FF14 Class Tier List: Ranking All Classes [2023]

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.

Here’s a brief look at the comparison between the Classes of FF14:

Final Fantasy 14 Class Tier List Criteria

Final Fantasy 14 provides many amazing classes for a player to choose from. Each class performs its respective roles which include Tanks, Healers, and DPS. Each class is ranked based on how it compares to other jobs in its respective roles. Their performances in high-end savage and ultimate content and normal content are also taken into account.  

S-TIER

These are the jobs in FFXIV that are considered META (Most Effective Tactic Available) in both hard endgame content and normal mode content. These jobs are the strongest and nothing can go wrong with picking any one of these jobs.

Gunbreaker

Gunbreaker, also known as GNB is part of the raiding META in FFXIV for its absurd damage output. Players use this job to kill the boss as fast as possible. GNB shines especially when the raids are new and strong gear is not available. In level 70 ultimate raids, more precisely “The Unending Coil of Bahamut” and “The Weapon’s Refrain”, GNB is able to eclipse even some DPS jobs such as Bard with ease.

It boasts strong mitigation with “Heart of Corundum”, which mitigates 30 percent damage and has a free heal on it. Its party mitigation called “Heart of Light” is also strong at 10 percent. In dungeons, Gunbreaker is able to solo most bosses easily thanks to its self-sustain. It is an easy S tier in our tier list and a strong pick for anyone.

Gunbreakers can go fully invulnerable with Superbolide for 10 seconds. Keep in mind, this skill will reduce your HP to 1. This skill is one of the best invulns in the game thanks to its long duration and relatively shorter cooldown at 360 seconds. GNB can also heal itself using the Heart of Corundum to mitigate the HP loss.

It also boasts the most fun combo rotation out of all the tanks. Also, with the recent range buffs to GNB, all of its movement issues have been fixed. 

Warrior

While Warrior, also called WAR within the game has the weakest tank damage in the game, it makes up for it with its borderline broken self-healing using Bloodwhetting. A warrior can effortlessly heal himself back to full HP without any need for a healer. Coupled with its healing, it also has strong damage mitigation which makes you indestructible in normal content. WAR can also kill all of the mobs in a dungeon alone, without a healer.

Warrior also has the strongest party mitigation “Shake it off” which is a 15 percent shield. Warrior is also able to augment it by 2 percent by sacrificing a defensive shield.

WAR boasts the best invulnerability skill in the game Holmgang. Holmgang has the shortest cooldown of all the invuln skills at 240 seconds. You can use this skill much more than other invulns because of its short cooldown, making this skill a cut above the rest.

A Warrior does struggle in dealing high damage in hard content such as Savage when optimal BiS (Best in Slot) gear is not available. However, this weakness can be easily mitigated by bringing META DPS jobs and a META co-tank such as Gunbreaker or Dark Knight. Because of the strong solo heals and party mitigation a Warrior brings, it is easily S tier in our tier list.

Dark Knight

The Dark Knight, abbreviated as DRK has the weakest tank mitigation out of all the tanks. It compensates for weak mitigation by having the uncontested best tank damage in the game. During Dark Knight’s opener combo, It can easily outclass ALL jobs in the game in pure damage. This is the reason people bring Dark Knight in fresh raids and in farming.

Dark Knight previously had the worst invulnerability in the game called Living Dead. If you took lethal damage while Living Dead was active, you had to receive heals equivalent to 100 percent of your HP by a healer. Needless to say, it was very inconvenient for players. 

Yoshi-P after 7 years of people complaining finally buffed Living Dead. He gave players the ability to heal themselves with their attacks if they used this skill which made it great invulnerability.

Dark Knight having the weakest mitigation is not an issue because the mitigation is still very solid. Dark Knight boasts a 25 percent mitigation shield called “The Blackest Night” that it can cast with 3000 MP. If the shield breaks, the MP is refunded and you get to use your “Edge of Shadow” attack. Due to this, it can hold up its own in normal content as well as Savage.

Dark Knight has a solid party mitigation called “Dark Missionary”. It works similarly to Gunbreaker’s as it reduces party damage taken by 15 percent.

These qualities make Dark Knight a META tank and an easy S tier.

Samurai

The Samurai, also called SAM is a Melee DPS job that has undergone some changes in recent patches. They simplified the combo rotation, which had mixed reception but it is undeniable those changes made Samurai very strong. Samurai lacks the ability to buff party members’ damage but it compensates for that by having incredibly high damage. 

Samurai has the passive ability to make its hardest-hitting attacks a critical hit every single time. If a Samurai is given buffs by his teammates, he is easily able to melt the boss with Midare Setsugekka and Ogi Namikiri attacks. It is an adequate choice for hard content.

It also does strong AoE damage which is why it is a solid choice for normal content as well.

Ninja

Ninja is a Melee DPS job that is often memed as a ranged DPS, thanks to its flexibility that allows it to attack from a distance. It is part of the endgame raiding META thanks to its ridiculously high damage. Ninja also boasts a strong raid buff called Mug that allows the party to do inflict 5 percent more damage to the boss every 2 minutes.

