The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Final Fantasy 14 Jobs - Unveiling the Best Job Tier List

As Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker draws to a conclusion, the game's Job balance remains favorable across various levels of content. Unlike other MMORPGs, the development team of Final Fantasy 14 values player feedback and refrains from nerfing well-performing Jobs. Instead, they tend to buff underperforming Jobs to ensure competitive equality within each role and to avoid penalizing players who favor certain Jobs.

With the 2023 North American FanFest just around the corner and discussions about the next expansion reaching a feverish pitch, the announcement of a new Job for Final Fantasy 14 is highly anticipated. Although the next expansion is still a while away, evaluating how Jobs performed in Endwalker gives us a glimpse into what may lie ahead. This tier list, compiled during Final Fantasy 14 Patch 6.4, focuses on relevant PvE content and includes combat Jobs capable of reaching level 90 at the time of its creation, excluding Blue Mage.

S Tier

Warrior (WAR): With its axe-wielding tank role and strong self-healing capabilities like Bloodwhetting and Thrill of Battle, the Warrior has consistently been a popular choice for high-end content. Patch 6.3 introduced a heal-over-time effect to the ability Shake it Off, enhancing its already existing shield. However, Shake it Off had to be patched quickly due to an exploit. Patch 6.4 further improved the Warrior's offensive power with boosts to abilities like Fell Cleave and Primal Rend. With its impactful and straightforward play style, as well as the ability to withstand enemy attacks, the Warrior is a reliable pick for new players looking to learn the Tank role.

Paladin (PLD): Despite being featured prominently in Endwalker, the sword-and-shield Paladin initially struggled in the expansion. However, Patch 6.3 brought much-needed changes to the Paladin's rotation, revamping both the Confiteor spell and the subsequent Blade of Faith combo. In addition, the patch made the Divine Veil ability easier to use in raid content, addressing previous difficulties in managing it. With several defensive cooldowns like Passage of Arms and Hallowed Ground, and a unique magic-based rotation, the Paladin now shines brighter and complements the Warrior's play style effectively.

White Mage (WHM): The White Mage has long been considered the quintessential Healer in the Final Fantasy series, and throughout the expansion, the Job has undergone various enhancements to strengthen its healing capabilities. In Patch 6.1, the White Mage received numerous buffs, improving spells like Liturgy of the Bell and Cure 3, while also adjusting the speed of the Lily Gauge to generate one Lily every 20 seconds. With unparalleled healing power, the White Mage continues to be the primary choice for Healers in Final Fantasy 14, offering a straightforward learning curve for newcomers to the role.

Sage (SGE): The Sage makes its debut as the latest addition to the Healer roster in Final Fantasy 14, despite its origins tracing back to Final Fantasy 3. This Job focuses on shielding the party from harm and utilizes offensive spells like Dosis and Toxikon to heal party members through the Kardia spell. The gameplay style of the Sage may draw parallels to World of Warcraft's Discipline Priest, as it emphasizes both damage mitigation and healing. With unique abilities like Panhaima and Kerachole that help reduce incoming damage, as well as a visually distinctive, Gundam-inspired aesthetic, the Sage brings a fresh and exciting perspective to the array of Jobs in Final Fantasy, potentially paving the way for future developments.

Machinist (MCH): The Machinist, armed with guns, serves as a shining example of rising from the bottom to the top in Endwalker. Initially, the Machinist was often overlooked in high-level content during half of the expansion. However, Patch 6.3 rectified significant issues by reintroducing the Dismantle ability, previously removed in Shadowbringers, to lessen group damage. Additionally, Hypercharge underwent a revamp, transforming into a reliable, cooldown system based on charges in the January 2023 update. Equipped with powerful tools like Chain Saw and Drill, exceptional maneuverability, and utility through abilities like Tactician and Dismantle, the Machinist proved its worth in The Omega Protocol (Ultimate) raid and solidified its position as a dependable ranged physical DPS.

A Tier

The Dark Knight (DRK) has maintained its role as the brooding Tank with excellent magic defense in Endwalker, just as it did in the previous Shadowbringers expansion where it was the featured Job. While the Dark Knight still needs to manage its MP in order to utilize The Blackest Night, Patch 6.1 brought some changes to enhance the effectiveness of its Blood Weapon and Living Dead abilities. Although it relies on the support of a Healer, the Dark Knight remains a formidable Tank in battles that primarily focus on magic, such as the Pandaemonium: Abyssos raids.

Gunbreaker (GNB): With its introduction in Shadowbringers, the Gunbreaker solidified its position as the newest Tank in Final Fantasy 14. Boasting a high-octane offense and intricate abilities like Double Down and the Gnashing Fang combo, the Gunbreaker offers a thrilling alternative for melee DPS players looking to explore the Tank role. Throughout Endwalker, the Gunbreaker received fewer adjustments compared to other Tanks, maintaining its true identity as a Job derived directly from Final Fantasy 8.

