Monk Ascends: Targeted Potency Boosts

Final Fantasy XIV’s Patch 7.4 includes targeted job adjustments designed to fine-tune the meta ahead of the final Savage raid tier. The most significant shift is the substantial buff to the Monk (MNK) job.

The Monk received a blanket increase in potency for several of its core damage abilities, including the final forms of its major comba rotations (like Bootshine, True Strike, Snap Punch, and their extensions). The goal is to bring the Monk’s overall damage per second (DPS) output closer to the top-tier melee jobs, specifically those perceived as overperforming, such as Samurai. The developers noted that while Monk’s intricate rotational complexity and positional requirements were high, its damage output did not justify the effort, particularly in speed runs. This potency buff addresses that gap directly, rewarding precise execution with competitive damage numbers.

Tank Rebalancing: Reducing the DPS Contagion

The second, and more controversial, change affects all four Tank jobs: Warrior (WAR), Paladin (PLD), Dark Knight (DRK), and Gunbreaker (GNB). All four received a minor reduction in potency on their primary damage-dealing abilities.

This is a deliberate attempt to enforce the traditional “Tank” role boundaries. For several expansions, the damage output of Tanks had crept closer and closer to that of dedicated DPS jobs, leading to a meta where high-end groups prioritized maximizing Tank damage contributions. This created an expectation that Tanks must optimize their rotations purely for offense, sometimes at the expense of defensive responsibility. The potency reduction is intended to create a clearer differential between the DPS and Tank roles. While the change is minor, it is designed to push Tanks back into a clear Damage Penalty compared to pure DPS jobs.

Community Reaction: Relief vs. Resistance

The community reaction mirrors the nature of the changes: the Monk buff was met with widespread relief and excitement, while the Tank nerfs were met with predictable resistance.

  • Monk Satisfaction: Monk mains expressed profound satisfaction, confirming that the job felt rewarding again. Players feel the job is finally ready for the high demands of the Savage raid tier. There is consensus that the buff was deserved based on the job’s rotational difficulty.
  • Tank Player Resistance: Tank players, however, voiced frustration. On forums, the general sentiment is that reducing Tank damage output does not promote defensive play; it merely makes the entire raid’s DPS check harder. Many Tank mains argued that their contribution to damage is what makes the role engaging, especially in content where defensive cooldowns are managed effectively. The critique is that this change punishes optimization without actually altering how Tanks execute defensive mechanics. The fear is that the shift will only widen the already high demand for healers and pure DPS jobs.

Meta Implications: A Return to DPS Hierarchy

The combined effect of these changes is a clear attempt to restore the classical DPS hierarchy in FFXIV:

  1. Pure DPS (Black Mage, Samurai): Remains the undisputed damage ceiling.
  2. Melee DPS (Monk, Reaper): Rises to a competitive, high-tier status, justifying the difficulty of positionals.
  3. Tanks: Clearly positioned below all dedicated DPS jobs in terms of offensive contribution.

This balance shift is crucial for the Arcadion Savage raid tier. The tighter DPS checks expected in the final encounter mean that optimized party compositions will now favor the higher-potency Monk, while Tanks will have less margin for error in managing their offensive rotation alongside their defensive utility.