Gunbreaker Starter Guide for Level 60: New to the Job? Start Here! [FFXIV 6.40+]

[@wollyram6248]

Once your are comfortable with sword explosions, lookup superbolid macros, giving healers aneurysms is worth the occasional wipe.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Oh dear! Right into the danger zone is where that leads you! ^^

[@wollyram6248]

@@CaetsuChaijiCh We have to do our part, keep roulette healers on thier toes.

[@Lydi1992]

I need a superbolid Marco I used it in a dungeon and the healer got their panties in a twist and started fussing at me. Saying I was “trolling”

[@ShadowGamer-eh5fc]

Ya I main healer and have so many breakers that will randomly pop that not even near death

[@liekevantilburg1431]

Just started with gunbreaker. Thanks for the guide! So happy I watched this first before doing anything else. Still feel like I have to get more used to it. But looking forward to level a bit more and watch your second gnb guide!

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad you found it helpful! 😄 Enjoy your journey with gunbreaker, and remember, the second guide goes level by level, so you can always just watch the parts that apply to you if you feel a bit lost! 😁

[@Dont_Za_Jah]

Started playing recently and wanted to try gunbreaker right at level 60. I've been playing DPS and this will be my first time playing as Tank. Gonna try some lower level dungeons first to get used to it but this guide was great at explaining the ability's and giving me a good idea of the rotations. Will definitely be coming back to this channel for future guides. Thanks!

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad to hear that! Thank you! A great idea to start with lower level dungeons as well, I would have suggested the same thing! 😁

[@Ryder.Draconis]

Thanks for the great video. 10 years ago, I played exclusively WHM and I just got back into the game this week and decided to switch to gunbreaker. But I'm disappointed that they started me at lvl 60 because I feel I didn't earn it, I get 24 abilities thrown at me all at once, and I never tanked before. I'll be using this many times.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Thank you so much! ANd welcome back to Eorzea! If you find it a bit overwhelming to get into, I recommend jumping into lower level dungeons so you can get gradually more acquainted with the toolkit. Pretty decent dungeons on the way that I recommend: Start with Sastasha (Level 18) Then do Haukke Manor (Level 31, this introduces the Powder Gauge) Then any level 50 dungeon. I like Snowcloak personally. And then I think you should be equipped to jump into a level 60 dungeon from there. You can always adjust and add more points on the way if you still feel it is a bit much! Regardless of what you choose to do, I'm glad my guide at least helped with your start on the job! And furthermore, I hope you enjoy learning the job more! :D

[@ragen013108]

I just started this game and made it to lvl 60 so appreciate this guide to help me learn gunbreaker a little faster

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Congratulations on reaching 60! I do hope you enjoy gunbreaker! 😊

[@Kenshin6321]

Gunbreaker was my first tank role and it's still my favorite. I also think it was your videos who taught me not to stack my cooldowns. I would always stack Reprisal and Rampart because I didn't know they actually stacked multiplicatively. However, I have noticed that I die more often now that I'm only using one cooldown >_> Healers focusing more on DPS than healing is really kind of annoying.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

It is a bit awkward when the healers focus so heavily on damage that they forget they also need to do healing My best suggestion is to consider if there are any of your cooldowns you won't need for later in a pull and then overlap those with your current cooldown(s) if you need more to survive. This can of course lead to problems later down the line! But it is better than dying right now! But ultimately, when the healer gets too greedy, you will often have to go way off script and do whatever it takes to survive! For example, if you are in the situation that you won't survive with just Reprisal active, then using it alongside Camouflage (for example) might be enough to make the difference. Although, if the healer isn't doing much at all that might not be enough either! Naturally, tanking is a very reactive role, so you may be able to find a better solution in the moment, but I hope these considerations help you!

