FFXIV Samurai Guide – Leveling the Samurai 50-80
One of the jobs that was introduced during the Stormblood expansion for FFXIV was the highly anticipated Samurai. This new job works in a similar way to the Red Mage in that it doesn’t have a base class. Starting at level 50, the Samurai was a welcome addition to fans, as it presented a type of character that has been synonymous with the franchise. Our FFXIV Samurai guide is here to guide you through the job with ease.
This version of the Samurai isn’t your typical armored warrior, however. Instead, the FFXIV Samurai opts for a the wandering ronin role, though you can get close to that more traditional armored look via the Genji and Genta set via Deltascape.
If you are planning on taking up this role, then there are a few features that you will need to know first. Therefore, the following FFXIV Samurai Guide will discuss the following:
- Introduction to the Samurai
- How to Unlock the Samurai
- Tips on How to Play as Samurai
- Leveling Up
Introduction to the Samurai Job in FFXIV
The Samurai is a damage class that has stood the test of time in FFXIV. You may have noticed that other jobs are more focused on providing utility support to their teammates, whereas the Samurai prefers to take a much more direct approach in getting up close and personal themselves by being direct and hard hitting. With that in mind, if you are looking for a class that has a straightforward objective, then the Samurai is for you.
The drawback to this is that DPS players are frighteningly common throughout FFXIV. With them not benefiting from gil bonuses and XP from the likes of Hero in Need, you will find that they are harder to level up than certain utility jobs. This is however balanced out by the fact that they are much easier to play as than healers or tanks.
A Guide to Unlocking the Samurai in FFXIV
You will find that unlocking this job doesn’t work as a lot of other jobs do. It isn’t available for you to get straight off the bat. You will need to start out with a regular combat job until you reach level 50. Once you have done so, you will be able to access the Samurai in Ul’Dah – The Steps of Nald. You will need to accept the quest “The Way of the Samurai” and finish it before you can unlock the job. You will find that leveling begins at 50 too, which is another difference from other base game classes.
Tips on How to Play a Samurai
It is worth mentioning that the Samurai is a great pick to start out with if you are going for the DPS approach. Starting at level 50, it is a simple class for you to play as, though you might need to get your head around the ability names. That being said, it isn’t something that you really need to worry about. After all, when you are stringing combos together, you will see the chains appearing as dotted lines over your abilities.
You have three Sen combos which all offer their own individual advantages. You can increase your damage with Hakaze, Jinpu and Gekko, as well as increasing your speed with Hakaze, Shifu and Kasha. Whilst they are decent buffs that last a while, it is the combination of Hakaze and Yukikaze that will be quicker for filling up your job gauge. If you are in a team, then try and avoid having too many Samurais. Whilst they do boast high damage output, it is still worth having utility players within your outfit to get the most out of the Samurai’s abilities.
FFXIV Samurai Leveling Guide
There are a few hints to take on board where leveling the Samurai is concerned. How you level up depends entirely on your preference. Going from level 50 to 60, you are going to want to focus on main story quests. There are several quests for you to participate in as the Samurai, which can be found in different locations. These are issued in Ul’Dah – Steps of Thal and Nald, to the upper decks of Limsa Lominsa, to New Gridania and Foundation. At later points of leveling, you will find quests in Kugane too which will be issued by Makato.
The Palace of the Dead meanwhile can see you gaining experience very quickly, though it isn’t the most fun approach. You could also dedicate time to level appropriate dungeons, which give great EXP.
When you get past 60 and are pushing towards 70 and beyond, then you will want to keep your focus on main story quests, though there are other ways in which you can level up quickly. For example, the Roulette Trials that you can participate in will offer high amounts of experience, but most importantly they are quick to finish. So when you consider the time that you are spending against the experience that you will gain, it is certainly worth doing. Same again with dungeons in this tier too, in that you should spam the level relevant dungeons with chain bonuses to get a wealth of EXP.
The Palace of the Dead isn’t worth your time at this point, and levequests are scarce at this stage. You should also avoid Guildhests at this stage, and Roulette Leveling around here can be a bit tedious in terms of the dungeons that you might get.
Conclusion
Overall, you are looking at an exciting job to play as with the Samurai. There are many different ways in which it stands out from other typical job classes within FFXIV. It has a simple yet potentially devastating approach that is much easier to play as when compared to the alternative utility approaches. It’s straightforward nature is something that makes it one of the most popular jobs in FFXIV, and its simplicity and effectiveness is why so many players opt for it. With that being said, it is advisable that you only use the Samurai if your team is lacking in efficient DPS characters.
Hopefully, this FFXIV Samurai guide has given you a sufficient insight into the job, and that you are ready to discover why so many players choose to play as them.