Welcome to our Final Fantasy XIV Job Guide for casters! So, you’ve heard of the critically-acclaimed MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV? You’d like to give the game a try, but aren’t sure which caster is right for you?

There are currently 17 different jobs playable in the game right now. Two more are coming in the Endwalker expansion this November. All jobs are playable on the same character, so you certainly won’t be at a loss for choices. Out of these 17 jobs, 3 are casters. We’ll give you a quick overview of them here.

Final Fantasy XIV Job Guide: Caster

The Final Fantasy series has quite a few staple caster archetypes – the three available in FFXIV are all series mainstays. All three are viable DPS options for any party and play quite distinctly from one another. Their DPS potential is slightly offset by the difficulty of playing jobs that have multiple channeled spells, forcing players to stay still until the cast is over to deal damage. Two of them, the Red Mage and the Summoner, are also the only jobs that aren't healers that have resurrection spells.

Red Mage

The Red Mage, which was added with the Stormblood expansion, can cast both black and white magic. In FFXIV, they have a Balance Gauge, which they need to fill by accumulating black and white mana. Black mana is gained by casting spells such as Fire or Thunder. Meanwhile, White mana is gained by casting spells like aero. There are also certain spells that create both types of mana. This balancing act is quite intuitive and augmented by some RNG procs that allow Red Mages to cast a higher-level black or white magic spell. Once their Balance Gauge is filled with at least 80 black and white mana, their melee combo becomes enchanted – dealing bonus damage.

Basically, Red Mage is all about watching procs and making sure you have an equal amount of white and black mana. Then, spending this mana on the melee combo. This straightforward rotation flows well and is easy to understand, making them quite easy to pick up and play for newcomers. Additionally, they have the Dualcast trait, allowing them to cast spells without cast time when it procs. This potent ability gave rise to their nickname, “Rez Mage.” Dualcast allows Red Mages to resurrect allies with Verraise without cast time, making them an invaluable asset in progression parties. Aspiring Red Mages need the Stormblood expansion, and any other job at least at level 50 to unlock it in Ul'dah.

Black Mage

Black Mages have served as Final Fantasy‘s big-damage dealing glass cannons since its inception. That tradition continues on in FFXIV, with Black Mage going toe-to-toe with Samurai for the highest DPS potential in the game. Similar to Samurai, they are also a “selfish” DPS, providing no additional utility to the rest of the party. They also have a straightforward rotation on paper, featuring a mana-spending Fire phase, and mana-regenerating Ice phase.

However, Black Mage's difficulty lies in its lack of mobility. Their cast-times are long and heavily rely on good Ley Lines usage to maximize their potential. Ley Lines creates an AoE that reduces the Black Mage's spell cast time, recast time, and auto-attack delay by 15% for 30 seconds. This means that players looking to play Black Mage well at higher-end content need a considerable amount of fight knowledge. They will need to learn the “safe spots” to stand in and place their Ley Lines on as mechanics are happening. This provides quite a challenge, especially to newer players. However, good Black Mage players can be quite amazing to watch, eeking out each possible second they can spend casting. Aspiring Black Mages start their journey as Thaumaturges in Ul'dah.

Summoner

Summoner is the only DPS “pet” class in the game, featuring different Egi such as Ifrit, Garuda, Titan in their attacks. Their single-target rotation is a static priority system that runs on the same 2-minute long cycle all throughout. The Summoner cycles through burst and filler phases. The first phase is Dreadwyrm Trance, which then leads to summoning Bahamut. This is followed by a filler phase where you will be using Egi Assaults building up into Firebird Trance, which then opens up to the next burst phase with Phoenix. This is then followed by another filler phase, and the cycle continues on from there.

This sense of flow and cyclical playstyle will certainly appeal to some players, but the sheer length of the rotation may also turn off some others. In addition to DPS, Summoners also bring some utility to the party with their Ressurection. Additionally, summoning Phoenix also triggers Everlasting Flight, which gradually restors the party's HP. Aspiring Summoners begin their journey as Arcanists in Limsa Lominsa. Players should also note that earning experience points for Summoner also results in experience points for the healer job, Scholar. This allows both jobs to be leveled up a the same time.

Final Fantasy XIV Job Guide: Caster – Conclusion

When it comes to bringing casters to high-end content, don’t fret too much, as any standard team composition can clear any content in the game. Pick what feels the most fun to you and go with it. Casters, due to their channeled spells, do require quite a bit of positioning skill to play. The Red Mage, however, is one of the most accessible classes in the game, and definitely easy to recommend to newcomers. All three have their own strengths and weaknesses, witch Black Mage in particular presenting quite a challenge.

If you’re set on beginning your Final Fantasy XIV journey but have been confused by the frankly convoluted Free Trial registration process, we’ve got a guide that walks you through it right here.