Archer - FFXIV Guild

FFXIV All Jobs Unlocking & Requirements (Pictomancer & Viper Added)

SHADOWBRINGERS UPDATED: Dancer and Gunbreaker added. Learn the requirements and how to unlock all jobs and classes in FFXIV!

DAWNTRAIL Guides! Dawntrail L90-100 Miner Leveling, Botanist Leveling
Dawntrail Normal Raid Guide (Quick, Spoiler Free)
See: Viper STARTER Guide / Rotation | Pictomancer Starter Guide / Rotation

Hello there and welcome to our completely overhauled FFXIV Job Unlocking & Requirements Guide! This guide is updated up to Dawntrail! Let’s get right to it, straight to a summary table! Althrough I have a feeling you’re here for (SCROLL TO:) Viper or Pictomancer lol. Beastmaster? Kinda like Blue Mage, Dawntrails limited job. Not much info yet will update asap.

I’ll add a small blurb at the very end for Unlocking DoH and DoL jobs. If you’re confused, or maybe looking for a base class – look at the notes below the table.

LOST IN YOUR JOB QUEST?
CHECK RIGHT BELOW YOUR MAIN SCENARIO QUEST BOX!

Prefer to discuss / give feedback on reddit? See /r/MahikoSan FFXIV Job Unlocking Guide

Job Requirements & Unlock Quest: SUMMARY

Click on the class name to scroll to its more detailed section.

Job	Code	Unlock Quest Name	Location & Area	X	Y	Requirement Note
Viper	VPR	Enter the Viper	Uldah	9	9	Disciple of War or Magic L80
Pictomancer	PCT	The Joy of Pictomancy	Old Gridania	8	10	Disciple of War or Magic L80
Astrologian	AST	Stairway to the Heavens	The Pillars	15	10	Disciple of War or Magic L50
Bard	BRD	A Song of Bards and Bowmen	New Gridania	15	11	Archer (ARC) L30
Black Mage	BLM	Taking the Black	Uldah - Steps of Nald	7	12	Thaumaturge (LNC) L30
Blue Mage	BLU	Out of the Blue	Limsa Lower Decks	10	11	Disciple of War or Magic L50
Dancer	DNC	Shall We Dance	Limsa Lower Decks	9	12	DoW or DoM L60
Dark Knight	DRK	Our End	The Pillars	13	8	Disciple of War or Magic L50
Dragoon	DRG	Eye of the Dragon	Old Gridania	14	5	Lancer (LNC) L30
Gunbreaker	GNB	The Makings of a Gunbreaker	New Gridania	11	11	DoW or DoM L60
Machinist	MCH	Savior of Skysteel	Foundation	8	10	DoW or DoM L50
Monk	MNK	Brother from Another Mother	Uldah - Steps of Nald	9	10	Pugilist (PGL) L30
Ninja	NIN	Peasants by Day, Ninjas by Night	Limsa Lower Decks	8	16	Rogue (ROG) L30
Paladin	PLD	Paladin's Pledge	Uldah - Steps of Thal	9	11	Gladiator (GLD) L30
Reaper	RPR	The Killer Instinct	Ul'dah - Steps of Nald	13	9	Disciple of War or Magic L70
Red Mage	RDM	Taking the Red	Uldah - Steps of Thal	14	11	Disciple of War or Magic L50
Sage	SGE	Sage's Path	Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks	9	13	Disciple of War or Magic L70
Samurai	SAM	The Way of the Samurai	Uldah - Steps of Nald	9	9	Disciple of War or Magic L50
Scholar	SCH	Forgotten but Not Gone	Limsa Lower Decks	4	11	Arcanist (ACN) L30
Summoner	SMN	Austerities of Flame	Limsa Lower Decks	4	11	Arcanist (ACN) L30
Warrior	WAR	Pride and Duty (Will Take You...	Limsa Upper Decks	11	6	Marauder (MRD) L30
White Mage	WHM	Seer Folly	Old Gridania	6	10	Conjurer (CNJ) L30

From here, let’s have a little note about each and every job (or class) you want to unlock, its requirements, and a little protip for each!

Base Classes Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

ALMOST ALL base classes (WITH THE NOTABLE EXCEPTION OF ROGUE), can be accessed as you create your character, as you spawn into this world! Here’s a quick table of base classes (click on the box below), and where to unlock them.

Base Class unlocking table

Job	Code	Unlock Quest Name	Location & Area	X	Y
Arcanist	ACN	Way of the Arcanist	Limsa Lower Decks	4	11
Archer	ARC	Way of the Archer	New Gridania	15	12
Conjurer	CNJ	Way of the Conjurer	Old Gridania	6	11
Gladiator	GLD	Way of the Gladiator	Uldah - Steps of Thal	9	11
Lancer	LNC	Way of the Lancer	Old Gridania	14	5
Marauder	MRD	Way of the Marauder	Limsa Upper Decks	11	6
Pugilist	PGL	Way of the Pugilist	Uldah - Steps of Nald	9	10
Rogue	ROG	My First Daggers	Limsa Lower Decks	8	16
Thaumaturge	THM	Way of the Thaumaturge	Uldah - Steps of Nald	7	12

ALL OF THE BASE / ARR JOBS
seem to have ditched the old requirements to unlock..?
You only need Level 10 in your original base class?

