Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood introduces a new UI element for each of the playable jobs in the game called Job Gauges. These gauges are graphical representations of various elements integral to how a job is played. We’ve got a rundown of each of the job gauges and how they work.
Before we begin, please note that we got our hands on Stormblood while it’s still in development. Everything here is still subject to change.
Paladin
The yellow colored gauge indicates the defensive stance Shield Oath is in effect. Shield Oath reduces damage taken while reducing damage dealt and increasing enmity. The blue colored gauge indicates the offensive stance Sword Oath is in effect, dealing additional damage after each auto-attack.
The Oath Gauge displays the current strength of a paladin’s Sword or Shield Oath. A strong oath is required to execute several select actions such as Shelton (acquired at level 52) and Intervention (acquired at level 62), and will grow weaker upon using them.
A Sword Oath grows stronger each time an auto-attack lands, a Shield Oath stronger each time an attack is blocked.
Warrior
This symbol indicates the defensive stance Defiance is in effect. Defiance increases maximum HP while reducing damage dealt.
Using certain weaponskills while under the effect of Defiance will advance the Beast Gauge, improving parry rate.
The Beast Gauge displays a warrior’s current amount of wrath. Wrath is accumulated by using certain weaponskills and can be used to unlock the inner beast, allowing for the execution of devastating actions.
This symbol indicates the offensive stance Deliverance is in effect, increasing damage dealt.
Using certain weaponskills while under the effect of Deliverance will advance the Beast Gauge, improving critical hit rate.
The Beast Gauge is halved when toggling between Defiance and Deliverance.
Dark Knight
The blue symbol on the left of the gauge indicates the defensive stance Grit is in effect. Grit reduces damage taken while reducing damage dealt.
The Blood Gauge displays the amount of Delirium and Bloodspiller (acquired at level 68).
White Mage
The Healing Gauge displays the current number of Lilies a white mage has accumulated. Lilies are sometimes accumulated when casting Cure or Cure II on a wounded party member engaged in combat.
Lilies reduce recast times for certain actions by a percentage corresponding to the number stacked in the Healing Gauge. Lilies can also be consumed to execute the action Divine Benison (acquired at level 66).
Scholar
The Aetherflow Gauge displays the current strength of an arcanist’s aether. As an arcanist increases in level, the amount of aether that can be stored at one time will increase to a maximum of 3 units. Aether is consumed when executing certain actions such as Energy Drain.
The Faerie Gauge displays the current amount of fae aether accumulated within a faerie. Fae aether is accumulated by using actions such as Energy Drain and Excogitation which deplete the Aetherflow Gauge.
Maintaining an Aetherpact slowly consumes fae aether.
Astrologian
The Arcana Gauge allows astrologians to keep rack of which cards (arcanum) are currently drawn. An arcanum is drawn by using the action Draw, and is placed in the middle of the gauge. Using the Draw command again executes the arcanum’s corresponding action.
Executing the action Royal Road returns the currently drawn arcanum to the deck in exchange for increasing the potency of the next arcanum drawn. The potency increase is shown above the gauge.
The Spread command adds the currently drawn arcanum to the spread, allowing for later use. The saved card is displayed on the gauge’s left-hand side.
Executing the action Minor Arcana while an arcanum is drawn transforms the card into either the Lord of Crowns or the Lady of Crowns and places it to the right of the spread for later use.
Monk
The Lightning Gauge indicates a monk’s current amount of Greased Lightning as well as the time remaining before the effect fades. Greased Lightning is accumulated by executing certain weaponskills and improves attack speed and damage dealt.
As a monk increases in level, the amount of Greased Lightning that can be stored at one time will increase to a maximum of 3 units.
The Chakra Gauge indicates the number of chakra the monk currently has opened. Opening 5 chakra allows for the execution of the Forbidden Chakra and Purification (acquired at level 58).
Dragoon
The Dragon Gauge is displayed upon executing Blood of the Dragon, indicating the amount of time remaining before the effect fades.
The potency of Jump and Spineshatter Dive are increased when executed under the effect of Blood of the Dragon.
Using the weapon skill Mirage Dive while under the effect of Blood of the Dragon will attract the gaze of the first brood. The icon on the left of the Dragon Gauge indicates the current number of eyes on a dragoon. As many as 4 eyes can be on a dragoon at any one time.
Using Geirskogul while under the gaze of 4 eyes will trigger Life of the Dragon, changing the Blood Gauge to red and allowing for the execution of the powerful weapon skill Nastrond.
Ninja
The Huton Gauge indicates time remaining until the current Huton effect fades.
The Ninki Gauge displays the current amount of Ninki a ninja has accumulated. Ninki slowly builds inside a ninja’s body with each auto-attack landed and can be used to execute special ninjutsu and weaponskills such as the Hellfrog Medium, Bhavacakra (acquired at level 68), and Ten Chi Jin (acquired at level 70).
