10. Bard [Physical Range]

The most musical class in the game

BRD is a powerful musician, with many of its musical abilities granting useful buffs for the whole party. Within combat, all its songs boost damage. Mage’s Ballad, though only doing 100 potency damage, boosts the attack of the Bard and all players within 50 yalms by 1%. It also grants Mage’s Coda and an 80% chance of granting Repertoire. 

BRD doing what it does best: helping the party

Similar abilities that grant Coda and Repertoire are Army’s Peon and The Wanderer’s Minuet. Coda can be used for Radiant Finale, an ability that boosts party-wide damage dealt by 2-6% depending on how much  Coda is spent; 1 Coda is 2%, 2 Coda is 4%, and 3 Coda is 6% .

Repertoire stacks can also deliver some decent blows under Pitch Perfect, assuming the Wanderer’s Minuet is active. The potency ranges from 100 with just one stack to 360 with three of them. If BRD has more than 20 Soul Voice Gauge points, Apex Arrow can deal a straight AoE attack with a potency up to 500. 

Imagine pelting your enemies with tons of arrows coming from the sky

If the Soul Voice Gauge is at least 80, it grants Blast Arrow Ready. Blast Arrow can deal a straight AoE with a potency of 600. Lastly, there is Shadowbite which is best used with Barrage. With Barrage, it has a 270 potency towards all enemies in range.

While the Bard does decent DPS, it is mainly viewed as a supportive DPS role. It provides the lowest amount of DPS next to Dancer.BRDs provide healing, debuff removal, and damage boosts as discussed earlier. It also provides direct and critical hit boosts. The BRD is best utilized for party instances and is a raid favorite.

The only class where you can play Through the Fire and Flames on a harp

What makes Bards popular are their:

• Amazing party buffs
• Complex combos and management
• Unique support skills
• Lax rotations—it’s okay to make mistakes!
• Ability to play fun songs out of combat

Play this class if you like:

• Forgiving rotations
• Being a great help to party members
• Jam sessions 

Here is the best opener and Best-in-Slot (BIS) gear for Bards.

DPS Power Score: 74/100

 

9. Red Mage [Magical DPS]

The best of both worlds

Can’t decide between being a Black or White Mage?  Look no further! Also known as the backup healer due to its Verraise and Vercure abilities, it also has a pretty strong raidwide party buff—Embolden—which boosts both the RDM’s and party member’s magic attack by 5%. 

RDM takes dual classing very literal

However, what makes the Red Mage unique compared to its sister classes is that it has two types of mana to manage—White Mana and Black Mana. Certain spells generate either type. These mana can be used on combo actions, delivering high bursts of damage.

One of its combos is as follows in order:

• Riposte which deals an attack with a potency of 130. If both mana types are at 20 each, it becomes Enchanted Riposte which delivers damage with a potency of 280.
• Zwerchhau which delivers an attack that has 100 combo potency. Becomes Enhanced Zwercchau if both manas are at 15, delivering an attack with combo potency of 340.
• Redoublement with a combo attack potency for 230. If both manas are at least 15, this becomes Enchanted Redoublement with a combo potency of 500.

It's raining pain!

If using Verflare or Verholy as combo actions, the player is then granted Scorch, a great AoE attack with a potency of 680. Lastly, we have its most powerful attack Resolution which is an AoE that operates in a straight line, attacking the first enemy for 750 potency and the others at a 60% reduction rate. 

Other abilities of note are Verflare which has an AoE attack of 580 potency and Verholy, delivering the same potency. Both increase Black and White mana respectively. Dualcast also provides enhanced mobility in-between casts, allowing every other spell to be an instant cast.  

RDM casting one of its many powerful abilities

Though, the Red Mage is best utilized for parties as its damage output is lower than most of the other classes on this list; it is best known for its team buffs and team shield, along with their resurrection ability if the Healer needs assistance.

What makes Red Mages a popular choice is their:

• Support capabilities
• Abilities to heal, resurrect, and do damage
• Decent mobility due to Dualcast
• Ease of use
• Fashionable weapon and armors 

Play this class if you like:

• Supporting your party members
• The idea of balancing two, powerful resources to do fascinating skills
• Something relatively easy to play

DPS Power Score: 82/100

Here is the best opener and BIS for Red Mages.

