Classes in FFXIV are incredibly well-balanced and can perform at all levels. However, there are some gaps in power between all jobs. It is important to know which job is META so you can perform your best in all content in FFXIV. So here’s our ff14 class tier list.
- Every job is viable in FFXIV. It just comes down to the matter of which one performs better in content.
- S tier is META (Most Effective Tactic Available). These jobs are used by top players in raids and normal content.
- A Tier is viable but has some weaknesses compared to an S Tier. It is still a solid choice overall.
- B Tier can still work, but these jobs suffer from poor design choices. There are better options compared to these jobs.
Here’s a brief look at the comparison between the Classes of FF14:
| CLASS | TIER | TYPE | ROLE | MASTER(s) | PRIMARY ATTRIBUTE | ARMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunbreaker | S | Disciple of War | Tank | Radovan | Vitality | Gunblades |
| Warrior | S | Disciple of War | Tank | Curious Gorge | Vitality | Axes |
| Dark Knight | S | Disciple of War | Tank | Ishgard | Vitality | Greatswords |
| Samurai | S | Disciple of War | Melee DPS | Musosai and Makoto Obinata | Strength | Katanas |
| Ninja | S | Disciple of War | Melee DPS | Oboro Torioi | Dexterity | Daggers |
| Dragoon | S | Disciple of War | Melee DPS | Alberic Bale | Strength | Lances |
| Monk | S | Disciple of War | Melee DPS | Erik, Widargelt Beake | Strength | Knuckles |
| Dancer | S | Disciple of War | Physical Ranged DPS | Nashmeira | Dexterity | Throwing Weapons |
| Bard | S | Disciple of War | Physical Ranged DPS | Jehantel Fointeaume | Dexterity | Bows |
| Summoner | S | Disciple of Magic | Magic Ranged DPS | Y'mhitra Rhul | Intelligence | Codexes and Grimoires |
| Scholar | S | Disciple of Magic | Healer | Surito Carito and Alka Zolka | Mind | Codexes and Grimoires |
| Astrologian | S | Disciple of Magic | Healer | Jannequinard de, Durendaire, and Leveva Byrde | Mind | Star globes |
| Black Mage | A | Disciple of Magic | Magic Ranged DPS | Lalai Lai | Intelligence | Rods and Staves |
| Red Mage | A | Disciple of Magic | Magic Ranged DPS | X'rhun Tia | Intelligence | Rapiers |
| Reaper | A | Disciple of War | Melee DPS | Drusilla | Strength | Two-Handed Scythe |
| White Mage | A | Disciple of Magic | Healer | Raya-O-Senna | Mind | Rods |
| Sage | A | Disciple of Magic | Healer | Lalah Jinjahl | Mind | Nouliths |
| Paladin | B | Disciple of War | Tank | Jenlyns Aesc | Vitality | Swords and Shields |
| Machinist | B | Disciple of War | Physical Ranged DPS | Stephanivien de Haillenarte | Dexterity | Gun |
S-TIER
These jobs in FFXIV are considered META (Most Effective Tactic Available) in both hard endgame and normal mode content. These jobs are the strongest, and nothing can go wrong with picking any one of these jobs.
| Job | WHY THEY QUALIFY FOR S TIER |
|---|---|
| Gunbreaker (GNB) | Gunbreaker shines in raids for its exceptional damage output, strong mitigation, and self-sustain, making it a formidable tank choice. Its invulnerability skill and enjoyable combo rotation further solidify its position as an S-tier job. |
| Warrior (WAR) | Despite having weaker tank damage, Warrior compensates with unparalleled self-healing capabilities and strong damage mitigation, making it nearly indestructible in normal content. Its party-wide mitigation and solo clearing abilities earn it an S-tier spot. |
| Dark Knight (DRK) | Dark Knight boasts the highest tank damage in the game, offsetting its weaker mitigation. With potent self-healing and solid party mitigation, it remains a top choice for both fresh raids and farming, securing its place in the S-tier. |
| Samurai (SAM) | With simplified rotations and high damage potential, Samurai excels in dealing significant damage to bosses. Its passive ability ensures consistent critical hits, making it a strong choice for both hard and normal content. |
| Ninja (NIN) | Ninja’s exceptional damage output and raid buff make it a crucial part of the endgame raiding meta. Its versatility, high mobility, and strong damage capabilities cement its position as an S-tier job in both hard and normal content. |
| Dragoon (DRG) | Boasting exceptional damage and a powerful raid buff, Dragoon is a staple in endgame raiding. Its unique combo rotation and strong AoE potential further reinforce its position as an S-tier job in both hard and normal content. |
| Monk (MNK) | With exceptional utility, strong damage, and pseudo-tank capabilities, Monk excels in both damage output and party support. Its simplified rotation and party buff make it an indispensable S-tier job in various content. |
| Dancer (DNC) | While lacking in personal damage, Dancer compensates with incredible raid buffs and defensive utilities, earning its place as the strongest physically ranged DPS and an S-tier job in both hard and normal content. |
| Bard (BRD) | Bard’s incredible raid buffs and utilities make it the definitive magical ranged DPS. With potent party buffs and defensive skills, it secures its position as an S-tier job in both hard and normal content. |
| Summoner (SMN) | With a complete rework and simplified rotation, Summoner emerges as the META magical ranged DPS. Its strong damage output and unique abilities make it an S-tier job in both hard and normal content. |
| Scholar (SCH) | Focused on shielding and mitigation, Scholar excels as the META shield healer with its strong party-wide buffs and powerful heals. Its mitigation skills and party buffs solidify its position as an S-tier job in various content. |
| Astrologian (AST) | Astrologian’s burst healing and versatile raid buffs make it the definitive pure healer. With potent heals and damage buffs, it secures its place as an S-tier job in both hard and normal content. |
A-TIER
A-tier jobs are decently strong. While they are not as strong as the META S tier jobs, they are still a solid option for clearing any type of content and are fun to play.
