Top 7 DPS Classes for Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers Expansion

7. Monk

The Monk

One of the more complicated job classes to master, the Monk is a melee DPS. Once you’ve gotten the necessary combos down, this class can be an asset to your line up and one helluva heavy hitter. This class isn’t the simplest to hop into and takes more effort to learn than some of the others, but still more than worth its salt on the battlefield.

The Monk has a buff that applies to all members of the party, increasing everyone’s damage 5% for a total of 15 seconds. Big things come in small packages and 5% can be more than enough to get the job done.

On the topic of buffs, the Monk class has some of the quickest cooldowns on buffs in the game making continuous use easy.

Just like the Dragoon, your position is key. Certain skills being executed from the exact right spot (i.e. flank or rear) when facing a target can make your Monk’s attack a force to be reckoned with.

The DPS damage dealt by a Monk isn’t too far off from what you could gain from the Samurai class, but it also has the added advantage of providing raid damage.

Grease Lightning can give you a non-stop 10% increase in your damage. Just in case you didn’t feel like you were already punching hard enough.

Borrowing from the Pugilist, the best gear for your Monk will be the same: Edengrace Knuckles and Ultimate Verethragna for arms and the Edengrace gear and accessories or the Augmented Deepshadow gear and accessories. These gear sets will have you talking with your fists and always coming out on the winning side.

FF14 Monk Guide & Overview

6. Dancer

The Dancer

Feeling like a Foxtrot? How about a Waltz? Maybe just a ranged DPS with all the right moves? Then you must be looking for a Dancer. The Dancer DPS role is now basically the primary support job since Shadowbringers was launched. It may not pack as much of a punch as other DPS classes, but it brings its own unique flavor to the party in the form of buffs.

The Dancer might be the biggest utility job to have on hand with buffs that cover damage, defense, and healing. These buffs work on everyone in the party. Sharing IS caring.

Like the Machinist, the Dancer’s combos don’t need to be channeled. This gives them a huge advantage in terms of movement, ensuring that they aren’t stuck in one spot waiting for the timer to countdown.

Closed Position allows for an allied player to become your dance partner. Doing this allows you to imbue the player with all the buffs that the Dancer can use for themselves. The two of you can deal more damage, boost your critical hits, heal nearby party members, and take less damage. It’s one helluva Tango.

You’ve got decent AOE ability being a ranged DPS. You can always strategize without being directly in the middle of the chaos.

Bladed rings just make for a cool and unique weapon look.

If you’re playing a Dancer and you want to make sure you’re sashaying in the best of the best as far as gear and arms go, then you’ll want to make sure you’re wearing the Edengrace and Augmented Deepshadow armor sets. Pairing it with the accessories of the same name along with the Edengrace Thathlums and Ultimate Twashtar.

FF14 Dancer Guide & Overview

5. Summoner

The Summoner

Is calling beasts to battle alongside you more your style? Then the Summoner class is made specifically for you! This class is all about having the ability to tame and then thrust them into battle against your enemies. Most of them are also super cute. So that’s a bonus.

You can literally take Bahamut into battle with you (or, at least, his Demi version). Everyone’s goal has always been Bahamut, right? You work hard for him in every Final Fantasy game where he can be summoned for a reason.

Your tank and healer have suddenly died in a dungeon? No problem just chuck out a tank pet to take some blows for you while you do a Resurrection to get them back in the game! The team doesn’t have to start the entire fight over just because of something as silly as, you know, death.

Summoners can use green magic. This is incredibly useful for doing damage overtime with poison-based spells.

Demi-Phoenix can gradually restore your HP as well as your entire party’s HP for a limited amount of time when they’re nearby. This class is kind of like the not-really-a-healer-but-I-won’t-let-you-die type DPS.

Summoners can send out pets to aggro enemies for them and swoop in behind them with attacks to keep the attention off themselves. Great for groups!

If you’re going to play as a Summoner, you’re probably going to be on the hunt for the best gear, right? That’s the goal to make them as powerful as possible, after all. Arms are important and if you’re looking for the best available, the two Grimoires to come stacked with are the Book of Grace and Ultimate Draconomicon. Both are sitting at the top at level 475. Edengrace and Augmented Deepshadow are, once again, your go-to gear and accessory sets if you’re wanting to max out on gear level, as well.

FF14 Summoner Guide & Overview

4. Dragoon

The Dragoon

Ever take a look at Kain and think “Oh, man, this guy looks cool as hell! I wanna be him!”? Well, good news: You can be! The Dragoon is everything you could want from a Spear wielding melee DPS. This class is made for plunging into the heart of the battle and dealing massive amounts of damage.

Damage, damage, damage! Dragoons are built with very little utility and primarily focused on being used solely to inflict as much damage as possible overtime on enemies.

You can clear mobs like woah. This class has a large reach given its weapon type and has a pretty large AOE, perfect for taking on groups whether it be on purpose or just by accidental aggro.

Dragoons have mad ups! For real, though, using attacks like the appropriately named Jump or Stardiver can get you up close on an enemy. Like REAAAALLL up close. It’s great getting into the midst of the fray. Just don’t let it come back to bite you by being caught in the jump animation while a boss is using AOE attacks.

Position matters! You can stack some pretty good bonus damage on enemies just depending on the direction you’re facing them at, great for getting that little extra nudge needed to quickly put them down or just for the fun of wracking up the pain game.

You’re basically Kain. Did I mention that? Because you are.

If you want your Dragoon looking sharp, but also as high up on gear level as possible, you want to make sure you’re rocking the Edengrace and Augmented Deepshadow gear sets. The same goes for accessories, of course. Complete that with the Edengrace Spear and the Ultimate Rhongomiant and your Dragoon will be perfectly equipped to step onto the battlefield and take down any foe!