Rogue is a little different. It’s the only base class you cannot START THE GAME WITH. So any new player aspiring to be a Rogue (and eventually Ninja) would be best served by choosing a starter base class that spawns in Limsa, either Arcanist or Marauder. But honestly, it doesn’t make much of a difference.

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Astrologian Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Astrologian.

Astrologian Unlock Quest: Stairway to the Heavens
Location: The Pillars (15,10)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 50 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Ishgard / Foundation
Expansion: Heavensward

New players wanting to play AST asap will have to take a bit of a detour. The requirements are having a disciple or magic or war at level 50. So you might as well level up a healer. Start the game as Conjurer (into White Mage), or Arcanist (into Scholar).

The sad part is Astrologian starts at L30. Ouch.

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Bard Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Bard.

Bard Unlock Quest: A Song of Bards and Bowmen
Location: New Gridania (15,11)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Archer (ARC), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: New Gridania -> Archers Guild
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

Being part of the original roster of Jobs, new players aspiring to play BRD have it easy. Simply start the game as an Archer, and you’ll be well on your way to being a Bard!

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Black Mage Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Black Mage.

Black Mage Unlock Quest: Taking the Black
Location: Uldah – Steps of Nald (7,12)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Thaumaturge (THM), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet:
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

As one of the original Jobs, new players wanting to blow up the world with BLM simply have to start the game as Thaumaturge, and you’ll be burning your path to Black Mage in no time.

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Blue Mage Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

WARNING: MEME TIER JOB. PLEASE READ

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Blue Mage.

Quest: Out of the Blue
Location: Limsa Lower Decks (10,11)
NPC: Zealous Leatherjacket
Requirements: Level 50 DoW or DoM
Complete the main scenario quest “The Ultimate Weapon.”
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Limsa Upper Decks -> Limsa Lower Decks
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

HOLD IT! BEFORE YOU HAVE DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR ABOUT YOUR CARREER AS A BLUE MAGE – BLU is the first “Limited Job” which means quite a bit IT DOES NOT REACH MAX LEVEL! So hold your horses. Sadly you have to choose something else for a serious path.

It’s meant to be a fun sidejob which has a completely different progression path and goals from your typical combat jobs. Currently, Blue Mage is a purely “for fun” kinda job… I suppose…

Fun is loosely defined, btw. Don’t @ me if it doesn’t pan out.

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Dancer Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Dancer.

Dancer Unlock Quest: Shall We Dance
Location: Limsa Lower Decks (9,12)
NPC: Eager Lominsan
Requirements: Level 60 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Lower Decks Aetheryte straight up… it’s near.
Expansion: Stormblood

As one of the Shadowbringer Jobs, Dancer requires you have a level 60 disciple or war or magic to unlock. So new players have a bit of a journey ahead before they get to shake dat booty.

Technically the quickest way to level up to 60 is by taking advantage of tank or healer queues, but I would highly advise newer players to play a similar role – so starting from Archer into Bard should get you in rhythm.

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Dark Knight Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Dark Knight.

Dark Knight Unlock Quest: Our End
Location: The Pillars (13,8)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 50 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Ishgard / Foundation –
Expansion: Heavensward

New players wanting to play DRK asap will have to wait a bit. You need a Level 50 disciple of magic or war to unlock Dark Knight. My advice is to get used to tanking, and start the game as Gladiator (into Paladin), or Marauder (into Warrior).

Sadly, Dark Knight is one of three jobs that “backtrack” in level, starting out their journey at Level 30. Oof.

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Dragoon Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Dragoon.

Dragoon Unlock Quest: Eye of the Dragon
Location: Old Gridania (14,5)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Lancer (LNC), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: New Gridania –
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players attracted by the flashiness of DRG are in luck – it’s one of the original jobs so starting the game out as Lancer (LNC) will “point” you in the right direction.

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Gunbreaker Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Gunbreaker.

Gunbreaker Unlock Quest: The Makings of a Gunbreaker
Location: New Gridania (11,11)
NPC: Gods’ Quiver bow
Requirements: Level 60 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: New Gridania straight up. Near aetheryte.
Expansion: Shadowbringers

New players who wanna squall it up as GNB will have to put in some work first. You need an L60 combat class of any other kind. I highly recommend picking something of the same role though. So Gladiator into Paladin, or Marauder into Warrior are your best bets.

Gunbreaker starts at L60 so there’s no real time lost there.

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Machinist Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Machinist.

Machinist Unlock Quest: Savior of Skysteel
Location: Foundation (8,10)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 50 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Ishgard / Foundation
Expansion: Heavensward

New players who want to pile it in with the bots as MCH are in for a bit of work… You need an L50 combat class, which technically is easiest reached by a tank or healer.

