FFXIV White Mage Healing Guide (Cooldowns, DPS, etc…)

Everything you need to know about WHM gameplay. (almost)

Hi there! If you’re here, then you’re probably interested in learning a little bit more about White Mage gameplay. Well, you’ve made the right choice! In this White Mage Healing guide, we will be discussing all aspects of WHM in-game mechanics – Healing, Cooldowns, DPS, and a smattering of my thoughts / experiences. Hopefully you guys will learn even a bit!

DISCLAIMER: This guides main purpose isn’t to tell you EXACTLY how to play your White Mage. My aim is to give you the tools necessary to make decisions, form up new strategies, or get value where you might not have before.

White Mage Healing: The tools of the trade

Regen: in 99.9% cases, Regen should always be up on your current main tank while actively engaging enemies/boss. That’s non-negotiable – but there are things you should consider:

DO NOT reapply Regen if your tank is in immediate danger. If your tank MAY die in the next 2.5-5s, DO NOT reapply Regen if  it’s down. Regen is a tool to be used when things are relatively safe, and helps you incrementally. It definitely won’t solve anything RIGHT NOW, and don’t be too anal about the 100% uptime.

Clipping Regen? Most of the time you DO NOT want to clip Regen (Reapplying it before it’s icon disappears). Before we discuss this we have to study some of Regens stats…

It takes 15 seconds for Regen to be equally mana efficient as Cure I. (6s left on Regen)
It takes 9 seconds for Regen to be equally strong as a Cure I (12s left on Regen)
Regen costs around 40% more than Cure I, but heals for around 160% more.

I would only clip my own Regen if I know my GCD’s will be very valuable in the immediate future. Some examples:

The height of T13’s Zoo phase is coming, I want to make sure my Regen will be “fresh” for the upcoming heavy damage. If there’s an existing Regen, I wont hesitate to clip it.

Divine Seal+Regen: My Divine Seal is about to wear off – squeeze value by making regen your last skill (even if it’s already on)
36s Divine Seal Regen: Applying Regen upon casting Divine Seal, and once again before it wears off results in a 36~ second mega-Regen.

Don’t be too anal about this. It’s not the end of the world if you clip regen – just make sure you do it for a reason.

The most experienced White Mages will have this simple mantra: “I will use the RIGHT spell for the situation”.

Cure I or Cure II?: Most white mages have a misconception about when to use Cure I versus Cure II. Some people have a mysterious stigma against using Cure II at all, which is laughable. First, ask yourself what is the CORE difference between these two heals.

“At the cost of a mana, we get out of potentially troublesome situations faster”

FASTER – that’s the feeling that drives most WHM’s from using Cure II. Two Cure I’s would be even stronger than a Cure II, but people want to be stress free NOW. The difference between a common and experienced White Mage? One of them knows when “faster is necessary”. What’s the main determining factor of this? RISK. The higher the risk of the situation, the better Cure II becomes. How do you know when it’s risky? EXPERIENCE with the encounter.

Doing too many Cure II’s is the sign of a panicked White Mage, and your mana will go dry asap. Doing too few? It’s a sign of an all too fussy WHM who’s obsessed with the thought that mana conservation gives you style points. The most experienced White Mages will have this simple mantra “I will use the RIGHT spell for the situation”.

Identifying and squeezing value out of Stoneskin, and integrating it into your raid strategy
is a mark of an exceptional WHM

Stoneskin: Our only shield, and an extremely important weapon in the White Mage repertoire. It’s main use is to prepare people for massive incoming damage. the downside? Its slow-ass cast time. Hopefully I don’t need to explain this (It’s primary use)  further. But is that all there is to Stoneskin? Certainly not.

– In about 5 seconds, you know an add will spawn. SS your off-tank!
– You’ve just switched on Cleric Stance and something ‘feels wrong’. After Aero II you decide that, to reduce risk, you need to heal somebody. Stoneskin isn’t affected by cleric stance! It still shields for the full amount.
-Stoneskin while MT is running to pull. It blocks another hit.

 

Need a more advanced example?

In T13 (early on) enrage was a real threat. Healing was also very tight in some phases (Mega->Rage->Giga). Megaflare stack + tower was FATAL even with succor + soil. This caused our BLM to move unnecessarily when MEGA+Tower happens.By Stoneskinning him, he didn’t have to move out for tower, allowing him to cast without interruption. Same for myself, I can IMMEDIATELY channel an AoE heal for Rage of Bahamut right after Mega+Tower, not needing to move out of tower. Instead of “wondering if tower will spawn on me, and having to move out” – a simple Stoneskin streamlined the process.

Remember, It’s our only shield. Yes, it has a prohibitive cast time and not always usable. But identifying and squeezing value out of Stoneskin, and integrating it into your raid strategy is one of the many points that separate a basic WHM froman exceptional one.

Medica II is the hero we deserve, but not always the hero we need

Medica, Medica II, Cure III?: White Mages have 3 AoE skills. What’s the right time for each?

The basic answer is: Medica II. Medica II is hyper-efficient and amazing as long as you’re actually healing anything. 99.9% of the time Medica II is mana WELL SPENT. But what about the others?

