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Any MMORPG worth its weight offers a good handful of different classes. Final Fantasy XIV is no exception. There are 20 character jobs, which suit every player’s needs.
Do you want to take damage? Do you like to support your companions to survive in dungeons and raids? Do you prefer to hit melee directly or by hiding in the shadows? As you will see, there are many options to choose from.
Such is the infinity of options that you can even unlock near the end of the game: Dancer.
A Dancer does much beyond dealing damage. Instead, dancers flow through a cascade of swaying feathers, mastering unique ability procs and charging up super-powerful burst finishers with huge numbers alongside them. This masterful Waltz takes place alongside a tidal wave of powerful utility that unleashes storms onto the field.
As the single most mobile DPS in the game, it has a tool in its pocket for every situation. Even if that means dashing away as fast as a golden eagle when things go wrong.
Did that pique your interest? I don’t blame you. I, too, went crazy for the Dancer job as soon as it was released in 2019. Its deadly bursts and crazy fast mobility make it a difficult job to move on from.
Here’s a comprehensive Dancer Final Fantasy guide on how to play and master the Dancer job in Final Fantasy XIV.
The TL; DR
Just because you’re in for the ride doesn’t mean you’re my ride or die. I get it.
Here’s a short version of this guide:
- Job: Dancer
- Type: Physical Ranged DPS
- Weapon: Chakrams
- Main Gimmick: chain one party member as a Dancer Partner to share buffs
- Opener: Standard Step>Random Step> Random Step>Technical Step>Devilment>Starfall Dance>Fan Dance 3>Tillana>Fan Dance 4>Sabre Dance repeat this process until you are out of Esprit>Fountainfall and Reverse Cascade.
Still here? That’s great! Let’s carry on with the complete guide.
How to Play as Dancer
About the Job
Dancer is a ranged physical damage job introduced in the Shadowbringers expansion. To access the job, you must have the expansion active and have a class/job at level 60. Then, you have to complete the “Shall We Dance ” quest from Eager Lominsan in Limsa Lominsa. After that, you will start playing Dancer at level 60.
Dancer’s weapon of choice is the chakrams.
As a Dancer, you won’t deal much damage on your own. However, you will contribute outstandingly to the damage of others. You even get to pick a partner of the group as a dance partner who will gain an extra benefit.
During your performance, you must choose the correct dance steps and tie it all up with a finisher. Your primary weapon skills revolve around a simple combo that will enable more dance moves.
Dance Partner
This is Dancer’s main Gimmick. You can share your buffs with a party member you tag as your “Dance Partner.”
You want to put your Dance Partner gimmick on damage dealers and casters. Make sure whoever takes the prize can abuse the buffs to their fullest extent. Your partner’s priorities are as follows:
Sadly, the rule is less cut and dry than I’d like it to be. Your partner’s skill level, gear, and other factors can affect your choice. So before deciding who to partner with, lay out each party member’s pros and cons.
At level 62, you’ll unlock Devilment. This is the best buff to share with your Dance Partner.
Dancer’s Basic GCDs and OGCD: Building a Rotation
Dancer’s Skills ABCs
Cascade into Fountain is Dancer’s basic one-two single-target combo.
Windmill into Bladeshowe is Dancer’s basic AoE combo to be used in 3+ targets,
Cascade and Windmill have a 50% chance to grant the Dancer silken symmetry for 30 seconds. It lets you use Reverse Cascade, a single target GCD, and Rising Windmill, an AoE GCD.
The Numbers in the Dancer’s Alphabet
Reverse Cascade and Rising Windmill have a 50% chance to proc four feathers. This grants you access to Fan Dance 1, a single target OGCD and Fan Dance 2, an AoE OGCD.
Dancer can hold up to a maximum of four feather procs. They can be held indefinitely but make sure not to over-cap them.
Fan Dance 1 and 2 have a 30% chance to proc Freefall Fan Dance, granting the Dancer access to Fan Dance 3, a simple AoE OGCD. It can be held for a maximum of 30 seconds and doesn’t hold more than one charge. So make sure you use Fan Dance 3 before using another Fan Dance 1 or 2.
