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One of the most fascinating qualities of Final Fantasy XIV is its character development system.
You design your character’s appearance and choose a playable race and gender only once. Therefore, there is no need for an alternative character to experience other facets of the game.
The job system in Final Fantasy is designed so that you can get to perform any function you propose with a change of objects and the corresponding investment of time. This is clearly much less time-consuming than it would be to start with a new character.
Since switching jobs is so easy, you might be tempted to switch to Machinist when you reach the Hevensward expansion. But, When you enter Ishgard and see people playing around with flamethrowers, what else could you do?
So you’ve become a Machinist. The guns look cool and all, but now what?
The job featured in our Machinist Final Fantasy guide is a really cool physical ranged DPS that uses a gun. It also starts at level 30 and is mainly known for doing a lot of DPS fast without having much party utility.
To say I enjoy Machinist is actually an understatement. No matter the controversy. I will always love it. You Nuclear Spellcaster, you.
The Machinist has the potential to be the Ranged Harbinger of Destruction. When they are entirely in control of their own damage comprised of multiple sweet, sweet dopamine burns. When the machines are chained together, dopamine hits nonstop.
The TL;DR
If Machinist was your job, you would have no time for nonsense. You just want to get ready for the looting and the shooting. Don’t worry. This short version of the guide has got you covered.
- Job: Machinist
- Type: Mid-Range DPS
- Unlock: Level 50, Coming to Ishgard quest.
- Playstyle: charge your battery and heat gauges with your weapon skill combos to deal massive damage
- Gear stats: the stats you should prioritize as a Machinist are Direct Hit, Critical, and Determination.
- Opener and Rotation:
- Reassemble
- Air Anchor
- Gauss Round
- Ricochet
- Drill
- Barrel Stabilizer
- Heated Slugshot
- Gauss Round
- Ricochet
- Heated Clean Shot
- Reassemble
- Wildfire
- Chain Saw
- Automation Queen
- Hypercharge
- Heat Blast
- Gauss Round
- Heat Blast
- Ricochet
- Heat Blast
- Gauss Round
- Heat Blast
- Ricochet
- Heat Blast
- Gauss Round
- Drill
- Ricochet
Machinist Final Fantasy Guide
Machinist Overview
As a Machinist, you’ll be standing still most of the time. It’s the most static ranged DPS job in the entire game. However, rigidness comes with a prize: double the damage if you manage to pull off the actions.
At times, you’ll be moving around frantically. But most of the time, you’ll remain in the same place, spamming your rotation.
It all comes down to using your heat gauge correctly to Hypercharge and maximize the profit of your weapon skills.
You’re otherwise the selfish ranged DPS. You offer little to a group besides the buffs you share with other ranged jobs.
This means you can focus more on all unique tools and how much damage you put out. It all comes down to your own two hands. You must mash all those buttons in the burst parts of your rotation and some slight gauge management.
Machinist vs Other DPS Classes
The Machinist falls into the DPS category, and the Dancer and the Bard.
The Bard is a ranged support job. They deal more damage the further away they are from the target. Therefore, you will typically find them hanging back. However, they can also buff their party with beneficial effects.
The Dancer is by far the most oriented class of these three. They have many insta-casting abilities and are capable of some of the most potent damage.
So, what makes the Machinist special in comparison with these two?
To begin, your skills are more tactical-based. You can spawn turrets that damage enemies or reduce the damage taken. The Machinist has 4 unique abilities that gain the bonus effect of Hypercharge. These are Drill, Bioblaster, Air Anchor, and Chainsaw. They all deal massive damage, whether direct or DoT.
If you compare this with the Bard and the Dancer, you realize that Machinist is more of a mid-ranged class. You are close to your team and can support them, but you can also stay far back and deal damage.
Unlocking Machinist
To unlock Machinist, you need to reach the Heavensward expansion. This expansion is immediately accessible upon completion of A Realm Reborn.
Head to Ishgard, find the Skystone Manufactory in the Western Foundation, and pick up the Machinist job.
Machinist’s Gauges
There are two gauges for the Machinist job: the Heat Gauge and the Battery Gauge.
Heat Gauge
The goal of the Heat Gauge is to Overheat with Hypercharge, which strengthens all of your weapon skills.
To use Hypercharge, you need to reach 50 heat points. So you’ll naturally get 5-10 heat points from your weapon skill combo.
Battery Gauge
You want to get your battery gauge to the max to summon your turrets and Automation Queen. So make sure you raise your battery gauge to 50 with your combos and get a trusty hand in battle.
Machinist’s Abilities
Split Shot into Slug shot into Clean Shot/Scattergun
Let’s start with your main combo. This combo will fill your heat gauge until you become Overheated. Again, that’s when you’ll be able to use Hypercharged, so make sure you stay on track.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each individual action:
- Spit Shot unleashes an attack with a potency of 140.
- Slug Shot unleashes an attack with a potency of 100.
- Clean Shot unleashes an attack with a potency of 100.
First, you should always go for Split Shot and combo it into Slug Shot. Then, you should follow that up with Clean Shot, a cone AoE attack.
Clean Shot will eventually get upgraded into Scattergun at level 82, so make sure you replace it once you get there.
All these moves will give you 5 heat gauge except for Scattergun, which gives you 10 heat gauge.
Barrel Stabilizer and Hypercharge
At level 66, you’ll learn Barrel Stabilizer. When you use it, you’ll get 50 heat gauge instantly.
You spend that heat gauge on Hypercharge, your level 30 ability. Hypercharge costs 50 heat; when you use it, you become overheated for 8 seconds. During these 8 seconds, all of your single target weapon skills will have their potencies increased by 20.
Hypercharge and Heat Blast
However, Hypercharge is not used for that purpose.