Medica I serves a niche purpose. When you need to heal more than 2 people NOW. It has a faster cast time and costs less than Medica II, but is much much weaker. Never feel bad about using it though, as long as those few guys NEED to be healed ASAP. Never, NEVER use Medica I after Medica II just so “their life bar is full”. Again the main feeling you need in your gut before you channel Medica I is “Do these people need to be topped up RIGHT NOW?”.

Here’s an example of when that’s necessary: AoE comes out and Medica II is, of course, the max value heal you can do. Now, some guys took heavier damage than normal (no DK or Path…). While Med II would usually be safe… due to error some guys need to be topped up. Multiple cures would be a waste of mana and time… just bite the bullet and Medica I.

Cure III? The oft forgotten brother in the bunch. Cure III is the strongest AoE cure (in terms of burst). It’s weakness? Proximity. Cure III isn’t always heard about because it requires 1 thing to pull off successfully: Strategy.

Okay, example. Megaflare followed by Giga right away. You Medica II’d because that’s SOP. Well, Gigaflare is coming in about 4 seconds. Your teammates are too spread out! Desperately, you attempt to Medica I but still get crushed by Giga. Cure III would have gotten you out of this situation quite easily. But everyone has to get the memo. Your raid must know that, even in fringe cases, WHEN to stack for Cure III. So while there are situation only CIII can handle, everyone has to be on the same page strat-wise.

Finding creative uses for Cure III should always be on your mind. Healing both tanks with Akh Morn? Check. Need a big heal on myself and the guy running toward me? Channel Cure III. There’s a ton of ways to use Cure III, but be careful – don’t try to force it just to show off.

WHM Cooldowns: Best Practices

Shroud of Saints: Our most important cooldown. It gives us back some mana – the reduced enmity part doesn’t matter most of the time. Shroud has a 2 minute CD. In a 12 minute fight, I would realistically want to use Saints 5 times. Any less, and you should consider it YOUR ERROR. A general rule? try to use it after the first or second minute of the fight, and on cooldown from there. Holding on to if for “when you’re really low” makes NO SENSE. Using Saints actively keeps you further away from the “really low” state.

Divine Seal: is our basic cooldown. Short duration, short cooldown. Basic increase to healing potency! What’s not to love. You know what’s not to love? When you aren’t using it enough!! Let’s run down the basics of DS. DS has a CD of one minute. Thankfully this lines up perfectly with alot of mechanics. It lines up with alot of mechanics. T13 P2 adds? Once a minute. Final phase Megaflare? Once a minute. T12? Bennu? Once a minute. So on so forth. DS has three main uses if we analyze the core of what drives us to use it. One is “saving mana“, “fixing errors“, and “increased output

Saving Mana: There are some lull phases in every encounter. You can do the “36 second Regen” during this time. This saves alot of mana since SCH pet + this can heal through alot of basic attacks. Also in some mechanics (T13 final phase Mega as an example) where Med II wont heal your team fast enough in preparation for the next mechanic. You can use Divine Seal to make sure it does. (A side note on medica 2… it leaves a HoT on MT so there really is alot of value in that spell)

Fixing Error: In any case wherein a sudden burst of healing may help you – IE partner healer dies, tank must get another add since OT dies, etc. Divine Seal can definitely help you out of a bind. Not much to explain here

Increased Output: would be the standard category wherein most DS uses fall. If an add spawns, use DSEAL and regen both tanks, greatly preventing risk to both. Increased CI/CII of course. Basically, stronger healing = lesser risk.

The best White Mages are aware of these scenarios, and balances the usage of Divine Seal so that it’s never “up for too long”. Only saving DS for the same niche scenarios every time is definitely value lost. Hell, you can even DS Regen on pull – that’s some value gained right there.

Presence of Mind: The ultimate WHM cooldown. Double Spell Speed is no joke (and a small bonus why I itemize SS~DET for my BiS). Presence of Mind will allow you, practically, to solo heal almost any known encounter for its duration. That’s not a joke when you think about it. PoM is so strong that I almost feel guilty using it. Identify the riskiest parts of each encounter and feel free to use PoM there! Combined with Divine Seal, this can lead to even more disgusting things. Note that PoM reduces cast AND recast rate, so enjoy your GCD’s!

Sadly, alot of PoM’s are wasted via “both healers have swiftcast down” scenario wherein it becomes a speed-up for Raise. This isn’t a bad use, take note, it’s a necessary evil sometimes.

Eye for an Eye: Often underused or misused. First, I’ll break down what E4E does:

Your target gets the buff for 30 seconds.
Anyone hitting the buffed party member has a 10% chance to be “tagged” each time they hit that person.
Any enemy tagged by E4E deals 20% less damage for 20 seconds. This can refresh.

So what are we looking for in targeting someone with E4E?

Must player must be “getting hit” for the next 30s at least. (Nearing tankswap? Just tanking an add? NOPE)
The enemy must be present in the battlefield for (at most) 50s. (Add that dies quickly? Boss about to invul? NOPE)

So 99% of the time using E4E on main tank is the correct choice, since most of the damage comes from the boss. The boss also has the highest chance of triggering E4E, and will likely live long enough. Lets study a specific scenario and how to improve E4E’s use:

T8 – Dread spawns in 15 seconds:

Scenario A: One or both E4E are used on MT and OT respectively upon dread spawn.
Scenario B: Apply E4E on MT right now.

