FFXIV PVP Actions Overview (6.x)

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Joni hails from Virginia and currently resides in North Carolina, though she spends a large portion of her time in Eorzea these days. Of course, sh... Read more

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With the release of patch 6.1, Final Fantasy XIV received a new PVP mode and a complete overhaul of the existing PVP actions. These changes have brought a lot of new players into the realm of PVP. If you’re one of them, you might be wondering what all these new buttons do.

The FFXIV PVP actions are very different from the normal PVE kits. This is to ensure balance in PVP modes, which place players at the same “level” and give them the same sets of actions for each job. Like PVE actions, each job’s kit has its own flair and special skills, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with what each action does.

We’re here to help with that! The following is a comprehensive list of each job’s PVP actions as of Patch 6.1, Newfound Adventure.

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Common PVP Actions

Much like role actions in PVE, PVP has a set of common actions that apply to every job.

Standard-issue Elixir

This Elixir restores your HP and MP to maximum with a 4.5s cast time. Casting is interrupted if you take damage. This action functions as an infinitely reusable potion, but you may find you rarely have the opportunity to drink it.

The long cast time means you should find a safe spot to use this. Standard-issue Elixir is really only of good use if you’re very low on health and have retreated far enough to have the time to drink it.

Recuperate

Recuperate instantly restores your own HP with a cure potency of 15,000. You’ll be using this much more than the Elixir, but there’s a catch. Recuperate has an MP cost of 2500, so it has limited use. Don’t forget to use this action to heal yourself, but be careful — you can run out of MP fast while trying to restore your HP.

Purify

This removes the status effects Stun, Heavy, Bind, Half-asleep, Sleep, and Deep Freeze. It also grants Resilience upon successful removal, nullifying all status afflictions.

As you’ll soon learn, many jobs have abilities that can afflict you with these statuses. Purify will get rid of them, but it has a 30s cooldown, so you can’t use it right away if you get hit with another debuff.

Guard

The Guard action lasts 5s and reduces damage taken by 50% and grants immunity to Stun, Heavy, Bind, Silence, Half-asleep, Sleep, Deep Freeze, and knockback/draw-in effects. It also slows your movement by 50% for the duration. You can end Guard at any time.

Guard won’t stop you from taking damage, but it will make you a lot harder to kill. However, it’s not a good escape option, as it slows your movement. Guard should be used strategically to block big damage or extend your time on the point when you’re waiting for reinforcements.

Sprint

Sprint increases movement speed and lasts until reuse or the use of another action. Use this whenever you need to get somewhere fast — or get out of somewhere fast.

PVP Kits by Class

The next sections have details about each job in PVP and their actions. To review the classes and jobs, check out our complete overview.

We’re going to review the PVP actions in order of class as follows:

• Tanks
• Healers
• Melee DPS
• Physical Ranged DPS
• Magical Ranged DPS

FFXIV PVP Actions: Tanks

Tanks in PVP are a little less about protecting the party and more about being a general nuisance for the other team. Your job is to be exceptionally hard to kill and make problems for your enemies, which will make them really want to kill you. This distracts them from attacking your DPS and your healer(s).

Each tank kit accomplishes this goal of enemy annoyance in different ways that stay true to their overall job identities. If you like tanking in PVE content but wish you were grabbing aggro from real people and not mobs, you’ll love PVP.

Paladin

In what will become an apparent trend for melee-focused jobs, Paladin’s main attack combo has been condensed into a single button. The Royal Authority Combo contains Fast Blade, Riot Blade, and Royal Authority. Completing the combo grants a stack of Sword Oath, which changes the combo action to Atonement. This new action will deliver a powerful attack and restore your own HP.

Confiteor is an AOE attack that afflicts the primary target with Sacred Claim. This debuff will restore HP whenever you land a hit on the afflicted target.

Shield Bash damages and stuns the target, as well as giving you another stack of Sword Oath. Intervene is a gap closer attack that, yet again, gives you a stack of Sword Oath.

Guardian is an alternate gap closer that allows you to rush to an ally’s side (within 10 yalms) and take all the damage intended for them for 10s.

Holy Sheltron is a mitigation ability that creates a barrier that absorbs damage for 5s and gives you a buff that reduces damage taken for 10s. If the barrier isn’t totally absorbed before it disappears, it will deal damage to all nearby enemies.

Paladin’s Limit Break is Phalanx. This ability makes you invulnerable for 10s and grants a 50% damage reduction to nearby allies. Once used, the button turns into Blade of Faith, the first ability in a new combo string that leads into Blade of Truth and Blade of Valor. All of these attacks are AOEs that afflict the primary target with Sacred Claim.

In summary, Paladin’s PVP kit is largely focused around HP recovery through offensive play and shielding your teammates from harm.