Ninja also boasts exceptional movement capabilities with its gap closers and shifts. It is S tier in our tier list as it performs exceptionally in both hard and normal content.

Dragoon

Dragoon is the best Melee DPS job in the game right now. It is part of the raiding META due to its exceptional damage and its raid buff “Dragon Litany”. Dragon Litany will increase the chances of your party members getting critical hits by 20 percent every 2 minutes. This will skyrocket your party’s damage and alleviate the boss’ DPS checks with ease.

Dragoon boasts a unique combo rotation alongside a strong AoE potential. Which is why it is an easy S tier in our tier list.

Monk

Monk, also called MNK, is one of the most reworked jobs in the entire history of FFXIV. It has seen many highs and lows, and now in Endwalker, it is enjoying its peak. Monk has been simplified through the removal of its positional attacks and given incredibly strong attacks. Monk’s party buff “Brotherhood” buffs your party’s damage by 5 percent for 10 seconds every 2 minutes. 

Monk can also act as a pseudo Tank in dungeons with its shockingly good personal mitigation, provided a healer is there to heal up the Monk. MNK can also increase the healing received by your party by 15 percent through “Mantra”. Monk is easily S tier because of its exceptional utility and personal damage.

Dancer

Dancer aka DNC is a physical ranged DPS. Its personal damage is nothing special but it compensates for that with its incredible raid buffs. Dancer has cemented its place in the META with its 2 party buffs. One of them is the raid buff “Technical Finish” which grants the party up to 5 percent increased damage for 20 seconds every 2 minutes. It is the strongest raid buff available in the game right now.

The Dancer’s second raid buff is called “Dance Partner”. A DNC will partner with the strongest job in your party and grant it a passive 20 percent increased chance to land a critical and direct hit throughout the entire fight. Dancer also has “Shield Samba” that mitigates the damage taken by every party member by 10 percent.

Dancer does have some RNG in its combo rotation which can be unsatisfying for some. However, because of Dancer’s phenomenal utilities, it has cemented itself as the strongest physical ranged DPS and an S tier in our tier list.

Bard

Bard (BRD) is a magical ranged DPS. This job is part of the META because of its incredible utilities and party buffs. Bard’s skill “Battle Voice” increases the chance of your party members landing a direct hit by 20 percent which can be used every 2 minutes. Alongside that, BRD can also use “Radiant Finale” which will increase your party’s damage by 6 percent every 2 minutes. 

This job can also use the skill called “The Warden’s Paean” which removes detrimental effects from a target party member. As if it was not enough, BRD has yet another defensive skill called “Trobadour” which reduces party damage by 10 percent.

BRD’s incredible raid buffs and defensive utilities make it the definitive magical ranged DPS and an easy S tier in our list.

Summoner

Summoner aka SMN is a magical ranged DPS. It has been completely reworked and simplified in Endwalker. While many people do not enjoy the easy rotation SMN offers, none can deny its effectiveness in combat. It is the META magical ranged DPS right now.

Summoner attacks from a distance away by using summons such as Ifrit, Garuda, and Titan to attack the enemies. It is visually appealing but can get boring for some people.

Summoner is one of the 2 DPS jobs that can revive fallen comrades in battle. Coupled with a raid buff and the second-highest magical ranged damage, It proves itself as part of the META and an S tier in our tier list. 

Scholar

Scholar, also called SCH, is a shield Healer in FFXIV. Scholar’s main focus is nullifying damage as much as possible with its strong shielding. Coupled with its amazing mitigation and shields, it also boasts a raid buff called “Chained Stratagem” that increases the chance for your party members to land critical hits by 10 percent every 2 minutes.

The scholar also has Excogiation. This skill will automatically heal the party member you place it on if they fall below 50 percent HP or if the effect expires. This ensures that you can do damage while not having to worry about healing. It also has “Expedience” which increases movement speed and makes you take less damage. The increase in movement speed is very helpful in some fights like Abyssos: The Fifth Circle (Savage). 

Because of these skills, Scholar is the META shield healer in FFXIV and S tier on our tier list.

Astrologian

Astrologian aka AST is a pure Healer in FFXIV. This healer is oriented around keeping the party topped off with incredible burst healing rather than mitigation. It boasts two different kinds of raid buffs. The first one is called “Divination” which increases your party’s damage by 6 percent every 2 minutes.

The second party buff is from Astrologian’s cards. AST can draw a card and give a beneficial buff to a Melee DPS, Tank, or Ranged DPS depending on the card. “The Balance”, “The Spear”, and “The Arrow” cards work best on a Melee DPS or Tank. “The Bole”, “The Ewer” and, “The Spire” cards work best on Ranged DPS.

With the skill called “Macrocosmos”, an AST is able to compile incoming damage and heal the party with a strong heal that is equivalent to 50% of the damage taken. This ability shines really well when heavy damage is incoming in fights like Asphodelos: The Third Circle (Savage).

These incredible heals and damage buffs make AST the definitive pure healer and easily S tier on our list.

