FFXIV Ninja (NIN) Basics Guide & FAQ – Shadowbringers Updated!

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Need info on Ninja? You’ll notice some neat notes on the NIN job here! Find basic information and FAQs in our Ninja Basics Guide. Read on if you’re expecting to learn about unlocking NIN, Ninja Job Identity, trait and skill list, crafters and gatherers related to NIN, and link to other important Ninja info!

Ninjas are a Melee DPS job, and the very first job to be released “mid-expansion”. They came out around patch 2.4 (Final Coil of Bahamut tier). NIN’s were the very first job to be added into the game aside from the original nine. In their role of Melee DPS, they are preceded by Monks and Dragoons.

How to become a Ninja? Unlocking NIN:

First and foremost you need to have a Level 30 Rogue, and have completed the L30 ROG class quest, “Cloying Victory”. After doing this you can unlock the actual quest to become a Ninja, “Peasants by Day, Ninja’s by Night” which is issued by Jacke at the Rogues Guild in Limsa Lominsa – Upper Decks.

You also have to complete a Level 20 MSQ, “Sylph Management”, which realistically should be completed by the time you’re looking to unlock Ninja. 

Note that, upon completing Peasants by Day, Ninja’s by Night you MUST EQUIP the “Soul of the Ninja” to actually formally BECOME a NIN. Interestingly, in the old days, unlocking Ninja required L15 PGL – that’s no longer the case.

Rushing to or want to know how to unlock a certain class? Learn more:
FFXIV Job Unlock & Requirements Guide.

Ninja Playstyle & NIN Job Identity

If you’ve asked yourself, “Why play, try, or choose Ninja?” – here’s my attempt at selling you the NIN class.

Well it doesn’t get any more ninja than this. Handsigns? Double Daggers? Fast movement and “Teleports”? Then I got some good (or bad) news for you… Ninja is right up your alley!

While not known for their high personal DPS, they are known to increase raid DPS quite a bit via Trick Attack (historically the main reason to use a NIN). While their movespeed and Shukuchi allow them great mobility for resolving mechanics, the job itself is one of the harder (ehem, Mudras) to pull off well as it actually punishes you for mistaken inputs.

As you get better at Ninja, its complexity can be used to your advantage as the Mudra system can be done WHILE MOVING to allow a higher uptime if you plan your attacks wisely.

Aesthetically and thematically, the FFXIV Ninja’s look borrows heavily from FFVI’s Shadow. They are pretty spot on with the “anime ninja” look and feel.

What Crafters & Gatherers should Ninja level?

While it’s common in MMORPG’s to think you want to craft your own gear as you level up your NIN… I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT.

Leveling up your DoH and DoL jobs should be thought of as a different activity completely. To be honest, if you’re a newer player, simply ensure that you DO NOT OVERCAP Levequests (always have less than 100).

The only relation a combat job has to a crafter or gatherer class is “which classes do you need to repair your gear”? My advice, ultimately, is pretty much all or nothing – level up all DoH classes in tandem. As a separate project, level up all DoL classes in tandem (with the optional Fisher).

What’s the best race for Ninja?

Racial stats are (was?) a thing. However, I highly recommend not caring about it. The difference in performance between the “best” and “worst” race for you is not even 0.1%.

My advice? Pick for aesthetics. Will you stay the same job forever? If you change mains, will you race change? Ultimately, the difference is so microscopic that I cannot in good faith tell you that racial stats are an integral part of your character.

I won’t even link the Racial Stats Guide, as I haven’t checked up on this in a while – and I don’t want to cement the idea that the “best race” really matters.

Related Ninja Guides – Read More!

Here are a few useful links for you:

• General Leveling Guide for ALL combat classes / jobs
• Rogue Basics Guide & FAQ
• Adding new links as we update them!

Upcoming Odds and Ends

Here’s a few things we’ll be adding on here in the near future:

• Adding a “links to further resources”, we’re doing a site restructure so once those links are set, they’ll go in here.
• Human-readable, newbie-friendly skill and trait list.
  > I used to have the in-game skill list here, but I found it useless as the in-game one is better… I’d rather have a new player friendly rundown.
• More descriptive job identity? Pics?
  > I dunno… pictures of the job gauges? A gif of some flashy skills?
• Feel free to suggest anything else via comment or socials!

Summary & Outro

Well that’s about it for a really, really basic guide that hopefully points some lost souls in the right direction, or answers some of your questions regarding Ninja.

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