Warrior

Warrior’s condensed primary combo is the Storm’s Path Combo. Heavy Swing leads into Maim and closes out with Storm’s Path, which absorbs 100% of damage dealt as HP.

Primal Rend is a gap closer with an AOE finish that stuns the primary target for 2s. Onslaught is Warrior’s second gap closer. Its damage scales with your HP and it increases the target’s damage taken by 10%.

Orogeny is an AOE attack that consumes 20% of your HP on use, but it also reduces the target’s damage dealt by 10%. Blota draws the target to your side and places a Heavy debuff on them, making it hard for them to escape.

Using Bloodwhetting will convert 75% of damage dealt to HP and creates a barrier that absorbs incoming damage equal to 10% of your current HP. This effect lasts for 10s. Upon use, this action will turn into Chaotic Cyclone, a powerful AOE attack.

Warrior’s Limit Break is Primal Scream. Using this action releases a cone AOE that renders all enemies caught in it unable to use Guard. It also increases your max HP by 20% and restores that amount, as well as turning your primary combo into Fell Cleave. If that weren’t enough, it increases the damage done by Primal Rend and Chaotic Cyclone, as well as giving you immunity to the majority of debuffs, knockbacks, and draw-in effects.

Warrior is all about getting in the center of the action and going berserk. Most of your attacks will heal you (especially if you pop Bloodwhetting before you dive in), and you have a lot of crowd control in your arsenal that will keep your foes from taking you down as you feed off their pain.

Dark Knight

Dark Knight’s condensed primary combo is the Souleater Combo. It begins with Hard Slash and leads into Syphon Strike, then closes with Souleater, which heals you for 100% of damage dealt.

Quietus is a powerful AOE attack. Shadowbringer is a line AOE that consumes 20% of your HP on use, but grants the Blackblood effect. This changes your primary combo to Bloodspiller, which has damage that scales as your HP falls, becoming strongest when you are under 20%.

Plunge is a gap closer that afflicts the target with Sole Survivor, a debuff that reduces their HP recovery from healing actions for 15s. If they die before the debuff expires, 20% of your HP is restored and the recast timer for this action resets.

The Blackest Night is a damage absorption shield that can be placed on yourself or an ally and lasts for 10s. If the shield absorbs its maximum amount of damage, it breaks and grants Dark Arts, which can be used to execute Shadowbringer instead of consuming HP.

Salted Earth draws in nearby enemies and creates a ground AOE that lasts for 10s. This AOE restores your HP and places a debuff on enemies that increases their damage taken while standing inside it. Once used, this action turns into Salt and Darkness, which can deal extra damage to enemies in the AOE and Binds them.

Dark Knight’s Limit Break is Eventide, a line AOE that launches both in front of and behind you. It’s damage scales with your HP (this time, increasing when you have more), and it depletes your HP to 1 upon use. Don’t worry — it also grants the Undead Redemption effect. This means your HP cannot drop below 1, and you absorb 100% of your damage dealt as HP for 10s. It also grants Blackblood.

Dark Knight remains true to form in PVP with all of its edginess intact, and then some. This kit is all about living recklessly (even more than Warrior, somehow) and making the enemy team feel your pain.

Gunbreaker

Gunbreaker’s condensed primary combo is the Solid Barrel Combo. Keen Edge leads into Brutal Shell, and the combo finishes out with Solid Barrel. Finishing your combo grants you the Powder Barrel effect, which turns your combo into Burst Strike.

When used, Burst Strike turns Continuation into Hypervelocity. This is an attack that also creates a barrier around you that lasts for 7s. Continuation itself allows you to perform several different attacks in any order, all of which appear on top of other action buttons.

Double Down is a powerful AOE attack. Rough Divide is a gap closer that grants you the No Mercy buff, which increases your damage dealt and healing potency as well as your movement speed for 7s.

Here’s where things get a little weird. Gunbreaker has an ability called Draw and Junction that grants a beneficial effect based on the role of the player you’re targeting (tank, DPS, or healer). The action Junctioned Cast performs an attack based on your current Junction. Those attacks are:

• Tank: Nebula creates a 10s barrier that reduces incoming damage and deals damage to anyone who attacks you.
• DPS: Blasting Zone delivers a very powerful attack.
• Healer: Aurora restores the target’s HP and grants them 12s of Regen.

Additionally, your Junction will buff certain attacks in different ways.  Listing out all of the Junction effects would get quite complex, but it can be simplified to this:

• The Tank Junction usually creates a barrier that absorbs a certain amount of damage.
• The DPS Junction increases the strength of the attack.
• The Healer Junction restores some HP to you and those around you.

Gnashing Fang is an attack that opens up access to a whole array of attacks that will all appear on the Gnashing Fang action or Continuation. Gnashing Fang combos with Savage Claw, but also activates Jugular Rip, the latter of which is affected by your current Junction. Savage Claw combos with Wicked Talon, which activates Eye Gouge (which is affected by your Junction). Using Savage Claw also activates Abdomen Tear, which is, once again, affected by your Junction.

