Final Fantasy 14 has a diverse choice of combat classes that range from DPS, tanks, and healers. There is a little something for everyone’s play-style. Due to this, there is no wide set consensus on what class is the best of the best. It really depends on the player as to what class in the best.
However, we decided to give a rank system a shot. A lot is involved in this from what gear is available to how strong the class is and how user-friendly it is. Additionally, we factored in the aesthetic of each job heavily into the decision-making process.
Updated December 26th, 2020 by Tanner Kinney: One of the best claims to fame FFXIV has is its relative balance within the jobs. Unlike other MMOs, the developers have done an incredibly solid job creating an array of cool jobs that play differently, but don’t overshadow each other. There are times where certain jobs are arguably better than others, but the margin is so razor-thin that even top-tier raid groups will have players on jobs decided by personal preference rather than just raw numbers. That makes it hard to evaluate jobs, but there are cases where some jobs aren’t worth the time-investment, or just don’t quite fit the fantasy promised. However, don’t feel bad to see your main job low on the list; it genuinely makes very little difference in-game.
17 Scholar
When looking at the MMO holy trinity, many would be surprised to find that healers are the hardest to design. It’s surprisingly hard to create a healing job that is both engaging and unique, since a heal is a pretty binary ability. With FFXIV, the flavor comes in everything designed around smashing that heal button. White Mages get high-potency magic attacks to accompany their high-potency heals, Astrologians get party-wide damage buffs, and Scholars are focused on damage mitigation rather than outright healing.
Unfortunately, unless you like have a fun fae friend, Scholar is just not as useful as the other two healers in the game. Tanks have so much built-in mitigation through shields and defensives that Scholar shields can feel underwhelming. They also lost the ability to spread their damage-over-time ability in an AoE, which just sucks. It’s a fine job, but there isn’t much reason to play it.
16 Machinist
Machinist is a good job, capable of putting out incredible DPS. In comparison to the other ranged physical DPS, which are more utility oriented, the Machinist is here to deliver massive critical hits and get the biggest numbers on screen. They also wield a gun and can summon various mechanical companions, so what’s not to enjoy?
Well, a lot, actually. Machinist has been stuck in limbo, with the developers not really sure how to find a balance between making the job feel fun to play, deal solid damage, and have a distinct identity. It is one of the most punishing jobs for beginners, as their late-game rotations are often require expert timing and preparation. The reward for executing these harder rotations perfectly is indeed worth it, but players looking for the cool fantasy of the Machinist job may be underwhelmed.
15 Warrior
Warrior has had its highs and lows since A Realm Reborn. For a while, it was better than its counterpart in Paladin by a large margin, even into Heavensward. Then it got hit with some nerfs, and Paladin became the best tank and Warrior was left for fans of Curious Gorge only. And now, after another two expansions, the tanks have found peace and Warrior has its niche: the Blue DPS.
Warrior works well enough as a main tank, capable of mitigating damage effectively enough. However, it doesn’t play much of a supportive role for the team. The job can put out some serious pain, though, hitting some of the highest DPS numbers of the tank jobs. Warrior fits well as an off-tank, supporting the main tank and dealing solid damage without the risk of dying instantly. It does have some of the worst job quests, but that’s why we have the function to skip cutscenes.
14 Dragoon
There are many kinds of DPS. Take, for example, the ranged physical DPS, which focus on supporting their team through raid-wide buffs. Then there are the ranged magical DPS, focusing on a mix of supportive techniques and high-potency burst. There are even melee DPS, which are often the hardest to play but with the highest reward for skilled play. Then there’s Dragoon: the DPS laying dead on the floor.
That’s just a meme, though. Dragoon is a very punishing job because of tight rotations and the amount of animation lock in its flashy attacks. It’s easy to get locked into an attack at an inopportune moment and get wiped into the next realm. However, it boasts not just high DPS but also buffs for its fellow damage dealers and debuffs onto enemies. It’s a very well-rounded job that just so happens to get a bad reputation for getting knocked unconscious. Don’t be afraid to try the job, but be aware that it’s quite an undertaking.
13 Monk
The Monk is a job for the people who are tired of the fancy stuff. Sometimes, the best offensive is smashing that punch button. However, that doesn’t mean Monk doesn’t have fancy stuff of its own. The job is incredibly fast-paced, requiring the player to be on their toes at all times. They have to be watching their own movement and the movement of their enemies to maximize DPS.
The combos are probably the most fun part of playing Monk. They aren’t exactly free-flowing combos, since that’s not how the game works, but they’re as close as possible. There’s a lot of improvisation allowed in the hands of a Monk player, although that may lead to less-than-optimal DPS. It’s still a challenging job, but it is very satisfying to play and execute well.
12 Gunbreaker
The newest tank, the Gunbreaker, plays a lot like a DPS-lite job. It has some fairly extensive combos and a number of off-global cooldowns to manage in a rotation. Warrior may have the edge in raw numbers, but Gunbreaker definitely feels more like a DPS job. In fact, DPS players will probably enjoy Gunbreaker more than the others because of that fact.
