« *Sorry guys, updates might be less than usual* | Main | MMORPGLand 2: Office References »
Final Fantasy XIV: info about classes, skills in battle
By Janelle | March 14, 2010 at 9:26 am
The recent issue of Famitsu details some of the classes of Final Fantasy XIV, the skills they can use, and some battle strategies for handling those characters. In order, they are Gladiator, Lancer, Pugilist, Marauder, Archer, Conjurer, Thaumaturge, Blacksmith, and Miner.
I started translating this earlier last week, but was halted by a minor ER scare. In that time, the official North American website updated with most of this information and says it better than I ever could. Still, my translation has Japanese magazine scans with it, along with a discrepancy note and a little extra strategy info from the interviews. That’s cool, right?
Gladiator
Masters at wielding any kind of blade you can think of, from daggers to broadswords, Gladiators use their techniques to slay enemies, and their bucklers to protect themselves or other party members. Because of the wide range of defensive equipment available to them, Gladiators are useful in protecting the party, as well as dealing capable strikes and drawing the attention of foes away from party members. A Gladiator can fall into a wide range of roles within a party, and is flexible both in offensive and defensive positions. A player controlling a Gladiator must take into careful consideration the
comparative advantages of both slashing and stabbing attacks.
Abilities and Weapon Skills:
Rousing Provoke: Taunts the enemy, drawing attention and blows.
Cover: Protects party members in the rear by absorbing damage.
Rampart: Raises physical and magical defense.
Still Precision: Lowers the user’s evasion in exchange for increased accuracy.
Aegis Boon: When used, the damage of any blows blocked by a shield will be converted into HP for the user.
Phalanx: Immediately after defending with a shield, slashes and angers the enemy.
Red Lotus: Fire damage against opponents increases.
Shield Bash: After landing a successful hit, an additional blow with the shield interrupts the opponent’s casting of magic.
Spinstroke: Uses a feint to deal additional damage after a slash.
Circle Slash: Slashes all the surrounding enemies in a wide circle area.
Lancer
Lancers are a long-distance melee class. Though commonly a type of fighter that specializes in stabbing enemies from beyond their range with long spears, Lancers can also equip a wide variety of polearms allowing for slashing and blunt striking attacks, as well as throwing javelins.
Lancers are a half-attacking, half-supporting class. Because of their long range,they can execute many attacks from a relatively safe distance. In
the confusion caused to foes by an ally party, a Lancer has a chance to prepare key attacks.
Abilities and Weapon Skills:
Comrade in Arms: In exchange for using TP, party members recover TP after attacking a foe.
Ferocity: Sacrifices a little HP to make the next strike extra-powerful.
Invigorate: Sacrifices a little HP to increase the user’s TP.
Collusion: Diverts the enemy’s attention to other party members after a strike.
Life Surge: Lowers the enemy’s evasion, and absorbs some HP.
Overrun: At a time when foes haven’t noticed the Lancer, using this skill quickly closes the distance to the target and with a powerful stab, increases the user’s TP.
Feint: After evading an attack, uses a stab that increases the precision of the following stab attack.
Leg Sweep: A low blow hitting a fan-shaped area, it strikes foes’ legs and stops their movement. No effect on flying opponents.
Moonrise: Uses a slash to stop the enemy’s TP from increasing.
Skewer: While stabbing the enemy, it becomes slowed. Hits other enemies between the Lancer and target.
Pugilist
A very traditional type of fighter, Pugilists use their training in martial arts to fight with their fists. However, for maximum protection and added power, they can equip gloves and knuckles.
Pugilists have low range and defense, trading those for high manouverability and tricky techniques. Stances dramatically affect the ability of Pugilists, and the effect they have on the battle. Stances become more powerful the longer they are maintained, but their power resets when the Stance is changed by the user. It’s crucial to judge when to maintain a stance, and when it would be more beneficial to switch for the benefit of the party.
Avilities and Weapon Skills:
Mocking Provoke: Attract the attention of the enemy.
Blindside: Deals extra damage when successfully hitting from behind.
Chakra: Consumes some TP to recover HP.
Steal: Steals an item from the targeted foe.
Featherfoot: A one-time sharp increase in evasion.
Jarring Strike: After evading an attack, land a striking blow that restricts the enemy’s actions and draws its attention.
Victimize: Delivers slashing attacks, the user’s critical hit rate increases.
Haymaker: When the enemy successfully evades an attack, delivers a powerful strike.
Shoulder Tackle: Closes distance to the enemy very rapidly, delivers a striking blow.
Seismic Shock: A long distance earth attack; does not affect flying foes.
Marauder
Marauders are warriors that wield giant axes, smashing shields and other defenses to smithereens with their violent attacks. They can wield both single and double-bladed axes.
Marauders are a powerful, hard-hitting class. In a battle with many enemies spread over a large area, they can sacrifice some power in favor of more hits. Though they greatly outstrip other classes in offensive ability, their accuracy is a little low. Some of the Marauder techniques must be performed without moving, so the player needs to judge when to stop and when to keep moving.
Abilities and Weapon Skills:
Bloodbath: On the next strike, recover HP from a percentage damage dealt to the opponent.
Murderous Intent: Increases the rate of critical hits at the expense of TP gain.
