Endgame Progression Guide

So, you've finally hit level 99. Congratulations! What now? Well, you're probably overwhelmed by all the endgame content, and have no idea where to start or what's accessible. This guide will explain in detail what various endgame events are, what you can get out of them, and when you can take part in them. This guide is set up to walk you through from the first minute as a level 99 all the way to decked out in Best In Slot (BIS) gear - regardless of your job!

Jobs & Party Roles

First, we'll quickly go over some party roles, so you'll know what to generally expect from your job. Many jobs can fulfill multiple roles, so some may be listed multiple times. These are general rules of thumb (many players stretch or break these roles) but should give you an idea of where your job stands. I also suggest reading over other jobs and roles, to get an idea of how they play (and maybe try some others out, if they sound fun!)

Heavy Physical Damage Dealers (Heavy DD / DPS)

These are the heavy hitters, as the name implies. They often wear heavy armor and use two-handed weapons. They can be surprisingly survivable, but don't offer much else in terms of party support beyond pure damage and the occasional debuff.

Warrior - The classic heavy DD, WAR is flexible in that it can wield many different weapons. Can function as a tank in a pinch. Good in almost any situation where you need physical damage.
Monk - MNK doesn't wear heavy armor, but is very survivable nonetheless. Can buff party max HP, which can help save the team during some boss attacks. Good for soloing.
Dark Knight - DRK arguably has the single highest damage Weapon Skills in the game, but offers little to no utility outside of that.
Samurai - SAM specializes in Skillchains, and can solo 6-step Skillchains by using 7 weapon skills in a row. Good for "zerging" down bosses due to this ability to pump out big burst damage.
Dragoon- A mix of DRK and SAM - DRG deals good Weapon Skill and can solo Skillchains easily. You need to pay attention to keeping your pet wyvern alive, though. Good for soloing with a WHM or BLU subjob.

Notes: At high levels, Rune Fencer can also function as a heavy DPS.

Light Physical DD

These jobs wear light armor, and usually dual wield weapons. Don't let the name fool you, they can often dish out just as much damage as a Heavy DD - however, they often lack the survivability of the heavier jobs. They make up for this by offering more support with debuffs, buffs, and even healing. Many light DDs are also more suited than other jobs for solo / "low man" situations, where you don't have a full party of other players.

Red Mage - A jack of all trades, RDM can deal some very solid damage with their swords and en-spells. They can solo shorter skillchains, and even magic burst off of them - all while offering buffs and healing. Very good for soloing.
Thief - THFs help control hate / enmity of party members, while dealing out big burst damage with their daggers. They also bring Treasure Hunter to the table, helping with rare drops. Good at soloing with a NIN or DNC subjob.
Beastmaster - BSTs summon various helper pets to deal damage and help kill the enemy. They can deal very strong AOE damage, and are extraordinarily good at soloing.
Ranger - RNGs can deal very good damage both up close with melee attacks and at range with bows, crossbows, and guns. Lack the party support of COR, but can deal more damage.
Ninja - NIN are similar to RDMs in that they can deal their own skillchains and magic burst off of them with ninjutsu. They're also very survivable by avoiding damage, and can even serve as a tank in some situations. Good at soloing.
Summoner - SMNs summon up pets to do their dirty work, and they can deal very strong physical (and magic!) damage. However, it can be difficult for a new player to gear up. Very good at soloing.
Blue Mage - BLU bring a lot of variety to the table, dealing very respectable melee damage along with lots of AOE debuffs + damage. Learning spells can be time consuming, though. Good at soloing.
Corsair - A great party support with very strong (if random) buffs, COR can also deal respectable melee damage along with ranged guns. In very high demand for parties.
Dancer - DNC specializes in skillchains just like SAM, but sacrifice some damage in exchange for very effective debuffs and healing. You'll need to use Sambas, Waltzes, Steps, and Jigs to manage a resource called Finishing Moves to deal big burst damage. Very good at soloing.