 

8. Summoner [Magical DPS]

Through the power of reading, you can also unleash deadly potential

SMNs can materialize familiars to help them in combat, delivering some nasty blows. Their primal summons alone—Ifrit-Egi, Titan-Egi, and Garuda-Egi—provide substantial damage, along with the Demi-Bahamut and Demi-Phoenix summons. 

After casting Summon Bahamut, the player can then cast Enkindle Bahamut which executes Ahk Morn and does a whopping AoE attack with 1,300 potency.

Summon awesome primals to help defeat your enemies!

Summon Phoenix changes Ruin III to Fountain of Fire, a spell that deals an attack with 520 potency. The player can also use Enkindle Phoenix, allowing them to use Revelation—this is yet another powerful AoE attack with 1,300 potency.

When Summoner reaches Level 90, all its primals reach their full potential. At Level 60, it unlocks Astral Flow which changes depending on what's out. If Bahamut or Dreadwyrm Trance are activated, it changes to Deathflare which is a 500 potency AoE attack.

Sit back and let your books do all the work!

For the Level 90 primals, Astral Flow changes depending on the primal selected. Garuda, for example, gives a 430 Potency AoE attack that puts a circle around them and does continuous damage for 15 seconds within that circle. 

However, SMNs don't need to necessarily wait until Level 90 to do some powerful damage relative to their level. All the Level 30 primals do an impressive AoE 600-pot attack each. 

Hey, look. It's Titan!

It is also the most mobile caster, having a bunch of powerful instant casts such as the previously mentioned primals and Fountain of Fire.

Though the class does a lot of damage, it may not feel challenging enough for some players. After a few updates, the class went from one of the most complex classes in the game to one of the easiest to use. This can be good for new players or those who don't want to spend an excessive amount of time planning attacks.

What makes Summoner a popular choice is their:

• Relative simplicity
• Great mobility
• Varied amount of summons, totaling eight including the Carbuncles
• Powerful DPS burst windows
• Useful party buffs—Searing Light increases damage dealt to self and close party members by 3%

Play this class if you like:

• Caster mobility
• A ton of variety
• Pokémon without the Pokeballs and a lot more magic 

Here are the best openers and BIS gear for Summoners.

DPS Power Score: 84/100

 

7. Ninja [Melee DPS]

Stealthy, sleek, and very complicated

As a NIN main, I might be a little biased. But hey at least I’m not ranking Ninja as the best DPS class ever, so that must count for something, right?  

Here’s what I love about playing NIN: they are arguably the most mobile DPS in the game, dealing great amounts of damage in quick bursts while easily dodging hordes of enemies and numerous AoEs (thanks, Shukuchi). 

They have some of the strongest abilities in the game—Hyosho Ranryu (1,300 potency), Raiton (650 potency), and Forked Raiju (560 potency). NINs can also get rid of trash pulls quickly with a combination of AoE abilities such as Doton, Gokka Mekkyaku, and Phantom Kamaitachi. 

Would be a good time to use Shukuchi

By effectively using your mudras (Chi, Ten and Jin), keeping your Huton and Ninki Gauges full, and taking advantage of debuff abilities such as Mug and Trick Attack, Ninjas can be a great asset for party instances such as raids and dungeons. 

However, what prevents the Ninja from being ranked higher is the complexity of their rotations. While I love how complex the tools are, I won’t deny that one wrong stroke can lead to a great opener going completely flat. 

Even worse—you'll get the bunny of shame which debuffs you severely. The debuff? Everyone in the party will know you did an oopsie. 

The bunny of shame

To take full advantage of the Ninja's bursty nature, make every move count. If you're new to the class, I recommend using a striking dummy until you feel comfortable with your skill set and rotation; your party will thank you.

The training dummy, every new NIN's best friend

Another thing to note is the Ninja's melee attacks and their combinations (Spinning Edge -> Gust Slash -> Aeolian Edge). Utilizing these is the most effective way to boost the Ninki gauge while your mudras are on cooldown. Using these in order will also boost their attack potencies greatly, especially if you’re mindful of your position. 