Now, Backwards!
Like Cascade and Windmill, Fountain and Blade Shower has a 50% chance to grant the Dancer silken flow. This allows the usage of Fountainfall, a single target GCD, and Bloodshower, an AoE GCD.
Like with Reverse Cascade and Rising Windmill, Fountainfall and Bloodshower have a 50% chance to proc four feathers.
We also have Flourish, an OGCD on a one-minute cooldown. It grants the Dancer flourishing symmetry and flourishing flow.
Flourishing symmetry allows you to use Reverse Cascade or Rising Windmill.
Flourishing flow allows you to use Fountainfall or Bloodshower. These two can stack with silken symmetry and flow.
Dancing and the Esprit Gauge
Buffing Your Dance Partner
The first skill we will talk about is Closed Position. The Dancer must give another player this Dance Partner buff. With this buff, they share the benefits of Standard Finish, Curing Waltz, Devilment, and Tillana.
Standard Step
Standard Step is an OGCD with a 32-second cooldown. Using it off cooldown will initiate dancing and turn the Dancer’s basic GCDs into steps.
Simply press the two steps that show up on the Dance Gauge from left to write, or just press the buttons as they light up. Once that’s out of the way, press Standard Step again to use a Standard Finish.
Standard Finish
Standard Finish is a GCD AoE attack. It grants the effect of Standard Finish and Esprit to self and dance partner. It can last up to 60 seconds.
Standard Finish grants some damage increase.
Esprit will increase the Dancer’s Esprit Gauge as follows:
– The Esprit Gauge increases by 5 for every Cascade, Fountain, Windmill, and Blood Shower cast.
– The Esprit Gauge increases by 10 for every Reverse Cascade, Fountainfall, Rising Windmill, and Blood Shower cast.
You are not the only one working your Esprit Gauge. The Dance Partner will increase the Esprit Gauge by 10 with every GCD they execute. Remember, these effects last up to 60 seconds.
The Esprit gauge holds up to 100 and grants the Dancer access to Sabre Dance, an OGCD costing 50 Esprit Gauge. Make sure to use these and avoid overcap your gauge.
Buffing the Entire Party
Technical Step
Technical Step is also an OGCD and is on a two-minute cooldown.
Like the other Step, Technical Step will initiate a dance sequence. But the Dancer must use all four steps in random order rather than two steps.
The dance gauge will show the Dancer the sequence of steps. Simply press the sequence in the order from left to right or just press the buttons as they light up until Technical Step becomes Technical Finish.
Technical Finish
Technical Finish is an OGCD attack that grants Technical Finish and Esprint to self and all party members.
You get a 5% Damage Increase buff, and Esprit remains the same for 20 seconds.
This means all party members will have a 5% damage increase. The Dancer’s Esprit Gauge will fill much quicker than average. Don’t let the Esprit gauge overcap. Use any Sabre Dances you can during the opener.
Additionally, Technical Finish will grant Flourishing Finish. In turn, this allows the usage of Tilliana, an AoE GCD attack with the same effects as a Standard Finish.
Lastly, we have Devilment, an OGCD on a two-minute cooldown. It grants self and a Dance Partner a 20% critical hit and direct hit rate for 20 seconds.
Devilment also grants the effect of Flourishing Staff staff or 20 seconds. This, in turn, allows one usage of a Starfall Dance, an AoE GCD attack with a guaranteed critical direct hit.
Dancer’s Utility Actions
Finally, let’s move on to Dancer’s utility actions.
Curing Waltz and Shield Samba as Party Buffs
Curing Waltz heals self and Dance Partner for 300 cure potency on a one-minute cooldown.
This ability has a free-arm radius. Nearby party members within the radius will also receive the healing from Curing Waltz.
Just so you picture how valuable this skill is, let’s take a look at these scenarios:
- If the Dancer and Dance Partner stack with the Party, Curing Waltz will grant 600 CP to the entire Party.
- Under a Light Party mechanic, you could divide and conquer. The Dancer and the Dance Partner should go to separate parties and heal each light party for 300 CP each.
