What Jobs Should You Choose in Final Fantasy XIV

With the release of the Endwalker expansion, Final Fantasy XIV is more popular than ever. Many speak of it as the strongest competitor in World of Warcraft’s history. If you are planning to get into the MMORPG now that it is back in stores, you will want to know what jobs to use in combat. This guide will help you figure out how to choose them.

How Jobs Work

In FFXIV, you begin the game in one of nine classes. Once you have reached level 30, you will be able to complete a quest to unlock your primary job. Every one of those starting jobs is an upgrade of its base class. The job provides access to new actions (combat abilities), traits, weapons, and job quests while letting you retain class features. Each expansion added multiple jobs that have a higher starting level and no prerequisite class. Instead, you must meet different requirements to unlock their quests. A standout feature of this game is that you can swap jobs easily and pick up all of them with one character. They must be leveled up separately, though, so it is still an important choice.

In addition to their own mechanics, jobs also belong to roles. There are six roles in combat: Tanks, Pure Healers, Barrier Healers, Magical Ranged DPS, Physical Ranged DPS, and Melee DPS. Roles provide extra actions and are taken into account in the numerous player activities known as duties. For example, four-player parties in dungeons must consist of a tank, a healer, and two DPS heroes of any subtype. DPS characters appear to be the most common across servers, so effective healers and tanks are in hot demand. Bear those requirements and the prerequisite conditions such as main storyline quests or expansion ownership in mind while plotting your career:​​​​​​​

Choosing Jobs

The Square Enix MMORPG has been praised for having well-balanced jobs. It is, indeed, hard to say that one among them is better than the others, as they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Instead, every job has acquired its own unique gameplay niche, even within its overall role. Every job also offers a distinctive feel that results in a very different player experience. Also, some jobs are noticeably easier for newcomers to master than the others. Instead of trying to look for a meta character, you should seek out a job that suits your playstyle and level of skill. This guide aims to help you make that choice.

Bard

Bards are not an ideal option for most beginners, as their moveset is very complicated, requiring players to juggle multiple priorities in combat. That said, those not afraid of complexity and frantic action could find them very fun. Despite seeming like classic bow-wielding ranged DPS heroes, Bards deal comparatively little damage. They make up for it with an extensive arsenal of powers including song buffs for allies and damage-over-time debuffs for enemies. Ideally, a Bard should move around the battlefield and find ways to use those tools where they would do the most good.

Black Mage

A Final Fantasy series staple, Black Mages are the ultimate glass cannons. While lacking in other talents, they are without equal when it comes to dealing heavy damage. Their destructive elemental powerset is pretty easy to figure out. However, they are hindered by long cast times, which can leave them vulnerable due to the inability to move. Also, optimal play requires careful resource management. At higher levels, Black Mage players must learn to keep switching between different elements in order to regenerate mana and maintain the pressure on their enemies.

Dragoon

While somewhat difficult to master, Dragoons are one of the most popular recommendations for new players. Their spectacular playstyle, which revolves around jump attacks, serves as a simple introduction to advanced combat elements like combos and positioning. It is very enjoyable in its own right, with plenty of opportunities to shine. Exceptional mobility and multiple ways of dealing heavy harm make it perfect for people who like to be the center of attention and do not mind the pressure it involves.

Monk

Monks have received a major rework in Endwalker, making their move rotation less rigid. That makes them more accessible for new players than before, although the job still requires skill and practice. Monks place a high premium on movement, positioning, and combos. To be effective, they must maintain a steady and uninterrupted flow of attacks and other actions. In the right hands they can deliver one of the highest damage outputs around. Their potent buffs, applied to themselves and to nearby allies, allow them to unleash their full power.

Ninja

Ninjas are appropriately tricky combatants. They have many actions and combos to learn, including stacking hand-signs that empower their debuffs and attacks. Mastering the combos is a barrier to entry, but those who succeed in doing so would be rewarded with what might be the most flexible job in the game (at least on par with Red Mages). Good Ninjas are never caught off guard and can deal devastating damage in short order. Their versatility and an unusual loot bonus effect also makes them the perfect choice for farming lesser enemies for Gil and other resources.

Paladin

Paladins are mostly straightforward teamplayer tanks. As such, they excel at attracting enemy attention and surviving the resulting punishment through a varied selection of protective and healing abilities. They also possess significant physical and magical offensive abilities that can inflict considerable burst damage. That said, using those talents well is slightly more complicated, requiring careful timing and attention to get the best results. Still, players who want a clear and easy to grasp party role need look no further.

Scholar

Healers are a valued, but difficult to play role, as they must ensure the survival of their teammates with timely healing or support. Scholars may be the most challenging job of this type. In addition to their personal attacks and healing and protective powers, they must summon and control fairies. Those summons also provide health regeneration and shields, making the Scholar this much more versatile, but managing them can be a headache for the unprepared. Still, a player who can juggle all that and the job’s offensive powers could be their party’s lynchpin.

Summoner

Just as their name suggests, Summoners specialize in summoning pets to fight for them. There are several types of pets, each equipped with a unique combat style and several powers. A Summoner player must simultaneously control their summoned pet and use their own spells. The latter include formidable attacks, buffs, and healing abilities. This job might be the single hardest on the list, and it certainly leaves the player exceptionally busy. On the other hand, it is certainly rewarding to master, as the Summoner can be highly versatile and effective.