That may seem a little complicated, but it really is a matter of switching back and forth between pressing two buttons as they change actions.

Lastly, Gunbreaker’s Limit Break is Relentless Rush. This is an AOE attack that places a 4s damage over time debuff on enemies. It also places a 5s debuff on enemies that increases their damage taken. Upon use, this action will turn into Terminal Trigger, which delivers a powerful AOE attack that Stuns enemies for 3s.

Gunbreaker’s PVP kit is a little all over the place! Thankfully, it’s way simpler to play than it is to write or read about. We really recommend trying this one out in game to get a feel for what it’s going for, though you’ll have to queue into a match to properly understand how the Junction mechanic works.

FFXIV PVP Actions: Healers

Healers in PVP are a lot more DPS-focused, as many of their attacks also grant HP or barriers to allies. You have the power to keep your teammates alive in the heat of battle, and this makes you a very attractive target for the other team. However, if you’re playing your job right, you may be even harder to kill than your tank.

White Mage

White Mage has a fairly simple kit, starting with Glare III, a single target attack. Cure II is their basic, single-target heal.

Afflatus Misery is a powerful AOE attack. Seraph Strike is a gap closer AOE attack that grants Protect to nearby allies, reducing their damage taken by 10%. It also turns Cure II into Cure III, an AOE heal.

Aquaveil creates a damage absorption barrier around yourself or another player that also Purifies a single debuff.

Miracle of Nature transforms the target into a small creature for 2s, preventing them from using any actions.

White Mage’s Limit Break is Afflatus Purgation, a powerful straight line AOE that Stuns enemies for 2s and grants Temperance. Temperance increases damage dealt and healing potency, as well granting Regen to yourself and nearby allies for 15s.

Even in PVP, White Mage stays in its role of “baby’s first healer” with a straightforward set of actions. If you’re new to healing, this is a great job to get your feet wet with.

Scholar

Scholar’s PVP kit kicks off with Broil IV, a single-target attack. Adloquium is a healing action that restores the target’s HP and grants the Galvanize and Catalyze effects. The former absorbs a certain amount of damage, and the latter increases damage dealt. Both last 15s.

Biolysis will afflict the target with Biolysis and Biolytic. The first is a damage over time effect, and the latter reduces the target’s damage dealt. Again, both last for 15s.

Deployment Tactics will extend the effects of Adloquium to all nearby players or the effects of Biolysis to all nearby enemies depending on the target.

Mummification is a cone AOE attack that also reduces the targets’ ability to recover HP. Expedient increases the speed of all nearby allies and reduces their damage taken for 10s. It also increases the potency of Adloquium and Biolysis’ effects when they are used.

Scholar’s Limit Break is Summon Seraph, which does exactly what it says on the tin (and then some). The summoned Seraph will automatically use Seraph Flight after being summoned, which is an AOE buff that nullifies the next incoming debuff and restores anyone’s HP when it falls below 50%. This lasts for 20s.

Seraph will also uses Seraphic Veil whenever an ally suffers damage, restoring their HP and putting up a damage absorption barrier that lasts for 10s. The Scholar can also use Consolation to command Seraph to perform an AOE heal that also puts up a damage absorption barrier. Summoning Seraph increases the potency of Adloquium and Biolysis as well.

Scholar is equal parts pharmacist and pharmacist in PVP. If you enjoy defensive healing, running really fast, and summoning a giant fairy, this is the PVP healer for you.

Astrologian

Before we dive into the kit proper, it’s important to know that Astrologian has an ability called Double Cast that can change the bonus effect of some spells.

Astrologian’s basic attack is Fall Malefic, and their basic heal is Aspected Benefic. The heal scales with the target’s HP, increasing in potency as health decreases, and grants Diurnal Benefic to the target, placing a regen effect on them for 12s. With Double Cast, it grants Nocturnal Benefic, which creates a shield around the target for 15s.

Gravity II is an AOE attack that places a Heavy debuff on enemies caught within it for 5s. This changes to a 3s Bind debuff with Double Cast.

Draw will pull one of three cards from your deck: the Balance, the Ewer, or the Spire. This places a buff on the target and all nearby party members:

• The Balance increases damage dealt for 15s.
• The Ewer gradually restores MP for 15s.
• The Spire gradually fills the Limit Break bar for 15s.

Macrocosmos is an AOE attack that also grants a buff to the Astrologian and nearby party members that compiles 25% of damage taken for 10s and then restores HP based off of that amount. The action changes to Microcosmos upon use, which can instantly trigger the healing effect from the end of Macrocosmos.

Astrologian’s kit is beautifully simplified for the purposes of PVP. If you want to try healing but White Mage seems a little too boring for you, Astrologian’s mechanics will spice things up a little.

