Final Fantasy XIV may be a multiplayer game, but we’re not all social butterflies. Sure, it’s one thing to see other players questing in the open world, but should we talk to them? Maybe even play with them? Is there a class you can choose in FF14 that minimizes your interactions with others?
Good news for those of us who enjoy playing solo: you don’t have to worry about choosing certain classes over others if you plan on playing alone. All classes will provide a great experience whether you’re playing solo or with others. While dungeons and boss fights are designed for groups of players, the game will automatically match you with other players via the Duty Finder system. FF14 also lets you use NPC companions in almost all of its leveling dungeons. These NPCs can cover defense, offense, and healing. In other words, you don’t have to worry about choosing a class that can handle it alone; Each class and job is viable solo throughout the main story quest.
For reference, I play mostly solo and play the Astrologian job. This job primarily buffs and heals other players. I never felt limited by my class choice, even though it may seem like a class meant to support other players. In other words, New players should choose the class they find most appealing, whether playing solo or with friends..
FF14 also features optional challenges for solo players. In these specific cases, certain classes and professions will give you an advantage over others.If this sounds interesting to you, consider playing some of the classes and jobs listed below.
The Best Solo Class in Final Fantasy 14
Classes in FF14 strictly refer to the roles you can choose at level 1. These missions will all turn into “jobs” after you complete their respective quests. And while you can pick any class and have a great time, there is one in particular that is a little better for new solo players.
Marauder
Marauders aren’t necessarily better than other classes starting at level 1, but they can still hold their own in the early game. These axe-wielders are tanks, meaning they’re designed to draw enemies’ attention away from your party members and take the hits for them. For solo players just starting out, this is a nice perk. Your naturally high defense and HP will protect you if you accidentally get overwhelmed by high-level mobs all by yourself.
Once you’ve leveled up Marauder enough to unlock the Warrior job, you’ll find that you’re so strong that you barely need other players. The cooldown abilities Battle Thrill and Balance provide powerful self-healing abilities, reducing your need to rely on other players to heal you.
At level 56, Warriors will unlock Raw Intuition, a 25-second cooldown ability that heals you every time you hit an enemy. So the next time you find yourself trapped in a group of six enemies all attacking you, you can simply use area-of-effect attacks after using Raw Intuition and watch your health return to full within seconds.
The Warrior’s incredible self-healing ability makes him a top choice for soloing bosses from previous expansions.The Warrior’s high health is also useful in group content, as you won’t need to rely on healers to keep you alive as often as other characters. This work is even capable of soloing 8-player encounters equivalent to a level .
For those interested in Marauder/Warrior, Gunbreaker is another tank job that has seen notable success in the deep dungeon of Heaven on High (more on that later). Additionally, tank jobs equip the same armor, allowing you to easily switch between them. Unfortunately, Gunbreaker is currently not available in the free trial.
The Best Final Fantasy 14 Jobs for Solo Play
FF14 also features “Advanced Jobs,” which you can unlock after reaching a certain level or completing a specific milestone in the main story quest. These jobs don’t have any previous classes, so you can play them as soon as you can unlock them. Aspiring solo players should check out the jobs below.
Red Mage
Unlock Requirement:Reach level 50 and complete the quest Take the Red in Ul’Dah.
For longtime Final Fantasy fans, the Red Mage’s place here shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s traditionally a jack-of-all-trades position in the series’ canon, and that’s generally true here. FF14’s incarnation of the Red Mage is a magic DPS class, meaning its primary function is to cast long-range magic spells to deal damage. However, there are two specific reasons why the Red Mage appeals to solo players.
The first major advantage of the red mage is mobility. Casters in FF14 generally have to stay in one place to attack, relying on short windows between spells to dodge attacks without reducing their DPS. On their side, red mages have the Dualcast trait, which allows them to instantly cast all other spells. Red mages can also create a gauge that allows them to use powerful melee attacks without any casting time. Combine these abilities with Melee And Movement abilities, which allow red mages to jump towards and away from enemies respectively, and you get a class that can easily counter enemy mechanics and dodge attacks. High mobility isn’t exclusive to the red mage, but what is exclusive is the Vercure spell. In a vacuum, Vercure is a basic healing spell that is inferior to anything a dedicated healer can use. However, Vercure is the best heal-on-demand spell learned by any DPS class in the game. Other DPS classes have defensive and healing options with a cooldown, but red mages can reliably heal themselves as long as they have enough magicka.