Defender: Sacrifices attack power to raise the user’s defense.
Disorient: Decreases the enemy’s evasion.
Enduring March: Enables movement even when hit with a paralysis-inflicting spell.
Skull Sunder: Delivers slash attacks in a fan-shape, stores up damage over time.
Trunksplitter: A wide slash attack that is particularly effective against plant-type enemies.
Fracture: After blocking an attack, delivers a strike attack that seals foe’s Weapon Skills.
Brandish: Slashes the enemies in the surrounding area.
Iron Tempest: Hits opponents with a wild Wind-elemental swing, affecting a doughnut-shaped area away from the body.
Archer
Sniping from afar with their bow and arrows, Archers are a long-distance class that needs to pick an advantageous position. They can use all kinds of bows, and special arrows with elemental attributes, but even a simple rock is powerful in the hands of an accurate Archer.
Archers have a huge role due to their ability to strike preemptively at foes from a long range. Where to stand and what techniques to use are important,
because their defense is so low that they can’t afford to be targeted by the enemy. They need to be able to view and judge the whole battlefield to be effective. Picking the correct arrow can help Archers not just deal damage, but affect the enemy’s status.
Abilities and Weapon Skills:
Replenish: Fire several arrows at once.
Chameleon: Hides the user’s presence from foes.
Quickstride: Covers a lot of ground in a short time.
Retrieval: Sacrifices a bit of HP to gather up arrows.
Hawk’s Eye: Increases the accuracy of the next shot.
Shadowbind: Stops the movement of enemies.
Wide Volley: Shots hit a wide area around the targeted enemy.
Quick Nock: Quickly fires many arrows one after the other, in a fan-shaped area.
Scouring Strike: Cancels a foe’s magic buffs with an arrow shot.
Shrieker: Causes enemies to flee.
Conjurer
Conjurers can manipulate a variety of elements and attributes, and spend much time in meditation. To cast their magic, they must wield staves and wands made from natural wood. They are deeply in touch with nature and can hear the voices of the trees, so they prefer to spend time meditating in Gridania.
Conjurers can affect wide areas with their spells, so they need to constantly be aware of both friend and foe. They pack offensive, defensive, and recovery magic, so they can be used in many roles. Since every action taken in battle raises TP, including casting spells, Conjurers will be able to use powerful TP moves.
Abilities and Spells:
Profundity: Strengthens spell power in exchange for a longer casting time.
Trance Chant: The next spell cast can not be interrupted.
Spirit Bind: Restricts the caster in order to half MP costs.
Roaming Soul: Enables casting magic while walking.
Purge: Neutralizes the foe’s elemental strengths and weaknesses.
Shock Spike: Creates a field around the body. When foes attack, they are automatically counterattacked with a numbing shock.
Frost: A spell dealing continuous ice damage to the area around the caster.
Additionally, Fire, Cure and Protect, which are now Area of Effect spells, can be cast. They have the expected effects of firing, curing and protecting.
Thaumaturge
Thaumaturges specialize in enhancements and status effects. Unlike Conjurers, their spells affect a fan-shaped range from a closer distance, and the closer they are to enemies, the greater the effect they have on them. As the battles rage on, Thaumaturges slowly drain the abilities of the surrounding enemies, and have many situationally useful abilities. They can cast powerful magic. The key to using a Thaumaturge is to read the flow of battle and adapt, using the most effective skills for any given moment.
Thaumaturges equip scepters and staffs. They can also apparently insert special beads into their scepters to increase their power.
Abilities and Spells:
Blood Rite: Sacrifices some of the caster’s HP to increase magic power.
Dark Seal: Raises magic accuracy.
Punishing Barb: Sends received damage flying back at the foe that dealt it.
Initiation: Connects the spirit of the caster and the party; the party receives the magic effects placed on the caster.
Paradigm Shift: Reduces the distance of attacks in exchange for widening the area of effect.
Sacrifice: Sacrifices the caster’s HP to heal an ally.
Drain: Absorbs HP from all enemies in range.
Siphon [Magic/TP]: Absorbs MP from the target. NOTE: Famitsu (both print and online editions) calls it Siphon Magic and says this one absorbs MP, but the English website calls it Siphon TP and claims it absorbs TP. Maybe one is wrong, or maybe both skills exist.
Gravity: Slows the movement of all enemies in range.
Absorb ACC: Absorbs the accuracy of enemies.
Blacksmith
Anywhere, anytime, Blacksmiths can make themselves useful by crafting, fixing or selling something. They wield hammers, use tools like files in smithing, and are also on the cutting edge of firearm techniques. Things they can create include ingots, sword guards, picks, spears, and blades.
Miner
Whether at cutting stone, or mining fossils, ores and minerals, or doing any other sort of stone work you can think of, miners are experts. In trade, they often partner with Blacksmiths and Carvers. Things they can extract from the earth include bronze and silver ores, saltpeter, silica, and small worms.
Both Blacksmiths and Miners follow Disciplines not highly specialized for combat, but on the battlefield they might have other, complimentary abilities. For example, a Blacksmith might be more powerful against a metal monster, or might increase the drop rate of treasure.
Source: Famitsu
Topics: Final Fantasy XIV