HOWEVER, I will always recommend another class of the same role so Archer (ARC) into Bard (BRD) would be my shot at a recommendation.

Sadly, Machinist is one of three classes that backtrack their level – starting out as a Level 30 character. Hnnng.

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Monk Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking the Monk job.

Monk Unlock Quest: Brother from Another Mother
Location: Uldah – Steps of Nald (9,10)
NPC:
Requirements: Level30 Pugilist (PGL), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet:
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players who have the unexplained desire to punch stuff ASAP with MNK are in luck – it’s one of the original jobs so starting the game off as Pugilist (PGL) will allows you to hit it off in no time.

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Ninja Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking the Ninja job.

Ninja Unlock Quest: Peasants by Day, Ninjas by Night
Location: Limsa Lower Decks (8,16)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Rogue (ROG), and all class quests.
Aetheryte / Aethernet: Limsa Upper Decks
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players wanting to live the NIN dream will want to get to Rogue (ROG) ASAP. However, you cannot start the game as rogue!

That being said Rogues need a relatively low unlock requirement (L10, and a low level MSQ). The most efficient choice for me personally is picking any other class that starts in Limsa: Marauder or Arcanist, then switch to Rogue when able.

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Paladin Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Paladin.

Paladin Unlock Quest: Paladin’s Pledge
Location: Ul’dah – Steps of Thal (9,11)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Gladiator (GLD), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Ul’dah
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players wanting to star the game as PLD are lucky – it’s one of the original jobs! Simply starting the game as Gladiator will reinforce your path straight into the shield.

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Pictomancer Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

See: Pictomancer Starter Guide – Rotation, Setup, etc

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking the Pictomancer Job.

Pictomancer Unlock Quest Name: The Joy of Pictomancy
Location: New Gridania -> Conjurer’s Guild (8.0, 10.3)
NPC: Cheerless Hearer
Requirements: Level 80 Disciple of War or Magic.
~~Aetheryte -> Aethernet~~: TBA
Expansion: Dawntrail

New players wanting to star the game as PLD are lucky – it’s one of the original jobs! Simply starting the game as Gladiator will reinforce your path straight into the shield.

Aspiring artists apply! If you wanna be a Pictomancer, you’re gonna any other combat class at Level 80. If you want a “similar” job, then go with Black Mage on your journey upward. Once you make the switch, Pictomancer starts at Level 80!

Along your way you can try the Summoner (start game as arcanist), or Red Mage (once you reach L50).

Otherwise, pick tank or healer to improve your queue time haha.

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Reaper Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Reaper.

Reaper Unlock Quest: The Killer Instinct
Location: Ul’dah – Steps of Nald (12.8, 8.6)
NPC: Flustered Attendant
Requirements: Level 70 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte / Aethernet: Ul’dah – Steps of Nald, Adventurer’s Guild
Expansion: Endwalker

Since RPR unlocks at a high level with many skills, check out our Reaper initial skills, setup and rotation guide.

New players wanting to be up and coming edgelords rushing into Reaping might want to start as any melee DPS. Pick any starting melee DPS (Monk, Dragoon, or Ninja) as your goal, and unlock its base class (Pugilist, Lancer, or Rogue respectively).

Alternatively, if you want to reach L70 ASAP you can abuse tank or healer queues, but, I heavily suggest going for a similar role and job as the one you’re aspiring to me.

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Red Mage Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Red Mage.

Red Mage Unlock Quest: Taking the Red
Location: Uldah – Steps of Thal (14,11)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 50 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte -> Aethernet:
Expansion: Stormblood

New players itching to swashbuckle as RDM will have to level up another combat class to L50 first. While technically leveling a tank or healer would improve your speed I always recommend picking a similar class to kickstart your journey!

That being said, the closest thing would be Thaumaturge (THM) into Black Mage (BLM). From there, get to Red Mage!

Luckily RDM starts as L50 so you’ll pick up right where you left off.

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Sage Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Sage.

Sage Unlock Quest: Sage’s Path
Location: Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks (9, 13)
NPC: Sharlayan Maiden
Requirements: Level 70 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte / Aethernet: Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks
Expansion: Endwalker

Since SGE unlocks at a high level with many skills, check out our Sage initial skills, setup and rotation guide.

Rushing for Sage? Then you might wanna train up any other healer first until L70 then switching up to Sage. If you’re absolutely new then you’re going to want to start the game as one of the healer classes, Conjurer or Arcanist, which becomes White Mage and Schiolar Respectively.

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Samurai Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Samurai.

Samurai Unlock Quest: The Way of the Samurai
Location: Uldah – Steps of Nald (9,9)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 50 DoW or DoM
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Uldah

New players wanting to train in the blade of SAM have to level up another combat class to Level 50 first… Technically, the fastest way is to level up a tank or healer to take advantage of faster queues –

BUT! I always advise going for a similar role on your journey. Pick any starting melee DPS (Monk, Dragoon, or Ninja) as your goal, and unlock its base class (Pugilist, Lancer, or Rogue respectively).