However, the real usefulness of the Gunbreaker comes in the number of raid-wide defensive cooldowns it has. The job packs so much extra utility outside of blasting monsters with a Gunblade that it really does feel like a complete package. It’s a jack-of-all-trades tank job, and the edge it has is definitely in style. It’s hard to beat the nonsensical cool of the Gunblade.
11 Ninja
It could be argued that Ninja should be much higher on this list. Ninja serves a similar role to jobs like Bard or Dancer, providing a lot of extra utility rather than just raw DPS. Its most signature feature is the move Trick Attack, which amplifies damage that the entire party deals. This, among other strong abilities, helps keep the Ninja a staple of the meta for those looking to optimize high-end raids and boss battles.
That aside, the Ninja also absolutely has an edge in terms of cool. It’s a bit overdone, but ninjas are still pretty awesome and the ninja glamour pieces can look really nice. The job is also fun to play and somewhat more accessible than the more complex melee DPS. It’s a fun job that also has a lot of tools that help allies, making it one of the best job.
10 Bard
Bard is one of the most user-friendly classes. You can move while attacking, which a lot of magic-based classes cannot. The gear available is also pretty stylish. We also took into consideration that this class has been around since the beginning (though called archer instead), so it is a starting point for a lot of new players.
Also, this is the only class that gives you the ability to play an instrument, and that’s pretty cool. It is not unusual to see Bard players having jam sessions in the middle of a town.
9 Astrologian
Astrologians are the prettiest of the healing classes, as their aesthetics are space and tarot cards. What makes playing them so fun is that you have a deck of cards that you draw from that can give bonuses to your party. So, besides dealing damage and healing, you also get to deal out bonuses.
The class was introduced in Heavensward though, so it is not a starting point for players. It is best to learn how to heal through the White Mage class first.
8 Dancer
Dancer is one of the new classes that was introduced in Shadowbringers last year. While you cannot get this class until you are level 60, it is incredibly user-friendly. You can move while you attack, and you get a fun AOE.
A lot of players fell in love with this class because, while the damage output isn’t the best, they make up for it by boosting the stats of players around them. Also, fans have gotten really fun and creative when it comes to glamours for this class.
7 White Mage
White Mage is the best (and only) starting point for new healers. Most also agree that it is plainly the best of the healing classes. Scholars and Astrologians just don’t heal as much as a White Mage can. If you have a White Mage in your party, you can feel confident that you are going to get major heals. Players are also fans of the White Mage aesthetic, as the class is deeply connected to nature.
6 Black Mage
If you love AOE’s, then Black Mage is the class for you. Their spells may take a little longer to cast than others, but they make up for that with their damage and the area of damage. They are the opposite of White Mages, so they are all about destruction. Players like that moody aesthetic!
A major reason fans love this class is that they never run out of mana. If they do, they just change their spells to ice-based and that can quickly get their mana regenerated.
5 Paladin
Don’t like dying? Then Paladin is the class for you. These tanks are the best at defense and survival. You are a thick wall between enemies and your party members. The DPS can be lacking, but the defense is unparalleled. You actually have a powerful heal spell, too!
Furthermore, it’s invulnerability is the best, allowing for complete immunity to damage without dropping them to one HP or requiring emergency healing after it’s used (unlike Warrior, Gunbreaker, and Dark Knight).
4 Dark Knight
There are two big reasons that we have ranked Dark Knight over Paladin. Firstly, the class quest is the best of them all. All other class quests often involve the Warrior of Light doing hi-jinks with their teacher or guild where the teacher of the guild is the main focus. For the Dark Knight, though, it’s actually very psychologically compelling for the character. We won’t spoil anything, but the story is quite fascinating.
Secondly, the moody aesthetic. Players are suckers for great-swords, dark armor, and overall angst.
3 Samurai
Samurai is the best of the melee DPS classes because is it the most user-friendly and has very well-done attack animations. Some prefer Monk, but they have to admit that Samurai is much smoother and easier in terms of combos. You also get AOE attacks pretty quickly, which cannot be said for other melee DPS classes.
The class is also just plain fun. Its very hack and slash, speedy, and sometimes it’s hard to not want to throw yourself into fights before the tank due to how much fun you are having.
2 Red Mage
Red Mage is an incredible class because they can completely save a doomed party. This is because they can raise dead healers and also have their own heal spells. It is also just a plain fun class.
The dual-cast system has a flow to it that is addicting, and its satisfying to close in on an opponent and just start slashing them after casting some spells. Lastly, it is just a cool design idea to have the sword and amulet turn into a staff when you use magic.
1 Summoner
Our number one class is Summoner, and for a variety of reasons. Firstly, like Red Mages, Summoners can raise dead healers. This can make or break whether an entire party goes down or not! Secondly, they have something no other class has: a healing class that levels with it. You can play as Summoner and switch to Scholar to get into dungeons faster. Just make sure you are good at healing, though!
Thirdly, the summons are awesome. At least, they’re awesome aesthetically. In theory, summoners can choose which summon they prefer to use the most. In practice, the hierarchy is incredibly rigid, despite the incredible damage they put out. They do get to glamour their summons though, so they can pick both the mechanic and design that they like the best. It is like having a second minion, but it actually fights!
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