[@RrowdyBeast]

These guides are great, but the "damage > heal" usually applies to endgame when you have your full kit; Honestly feel like one of the suggestions for beginner healing guides is stressing healing over damage while lvling The "damage over healing" is only applicable with a good group or a solid healer, and while lvling you don't have your full kit and the balancing is sort of off in some dungeons/scenarios. As people get used to it, then ease more damage into it, but some of the eariler dungeons can be rough and the healer is literally told to "do damage, you'll kill the mobs before the tank dies", and then the tank dies, and you have the awkwardness of wiping Not even gonna factor in the rather absurd amount of bots wither being lvld or in the roulette taking up Healing and Tank slots for the free materia~ but that's its' own thing with it being a popular MMO and all, and just have to make the best of some situations you just can't help but take a deep breath, bear and get thru it lol But endgame, imo if you did everything right on Tank, the Healer at max lvl should know what to do imo if they weren't boosted; I just lvl'd Sage this week and found it substantially easier at max than lvling, even when going back. You can definitely focus on DPS more as a healer, but the main priority is to prevent a wipe always so not sure what would be up aside from a nervous player or an honest mistake~ or a troll or a badly programmed bot

[@NetherWhy]

Good help. Thanks!

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Enjoy your journey with gunbreaker! 😁

[@dndapothecary]

just picked up gunbreaker yesterday and was feeling lost. thanks for the video, it really helped explain some things

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad to hear that! I hope you enjoy gunbreaker! 😁

[@rainbowglitched5295]

Thank you so much for this, I just started Gunbreaker and had nowhere to start. Most other guids I've seen are for max level, not baby bladers, Subbed!

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad my guide helped you get started with gunbreaker! Thank you! 😁

[@jzrhoom]

you are my life in this game, learning alot of all jobs

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Thank you so much! That is awesome by the way! I do hope you have fun learning! 😄

[@adamchristensen1397]

Thank you for this guide! Ive mained healers all my years of MMOs, but have really wanted to try a tank lately, and Gunbreaker (as a concept) seems cool. Just unlocked it and damn, after watching this, I have some practice to do hahaha

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad my guide helped you! If you want a softer start you could run a lower level duty like sastasha where you have less buttons to keep track of! 😊

[@adamchristensen1397]

@@CaetsuChaijiCh Oh dont worry, I dont plan on putting my healers through trauma trying to keep a first time tank alive in a level 60 dungeon xD

[@richardwhite3521]

Thanks! I’m a sprout pally main but since it’s so easy to over level the msq, I’ve begun queuing as gun breaker to split up the xp. This is a very timely video for me.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

That is a good idea! Splitting up the exp is an excellent way to alleviate that MSQ issue. It also helps you to get to try a different job a bit more if you are interested in maybe switching over! Just keep in mind that during the later parts of the MSQ the exp may stretch very thing between even two jobs! This can be fixed with a leveling duty roulette every now and then! Gunbreaker is also a great secondary job to play alongside Paladin due to the similarities in their combat style, letting you experience a different perspective without it being too different! I'm glad my guide came out at such a convenient time!

[@Sharpe0095]

Firstly, thank you so much for all your guides! I only started playing a few weeks ago, so I'm still a sprout, and have found your videos to be both informative and insightful, greatly helping me understand how all the different jobs work, and their history over the years. Gunbreaker is now my main job, and this video helped deepen my understanding of the job, but also gave me reassurance that what I have been doing was, generally, along the right lines. One thing I was wondering though, is whether you might also be able to offer any additional guidance regarding hotbar setups? You always show your own hotbars, which is great, but I'm a "clicker" and for some jobs I find it really difficult to get my head round how to set my hotbars up for all the different jobs in a way that "makes sense" and compliments their particular skill rotations, so would really value hearing from someone like yourself who has far more knowledge and expertise than me, or if you could point me in the direction of any other useful resources that might help me? Thanks again o7