Luckily Samurai starts at L50 – right where you left off!

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Scholar Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Scholar.

Scholar Unlock Quest: Forgotten but Not Gone
Location: Limsa Lower Decks (4,11)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Arcanist (ACN), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Limsa Upper Decks
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players strategizing their way to SCH should rest easy since it’s one of the original jobs! Starting out as an Arcanist (ACN) should put you right in the books to become a Scholar!

As an added bonus, SCHOLAR EXP IS SHARED WITH SUMMONER – so you can choose to pew pew when it suits you! (Soloing, for example). By shared I don’t mean halved – they gain it equally!

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Summoner Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Summoner.

Summoner Unlock Quest: Austerities of Flame
Location: Limsa Lower Decks (4,11)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Arcanist (ACN), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Limsa Upper Decks
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players wanting to control deez SMN pets are in luck. It’s one of the original jobs so starting the game as Arcanist (ACN) will put you right in control up to Summoner!

As an added bonus SUMMONER EXP IS SHARED WITH SCHOLAR, so you get a healer to boot! Double value! By shared I don’t mean halved – they gain XP at the same time!

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Viper Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

See: Viper Starter Guide – Rotation, Setup, etc

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking the Viper job.

Viper Unlock Quest Name: Enter the Viper
Location: Ul’dah – Steps of Nald (9.3, 9.2), It’s near the main Aetheryte.
NPC: Worried Weaver
Prerequisites: Level 80 Disciple of War or Magic.
~~Aetheryte -> Aethernet~~:
Expansion: Dawntrail

If you’re itching to stab your way (multiple ways, actually) through with the Viper – you’ll have to wait. You need another Level 80 combat class of any other kind! But don’t sweat it, because Viper starts at Level 80 as well!

If I could recommend a class most similar to Viper from the base game (for new players wanting to rush in), it’s probably Monk, or Dragoon – both melee DPS. You can progress to other melees like Ninja, Samurai, or Reaper down the line.

I don’t advise this, but, you can also roll healer or tank to improve your queue time while leveling up. Heh.

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Warrior Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking Warrior.

Warrior Unlock Quest: Pride and Duty (Will Take You…)
Location: Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (11,6)
NPC:
Requirements: L30 Marauder (MRD), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks -> Marauders Guild.
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players itching to be an Axe-wielding WAR, fret not! It’s one of the original jobs so starting off as a Marauder (MRD) will put you in the right direction straight to Warrior!

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White Mage Unlocking, Requirements & Tips

Here’s a quick summary on unlocking White Mage.

White Mage Unlock Quest: Seer Folly
Location: Old Gridania (6,10)
NPC:
Requirements: Level 30 Conjurer (CNJ), and all class quests.
Aetheryte -> Aethernet: New Gridania
Expansion: Base / A Realm Reborn

New players who want to go straight to WHM are in luck. It’s one of the original jobs so simply starting your journey as a Conjurer (CNJ) will set you on the straight and narrow to White Mage!

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DoH and DoL Jobs – Might as well put it here!

Just a quick addition here, if you’re trying to unlock all of ’em I’ll list ’em by location first.

Crafters (DoH) Disciple of the Hand
Limsa: Armorsmith, Blacksmith, Culinarian.
Ul’dah: Alchemist, Goldsmith, Weaver.
Gridania: Carpenter, Leatherworker.

Gatherers (DoL) Disciple of the Land)
Limsa: Fisher
Ul’dah: Miner
Gridania: Botanist

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Summary, Closing , Related Info

THAT’S IT FOR ALL JOB UNLOCKS!

I’ll be updating this guide with further supplemental info in the very near future, so stay tuned! GOOD LUCK UNLOCKING THOSE JOBS AND GETTING THOSE REQUIREMENTS!

I suppose I can add some links here in the future as well.

Prefer to discuss / give feedback on reddit? See /r/MahikoSan FFXIV Job Unlocking Guide

FFXIV Archer (ARC) Leveling Guide & Rotation | ShB UPDATED

How to level up your Archer (ARC) fast! Learn all about your skills, role actions, and how to level up HERE!

Tempted by the song of “ez ranged deeps”, ey? Aren’t we all! Well if you’re looking to have a shot at Archer, you’ve found the right place. Hopefully, our Archer Leveling Guide helps you out!

While this page focuses on Archer info like skills, traits, rotation, and playstyle notes. The GENERAL PROCESS that you follow is outlined in our FFXIV General Leveling Guide – use it alongside this guide. Looking at that, we’re in the “A Realm Reborn Tier” as we’re only looking to level our Archer up to 30.

Archer Unlocking? Other basics?

How to unlock the ARC Class? Taken from Archer General Guide & FAQ – which you should read if you need more basic info about ARC.