Shield Samba will reduce damage taken by self and all nearby members by 10% for 15 seconds on a 92-second cooldown. It’s great to be used on raid-wide and raid busters.
Improvisation and Improvised Finish: Do Nothing, Generate Profit
Improvisation is a GCD on a two-minute cooldown.
Upon using Improvisation, the Dancer will begin dancing for 15 seconds. Any action or movement used in between will cancel the effect. While dancing, the Dancer will grant self and, thereby, party members within eight yards a region effect with a CP of 100
Additionally, the Dancer will generate a stack of rising rhythms every three seconds up to a maximum of four. The stacks will be used on Improvised Finish, which will replace Improvisation.
Improvised Finish grants you and members with the improvisation effect, a barrier with varying strengths. It depends on the stacks you generated while dancing.
While Improv is great, getting all four stacks during a point in an encounter with uptime would result in a significant potency loss. The Dancer would not be doing any actions for an entire 15 seconds. To avoid this, the Dancer can use Improvisation as a double weave to get the regional effect and a 5% barrier during uptime. You could also use it during a point of downtime to get the complete 10% barrier along with a region effect.
En Avant and Cross-job Actions
Finally, En Avant dashes the Dancer 10 yards forward on a 32-second cooldown and holds up to three charges. Again, this is a great mobility tool. En Avant and cross-job actions can be used during the Standard Step and Technical Step.
Here’s a quick rundown of their utility:
Second Wind: This nifty heal can be helpful during damaging phases to help your healers.
Arm’s Length: This is an anti-knock back. Use it when an encounter is about to use a knockback.
Peloton: This speed buff’s effect will expire when entering combat. Thus, it’s nice to use it between dungeon bosses and as an opener before starting an encounter.
Head Graze, Leg Graze, and Foot Graze: Most high-end encounters are immune to these effects. However, they can come in handy in dungeons.
Opener: How to Begin
Start dancing 15.5 seconds before the pull
- Standard Step
- Random Step
- Random Step
- Technical Step
- Devilment
- Starfall Dance
- Fan Dance 3
- Tillana
- Fan Dance 4
- Sabre Dance
Repeat this process until you are out of Esprit, then:
- Fountainfall
- Reverse Cascade
Prioritize dumping Esprit Gauge on Saber Dance during the opener to not overcap as you start Standard Step again.
FAQs
Question: Is Dancer a Good Job to Play with a Controller?
Answer: It’s no secret that Final Fantasy XIV plays much better with a keyboard and mouse. However, Dancer can easily be mastered with a controller.
I can’t deny that laying back and swinging my moves from the comfort of the back of my seat is much more comfortable.
Question: Is Dancer a Good Job in Final Fantasy XIV?
Answer: When Dancer was introduced in Shadowbringers, there was a lot of talk about party synergy and damage equilibrium. That’s not to say it was perfect. The job was borderline underpowered and overpowered at the same time. It just relied way too much on having good party members and good RNG.
I don’t have many complaints about this job. It keeps the RNG tune while mixing up a more regular rotation for a reliable burst. Its buffs are insanely strong, especially if you partner up with someone who is good, to begin with. It also has a more streamlined burst window to give it more punch when the team needs it most. And, of course, it’s still super mobile En Avant and will never disappoint me.
Dancer rounds out the range of physical roles and makes me comfortable playing any of these jobs.
Question: Why Pick Dancer as my Job in Final Fantasy XIV?
Answer: This job is for you if you are a fan of grace, speed, and low-burn charges that lead to deadly bursts of damage.
Parting Words
Dancer is a very, very unique type of job in gaming. It’s not something that you see often. In fact, you will seldom see anything close to it.
Every game has some type of mix, some type of warlock, some type of archer, or ninja.
But what is the hell’s this dancing thing?
The flavor has been so well woven into the lore: the feather dances. The dancing mini-games and the speedy movement are fresh, crisp, and unique.
It’s refreshing, never static, flowing. Though there are many classes to choose from, make sure you keep a spot in your gameplay for this one.