Samurai
The Sen Gauge displays which of the 3 Sen effects: Setsu (top), Getsu (left), and Ka (right)–are currently accumulated. Sen are required to preform Iajutsu, the number of Sen accumulated determining which weaponskill will be executed: 1 for Higanbana, 2 for Tenka Goten, and 3 for Midare Setsugekka.
The Kenki Gauge displays the current amount of Kenki a samurai has accumulated. Kenki slowly builds in the samurai’s blade through the successful execution of weaponskills. Kenki is required to execute special devastating attacks such as Hissatsu: Kaiten, Hissatsu: Gyoten (acquired at level 54), Hissatsu: Guren (acquired at level 70), and more.
Bard
Singing Mage’s Ballad will display the action’s corresponding Song Gauge, indicating the effect’s time remaining.
If the Repertoire effect is triggered while Mage’s Ballad is being sung, the recast times for Bloodletter and Rain of Death (learned at level 45) are reset.
Singing Army’s Paeon will display the action’s corresponding Song Gauge, indicating the effect’s time remaining.
If the Repertoire effect is triggered while Army’s Paeon is being sung, party members within range are granted increased attack speed.
Singing the Wanderer’s Minuet will display the action’s corresponding Song Gauge, indicating the effect’s time remaining.
If the Repertoire effect is triggered while the Wanderer’s Minuet is being sung, the action Pitch Perfect will become available.
Machinist
The Ammunition Gauge indicates the number of rounds of special ammunition currently loaded in a machinist’s firearm. Special ammunition can be loaded to any firearm by executing the action Reload.
The Heat Gauge–indicating a firearm’s temperature–is displayed upon execution of the action Gauss Barrel. When the gauge reaches 100, the firearm becomes overheated. While overheated, a firearm will deal addition damage, but will soon become too hot to use. At this time, the Gauss Barrel is automatically removed and cannot be reattached until it cools.
Upon learning the trait Shoot Mastery at level 64, maintaining a high firearm temperature will render the actions Split Shot, Slug Shot, and Clean Shot heated, increasing their damage.
Black Mage
The Elemental Gauge displays several different pieces of information vital to black mages, first and foremost being whether or not they are under the influence of Astral Fire (after casting a Fire spell) or Umbral Ice (after casting a Blizzard spell). All Fire spells cast while under the influence of Astral Fire will have increased potency, but will require more MP. This is the same for Blizzard spells cast while under the influence of Umbral Ice. Both Astral Fire and Umbral ice also affect the speed with which MP regenerates.
Executing Enochian while under the influence of ether Astral Fire or Umbral Ice will add a bar to the gauge’s lower-right corner. Enochian increases the potency of magic attacks, as well as unlocks powerful spells such as Blizzard IV. Enochian fades when Astral Fire or Umbral Ice expires.
Casting Blizzard IV grants a black mage 3 Umbral Hearts which are represented by the white arrows in the gauge’s lower-left corner. An Umbral Heart is consumed each time a Fire spell is cast, nullifying the MP cost increase applied by the Astral Fire status.
The Enochian bar will fill every 30 seconds the status is maintained. When the crystal at the bottom of the Elemental Gauge glows pink, the spell Foul can be cast, resetting the timer.
Summoner
The Aetherflow Gauge also displays a summoner’s current level of Aethertrail Attunement. A full gauge indicates the action Dreadwyrm Trance is ready for execution. When Dreadwyrm Trance is executed, the Trance Gauge is also displayed indicating time remaining in the current trance.
The Trance Gauge also indicates the current level of Dreadwyrm Aether accumulated by a summoner. A single unit of Dreadwyrm Aether is accumulated each time a Dreadwyrm Trance ends. When 2 or more units of Dreadwyrm Aether have accumulated, the action Summon Bahamut will become available for execution. Once Demi-Bahamut has been summoned, the gauge will indicate how much time remains before he must return.
Red Mage
The Balance Gauge displays the current amount of black mana and white mana a red mage has accumulated. Black mana is accumulated by casting spells commonly associated with black magic (such as Fire or Thunder), and white mana by casting spells associated with white magic (such as Aero). There are also some spell and actions that affect both.
When both black and white mana reach a certain amount, the weaponskills Riposte, Zwerchhau, and Redoublement become enchanted and will deal additional damage. If the gap between black and white mana accumulation grows too large, the crystal at the top of the gauge will change color, and it will become more difficult to accumulate the lesser of the two.
That’s all of them! What do you think about the new job gauges? We hope you have a better understanding at how each of them work now.
Final Fantasy XIV‘s second expansion Stormblood releases on June 20, 2017 for Windows, macOS, Steam and PlayStation 4. Pre-order and get access to early access which goes live on June 16th.
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