~3 MIN
🧪 What is Samurai’s Playstyle?
Samurai is a pure melee DPS job with no party utility but monstrous personal burst potential. Unlike jobs that focus on aiding the raid, Samurai is designed to exploit other players’ buffs to deliver devastating burst sequences. The core loop involves:
- Building Sen and Kenki via three rotating combo paths.
- Spending Sen on powerful Iaijutsu finishers.
- Using Kenki for high-damage oGCDs like Shinten and Senei.
- Unleashing a massive burst every 2 minutes, with a mini-burst every 60s.
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✅ Strengths and Weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| 🚀 High burst damage potential | ❌ No raid buffs or team utility |
| 🎯 Clean rotation with low RNG | ❌ High damage loss on death or downtime |
| 🧩 Flexible burst windows (120s/60s) | ❌ Skill-dependent optimization and hotbar management |
| 🌀 Great mobility with Gyoten and Yaten | ❌ Complex to adjust rotation mid-fight |
🔓 How to Unlock Samurai
| Requirement | Details |
| Level | 50+ on any Disciple of War or Magic |
| Expansion Required | Stormblood |
| Unlock Location | Ul’dah – Steps of Nald (X:9.2, Y:9.1) |
| Quest | “The Way of the Samurai” |
🎮 Samurai Gauges Explained
🔷 Sen Gauge
| Sen Name | Earned From | Effect When Used |
| Setsu | Yukikaze | Required for Iaijutsu |
| Getsu | Gekko / Mangetsu | Required for Iaijutsu |
| Ka | Kasha / Oka | Required for Iaijutsu |
- 1 Sen = Higanbana (DoT)
- 2 Sen = Tenka Goken (AoE)
- 3 Sen = Midare Setsugekka (ST burst)
🔶 Kenki Gauge
Gained from weaponskills and Third Eye.
Spent on:
- Shinten: Quick single-target damage.
- Senei / Guren: Big nukes (shared CD).
- Gyoten / Yaten: Gap closer / escape.
🧘 Meditation Gauge
- Gained via Iaijutsu, Meditate, and Ogi Namikiri.
- Spent on Shoha for oGCD burst.
🌀 Core Samurai Rotation (Simplified)
Combo rotation:
- Hakaze → Yukikaze → Sen: Setsu
- Hakaze → Jinpu → Gekko → Sen: Getsu
- Hakaze → Shifu → Kasha → Sen: Ka
- Spend Sen on Iaijutsu:
- 3 Sen = Midare Setsugekka
Use Kenki GCDs/Ogcds:
- Shinten, Senei, Guren, Gyoten
Every 120s burst:
- Meikyo Shisui + Ikishoten → Midare → Ogi Namikiri → Kaeshi Namikiri
Weave in Meditation skills:
- Shoha when stacks reach 3
⚔️ Key Samurai Abilities (Selected)
| Skill | Type | Gauge | Use |
| Midare Setsugekka | Iaijutsu | Sen x3 | Massive single-target nuke |
| Tenka Goken | Iaijutsu | Sen x2 | AoE cone damage |
| Higanbana | Iaijutsu | Sen x1 | 60s DoT |
| Shoha | oGCD | Meditation | Big line AoE |
| Shinten | oGCD | Kenki 25 | ST burst filler |
| Senei / Guren | oGCD | Kenki 25 | Huge ST / AoE nukes (shared CD) |
| Meikyo Shisui | Utility | — | Use combos instantly |
| Ikishoten | Utility | — | +50 Kenki and prep for Namikiri |
| Ogi Namikiri | AoE | Req: Ikishoten | Big cone crit AoE |
🎯 Role Actions
| Action | Use Case |
| Second Wind | Self-heal |
| Bloodbath | Sustain during AoE burst |
| Feint | Mitigation support for raid |
| True North | Ignore positional requirements |
📜 Samurai Lore
Born in the battlefield of Hingashi, Samurai wield the katana with honor, unleashing devastating strikes that reflect centuries of martial tradition. Their role in Eorzea is not to support — but to obliterate.
🏁 Final Thoughts
Samurai is for players who want to focus on themselves, do massive damage, and master the art of weaving burst windows with surgical precision. There’s no party crutch here — just pure damage and discipline.
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