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Thank you so much! And I am glad to hear that you find my videos so helpful! Regarding your question about hotbars: First, some motivation to consider expanding your horison, and then some Clicker advice: While playing FFXIV as a clicker is perfectly feasible, some jobs require so many button presses that it is almost impossible to do it with just a mouse. Furthermore, while clicking, you tend to need to keep track of where your mouse is, which takes your attention away from what is happening in the fight (where you are standing for example). For these reasons, I would highly advice that you at least try to start introducing keybinds into your playstyle if you can! If you have some limitation that outright means that you cant do that, then that is of course a separate issue and then I could give advice based on that. If you want some pointers on where to start with keybinds, focusing on Gunbreaker, I would recommend keybinding your 1-2-3 combo, Burst Strike and Gnashing Fang to start (5 buttons total). You can leave everything else to the mouse to begin with, and then gradually introduce more things. Alternatively, for actual Clicker advice: Place weaponskills and abilities that are often used together close together so your mouse has to travel less distance to press them in succession. For example, place Danger Zone close to both Gnashing Fang, and as many of your 1-2-3 combo steps as you can. The key thing is that you typically have up to 2.5 seconds between weaponskills to get ready to click, but abilities you often have closer to 0.5 seconds, so less distance gives you more time to aim the mouse right. If you do in fact have some sort of limitation that means you genuinely cannot use keybinds I can try and give some advice for this separately. But I do really recommend trying to add just a few keybinds to ease the burden of your clicking, and then try to gradually move over. Not because clicking itself is bad, but because you need your eyes to look at the fight, and not at your mouse! I hope this helps you, and remember, there is nothing wrong with being a clicker, I am just suggesting you might be able to become even better by expanding your options!

[@Sharpe0095]

@@CaetsuChaijiCh Thanks for replying. Very much appreciate those pointers, I'll have a go at working on your suggestions :)

[@GlassOnion23]

​@@Sharpe0095​ If you're still not comfortable using keybinds, for example, because you find that moving and using a keybind at the same time is unwieldy, I suggest spending a moderate amount of money getting an MMO mouse. I recommend the one I use, the Logitech G600, which costs around 50 USD and is generally considered as reliable. I particularly like that it has a third mouse button beside the right click button. I have access to 36 abilities, more than enough for every job, using the 12 side buttons, plus those buttons in combination with the Control (which I bound to the third mouse button) and Shift modifiers. My left hand fingers almost never have to move away from the movement keys. It's great. Consider getting one or at the very least really acquainting yourself with using keybinds. I personally can't imagine, although I could be wrong, that clicking abilities is going to cut it if you're ever intending on tackling the higher-end content at some point down the line. You may find yourself having spent hundreds of hours doing just fine clicking abilities while going through the MSQ, which compared to the higher-end content is very easy, and then being hugely unprepared after that. By that point, it'd be a lot harder to unlearn hundreds of hours of muscle memory.

[@LarenzW]

Love the guide, my 2nd fav tank! Besides Dark Knight😊

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad to hear that, thank you! 😁

[@SilentMusicNote]

Tbh i love watching your videos sinc they are slowed down and very informative :p

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad to hear that! I feel guides often go a bit too fast with the details, so I am glad to know that it is appreciated that I don't rush too much! :D

[@Ymirsabella]

Thanks for the guide Cae

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I hope you enjoyed it, Ymir!

[@DuvalRypr]

Hey man. I stopped by your stream earlier and said I was about to watch your Wondrous Tails video. Well, I started with WAR, leveled to 60. Then tried DRK when I got to Heavensward and got to 62. Then I tried PLD and got it up to 64, I had a lot of fun. But I wanted a change of pace and to try GNB so I finished the GNB and immediately watched your video and went to the training dummy. I just want to say thank you for these guides man. I would have been so lost on GNB without it being a poor ol sprout! I’m still loving the tanking as a WoW refugee and it’s going to be a very long time until I try a DPS job. I only did one dungeon so far as a GNB but I’ve had a lot of fun with it. It hits like a damn truck! That damn elephant in Dusk Vigil took forever on my PLD but it felt like half the time with the GNB. Enjoying it so far!

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad to hear that Rypr! I hope you continue to have fun with it as well! 😁 Thank you!