Aeolian Edge has a base potency of 140. Using Spinning and Gust Slash in order boosts this potency to 380. Attacking from the rear gives a final potency of 440. Combining this with the debuff skills, it can result in some serious damage dealt. 

What makes Ninja a popular choice is their:

• Way of doing great amounts of damage within just a few seconds
• Fast-paced playstyle
• Ability to function as a ranged DPS thanks to their mudras
• Raid and dungeon utility
• Complexity (hey, some like a challenge. Maining this class is how I gained a typing speed of 110 WPM!)

Play this class if you like:

• Doing lots of damage in quick bursts
• Combo-based gameplay
• Feeling rewarded every time you don’t fumble your mudras 

Thinking about being a NIN? Here are the best openers along with BIS gear.

DPS Power score: 87/100

 

6. Dragoon [Melee DPS]

The perfect class for all Estinien admirers

The Dragoon is unique in a sense where they can deal great damage in both midair and on the ground.

Jump, for example, delivers a decent potency of 320. Elusive Jump allows another Jump 15 yalms behind the player. High Jump executes an attack with 400 potency. 

The Dragoon also comes with its unique thrusts, ranging from True Thrust (260 potency) to Wyrmwind Thrust (420 potency for the first enemy, and 50% less for all enemies in the line).  

These weaponskills can be combined with Lance Charge to increase the damage dealt 10%. DRG also allows for bleeding damage, best used by the Chaotic Spring Combo (True Thrust -> Disembowel -> Chaotic Spring -> Wheeling Thrust -> Fang and Claw).

The DRG getting ready to slay

The Dragoon, compared to the other Melee DPS, is the easiest to use due to its straightforward rotations and mechanics.

The DRG also has incredible raid buffs—Battle Litany and Dragon Sight. The former boosts the Critical Hit Rate for the entire party briefly with a cooldown of two minutes, whereas the latter boosts the DRG player and a chosen party member's overall attack with a two-minute cooldown.

With all those debuffs, the Dragoon should have no problem dealing serious damage

Compared to some other Melee DPS, though, it has a low defense stat. While it's generally a good idea to avoid enemy attacks for any class, combined with a lack of a personal mitigation ability, the DRG must take extra care avoiding strong enemy attacks; you can't deal DPS from the floor, after all.

What makes Dragoon a popular choice is its:

• Straightforward, easy-to-learn rotations
• Beneficial raid buffs
• Use of both airborne and ground attacks 
• High mobility
• High DPS-dealing rotations

Play this class if you like:

• A beginner friendly experience
• Helping other party members deal more damage
• Falling in style

Here are the best openers and BIS for Dragoons.

DPS Power Score: 88/100

 

5.  Machinist [Physical Ranged]

FFXIV's own Machinist, the more "modern" ranged class

Out of all the Physical Ranged classes, Machinist does the most damage. With its steady rotations and flexible burst windows, MCH is a solid class with a fair amount of high potency. Its combo is as follows:

• Split Shot (140 potency)
• Heated Split Shot (200 potency, increases Heat Gauge by 5)
• Slug Shot (210 combo potency, increases Heat Gauge by 5)
• Heated Slug Shot (300 combo potency)    
• Clean Shot (270 combo potency, increase Heat Gauge)
• Heated Clean Shot (380 combo potency, increase Heat Gauge by 5 and Battery Gauge by 10 respectively)
• Heat Gauge points can be used for Hypercharge, the ability that increases the potency of all single target weaponskills by 20, though it also grants five stacks of Overheated

Training dummy goes BOOM!

These stacks allow for MCH to use Heat Blast and Auto Crossbow; Heat Blast delivers a 200-potency attack. Auto Crossbow is a cone AoE with 140 potency.

Another gauge of use is Battery Gauge. Battery Gauge can be collected through certain abilities such as Air Anchor (600 potency, 10 to Battery Gauge). Battery Gauge is used to boost attacks, mainly those used by Automaton Queen which costs 50 Battery Gauge.