Which scenario is best?

Scenario B is the right choice. Why? A doesn’t really do anything unless you have extreme luck. E4E might not even proc fast enough for it to help during this “heightened risk” time in the raid. So why is B more legit? If we E4E the MT early, we give it more time to proc on the boss. So once the dread comes out, our MT will be at less of a risk, and we can focus a little more on the OT’s survival!

Remember guys, the longer E4E has time to bite, the better it is. Don’t expect E4E to take effect ASAP – the best healers know to precast E4E so it will help them when they need it. Not leaving things up to RNG.

VirusAs a White Mage, virus sucks a bit. It doesn’t reduce magical damage unlike our Arcanist buddies. So most of the time we can throw Virus on adds without having the feeling of wasting it. In fact, you should be doing this! I can give billion examples of adds worth virusing by White Mage, since the SCH/SMN virus is far more important. T8 Dreads, T12 Bennu, T13 Red, T5 Asceplius, T6 superslugs, T7 Deathdancer – the list goes on.

Long story short, since Virus for WHM only reduces physical attacks, it severely lessens its practical applications. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use it as much as we can. We can even throw it to main boss if we’re sure Virus wont be needed in the next 45s (You cannot virus the same target 45s after initial Virus expires). Smart communication with your other casters in your raid should yield an optimal Virus setup for any encounter!

White Mage DPS Rotation

While a very unpopular choice, WHM’s can still DPS. In fact, if you do zero DPS, there’s something wrong with you. But sadly our horrific accuracy prevents us from doing this efficiently if we don’t specifically meld gear for it. Lets look at all the WHM DPS skills at the table below:

SpellInitial3s6s9s12s15s18s
Stone II170------
Aero50(+25)75100125150175(!)200
Aero II50(+40)90130170(!)210--

What does this table tell us? Well first of all our point of comparison is Stone II, which is for all intents and purposes, the WHM basic attack. Our only 2 other basic attacks are Aero and Aero II (DoT’s). The WHM DoT’s match up quite poorly to Stone II. Clipping them in any way doesn’t give a net gain of Potency at any practical point. Good news it they’re more mana efficient than Stone II. Bottomline is do not clip Aero or Aero II. On a side note – Holy is our strongest potency skill, but has a restrictive cast time and mana cost. Only use in packs of 3 or more (sometimes 2). IE, AoE situations.

DoT’s fell off? It’s not the end of the world. Aero I should never be cast on an enemy whose life expectancy is less than 15s. Aero II should never be cast on an enemy whose life expectancy is less than 9s. Basic stuff, but it should be mentioned.

Here are some guidelines to get max value from your DoT’s
– Once Aero I has 1 second left on enemy, it’s 100% safe to recast it.
– Once Aero II has 2 Seconds left on enemy, its 100% safe to (pre)cast it.

Aero I is a little special, though. It’s a zero cast time skill, which WHM’s only have 2 of (Regen, and Aero). So it’s an excellent filler while moving even when out of cleric stance. It also serves as a great spell to use before using any of your buffs. Clipping it because you’re moving isn’t so bad. It’s better than just staring into space.

Most of the time, I consider WHM baseline DPS to be switching to Cleric, doing Aero II, Aero I, Fluid Aura then switch out. If you do this every 30s (CD of fluid), you’re probably doing more DPS than 90% of WHM’s out there.

I can go on a long explanation why SCH’s are supposed to do more DPS than a WHM. There’s plenty of reasons, but the main one would be SCH’s 3 skills which CANNOT MISS, as well as being in Cleric Stance as less disruptive to the SCH kit as compared to WHM’s. I guess portion belongs in my upcoming geberal healing guide.

Best DPS opener for WHM

Areo II, Aero, (Walk during GCD + Swiftcast), Holy (Stone II if mana may be an issue), Fluid Aura (on GCD), consider Saints Shroud (Revert to healing, or continue to use Stone II). Consider using PoM in this opener, too! But like all things healing, this isn’t so cut and dry. This opener does 1950 potency if you used 7 Stone II’s in your PoM. You can use a Mind Potion, too. That’s a ton of burst.

Related WHM Resources

White Mage BiS

(more resources to be added when they’re fixed, I guess)

Well thanks for reading my White Mage healing (and other things) guide. “But Mahiko San-” ADD IT IN COMMENTS! I’d love to hear from you guys. This is feels a little bloated at nearly 3000 words so I’m consideration halving it or… well I just kept writing and this is where it’s at (for now).

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FFXIV Summoner (SMN) Cross Class skills guide

What are the best Summoner Cross Class Skills? Find out the best cross-class skills of SMN and the best way to get them!

Click on our
Caster DPS Role Actions Guide
for the updated version!

What are the Arcanist -> Summoner Cross Class Skills? Here, we will be strictly discussing the cross-class skills Summoner can get from the other base classes.

How many cross-class skills can I get as a Summoner? Any job class may only equip five (5) cross-class skills.