[@DuvalRypr]

@@CaetsuChaijiChI do have a question tho. Can you clarify the AOE situation for me please? That’s the only thing I was a bit confused about in your video. Should I use the 1-2-3 combo for 2 targets or use the regular rotation? And for 3 targets? Then 4 or more? Sorry for all the questions I really just want to be able to optimize during pulls. I feel like all I do is the 1-2 AOE combo when there are 3 or more and never throw in any oGCDs or anything.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

@DuvalRypr right! So at around 7:00 I list the aoe variations and they go as follows: The aoe combo is stronger than your single target 123 on two targets (yes, TWO), on three targets, it isn't even worth it to use burst strike over the aoe combo, which might feel weird since you waste resource generation. On four or more targets, it isn't worth it to use the gnashing fang combo either over the aoe combo, meaning all of your resource spenders are skipped for more aoe combos. And while sonic break is beaten by the aoe combo at 7 targets, because it is a DoT, you might not even want to use it on like... 4 or 5 targets but that depends! That means on large aoe packs, your GCDs are literally just aoe combos! You can - and should - still use ogcd options like no mercy, danger zone and rough divide. Make sure to target healthier mobs in the pack when using the single target options. And on low target counts, make sure to target the healthier mobs with your single target attacks like gnashing fang (like on 3 targets). The reason we target the healthier mobs is so that there will be more mobs around for longer, making the aoe attacks do more overall dps for longer, which helps both you and the rest of the group. If for any reason you are getting overwhelmed by the damage from the pack, you can instead choose to prioritize the least healthy mobs to try and finish them off, but I recommend only doing this with single target attacks you would use anyway. For example, on five targets, you could target the weakest mob with danger zone and rough divide, but as your aoe combo beats most of your other options, you have no reason to spend your gcd on this, and it would unnecessarily prolong the fight further! 😊 I hope some of this helps!

[@DuvalRypr]

@@CaetsuChaijiCh yes this helps so much, thank you! & just for clarification, on say 4 targets (with zero charges) what would your rotation look like at lvl 60? AOE combo then throw in the oGCDs then back to AOE combo? I’m sorry for all the questions I just really like to have a good understanding. You’re great at what you do so I just want to know exactly how to optimize my rotations lol. It seems like you’ve figured this out to a science and I feel like there’s no better FFXIV teacher in the world tbh.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

@DuvalRypr yes since ogcds can fit between gcds that would indeed be the way to do it 😊 Even if you had a full gauge ready to go, the aoe combo is still better 😁 And thank you 😁

[@theoriginalbigant]

Thanks for making a video that's informative and not full of bad jokes and screaming like a fool.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad you found it helpful! 😊😅 Thank you!

[@FlotsamDM]

Started with GNB an hour ago cos I'm bored of WAR. Thanks for the excellent tutorial!

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad my guide helped you get started! 😁

[@Shinky]

I just got into the game not too long ago, I'm in post stormblood currently and have been playing Ninja. It just hit level 90 so I thought I'd jump into a tank role, I'm pretty overwhelmed because it seems as if it requires me to focus more on whats going on at all times. It's fun from what I've tried though

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Good to hear you are having fun! Part of the overwhelming feeling might also be from starting with 60 levels of stuff 😊 but if it is fine now that's great!

[@mugetsu9393]

psst...psst. Finally.... a gunblade specialist. thank you for your awesome guides :D

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I'm glad my guides have helped you! Thank you! 😄

[@filafira]

3:55 that killed me XD hahaha I learned something new, gnashing fang combo is prioritized over aoe combo with 3 or less targets?

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

😄 As you level up, this of course can change a bit, but since the gnashing fang combo does more damage on average than the aoe combo steps do ok average with 3 targets, it is most effective to use the gnashing fang combo there. Naturally if all three targets are close to death you could also just use the aoe combo to finish! 😁

[@Scerttle]

Honestly wish they'd make No Mercy 21 seconds so it would line up with server ticks, but oh well. Same with PLD FoF now that I think about it.

[@Scerttle]

With my ping I still try to late weave No Mercy since I will clip a few GCDs during double waves. So no matter what, it's worth trying to get down that late weave timing.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

It is an interesting balance 😅 I imagine that if they increased it to 21 seconds, then the standard would become always late weave to fit 9 gcds in, and it would make gunbreaker less interested in skill speed 🤔 I can however very much see why it can be a huge problem if you have issues with latency 😅 Indeed, always late weaving isn't a bad thing 😊

[@UselessNekoGang]

That's an interesting layout for you attack and defense skills. Do you put all of your offensive skills on the left and all the defensive skulls on the right? Does that setup work later on with more skills? Honestly the most daunting thing to me is all the weaving. I'm not good with hyper combo intensive stuff but I really want to make gunbreaker work!