Sage

It comes as no surprise that Sage has one of the more complex PVP kits. Before all else, Sage has Kardia, an ability that will place Kardia on yourself and Kardion on another player in order to heal both of you.

Sage’s basic attack and heal is Dosis III. It damages the enemy and restores HP to you and whoever you have placed Kardion upon. Phlegma III is a strong AOE attack. Pneuma is a straight line AOE that grants Haima and 5 stacks of Haimatinon to you and nearby allies. Haima puts up a barrier with an absorption limit, and Haimatinon will put a new barrier up when it runs out. After 10s, players are healed based on how many stacks of Haimatinon they have left.

Toxikon is an AOE attack that increases enemy damage taken for 5s. Icarus is a gap closer that allows you to rush to a party member or enemy.

Eukrasia turns Dosis III into Eukrasian Dosis III. This upgraded ability does more damage and grants a barrier to the player under the effect of Kardion. When the barrier is absorbed, it turns Toxikon into Toxikon II. Toxikon II is a stronger attack, but the damage up debuff placed on enemies does not change.

Sage’s Limit Break is Mesotes, which places a ground AOE. This area afflicts enemies with Lype, which does damage over time for 5s. It grants allies the Mesotes buff, which negates all damage from enemies who are not under the effect of Lype — essentially, anyone not within the AOE.

By far the most complex of the healers, Sage is for people who like to heal through hurting others. They excel when they are prepared, as many of their defensive abilities are based around anticipating incoming damage. Thankfully, in PVP, the other team won’t stop attacking you until they’re all dead, so you don’t have to think too hard about it!

FFXIV PVP Actions: Melee DPS

We are now entering the territory of the pure damage-dealers. As melee DPS, you will always find yourself in the heat of battle. Your primary job is to take down the other team and keep yourself alive. Strategically trading blows while doing as much damage as possible is the name of the game.

Monk

Monk’s primary Phantom Rush Combo is quite long, containing a whopping seven abilities in the following order: Bootshine, True Strike, Snap Punch, Dragon Kick, Twin Snakes, Demolish, and Phantom Rush. All of these are basic, single-target attacks except for the last one, which is an AOE.

Snap Punch and Demolish both extend the duration of a buff called Wind Resonance that reduces weaponskill recast times. This is granted to you by the use of Thunderclap, a gap closer action that makes the perfect opening move. You can use Thunderclap to rush to an ally or enemy. Targeting an ally will give them a damage absorption shield, while targeting an enemy will give the same shield to yourself.

Six-sided Star is an attack that places a Stun debuff on the target for 2s and increases your movement speed for 5s.

Enlightenment is a straight line AOE attack that knocks back the primary target 15 yalms and places the Pressure Point debuff on them for 3s if the knockback is successful. This debuff makes your weaponskills and Limit Break do more damage against that target,

Rising Phoenix is an AOE attack that grants you Fire Resonance, a 10s buff that increases damage dealt by your next weaponskill.

Riddle of Earth grants Earth Resonance, which compiles incoming damage for 10s and turns the action into Earth’s Reply. This action will deal damage to all nearby enemies and heal you based on the compiled damage.

Monk’s Limit Break is Meteodrive, a powerful gap closer attack. It removes the target’s Guard and renders them unable to move for 3s. If the target isn’t using Guard, it deals extra damage.

In PVP, Monk remains a zippy little punching machine with a touch of party utility and a whole lotta damage buffs. There are no positionals here, making the basic combo super simple — and super fast if you enter the fray with Thunderclap.

Dragoon

Dragoon starts out with a much simpler combo of three abilities. The Wheeling Thrust Combo consists of Raiden Thrust, Fang and Claw, and Wheeling Thrust. These three are basic attacks with no special effects.

Chaotic Spring is an attack that absorbs your damage dealt as HP. Geirskogul is a line AOE attack that grants you Life of the Dragon, a double-edged sword that increases your damage dealt and damage received for 10s. After use, Geirskogul will change into Nastrond, another line AOE. The damage for this attack scales with the target’s HP, being at its highest when HP is under 50%.

High Jump delivers a jumping attack with a 20 yalm range. Using this attack turns your primary combo into Heaven’s Thrust, a more powerful attack.

Elusive Jump will cause you to jump backwards 15 yalms. It removes any Heavy/Bind effects on you and increases your movement speed for 5s. After use, Elusive Jump turns into Wyrmwind Thrust, another line AOE with damage that scales based on distance from the target.

Dragoon’s Limit Break is Sky High, an action that launches you into the air and makes you untargetable for 5s. It also removes any Heavy, Bind, or Half-asleep debuffs. You can still move while launched, and the attack Sky Shatter will execute when time expires or when you press the LB button again. Sky Shatter is a powerful AOE that also creates a damage absorption barrier around you for 10s.

