With the full release of Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail underway, the fifth expansion of Square Enix’s MMORPG has seen each Job changed in response to player feedback. The new Viper and Pictomancer Jobs have given Final Fantasy 14 players more options for taking on some of Dawntrail‘s upcoming challenges.
The list was made with Job balance as it stood during Dawntrail‘s release and does not account for changes made past Patch 7.0. Only the 21 combat Jobs that can reach level 100 were considered for each tier. The Jobs were sorted based on the changes they received from Endwalker to Dawntrail and how much that impacted their ability to perform within their respective roles. Final Fantasy 14‘s Job balance can change on a patch-by-patch basis, so it remains to be seen what changes will be made by Square Enix afterward.
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Machinist: After receiving some changes in Patch 6.3 of Endwalker, the Machinist remains a reliable physical ranged DPS option with steady sources of damage, easy resource management, and defensive abilities like Dismantle and Tactician to use throughout a fight. With a penchant for guaranteeing critical direct hits with Reassemble and Full Metal Field, the gun-toting and ingenious Machinist remains a dependable damage dealer in Dawntrail.
Paladin: Although the changes were light for the Paladin in Dawntrail, the Patch 6.3 rework of the shield-bearing Tank allowed it to shine bright in any situation. At level 96, the Requiescat spell upgrades into Imperator, which can be used at the same range as Confiteor to grant the Paladin a way to deal with foes from afar. Between the changes made in Patch 6.3 and Dawntrail, the poster Job of Endwalker remains a stalwart defender that Final Fantasy 14 players can count on in any situation.
Pictomancer: Despite being the newest caster DPS of the batch, the Pictomancer’s artistry is deceptively powerful. Though it does not have a resurrection spell, the Pictomancer’s Starry Muse buff can bolster the team’s damage output once every two minutes. In addition, the Pictomancer can move out of harm’s way and position itself to weave its artistic spells into colorful attacks. Although taking up the Pictomancer’s brush and palette requires reaching level 80 on another Job, it is a compelling addition to the role and one that first-time Caster DPS players can enjoy.
Sage: As one of the two shield healers in Final Fantasy 14, the Sage remains a mobile mender with additional options for dealing and recovering from damage. The addition of Eukrasian Dyskrasia allows the Sage to deal damage over time to multiple enemies at close range, and the Psyche spell is another offensive cooldown that Sages can use when coupled with party-wide buffs. Though the Sage can struggle against bursts of heavy incoming damage, a new cooldown called Philosophia allows the Sage to keep their party topped off while dealing damage.
Warrior: The Warrior remains one of the most reliable Tanks in Final Fantasy 14 and has received a few new tricks to deal heavy damage. Although a few of its area-of-effect attacks received slight nerfs at the start of Dawntrail, new abilities such as Primal Ruination quickly make up for them. Cooldowns such as Bloodwhetting and Shake It Off allow the Warrior to excel in fights with multiple targets, though this advantage becomes less prominent in extreme trials and savage raids. Nevertheless, players who want to learn the Tank role will easily find the Warrior a safe pick.
White Mage: As one of two regenerative healers alongside the Astrologian, the classic White Mage received noticeable changes. At level 40, a new spell called Aetherical Shift allows the White Mage to dash forward, similarly to the Dancer’s En Avant. This spell addressed a major concern about the White Mage’s lack of mobility beforehand. New follow-up spells from two abilities, Speed of Light and Temperance, were added to bolster the White Mage’s repertoire. Overall, the White Mage remains Final Fantasy 14‘s most consistent Healer in any situation.
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Dancer: Although it remains bound by random procs in its core rotation, the Dancer gained some new tools in Dawntrail to ensure reliable resource generation during critical moments. The Tillana ability was changed to grant 50 Esprit Gauge to the Dancer when used, which can be used on Dance of the Dawn to deal major damage alongside other raid cooldowns. While the Dancer’s core rotation and fashionable glamour selection remain unchanged, its lower damage output and focus on offensive utility contrasts with the Machinist’s defenses and with more selfish DPS.
Dark Knight: Though some changes were made to it in Endwalker, the brooding Dark Knight received more fine-tuning to its cooldowns. Blood Weapon and Delirium were merged into a single button, and its Living Shadow no longer requires 50 Blood Gauge. However, Plunge was removed in favor of a new gap-closer called Shadowstride that does not deal damage. One change that the Dark Knight did not get was additional self-sustainability to align with the other three tanks. It remains to be seen if Square Enix will address this in future Dawntrail patches.
Gunbreaker: The hard-hitting Gunbreaker received more tools for dealing damage to swathes of foes in Dawntrail. Lion Heart, one of the most iconic Limit Breaks in the Final Fantasy franchise, is a new level 100 combo to use during high-damage phases. Fated Circle was granted a follow-up called Fated Brand. However, its Rough Divide ability was replaced by Trajectory. This gap-closer no longer deals damage and allows the Gunbreaker to have more wiggle room during its No Mercy cooldown window, which remains busy as it stands.
Scholar: The Scholar received one of the most eye-catching level 100 abilities in Dawntrail, called Seraphism. This angelic form gives the Scholar more powerful versions of its Adloquium and Concitation spells while active but does not enhance the Scholar’s offensive capability. However, a follow-up of Chain Stratagem called Baneful Impaction gives the Scholar a new way to deal damage over time when under raid buffs. While the Scholar requires careful positioning of itself and its Faerie companion, it remains a reliable Healer for skilled players.
