Okay, so you finally decided to take your first step into Eorzea. Great! What are the essential things you need to know?
[New? Check out our Ultimate Starters Guide / Checklist]
What class should I choose?
Whether it suits your playstyle, it’s what your guild needs or you have no idea what to pick – you’re going to have to pick a starting race and class.
*Note: The difference between “Best Race” and “Other Races” is pretty small (less than 1%).
Archer
Role: Archers are built to do one thing above all: deal massive ranged physical damage.
Best Race: Elezen Wildwood – With the highest starting DEX, wildwoods make an obvious choice for Archers.
Other Races: Lalafell Plainsfolk, Mi’Qote Seekers of the Sun, Mi’Qote Keepers of the Moon.
Required For: Bard.
More Information: FFXIVGuild.com Archer homepage
Gladiator
Role: Tank. Gladiators are the only thing standing between your party and that boss who wants to wipe your party.
Best Race: Roegadyn Sea Wolves – With great innate defensive stats, Sea Wolves are a no brainer. (They’re huge too)
Other Races: Hyur Highlander, Mi’Qote Seekers of the Sun, Lalafell Plainsfolk.
Required For: Paladin.
More Information: FFXIVGuild.com Gladiator homepage
Lancer
Role: Lancers deal huge melee physical damage. If being a storm of steel and speartips is for you, look no further.
Best Race: Hyur Highlander – The great overall stats for physical DPS make highlanders a great choice for lancers.
Other Races: Roegadyn Sea Wolves, Elezen Wildwood, Mi’Qote Seekers of the Sun, Lalafell Plainsfolk.
Required For: Dragoon.
More Information: FFXIVGuild.com Lancer homepage
Marauder
Role: Greedy guys who want to be the first ones in the fight – and the last ones out. Tanky-DPS.
Best Race: Hyur Highlander – Again, with great physical stats, you can’t go wrong with these guys.
Other Races: Roegadyn Sea Wolves, Elezen Wildwood, Mi’Qote Seekers of the Sun, Lalafell Plainsfolk.
Required For: Warrior.
More Information: FFXIVGuild.com Marauder homepage
Pugilist
Role: Melee DPS. These guys are flashy, combo based, stance-changing guys that punch you in the face. Yep.
Best Race: Hyur Highlander – Ideal physical stats for melee damage.
Other Races: Roegadyn Sea Wolves, Hyur Highlander, Mi’Qote Seekers of the Sun, Lalafell Plainsfolk.
Required For: Monk.
More Information: FFXIVGuild.com Pugilist homepage
Conjurer
Role: Healing, support, buffs and getting shouted at because “You didn’t heal me bro!”.
Best Race: Mi’Qote Keepers of the Moon have the highest starting MIND, which determines healing.
*Lalafell Dunefolk are great overall magic users
Other Races: Roegadyn Hellsguard, Hyur Midlander, Elezen Duskwight, Lalafell Dunefolk.
Required For: White Mage.
More Information: FFXIVGuild.com Conjurer homepage
Thaumaturge
Role: Annihilating enemies with long range nukes. Ranged Magical DPS
Best Race: Elezen Duskwight – With the highest INT, Duskwights make an obvious choice for Thermaturges.
*Lalafell Dunefolk are great overall magic users
Other Races: Roegadyn Hellsguard, Hyur Midlander, Mi’Qote Keepers of the Moon, Lalafell Dunefolk.
Required For: Black Mage.
More Information: FFXIVGuild.com Thaumaturge homepage
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That’s about it for the basic classes. For more advanced knowledge and recommendations, check these out:
FFXIV A Realm Reborn – Classes Directory
FFXIV A Realm Reborn – Racial Stats Guide
FFXIV A Realm Reborn – Class and Job System Guide
Again, wether you pick “Best Race” or “Other Races”, the difference will be pretty small when it comes to end game. By all means, pick for appearance! Now, onto god choice…
What god should I choose?
Right now, god choice is pretty irrelevant. They’re proven to give a small bonus to elemental resists. There is baseless speculation that they also increase elemental damage done. Even if this is true, the effect “would be” pretty small. In case you don’t want to miss out – here’s the recommendations:
Archer: Any.
Gladiator: Any.
Lancer: Any.
Marauder: Any.
Pugilist: Any.
Conjurer: Nopica / Althyk (More Earth, Some Wind) Lymlaen / Oschon (More Wind, Some Earth),
Thaumaturge: Azeyma / Nald’thal (Good Fire and Ice)
Still pretty irrelevant. If you really want to, you can check out the complete god guide:
FFXIV A Realm Reborn Gods Guide
Your choice of Class (not race) determines what starting city you end up in.
Gridania: Archer, Conjurer and Lancer.
Limsa Lominsa: Marauder, Arcanist.
U’dah: Gladiator, Pugilist, Thaumaturge.
What are the main Difference Between Cities?
For a character under level 15, nothing much. Different “Guilds” are located in different cities. But you cannot visit them until you have an airship pass. Ideally, you want to get the recommended crafting and gathering classes as soon as you can.
For additional information:
FFXIV A Realm Reborn – City and Guild Location Guide
Levelling up!
Whether you’re the type who loves to breeze to the end-game, or the type who savors the lore; one thing’s for sure. You’re still going to be leveling up. So you might as well check out our leveling guide.
[New? Check out our Ultimate Starters Guide / Checklist]
Just noticed Arcanist best race isn’t there. Is that for a reason or just a mistake?
oh wow… i wrote this even before arcanists were released in beta!
The “best” race for black mage is actually lalafell dunesfolk iirc, not duskwight, because the extra piety from the dunesfolk starting stats, when combined with the scholar piety buff, gives you 1 extra fireball cast before having to go into umbral ice phase, which over the course of a decently long fight adds up to a noticeable amount of extra fireballs (i.e. damage)
Frankly speaking, this is pointless article. Obviously written by Ex-FFXI player. SE sort to minimized the different between each race with very little advantage from one race over another (negative stereotyping).
The different between each race will be so tiny at end game with SE quote that lalafell DPS/healing output vs Hyur or Roegadyn is as little as 0.5% So pick any race you want. Make a Roegadyn BLM or a Lalafell tank if it pleases you!
Just make sure you pick the right build for each race, one of more melee orientated. The other is for spell user.
Hi Mach! Three thing. 1) None of us ever played FFXI, so you are wrong on that part.
In many places in this page, and others we mention that race doesnt really matter. As you can see…
2) *Note: The difference between “Best Race” and “Other Races” is pretty small (less than 1%).
3) Again, wether you pick “Best Race” or “Other Races”, the difference will be pretty small when it comes to end game. By all means, pick for appearance!
Those exact lines of text are found in the article you are commenting on. Did you by any chance not read it in its entirety?
Sick burn. Get rekt Mach.
The recommended race for Pugilist is a copy of the Archer. I would guess Hyur makes most sense?
Totally agree!!!! To bad they limit you a bit to melee, due to the lower stats on int, mnd and pie
@ lvl 50, the difference between best and worst race in regards to its main stats is 5 points. That’s LESS than a single materia slot. TLDR; Race dont matter.
While that’s the stance we take luna, It’s truly up to the player to determine whether they matter or not :D
heya, just though i should add something here. Elemental attribute does ONLY affect elemental defense, not damage, it was removed after phase 2. Also, fire/blizzard does same damage to fire/ice enemies, but if the enemy uses magiv it affects you.