FFXIV has been, first and foremost, a PvE game. While this MMO has some PvP content that has improved recently, people still prefer the intricate dungeons and raids. However, every PvP season brings some fantastic rewards, including some of the game’s best cosmetics, hence why many are jumping into some player-versus-player action. If you want to join the fun but are unsure of which job to take with you, don’t fret. Here, we have a PvP Job Tier List for FF14, updated to the latest 6.5 patch.
PvP Job Tier List: The Best Classes in FF14
Thankfully, in FFXIV, all jobs are balanced enough that each one feels useful for every situation. However, in PvP, there are slight differences that make a few of the jobs stand out amongst each other, especially when it comes to certain skills. So, if you want to rule over the battlefield, here’s the tier list you’ll need to pick the right job. Before we begin, though, while this is our opinion, don’t feel forced to pick our top jobs. All are fun to play, and what matters is that you choose the one that appeals the most to you.
Dragoon: S Rank
Let’s start the list with the bane of all players. The Dragoon is one of the best DPS jobs for PvP in FFXIV due to its ability to eliminate groups of enemies. While this job might not have received love in the PvE part during Endwalker, the PvP makes up for it. This job has great damage-dealing skills that add crazy effects like HP restore, damage reduction, and speed increase. If you want to hunt your enemies relentlessly, this job’s for you.
Samurai: S Rank
New or old players might have faced a Samurai in PvP and learned they mean business. This job, while slow at first, has one of the best defensive and offensive skills in the game in the form of Hissatsu: Chiten. This skill lets you deal damage to enemies while they hit you for a certain amount of time. Combine it with the job’s limit break, and you can obliterate groups of enemies in a matter of seconds.
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Warrior: S Rank
In PvE and PvP, the Warrior is a fantastic job that deserves to be high on this Tier List for FF14. This job is the leader in self-healing and crowd-controlling skills in player-versus-player activities. Warrior is one of the best jobs you can pick if you want to apply pressure on the frontlines while staying alive. Get a good healer in your team, and you’ll be unstoppable.
White Mage: S Rank
Ever since the PvP revamp, the White Mage has been on top of every tier list for one single reason: stun. This job is capable of stunning enemies constantly while providing healing to other party members. It is one of the most annoying jobs to face when fighting but one of the most rewarding to play. Focus on increasing your Limit Break bar and spam it to win the match.
Black Mage: A+ Rank
The Black Mage is, to this day, one of the best Magical DPS jobs for PvP in the game. Given how this is Yoshi-P’s main job, it’s no wonder it’s almost on top of the list. While not S rank, it’s still a fantastic job to try when PvPing. With the fire and ice gimmick we all know, this job switches from dealing huge amounts of damage to crowd-controlling on the fly. While it can be squishy, it’s a fantastic class to play when in Crystalline Conflict matches.
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Dark Knight: A+ Rank
The edgiest of classes had to be on top, too. The Dark Knight remains a perfect pick for those who want to start their journey as tanks in any type of content. Embracing the darkness, this job can do a lot of damage while shielding itself and others. The reason why it isn’t higher on the list is because it lacks the damage to win against a 1v1 situation. Yet, paired with other jobs, it is a force to be reckoned with.
Gunbreaker: A+ Rank
As one of the community’s favorites, we couldn’t leave the Gunbreaker out of the A+ rank. The reason why it isn’t higher above is due to the opposite of the Dark Knight. This job is amazing at doing damage but lacks the defensive capabilities of other tanks in PvP. Still, it brings some good self-healing skills to let the job take many hits; however, it needs a small push before joining the big leagues.
Machinist – A+ Rank
Regarded as the easiest job to play in PvP, we have the Machinist. This job has long-range skills, making it the safest to play for new players. The reason why it isn’t higher is because the job’s rotation relies much on spamming Drill. While that isn’t bad, it doesn’t offer many things while certain skills are in cooldown, making it great but not the best.
Monk – A+ Rank
While many jobs in PvP prefer to keep their distance, the Monk goes face-to-face with every opponent to deliver ridiculous amounts of damage. Having one of the best Limit Breaks in all melee DPS jobs, the Monk is fun to play and master. However, despite its defensive skills, it’s still one of the squishiest jobs in the mix.