From what other classes does Summoner get skills from? Archer and Thaumaturge.

What are the best Summoner cross-class skills? This is discussed below.

Full list of Summoner (SMN) Cross-class skills

NameIconLevelDescriptionFrom Class
Raging Strikes4A large damage boostArcher (ARC)
Surecast8Your next spell cannot be interrupted by damage.Thaumaturge (THM)
Ice II12Weak AoE bind.Thaumaturge (THM)
Hawk's Eye26+DEX and +AccArcher (ARC)
Swiftcast27Causes your next spell to have no cast time.Thaumaturge (THM)
Quelling Strikes34Reduces Enmity GeneratedArcher (ARC)

 

Summoner (SMN) Cross-class skills discussion

Raging Strikes: A low level skill, but a damn good one. Learn to maximize this in raids!

Surecast: You’re only equipping this since you can’t really use anything else. While borderline useless – it has the rare application.

Ice II: A weak potency AoE attack, with a bind effect. Only useful for around 3+ enemies. Better than spamming RUIN!

Swiftcast: THE BEST CROSS-CLASS SKILL of all time. For summoner, using this with Resurrection is a great addition to any raidgroup.

Quelling Strikes: Make it a habit to use this on pull and on newly spawned adds in raids. Your tanks will thank you.

Hawk’s Eye: Absolutely useless to you. +DEX and +Accuracy (physical) have zero practical use for you.

Ideal Summoner (SMN) Cross-class progression

  1. Archer to 4 for: Raging Strikes.
  2. Thaumaturge to 15 for: Unlocking SMN. (Unlocks Blizzard II along the way)
  3. Arcanist to 30 for: SMN Requirement.
  4. Summoner to 50 for: Maximum level.
  5. Thaumaturge to 27 for: Swiftcast
  6. Archer to 34 for: Quelling Strikes (All Cross-class skills obtained)
    You got Hawk’s Eye along the way: USELESS FOR YOU.

Summary

  • Summoners use skills from: Archer and Thaumaturge.
  • Add Swiftcast to your repertoire! Using this for Shadowflare is probably your default.
  • Raging Strikes – learn to time this well in raids! Combine it with Contagion for PROFIT!
  • Quelling Strikes, while not super important for SMN… use it at the start of fights! Also on adds that spawn!
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FFXIV Monk (MNK) Cross Class skills guide

Go to our Stormblood updated
Melee DPS Role Actions Guide
instead!

What are the Pugilist -> Monk Cross Class Skills? Here, we will be strictly discussing the cross-class skills Monk can get.

How many cross-class skills can I get as a Monk? Any job class may only equip five (5) cross-class skills.

From what other classes does Monk get skills from? Marauder and Lancer.

What are the best Monk cross-class skills? This is discussed below.

Full list of Monk (MNK) Cross-class skills

Monk
NameIconLevelDescriptionFrom Class
Feint2Damages and slows enemiesLancer (LNC)
Foresight2Increases defenseMarauder (MRD)
Skull Sunder4Attack that generates enmityMarauder (MRD)
Keen Flurry6Increases parry rateLancer (LNC)
Fracture6Damage over time (DOT)Marauder (MRD)
Impulse Drive8Attack. Damage is stronger if dealt at the back of targetLancer (LNC)
Bloodbath8Converts damage dealt to HPMarauder (MRD)
Invigorate22Instantly restores 300 TPLancer (LNC)
Mercy Stroke26Attack that can only be executed when enemy is below 20% HP. Up to 20% life steal.Marauder (MRD)
Blood for Blood34Damage dealt +20%, Damage taken +25%Lancer (LNC)

 

Monk (MNK) Cross-class skills discussion

Feint – If there are key adds that can be slowed, and you don’t have a LNC / DRG, take it.

Foresight, Keen Flurry – Take one or the other if surviving physical damage is a concern.

Fracture – A decent DoT as always.

Impulse Drive – My impulses tell me it’s not worth getting this as a monk.

Bloodbath – A pretty decent self-healing mechanism, for the lack of other things to take.

Invigorate, Blood for Blood – well, this is the main event in terms of monk cross class. Take these two and dont look back.

Mercy Stroke – This is kind of underrated. Pretty strong for when it’s needed.

Ideal Monk (MNK) Cross-class progression

  1. Pugilist to 15 for: Unlocking other classes.
  2. Marauder to 6 for: Fracture.
  3. Pugilist to 30 for: MNK Requirement.
  4. Lancer to 15 for: MNK Requirement.
  5. MNK to 50 for: Maximum level.
  6. Lancer to 34 for: Blood for Blood.
  7.  Marauder to 26 for: Mercy Stroke(All Cross Class Skills Obtained)

Like always, getting an extra DoT from Marauder 6 is very helpful early on.

Summary

  • Monks use skills from: Gladiator and Pugilist.
  • Invigorate and Blood for Blood are your key offensives here.
  • For defensives, Foresight and Bloodbath.
  • Best Monk Cross-Class Skills:
    Blood for Blood, Mercy Stroke, Invigorate, Fracture, Bloodbath.

More Info: Pugilist | Monk | PGL MNK Stats

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FFXIV Black Mage (BLM) Cross Class skills guide

Click on our
Caster DPS Role Actions Guide
for the updated version!