Automaton Queen is summoned for 12 seconds and delivers deadly attacks such as Pile Bunker and Queen Overdrive, both dealing an upwards of 680 potency damage if there are excess Battery Gauge points. 

A cool-looking Not-Bayonetta standing right next to Automaton Queen

Crowned Collider can deal a grand total of 780 potency damage if the Battery Gauge exceeds the cost of deployment, like the other Automaton Queen abilities. 

Though a fun class to play, it lacks the Dancer and Bard’s mobilities and requires low ping for the best gameplay. It is also a “selfish” class, offering no party buffs. Your only contribution is how much damage you deal.

What makes Machinists popular is their:

• Sole focus on damage
• Balanced gauges
• Decent burst damage
• Relatively easy crits
• Flamethrowers!

Play this class if you like:

• Simple rotations
• Busting a cap in your foes
• Flamethrowers!

Here are the best openers and BIS for Machinists.

DPS Power Score: 89/100

 

4. Monk [Melee DPS]

The most hands-on class in FF14 ... Literally

MNK is NIN's steadier, less bursty cousin. MNKs are known for their high DPS output and consistently fast speeds. Monks can deal a good amount of single-target and AoE damage via its Form rotation:

• Opo-Opo 
  • Bootshine (if Leaden Fist is enabled, attacks for 310 potency and always crits)/Dragon Kick (if Leaden Fist is not enabled, grants it. Does 320 
  • potency) 
  • Shadow of the Destroyer (110 potency circle AoE. Guaranteed critical with its form bonus)
  • Grants Raptor form
• Raptor
  • True Strike (300 potency)
  • Twin Snakes (280 potency. Also provides "Disciplined Fists," a buff that increases damage by 15% for 15 seconds
  • Four-Point Fury (120 potency circle AoE. Like Twin Snakes, it activates the Disciplined Fist buff)
  • Grants Coeurl
• Coeurl
  • Demolish (starts off with a modest 130 potency if attacking from the rear. It also applies a dot that lasts 18 seconds, a dot that has 70 potency. In combination, the total potency is 130 + 420
  • Snap Punch (310 potency if attacked from the rear)
  • Rockbreaker (130 potency circle AoE)

A demonstration of how flexible a Monk can be

Aside from its forms, it can also provide tons of damage through its Chakra gauge which can be stacked up to five times via Meditation, Deep Meditation I & II, and Brotherhood. Initially, chakras can be spent on two abilities—The Forbidden Chakra (340 potency) and Enlightenment (AoE 170 potency). 

Beast Chakra, though, is a different story. . Through Perfect Balance and executing weaponskills, MNK can activate certain Blitz skills depending on the gathered Chakra.

The Monk preparing all its Beast Chakras

If three of the same Beast Chakra are gathered, MNKs can use Elixir Field, an AoE with an impressive 600 potency which deals 70% less damage to all other targets. It also grants Lunar Nadi. 

If three different Beast Chakra are collected, Rising Phoenix can be used. It can deliver an even more impressive attack with 700 potency and deals 70% less damage to subsequent targets. Grants Solar Nadi.

If there are two different Beast Chakra, this can activate Celestial Revolution; this deals a single-target attack with 450. Will grant Lunar Nadi if not already present. Otherwise, the MNK will receive Solar Nadi instead. 

If the Monk has both Nadi, and any three Beast Chakra, they can use Phantom Rush which delivers an AoE attack with a massive 1150 potency—50% less on all subsequent targets.

Monks can deal a crazy amount of damage, but they're also crazy complex. To execute especially the most powerful rotations, it requires patience and tons of practice to get it down.

It is known as one of the, if not the most, complicated class in the entire game. Not just DPS class, but overall class. Add in the number of positions, and you have a recipe for maximum frustration. 

Because of this complexity, I don't see this class played very often compared to the others. However, if you have the patience to master this class, your party will thank you.

What makes Monk a popular choice is their:

• Quick attacks
• Insanely high damage potential
• Flexibility in rotations
• Complexity and how rewarding it feels to do a correct rotation
• Great mobility—makes it relatively easy to dodge attacks

Play this class if you like:

• Strategic, quick-witted gameplay
• Moving super quickly
• Punching things to death

Here are the best openers and BIS for Monks.

