoenix that not only attacks, but can also heal.

Pros:

Highest DPS among casters
Very high AoE damage
Can revive party members

Cons:

Very difficult to learn
Very complex rota
Mistakes in Rota lead to immense damage loss

The Red Mage

Red Mages combine healing white magic with destructive black magic to cast rebellious red magic with their rapier.

Prerequisite: Stormblood expansion, Warrior/Mage level 50, quest "The Traveling Red Mage" (Thal Crossroads X:14.1 Y:11.7)

The Red Mage is a very easy class to play, making it an excellent choice for newcomers. As a Red Mage, you have a so-called "balancebar", which is made up of a white and black bar. You have access to two different combos that cast white and black magic respectively. This allows you to fill the corresponding bar of the balance bar.

It is always important to keep a balance of black and white magic. When the balance bar is full, you can jump towards the enemy and cause extremely strong melee attacks with your rapier. The Double Spell ability lets you cast a spell without an execution time, allowing you to revive a dead party member without an activation time, for example.

Pros:

Instant revives without a cooldown
Very easy to play
Very mobile (gap-closer)

Cons:

Lowest DPS of the casters
Little group support

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