FF14 Dragoon Guide & Overview

3. Samurai

The Samurai

Ever want to just slash your enemies to bits while maintaining the highest level of grace and poise? Well, with the Samurai DPS Class, you can! Not only does this class give you the option to wear nice flowy robes that look super comfortable and the ability to wave around long ass katanas, it also comes with a brilliantly majestic attack set up. This is also a melee DPS class, so you can get up close and personal on the battlefield and leave your mark etched into the flesh of your enemies.

This is a true to name DPS class. The Samurai is all about getting up close and dealing as much damage as possible, giving the ability to perform melee combos back to back that build up Sen and the more Sen you have, the higher damage you’re going to unleash and the bigger the variety of effects your attacks will have.

The class is great for parties. The Samurai isn’t a heavy utility class by any means. It’s a single-minded, simple class designed to do as much damage as possible in a short amount of time. However, having it on a team with other classes that are better with utilities will have your Samurai maximizing its potential and creating even higher damage output for the rest of the team.

This class is explosive. Being that it’s all about damage, this is one of the best DPS classes for high output finishers. The name of the game is building up your meter with combos and then letting lose an incredibly high-powered end strike that leaves your enemies in pieces.

Swords. Swords are just cool.

Quick and heavy, but also able to take some blows, the Samurai class can nullify knockbacks and draw-in effects using its role action Arm’s Length. Exceedingly useful for when you just weren’t quite quick enough to step out of an enemy’s attack range.

Equipping the Edengrace Blade or the Ultimate Honebami will give your attacks the most bang for your buck. The same can be said of the Edengrace armor and accessory sets as well as the Augmented Deepshadow armor and accessory sets. They’re the highest level equipment available for your Samurai and having them on equipped will bring your Samurai up to the top of their striking game!

FF14 Samurai Guide & Overview

2. Machinist

The Machinist

Now I know what you’re thinking but hear me out. For those familiar with the Machinist, we all know that this job class had a major update with the new expansion. The Machinist is the super-cool looking gunslinger we’ve all pretended to be at one time or another. Not only does this DPS class make your character look like they’re about to win an epic 10 v 1 shoot out and then slowly walk away while not looking at the explosion behind them, but it’ll also give you all the necessary skills to pull it off.

Tech friends. Between the Rook Autoturret and the Automaton Queen, you can always feel just a little more confident going into a fight knowing that even if you don’t have a party, you still have the option for backup if you need it.

You’ve got range on your side! The Machinist is a ranged DPS class, giving the ability to step back out of the midst of the fray and deliver your attacks from a safer distance.

Machinists can reduce damage taken by the entire party by 10% using Tactician. Remember that feeling of JUST having enough HP to survive the battle? 10% can be the difference between winning and having to start the dungeon fight all over again.

The Machinist is one of the biggest damage dealers in the game. Setting up your rotation correctly will have you blasting bullets through your enemies without a second thought.

The newest version has had a complete revamping of the Heat Gauge system. Learning this class is now much easier, even for those just starting out in the role ensuring you have loads of fun.

If you want to make sure your decking your Machinist out in the best equipment possible, you’ll want to equipped either Edengrace Revolver or Ultimate Armageddon as your weapons. Follow that up with the matching Edengrace armor set and accessories or the Augmented Deepshadow armor set and accessories as the highest level armor you can equip to your Machinist.

FF14 Machinist Guide & Overview

1. Black Mage

The Black Mage

Forever a classic job class, the Black Mage once again earns its keep as a much needed and well-rounded DPS class to have on any team. This is it. Your DPS powerhouse. Sure, you may not get a fancy book or neat-o blade to slice through opponents, but seriously, who needs those things when you can literally smite your enemies with lightning from above?! The Black Mage has a wide variety of tricks under its belt, the Black Mage BRINGS THE HEAT. Literally. With Fire I-III.

Black Mage is one of the easiest classes to stack damage quickly with its ability to negate any cast time for up to three spells. You hear that? Triple the spell damage with no wait in between.

No mana, no problem! As a spell-based role, that MP bar is VITAL. But no need to worry about running out anytime soon, the Black Mage class can restore MP its own MP, negating any and all need to fret about having to run around for a moment without taking damage while refilling the gauge.

Let’s talk AOE damage. Do you know who effing loves being indiscriminate about handing out piping hot helpings of damage? Your Black Mage. No other class does as much AOE damage in the entire game, proving that black mage is not only a badass who eats enemies for breakfast, but a fair one.

Higher level gear set ups look awesome. Or you could dress like Vivi. We all know at least for a while your Black Mage was dressed like Vivi.

If none of that can convince you that the Black Mage is easily the best DPS in the game, there’s only one thing you need to know. YOU CAN SMITE YOUR ENEMIES WITH LIGHTNING. Or burn them. Or freeze them. Dealer’s choice.

Want to know the best way to bring the pain with your Black Mage? It all comes down to gear, of course! The better the gear, the more effective your mage will be on the battlefield. The highest level sets that you can acquire for a black mage are currently The Edengrace Casting Set and the Augmented Deepshadow Casting set, both sitting at level 470. The highest level weaponry you can equip your mage with is the Edengrace Rod or the Ultimate Hvergelmir, of course, the Augmented Deepshadow Scythe is only 5 levels behind them and it looks flipping cool. Pair those with Omega accessories or Augmented Scaeven accessories and your Black Mage won’t just look sharp, they’ll be blasting through enemies left and right.

FF14 Black Mage Guide & Overview

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