DPS Power Score: 89/100

 

3. Reaper [Melee DPS]

RPR does a great amount of damage ... In style.

Known for its flashy abilities, it can deal AoE damage upwards of 1,100 potency with the Cummunio spell. However, you do not need to wait until Level 90 to do incredible attacks. The Reaper's starting level is 70, unlocking most of its toolkit upon acquisition.

One of the cool things about the Reaper is that it has a stand … Well, sort of. It's called an avatar, an ethereal being that lands decent attacks and grants Soul Reaver. 

The Reaper preparing for one of its many deadly attacks

After acquiring at least 50 Soul Gauge points, by various weaponskills and their combos, the player can summon their avatars via abilities such as Blood Stalk (340 potency) and Grim Swathe (140 AoE potency). Soul Reaver then can be used to used to execute one of three weaponskills:

• Gallows—delivers an attack with a potency of 460 attacking from the rear. If Enhanced Gallows, granted by Gibbet, is enabled then it receives a 520 rear enhanced potency. Grants Enhanced Gibbet, changing Blood Stalk to Unveiled Gibbet. Unveiled Gibbet costs 50 soul gauge points and summons the reaper’s avatar which deals 400 potency. Also grants Soul Reaver. 
• Gibbet—sends an attack with 520 potency if attacking from the flank and under the effects of Enhanced Gibbet. Once it grants Enhanced Gallows, Blood Stalk turns into Unveiled Gallows. With a soul gauge cost of 50, it delivers an attack with 400 potency. 
• Guillotine—delivers an AoE attack of 200 potency in a cone. 

All these abilities increased the Shroud gauge by 10. 50 shrouds are used to activate Enshroud, an ability that gives the Reaper five stacks of Lemure Shroud. Each Lemure Shroud ability costs one stack, each unleashing some formidable attacks:

• Void Reaping (520 potency with Enhanced Void Reaping)
• Cross Reaping (520 potency with Enhanced Void Reaping)
• Grim Reaping (an AoE with 200 potency)
• The aforementioned Cumminio

Independent of the Lemure Shrouds is Harvest Moon, which deals a powerful AoE of 600 potency; this is available upon using the Soulsow ability. Next to Cumminio, as far as potency, is Plentiful Harvest which delivers an even stronger AoE attack of 720 potency.

Taking down ghoulish fiends is what a RPR does best

It costs 1 stack of Immortal Sacrifice, eight of them given by the Arcane Circle ability. Potency increases up to 1,000 if Immortal Sacrifice stacks exceed minimum cost. 

The main downside to Reaper is it’s mostly fun at 70 and above. If the player is in an instance where they must sync down, then it feels tedious. It is especially jarring to play below level 50 as the Soul Gauge isn’t even present, not giving the user the ability to attack with their avatar. 

For the attacks to hit the hardest, the debuff—Death’s Design—must always be active. Death’s Design can be activated in two ways:

• Whorl of Death—An AoE attack with 100 potency and inflicts Death’s Design on all enemies within the circle
• Shadow of Death—A single-target attack with 300 and inflicts Death’s Design.

Death’s Design increases damage the RPR deals by 10%. Luckily, Shadow of Death and Whorl of Death are levels 10 and 35 respectively, so it can be activated even while doing low-level dungeons.

What makes the Reaper a popular choice is its:

• Flashy skills
• Flexible burst window
• Low amount of positionals—it has the lowest amount of positionals out of every melee class, meaning there is less to keep track of
• Easy to learn, but provides a challenge when it comes to optimization
• Straightforward rotations

Play this class if you like:

• Not having to worry about a ton of positionals
• Doing high-level content without having to worry about grinding from level 1
• Slaying in style

Here are the best openers and BIS for Reaper.

DPS Power Score: 90/100

 

2.  Samurai [Physical DPS]

Studying the way of the blade

The SAM provides high damage, using two-minute burst windows to deal deadly attacks. The way the Samurai outputs heavy damage is by collecting resources called "Sen" via combos. The three Sen are Getsu, Setsu, and Ka.