Dragoon is all about the jumps, and its PVP kit has quite a few cool ones. It deals heavily in line AOEs, which means you’ll have to get good at spotting the right opportunities for maximum damage.

Ninja

Ninja’s Aeolian Edge Combo condenses Spinning Edge, Gust Slash, and Aeolian Edge into one button. These are all basic single-target attacks.

Ninja’s PVP kit is highly affected by the use of the Three Mudra action. This allows you to perform any ninjutsu action, but you cannot perform the same one twice in a row. When used, it becomes the ninjutsu Meisui, a healing ability that restores the target’s HP and grants Regen for 15s.

Three Mudra will change your combo into Forked Raiju, a gap closer attack that will Stun the enemy for 2s. Using this action will allow you to follow it up with Fleeting Raiju, another gap closer with a 2s Stun.

Fuma Shuriken is a ranged attack with three charges. Under Three Mudra, it turns into Hyosho Ranryu, a more powerful ranged attack.

Mug is a single-target attack that debuffs the enemy, increasing their damage taken for 10s. It also reduces the recast timer for Fuma Shuriken. Under Three Mudra, Mug turns into Goka Mekkyaku, an AoE attack that places a damage over time effect on nearby enemies for 12s.

Using Bunshin will animate your shadow, making your next five attacks strike twice. It lasts for 30s, and your shadow will absorb damage intended for you for 10s. Under Three Mudra, it turns into Huton. This action creates a damage absorption barrier and increases your movement speed for 10s.

Shukuchi allows you to instantly move to any location you can target with the ground marker. You become Hidden, making you invisible and untargetable for 5s. Using an action during this time will cause you to exit your hidden status. While you are Hidden, your combo changes to Assassinate, a strong single-target attack. Shukuchi changes to Doton under Three Mudra, creating a ground AOE that lasts for 10s. If you use Hyosho Ranryu or Goka Mekkyaku during this time, you can execute Hollow Nozuchi, which causes enemies in the ground AOE to take extra damage and afflicts them with Heavy for 3s.

Ninja’s Limit Break is Seiton Tenchu. This is a gap closer attack that will incapacitate any enemy under 50% HP, killing them instantly. If they’re not under 50%, it will afflict the target with Death Link for 5s. Killing an enemy with Seiton Tenchu or while they are under the effect of Death Link will grant another use of Seiton Tenchu.

Ninja remains one of the most skill-based jobs in PVP, but not having to perform ninjutsu manually makes it a lot quicker and easier to pick up. If you’ve been debating trying out Ninja in PVE content, messing around with it in PVP will give you a good taste of its job identity.

Samurai

Samurai starts out with the Kasha Combo: Yukikaze, Gekko, and Kasha. All three are basic single-target attacks.

Hissatsu: Soten is a gap closer AOE attack that grants the effect Kaiten. Kaiten lasts for 10s and changes your combo actions:

• Yukikaze becomes Hyosetsu, an AOE attack that Binds enemies for 2s.
• Gekko becomes Mangetsu, another AOE attack.
• Kasha becomes Oka, another AOE that absorbs damage dealt as HP.

Your basic combo and your Kaiten combo can be weaved together. If Kaiten runs out before you finish or you use Hissatsu: Soten in the middle of it, it will not interrupt the three part combo.

Ogi Namikiri is a cone AOE attack that increases in potency when you are only attacking a single target. When you use it on more than one target, it creates a 10s damage absorption barrier. Once used, it turns into Kaeshi: Namikiri, a combo action that does the same thing as Ogi Namikiri.

Hissatsu: Chiten reduces your damage taken for 5s and delivers an attack whenever you take damage. It also places the Kuzushi debuff on the target, increasing their damage taken for 3s.

Mineuchi ignores Guard and deals damage to the target equal to 10% of their current HP, as well as Stunning them.

Meikyo Shisui will nullify all status afflictions that can be cured by Purify for 3s. Upon use, it turns into Midare Setsugekka, a strong single-target attack.

Samurai’s Limit Break is Zantetsuken, a gap closer AOE that ignores Guard. If the target is afflicted with Kuzushi, it will deal damage equal to 100% of their maximum HP.

Like Ninja, Samurai has a somewhat high skill cap, but the way that PVP condenses its actions makes it much easier to pick up and get a feel for. Also like Ninja, it brings some instant kill actions to the PVP party, making it a great job for boosting your KDA.

Reaper

The last of the melee DPS is Reaper. Their Infernal Slice Combo starts out with Slice, then Waxing Slice, and closes with Infernal Slice. All three are single-target attacks with no extra effects.

Soul Slice is a single target attack that will grant a stack of Immortal Sacrifice (you can collect up to eight). These stacks increase the potency of Plentiful Harvest, a straight line AOE attack. You can also collect stacks by killing enemies or earning assists. Plentiful Harvest will consume all stacks when executed, and it will also grant you a buff that gradually fills your LB gauge for 15s.

