FFXIV Starting Classes: Which Job Should You Choose First?


A look at all the starting classes found in FFXIV

When you're starting your journey through the world of Eorzea in FFXIV, picking your first class is among the first challenges you will face.

With a total of 10 base classes for you to choose from once you create your character, picking the right one is daunting for those who don't have one in mind, despite having the ability to change on the fly, unlike other MMORPGs.

Luckily, we're here to help by breaking down the best classes for beginners and what we think you should consider picking.

The Best FFXIV Class For Beginners

A look at two characters posing in FFXIV.
click to enlarge

When it comes to the 10 classes available in FFXIV, there are good options that fill each of the roles but for a player starting the game for the first time or are new to the MMORPG genre, we believe that the best roles to choose from are Tank and Melee DPS roles.

The easiest of these roles will be the Melee DPS as they tend to have the least abilities and roles to master and out of the three that are available towards the start of the game, we recommend either "Lancer" or "Pugilist" which will later become "Dragoon" or "Monk" respectively.

These two classes are among the easiest to get to grips with, with Pugilists using hand-to-hand combat and combinations to quickly overwhelm their foes and Lancers using polearms that have more reach.

For those that want a little more of a challenge, The Gladiator is a good tank class to pick as your first, being fairly simple to pick up while letting a player learn the tank role early on before some of the more complex ones become available later in the game when you'll be exploring dungeons.

Two of these classes, Pugilist and Gladiator, can be found in the area known as Ul'dah, giving you easy access to both once the other classes become available to you to pick up. Thaumaturge (Black Mage) can also be found here from the beginning, letting you experience a magic role once you're a bit more confident.

For more articles like this, take a look at our More and Role Playing Games page.