The Red Mage’s mix of attack and healing makes him a comfortable fit for players who don’t want to rely on their friends to help them out.. As a bonus, Red Mage is one of the best jobs to play if you plan on defeating the rare solo bosses of the Bozjan Southern Front.
For new players interested in the Red Mage, consider starting with the Warlock class. Early on, the Warlock is very similar to the Red Mage, learning both ranged magic attacks and basic healing magic. Additionally, if you choose to upgrade from the Warlock class to the Summoner profession, you can transfer almost all of your gear to the Red Mage after unlocking it.
Machinist
Unlock Requirement:Reach the Heavensward expansion and complete the quest So You Want to Be a Machinist in Foundation.
Compared to the choices above, the Machinist may seem like an odd choice. This ranged physical DPS job doesn’t offer on-demand healing or high defense, and its damage output isn’t comparable to that of melee DPS jobs. So what makes the Machinist so special?
First, let’s talk about mobility. The Machinist is a physical ranged DPS Work, meaning he can move freely and attack from a distance. The machinist has no casting time.and only his situational flamethrower attack limits his movement. Not only can a Machinist dodge attacks like a champ, but he’s one of the only jobs in the game that can make normal enemies fly. Gliding (when you’re running away from a mob of pursuing enemies) is generally discouraged in group content, but it can be a huge advantage when playing solo.
While Bard and Dancer are also physical ranged DPS jobs, they draw most of their power from supporting other players. Machinist is a more “selfish” job as they focus on dealing a lot of damage on their own. In a single player environment, the Machinist massively outperforms his physical ranged counterparts..
Dismantle reduces an enemy’s attack power by 10% for 10 seconds, increasing the Machinist’s survivability against tough enemies. Head Graze can stun targets (invaluable for negating certain powerful attacks), while Leg Graze and Foot Graze can control the mobility of common enemies you’ll face. And while it doesn’t affect combat performance, Platoon increases your out-of-combat movement speed, making running around towns and dungeons a bit faster.
All these characteristics make machinist one of the best jobs to take up FF14Deep Dungeons. Deep Dungeons are roguelike-style challenges that task players with clearing over 200 randomized levels filled with traps and monsters. While primarily designed for groups of four, players can earn some of the rarest achievements in the entire game by clearing a deep dungeon by themselves without dying. So if you want to prepare for the toughest challenge available to solo players, Deep Dungeons are essential.
For new players interested in the Machinist, you’ll want to start with the Archer class. An Archer can eventually evolve into the Bard Job, and while the Bard’s personal DPS potential is small, that gap isn’t as pronounced at lower levels. More importantly, the Archer/Bard playstyle most closely resembles the Machinist playstyle of all the starting classes. You can also unlock the Machinist as soon as you progress through the Heavensward expansion. The Machinist also equips the same armor as the Bard!
Honorable Mentions: Other Jobs to Consider for Solo Play
The Ninja job, derived from the Rogue class, offers high damage and has the unique ability to hide, which mainly benefits solo players.
The Samurai job is another good choice as it can deal some of the highest damage in the game without relying on others. It even has some mitigation built into its kit via the Third Eye ability.
Healers don’t typically thrive in solo environments, but solo players may feel more comfortable knowing they can heal themselves on demand. Summoner, which evolves into the White Mage profession, is one of the best healer roles for players planning to tackle solo content.
Sage is also relatively suitable for solo play, although unlocking this job requires the Endwalker expansion (as well as a significant prerequisite of reaching level 70 first).
Solo players in FF14 have many options when it comes to choosing a class or job. Ultimately, you should choose the job that you enjoy the most in FF14, whether you’re a solo player or not. FF14 also allows you to easily switch between classes and jobs, so feel free to experiment with different roles and see which ones suit you best. Whether you plan on taking on bosses and deep dungeons on your own in FF14 or get sidetracked by fishing, enjoy your time in Eorzea!