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Paladin: A+ Rank
The bulwark of the bunch. If you thought the Paladin embraced the protector’s role in PvE, wait until you see it shine in PvP. This job is hard to kill in player-versus-player, as it has self-healing and some of the best shielding abilities. However, as the Dark Knight, it needs more damage to be the perfect tank. Still, this is another beginner-friendly job for those dipping their toes in PvP action.
Summoner: A+ Rank
Many argue that the real danger about Summoner is its flashy spells that blind players’ screens, letting them win. Jokes aside, the revamp for this job was well-received by many, making it fun to play in any game content. While the rotation isn’t as intricate as the PvE counterpart, it still has a smooth gameplay loop that’ll let you destroy groups of enemies. Still, the job could use better single-target skills to make it shine more.
Astrologian – A Rank
The Astrologian might not be the best healer, but it’s still one of the coolest. Let’s face it: who wouldn’t love to bring a deck of cards to a sword fight? The Astrologian is a terrific healer job for PvP, and the only reason it gets an A rank is due to the high skill ceiling, which is not bad, yet it might be hard for many. Still, if you master this job’s skills, you’ll be loved by all your team.
Ninja – A Rank
The Ninja is one of the hardest jobs to master in FF14, and that’s why it’s down here in the PvP Tier List. Don’t get us wrong; it’s a fantastic job that, due to recent buffs, finally shines in PvE; in PvP, however, it needs a small push. While the jutsu system is simplified, it can be daunting for some, and failing your rotation will cost you dearly.
Red Mage – A Rank
The Red Mage is a job that, despite being a glass cannon, can stay toe-to-toe against many foes who want to duel you in 1v1 situations, hence its spot in this FF14 PvP tier list. It maintains that fun black/white magic loop that requires you to switch from one style to another. Yet, some people stick only to one, making the gimmick irrelevant in a few scenarios. Still, it isn’t as hard to master as other jobs.
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Sage – A Rank
While it is the new healer on the block, the old ones still outshine the Sage. While it has some flashy spells with its weapons, the Sage offers more shielding than raw healing, which players prefer more in PvP scenarios. However, it’s still fun to play and not as challenging as other jobs.
Scholar – A Rank
The Scholar is down here for the same reason as the Sage. Both are shielders instead of raw healers, which, as we mentioned, isn’t bad but not ideal in PvP scenarios. While they are fantastic in PvE, and you should always consider having one, player-versus-player requires raw healing, hence why other healing jobs are preferred more than this one.
Bard – B Rank
Despite being a fun job to play with many fun gimmicks, the Bard, in the end, as in other games, is there to support. It can still bring good damage numbers and even apply pressure to some players, but ultimately, it’s sought out for its buffing skills. Many players will focus on filling the Limit Break bar to buff the entire team.
Dancer – B Rank
The Dancer suffers the same fate as the Bard. Both classes bring little damage and focus more on buffing others. While the Dancer is amazing in PvE scenarios, we recommend you avoid it when playing in PvP events. Yes, it’s flashy and elegant, but that elegance won’t last too long, especially against well-equipped players.
Reaper – B Rank
It’s sad to see one of the best PvE DPS jobs at the bottom of the list. Don’t get us wrong; the Reaper has some great utility skills in PvP scenarios that are useful; however, it still lacks a smooth rotation that can make it shine against other jobs. We recommend you leave this job for PvE and grab a better melee DPS class for PvP.
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Before we wrap up our FF14 PvP Tier List, here’s a summary of the jobs and ranks, should you wish to check it faster and pick the ones higher on this list:
- S Rank
- Dragoon
- Samurai
- Warrior
- White Mage
- A+ Rank
- Black Mage
- Dark Knight
- Gunbreaker
- Machinist
- Mink
- Paladin
- Sumoner
- A Rank
- Astrologian
- Ninja
- Red Mage
- Sage
- Scholar
- B Rank
- Bard
- Dancer
- Reaper
And if you’d like to learn more about the PvP mode of this MMO, here’s a video by Sensus YT, where they showcase most of the skills and offer great tips for newcomers.