Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

As a seasoned Final Fantasy XIV player with countless hours under my belt, I can confidently say that Reaper is one of the most intriguing jobs in the game when it comes to Best in Slot gear. With their unique focus on Determination and Direct Hit, they present quite a challenge in optimizing their equipment.


In the latest update of Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, fresh trials and raids have been introduced for the much-loved MMO. With players eagerly tackling this new content, a common query arises: what equipment should be used? For Melee DPS (Damage Per Second) players, who play a crucial role in dishing out most of the damage for their group, figuring out the answer can be quite complex on one’s own.

Fortunately, the optimal gear sets for each melee role in Dawntrail remain consistent across various ping rates and playstyles. As a result, players can confidently make use of community-created gear sets, focusing on the numerical data. In the following text, discover the current best gear sets for each Melee job in Dawntrail, including the latest addition, Viper.

Best In Slot Gear For Monk

Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

Monks aim for faster skill execution than many melee Damage Per Second (DPS) classes, yet they remain committed to prioritizing both Strength and Critical Hit Rate. Consequently, they favor an abundance of light-to-heavy armor pieces as their best-in-slot (BiS) equipment.

Weapon Skyruin Baghnakhs
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Head Light-heavy Hood of Striking
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Body Neo Kindom Tunic of Striking
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Quickarm Materia XII
Hands Light-heavy Gloves of Striking
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
Legs Neo Kingdom Breeches of Striking
  • Quickarm Materia XII
  • Quickarm Materia XII
Feet Light-heavy Boots of Striking
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Earrings Light-heavy Earring of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Necklace Resilient Choker of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Bracelets Light-heavy Bangle of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Right Ring Light-heavy Ring of Slaying
  • Quickarm Materia XII
Left Ring Light-heavy Ring of Slaying
  • Quickarm Materia XII
Food Mesquite Soup N/a

The buy order for the Light-heavy gear is Gloves → Head → Chest Piece → Accessories.

Pre-Raid BiS Gear

In the “Dawntrail Expansion,” Monks tend to purchase the most items from the new Light-Heavy gear collection. This means it may take several weeks for players to acquire their best-in-slot (BiS) equipment. When preparing for endgame content, remember that the Monk class prioritizes the following stats:

  1. Weapon Damage
  2. Strength
  3. Critical Hit Rate
  4. Skill Speed
  5. Direct Hit Rate

In simpler terms, the equipment, referred to as Artifact Gear, found in Tuliyollal can temporarily satisfy the needs of players before they can afford to buy the appropriate Light-heavy gear.

Best In Slot Gear For Dragoon

Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

The Dragoon excels in performing deliberate spins, inflicting substantial damage. Consequently, the best-in-slot (BiS) equipment shuns skill speed and instead emphasizes Critical Hit Chance and Determination. This character is a blend of Tomestone equipment and items from the Arcadia Raid series. However, the pants remain Heavensbound Breeches because they are the sole high-level gear offering Critical Hit Chance rather than Skill Speed.

Weapon Skyruin Glaive
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Head Light-Heavy Bandanna of Maiming
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Body Neo Kingdom Tabard of Maiming
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Hands Neo Kingdom Gloves of Maiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
Legs Heavensbound Breeches
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
Feet Light-heavy Greaves of Maiming
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Earrings Resilient Earring of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Necklace Resilient Choker of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Bracelets Light-heavy Bangle of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Right Ring Light-heavy Ring of Slaying
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Left Ring Light-heavy Ring of Slaying
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Food Vegetable Soup N/a

Pre-Raid BiS

If players don’t have the Light-heavy equipment shown in the table, it is usually best for them to opt for the Heavensbound gear instead.

To achieve the best statistical progression with your Light-heavy gear purchases, follow this sequence: Buy the head item first, then move on to the feet, and lastly acquire rings and bracelet.

Best In Slot Gear For Ninja

Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

For Ninja players, it’s essential to focus on enhancing Critical Hit Chance, Damage dealt by weapons, and Dexterity as their top priorities. Consequently, items with higher levels offer better stats in these areas. However, an item having Skill Speed is unnecessary for Ninjas, making it a wasted stat. Unfortunately, the Light-heavy armor set contains numerous pieces boasting this unwanted stat, compelling Ninja players to purchase Tomestone Gear for most of their best-in-slot (BiS) equipment.

