Ninja PvP Guide for FFXIV

The Ninja is on of the Physical melee DPS available in FFXIV, what makes it so unique to the other melee roles is its hybrid nature on the fly the Ninja can deal amazing burst damage combo's or even switch up to become a tank and should you want to keep a safe distance the Ninja is capable off maintaining ranged combat.

The Ninja can be considered a anti-meta role as they can adapt to fighting from any ranged with a limit break that will instantly KO any target who drops below 50% HP.

Note: This guide is focused on PVP as a whole Frontline, Crystalline Conflict and Rival wings all play differently to one another however the fundamentals and understanding off a roll translate across all game modes.

Strengths

• Extremely powerful Burst damage capable of KOing even the Tankiest of roles
• Meta flexible fitting into every team comp whilst also being anti meta with there limit break Seiton Tenchu
• High Survivability able to teleport location, generate shielding and apply regen
• Hybrid Melee role capable off switching from close range combat to long combat and even become a tank
• Strong zoning AoE damage with there Doton and GokaMekkyaku
• flexible rotations having the most combinations off all PvP jobs able to adapt based on the situation

Weaknesses

• Miss timing ninjutsu usage can leave you without access to said ninjutsu when it truly matters
• Your Survivability can stagger a team fight should you be KO'd after a long chase leaving your team a member down
• Limit Break is Buggy dealing damage too fast into your limit break often times does not register the 50% HP met requirement
• Enemy players can carry you into their team during your Limit Break

4.

Skill Selection

Every job has access to a few common actions, but their utility differs between jobs.

Recuperate Standard-issue Elixir Guard Purify Sprint

3.1.

Recuperate

Recuperate – This is your most important healing ability. MP in PVP is only used for this ability. With a max of 10,000 MP, recup will consume 2,500 and heals you for 15,000 HP. The amount of healing received can be increased and reduced by healing up or down status effects, such as Summon Seraph to increase or Biolysis to decrease. You gain 500 MP per 3 seconds passively, something to keep in mind!

3.2.

Standard-issue Elixir

Standard-issue Elixir – This is your second-most important healing ability. Elixir allows you to gain back all your HP and MP, resetting yourself for the next fight! The listed cast time is 4.5 seconds, which means the cast is actually snapshotted as complete after 4 seconds, after which you can move and opponents can no longer cancel your Elixir. You'll see moments where you get hit, and the position will still finish.

When not under pressure, make sure to top up your resources for the next fight. As with the animations counted in the death timer, you will be out for 20~ seconds instead vs a 4 second Elixir!

3.3.

Guard

Guard – Grants 90% damage reduction and immunity to most crowd-control debuffs for up to 4 seconds. Using another action cancels this guard early. Damage over Time effects that have been applied before Guard will always tick for the full amount and wont be negated with Guard!

Per Patch 7.1, there have been multiple abilities added that work against Guarded targets. Where Shield Smite and Chain Stratagem half the defensive bonus of Guard (90% → 45%), there are also abilities that simply ignore guard when dealing damage; Drill, Assassinate, Enchanted Riposte, Disesteem, Wreath of Fire, Serpent's Tail and Chaotic Spring

Damage per ability is now tight to animations, compared to pre-7.1 where the damage would register when pressed. This means Guard is more reactive than it has been before, but it's also possible now to start ability animations that will hit the moment your Guard ends. Beware of your surroundings and what the enemy is doing!

3.4.

Purify

Purify – Cleanses all common crowd-control debuffs and provides a 2-second immunity to further crowd control, draw in and knockback effects. Use this to prevent yourself from getting CC-chained to death. As of patch 7.35 Purify is now a cost of 2500 MP with every use and can be recast every 4s.

With the amount of crowd-control abilities, try not to be trigger-happy when using Purify. Taking a stun with no follow up from the enemy team, doesn't bring you in danger! If you have no defensives ready against a crowd-control heavy enemy team, it's recommended to play defensively before making another engage.

3.5.

Sprint

Sprint – Toggle for increased movement speed. This is a GCD and using any other action cancels the buff, so be smart in using it. Sage is a fragile job, as it has the lowest HP out of any job. If you are using off-global abilities repeatedly while running away or chasing, you should try to late-weave them if you can afford to, to avoid canceling too much of the Sprint duration.

The Spinning Edge combo is Ninja's most basic rotation Spinning Edge into Gust Slash ending with Aeolian Edge. These actions share the same 5 yalm range dealing 5000, 6000 and 7000 in sequence. This combo serves as filler actions and used to poke whilst you prepare to utilise stronger abilities.