Once at least one of these Sen are granted, SAM can use Iaijutsu which enables it to use an impressive set of weaponskills:

• Higanbana (1 Sen)
  • Delivers 200 potency attack
  • Does 45 bleeding damage over time for a minute
  • One Meditation stack
• Tenka Goken (2 Sen)
  • 300 potency AoE
  • One Meditation stack
• Midare Setsugekka (3 Sen)
  • Delivers a critical hit with 640 potency
  • One Meditation stack

When the SAM readies its Sen, watch out!

Meditation stacks can be used to cast Shoha which delivers at 560 potency attack and Shoha II which delivers a 200 potency AoE. The last Gauge is the Kenki Gauge, which is increased by most weapon skills. The Kenki Gauge offers a greater number of powerful attacks called Hissatsu. 

Hissatsu: Guren has a powerful straight AoE with 500 potency. Hissatsu: Sensei delivers a single-target attack with a whopping 860 potency. Lastly there is Ogi Namikiri. Not only does it provide a stack of Meditation, but also deadly critical hit AoE of 860 potency. 

Time to use Hissatsu skills!

However, great potency often comes at a great cost. For one, the SAM has no party utility. Its usefulness heavily depends on how well the player can execute combos.Its strong point, variety, is also one of its weakest points; be prepared for bloated hotbars.

What makes Samurai a popular choice is their:

• Quick gameplay
• Heavy and fast blows
• Amazing variety
• Incredible mobility
• Great self-buffs

Play this class if you like:

• Formidable two-minute burst windows that do killer damage
• The idea of using many types of combos to crush your foes
• Studying the way of the blade

Here is the best opener and BIS for Samurai. 

DPS Power Score: 93/100

 

1. Black Mage [Magic Ranged DPS]

Deadly, dark, and awesome

It's no secret that BLMs deal some serious damage, outputting as much as 21.7k DPS in their openers alone! To boot, it has an easy rotation compared to some of the other classes (looking at you, Monk and Ninja).

It is also quite an independent class, not needing to depend on other party members or external buffs to maximize their damage potential. What's more is the Black Mage can still deal damage, albeit at a decreased potency, even while regenerating MP, thanks to their Ice-based skills; this is further enhanced by their Umbral Ice buff.

A BLM using their ice abilities to deal damage while recovering mana

Conversely, their Astral Fire buff can greatly maximize Fire spell damage potency. The downside to being a Black Mage?

BLM has one of the coolest Limit Breakers in the game

Well ... Black Mages can easily undo all their hard work by one simple trick: moving. Yes, moving. What could provide an insane amount of damage can easily be reduced to 0 DPS if an enemy comes after them and they need to move out of the way ... That or their cat walks across the keyboard. 

Move while trying to do a certain rotation, and you must start all over. This is especially troublesome in stages where movement is vital (The Sunken Temple of Qarn (Hard) immediately comes to mind, especially for Black Mage first timers). Sure, 2.5s-4s may not sound like a long cast time, though it adds up if you’re casting many spells in succession.

This isn't to say you can't be mobile at all, though. Gone are the days when the Black Mage was nothing but a sentient turret. They have tools—such as Swiftcast and Firestarter—to make casts instantaneous and spells—such as Xenoglossy (880 potency)—that do massive damage without a cast time, either.

RIP the dummy

Compared to other DPS classes, Black Mages require a decent amount of planning if you want to cast great amounts of damage with very few interruptions. Black Mage is easy to play, hard to master. 

What makes Back Mages a popular choice is their:

• Ability to do an incredible amount of damage
• Straightforward rotations
• Independence from teammates
• Ice spells and their ability to recover MP while dealing damage 
• Astral Fire and Umbral Ice buffs

Play this class if you like:

• Dealing crazy amounts of damage without complex rotations
• Solo utility
• The idea of using the elements to destroy your foes

If you’re thinking about trying out Black Mage, here are the best openers and BIS to fully utilize the class.

DPS Power score: 95/100

You may also be interested in:

• FF14 Best Tanks In The Game (Ranked)
• FF14 Best Healers In The Game (Ranked)
• [Top 10] FF14 Best Store Items To Buy