The Basics of Melee DPS in Final Fantasy XIV

With five damage dealing classes to sink your teeth into there's plenty to learn, here's all the basics of DPS in Final Fantasy XIV.

Doing damage you ask? Well, here we are with the close-ranged DPS. There are currently five of them, all coming with their own distinct flavor of dishing out the pain. We’ll go over the basics that apply to all of them, their Role Actions and give a little introduction to all of them.

Slaying, Maiming and Scouting. So what?

As the name might imply, the Melee DPS in this game.. Deal with melee attacks, surprise surprise. Similar to Tanks, they have to stay in range to dish out their combos. But that would be too easy wouldn’t it? In addition to that, they have to deal with positionals. Out of all the Jobs, they might actually have it the hardest. Having to stay in range and the right position, doing their rotation while also doing mechanics? But they also do a good chunk more damage, compared to other jobs.

Positionals

You will be asked to hit the enemy either from the flank or the rear for a nice potency bonus. Or in some cases for certain effects. When you target an enemy, you should see a circle on the ground around them. This one is divided in four equal quarters, which make up the front, the flank and the rear. Do keep in mind that these slices will also apply inside the enemies ring. Since we want to minimize movement, make it a habit to hug the line between flank and rear. So you just have to wiggle a little to hit that positional.

Role Actions

Melee DPS learn six Role Actions by the time they hit level 50, most of them will see plenty of use during your escapades. So here you have a neat summary of what they’ll do and when you should use them.

Second Wind: A healing ability that will heal you for 500 potency flat whenever you use it. Since we are a melee we kinda lack the stats to do big heals. But you should definitely use this whenever you take a little bit more damage or fail a mechanic. So the Healer won’t have to worry as much about you.

Leg Sweep: A simple kick that will stun an enemy for 3 seconds. While this won’t see much use in group content, outside of stopping nasty casts from trash mobs. It will see its use in Solo content, especially when you have to deal with multiple enemies and want to avoid damage. Or simply get away from them.

Bloodbath: For 20 seconds, some of your damage will be turned into healing. Much like Second Wind, you want to keep using this one to keep the pressure of your Healer just a little bit.

Faint: This lowers your targets physical damage by 10% and magical damage by 5%. Now what enemy attack is what, can be a bit tricky to find out. But usually the animation is a pretty good tell. You want to keep using this one to give your tank an easier time.

Arm’s Length: This ability will let you ignore most draw-in and knockback mechanics. While it is never necessary to use for a mechanic. You should use it to keep your rotation going. In addition it will also put a slow effect for 15 seconds if struck by regular enemies.

True North: Consider this one of your crutches. You’ll get two charges of it and it will allow you to execute a positional attack without actually hitting that position. While you should not make a habit out of using it out of laziness, it will give you an extra edge while you try to avoid mechanics.

The five Melee DPS

As you can tell, Melee DPS are simple in their basic functions. Most of the actual legwork will come out of performing their elaborate rotations and mechanics under fire. Before you make your pick, allow us to introduce them to you.

Monk: Do you like to punch things? Do you like to punch things really hard and really fast? Then the Monk might be the job for you. Starting out as the Pugilist in Ul’dah, Monk rose to being one of the mainstays in many Parties. Not only does its entire kit boast flexibility, it will also bring great utility to your party. It takes a little bit to get used to, it is very satisfying to pull off.

Dragoon: Another Final Fantasy Classic, starting off as the Lancer in Gridania, they'll soon learn how to fly through the air. With its unique jumping mechanic and damage buffs, it is a favorite. It’s rotation is fairly straightforward and easy to pick up on. Soon you’ll find yourself juggling buffs, DoT’s and timers to dish out the pain.

Ninja: The Ninja plays unlike anything else in Final Fantasy XIV. It’s Mudras will allow you to throw out unique abilities alongside your speedy rotation. Everyone wants a Ninja in their party for its Trick Attack. Not only does that one do massive damage, it also increases the damage the enemy will take for 15 seconds. While it has a bit of a learning curve, starting out as a charming Rogue in Limsa Lominsa definitely has more ups than downs.

Samurai: If you want to dish out an easy to grasp, yet busy rotation. The Samurai could be the job for you. You will be dealing with three different kinds of resources that you mix and match for massive damage. It is known as one of the selfish DPS and what it lacks in utility for the party, it more than makes up for in damage. You can pick it up at level 50 in Ul’dah.

Reaper: The new DPS added in Endwalker. Not only will you have to deal with your regular rotation and keeping up a buff. You’ll also have to deal with the separate rotation of your Voidsent friend. And after building some momentum, you’ll be able to merge with your shadow friend for a devastating burst phase. This job is easy to pick up and play, is highly mobile and flexible in its rotation. It starts at level 70 in Ul’dah.

That's all we have on Melee DPS for today. Please look forward for more Guides and News for and around Final Fantasy XIV, here on ESTNN.