Fuma Shuriken is the first off your ranged abilities with a 20 yalm range dealing 8000 per shuriken, you can hold up to 3 charges with the individual recharge time of 10s.

The Fuma Shuriken is one the main ways to engage and poke without over engaging or jumping into risky situation, it can also be boosted under the effects of Bunshin increasing there power further which can combo well into other actions.

The Dokumori deals 2000 damage to all targets in a cone before you with a 8 yalm range and 8 yalm radius at the cones max reach, all targets struck by the effect off Dokumori will take 10% more damage for the next 8s.

Dokumori can be used as a engage tool or as a follow up after using gap closing actions such as your Shukuchi and Forked Raiju combo's on single targets rather effective on those tank roles, but also works amazingly well into groups off enemy following plays such as a Dark Knights Salted Earth.

Zesho Meppo is the follow up unlocked after using Dokumori which strikes four times dealing 2000 per strike for a total 8000, another powerful finishing ability as this works under the effect off Bunshin for a total 16000 damage.

One of your strongest actions is Assassinate that can only be accessed after you use Shukuchi dealing a fast 12000 which ignores the effects of Guard. Assassinate works under the effects of Bunshin for a combined 16000 damage.

What makes Assassinate so good is how it fits into any burst rotation. You can jump a target open with Assassinate and go into your Stuns with Forked Raiju and Fleeting Raiju, it even works wonders following you limit break the Seiton Tenchu should you fail the 50% instant KO requirement, as well as a perfect trigger tool for the role action Smite that increases in strength when your target hits 25% or less HP.

Always be on the lookout for Assassinate opportunities, but be careful as diving in on your target can leave you open and vulnerable being one off the best chances the enemy have to shut you down.

Hyosho Ranryu is one off your Mudra actions accessed under the Three Mudra ability, dealing 16000 damage with a 20 yalm reach. There is no fancy extra effect to this action and is typically used to finishing fleeing targets, whereas during main fights you would more often prioritise other Mudra actions.

Goka Mekkyaku is an AoE Mudra action, with a 20 yalm range that deals 4000 damage to all targets within a 8 yalm radius. Over the next 12s all struck receive damage over time dealing another 4000 per tick and really help to turn the tides if you can land this into big crowds.

Goka Mekkyaku can combo very nicely with the Doton provided you can set one up in a group off enemies as this will trigger Doton's second effect of Hollow Nozuchi dealing a bonus 3000 and a +75 heavy on all standing within.

Three Mudra is the first and most used of your utility actions in which you can hold up to two charges with a 16s charge time. This is how you gain access to Forked Raiju, Fleeting Raiju, Hyosho Ranryu, Goka Mekkyaku, Meisui, Huton and Doton.

The only rule to understand with Three Mudra is that you cannot use the same Ninjutsu skill twice in a row, for example you cannot use Goka Mekkyaku into another Goka Mekkyaku.

Bunshin upon use grants 5 stacks of Bunshin, each stack allows your shadow to attack the same target each time you use a weaponskill. This shadow deals 4000 damage alongside each weaponskill used however the potency is halved to 2000 for the actions Fuma Shuriken, Zesho Meppo and the Forked Raiju and Fleeting Raiju.

Bunshin also aids in battle for aggressive pushes and can be use to aid in your escapes as you are also granted 8000 in shields for 10s. These shields can stack with the 16000 shields you can also obtain from the Huton turning you into a mini tank.

Shukuchi is one of the better movement abilities out there. Not only does this hav a 20 yalm reach it can be placed manually, or with the use off my Macro down bellow can be used to jump right onto targets for the Assassinate follow up.

Shukuchi will also make you invisible for 4s this is not as flawless as it might sound, there will be time players perfectly attack you right as you use this ability and splash damage will play its part as taking any damage you lose your invisibility.

This can also be used to jump into piles of players in order to place Doton as you can teleport over, drop Doton at your feet and follow with your AoE Goka Mekkyaku highly effective when your team rush the enemy.

Forked Raiju and Fleeting Raiju is a back to back ninjutsu combo, they both share the same 20 yalm range and 6000 damage with the bonus effect being that both stun your target for 2s.

Both combo well into your Assassinate and limit break the Seiton Tenchu meaning you can stun your target follow up with some damage and go right into a second stun, usually this is also enough to force out that players Purify leaving them vulnerable to your team.