Location: Old Gridania, Archers’ Guild (15,12)
NPCs: Athelyna, Luciane
Related Quests: (all in the same place)
> So you want to be an Archer
> Way of the Archer
> My First Bow
— Others: You may also begin the game as Archer

Archers are Physical Ranged DPS classes, falling under the Disciple of War category. Also, if you’re curious about the job you turn into, Archers are the prerequisite class for unlocking Bard.

This guide has three major segments:

Archer Leveling Rotation & Skill Changes – How new skills affect your play.
Archer L1 to L16 – General reminders and notes.
Archer L16 to 30 – General reminders and notes.
I’ll mention it again, knowledge from General Leveling Guide is REQUIRED.

I put rotation changes up top as you might reference it often. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

Archer Rotation for Leveling, Skills, Traits, Etc.

In this segment we run down how each skill and trait affects your Archer’s rotation during the leveling process.

L1 Skill Unlocked Heavy Shot – ROTATION AFFECTED: This is your “basic attack”.

L2 Skill Unlocked Straight Shot – ROTATION AFFECTED: There is a small chance after using Heavy Shot that Straight Shot becomes usable. Basically, “Spam Heavy Shot, then Straight Shot when Available”.

L2 Trait Unlocked Heavier Shot – This trait is what allows you to use Straight Shot. How it affects your rotation is already mentioned above.

L4 Skill Unlocked Raging Strikes – ROTATION AFFECTED: Your first DPS cooldown! Use it liberally while soloing or in dungeons. In dungeons, I suggest using this at the start of a new pack, and during bosses. Don’t hold on to it too much. Ultimately DPS cooldowns can be a very high level topic, but this is not the place for that.

L6 Skill Unlocked Venomous Bite – ROTATION AFFECTED: Your first DoT (Damage over Time) skill! OPEN every fight with this skill (Unless the monster is so weak that the DoT isn’t worth it – just heavy shot instead). Obviously, refresh it if it’s about to fall off. Typically in FFXIV you want to refresh DoT’s with a duration of 3s or less. If you’re fighting multiple monsters, using this on all of ‘em is legit.

L6 Role Action Unlocked Leg Graze – Your first Physical Ranged DPS Role Action! Causes Heavy on an enemy (slows movespeed). There is really not much of a use here, except letting enemies get to you slower. Only for desperation in dungeons or soloing… Very slim usage – can often be left unbinded as there are very few encounters where this is irrelevant.

L8 Role Action Unlocked Second Wind – A burst self-heal which you’ll grow to be very familiar with. Helps with all types of content! Sustain during Boss FATES, emergency healing in Raids, etc.

L10 Role Action Unlocked Foot Graze – A ranged Bind (Target cannot move)! Useful for preventing melee enemies from reaching you. Practically speaking, this skill is great for stopping enemies so you can run away or interact with objects / NPC’s without being interrupted by damage.

L12 Skill Unlocked Bloodletter – ROTATION AFFECTED: Use it every time it’s available. Simple as that. It’s Off-GCD (OGCD) So you have no reason to delay firing this off ASAP.

L15 Skill Unlocked Repelling Shot – (Requires CLASS QUEST completion) Your basic mobility skill. For soloing, it simply helps you move faster in between mobs. For dungeons and especially raids, this is a great repositioning tool.

L18 Skill Unlocked Quick Nock – AoE ROTATION AFFECTED: An INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT AoE attack that’s effective to use even against 2 targets. Obviously incredible at 3+ targets.

L20 Trait Unlocked Increased Action Damage – This does nothing that actually affects your gameplay, but simply increases your damage dealt by a %. Can’t complain.

L20 Role Action Unlocked Peloton – AMAZING skill for movement! You’ll be surprised how much time this cuts in towns, questing, dungeons, make it a habit to always have Peloton up when you can! Keep note it doesn’t stack with Sprint. Newer players might think I’m memeing, but you too will come to love Peloton!

L24 Role Action Unlocked Head Graze – A ranged interrupt! Stop enemies from casting their skills – while not super useful solo, it has niche applications in dungeons and raids. Just be aware you have it!

L30 Skill Unlocked Windbite – ROTATION AFFECTED: (Required CLASS QUEST completion) Another DoT, which has many OP connotations in 2/3 multi-target scenarios. Windbite should be your opening shot on enemies that will survive majority of its duration. Simply add it into your rotation “BEFORE” you’d usually do Venombite.

Completing this quest and unlocking Windbite marks your final class quest as Archer. You now have the right to become a Bard!

Archer Rotation – L1 to 30 SUMMARY

Here’s an overarching shot of what your ARC rotation is in the early leveling process. Adjust to your currently learned skills.

ARC 30 Single Target RotationARC AoE Rotation

ARC L30 Single Target Rotation

- Fire Bloodletter whenever it’s available.
- Windbite if enemy will survive more than 9s
- Venombite if enemy will survive more than 9s
- Straight Shot if available.
- Heavy Shot spam.
- Use Raging Strikes liberally.

