Disciplines of War in FFXIV
Final Fantasy 14 is broken down into a number of different segments, including its revolutionary class system. Whereas in other games you’d be required to choose just one class, in Final Fantasy 14, you can choose any class for any character simply by changing the weapon you have attached – reminiscent of the classic Final Fantasy games for the original NES and SNES platforms.
Of those disciplines, the Disciplines of War represent the melee and ranged physical combat roles necessary throughout the game. Here is a brief rundown of each of those disciplines and who the roles are best suited for:
Gladiator
The Gladiator is essentially a tank and will work to protect party members for powerful attacks by foes. They will learn abilities like Roaring Sword which is a taunt to get enemy attention, as well as Cover to protect your allies and Rampart to boost defense. More than even some other games’ tank classes, the Gladiator is a pure support class.
Lancer
Lancers are a mid-range melee fighting discipline that can get some distance from their enemy without getting too beaten up. Abilities include debuffing the enemy, boosting damage with reduced health, using another party member to hide your attacks, and reducing enemy evasion. Anyone familiar with the dragoon class from old FF games will be familiar with the Lancer.
Pugilist
Exactly like they sound, the Pugilist is a fighter in the melee position. They will have abilities like Mocking Provoke to get attention from enemies and then Blind Side and Featherfoot to boost evasion and deal more damage. This is pretty much Final Fantasy 14′s version of the Monk from FFXI.
Marauder
The Marauder is a big, powerful fighter with plate mail and a big weapon. You’ll get some massive attack boosts like Blood Bath and Murderous Intent as you learn how to boost your overall melee strikes. This is akin to the Arms Warriors in World of Warcraft where big damage in close quarters is good.
Archer
Finally, there is the Archer – the ranged combat expert in physical damage. Archers use a bow and arrows with abilities like Chameleon and Hawkeye to strike from afar. This is the Ranger Class of the game without any special tweaks or secret abilities – just ranged damage pure and simple.
Choosing your Discipline of War is a tough road, but when you do make sure you pick one that represents the type of battle you like to play. Remember, you can always change later and it will have minimal impact on your character.
Darin Gordon
