As discussed in our previous Stormblood coverage, Square Enix are massively revamping the way the jobs and classes play in Final Fantasy XIV. With 4.0 Square Enix plan to introduce two new jobs for players to experiment with alongside the skill and ability changes in Stormblood.
For those that aren’t aware, Jobs in FF 14 are the games version of classes. And even though classes are a thing, Jobs are how a player defines their character and it’s roles in combat. Jobs are a set of abilities made by combining certain class levels together. As all characters can push every class to max level, it’s possible to take on any job in the game. Although the less dedicated players will often “main” a single job.
These Stormblood changes look great, and are a surefire way to get back into the game come June 20. And now that the free trial has no time limit, just that you’re level-restricted to 35, there’s no reason not to give it a try. With the various Job reworks, new Jobs (which you can unlock without Story Progression by the way) and a host of streamlined mechanics, 4.0 looks to be the revitalization some Final Fantasy XIV players have been looking for.
Each of the two new Jobs introduce a new mechanic that requires management to proc or otherwise power-up the Jobs main abilities.
Red Mage
Red Mages Look AWESOME!
Red Mage is a Ranged DPS job that wields a Rapier and a Magicked Crystal Medium as its weapons. The job does not have a base class and starts at level 50. It will be able to share Job gear with Black Mages and Summoners; and much like those classes it’s main stat will be Intelligence.
the new mechanic for Red Mages relies on a system of balancing White and Black Mana. The best abilities and buffs for Red Mages will not only proc other abilities, but will receive boosts depending on the levels of Black or White Mana the character has available. Red Mages can also use some melee abilities as burst damage, then utilize a few key speed boosts to get back out of danger and switch to ranged spell attacks.
Overall, Red Mages will seemingly play like a slightly tankier version of a Thaumaturge. If you’d like to see a detailed overview of the new abilities for Red Mages, check the Wiki entry.
Samurai
Samurai Potatoes are on the way. . .
The Samurai is the other of two new Jobs in FF 14. Samurai is a DPS job that wields a two-handed Katana as its weapon. The job does not have a base class and starts at level 50. Monk gear will be able to also be shared with the Samurai Job. The primary stat for Samurai players will be Strength.
Samurai will have to balance their Kenki. The primary focus of the Kenki mechanic will be using it to apply massive boosts to melee damage. Kenki is gathered through the use of other Samurai abilities. These abilities also grant Potency, which is used in combos to increase the effectiveness of certain abilities.
If you’d like to know more about the Samurai, check the Wiki entry.
If you want more Stormblood action, check out the trailer here.
