According to a Final Fantasy 14 census conducted in April 2020, the most popular class selection was Conjurer with 2.6 million players. After the healer, players tend to choose Archer (2.45 million) or Gladiator (2.4 million). With that in mind, here are the best classes for beginners to try when starting in Final Fantasy 14.

DPS - Pugilist, Archer, Lancer, Thaumaturge, Arcanist

The first step in deciding what role you want to play in Final Fantasy 14 is determining your desired playstyle. Are you someone who wants to heal your teammates or focus on attacking enemies? For players looking to deal some damage, look no further than these five DPS (damage per second) classes.

  • Pugilist Specializes in hand-to-hand combat Uses speed to close the gap on their enemies Starting location is Ul’dah Advances to Monk at level 30 Archer The only physical ranged beginner class Doesn’t rely on combos — utilizes a priority system instead Starting location is Ul’dah Becomes the more support-focused Bard at level 30 Lancer Wields long weapons like tridents or spears Keep enemies at bay with thrust abilities Starting location is Gridania Achieves the role of Dragoon at level 30 Thaumaturge Uses a scepter or staff to wield magic Basic class for early leveling, as you can just stand in place and cast the same spells Starting location is Ul’dah Accesses the iconic Black Mage at level 30 Arcanist Produces spells from a spellbook Summons a creature, known as Carbuncle, to assist in battles Starting location is Limsa Lominsa Transforms into damage-dealing Summoners or healing-focused Scholars

  • Specializes in hand-to-hand combat Uses speed to close the gap on their enemies Starting location is Ul’dah Advances to Monk at level 30

  • The only physical ranged beginner class Doesn’t rely on combos — utilizes a priority system instead Starting location is Ul’dah Becomes the more support-focused Bard at level 30

  • Wields long weapons like tridents or spears Keep enemies at bay with thrust abilities Starting location is Gridania Achieves the role of Dragoon at level 30

  • Uses a scepter or staff to wield magic Basic class for early leveling, as you can just stand in place and cast the same spells Starting location is Ul’dah Accesses the iconic Black Mage at level 30

  • Produces spells from a spellbook Summons a creature, known as Carbuncle, to assist in battles Starting location is Limsa Lominsa Transforms into damage-dealing Summoners or healing-focused Scholars

The two magic-using DPS jobs can be very complicated at higher levels, so players that want to try a simpler magic job can try out Red Mage once they hit level 50. However, the Red Mage job is unavailable for players participating in the free trial, as the magical job is introduced in Stormblood. Only A Realm Reborn and Heavensword are offered in the free trial. This job has an incredibly easy rotation to learn and mixes in some melee attacks for extra flair. Red Mage is worth unlocking once you’ve progressed far enough in the game, as it’s nice to have a relaxing job to do endgame content on.

Healer - Conjurer

Players looking to provide only defensive assistance should consider choosing Conjurer. While most other healing jobs are unlocked at higher levels, Conjurer is a fairly easy class to learn.

  • Conjurer Focuses on potent direct healing spells Simplest kit of all the healers Starting location is Gridania Becomes the powerful White Mage at level 30

During the recent expansions for Final Fantasy 14, Square Enix has made picking up a healing class even easier, so as long as you read your spell descriptions, keeping people alive in dungeons will be a cinch.

  • Focuses on potent direct healing spells Simplest kit of all the healers Starting location is Gridania Becomes the powerful White Mage at level 30

Tank - Gladiator, Marauder

Both starting classes for tanks are decent choices for beginners, but Gladiator remains the easiest to learn. Nothing says “tank” more than a big shield, and Gladiator’s pool of to-the-point defensive skills makes survival a breeze.

  • Gladiator Uses one-handed blades with their off-hand wielding a giant shield Increased health allows Gladiators to soak up a lot of damage Starting location is Ul’dah Upgrades to Paladin at level 30 Marauder Strikes foes down with a mighty great axe Relies on brute strength and force Starting location is Limsa Lominsa Becomes a devastating Warrior at level 30

Final Fantasy 14’s latest expansion, Shadowbringers, gave Gladiator a basic AoE combo, so their damage against groups of enemies is much better than before. If you want some more information on each of the classes and jobs available in Final Fantasy 14, Square Enix has an official job guide that lists their skills and gimmicks. Because players can create up to eight different characters, the best way to learn which class is best for you is to simply try them all.

  • Uses one-handed blades with their off-hand wielding a giant shield Increased health allows Gladiators to soak up a lot of damage Starting location is Ul’dah Upgrades to Paladin at level 30

  • Strikes foes down with a mighty great axe Relies on brute strength and force Starting location is Limsa Lominsa Becomes a devastating Warrior at level 30

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