What are the Thaumaturge -> Black Mage Cross Class Skills? Here, we will be strictly discussing the cross-class skills Black Mage can get.

How many cross-class skills can I get as a Black Mage? Any job class may only equip five (5) cross-class skills.

From what other classes does Black Mage get skills from? Arcanist and Archer.

What are the best Black Mage cross-class skills? This is discussed below.

Full list of Black Mage (BLM) Cross-class skills

NameIconLevelDescriptionFrom Class
Ruin1Unaspected damage nuke.Arcanist (ACN)
Physick4Restores target's HPArcanist (ACN)
Raging Strikes4Increases damage dealtArcher (ARC)
Virus12Reduces target's STR, DEXArcanist (ACN)
Hawk's Eye26Increases DEX and physical accuracyArcher (ARC)
Eye for an Eye34Erects a barrier on a party member that when struck the striker will deal less damageArcanist (ACN)
Quelling Strikes34Reduces enmity generated by each attackArcher (ARC)

Black Mage (BLM) Cross-class skills discussion

Well, you got some slim pickings here.

Ruin and Hawks Eye are useless to you. There’s no debating this.

Physick is arguably your best cross class skill. Infinite cures with Umbral Ice is never bad in a bind.

Virus is a welcome debuff. Reducing damage, parry and block strength (and chance). Admittedly, this one isn’t used very often even by ACN’s SCH’s and SMN’s… I wonder why.

Eye for an Eye – Deceptively useful. The availability of this skill amongst many classes rewards an organized group by taking turns putting this buff on the tank.

Quelling Strikes – Ah, the best one you can get. If you like opening with Thunder -> Fire, you’re going to need this to offset the threat.

Raging Strikes – An obvious choice. Only use it when you’re in your Fire phase.

Well, since you can get seven, and 2 are garbage, I guess the choice is obvious…

Ideal Black Mage (BLM) Cross-class progression

  1. Thaumaturge to 15 for: Unlocking other classes.
  2. Arcanist to for: Physick.
  3. Archer to 4 for: Raging Strikes.
  4. Thaumaturge to 30 for: BLM Requirement.
  5. Archer to 15 for: BLM Requirement (Raging Strikes).
  6. Black Mage to 50 for: Maximum level.
  7. Archer to to 34 for: Quelling Strikes.
  8. Arcanist to 34 for: Eye for an Eye (All Cross-class skills obtained)

Getting Physick (Arcanist 4) is really really really (really) worth it, and is probably your most important cross-class skill aside from Quelling Strikes.

Summary

  • Black Mages use skills from: Archer and Arcanist.
  • Physick. Get this. Use it. Profit. Combine it with Swiftcast if you like!?
  • Eye for an Eye is a decent raid helping skill. Also, get used to timing Quelling Strikes.
  • Best Black Mage Cross-Class skills:
    Physick, Raging Strikes, Quelling Strikes, Virus, Eye for an Eye.

More Info: Thaumaturge | Black Mage | THM BLM Stats

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FFXIV Bard (BRD) Cross Class skills guide

Go to our Stormblood updated
Ranged DPS Role Actions Guide
instead!

What are the Archer -> Bard Cross Class Skills? Here, we will be strictly discussing the cross-class skills Bard can get.

How many cross-class skills can I get as a Bard? Any job class may only equip five (5) cross-class skills.

From what other classes does Bard get skills from? Pugilist and Lancer.

What are the best Bard cross-class skills? This is discussed below.

Full list of Bard (BRD) Cross-class skills

NameIconLevelDescriptionFrom Class
Feint2Damages and slows enemiesLancer (LNC)
Featherfoot4Increases evasionPugilist (PGL)
Keen Flurry6Increases parry rateLancer (LNC)
Second Wind8Instantly restores own HPPugilist (PGL)
Haymaker10Delivers an blow after evading an attackPugilist (PGL)
Internal Release12Increases critical hit ratePugilist (PGL)
Invigorate22Instantly restores 300 TPLancer (LNC)
Blood for Blood34Damage dealt +20%, Damage taken +25%Lancer (LNC)
Mantra42Increases HP recovery via curing magic by 5% for self and nearby party membersPugilist (PGL)

 

Bard (BRD) Cross-class skills discussion

Feint – Useful for more difficult pulls for reducing enemy DPS and cast times. depends on the encounter/s, and the presence of a lancer or dragoon.

Featherfoot / Haymaker – Ideally taken together, but these two are pretty sub-par. Featherfoot can help, but it’s very unlikely these are going to be of any use in any serious encounter.

Second Wind – Self-heal on demand. As always, a must have.

Internal Release – This is absolutely nuts on Bard. More crits means more Bloodletter.

Invigorate – An obvious take for any TP class.

Blood for Blood – the best DPS increasing skill, but comes at steep cost. The 25% damage could mean death in some difficult encounters.

Mantra – Another great skill for raiding. Every little bit helps!

