The Basics of Ranged DPS in Final Fantasy XIV

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The Basics of Ranged DPS in Final Fantasy XIV

Everything you need to know about the basics of playing Ranged DPS in Final Fantasy XIV.


You don’t want to stand close to the enemy? Would you rather stand on the side lines and just pepper them with attacks? Ranged DPS might be the Job Type for you. We’ll give you a quick rundown on their gameplay and the tools they share.

Something, Something of Aiming

Now then, Ranged DPS or Physical Ranged DPS as the game likes to call them have it technically the easiest out of all the DPS. They don’t have to worry about cast times, proximity to the boss or positionals. Great, right? Their rotations also tend to be fairly straight forward. Two of them make up for that with great support abilities, and the other one with a big burst damage phase. So they tend to be more on the supportive side, but in an optimal full party. You’ll find at least one of them, that one could be you.

Gameplay

Now, usually I’d write a big thing about the type's core mechanics. But.. Ranged DPS kinda lack those, as they can stand pretty much everywhere. To bang out their rotation while doing mechanics. More evil minded people would now claim that they have it easy, and let's be real, they do. But that means it will fall to you to do mechanics for others as much as you can. Like, there is an attack that needs soaking, a tether to be picked up. You are the firewoman/man of the party, making sure everyone has it cozy while effortlessly getting that 99.5% uptime. That will make your local Dragoon chew up their input device of choice.

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Role-Actions

Now that we are all familiar with how the Ranged DPS works, it’s time to go over the abilities they all get by level 50.

Leg Graze: This will put the Heavy effect on regular enemies for 10 seconds. While it will see most of its use on solo-content. You can also use it to save the party from a wipe during a trash pull in dungeons. Just make sure to put it on the heaviest hitter in the mob group to give your healer some breathing room.

Second Wind: A heal for 500 potency, sounds like a lot but you don’t actually have the stats for heavy healing. Use this liberately if you have taken a somewhat considerable amount of damage. Your healer will love you, since you are reliable and can take care of yourself. For the most part.

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Foot Graze: This falls into the same camp as Leg Graze, only that it will stop an enemy from doing anything for 10 seconds. Again, it will mostly see use in solo-content. But can also be useful from keeping danger away from yourself or the healer in dungeon content.

Peloton: Everyone loves a Ranged DPS that uses Peloton inbetween pulls. Or it is for you if you have to get from point A to B very quickly. For 30 seconds, everyone in the party will get increased movement speed. This effect will however end as soon as enmity is generated. Try to use this as much as possible in dungeons. Then you might get that commendation at the end.

Head Graze: Some enemies will have casts that are interruptible, indicated by the castbar pulsing red. With Head Graze you’ll be able to interrupt these. Ranged DPS and Tanks are the only ones able to do this, and you should consider it your duty to interrupt them. Avoiding any kind of avoidable damage is always good.

Arm’s Length: Like all the other Melee classes, you get a skill that lets you ignore knockback and draw-in effects for 6 seconds. Since Ranged DPS usually don’t have to bother with actually being in range, you don’t have to use this for uptime. But it can help in solving certain mechanics or as a last ditch effort, when you get hit by a mechanic but don’t want to be knocked off the edge. It also adds a 15 second slow effect, should you be struck by regular enemies while it is up.

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The Three Ranged DPS

Now that we’ve gone over your Role-Actions and general gameplay, it is time to introduce you to help you with your decision.

Bard: The Bard might actually be the odd one out of the three, which is weird because it was the first one to be introduced. While starting as the Archer in Gridania, you will have to manage keeping two damage over time effects up. While also trying to get a prog on your more heavy hitting attacks. You don’t have to deal with the pesky combo mechanic, that's good right? Soon after, you will learn to play songs during combat to keep your party cheerful. And to make them hit extra heavy while also change up your gameplay a little depending on the song you are playing. Bard is fairly easy to play. Most of its gameplay will consist of keeping one of your song’s playing. Seasoning it with a big DPS buff while also managing your DoT’s and progs. You’ll also get the performance feature, so you can play actual songs at the Limsa Lominsa Aetheryte.

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Machinist: You can pick this one up as soon as you reach Ishgard in the Heavensward expansion. It is the selfish Ranged DPS, since your only contribution to the party is a Party wide defensive buff that every other Ranged DPS also gets. Your main draw is a burst window, which will have you cram in everything you got in a short 8 second window to hit for massive damage. You’ll also get a robot that fights for you and guns! While it takes a little to get learn, but this job comes with the highest personal damage out of all the Ranged DPS.

Dancer: Dancer, as it is currently is a mix between Bard and Machinists with its own flavor added ontop. While having very simple combos, these combos can prog into other moves. Which can prog into other moves that can also prog into another move. So you have to sacrifice some consistency for the sake of simpler gameplay. But that's not all, when you pick this job up in Limsa Lominsa once you hit level 60, you’ll also learn to dance. And how to pick a dance partner. Said partner, preferably another DPS with a high personal damage output will get an even higher output thanks to you. You will have to keep up your Standard Step ability, that will not only hit for good damage, it will also buff your partner. You’ll also get the Technical Step, which will buff your entire party and hit for massive damage.

That concludes our little introduction for the Ranged DPS, you find more Guides and News around Final Fantasy XIV here on ESTNN.