Notes: At higher levels, Bard can also function as a light DPS with melee dagger attacks and weapon skills.

Magic DD

Magic DDs focus in magic damage - not very surprising. This is usually done at a range, and often can hit multiple enemies at once. Their damage is often very strong, but due to relying on MP they can't go on forever.

Black Mage - The gold standard of magic damage, BLM are all about nuking hordes of enemies down with big explosions. They provide some light debuffing options, but are always brought along to bring their amazing firepower - especially when Magic Bursting off a Skillchain.
Red Mage - RDMs lack the AOE of a BLM, but can deal very respectable single-target magic damage while also bringing strong debuffs, buffs, and healing. Also able to deal lots of magic damage through melee attacks using enspells. Good at soloing.
Summoner - SMNs summon up pets to do their dirty work, and they can deal very strong magic (and physical!) damage. However, it can be difficult for a new player to gear up. Very good at soloing.
Blue Mage - BLUs can dish out very strong AOE magical damage, often dealing status effects too. As mentioned above, they also perform well as a Light DD. Very good at soloing.
Scholar - Very flexible mages, SCHs flip-flop back and forth between specializing in white and black magic. Can deal very strong damage over time and can even be a primary healer, if you're good at juggling its Strategem charges. It can even create skillchains via magic!
Geomancer - While primarily used as a support job, GEOs can bring solid magic damage to the table. In AOE form, too!

Tank

Tanks are in charge of keeping and holding enemy hate while being very survivable. Sometimes they can bring some good damage to the table, too. Almost every party wants a tank, and as such these are in high demand.

Paladin - The classic sword and shield knight. PLD specializes in resisting physical damage, can also heal itself and others. Good at soloing.
Ninja - NIN survives via avoiding damage altogether. Not used as a main tank too often, but makes for a great backup tank and can deal damage more easily than other jobs in this category. They are strong at tanking enemies without too many AOE attacks, as those often bypass NIN's damage avoidance.Good at soloing.
Puppetmaster - PUP doesn't tank directly - instead using its pet puppet as the tank. The puppet has frankly ridiculous amounts of damage resistance, and thus lets your healers focus on other party members more easily. Good at soloing.
Rune Fencer - RUNs specialize in resisting magic damage and status effects, making it very strong in the current endgame. They can only resist one element of magic at a time, so the RUN will need to be familiar with what specific encounters require. With strong enough gear, can also dish out very strong damage.

Notes: Warriors and Monks can also function as tanks in emergencies or specialized situations.

Support

The primary role of support jobs is to buff party members or debuff enemies. These jobs are often very strong, and are key members of any party - getting party invites will likely be very easy.

Red Mage - RMDs use strong single-target debuffs and buffs to cripple enemies and embiggen allies. Can also bring strong physical and magic damage to the table, and help out with healing. Very good at soloing.
Bard - BRDs use songs to give allies a wide range of powerful buffs - accuracy, attack, attack speed, MP regeneration, you name it they can buff it. They can also deal respectable melee damage with good enough gear, and have some decent debuffs such as sleeps and dispels. In very high demand.
Corsair - Gamblers by nature, CORs play a quick push-your-luck game to give AOE buffs to their party. They can also deal very good physical damage. In very high demand.
Geomancer - GEOs use AOE bubbles to give powerful buffs and debuffs, localized to specific areas of the battlefield. Their debuffs can't be resisted, and are very powerful - although the GEO will need to keep a Luopan pet alive in order to maintain these buffs/debuffs. In very high demand.

Healer

It's the healers' job to keep everyone in the party alive. They are mandatory in almost every party, and thus are in very high demand.

White Mage - The classic healer, WHM specialize in keeping the party alive and removing debuffs from them. It's rare to find a party that doesn't have at least one white mage.
Scholar - While not as specialized as WHMs, SCHs can provide solid healing as well - and then can switch to offensive spells during downtimes when healing isn't needed.

Notes: Red Mages can also function as solid healers. However, they lack AOE healing and debuff removal, and thus are generally more suited to backup healing.