Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker Class Changes – Range DPS, Exploring Range DPS Changes in the New Expansion

There isn’t much time left before Patch 6.0 and the release of the new “Endwalker” expansion in Final Fantasy XIV. One of the main innovations of the add-on will be significant changes in classes, which we will talk about over the course of several articles. Today we will look at how the gameplay will change for Range DPS (classes that deal damage from a distance).

Range DPS with Physical Damage

First, let’s start looking at the classes that relate to Range DPS with physical damage – Bard (BRD), Machinist (MCH) and Dancer (DCN).

Bard (BRD)

Bard doesn’t have a lot of changes, it just adds new abilities:

• Three songs (Mage’s Ballad, Army’s Paeon, Wanderer’s Minuet) will have completely new properties that can be applied as a buff to the entire group. At level 90, a new mechanic will be added called Minstel’s Coda. Each song you play will earn you one Coda. Mage’s Ballad gives Mage’s Coda, Army’s Paeon gives Army’s Coda, Wanderer’s Minuet gives Waderer’s Coda. Depending on the amount of Coda, the new ability Radiant Finale will give a damage buff to all party members: one Coda gives 2% increased damage, two Coda – 4% increased damage, three Coda – 5% increased damage.
• A new AoE skill, Blast Arrow, will be introduced when you use Apex Arrow.
• The cooldowns for Wanderer’s Minuet and Battel Voice have been changed to 120 seconds, in line with the general concept of changing timings.
• The cooldown of Ranging Strikes will be reduced to 60 seconds. In addition, after using Straight Shot Ready, Ranging Strikes will be available for 30 seconds instead of 10.
• At level 82, you gain Ladonsbite, which is a derivative of Quick Nock.
• Bloodletter and Rain Of Death will now have two charges.
• Troubadour’s cooldown will be reduced to 90 seconds.

Machinist (MCH)

The Machinist also has no changes in the main abilities, only new ones are added.

• For all Final Fantasy VI Edgar Figaro fans at level 90, a new ability, Chain Saw, will be added – a strong AoE that deals damage along the line. She will have a cooldown of 60 seconds, and she will also give 20 points in Battery Gauge.
• Automaton Queen will receive a new attack ending called Crowned Collider, which acts like a sequel to Pile Bunker. When the timer runs out, or when the Queen Overdrive is used with Automaton Queen, Automaton Queen activates Pile Bunker (as usual) and then automatically Crowned Collider. This creates a double combo.
• At level 84, Reassemble will now have two charges.
• At level 82, Spreadshot turns into Scattergun (effects are the same).
• At level 88, the Tactician’s cooldown will decrease to 90 seconds.

Dancer (DCN)

In Dancer, all the changes are aimed at simplifying the gameplay and somewhat reducing the complexity in its management.

• Some abilities, such as Flourishing Cascade, for example, will be used for a single target and as an AoE.
• After completing the skills Technical Finish, Improvisation and Devilment, new skills will be available.
• Improvisation will be improved and will receive the Rising Rhythm effect, which gives a stack every 3 seconds. The maximum will be 4 stacks. When you’re ready, you can use the Improvised Finish skill, which puts a barrier on party members. The strength of the barrier depends on the number of accumulated stacks. At 0 stacks, the barrier will absorb 5% of the damage from maximum HP, at 1 – 6%, at 2 – 7%, at 3 – 8%, at 4 – 9% and at 5 – 10%. In addition, the barrier will have a healing effect.
• At level 82, you gain the Flourishing Finish effect, which will apply after you successfully cast the Technical Finish. This effect will allow you to use an ability called Tillana – an AoE attack that gives the effects of Standard Finish and Espirit on you and your tank partner.
• At level 90, Dance will receive a new AoE ability Starfall Dance, which will be available under the Flourishing Starfall effect that appears after casting Devilment.
• At level 86, the Dancer will receive the new Fan Dance IV AoE skill.
• At 86 level, Flourish will give one stack of Fourfold Fan Dance.
• At level 88, Shield Samda has a 90 second cooldown.
• Ability traps will be cleared. Now the buttons on your hotbar will change depending on the target and the move you are using: single target or AoE. This is done to clear the ability bar. For example, Cascade and Windmill with 50% will give the so-called Flourishing Symmetry skill, which in turn allows the Dancer to use Reverse Cascade (on one target) or Rising Windmill (AoE). Likewise with Fountain and Bladeshower.
• Esprit is now guaranteed to be assembled.

Range DPS with magic damage

Much like Feint, Addle now reduces magical and physical damage dealt. The reduction in magic damage will be stronger, but some protection will be added to this ability to both types of damage.