Meisui is a sustain which can be cast up to 30 yalms upon either yourself or a party member. Upon use grants a instant 8000 heal with Regen active for the next for the next 12s healing 4000 per tick. The second bonus effect nullifies one status affliction that can be removed by purify.

Meisui can be very powerful when cast upon Tanks or Melee roles who dive into large teams, and if used upon yourself with both Huton and the Bunshin shields you basically turn yourself into a Tank.

Huton is your main go to for defensive ability providing an instant 16000 shield upon activation, for the next 10s your weaponskill recast timers are reduced by 20% as well as obtaining a 25% movement speed boost. This speed boost effect is tied to your shield, for example should your shield break within 2s your speed will the return to normal.

Doton is your ground based AoE with a 5 yalm reach upon use places a patch of corrupted earth at your feet dealing 3000 damage to enemies who enter. Your damage taken is reduced by 15% while standing in your corrupted earth and is rather useful to place in locations such as choke points, ramps and objectives.

The reason why Doton can be effect is due to the second effect Hollow Nozuchi which can be triggered from 100 yalms away dealing another 3000 damage each time it is triggered. To active the Ninja must use a weaponskill or either Hyosho Ranryu or Goka Mekkyaku a rather effective trick is to stack one on top of a Sage's Limit Break Mesotes setting up a immortality zone that greatly hurts enemies who step in.

Seiton Tenchu is your Limit break that can play into and Break any Meta with a base charge time of 90s with a 20 yalm reach you rush your target dealing 12000 damage ignoring the effect of Guard.

Should your target be 50% HP or lower you instantly KO that target, any players hit by your Limit Break are inflicted with Death Link. If that target is KO'd within the next 2s your limit break can be triggered again starting with 8s to use. Each reuse of your Limit break reduces the next next timer by 1s down to a minimum off 4s.

Role actions have taken Ninja which was already a top performing role and boosted it by a further 50% starting with the Bloodbath which can play into your tanking converting 100% off the damage you deal into HP allowing for some crazy sustain.

The second role action Swift, makes you uncatchable which is really handy in Crystalline Conflict allowing you continually go on flanks to pester a teams backline and make your escape unharmed.

Your final and strongest role action is Smite as you know have another form off instant damage, this can be mixed into rotation and used to finish as hitting the 25% HP threshold on Ninja is rather easy.

Ninja is blessed with a kit that provides so many Burst combos, there is not single go to combo rotation how you play it is based on both the scenario and what you hope to achieve here are some off my main rotation I use all the time.

This first rotation is a great way to stun your target deal a good chunk of damage and finish with a follow up stun, works really well when multiple people jump the same target.

1. Forked Raiju
2. Shukuchi
3. Assassinate
4. Fleeting Raiju

This second rotation plays much the same diving and stunning the target only this time setup the damage taken debuff which you can then follow with other burst damage.

1. Forked Raiju
2. Dokumori
3. Fleeting Raiju
4. Zesho Meppo

This third rotation allows you to stun limit break stun a target which is also useful to push a target just under the 50% HP mark and to set you up to finish the target right after using your limit break.

1. Forked Raiju
2. Seiton Tenchu
3. Fleeting Raiju

Examples off a much bigger rotation mixing all elements off your kit together can look as follows.

1. Bunshin
2. Forked Raiju
3. Dokumori
4. Fleeting Raiju
5. Seiton Tenchu
6. Zesho Meppo
7. Shukuchi
8. Assassinate
9. Smite

1. Bunshin
2. Shukuchi
3. Assassinate
4. Dokumori
5. Seiton Tenchu
6. Smite
7. Zesho Meppo

These last two focus more with the ranged opening and AOE damage for different situation.

1. Bunshin
2. Fuma Shuriken
3. Shukuchi
4. Assassinate
5. Dokumori
6. Smite
7. Zesho Meppo
8. Seiton Tenchu

1. Three Mudra
2. Doton
3. Dokumori
4. Three Mudra
5. Goka Mekkyaku
6. Zesho Meppo
7. Smite

This is the must have macro for every Ninja player out there allowing you to Teleport right onto your target for fast assassinates.

/merror off
/micon "Shukuchi" pvpaction
/pvpaction "Shukuchi" <f>

This second version is optional allowing your to teleport to your team member who you mark as a focus target amazing to defend squishes in Crystalline Conflict.

/merror off
/micon "Shukuchi" pvpaction
/pvpaction "Shukuchi" <f>