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 recently-released 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 get the most success, be careful: similarly to other activities of the game, there isn’t one job that can’t find success in the game mode. They are all well-balanced, and when some are over or under-performing, 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.

Here are the best jobs in FFXIV’s PvP mode, Crystalline Conflict.

Related: Top tips to win more Crystalline Conflict games in Final Fantasy XIV

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 a bit more in terms of fulfilling the game’s objective. It’s also a fast-paced game mode, so the jobs without casting delays naturally gain an advantage.

Since melee jobs aren’t often 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.

On the other side, some others are easier to play at first in PvP, such as the Ninja. It stands out due to its versatility. It features an invisibility ability, as well as both ranged and melee attacks. The Ninja can definitely be tested out by all players in that game mode.

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. 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 not difficult to pick up due to a simple combo, a turret that can deal damage in your place, and a strong Limit Break ability featuring a targeting feature, which makes it impossible to miss.

The Machinist won’t necessarily deal more damage than other ranged DPS jobs, but if you haven’t mastered another job, it’s definitely the easiest to pick up to deal significant amounts of damage without requiring too much practice.

Warrior as the ultimate tank

Similar to major balance changes brought by the Endwalker expansion, the Warrior rises once again on top of other tanking jobs thanks to the latest PvP rework brought by Patch 6.1.

In addition to being quite 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 ability.

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 than as DPS jobs with a 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 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 in the PvP mode if you want to have a real impact on the game. Otherwise, it’ll take you some time to master those other jobs.

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 especially enjoy playing.

It’s also worth mentioning Crystalline Conflict yields decent amounts of EXP, so it also can be a good idea to play a job you don’t have at the maximal level.

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