Scholar (SCH): Despite the addition of the Sage, the scholarly Scholar retained its original role as Final Fantasy 14's shield healer. Endwalker brought about some adjustments to enhance the Scholar's MP costs and reduce the response time of its Faerie companion. While managing the Faerie can be challenging in certain encounters, spells such as Expedient and Sacred Soil grant the Scholar and its allies additional defensive capabilities that can turn the tides of battle.

Monk (MNK): Despite its challenging nature, the Monk remains an incredibly agile and adaptable melee DPS Job in Final Fantasy 14. In Endwalker, the Monk received the new Beast Chakra system and underwent some ability changes, including Riddle of Earth. While it may not receive as much attention as other DPS Jobs, the Monk continues to excel as the unexpected powerhouse of the melee DPS role.

Reaper (RPR): Joining the Sage, the Reaper is one of the latest additions to Final Fantasy 14 in the Endwalker expansion. Armed with a scythe, this melee DPS Job surprises players with its exceptional mobility and utility, thanks to skills such as Arcane Circle and Arcane Crest. Drawing inspiration from the Machinist's burst phase, the Reaper harnesses the power of a Voidsent Avatar, making it an unstoppable force that should never be underestimated by players.

B Tier

The katana-wielding Samurai, known for their selfish nature, has been a formidable melee DPS Job in Final Fantasy 14 since the Stormblood expansion. Despite its strong presence, the removal of the damage-boosting ability Hissatsu: Kaiten in Patch 6.1 has sparked debate among players and developers alike. As of now, both sides of the argument can be found online regarding the decision to remove Hissatsu: Kaiten from the Samurai's repertoire.

Ninja (NIN): Despite the Mudra system causing difficulty for Final Fantasy 14 players experiencing latency issues, the agile and lethal Ninja underwent some modifications in Endwalker's patch cycle. The significant changes included enhancing Mug with the vulnerability buff previously provided by Trick Attack, as well as improvements to the utilization of Forked Raiju and Fleeting Raiju in specific scenarios.

Black Mage (BLM): Serving as a formidable force of destruction throughout the Final Fantasy series, the Black Mage experienced minimal alterations to its fundamental playstyle in Endwalker. Despite receiving additional buffs in Patch 6.4 for Xenoglossy, its most powerful single-target spell, the Black Mage's renowned lack of mobility posed a challenge in certain Extreme Trials, such as Storm's Crown and The Voidcast Dais. Nevertheless, with dedication and patience, a skilled Black Mage can unleash substantial damage while maintaining their position.

Summoner (SMN): With the changes introduced in Endwalker, the Summoner has undergone significant adjustments. By eliminating damage-over-time spells and placing greater emphasis on summoning miniaturized versions of Ifrit, Titan, and Garuda for offensive purposes, the current iteration of the Summoner class is much more accessible and beginner-friendly. While its spell repertoire may appear less diverse when compared to other spellcasting classes, the Summoner still harbors immense potential for the developers of Final Fantasy 14 to explore in future updates and expansions.

C Tier

The Dragoon (DRG) has faced a somewhat uncertain position throughout the Endwalker expansion, despite certain improvements to its abilities like Jump and High Jump in Patch 6.4. However, there is good news for the high-flying Dragoon enthusiasts, as the next FF14 expansion will bring a revamp specifically for this job. This confirmation has sparked mixed reactions among Dragoon players, with some cautiously hopeful about the changes, while others fear the possible negative impacts. Only time will reveal what actions Final Fantasy 14 will take in reshaping the Dragoon experience.

Astrologian (AST): With the introduction of the Sage, the Astrologian saw a loss in abilities that previously enhanced its shielding capabilities. Instead, the focus shifted towards increasing raw healing potency. Despite the addition of useful spells like Macrocosmos, these changes remained a topic of controversy during Endwalker. In the upcoming expansion, the Astrologian, alongside the Dragoon, will undergo a rework. It is uncertain whether the Job's card drawing mechanic will still be included.

Bard (BRD): Being a supportive DPS by nature, the Bard has always occupied a unique position among other DPS Jobs. However, throughout Endwalker, the attention seemed to be focused more on the Dancer and Machinist Jobs, leaving the Bard neglected in many forms of content. While the Bard does have songs and cooldowns to boost itself and party members, some fine-tuning would allow it to better compete.

The Red Mage (RDM) possesses exceptional utility, although its lower damage output and Dualcast mechanic often place it on par with the Bard. Nevertheless, the Red Mage can swiftly transform a raid catastrophe into a victory through the employment of spells like Verraise and Magick Barrier, yet its damage capabilities have consistently been underwhelming in Endwalker. However, akin to the Summoner, the Red Mage harbors the possibility of evolving over time.

Final Fantasy 14 is currently accessible on PC, PS4, and PS5 platforms.