Best Starting Class for New Players in Final Fantasy XIV

With the exponential rise in the player count of Final Fantasy XIV, a bunch of newcomers have been joining the game and creating their characters for the first time. However, there’s one thing every newcomer struggles with, and that is when they’re faced with the option of choosing a class for the character they’re creating.

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After all, with there being so many classes to pick from, it’s a given that players who are either new to FFXIV, or maybe new to MMORPGs in general, would get confused as to which class they should go for.

To help those types of players with this predicament, we’ll be going through seven of the most beginner friendly classes that newcomers should pick.

1: Gladiator (Paladin) Final Fantasy XIV

The gladiator class is perhaps the most beginner friendly class overall, mostly because of how adaptable it is to the playstyle of the player. With that said, the type of weapons this class specializes in is one handed ones. From daggers to longswords, regardless of whether they’re curved or straight, single or double edged.

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Of course, if this had been all they could do, we wouldn’t have placed them so high up on this list. Although gladiators do use a one handed sword and a shield, they still have a plethora of magical abilities they can use at a moment’s notice. Most of these abilities are aimed at defending either themselves or their teammates from physical and magical attacks.

Naturally, at the end of the day, this is a tank based class, and because of that, we mostly recommend it if you would rather protect your teammates than be the one to do most of the damage, especially in later parts of the game when coordination is key to victory.

2: Archer (Bard) Final Fantasy XIV

If you’re like us, and every time you play an RPG you end up making your character use a bow and arrows, then the archer class is for you. Yes Skyrim players, we’re looking at you.

The gladiator class might be the most beginner friendly class, but the archer class is definitely the easiest to use. After all, the ability to deal damage from afar in addition to being able to move around while doing so is a major advantage if you want to keep out of harm’s way.

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There are, however, two things to keep in mind before picking this class. The first is that it’s primarily a support based class, and because of that a lot of the abilities you’ll get will buff party members, especially when you reach level 30 and become a bard to get access to song abilities.

The second thing is that this class is largely dependent on RNG in addition to being reactive. This means how much damage you deal will depend on how quickly you can press the buttons that light up.

3: Conjurer (White Mage) Final Fantasy XIV

If instead of dealing damage yourself you would rather be the one doing the healing and keeping your party members alive, then the conjurer class might appeal to you.

In a way, the conjurer is the only class that ONLY focuses on healing (since the arcanist class is a hybrid one). Because of this, you get access to some highly effective area of effect skills, as well as abilities that heal over time.

While this class is really easy to use, the one thing you have to keep in mind is that if you’re planning on going solo, even if it’s only for the starting areas, you might have a tough time because of this class’ lack of proper damage dealing potential.

4: Thaumaturge (Black Mage) Final Fantasy XIV

Okay, you might not see the Thaumaturge on any list similar to this one, but hear us out. Some players out there, despite being beginners, want to pick one of the hardest to play classes as long as the end reward is worth it.

In the case of Thaumaturge, learning this super difficult class is more than worth it because of the fact that it upgrades to one of, if not THE strongest DPS class in the game, the Black mage. Black Mages are masters of ranged explosive attacks that deal devastating damage after all.

Before you go for the Thaumaturge class, you first have to ensure you have the dedication and patience (especially the patience) to learn it, as it won’t be easy.

5: Lancer (Dragoon) Final Fantasy XIV

If the gladiator class is the most beginner friendly tank class, then the lancer class is the most fun to use one. Not only do lancers get access to some of the coolest looking gear in the game (in our opinion, of course) they also have the most unpredictable moves in the game.

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Lancers rely a lot on movement and agility to dance around the enemy while dealing damage, both from the ground and from above. What do we mean from above? Well, its upgraded class, the dragoon, is famous for its spectacular jump attacks that deal devastating damage to the enemy.

6 and 7: Arcanist (Summoner and Scholar) Final Fantasy XIV

Some of you might be confused as to why we’ve put the arcanist class twice on this list. Well, the arcanist class is what is called a hybrid class because of the fact that it can upgrade to one of two classes.

The first class it can upgrade to is the summoner which, as the name suggests, relies a lot on the wide array of creatures it can summon. While you only start off being able to summon a Carbuncles, soon enough you’ll be managing an entire army with multiple different abilities under your belt that can deal devastating damage. Truly the only class that can be called a one class army.

The second class it can upgrade to, however, is the scholar class. Unlike the summoner alternative which is a DPS class, this is a healer class. Well, we say healers, but instead of conjurers who are able to regenerate the health of their teammates, scholars mostly have shielding abilities that keep their party alive in a different way.

Final Thoughts

Those were our picks for the 7 best classes in FFXIV for beginners. You might have noticed that we tried our best to include classes that fit all three major roles in this game (DPS, tanks, and healers). At the end of the day, one of the biggest factors in determining which class you go for is what role you want your character to play.