Grim Swathe is a cone AOE performed by your avatar that afflicts enemies with Heavy for 3s. It also grants two stacks of Soul Reaver, which allows you to perform the Gibbet and Gallows attacks in that order.

Death Warrant will place a debuff on the target that compiles the damage you deal to them for 7s and hits them with 50% of it when it expires. It also grants Soulsow, which changes Death Warrant into Harvest Moon. This is an AOE attack that scales with the target’s HP, reaching its maximum when they are under 50%. It also absorbs 100% of damage dealt as HP.

Hell’s Ingress lets you teleport forward 15 yalms and increases your movement speed for 5s. For 10s, the action changes to Regress, which allows you to teleport back to where you came from.

Arcane Crest creates a 10s barrier that absorbs incoming damage and increases damage dealt. When the barrier is spent, it will gradually restore HP to yourself and nearby allies for 6s.

Reaper’s Limit Break is Tenebrae Lemurum, which grants you five stacks of Enshrouded and afflicts nearby enemies with Hysteria for 2s. This renders them unable to control their characters. Enshrouded stacks last for 15s and change several actions:

• Tenebrae Lemurum changes to Communio. Using Communio will consume all stacks of Enshrouded.
• Grim Swathe changes to Lemure’s Slice. This is a cone AOE that Binds enemies for 3s.
• Your basic combo changes to Void Reaping, a powerful single-target attack. Upon use, it changes to Cross Reaping, another powerful attack.

Void Reaping and Cross reaping both consume one stack of Enshrouded with each use. As you are granted five, it’s best to use both of these attacks twice and finish this Limit Break phase by using Communio.

Reaper’s PVP kit is certainly a simplified version of its PVE actions, but we think it actually adds more mechanical depth to the job. Of course, it still allows you to feast on the souls of your enemies, so if that’s your thing, you’ll like playing it no matter what.

FFXIV PvP Actions: Physical Ranged DPS

Playing a ranged DPS might have you thinking you’ll get to stay out of melee range, but that’s not necessarily true. In objective-based modes, you’ll often find yourself fighting side-by-side with the melee DPS. The core of your role’s gameplay is knowing when to back off and snipe from afar versus when to jump into the fray to help with objectives.

Bard

Bard’s kit starts out with Powerful Shot, a single-target attack with a potency that increases the farther away you are from the target. Powerful Shot has a cast time, but you are able to walk slowly while casting. Using this action reduces the recast time of Empyreal Arrow by 5s. Empyreal Arrow comes with three charges, but using the action will consume all three at once. Each charge counts for an additional attack; at max, Empyreal Arrow will fire off three times in one shot.

Apex Arrow is a line AOE attack that grants the Frontliner’s March buff upon use. This reduces your weaponskill cast and recast time and increases damage dealt by you and nearby allies for 30s. Using this action will turn it into Blast Arrow, a more powerful line AOE, for the next 20s. Using Blast Arrow will grant Frontliner’s Forte, which does the same thing as Frontliner’s March but only lasts for 10s. This means it’s best to use Apex Arrow and wait until the last possible second to use Blast Arrow to extend the buff for as long as possible.

Silent Nocturne is a single-target attack that Silences the target for 3s. It grants Repertoire for 10s, changing Powerful Shot into Pitch Perfect. Pitch Perfect has the same stats as Powerful Shot, but it’s an instant cast. Repelling Shot delivers an instant attack that Binds the enemy for 3s and causes you to leap backwards 10 yalms.

The Warden’s Paean is basically a second Purify that you can also use on your allies. If there is no status effect on the target, it creates a barrier that will nullify the next status effect applied to them. This action also grants Warden’s Grace for 5s when a status effect is successfully removed or nullified. This buff reduces damage taken and boosts incoming healing actions. Lastly, using The Warden’s Paean will also grant Repertoire for 10s.

Bard’s Limit Break is Final Fantasia, a powerful buff that’s applied to yourself and nearby allies for 30s. For you, it reduces cast and recast time while increasing movement speed. For your party members, it increases damage dealt and gradually fills their limit gauges.

Bard lacks its characteristic PVE songs in PVP, but its other actions create buffs with similar effects. This comes together to create a simple but powerful kit with a lot of party utility.

Machinist

Machinist’s kit opens with Blast Charge, a single-target ranged attack with a cast time that you can walk during. Every time you use Blast Charge, you gain a stack of Heat. At a max of five stacks, you become Overheated, and the action changes to Heat Blast, a more powerful instant cast attack.

Scattergun is a cone AOE that will strike twice if it only hits a single target. It will also knock back enemies 10 yalms.

