ESTNN takes you through each of FFXIV’s three Healing Jobs: WHM, SCH and AST.
Healers are the heart of the party, and with good reason. Their role shielding their allies and patching them up mid-fight is what makes content even possible. If you’re ready to shoulder the responsibility of keeping everyone alive, we’re here to take you through the basics.
Below we breakdown each of the three Healing Jobs and offer some handy tips to help you keep the party up from The Navel all the way to The Seat of Sacrifice.
White Mage (WHM)
White Mages are your classic healer class, with a big focus on heals over time and fat single target heals, making them an excellent option for both levelling and end game content. It’s often considered the most straightforward of FFXIV’s healing jobs, but it consistently manages they highest heals per second (HPS) of all the healing jobs. WHM also has decent damage output with a nice AOE stun as well as a single target DoT. While they might have not the most exciting playstyle, they’ve got everything in their kit to keep the party on their feet, making them a solid choice in your rotations for raids and roulettes.
White Mage Tips
- WHM don’t have a ton of damage options but keep your DoT active once you hit level 50. (At earlier levels you might want to preserve your mana and just focus on your single-target damage ability instead of dotting every mob.)
- Don’t bother to save your Divine Benison for tank busters. No tank buster in the game is designed to need a shield from a healer. Instead weave your oGCDs into your damage rotation to preserve your mana
- Afflatus heals help your mobility and create windows for your oGCD, they’re also a 0 MP swift cast heal in a pinch. Keep them stacked and use them often! (Blood for the blood lilly!)
- By and large Medica I and Cure III are more expensive than the cast is worth. Limit your use of them at lower levels. Your Freecure proc should help you avoid the need for them too often. Focus on Regen and Medica II when they become available to you.
- Materia Melding priority; Piety > Critical Hit > Direct Hit/Determination > Spell Speed
As a WHM it’s always wise to be comfortable with your MP regen and so piety helps with this. Once you’re feeling good there, focus on your other priorities in the above order
Find a full guide for the WHM job on SaltedXIV.
Scholar (SCH)
Building from the Arcanist base class, the Scholar is a unique addition to FFXIV’s healer roles. Combining nullifying shields with pet micro-management, makes SCH a versatile healing job, although it can be hard to master. SCH are widely regarded as one of the best babysitters in the game thanks to their potent shields. Their capabilities really begin to shine once you hit the damage-heavy endgame content of Shadowbringers. The biggest downside of the SCH job is their limited arsenal of offensive spells. They are primarily a shield-bot, so if you’re looking to bring some DPS to the table this might not be the healing job to main. But when it comes to durability, you can’t go past the SCH job.
Scholar Tips
- SCH should keep their Bio DoT ticking on enemies, reapply it before it runs out
- Ruin II has weaker damage output than Ruin I, but it does provide you with some mobility – use it to move or weave it with oGCDs
- Remember your fairy is constantly auto-healing the party and is not affected by the battle, use your fairy abilities in tandem with Aetherflow to maximize your healing output
- Ask your party to please stand in the Sacred Soil, especially after level 78 when it gains its regen effect
- Materia Melding priority; Piety > Critical Hit > Direct Hit/Determination > Spell Speed
As with WHM, piety is what affects your MP regen, so be sure you’re at a comfy level there before diving into melding your other materia priorities.
Find a full guide to the SCH job on SaltedXIV.
Astrologian (AST)
Astrologians were released with the Heavensward expansion, and players can unlock the job after reaching level 50 and unlocking the city of Ishgard. What makes AST such an interesting healing class is its use of an RNG card system as a core component of the job. An AST draws cards from a deck, and then plays them to apply buffs to party members. The secondary mechanic of the class is their stances, Diurnal and Nocturnal which will either apply regen or shields to spells to aid the party. A lot of the complexity involved in the AST’s card system was simplified with the release of Shadowbringers, making them more friendly for the new player. If you’re looking for a flexible healer with some unique flavour, AST is the way to go.
Astrologian Tips
- Unlike WHM and SCH, ASTs AoE damage spell is targeted, meaning you don’t need to run into the middle of a pack of mobs to use it
- AST is the most mobile healing class. You’ve got more time between your damage spells and your GCDs, use the extra time wisely for positioning, playing cards or spamming some of your oGCD abilities
- You can’t switch sects during a fight, so keep in mind Diurnal Sect is focused on your Heals over Time, while Nocturnal Sect is focused on your shields. Try to switch up your sects right as the last mob in a pull dies. (Also known as stance dancing)
- Materia Melding priority; Critical Hit > Spell Speed > Piety
AST has the most MP of all the Healing jobs, so piety is not as much of a priority
Find a full guide to the AST Job on SaltedXIV.
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