ARC L30 AoE Rotation

- Quick Nock spam if 4+ Targets (Don’t Multi DoT)
- Quick Nock if 3 Targets (Multi DoT still viable)
- Multi DoT’s if 2 Targets > Quick Nock spam.
- For any scenario, use Bloodletter whenever available.
- Use Raging Strikes liberally.

DoT’s still have the quick “9s lifespan” rule. If they die too quickly after the DoT, value is lost.

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Archer Leveling: L1 to 30

As per the general leveling guide, this tier is divided into two sub-chunks. So I’ll be sub-chunking the following segments into two “tabs” as well. These two tabs represent A) L1 to 16, and B) L16 to 30.

Archer Leveling L1 to 30 Activity Flowchart

A rundown of things you can do to gain EXP – again split “to 16”, and “to 30”.

ARC 1 to 16ARC 16 to 30

ARC Leveling Activities to L16

Remember the universal truths: Main Scenario Quest is king, and always have your passive EXP buffs (FC, Food, Chocobo, etc)

Renewable EXP sources

- FATES (Great when you're in queue)
- Levequests (Actually good EXP but better saved for DoH or DoL)
- Deep Dungeon -Palace of the Dead (Repetitive, terrible for LOW levels)

Burst EXP sources

- Challenge Log* (Complete passively until nearing reset, then force it)
- Guildhests (First completions per class is mega bonus EXP)
- Hunting Log (Great source of EXP this early on)
- Sidequests (Personal preference. Better if in tandem with MSQ!)
- Duty Roulette: Guildhest (Pretty irrelevant...)

*Challenge Log won't be unlocked in this tier if it's your first time around. While you need to be L16 to initially unlock it, it can be used by any level character thereafter.

Well, there’s not much to point your bow at this early on, but here’s where the arrow falls nonetheless. It’s slim, but you gotta start somewhere.

Of course, adjust this to your own personal preference.

ARC Leveling Activities to L30

Remember the universal truths: Main Scenario Quest is king, and always have your passive EXP buffs (FC, Food, Chocobo, etc)

Renewable EXP sources

- Dungeons (Stable, "fun", massive EXP easpecially with rested bonus)
- FATES (Great when you're in queue)
- Deep Dungeon -Palace of the Dead (Repetitive, but fast)
- Levequests (Actually good EXP but better saved for DoH or DoL)
- Beast Tribe (EXP is meh, but great for getting cosmetic items)

Burst EXP sources

- Duty Roulette: Leveling (The ultimate EXP source until L50)
- Challenge Log (Complete passively until nearing reset, then force it)
- Guildhests (First completions per class is mega bonus EXP)
- Hunting Log (More for completionism or first timers, it's "alright")
- Sidequests (Personal preference. Better if in tandem with MSQ!)
- Duty Roulette: Guildhest (Pretty irrelevant...)

A few adjustments to your leveling mentality here, mainly the addition of Duty Roulette: Leveling, as a daily burst, and straight queuing Dungeons as an option as well.

Of course, adjust this to your own personal preference.

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Archer Leveling L1 to 30 Important Notes

Here we talk about important things to keep in mind during the process – essentially some straight shots to make sure you hit so you don’t get shafted.

ARC L1 to 30 Gear Updates: Needed?

TLDR: Not really significant. This applies to both sub-tiers. Just make sure to pick up whatever along the way, or find dirt cheap upgrades in the MB or wherever (quests etc).

Important notes to keep in mind

ARC 1 to 16ARC 16 to 30

As always, Main Scenario Quest takes the highest priority.

There are too many skills that get unlocked here for me to talk about individually, which is why the skill unlock / rotation segment above should be your guiding light in that regard.

Limited Burst EXP sources take priority: Newly unlocked Guildhests, Challenge Log entries, Hunting Log.

Renewable EXP sources if you need to grind: FATE’s are great, followed by Levequests and if so you choose, Sidequests. (Deep Dungeon: POTD – can you zone it from Level 1? Even if you could, I don’t think I would…)

At level 15 you get access to your first Dungeon, Sastasha, but I don’t see much reason to grind there, unless you wanna burn rested EXP and want to hit 16 ASAP.

At 15 you should catch up and do your class quests, as you do get a skill form it – Repelling Shot. It’s not much, but it does help walking around. Typically you don’t want to keep your class quests incomplete anyway.

A note on Levequests: Can be an attractive source of EXP. Every tier has “good and bad” levequests so it’s up to you if you wanna go try them out. Main downside is using them up in place of DoH / DoL. Consider using them if you’re at or near the Levequest allowance cap!

As always, Main Scenario Quest takes the highest priority.

Starting L16, you open up Duty Roulette: Leveling, which is you should be doing everyday! This is an important source of EXP – it’s a huge daily burst! Also at L16 you can unlock Challenge Log if you haven’t already.

Overall, the same concept applies. Daily and Weekly bursts of EXP > Basic Renewable EXP sources of your choice > Other side activities to alleviate boredom or monotony.