Warrior

The Warrior is a more self-centered and aggressive tank. Those who follow this path are not simply great at surviving hostile attention: they also gain more power from taking harm, which makes them the masters of the counter-attack. Their playstyle is largely straightforward, focusing on engaging enemies and tearing through them with burst damage. It does leave players with a few important tactical decisions to make and requires some focus for optimal use. Even so, their self-healing abilities can let them survive mistakes, which recommends them as an early choice.

White Mage

White Mages are to healers what Black Mages are to damage classes. They wield a staggering variety of healer abilities, including instant heals, resurrections, and healing over time. White Mages do possess some solid offensive capabilities, but their main focus is on healing. That can actually make them an appealing option for those who want to get into a support role, since their powers are mostly straightforward. Those who take on this profession must be prepared to pay close attention to their entire party’s health, as their teammates’ survival is largely down to those healers.

Blue Mage

Blue Mages are a thus-far unique Limited Job. They are not eligible to take part in story quests or matchmade content, though they can enter instances as part of pre-made groups. To compensate, Blue Mages have access to exclusive content including a tournament with prizes and a mount. Blue Mages are defined by their unique ability to steal actions from the monsters they defeat. That can potentially make them very powerful in every role, though the mages are also held back by a lower level cap. It could be a refreshing option to try out as a break from other jobs and is also good for solo farming.

Astrologian

The Astrologian is another versatile but moderately demanding support character. In contrast to White Mages, Astrologians do most of their healing over time. Their arsenal likewise includes shields and means of attacking or debuffing foes in impactful ways. That said, the job’s main draw is in the card system. By deploying the right cards, Astrologians can buff allies belonging to different roles, chiefly increasing damage. This mechanic lends itself to strategic gameplay with more ways to influence events, which some healer players may appreciate.

Dark Knight

Knights may seem like more complicated tanks compared to Paladins and Warriors. For one thing, they have to deal with two resource gauges at once. Yet once you get used to their powerset, they become very simple and straightforward. Although they lack the healing power of other tanks, Dark Knights are very tough and offer unparalleled damage mitigation capability, both for themselves and for their allies. Their crowd control and burst damage potential is nothing to sneeze at either, allowing skillful players to dominate the battlefield.

Machinist

Machinists are definitely among the game’s trickier characters. They augment their gunplay with bombs and a variety of deployable machines, including turrets and a deadly robot companion. Compared to some other jobs in their role, Machinists are more independent and less inclined towards teamwork. Mastering the full range of their abilities and “pets” requires skill and careful attention. Notably, they also have two gauges that must be filled in to unlock many of their strongest powers. People who learn to manage those abilities effectively can find the resulting powerhouse gratifying.

Red Mage

Another traditional Final Fantasy staple, Red Mages might just be the most versatile heroes in the world. They wield both black and white magic, as well as a rapier. Making full use of those significant assets requires a similarly versatile mind. Timing is everything, and it is all too easy to waste time or lose an opportunity to deploy one’s powers. As far as disadvantages go, Red Mages also suffer from long casting times and a reliance on procs. Still, they are well-balanced enough to compensate for that. It also makes them an optimal solution for farming any kind of content, whether by yourself or through Hourly Character Driving.

Samurai

The Samurai is a master of single-target damage. While capable of other attacks, they truly shine when dealing tremendous harm in a duel, which is their primary mechanical appeal. The Samurai rely pretty heavily on combos, but fortunately those combos are fairly straightforward and easy to string together. They do suffer from not having many other tricks up their sleeve. A Samurai needs support from other characters to shine, while offering little except for high damage, but that may be enough if handled well.

Dancer

Dancers are blessed with unique mechanics that are also fairly easy to pull off and enable highly effective actions. Their powers revolve around a rhythmic rotation of actions, but once you figure it out, the actual gameplay is fairly straightforward. Dancers can deal devastating single-target or area-of-effect damage with their thrown weapons, especially when paired up with a “dance partner”. Personal and group buffs and debuffs also form part of the Dancer’s repertoire, making them a well-balanced and appreciated member in any party. It is no coincidence that Dancers are so often recommended as alt jobs.

Gunbreaker

Those Gunblade-wielding fighters are a more aggressive type of tank. Gunbreakers are appropriately sturdy, with decent damage mitigation, though outshined by other tanks. Meanwhile, their offensive capabilities rely heavily on numerous interweaving combos. If managed correctly, they can do heavy damage. Success with this job is particularly reliant on timing and resource management. Players who are not intimidated by complicated ability interactions and want to take the offensive without worrying about their survival should find Gunbreakers appealing.

Reaper

Reapers stand among the latest additions in Endwalker. So far, they have greatly impressed the community with their distinctive skillset. Not content with being merely an effective multi-target melee fighter, the Reaper can teleport to outflank enemies and summon a powerful ally to do further damage. Said ally can also possess them to fill out their gauge while blocking some abilities. Overall, that leaves Reaper players with many options and abilities to manage, which may be appealing to more confident gamers.

Sage

Another new job, Sages are a more aggressive healer variant. They fight using floating magical turrets, which allow them to heal their allies even as they damage their enemies. Sages also commonly utilize barriers, providing protection and mitigation benefits to their entire party. This job is rather busy, having to juggle traditional healer duties with active combat and crowd control tasks. Ultimately, though, their abilities are synergetic and fun to use for those not overwhelmed by their difficulty.