~5 MIN
Intro
Casters are among the most strategic and rewarding DPS roles in Final Fantasy XIV, offering unique playstyles, powerful utility, and high-end raid potential. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Caster DPS in Endwalker, including playstyle fundamentals, job overviews, and Best-in-Slot gearing considerations.
Whether you’re looking to optimize your rotation, master movement tools, or find the perfect job fit, this is your ultimate starting point.
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1. What Is the Caster DPS Playstyle?
Caster DPS is a distinct damage-dealing role in FFXIV that revolves around managing cast times, rotational complexity, and mobility windows during fights. While all casters must deal with stationary casts, they each have unique tools that allow them to adjust during mechanics and movement phases.
Casters also have access to some of the strongest raid mitigation, party buffs, and in two cases, combat resurrection, which makes them invaluable in both progression and optimization environments.
| Key Traits of Caster DPS | Description |
|---|---|
| Core Stat | Intelligence (INT) |
| Role Action | Addle (magic mitigation) |
| Shared Gear Type | Casting Gear |
| Unique Utilities | Raise, Healing, Mitigation, Buffs |
| Complexity Level | Varies by job |
2. What Are the Caster DPS Jobs in FFXIV?
As of Endwalker, there are three Caster DPS jobs:
| Job | Released In | Starting Level | Role Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summoner | A Realm Reborn | Level 1 | Hybrid DoT/Pet DPS |
| Black Mage | A Realm Reborn | Level 1 | Pure GCD DPS |
| Red Mage | Stormblood | Level 50 | Hybrid Spell/Melee |
Each job caters to a unique playstyle and offers specific benefits in group content. Let’s take a closer look.
2.1 Summoner – The Flexible DoT and Utility Caster
Summoner is a pet-based caster known for its high mobility, smooth rotation flow, and excellent raid utility. It evolves from Arcanist and shares roots with Scholar.
Key Features:
- Instant-cast heavy rotation with Bahamut, Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, and Phoenix phases
- High mobility during rotations
- Offers battle raise (Resurrection) and raid-wide buff (Searing Light)
- Access to party healing and shields through Carbuncle and Phoenix
- One of the best casters for progression content due to recovery tools
Utility Table:
| Utility Skill | Function |
|---|---|
| Searing Light | Raid-wide damage buff |
| Resurrection | Battle raise |
| Radiant Aegis | Personal shield |
| Everlasting Flight | Passive AoE heal from Phoenix |
| Rekindle | Targeted HoT that helps during dungeon pulls |
2.2 Black Mage – The Raw Power GCD Specialist
Black Mage is the highest potential DPS caster in FFXIV—but also the most demanding. It rewards players who master positioning, cast timing, and fight memorization.
Key Features:
- Alternates between Astral Fire (high damage) and Umbral Ice (mana regen)
- No raise or raid buffs, but unmatched personal damage
- Core rotation revolves around Fire IV, Despair, and Thunder DoT
- Uses tools like Triplecast and Ley Lines for mobility
Utility Table:
| Utility Skill | Function |
|---|---|
| Addle | Role action – Magic mitigation |
| Manaward | Personal magic shield |
| Triplecast | Movement tool, 3 instant casts |
| Swiftcast | Single instant cast setup |
Ideal for static optimization runs. However, due to its lack of utility, Black Mage can be punishing in early progression.
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2.3 Red Mage – The Ultimate Utility DPS
Red Mage blends spellcasting and melee combat, making it one of the most versatile and party-friendly casters in the game. With high mobility and recovery tools, Red Mage shines in both progression and dungeon content.
Key Features:
- Builds White & Black Mana to execute melee combos and spell finishers
- Offers Embolden (raid-wide damage buff)
- Can raise fallen allies instantly with Verraise + Dualcast
- Brings Magick Barrier for group mitigation and Vercure for clutch healing
Utility Table:
| Utility Skill | Function |
|---|---|
| Embolden | Raid-wide INT buff |
| Verraise | Instant battle raise |
| Magick Barrier | AoE magic damage reduction & healing bonus |
| Vercure | Self-cast GCD heal (great for solo/dungeons) |
| Dualcast | Free instant cast after every hard cast |
Red Mage is a fan-favorite for learning content, Ultimate raids, and high-end progression due to its high recovery potential and damage consistency.
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3. Caster DPS Best-in-Slot (BiS) Considerations
Due to drastically different stat priorities, there is no shared omni-BiS between casters. However, some gear pieces can overlap depending on your chosen melds.
Stat Priorities by Job:
| Job | Prefers | Avoids |
|---|---|---|
| Summoner | Crit > Det or SpS | Low Crit builds |
| Black Mage | Spell Speed > Crit | Direct Hit |
| Red Mage | Crit > Det | Spell Speed |
Gearing Notes:
- Summoner is the most flexible and can adapt to either Crit-heavy or SpS-heavy gearsets.
- Red Mage shares some BiS pieces with Summoner but not with Black Mage.
- Black Mage typically requires full meld adjustments due to extreme Spell Speed needs.
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4. Knowing Your Role in Raids and Progression
Playing a Caster DPS means embracing the challenge of uptime, positioning, and team responsibility. Your raid expectations will vary depending on the job you’re playing and whether you’re in a progression or parse environment.
4.1 Group Responsibility by Job:
| Job | Progression Focus | Optimization Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Summoner | Raise + healing support | High burst window damage |
| Red Mage | Raise + Magick Barrier | Melee combo optimization |
| Black Mage | DPS consistency | Pure damage maximization |
Casters are often expected to cover:
- Magic mitigation (Addle, Magick Barrier)
- Combat raises (Summoner, Red Mage)
- Position-sensitive mechanics (especially for Black Mage)
- Emergency healing (Red Mage)
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Final Thoughts from Onlyfarms
Caster DPS in FFXIV offers some of the most diverse gameplay in the game. Whether you enjoy high-risk high-reward Black Mage parsing, the strategic flexibility of Summoner, or the party-friendly reliability of Red Mage, there’s a caster for every playstyle.
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