Ideal Bard (BRD) Cross-class progression

  1. Archer to 15 for: Unlocking other classes.
  2. Lancer to 2 for: Feint
  3. Archer to 30 for: BRD Requirement.
  4. Pugilist to 15 for: BRD Requirement, Internal Release.
  5. BRD to 50 for: Maximum level.
  6. Lancer to 34 for: Blood for Blood
  7. Pugilist to 42 for: Mantra (All Cross-class skills obtained)

Bards progression is pretty straight forward. The road to 50 is quite easy using just the Bards skillset. However, LNC to 2 for Feint can help make your PvE life easier.

Summary

  • Bards use skills from: Pugilist and Lancer.
  • Almost all Bard cross-class skills are great. Offensively, Internal Release and Blood for Blood are solid.
  • Keen Flurry, Second Wind and  Mantra are all useful defensive skills.
  • Recommendations: Second Wind, Internal Release, Invigorate, Blood for Blood, Mantra.

More Info: Archer | Bard | ARC BRD Stats

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FFXIV Paladin (PLD) Cross Class skills guide

Go to our Stormblood updated
Tank Role Actions Guide
instead!

What are the Gladiator -> Paladin Cross Class Skills? Here, we will be strictly discussing the cross-class skills Paladin can get.

How many cross-class skills can I get as a Paladin? Any job class may only equip five (5) cross-class skills.

From what other classes does Paladin get skills from? Marauder and Conjurer.

What are the best Paladin cross-class skills? This is discussed below.

Full list of Paladin (PLD) Cross-class skills

NameIconLevelDescriptionFrom Class
Cure2Restores target's HPConjurer (CNJ)
Foresight2Increases defenseMarauder (MRD)
Skull Sunder4Attack that generates enmityMarauder (MRD)
Fracture6Damage over time (DOT)Marauder (MRD)
Protect8Increases physical and magical defenseConjurer (CNJ)
Bloodbath8Converts damage dealt to HPMarauder (MRD)
Raise12Ressurect targetConjurer (CNJ)
Mercy Stroke26Attack that can only be executed when enemy is below 20% HP. Up to 20% life steal.Marauder (MRD)
Stoneskin34Shield that absorbs damageConjurer (CNJ)

 

Paladin (PLD) Cross-class skills discussion

Skull Sunder and Raise are useless in 8-man raids. Raise has it’s uses in 4 person dungeons, though.

Protect – can be used if you somehow do not have any WHM’s. Why? The Conjurer Protect gives magic resist (Proshell)

Cure – an enmity generator during fight “downtimes”. Stoneskin does this alot better, though.

Foresight – As basic as this is, +20% defense is nothing to scoff at. Take it.

Stoneskin – This is pretty good. During phases where nothing happens in fights, this is the best skill to use. Hands down.

Bloodbath, Mercy Stroke – While not stellar, these two are the only ones which marginally have a place in your skillbar. Bloodbaths heal gives enmity (effectively +10%), and Mercy Stroke isn’t so bad.

 

Ideal Paladin (PLD) Cross-class progression

  1. Gladiator to 15 for: Unlocking other classes.
  2. Marauder to 6 for: Fracture, Foresight
  3. Gladiator to 30 for: PLD Requirement.
  4. Conjurer to 15 for: PLD Requirement.
  5. Paladin to 50 for: Maximum level.
  6. Marauder to 26 for: Mercy Stroke
  7. Conjurer to 34 for: Stoneskin (All Cross-class skills obtained)

Summary

  • Paladin use skills from: Conjurer and Marauder.
  • Stoneskin is useful for “downtime” during fights.
  • While not “super exciting”, you get lots of use from Fracture & Foresight.
  • Best Paladin Cross-class skills:
    Foresight, Stoneskin, Bloodbath, Fracture, Mercy Stroke.

More Info: Gladiator | Paladin | GLD PLD Stats

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FFXIV Dragoon (DRG) Cross Class skills guide

Go to our Stormblood updated
Melee DPS Role Actions Guide
instead!

What are the Lancer -> Dragoon Cross Class Skills? Here, we will be strictly discussing the cross-class skills Dragoon can get.

How many cross-class skills can I get as a Dragoon? Any job class may only equip five (5) cross-class skills.

From what other classes does Dragoon get skills from? Pugilist and Marauder.

What are the best Dragoon cross-class skills? This is discussed below.

Full list of Dragoon (DRG) Cross-class skills

Dragoon
NameIconLevelDescriptionFrom Class
Foresight2Increases defenseMarauder (MRD)
Skull Sunder4Attack that generates enmityMarauder (MRD)
Featherfoot4Increases evasionPugilist (PGL)
Fracture6Damage over time (DOT)Marauder (MRD)
Bloodbath8Converts damage dealt to HPMarauder (MRD)
Second Wind8Instantly restores own HPPugilist (PGL)
Haymaker10Delivers an blow after evading an attackPugilist (PGL)
Internal Release12Increases critical hit ratePugilist (PGL)
Mercy Stroke26Attack that can only be executed when enemy is below 20% HP. Up to 20% life steal.Marauder (MRD)
Mantra42Increases HP recovery via curing magic by 5% for self and nearby party membersPugilist (PGL)

 

Dragoon (DRG) Cross-class skills discussion

Foresight – Well, I guess this depends on the encounter. If staying alive is absolutely critical, you can take this.

