Leveling Rotations and Tips for Red Mage — Endwalker 6.4
Gear Options
When leveling up, you should always choose the piece of gear with the highest item level. We start to pay attention to substats when equipment is of an equal or very similar item level. In those scenarios, we prioritize the piece with more Critical Hit, followed by Determination and Direct Hit. Allagan Tomestone of Poetics can be exchanged for strong levelling gear in Mor Dhona at level 50, Idyllshire at level 60, Rhalgr's Reach at level 70, and Eulmore at level 80.
Rotation Overview While Leveling Red Mage
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Red Mage starts at level 50. At level 18, which is the synced level for the lowest level dungeon (Sastasha), we already get a basic AOE rotation, so that is where we will begin. The general flow of the job remains quite similar throughout: dualcast spells, use enchanted weaponskills when available, and use oGCDs for damage.
Single Target GCDs
- In single target scenarios, we cast
Jolt into
Verthunder or
Veraero. Try to alternate betweenThunder and Aero to keep mana levels relatively balanced (within 30 of each other)..
- In single target scenarios, we alternate between casting
Verfire (or
Jolt if no proc is available) into
Verthunder or
Veraero. Try to alternate betweenThunder and Aeroto keep mana levels relatively balanced.
- In single target scenarios, we alternate between casting
Verfire or
Verstone (or
Jolt if no proc is available) into
Verthunder or
Veraero. Try to alternate between thunder and Aeroto keep mana levels relatively balanced (within 30 of each other).
- In single target scenarios, we alternate between casting
Verfire or
Verstone (or
Jolt II if no proc is available) into
Verthunder or
Veraero. Try to alternate between thunder and Aeroto keep mana levels relatively balanced (within 30 of each other).
- In single target scenarios, we alternate between casting
Verfire or
Verstone (or
Jolt II if no proc is available) into
Verthunder III or
Veraero III. Try to alternate betweenThunder and Aeroto keep mana levels relatively balanced (within 30 of each other).
- Use
Enchanted Riposte when you have above 20 white mana and black mana. Avoid using this action below this threshold as the unenchanted version is a DPS loss.
- Use
Enchanted Riposte →
Enchanted Zwerchhau when you have above 35 white mana and black mana. Avoid using these actions below this threshold as the unenchanted versions are a DPS loss.
- Use
Enchanted Riposte →
Enchanted Zwerchhau →
Enchanted Redoublement when you have above 50 white mana and black mana. Avoid using these actions below this threshold as the unenchanted versions are a DPS loss.
- Use
Enchanted Riposte →
Enchanted Zwerchhau →
Enchanted Redoublement →
Verflare when you have above 50 white mana and black mana. Avoid using these actions below this threshold as the unenchanted versions are a DPS loss.
- Use
Enchanted Riposte →
Enchanted Zwerchhau →
Enchanted Redoublement →
Verflare or
Verholy when you have above 50 white mana and black mana. Avoid using these actions below this threshold as the unenchanted versions are a DPS loss. Use the finisher that you have lower mana of to guarantee a proc and keep your mana balanced (within 30 of each other).
- Use
Enchanted Riposte →
Enchanted Zwerchhau →
Enchanted Redoublement →
Verflare or
Verholy →
Scorch when you have above 50 white mana and black mana. Avoid using these actions below this threshold as the unenchanted versions are a DPS loss. Use the finisher that you have lower mana of to guarantee a proc and keep your mana balanced (within 30 of each other).
AOE (3+ Targets) GCDs
- Our AOE casting rotation for 3+ targets is
Verthunder II or
Veraero into
Scatter, while trying to keep our mana levels balanced (within 30 of each other).
- Our AOE casting rotation for 3+ targets is
Verthunder II or
Veraero II into
Scatter, while trying to keep our mana levels balanced (within 30 of each other).
- Our AOE casting rotation for 3+ targets is
Verthunder II or
Veraero II into
Impact, while trying to keep our mana levels balanced (within 30 of each other).
- Our AOE rotation changes with the addition of
Enchanted Moulinet, an AOE mana spender that is a DPS gain on 3+ targets. Mix in
Enchanted Moulinet uses between casting AOE spells.
- At 60 black and white mana or more, use
Enchanted Moulinet three times →
Verflare.
- At 60 black and white mana or more, use
Enchanted Moulinet three times →
Verflare or
Verholy. Use the finisher that you have lower mana of to guarantee a proc and keep your mana balanced (within 30 of each other).
- At 60 black and white mana or more, use
Enchanted Moulinet three times →
Verflare or
Verholy →
Scorch. Use the finisher that you have lower mana of to guarantee a proc and keep your mana balanced (within 30 of each other).
Offensive oGCDs
Corps-a-corps is primarily used for damage. It should be used on cooldown when it's safe to do so, though one charge can situationally be saved for raid buffs or movement. The gap-closer aspect of it should be considered a bonus or incidental effect.
Swiftcast lets us instantly cast our next GCD, which is useful to keep casting spells while moving around. This should primarily be used on our harder-hitting casts:
Veraero or
Verthunder for single target, or
Scatter for AOE.
Swiftcast lets us instantly cast our next GCD, which is useful to keep casting spells while moving around. This should primarily be used on our harder-hitting casts:
Veraero or
Verthunder for single target, or
Impact for AOE.
Swiftcast lets us instantly cast our next GCD, which is useful to keep casting spells while moving around. This should primarily be used on our harder-hitting casts:
Veraero III or
Verthunder III for single target, or
Impact for AOE.
Engagement and
Displacement share the same cooldown and do the same potency, so we generally prefer
Engagement for the shorter animation lock unless the movement from Displacement is useful. They should be used on cooldown, though one charge can situationally be saved for raid buffs or movement.
Fleche is our most powerful single target oGCD and should be used strictly on cooldown.
Acceleration removes the cast time on our next
Veraero or
Verthunder and guarantees that they give us a proc. For AOE scenarios, we can use it to instantly cast a damage-buffed
Scatter. In boss fights, the best use for this ability is to keep uptime while moving and dodging attacks.
Acceleration removes the cast time on our next
Veraero or
Verthunder and guarantees that they give us a proc. For AOE scenarios, we can use it to instantly cast a damage-buffed
Impact. In boss fights, the best use for this ability is to keep uptime while moving and dodging attacks.
Acceleration removes the cast time on our next
Veraero III or
Verthunder III and guarantees that they give us a proc. For AOE scenarios, we can use it to instantly cast a damage-buffed
Impact. In boss fights, the best use for this ability is to keep uptime while moving and dodging attacks.
Acceleration removes the cast time on our next
Veraero III or
Verthunder III and guarantees that they give us a proc. For AOE scenarios, we can use it to instantly cast a damage-buffed
Impact. In boss fights, the best use for this ability is to keep uptime while moving and dodging attacks. With two charges, one can be saved for movement without drifting its cooldown.
Contre Sixte should generally be used on cooldown, though it can be held for AOE scenarios on a case-by-case basis due to the damage gain on multiple targets.
Embolden is a 20-second party buff that increases damage dealt by party members by 5%, and our own magical damage dealt by 5%. This means that for our own damage, only spells or weaponskills are buffed, while our oGCDs are not. In dungeons,
Embolden should be used both in trash packs and bosses. However, try to benefit from its full duration: if the trash pack or boss is just about to die, consider saving it for the next engagement.
Manafication instantly gives us 50 black and white mana. It should be used close to on cooldown so we can benefit from more enchanted melee combo uses, which are a damage gain over casting normal spells. However, you should be careful not to overcap on black or white mana (i.e. don't "exceed" 100 mana of each).
Manafication instantly gives us 50 black and white mana and grants five stacks of a 5% magical damage buff. It should be used close to on cooldown so we can benefit from more enchanted melee combo uses, which are a damage gain over casting normal spells. For single target, you should go into a melee combo immediately afterwards to benefit from the buff. The same applies to AOE scenarios, but you will need 10 black and white mana before using this ability to use three
Enchanted Moulinet in a row due to the 60 black and white mana cost to our AOE enchanted melee combo. Be careful not to overcap on black or white mana (i.e. don't "exceed" 100 mana of each).
Defensive GCDs and oGCDs
Addle can be used to help healers keep the party alive at no DPS cost to ourselves. In lower level dungeons, its best to use on bosses doing unavoidable damage to the entire party, commomly known as "raidwides".
Sleep can occasionally be used do disable enemies temporarily, but there's rarely a use for it in dungeons because mobs will wake up immediately upon taking damage. It is more useful for solo instances or the overworld.
Lucid Dreaming restores our own MP for 21 seconds. While it is rare to run out of MP while leveling, this ability should still be used consistently.
Surecast is useful for surviving mechanics and preventing casts from being interrupted, though there are rare occasions where mechanics explicitly ignore this ability.
- Using
Vercure mid-combat is usually a singificant DPS loss, and content is not designed around DPS roles providing sustained heals. But it can occasionally be used to save someone in an emergency. Moreover, this spell can be used during downtime to proc
Dualcast, allowing us to instantly open on the next mob pack/boss with a stronger, instantly-casted spell. Using
Vercure when the boss is untargetable is a technique often used in endgame raids, making it a useful habit to develop early.
Verraise can be dualcasted, making it a very powerful and convenient recovery tool. Red Mage is the only job that is capable of reviving multiple people in such quick succession. However, in endgame raid situations where DPS checks get introduced, it can be better to share reviving responsibilites with healers depending on the situation.
Magick Barrier is useful for keeping tanks alive in large dungeon pulls. A noteworthy difference from the
Addle caster role action is that instead of debuffing the boss, it buffs all party members. The benefit is that it can be used when enemies are untargetable, but the drawback is that you need to be in range of party members to use it.
Changelog
- 28 May 2023: Updated for Patch 6.4
- 14 Jan. 2023: Updated for Patch 6.3
- 03 Apr. 2022: Guide added.
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been cowritten by Lana White and Argen Yin.
Lana is a Red Mage theorycrafter and began playing in early Stormblood. He has played Red Mage since hitting level 50 and unlocking the job and began raiding during Eden’s Gate in Shadowbringers. He became a mentor and guide writer for the Balance during Eden’s Verse, where he can be found hanging out and answering questions in the Red Mage channels. Lana occasionally streams raid on his Twitch account, and often posts fight videos and other helpful content on his Youtube channel.
Argen has been playing since Alphascape, but got involved in higher-end raiding during Eden’s Verse, where he helped the community learn about Red Mage’s often overlooked optimization potential. He has been blessed by enough RNG to achieve top 10 rankings in multiple raids, become a Red Mage mentor at the Balance discord, and not get forced to play another job in any of his statics. Argen can also be found in Elemental DC party finder or on his Youtube channel.
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