Drill is sort of a condensed combo — every time this action is used, it changes form. It is also affected by the Analysis action. Here are the different attacks, their effects, and the differences applied by Analysis in order:

• Drill itself deals high damage and ignores Guard. Under Analysis, the potency increases.
• Bioblaster is a cone AOE that afflicts the target with a damage over time effect for 12. Under Analysis, it also places a Heavy debuff on the target for 5s.
• Air Anchor is a single-target attack that applies Bind for 3s. Under Analysis, potency is increased and Bind changes to Stun.
• Chain Saw is a straight line AOE. Under Analysis, it has a chance to one-hit K.O.

Wildfire places a bomb on the target that explodes after 7s, dealing damage to the target and all nearby enemies. Attacking the enemy will increase the damage that the final explosion does, and hitting them with three attacks will cause it to go off immediately.

Bishop Autoturret places a battle turret on the ground that sets off automatic AOE attacks for 10s. If an enemy is hit, their damage taken is increased for 5s. If an ally stands within the AOE, they gain a damage absorption barrier for 5s.

Machinist’s Limit Break is Marksman’s Spite. It delivers an incredibly powerful single-target attack.

Machinist has a very deadly PVP kit that keeps on giving. It’s fast-paced and excels at dealing high damage from a distance, but it has a handful of great AOE attacks that allow you to hold your own when you have to get up close.

Dancer

Dancer is the only physical ranged DPS with a proper condensed combo: the Fountain Combo puts Cascade and Fountain into one button. These are both single-target attacks.

Dancer retains Closed Position in PVP, allowing you to choose a Dance Partner and share several buff effects with them.

Starfall Dance is a straight line AOE. Using this action will reduce cast and recast times for you and your Dance Partner for 10s. Fan Dance is a cone AOE attack that also reduces damage taken by you and your Dance Partner for 10s. Curing Waltz restores your HP and the HP of nearby party members. Your Dance Partner will also execute this effect independently of you, so you can set off a second healing AOE at a distance.

Honing Dance is an AOE attack that places a damage over time effect on enemies for 3s and grants you a stack of Acclaim. When finished, Honing Ovation is automatically executed. This attack and the barrier it grants you and nearby allies have a potency based on how many stacks of Acclaim you have.

En Avant lets you dash forward 10 yalms and has four charges. Using this action upgrades your basic combo to Reverse Cascade and Fountainfall. After performing both, the combo becomes Saber Dance, an AOE attack that increases damage dealt by yourself and your Dance Partner for 10s.

Dancer’s Limit Break is Contradance, which Charms all nearby enemies for 2s. When you damage a Charmed enemy, the effect’s duration is increased for 2s. You can only extend the duration once.

Dancer is known for having a lot of party utility, so this isn’t the way to go if you want to deal huge DPS. Dancer excels when they’re focused on supporting their party and buffing their chosen Dance Partner.

FFXIV PvP Actions: Magical Ranged DPS

Magical ranged DPS occupy a similar role to the physical ranged DPS, but they’re slightly less about party utility. The biggest difference here is that they can’t walk during their cast times, so you have to be more careful about positioning.

Black Mage

Black Mage’s PVP kit is still centered around ice and fire, so you will need to be aware of what elemental status you are in to maximize your damage.

Your two basic starter attacks are Fire and Blizzard. These afflict the target with a stack of Astral Warmth or Umbral Freeze, respectively, and they will turn into the next action in their line. These actions will continue to apply their respective stacks to the enemy.

Following Fire is Fire IV, and then Flare. This final action is an AOE attack, while the two preceding it are single-target. Following Blizzard is Blizzard IV, and then Freeze. Like Flare, this is an AOE attack.

Paradox is a single-target attack that increases the target’s stacks of Astral Warmth or Umbral Freeze to the maximum of three.

Using Superflare will deal massive AOE damage with increased potency based on your stacks of Astral Warmth or Umbral Freeze. Enemies with Astral Warmth debuffs will also be afflicted with Burns, dealing damage over time for 6s. Enemies with Umbral Freeze debuffs are afflicted with Deep Freeze, rendering them immobile for 1s.

Burst does AOE lightning damage to nearby enemies and creates a damage absorption barrier on you for 10s. Night Wing afflicts the target and nearby enemies with Half-asleep for 3s, reducing their movement speed. When the effect expires, they will succumb to Sleep for 2s, rendering them immobile and increasing their damage taken.

Aetherial Manipulation lets you rush to an ally or enemy’s location and grants Swiftcast, allowing you to cast your next spell instantly.

Black Mage’s Limit Break is Soul Resonance, which upgrades your fire and ice abilities to their max forms. The LB button will change to Foul, a strong AOE attack, and you will also gain a damage reduction buff for 15s. It also reduces the recast time for Superflare.

Black Mage, of course, is all about the damage. It deals in cast times that pay off in huge explosions. If you want to watch the world burn (or freeze), Black Mage is the PVP job for you.