Second Wind – Any class that can take second wind, do so. If you have to ask why, then somethings wrong with you.

Fracture – Not a bad skill for longer fights.

Bloodbath – The heal on this is quite noticeable if you’re a dragoon…

Haymaker, Featherfoot – Again, best in a pair… ultimately not worth the trouble.

Internal Release – a no brainer. Increase critical chance is just too good to pass.

Mercy Stroke – Surprisingly good for bursting down tougher adds.

Mantra – Always decent in a large raid.

Ideal Dragoon (DRG) Cross-class progression

  1. Lancer to 15 for: Unlocking other classes.
  2. Marauder to 6 for: Fracture
  3. Lancer to 30 for: DRG Requirement.
  4. Marauder to 15 for: DRG Requirement.
  5. Pugilist to 12 for: Internal Release, Second Wind.
  6. Dragoon to 50 for: Maximum level.
  7. Marauder to 26 for: Mercy Stroke
  8. Pugilist to 42 for: Mantra (All Cross-class skills obtained)

MRD 6 for Fracture is a pretty useful DoT, and well worth the side-track to Lancer 30. Pugilist to 12 is also great anytime before 50, gaining important skills like Internal Release, and Second Wind.

Summary

  • Dragoon use skills from: Pugilist and Marauder.
  • Second Wind is really, really, really good. Get used to using it!
  • Internal Release is your key DPS cross-class skill.
  • Best Dragoon Cross-class skills:
    Internal Release, Second Wind, Mantra, Mercy Stroke, Fracture.

More Info: Lancer | Dragoon | LNC DRG Stats

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FFXIV White Mage (WHM) Cross Class skills guide

Go to our
Healer Role Actions Guide
instead!!!
It’s Stormblood updated!!!

What are the Conjurer -> White Mage Cross Class Skills? Here, we will be strictly discussing the cross-class skills White Mage can get.

How many cross-class skills can I get as a White Mage? Any job class may only equip five (5) cross-class skills.

From what other classes does White Mage get skills from? Arcanist and Thaumaturge.

What are the best White Mage cross-class skills? This is discussed below.

Full list of White Mage (WHM) Cross-class skills

NameIconLevelDescriptionFrom Class
Ruin1Generic non-elemental nuke.Arcanist (ACN)
Physick4Basic heal.Arcanist (ACN)
Surecast8Your next spell cannot be interrupted by damage.Thaumaturge (THM)
Ice II12Weak AoE bind.Thaumaturge (THM)
Virus12Reduces targets STR & DEXArcanist (ACN)
Swiftcast27Causes your next spell to have no cast time.Thaumaturge (THM)
Eye for an Eye34A defensive shield that gives a chance to reduce enemy damage dealt.Arcanist (ACN)

White Mage (WHM) Cross-class skills discussion

Ruin: Useless. Use Stone II over this anyday.
Physick: Still useless. Cure is still more synergistic with your overall kit.

Surecast: Useful in PvP! It’s use in PvE is extremely rare, but it still deserves one of the 5 slots.

Ice II: A weak potency AoE attack, with a bind effect. It’s your only choice for AoE until holy (But this is really weak…). This is really good in PvP though!

Virus: The second best WHM cross-class skill. Reduces boss physical damage, great for heavy damage phases.

Eye for an Eye: Admittedly this isn’t exactly game-breaking, but useful enough. A % chance to have the striker deal less damage is just way too inconsistent, but any increase is defense is always good.

Swiftcast: THE BEST CROSS-CLASS SKILL of all time. The sheer effectiveness of Swiftcast on White Mage is just insane. Along with Benediction, this becomes an “anti-wipe” on a 60 second cooldown. Pure insanity. Maximizing Swiftcast will cause the reversal of many otherwise failed raids. (Yes, Swiftcast + Raise works)

 

Ideal White Mage (WHM) Cross-class progression

  1. Conjurer to 15 for: Unlocking other classes.
  2. Conjurer to 30 for: WHM Requirement.
  3. Arcanist to 15 for: WHM Requirement.
  4. Conjurer to 50 for: Maximum level.
  5. Thaumaturge to 6 for: Thunder
  6. Thaumaturge to 27 for: Swiftcast
  7. Arcanist to 34 for: Eye for an Eye (All Cross-class skills obtained)

Getting THM 6 is a step you should not skip. It’s absolutely worth the trouble, as you will be using Thunder for the rest of your life as a White Mage, and makes levelling up much less painful.

Summary

  • White Mages use skills from: Arcanist and Thaumaturge.
  • Learn to use Virus early and often!
  • Swiftcast is amazing. Get it and practice using it. It will save many raids.

More Info: Conjurer | White Mage | CNJ WHM Stats

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FFXIV Arcanist / Summoner Stats & Materia Guide

NOTE: This page is for Arcanists planning to go Summoner. Not you? You were probably looking for the:
Arcanist->Scholar Stats Guide.

What’s a good arcanist stats build? What are useful summoner stats? Arcanist / Summoner materia? If any of these questions brought you here, you came to the right place. Whether its by stat allocation, gear or materia, knowing what stats your Arcanist or Summoner need should never be far from mind!