Its primary use is to spam Heat Blast, which you learn at level 35. Heat Blast can only be used during Hypercharge, and it has a 1.5-second recast, meaning you can use it around five times during Hypercharge.
Auto Crossbow and Hypercharge
At level 52, you can use Auto Crossbow while Hypercharged. Auto Crossbow is a cone AoE that also has a 1.5 or 2 second recast.
These two combined allow you to rapid fire AoE when you are overheated.
Hypercharge and Wildfire
Hypercharge is also commonly paired with Wildfire, which you learn at level 45. When you use Wildfire, it’ll put a 10-second debuff on the enemy. During those 10 seconds, any weapon skill you use will increase the potency of Wildfire by 220.
When the duration of the Wildfire runs out, it will explode, damaging your target.
Wildfire is usually paired with Hypercharge because you can spam Heat Blast during Hypercharge, making Wildfire do a lot of damage.
Gauss Round and Ricochet
Your level 15 ability, Gauss Round, is a single attack that deals attacks with a potency of 125. Ricochet is similar to Gauss Round, but for 3
targets, as it’s an AoE.
You’ll also get a third Gauss Round and Ricochet charge at level 74, Charged Action Mastery.
Their cooldowns will be reduced by 15 seconds when you use Heat Blasts. These abilities should be weaved in between each Heat Blast. Whenever you use Heat Blast, you should press either Gauss Round or Ricochet and alternate between them.
This is so you can keep using each one during Hypercharge. In addition, you’ll keep constantly getting charges for each ability due to the 15-second cooldown reduction from Heat Blast.
Rook Autoturret and Battery Gauge
At level 40, you’ll unlock Rook Autoturret and your battery gauge.
The goal is to reach battery 50 on your battery gauge. With 50 battery, you could summon your turret.
How do you get there? Use the following skills:
Whenever you use Clean Shot, you’ll gain 10 battery. Your level 4 weapon skill Hot Shot will increase the battery gauge by 20.
Hot Shot gets an upgrade at level 76 called Air Anchor, which significantly increases its potency.
At level 90, you’ll learn Chainsaw, a strong line AOE attack that also gives 20 battery with 50 battery batteries.
Once you summon your turret, it will fire a single target attack at your target for 9 seconds. After 9 seconds, it will automatically use Rook Overdrive, dealing a big attack before disappearing.
You can end the turret’s duration by using Rook Overdrive yourself.
The more battery gauge you have, the stronger the turret is.
Automation Queen
At level 80, your turret will be upgraded to Automation Queen. Queen is more potent, has more moves, and lasts 12 seconds instead of nine. She’s amazing.
Reassemble
Reassemble will make your next weapon skill a guaranteed critical direct hit. You’ll get a second charge of Reassemble at level 84.
Reassemble is usually paired with Drill, Chainsaw, or Air Anchor.
Drill
Drill is a solid single-target attack that has a 2-second cooldown. Drill also shares a cooldown with Bioblaster, an AOE DoT that lasts for 15 seconds for all enemies that got hit.
Chainsaw
You’ll unlock Chainsaw at level 90.
It attacks enemies in a straight line with a potency of 600 for the first one and 65% less for the enemies behind it.
This is ideal to target multiple enemies at once, though you’ll have to position yourself strategically.
Air Anchor
Much like chainsaw, Air Anchor is an attack with 600 potency of damage, but it only affects one target.
Flamethrower
Flamethrower is another AoE DoT that lasts for 10 seconds.
Be careful, though! When you use Flamethrower, you cannot move while using it. Moving will instantly end the ability.
There’s been lots of talk about the efficiency of Flamethrower since the last update. Though mobility is significantly reduced, it still packs a mean punch.
Tactician
Tactician will reduce damage taken by 10% for yourself and all nearby party members for 15 seconds.
FAQs
Question: Is Machinist a Hard Job?
Answer: Machinist is among the most straightforward jobs and at least my second-best recommendation for beginner jobs. It offers an even more straightforward commit system with next to 0 punishment. The flexibility in your movement is unrivaled.
There is no vital cooldown window to track. So you’re focused on cast times, positionals, or anything that would interrupt your attack sequences and the battle flow.
Above that, the logical procedure of keeping your giant Drill, Chainsaw, and Air Anchor attacks cooldown while combining them with Reassemble is a beginner-friendly way of learning a job.
You can smash in significant attacks whenever they are ready, as long as you combine them with Reassemble while sticking to your hypercharge phase in combination with Wildfire.
Question: Should I Pick Machinist as my Job?
Machinist is for those who enjoy fast-paced playstyles. Even outside the burst window of Hypercharge, Machinist feels insanely fast-paced and will find the liking of those players that wanted to enjoy Dragoon but couldn’t get into melee. Machinist is exactly hitting these spots with little to no downside at all.
Question: Is Machinist better for Solo-ing?
Answer: Machinist takes responsibility for themselves and all of their damage.
Machinist is the range physical DPS version of Summoner, Black Mage, or Samurai.
If you’re a solo player, this is awesome.
If you’re a party person, this is still a welcoming change. However, how often have you given a buff to a party member who just decided to jump and die a second after? You know the struggle.
Hence, this is an intergalactic super big brain moment for the Machinist to take a stand. No Karen from HR and no Cindy from Finance. You don’t deserve nice things. This is my damage.
Parting Words
Machinist is an enjoyable class with the perfect mix of tactical abilities and raw damage. A weak target out of range for most classes is an easy kill for a Machinist.
Is someone trying to flee the battle? Not under the Machinist’s watch.
This class has proven to survive the updates and remain relevant despite criticism. Machinist is a good bet if you are looking for a class to try out. It has a perfect mix of close to long-range attacks. It’s all-around enjoyable to play.