Viper: The Viper is both the newest Melee DPS and the poster Job of Dawntrail. As a selfish melee DPS, the Viper provides no raid utility outside of role actions like Feint. However, with fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of the styles used by the Reaper, Gunbreaker, and Machinist, the Viper can deal serious damage in quick bursts. While the Viper can be tricky to handle at first and requires a low-latency connection to optimize, Dawntrail‘s cover Job is one that players should keep an eye on over several patches.
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Astrologian: The Astrologian was undoubtedly the Healer who received the most noticeable changes going into Dawntrail. Significant changes were made to the card system, as the Astrologian now draws three cards at a time instead of one. Astrodyne was removed in light of the changes, and spells like Macrocosmos were also adjusted to align with other Healers. But, other signature abilities, such as Collective Unconscious and Earthly Star, remained in the Astrologian’s kit. Despite everything, the Astrologian’s knack for healing an entire group from the brink of death remains the same.
Black Mage: Though overshadowed by the Pictomancer’s arrival, the Black Mage received surprising changes in Dawntrail. First, the way the Black Mage regenerates MP during Umbral Ice has been reworked not to go by server tick but instead by using Blizzard spells and Umbral Soul. Even though the Black Mage needs to stay still to get their spells off, the new Retrace ability allows them to relocate their Ley Lines once per use and gives them more mobility than ever. Though the MP regeneration change is a point of contention for Black Mage players, only time will tell how competition from the Pictomancer will turn out.
Dragoon: Like the Astrologian, the Dragoon received a rework in Dawntrail. Spineshatter Dive and Dragon Sight were removed, with new follow-ups to Dragonfire Dive and Stardiver added in Patch 7.0 to give the spear-wielders some added flair. While the Dragoon remains flashy, it has no defensive cooldowns like the Reaper and the Samurai do, as its Life Surge ability can be cumbersome to use in some situations. Despite the changes, the Dragoon remains a fan-favorite Job of longtime Final Fantasy fans.
Monk: With every expansion, the Monk tends to get some form of retooling, and Dawntrail was no exception. Twin Snakes and Demolish had their effects changed, and the Beast Chakra gauge was altered to track different Fury points used to power up the moves Bootshine, True Strike, and Snap Punch. While Anatman was rendered obsolete, the Monk also gained follow-ups to their Riddle abilities, with Riddle of Fire becoming a ranged attack called Fire’s Reply. Though the Monk is a difficult Job to master, Final Fantasy 14 players will have ways to take advantage of the changes.
Ninja: Despite competition from the Viper for Scouting armor, the Ninja was not left empty-handed in Dawntrail. The Huton Gauge was removed, and the Huton ability itself was reworked to be an area-of-effect counterpart of Suiton. In its place, the Kazematoi Gauge was introduced, which can be generated by Armor Crush and spent to boost the power of Aeolian Edge. Mug and Trick Attack also received upgrades, along with the Ninki Gauge spenders Hellfrog Medium and Bhavacakra.
Samurai: Although Endwalker‘s removal of Hissatsu: Kaiten remains a sticking point for the Samurai, the katana-wielding damage dealer did see a few upgrades to its existing kit. Shoha was also changed to deal with area-of-effect damage, which gives the Samurai a consolidated way to spend Meditation stacks. Two cooldowns, Meikyo Shisui and Ikishoten, received additional benefits for the Samurai to use during burst phases. With the addition of the Viper as a selfish melee DPS, only time will tell how the Samurai and the Viper will fare in head-to-head comparisons.
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Bard: In Dawntrail, the Bard’s three songs, Mage’s Ballad, Army’s Paeon, and The Wanderer’s Minuet, were changed to no longer require a target to activate. This change was made in response to player feedback and can improve the Bard’s usefulness during periods of downtime. The Bard also received follow-ups to Barrage and Radiant Finale to improve its damage during burst phases. However, compared to the Dancer and the Machinist, the Bard’s damage output still needs some additional tuning to be a competitive pick in the physical ranged DPS role.
Reaper: Compared to the other melee DPS in Final Fantasy 14, the Reaper saw the fewest changes overall. While it received follow-up buttons for abilities that can be used while Enshrouded, such as Gluttony changing to Sacrificium, the Death’s Design debuff remained in place despite calls for its removal from Final Fantasy 14 players. Given that the Viper can apply a similar debuff called Noxious Gnash via its core rotation and not through a dedicated weaponskill, it remains to be seen if Death’s Design will get similar treatment during or after Dawntrail.
Red Mage: One of the longest-running complaints about the Red Mage’s area-of-effect damage was addressed in Dawntrail, as the Moulinet combo was altered to use 50 Black and White Mana to match its single-target counterpart. Several cooldowns were also given follow-up attacks as off-global cooldowns, but their use can be tricky to handle. Though the Red Mage remains a good pick in Ultimate raid progression parties, its low damage output compared to Pictomancer leaves the Red Mage stuck in a strange position.
Summoner: Despite being the most mobile of the Caster DPS Jobs, the Summoner only received a few changes to its spells in Dawntrail. Although Solar Bahamut is an impressive addition to its rotation, the lack of spell diversity and the introduction of Pictomancer have been sticking points for Summoner players in the months leading up to Dawntrail’s release. Like the Red Mage, some new spells and damage tuning could give the Job a much-needed boost in future content updates.