Weapon Skyruin Cleavers
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Head Neo Kingdom Chapeau of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Body Light-heavy Coat of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Hands Light-heavy Gloves of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Legs Neo Kingdom Kecks of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Feet Neo Kingdom Boots of Scouting
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Earrings Resilient Earring of Aiming
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Necklace Resilient Choker of Aiming
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
Bracelets Resilient Bracelet of Aiming
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Right Ring Light-heavy Ring of Aiming
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Left Ring Resilient Ring of Aiming
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Food Vegetable Soup N/a

Based on my own experience as a dedicated player in this MMORPG game, I have found that when it comes to acquiring Ninja’s raid gear pieces, the conventional wisdom is to prioritize the Chest and Gloves first for optimal stat progression. However, I’ve also encountered situations where competition for the main body relics has been particularly fierce, leading me to adapt a different strategy. In such cases, starting with the acquisition of the Gloves and Ring can be an effective alternative. It may not yield the same level of immediate stat improvement as focusing on the Chest and Gloves first, but it allows for more flexibility in the long run and can help ensure that progress is still being made towards completing the set. Of course, every player’s situation is unique, so it’s essential to assess the current market conditions and personal priorities before deciding on a strategy.

Best In Slot Gear For Viper

Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

As a fan of this game, I can tell you that although Viper and Ninja share some equipment, my preferred stat distributions are slightly distinct. Consequently, the Best-in-Slot (BiS) gear I’d aim for as a Viper player would involve melding different Materia on specific items compared to a Ninja. For those players who want their gear to work with both roles, you will need to make certain Materia substitutions, which I’ll indicate in parentheses.

Weapon Skyruin Twinfangs
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Head Neo Kingdom Chapaeu of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Body Light-heavy Coat of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Hands Light-heavy Gloves of Scouting
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Legs Neo Kingdom Kecks of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Quickarm Materia XII (Savage Aim Materia XII)
Feet Neo Kingdom Boots of Scouting
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Earrings Resilient Earring of Aiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Necklace Resilient Chocker of Aiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII (Heaven’s Eye Materia XII)
Bracelets Resilient Bracelet of Aiming
  • Quickarm Materia XII
Right Ring Resilient Ring of Aiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Left Ring Light-heavy Ring of Aiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Food Vegetable Soup N/a

In simple terms, the decision to buy the Light-heavy Coat, Gloves, or Ring initially makes little difference for the Viper. The sequence of purchase doesn’t hold significant importance.

Best In Slot Gear For Samurai

Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

Samurais prioritize Critical Hit and Determination as their primary stat preferences, in addition to the inherent Strength and Weapon Damage from their equipment. Some Skill Speed is beneficial for Samurais, but most builds opt for a minimal Global Skill Cooldown. The current Best in Slot gear includes the Neo Kingdom Hood for its Skill Speed to reach the Global Cooldown threshold, while other gear choices aim to avoid Skill Speed and focus on other stats instead.

Weapon Skyruin Blade
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Head Neo Kingdom Hood of Striking
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Body Neo Kingdom Tunic of Striking
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Hands Neo Kingdom Gloves of Striking
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Legs Light-heavy Brais of Striking
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Feet Light-heavy Boots of Striking
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Earrings Resilient Earring of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Necklace Resilient Choker of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Bracelets Light-heavy Bangle of Slaying
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Right Ring Light-heavy Ring of Slaying
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Left Ring Resilient Ring of Slaying
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Food Fruit and Aloe Jelly N/a

An option for paraphrasing this sentence could be: Vegetable Soup is another viable meal choice, although it comes with a trade-off: the player’s Critical Hit probability decreases by one level while their Direct Hits increase. This results in only a minimal difference in damage output. Compared to Fruit and Aloe Jelly, however, these meals are slightly less efficient.

Best In Slot Gear For Reaper

Final Fantasy 14: Best In Slot Dawntrail Gear For Every Melee DPS

In simpler terms, when it comes to the optimal equipment for Reaper in normal raids, they face an unusual situation since most top-tier gear doesn’t include their preferred stat of Critical Hit. To compensate for this and achieve high damage output, Reapers place significant importance on Determination and Direct Hit during Materia Melding.

Weapon Skyruin War Scythe
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Head Light-heavy Bandanna of Maiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Body Neo Kingdom Tabard of Maiming
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
Hands Light-heavy Halfgloves of Maiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Aim Materia XII
Legs Neo Kingdom Brayettes of Maiming
  • Savage Might Materia XII
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Feet Light-heavy Greaves of Maiming
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
  • Quickarm Materia XII
Earrings Resilient Earrings of Slaying
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
Necklace Resilient Choker of Slaying
  • Heaven’s Eye Materia XII
Bracelets Resilient Bracelet of Slaying
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Right Ring Resilient Ring of Slaying
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Left Ring Light-heavy Ring of Slaying
  • Savage Might Materia XII
Food Vegetable Soup N/a

The buying order for the Raid Gear is Head → Hands → Feet → Ring.

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2024-07-29 15:05