Black Mage (BLM)

The developers want to make Black Mage a kind of analogue of Samurai, only with magical damage.

• Enochian will be changed to a new passive ability that is automatically applied when you have Astral Fire and Umbral Ice on you. The current version of the ability was a bit tricky for some players, so we made some changes. Additionally, Enhanced Freeze will now be available at level 58 instead of level 68. It grants three Umbral Hearts. The potential for Foul and Xenoglossy will be slightly reduced, but the functionality will remain the same.
• At level 86, the Enochian skill will grant 20% increased damage.
• Also at level 86, Black Mage will receive the Amplifier ability, which has a 120 second cooldown and which will give one Polyglot charge.
• Under certain conditions, when switching between Astral Fire and Umbral Ice, new abilities will be available.
• At level 80, Black Mage gains a new skill, Enhanced Foul, which turns Foul into an instant spell.
• The range of Fire IV and Thunder IV will be increased.
• The cooldown of the Manafront skill will be reduced to 120 seconds at level 84.
• Fire II and Blizzard II will have an additional development stage (High Fire II and High Blizzard II), so your AoE rotation will change accordingly.
• Sharpcast will get an extra charge.
• At level 90, Black Mage will receive the new Paradox skill. When switching between Astral Fire III and Umbral Ice III, the class will receive a certain bonus. When you switch from Astral Fire, you get an ability timer update and a 40% chance to instantly cast Fire III. When switching from Umbral Ice there will also be a timer update and the ability to use Paradox without spending MP.

Reg Mage (RDM)

Rage Mage will have a few tweaks to smooth out the gameplay.

• A new ability will be added after using Scorch – Resolution (AoE ability).
• Verflare, Verholy and Scorch will now be AoE abilities that can be used in an AoE rotation.
• A new defensive buff will be added that extends to the group called Magic Barrier.
• Abilities that depend on weapons will also be adjusted (most likely referring to the time of their use in accordance with all classes).
• The rate of reduction of Black and White mana will be reduced.
• The Enhanced Contra Sixte will now be called the Red Magic Mastery (the effect will remain the same).
• Manafication will be changed in such a way that at the beginning of the fight the damage boost is the largest. The re-cast time will be adjusted by 110 seconds.
• Displacement and Engagement will have the same potential.
• The Embolden cooldown will be changed to 120 seconds.
• A new step will be added to Verthunder and Veraero: Verthunder III and Veraero III (level 82).
• Acceleration gains two charges.

Summoner (SMN)

Summoner is the only one of the Range DPS classes to receive significant changes. Now you will be able to summon up-to-date versions of Primals, not small Egi.

• All DOT abilities will be removed. Previously, players have complained that the Summoner has become a DOT class, but this is no longer the case. Thus, Bio and Miasma will disappear. Fester will become a normal damage ability. Tri-Disaster will become an AoE skill that replaces Outburst at level 74. It will also be an AoE skill that changes when Bahamut and Phoenix are summoned.
• Instead of Egi versions of each Primal, you will cast their power into jewels called Arcanum. New names for each Summoned Primal – Ifrit Ruby, Titan Topaz, Garuda Emerald. By summoning one of them, you will enhance your abilities with their elemental properties. At low levels, the Aetherchange ability (level 6) will be responsible for the call.
• In the new rotation, you will still have to summon Demi-Bahamut, which unlocks access to three elemental gems. You can then summon the three Primals in any order. After that, you can summon Demi-Phoenix, then the jewels can be used again. After that, you call Primal again and then the chain starts over with Demi-Bahamut.
• Each Primal summoned has its own focus. Ifrit Raby has high damage abilities that have both fast and slow casting. Titan Topaz has a number of instant abilities that allow you to move around the battlefield. Garuda Emerald has a number of area-specific abilities, but they are quite mobile.
• At level 58, Aethercharge will transform into Dreadwyrm Trance. While this ability is active, Ruin III and Outburst / Tri-Disaster will transform into Astral Impulse and Astral Flare. Plus, Deathflare will still be available to you. When the Dreadwyrm Trance expires, you will have access to the call of the Primals. At level 70, Dreadwyrm Trabce will be replaced by Summon Bahamut.
• When you summon one of the elemental Primals, they have a special ability that they know how to cast.
• Resurrection will remain for now, but the developers still remove it though. Physick will stay.
• You can still use Carbuncle’s glamor by transforming it into other Egi forms.
• The tips for using Gauge will be updated.

It is worth noting that all of the above changes are preliminary, and we will be able to see the final changes only during the release of the “Endwalker” add-on, which will take place on December 7, 2023.

Other articles on class changes: