Scholar PvP Guide for FFXIV

The Scholar is a tactical support in PvP which can sustain their team through both healing and shielding, combined with allied buffs and enemy debuffs which can tilt the odds of engagements in your favour.

Scholar excels in more coordinated groups which can time their cooldowns together, But can also be extremely effective in smaller groups off 2 to 4 players. The Scholars value comes from controlling the flow of combat Making awareness and good position a key skill to learn. Inside of Frontline you would play close to your team ready for follow-up plays and to provide support, whereas with Crystalline Conflict you would typically position further back to avoid dive as damage within Crystalline Conflict is more potent then Frontline.

While the impact of a well played Scholar may be less visually obvious when it comes to kill counts, it is not uncommon for the Scholar to be in the top players in terms damage, with many battles and rounds won thanks to your defensive, Buffs and Debuff capabilities.

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

• Strong combined wide range AoE shielding and healing with Adloquium
• Team movement speed and damage buffs through Expedient
• Single target damage taken increase with Chain Stratagem
• Massive AoE Healing reductions through Biolysis and Diabrosis
• Spreadable DOT damage to chip away at enemies MP
• A powerful Defensive Limit Break capable off turning fights with CC removal

Weaknesses

• No high burst damage combinations
• Damage contribution revolves around Boilysis DOT damage uptime
• No movement abilities you will not escape when jumped on
• No crowd control abilities meaning targets can easily escape
• 90s Limit break charge time missing the first round of enemy LB's

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 3-second immunity to further crowd control, draw in and knockback effects. Use this to prevent yourself from getting CC-chained to death.

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.

Broil IV is your basic damage spell with a 25 yalm range. You would use this to poke and chip away at the enemy team whilst looking and waiting for the opportunity to make bigger plays. It has a short cast time which allows for easy slide casting. Be sure that you continue to reposition often moving in sync with the team, rather than falling into a casting rhythm, as a healer you'll often be a priority target especially if you stand around a lot which makes you far easier to target for the enemy and a few extra Broils are not worth being flanked.

Seraphic Halo is your instant cast damage ability that has a 25 yalms reach dealing damage in a 5 yalm radius around the first target. Seraphic Halo overrides your Broil IV which you gain access to after activating your limit break Seraphism. This allows for easier aggressive push back right after limit breaking and being instant cast allows you to move while casting without casting times.

Biolysis is a damage over time ability or DoT for short, and enemy de-buff with a 25 yalm range. When used on its own, it provides a reasonable amount of damage over 12s while also reducing enemy's healing output by 20% for the same 12s. Biolysis's true strength comes from the interactions with other Scholar abilities. The Recitation buff from Expedient and your limit break Seraphism increasing the damage dealt by Biolysis by 50%, making the original 3000 damage per tic now 4500 per tic. This DoT damage from Biolysis can be transferred to targets within a 15 yalm radius of the target under the effect off Biolysis using Deployment Tactics when spread to other targets the remaining time on the original Biolysis is shared to the new targets, for example if there are 8 seconds remaining when you cast Deployment Tactics those new targets will have Biolysis for 8 seconds. This is a very powerful combo that should be used to its full effect in team-fights and is very effective if fights get drawn out slowly eating away at the enemy teams MP.

Scholar has no pure heals in PvP, you simply apply both healing and shielding as one ability. It's important to take these extra effects into account and remember that everyone has access to Recuperate. While a well timed heal can certainly save a damaged party member, you need to be proactive with using your healing, not purely reactive.

Adloquium provides a 4000 heal and 4000 in shielding to either yourself or the target. The shield potency is doubled under the effect of Recitation for a total 8000 shield. Adloquium can hold up to 2 charge with the shields being active for 12s. Adloquium's true strength lies in how it combination with Deployment Tactics spreading shields to other party members within 15 yalms off that first target. All players under the effect of Adloquium also receive the effect of Catalzye, Reducing damage taken by 10% for 12s. This is a very powerful party defensive and offensive tool that should be used before or during team fights when possible. These shields alone can save yourself and the team from some off the strongest plays such as a Samurai's one shot limit break, and even the most meta rolls such as Dark knights leading entire alliances.

Summon Seraph can be instantly called upon at the players selected location anywhere within 30 yalms. Seraph will automatically cast Seraphic Veil too all party members within 30 yalms, granting a 6000 heal with a additional 6000 shield lasting for 10s. The second bonus effect Seraphic Illumination will also be automatically cast increasing the HP recovery via healing actions by 10% to all party members within 15 yalms off Seraph. Summon Seraph can be used easier then setting up the Adloquium shields on multiple team members as once played its benefits are automatic.

Accession is your 15 yalm radius instant cast 8000 healing and 8000 shielding to yourself and all party members. Accession is cast from the players location meaning you need to position yourself around to team for maximum effect, with the shielding from Accession lasting up to 20s. To gain access to Accession you must first use your Limit Break Seraphism. This can be used alongside your Adloquium and Summon Seraph which quite often will make your team unkillable.