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

Yoshi-P’s very own main, Black Mage (BLM) is an incredibly strong magical ranged DPS in FFXIV. It is lovingly compared to a nuke by the community thanks to its explosive actions and damage. BLM lacks a raid buff but in return, it does the highest damage out of all magical DPS jobs. The damage even eclipses Melee DPS jobs.

BLM’s main drawback is its difficulty. The job requires the player to stand completely still while casting. If you move while you are casting, your attack is completely interrupted. BLM is left completely unable to attack in some fights such as Storm’s Crown (Extreme) trial where the boss has you moving every second of the fight.

This skill barrier is why BLM is not part of the META and is an A tier on our tier list.

Red Mage

Red Mage (RDM) is a magical ranged DPS in FFXIV. It does less damage than the Summoner in the grand scheme of things. It has a better raid buff called “Embolden” which increases party damage by 5 percent every 2 minutes. Like Summoner, Red Mage is also capable of reviving fallen comrades in battle.

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

Reaper (RPR) is a melee DPS that was added in Endwalker. It dominated the META on release, outclassing every DPS job in damage. Unfortunately, with buffs to other jobs, it fell off in the grand scheme of things. RPR did get buffs very recently to make it do more damage, however, it is still weaker than other melee DPS jobs.

RPR’s damage is by no means bad. The job can easily clear all high-end content. RPR has a raid buff called “Arcane Circle” which grants every party member a 3 percent increase in damage every 2 minutes. Reaper also boasts the ability to give party members a HoT (Heal over Time) when its “Arcane Crest” shield is broken. This utility alongside its reliable damage makes it an A tier in our tier list.

White Mage

White Mage (WHM) is a pure Healer in FFXIV. WHM has two main appeals. One is the skill “Benediction” which instantly heals the targeted party member to full HP with a press of a button. This skill is extremely good if someone has taken big damage and has to be patched up fast.

The other appeal is WHM’s AoE (Area of Effect) skill called “Holy”. “Holy” is able to stun all mob enemies upon hit. It is an incredible tool for clearing up mobs in a dungeon.

Since WHM lacks the incredible party healing of AST’s “Macrocosmos” and raid buffs, it is not part of the META. However, it is still a viable option and thus A tier on our tier list.

Sage

Sage (SGE) is a shield healer in FFXIV that was recently added with the Endwalker expansion. This job is an offensive healer, being able to deal the highest damage out of all healers. SGE’s skill “Kardion” allows you to heal a target party member through offensive actions. Each time you hit an enemy, the party member under the effect of “Kardion” will receive a healing effect. 

SGE’s shields and mitigation are also very good. However, Scholar’s shields are much better and it also boasts a raid buff. Due to this, people refrain from bringing a Sage in week 1 high-end content. 

Sage is still a viable choice regardless 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 your time in these jobs if you strictly want the best results.

Paladin

Paladin (PLD) is a tank that has seen many highs and lows and right now, it is in a pretty bad spot. FFXIV revolves around the 2-minute raid buff game plan. Every 2 minutes, party buffs will be available and everyone is doing their most damaging combo. Paladin struggles to adjust to this game plan.

PLD’s mitigation is very strong with Holy Sheltron. It mitigates up to 35 percent damage and has a strong healing over time. Paladin also has the worst invulnerability in the game Hallowed Ground, with a crushing cooldown at 420s. 

Paladin has two phases, physical and magical. PLD is unable to fit its entire rotation inside raid buffs without having to drop certain things such as combos, physically buffed attacks, and DoT (Damage over Time). Even then, the damage it does is mediocre at best. PLD’s raid utility also requires more skill and timing to use compared to other Tanks. 

Paladin’s party mitigation called Divine Veil only grants a barrier if the Paladin receives a heal. It can be a bit inconvenient to set up in the heat of the moment. Passage of Arms forces the player to stop attacking to protect party members behind them. This issue can be mitigated by aligning your Passage of Arms with the server tick by using it during the last 2-3 seconds.

PLD’s unique rotation and high-skill floor have proved to be detrimental to its performance. Yoshi-P and the FFXIV team have taken notice of this problem and a rework for Paladin has been promised for Patch 6.3. However, right now PLD is a B-Tier job and not part of the META in our tier list.

Machinist

Machinist (MCH) is a physically ranged DPS. It is a physical ranged DPS is its biggest flaw as it shares a spot with Dancer. There is no reason to choose a Machinist over a Dancer other than personal preference.

Machinist lacks the raid buffs and defensive utilities of Dancer. MCH deals solid pure damage but it is not nearly as good as Dancer’s party buffs. MCH’s pure damage is also mediocre compared to Melee DPS jobs and Black Mage.

Even with these flaws, MCH is capable of clearing high-end content. Machinist is completely outclassed in the face of Dancer and that is why it is B tier in our tier list. For Machinist to be good, it has to bring something the Dancer does not to the table.

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 do suffer from poor design choices but the team is hard at work to fix all of those problems.

Rankings Based On Experience And Research

This FFXIV class tier list was created by our writer (Zaiko Kazer in FFXIV) who is 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.

Summary

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)