Black Mage
- Role: Magical Ranged DPS
- Known for high damage but lacks a raid buff.
- Requires standing still while casting, making it challenging.
This skill barrier is why BLM is not part of the META and is an A tier on our tier list.
Red Mage
- Role: Magical Ranged DPS
- Offers good damage and a raid buff called “Embolden.”
- Can revive fallen allies.
Red Mage is strong and a viable option for any type of content, but Summoner’s existence gives little reason to choose RDM over it. That is why RDM is an A-tier job in our tier list.
Reaper
- Role: Melee DPS
- Dominated initially but now falls behind in damage.
- Offers raid buff “Arcane Circle” and healing utility.
- A-tier job with reliable damage and utility.
White Mage
- Role: Healer
- Known for “Benediction” instant full heal and “Holy” AoE stun.
- Lacks party healing and raid buffs.
- Considered A-tier due to its strengths.
Sage
- Role: Healer
- Offensive healer with high damage output.
- Utilizes “Kardion” for healing through offensive actions.
- Offers good shields but lacks the strength of Scholar’s shields.
Regardless, Sage is still a viable choice and an A tier is on our list.
B-TIER
There is truly no “bad” job in FFXIV. Every job can work in all content; however, two jobs right now suffer from poor design choices. It is not worth investing time in these jobs if you want the best results.
Paladin
- Role: Tank
- Strong mitigation with “Holy Sheltron,” which mitigates up to 35% damage.
- Poor invulnerability with long cooldown for “Hallowed Ground” at 420 seconds.
- Struggles with fitting its rotation into raid buffs and offers mediocre damage.
- Party mitigation with “Divine Veil” requires healing activation.
- “Passage of Arms” forces the player to stop attacking to protect party members.
- Considered B-tier due to these design limitations.
Machinist
- Role: Physical Ranged DPS
- Shares a role with Dancer and lacks reasons to choose it over Dancer.
- Lacks raid buffs and defensive utilities compared to Dancer.
- Deals decent damage but falls behind Melee DPS and Black Mage.
- Capable of clearing high-end content but outclassed by Dancer.
NOTE: Blue Mage is unranked as it is not available for use in recent content. It is just a side job that breaks old content for fun.
Final Fantasy XIV Job Balance
FFXIV has a great job balance, even in the B tier. All jobs are capable of clearing high-end content. Some jobs suffer from poor design choices, but the team is working hard to fix all those problems.
Rankings Based On Experience And Research
This FFXIV class tier list was created by our writer (Zaiko Kazer in FFXIV), who is in the top 10 on the EU leaderboards with 2 years of experience and 2000+ hours raiding in FFXIV. With 4 raid tiers finished and experience with every job in the game, you can be sure our tier list is as authentic as possible. FFlogs were also taken into account during our research.
Final Fantasy XIV is the most popular MMORPG out right now. With the latest expansion, Endwalker, the game has been updated with various exciting new features and raids. This is why the game got so popular. Square Enix had to stop selling copies of it at one point.
There you have it. With our FF14 class tier list, you will be able to understand the game’s META much better and pick the job that suits your choices. Whether you are new or a veteran, you can go through this tier list to learn more about the game.
Next:
- Final Fantasy XIV Levelling & Crafting: Definitive Guide
- Final Fantasy XIV Levelling Guide 1-90 (Definitive Methods)
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