Chain Stratagem is another tactical ability which can be cast up to 25 yalms, instant cast increases the targets damage taken by 10% for the next 10s. If Chain Stratagem is used upon a target hiding under the Guard reducing guards damage taken reduction from 90% down to 45%. One of the best opportunities to use this ability is against harder to kill roles with Tanks being the main target. Chain Stratagem combines well with other debuff abilities such as your Biolysis

Deployment Tactics is one of the most important abilities in your kit. Proper usage of Deploy can change the outcome of team fights and the momentum of the game as a whole. Deploy can either be used to spread the Biolysis DoT damage and healing debuff to enemies near the target, or to extend the Adloquium shield to party members near the target, both are very powerful effects when timed properly. Deploy also has two charges, meaning both of its potential effects can be used at the same time. Try to coordinate usages of Deploy with team fights and your parties objective pushes.

Expedient buffs you and nearby party members within a 15 yalm radius, increasing movement speed by 25% whilst also increasing damage dealt by 10% for 10s. The party buffs are fantastic for pushing the objective and vulnerable enemies, gaining the advantage in team fights, and withdrawing from dangerous fights. Expedient grants the effect of Recitation which buffs Biolysis DoT by 50% or Adloquium shields by double the potency and should be combined with Deployment Tactics for maximum effectiveness. Using it on Biolysis will be your most common use as you engage alongside your team but the stronger shield can still be situationally better. Expedient is an excellent initiator ability as it lets your party quickly attack priority targets Or to begin countering against the enemy teams push.

Seraphism is your Limit Break. Its base charge time is 90 seconds. Upon activation you are granted Seraphism and Recitation, Seraphism upgrades Broil IV to Seraphic Halo with Seraphism being upgraded to Accession for up to 20s. Additional effect removes one status affliction from yourself and all nearby party members that can be removed by purify. If a status affliction cannot be removed a barrier shall be created that will nullify the next status affliction lasting 20s with a 30 yalm radius reach. Seraphism combined with your other defensive actions is extremely powerful, providing the much needed support in large team fights which in Frontline can often mean fighting 2 teams at once. Within Crystalline Conflict these can massively decrease the potency of what could normally be a lethal combo. There is no wrong time to use Seraphism it is both an offensive and defensive tool, your understanding of when to use your Limit Break will change as you improve both as a Scholar and with the understanding off other rolls which will come with experience.

Role Actions bring a new level of mastery to the Scholar which fit more into the individuals play style. With Haelan you can give up 2500MP in order to cast a 15000 heal, this heal has a 1.44s cast time and is rather risky as the Scholar has no movement abilities should you be caught out in the open after spending MP to save another you yourself might earn a fast respawn. Stoneskin II on the other hand gives you even more defensive uptime applying a 12000 shield to all party members within 15 yalms for 10s amazing to even the playing field when your against a team that has many more heavy hitters.

Your third option is Diabrosis which is by far your strongest option, Diabrosis has a 25 yalm reach and a 10 yalm radius area of effect, dealing 9000 damage to your target and those nearby the extremely powerful addition effect weakens healing by 33% off all who where struck. Your Biolysis already reduced targets healing by 20% which can be used in combination to Diabrosis for a total 53% healing reduction. A 53% healing reduction in both Crystalline Conflict and Frontline allows you and the team the shutdown even the hardest to kill rolls outside off being immortal.

Simply put, Scholar does not have much burst to speak of at all. You can still however combo actions together for great effects which can have powerful results. Bellow is your most common damage combo for fighting into teams:

1. Expedient
2. Biolysis
3. Deployment Tactics
4. Diabrosis
5. Adloquium
6. Deployment Tactics

This next combination is a powerful rotation to use in junction with your Limit Break that can work as either to engage teams or to counter push from a defensive stance, that sets up shields and healing before going right into DoT damage and giving chase with your instant cast:

1. Seraphism
2. Adloquium
3. Deployment Tactics
4. Expedient
5. Biolysis
6. Deployment Tactics
7. Accession
8. Seraphic Halo

These first two macro's allow you to setup a buddy system on a focus target which will allow you to apply shields and to even spread them from that target without the need to manually target before hand. Powerful in crystalline Conflict to for example protect a squishy such as a White Mage on your team or to easily backup a Tank or Melee, whilst also very effective in Frontline as this work wonderful as a duo when your duo's location would be out off range from receiving shield spread from your own location. The Third Macro is a fast way to cast Summon Seraph right at your own location without the need to manually place it down.

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

/merror off
/micon "Deployment Tactics" pvpaction
/pvpaction "Deployment Tactics" <f>

/merror off
/micon "Summon Seraph" pvpaction
/pvpaction "Summon Seraph" <0>