We break down FFXIV’s front line damage dealers: NIN, MNK, DRG and SAM.
Melee DPS Jobs in FFXIV make up some of the hardest hitting damage dealers in the game. With a focus on clever positioning and clean resource management, Melee DPS in FFXIV gives you plenty to play with on top of the usual big hitting combos. There are four Melee Jobs to choose from. And they are soon to add another, with the new Reaper Job dropping with Endwalker later this year.
If you want to be right at the front of the action with the Tank, we’ve got the tips and tricks to help right here.
Ninja (NIN)
The Ninja job builds from the Rogue base class. NIN has long been a popular choice for raid content thanks to their wide utility kit and of course, the Trick Attack ability; a melee attack which applies a 10-second debuff to the target which increases all damage taken by 10%. Making it one of the most powerful party-wide buffs in the game. Although that said, NIN still takes work to achieve the high damage outputs of some of the other available DPS choices. A solid core ARR class which has plenty of complexity to challenge the seasoned MMO fan.
Ninja Tips
- Timing your rotations is important for NIN, keep Huton up at all times. This means using your Armor Crush ability after Huton falls below 40s
- Remember, 40% of your damage is concentrated in your burst windows, prep and build your rotations around these 15s windows to maximize your damage output
- Learn to optimize your abilities around your kill times. Knowing a rough kill time for a boss can help you maximize the number of cool downs you can slap down in a fight
- Don’t forget your defensive Cool Downs. Shade Shift, Second Wind and Bloodbath are all great tools you can use to stay in the fray during AoEs for very minimal loss to health. (Just don’t forget to tell your healer you’ll be doing it!)
- Materia Melding priority; Critical Hit > Direct Hit > Determination > Skill Speed
Check out a full guide to the NIN Job on SaltedXIV.
Monk (MNK)
Building out of the Pugilist base class, Monks are your standard knuckle-busting martial artist. Although straight forward through its early levels, MNK is a hard to master DPS class which revolves around maintaining buffs and ensuring positioning for maximum damage output. The Shadowbringers expansion made some much-needed changes to MNK’s ‘Greased Lightning’ uptime, making it easier to preserve buff stacks in between encounters. MNK is an excellent choice for players who like to stay in the thick of fights from start to finish.
Monk Tips
- Positionals are your blessing and your curse as MNK. All of your main combo skills do more damage when you’re attacking from the back or the flank of an enemy
- Dragon Kick and Twin Snakes apply a buff, once you’ve opened with them. Likewise, Demolish applies an 18s debuff to an enemy
- Try to maximize your positioning by bundling your combos together and using two flank skills or two rear skills with your opener
- Mantra is a handy buff which ups incoming healing for you and party members within 15 yalms by 10%, don’t be afraid to slap it if you think the team needs a healing boost
- Materia Melding priority; Skill Speed > Critical Hit > Direct Hit > Determination
You’ll only need to meld enough Skill Speed to get 6 GCDs during Perfect Balance, so once you’ve capped that move on to your other priorities
Check out a full guide to the MNK Job on SaltedXIV.
Dragoon (DRG)
A flashy, pole-arm wielding acrobat, the Dragoon follows on from the Lancer base class. With a focus on long combos and timed jump attacks, DRG’s playstyle and character design draws heavily on the dragon aesthetic of the Heavensward expansion and their fight animations are some of the game’s most stunning. But visual elements aside, DRG does have a bit of reputation when it comes to playstyle. (Be prepared to answer to Floor Tank.) Their rotations received a bit of treatment with ShB, making for a smoother feel, however a badly positioned jump or flip can spell disaster. But when executed correctly, DRG is a highly impactful addition to any group.
Dragoon Tips
- Go ahead and unmap Piercing Talon from your hotbar, the skill has seen limited niche use since ShB’s released. Check content guides to see if there is any reason you might need it for a fight. (There probably isn’t.)
- Like MNK, positionals are important for a DRG. You’ll want to use Fang and Claw at the flank and Chaos Thrust and Wheeling Thrust at the rear
- Unlike the other Melee Jobs, DRG is quite static. As such timings are crucial for you to land your combos, keep aware of your environment and dodge attacks and AOEs to avoid playing Floor Tank for the whole duty
- Keep in mind the animation locks on your Jump actions. High Jump, Spineshatter Dive, Dragonfire Dive and Stardiver all have considerable lengths for their animation locks.
- Materia Melding priority; Critical Hit > Direct Hit > Determination > Skill Speed
Check out a full guide to the DRG Job on SaltedXIV.
Samurai (SAM)
The Samurai Job is available from level 50 and is the most focused DPS Job in the game. While most DPS classes bring in some party utility, SAM is a pure damage dealer. With a focus on resource building and rotation spending, the SAM’s playstyle is as smooth as its namesake. A dynamic class which can deal some of the highest single-target damage output, SAM is a perfect choice for those who want to focus exclusively on the DPS aspect of fights.
Samurai Tips
- SAMs resource building and combo system can be a little overwhelming at first. Completing GCD combos generates Sen, while Kenki is generated by all GCD skills as well as the oGCD skill Ikishoten. Sen is what you need to build to use Iaijutsu moves, Kenki is used to execute your Hissatsu moves
- Movement is important for SAM, but their positionals are a bit more lenient than MNK and DRG. Increase your mobility even further by positioning yourself between the flank and rear so you can easily sidestep for your combos
- Guren and Senei are great oGCDs that pack a lot of power, incorporate them into your openers to maximize your damage output
- You might find yourself playing with your gear more as SAM, the flexibility of the class often means optimizing your build for different content to eke the most out of it
- Materia Melding priority; Skill Speed > Direct Hit/Critical Hit > Determination