Summoner

Summoner starts out with the basic single-target attack, Ruin III. Next up is Crimson Cyclone, a gap closer AOE attack. After use, it will turn into Crimson Strike, a powerful AOE attack that also knocks back enemies 5 yalms.

Slipstream places a ground AOE windstorm that does initial damage to the target and nearby enemies, then persists for 10s. The catch is the eye of the storm, in which enemies will not take damage.

Radiant Aegis is a damage absorption barrier that can be placed on yourself or a party member. It also reduces damage taken for 10s.

Mountain Buster is an AOE attack that draws in nearby enemies, afflicts the primary target with Bind, and places a Heavy debuff on everyone else for 3s.

Fester is a single-target AOE with damage that scales as the target’s HP lowers, hitting max when under 50% health.

Summoner has two Limit Break options: Summon Bahamut and Summon Phoenix. Both last for 20s.

Bahamut is focused on dealing damage, performing the Megaflare AOE attack upon summoning and then targeting enemies with the lowest HP and hitting them with Wyrmwave. Bahamut will turn Ruin III into Astral Impulse, and the LB button will turn into Enkindle Bahamut, which orders him to execute Akh Morn, a powerful AE.

Phoenix is centered more around healing. It will execute Everlasting Flight upon summon, gradually restoring everyone’s HP for 15s and restoring HP whenever it drops below 25%. Phoenix will target the closest enemy and hit them with Scarlet Flame automatically, an attack that also reduces their damage dealt for 5s. Ruin III becomes Fountain of Fire, and the LB button will turn into Enkindle Phoenix, which orders it to execute Revelation. This is an AOE attack that also applies a 15s damage over time effect.

The Limit Break you choose will be situational. Bahamut does a lot of damage and is a better choice for when your team has the upper hand. Phoenix, on the other hand, is a better option for a team that needs to make a big comeback in order to win.

Summoner remains all about the summons in PVP. It has some powerful crowd control abilities and can be a real powerhouse, provided you don’t get caught in the middle of a cast.

Red Mage

Red Mage is all about balancing white and black magic, but PVP lacks the usual job gauges of PVE. Therefore, Red Mage’s mechanics have been condensed into the White Shift and Black Shift states. When you switch to Red Mage, you will automatically be in White Shift. The Black Shift action will change your state, swapping the effects of certain abilities.

Under White Shift, Verstone is a single-target attack that grants Dualcast when used, allowing your next spell to be cast instantly. Upon use, Verstone changes to Veraero III. Under Black Shift, Verstone changes to Verfire, which also grants Dualcast and changes to Verthunder III.

Under White Shift, Magick Barrier reduces the damage taken for yourself and nearby party members, as well as increasing incoming healing for 10s. Then, under Black Shift, this action changes to Frazzle, which places the opposite effect on nearby enemies for 10s. Resolution is a straight line AOE that is affected by your status. White Shift places a Silence debuff on enemies for 2s, while Black Shift places a Bind debuff on them for 3s.

Corps-a-corps is a gap closer attack that afflicts the target with Monomachy for 7s, increasing their damage taken and lowering their damage dealt. Use this to open your melee phase, which has been condensed into one button.

Enchanted Riposte is a single-target attack that opens your melee phase and has a different bonus effect based on your status. For White Shift, it places a damage absorption barrier on you for 10s. For Black Shift, it places a 6s damage over time effect on the enemy.

The previous action will turn into Enchanted Zwerchhau upon use. It does everything that Enchanted Riposte does under White and Black shift, but the attack has a higher potency.

Next is Enchanted Redoublement, the final and strongest attack in your melee phase. It also has the same effects as the previous two, but it applies a new status: Vermillion Radiance.

This changes the action into a final, closing ability based on your White or Black status:

• Under White Shift, you will gain Verholy, an AOE heal.
• Under Black Shift, you will gain Verflare, a strong AOE attack.

Your melee phase closer is Displacement, which delivers an attack and launches you backwards 15 yalms, out of melee range. It also grants Manafication, increasing the damage of your next spell cast.

Red Mage’s Limit Break is Southern Cross, which places a ground AOE that damages enemies and heals allies. Being in White Shift will increase the heal potency, while being in Black Shift will increase the damage potency.

Despite lacking a job gauge, the white/black balance mechanic of Red Mage is still present here. It’s now a little more of a strategic choice — do you need to support your party or focus on doing more damage? If you enjoy being ver-satile (pun intended), Red Mage is the perfect PVP job for you.

Join the High Ground

That is all of the PVP actions for every job in Final Fantasy XIV! Maybe you understand your favorite job’s mechanics a little bit better, or maybe another job caught your eye and you’re going to try something new. Either way, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media for more FFXIV content!

Happy gaming!

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FFXIV Class Guide

Classes and Jobs Overview

7 Best FFXIV Solo Classes and Jobs

FFXIV Crafting Guide: Leveling 1-90