Arcanist (ACN) & Summoner (SMN) Stats

What are the arcanist or summoner stat weights?

INT > Critical Chance > Determination  > PIE  > Spell Speed > VIT

*These may vary slightly from patch to patch, or by personal preference. Following the recommendation above will always give you a good ACN & SMN build.

Arcanist (ACN) Summoner (SMN) Primary Stats Allocation

What stats should I add as an arcanist going summoner?

INT > PIE > VIT

Since this is where people may mess up the most, I’ll explain it in word for word. When you allocate stats, put as much points into your respective main stat (INT) as you can. If you cannot put any more points into those, place points into PIE (Piety). If you cannot put any more points into your primary stat or PIE, invest in VIT (Vitality).

Intelligence – Stat which increases your damage output the most.

Vitality – Increases total HP. Never a bad thing to have, considering everything else has almost no use to you.

Piety – Again, if you ever need to take another stat aside from MND or VIT.

 

Arcanist (ACN) & Summoner (SMN) Secondary Stats

What are good secondary stats for arcanist ->summoner, and why?

Critical Chance > Determination  > Spell Speed

While you can’t allocate this directly, these will be heavily considered when picking gear upgrades and slotting materia.

Critical Chance – The most basic choice for increasing DPS.

Determination – More Damage, and could possibly benefit second wind.

Spell Speed – Reduces GCD, resulting in more damage.

Arcanist (ACN) & Summoner (SMN) Materia

This is directly related to the first section. As you may know, all gear has a limit for each stat it can have, the higher its Item Level, the higher amount of stats it can hold. So the idea is to max out (or get close to maxing out) the left most, and work your way right. Again:

INT > Critical Chance > Determination  > PIE  > Spell Speed > VIT

Materia Name
INT: Intelligence
PIE: Piety
VIT: Vitality
Critical Chance: Savage Aim
Determination: Savage Might
Spell Speed: Quicktongue

See Also: Materia Guide | Melding Guide

Summary:

  • Overall ACN SMN stat importance: INT > Critical Chance > Determination  > PIE  > Spell Speed > VIT
  • ACN SMN Stat allocation: INT > PIE > VIT
  • Secondary stats for ACN SMN: Critical Chance > Determination  > Spell Speed
  • Reference links: Arcanist FAQ, Summoner FAQ
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FFXIV Arcanist / Scholar Stats & Materia Guide

NOTE: This page is for Arcanists planning to go Scholar. Not you? You were probably looking for the:
Arcanist->Summoner Stats Guide

What’s a good arcanist stats build? What are useful scholar stats? Arcanist / Scholar materia? If any of these questions brought you here, you came to the right place. Whether its by stat allocation, gear or materia, knowing what stats your Arcanist or Scholar need should never be far from mind!

Arcanist (ACN) & Scholar (SCH) Stats

What are the arcanist or scholar stat weights?

MND > PIE  > Critical Chance > Determination > VIT > Spell Speed 

*These may vary slightly from patch to patch, or by personal preference. Following the recommendation above will always give you a good ACN > SCH build.

Arcanist (ACN) Scholar (SCH) Primary Stats Allocation

What stats should I add as an arcanist going scholar?

MND > PIE> VIT

Since this is where people may mess up the most, I’ll explain it in word for word. When you allocate stats, put as much points into MND (Mind) as you can. If you cannot put any more points into MND, place points into PIE (Piety). If you cannot put any more points into MND and/or PIE, invest in VIT(Vitality).

Mind – Increases healing power. As a Scholar, this is your main concern.

Piety – Increases Mana (MP) Pool. While not such a big issue for Scholars, this is always good to have.

Vitality – When you cannot take anything else, go for VIT and be less squishy.

 

Arcanist (ACN) & Scholar (SCH) Secondary Stats

What are good secondary stats for arcanist -> scholar, and why?

Critical Chance > Determination  > Spell Speed

While you can’t allocate this directly, these will be heavily considered when picking gear upgrades and slotting materia.

Critical Chance – The best choice for scholar, as critical heals will alleviate your problems of a small base heal, and beefing up the shields given by succor. Also triggers your pets passive.

Determination – A flat bonus to both healing and damage is always welcome.

Spell Speed – Reduces GCD and cast time, resulting in more heals. Not too hot for Scholars, though.

Arcanist (ACN) & Scholar (SCH) Materia

This is directly related to the first section. As you may know, all gear has a limit for each stat it can have, the higher its Item Level, the higher amount of stats it can hold. So the idea is to max out (or get close to maxing out) the left most, and work your way right. Again:

MND > Determination > PIE  > Spell Speed > Critical Chance > VIT

Materia Name
MND: Mind
PIE: Piety
VIT: Vitality
Critical Strike: Savage Aim
Determination: Savage Might
Spell Speed: Quicktongue

See Also: Materia Guide | Melding Guide

Summary:

  • Overall ACN SCH stat importance: MND >  PIE > Critical Chance > Determination > Spell Speed > VIT
  • ACN SCH Stat allocation: MND > PIE > VIT
  • Secondary stats for ACN SCH: Critical Chance > Determination  > Spell Speed > 
  • Reference links: Arcanist FAQ, Scholar FAQ
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