There are many things to consider when a player chooses their main job in Final Fantasy XIV, and its strength in the meta is one of them. If you don’t know what job to play in the quick-paced PvP mode Crystalline Conflict, this list will help you make the right choice.
If you want to know which jobs are the strongest in Crystalline Conflict to see the most success, be careful: similarly to other activities in the game, there isn’t one job that can’t find success in the mode. They are all well-balanced, and when some are over or underperforming, nerfs or buffs are usually applied.
Still, some jobs in PvP have a slight advantage over others, whether it’s because their abilities perfectly suit the game mode or because they’re easy to play. Since the developer has introduced customized abilities for all jobs in PvP, they can feel very different than in PvE modes, and that’s also why the meta is so diverse.
Best jobs for Crystalline Conflict
Melee DPS jobs
This category of jobs has a clear advantage in Crystalline Conflict since zoning is key to success. The win condition is to carry the Crystal to the enemy’s base. And to defend, you must stand in its small area.
For this reason, ranged jobs will struggle more in terms of fulfilling the game’s objective. It’s also a fast-paced mode, so the jobs without casting delays naturally gain an advantage.
Since melee jobs aren’t simple to play, it’s better to choose the one you have already mastered, or at least know how to play in some capacity. The Reaper, Monk, and Samurai, for example, use their core combo mechanic from PvE in that game mode. Some skills, such as one the Reaper has, can be incredibly useful in getting people off of the point. Since it’s such a small circle, the Reaper’s ability to make players run off of the point is a great asset in the game mode.
On the other side, some others are easier to play at first in PvP, like Ninja. It stands out due to its versatility. It features an invisibility ability, as well as ranged and melee attacks, although it did receive a small nerf in the Patch 6.38 PvP adjustments, so players will want to stick close to their targets to play Ninja effectively.
Machinist as strongest ranged DPS job
Among all ranged DPS jobs, the Machinist has rapidly stood out from the pack following the game mode’s addition, and it hasn’t been changed much at all since. While the magical ranged DPS jobs can struggle due to casting delays, the Machinist has only one ability to cast.
Otherwise, all of its abilities boast instant effects. It’s also easy to pick up due to a simple combo—a turret that can deal damage, and a strong Limit Break ability with a targeting feature.
The Machinist won’t necessarily deal more damage than other ranged DPS jobs, but if you haven’t mastered another job, it’s one of the easiest to pick up to deal significant amounts of damage without requiring too much practice.
Warrior as the ultimate tank
Similar to when the Endwalker expansion brought major changes, the Warrior rises once again on top of other tanking jobs thanks to the latest PvP rework brought by Patch 6.1. It did receive a small nerf in Patch 6.38 that reduces its Heavy effect duration, but it’s still a very viable and often favored class in Crystalline Conflict.
In addition to being easy to pick up, it can deal significant amounts of damage while healing with Bloodwhetting, and even serve as a utility pick due to its stun. Their sustainability is also second-to-none, and other players have found them pretty difficult to kill in the hands of a skilled player.
When mastered and with efficient communication with teammates, it can become a real killing machine. The Warrior basically offers everything it needs to be powerful in a mode such as Crystalline Conflict. All other tanking jobs have their strengths, but they don’t feature as much sustain and utility as the Warrior.
White Mage as an aggressive healer
Healers have a very special place in Crystalline Conflict, which differs a lot from PvE. In Casual Matches, they aren’t as effective when played as healers, but rather as DPS jobs with an extra utility bonus.
In ranked games, however, especially at a high level, they become essential to the team due to the utility they bring. So you might want to adjust your playstyle according to the level of dedication you’re ready to put in this PvP game mode.
The White Mage is the healer job that embodies this playstyle very well. It has some healing and shield abilities, but can also deal significant amounts of damage easily with Afflatus Misery and provide utility for its teammates using its Limit Break. It’s also the easiest to pick up, as you want to already know the other healing jobs to bring them into the PvP mode if you want to make a real impact. Otherwise, it’ll take you some time to master those other jobs.
The downside to White Mage is that its GCD is a cast, which means players will need to place themselves strategically in order to stay out of danger and to get their casts off without getting interrupted. Their healing skills also mostly have a cast on them, which means healing players can be tough due to how burst-heavy the game mode can be.
Ultimately, it’s better to choose a job that suits your playstyle rather than those which rank high in tier lists but you don’t enjoy playing.
It’s also worth mentioning Crystalline Conflict yields decent amounts of experience, so it also can be a good idea to play an FFXIV job you don’t have at the maximum level.