Renewable EXP sources? At this point it’s Dungeons, FATES and Deep Dungeons, and maybe some Levequests. Weirdly enough, Archer feels terrible in Deep Dungeons, but great in Dungeons (and “ok” in FATEs). Burst EXP sources? Roulettes, new Guildhests, Hunting and Challenge Logs.

L18 unlocks Quick Nock skill: This is a pretty damn underrated “breakpoint” for Archer leveling. Honestly, this skill is so unbelievably powerful for this level. It allows you to AoE down mobs efficiently while most other classes simply don’t even HAVE an AoE skill. This places dungeons a little higher on your “priority” list, as there’s quite a bit of AoEing down mobs here.

The early ARR dungeons aren’t that exciting, but at least Quick Nock makes it a little faster for you. No joke, it’s relevant. Imagine running a dungeon with zero AoE (It’s the reason why most tanks will not speedrun / pile up these low level dungeons).

at L20 If you haven’t unlocked your Companion (combat Chocobo), do so now. You can begin the process now – it entails getting your first mount as well (at least for most new players).

At L20, you unlock the Role Action Peloton, which you should get used to using all the time. I mentioned it in the rotation segment, but it bears repeating here – any increase in speed is welcome.

At level 30 get your class quests done, as it’s one of the prerequisites to transform into Bard!

Levequests notes, same as usual. Sad to take ’em away from crafters and gatherers, but it’s viable EXP. Definitely use them up if you’re overcapped on allowances.

Stop at Level 30! Unlock your advanced job as soon as you can!
(Archer turns into Bard at Level 30)

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Archer L30 Onward: Unlocking Bard

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING ONCE YOU HIT ARCHER LEVEL 30.
Unlock Bard ASAP!

How to become a Bard? Unlocking Bard requires a Level 30 Archer, and completion of the L30 ARC Class Quest. From there, return to your guild and it should point you to the quest! See: Unlocking all jobs.

The reason we unlock ASAP is, not only to get a new skill at L30 (In your case Mage’s Ballad), but most if not all new skills and traits going forward are for BARD and not ARCHER, so you have no reason to stay as an ARC any longer.

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Archer Leveling – Related Reads

Some good reads and related links here:

General Leveling Guide – Oft mentioned here, but bears mentioning again.
Archer General Basics Guide – Basic info regarding the ARC class.
Bard General Basics Guide – Basic info about ARC’s advanced job, BRD.
Unlocking all Jobs and Classes – Summary on how to become the various jobs.
Ranged DPS Role Actions – Use cases and information on ranged role actions.

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Summary and Closing

And with that YOU’RE DONE WITH LEVELING Archer! Congrats! Hopefully our Archer Leveling Guide helped you out. May your arrows always find their mark.

Join our IRL Cross-World Linkshells (socials lol):

Instagram (@ffxivguild) - We just rezzed our Insta, check in for more coming soon!
Twitter (@FFXIVguild) - Finally un-boomering myself because our Twitter is back.
Facebook (/FFXIVguild) - Like us on our OG social.

Contact us about anything and everything. Don't be shy! Love our guides and want to let us know? Got questions or corrections? Suggestions for improvement? TALK TO US! How, you say?

Comment below if it's about this guide. Message us on any of our socials above about anything. We're organizing our email situation if you're into that.

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Pages: 123

FFXIV Archer (ARC) Basics Guide & FAQ – Shadowbringers Updated!

Ambitious to be an Archer? Allow yourself the advice found in our FFXIV Archer Basics Guide & FAQ! As implied, this is for players wanting to know the absolute basics, and answer some of the most common questions regarding ARC.

Likely, one of the main reasons you’re here is either unlocking Archer, or wondering about the eventual advanced job you can evolve into, Bard.

How to become an Archer? Unlocking ARC:

Primarily, you can begin your journey into Eorzea and start the game as an Archer – simply choose it as your starting option upon character creation.

If you didn’t start as an ARC, you can unlock the Archer class by going to the Archer Guild in Gridania – New Gridania (around 15,12), look out for the quests either “Way of the Archer”, or “So you want to be an Archer”.

Other unlocking prerequisites? I’m 99% sure you need to complete the Level 10 class quest of your STARTING CLASS if you want to unlock any other new ones.

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Why should I play or choose Archer?

This question is semi irrelevant as, along with any of the other base classes, the only reason you’re an Archer is simply a stepping stone into Bard. But, I’ll give you a little description of what to expect anyway.

Archers (and eventually Bard) are your resident ranged, well, Archer. While not typically known for heavy hits, they have more of a DoT / Supportive playstyle. They aren’t your typical “Hunter / Sniper”, and more of a “Ranger / Naturalist”. If Bards sound like a bullseye to you, then hurry and level your Archer!

You’ll do well to learn a little more about what you’ll eventually BECOME:
FFXIV Bard Basics Guide.

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Archer Crafters and Gatherers?

I often get asked “What Disciple of Hand or Disciple of Land classes go well with ARC?” Another related question to this is “Should I level them with my Archer simultaneously”?

Leveling up your DoH and DoL classes should be thought of as a separate goal all on its own. I suggest leveling up DoH classes all together, and all DoL classes together (except the optional Fishing). Do not try to align your combat class levels to your non-combat levels. Trust me.

My only advice related to this is to never cap your levequests. If you’re at max leve allowances, feel free to spend them on Fieldcraft, Tradecraft, or Battlecraft leves just to uncap ‘em.

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What’s the best race for Archer?

TLDR: I don’t know a single person who changes race for their main class for stats. The gain is not even .1% from worst to best. My advice? Choose for aesthetics.

If you REALLY wanna do it, check out our FFXIV Racial Stats Guide, which, FAIR WARNING – I am about to recheck and update next week. But honestly, it’s best you don’t even click on that – THE MICROSCOPIC INCREASE IN STATS IS NEAR IRRELEVANT.

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Related Archer Guides – Read More!

Here are a few useful links for you:

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

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Upcoming Odds and Ends

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

A small skill list for “human readability”, as the in-game one seems like the best source for EXACT information.
List of relevant links for this for Archer, and some links for Bard.

Feel free to suggest anything else via comment or socials!

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Summary & In Closing

Well that’s it for our Archer Basics Guide & FAQ. There’s not much to say but these are really basic little guides to help out the budding or confused ARC, and hopefully future BRD! Hopefully we answered a few of your questions.

Join our IRL Cross-World Linkshells (socials lol):

Instagram (@ffxivguild) - We just rezzed our Insta, check in for more coming soon!
Twitter (@FFXIVguild) - Finally un-boomering myself because our Twitter is back.
Facebook (/FFXIVguild) - Like us on our OG social.

Contact us about anything and everything. Don't be shy! Love our guides and want to let us know? Got questions or corrections? Suggestions for improvement? TALK TO US! How, you say?

Comment below if it's about this guide. Message us on any of our socials above about anything. We're organizing our email situation if you're into that.

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FFXIV Archer / Bard Stats & Materia Guide

What’s a good archer stats build? What are useful bard stats? Archer/Bard materia? If any of these questions brought you here, you came to the right place. Whether its by stat allocation, gear or materia, knowing what stats your Archer or Bard need should never be far from mind!

Archer (ARC) & Bard (BRD) Stats

What are the archer or bard stat weights?

DEX > Critical Chance > Determination > PIE > Skill Speed > VIT

*These may vary slightly from patch to patch, or by personal preference. Following the recommendation above will always give you a good ARC & BRD build.

Archer (ARC) & Bard (BRD) Primary Stats Allocation

What stats should I add as a archer or bard?

DEX > PIE > VIT

Since this is where people may mess up the most, I’ll explain it in word for word. When you allocate stats, put as much points into DEX (Dexterity) as you can. If you cannot put any more points into DEX, place points into PIE (Piety). If you cannot put any more points into DEX and/or PIE, invest in VIT (Vitality).

Dexterity – Ranged physical damage up. Move on.

Piety – More mana to keep bard songs up longer. The value of piety rises sharply depending on how organized your group is.

Vitality – Increases total HP. Again, a luxury stat to give more breathing room for yourself and healers. Welcome, but not integral.

Archer (ARC) & Bard (BRD) Secondary Stats

What are good secondary stats for archer and bard, and why?

Critical Chance > Determination > Skill Speed

While you can’t allocate this directly, these will be heavily considered when picking gear upgrades and slotting materia.

Critical Chance – Nuts on Bards. Doing critical DoT damage with [Wind Bite] and [Venomous Bite] reset [Bloodletter].

Determination – Generic damage increase. Nothing special here.

Skill Speed – Even if returns are low, this stat is theoretically amazing on archers and bards. Why? 2 reasons. First, Enhanced Barrage is disgustingly strong. Second, Landing auto-attacks are essential to archers, who do not have a (dedicated) resource management mechanism. This has a soft-cap of around 1,000 where you hit the GCD cap of 1.50s.

Mahiko’s Note – I hesitate whenever recommending Skill Speed, and personally I’d value it much higher. I guess the explanation is long, and belongs on the eventual Page 2 “Theorycrafting” of these stat pages…

Archer (ARC) & Bard (BRD) Materia

This is directly related to the first section. As you may know, all gear has a limit for each stat it can have, the higher its Item Level, the higher amount of stats it can hold. So the idea is to max out (or get close to maxing out) the left most, and work your way right. Again:

DEX > Critical Chance > Determination > PIE > Skill Speed > VIT

Mahiko’s Note: PIE is always good to have (We’re discussing PvE here). The importance really depends on how organized your playgroup is…

Materia Name
DEX: Dexterity
Critical Chance: Savage Aim
Determination: Savage Might
PIE: Piety
Skill Speed: Quickarm
VIT: Vitality

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Have a question about ARC /BRD? Chime in on the comments or in our Archer / Bard Forums.