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

I use an mmo mouse with a thumb grid which I use to easily access the right half of my hot bars 😊 I talk a bit about my logic in keybinds and such in this older video 😊 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJqcl2ZsqZKEqMU Ultimately, you need to figure out what works best for you, but I can guarantee you that three hot bars will be enough for all your buttons if it is of any help! 😁 I actually have some offensive actions on the right here, like rough divide which is a gap closer, as well as interject and provoke, which is an interrupt and a taunt respectively!

[@monkeyrobototto]

I know this is an older video but I'm just getting back into the game after hopping out half way through my free trial. I'm currently a level 50 Warrior but want to try Gunbreaker. I have quite a bit of time waiting for my friends to catch up in the MSQ so I have time to level other classes in the meantime, what would you all recommend as a good practice class to get used to the Gunbreakers busier rotations? I've heard Paladin is the closest tank to it and Dragoon is the closest DPS but I wanted other opinions that i haven't been able to find online.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Paladins attack rotation is probably the closest in similarity to gunbreaker, although they really start to become more similar at higher levels. I think the most important aspect, as gunbreaker is a tank, is to practice as a tank in that case, so you could go with any of the tanks in my opinion! 😊

[@monkeyrobototto]

@@CaetsuChaijiCh Awesome, thank you! I have Gladiator to 25 and I don't know why but I'm feeling like I like it more than I did Marauder already.

[@toattubes3273]

Question about priority, if Burst Strike should come before 1-2-3 during No Mercy window, what do you do if Gnashing Fang is coming off CD the next GCD after it ends and you only have 1 cart? Is it still worth more to get the Strike in and delay your Fang by another 1+ GCDs?

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Overall, there are situations where sneaking in the Burst Strike for the slight damage gain in the moment is better. However, in most situations, prioritizing being able to use Gnashing Fang on cooldown should be more important. This is both because you can't be sure if the delay is going to cost you a lot or very little. And the consistent timing of Gnashing Fang makes your rotation more predictable and reliable, easier to keep track of. So in general I recommend prioritizing Gnashing Fang. Make sure Gnashing Fang lands during No Mercy at least every second time (starting with the one in the opener) Just to add to this, typically, Gnashing Fang should come out during No Mercy, and if it does, then it doesn't really matter when in No Mercy it is used, you will have at least enough time for a full 1-2-3 combo before the next Gnashing Fang combo comes up. The way for the exact situation you described to come up is if you used Gnashing Fang just before No Mercy (don't do that), and then have to use it again just after. With that in mind, it would be beneficial to delay Gnashing Fang a bit, as you *want* Gnashing Fang to line up with No Mercy Just to clarify: Gnashing Fang has a 30 second cooldown, No Mercy lasts 20 seconds, it takes 7.5 seconds to generate one Cartridge. The only way for Gnashing Fang to be available 1 GCD after No Mercy ends is if you used Gnashing Fang ~3 GCDs before No Mercy, which suggests Gnashing Fang drifted heavily previously in the fight somehow. If that happens, I recommend delaying Gnashing Fang to land in No Mercy I hope this clears things up!

[@toattubes3273]

Great response, gave both a simple answer to my question and all this info to pan over and refer back to as I get better at the job. Appreciate it!

[@gps_massage5151]

i played till lvl 68 on console and wow i was doing stuff not the best but least i did raids pretty good.. back 5 years later and its all so different from overhauls. slowly remembering but man on pc now and seeing some videos of use of macros and all this stuff for how to use rotations im so lost like learning another language hahah.. thankyou for video tho, quick question is how do i get that 3rd bar up and how do i use it and stuff? need to get mmorpg mouse but have one that has a back and forward side button i wonder if i can asign things to?

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

If you press escape while in game, it should show a menu. One of the options is something like HUD customization. You can add an additional hotbar there. In the character configuration menu I believe you can also choose which hotbars to see (both options work). Under keybinds you can go into hotbars, and simply assign keybinds to each button on the hotbar 😊 Regarding your mouse, if you press the button on your mouse when assigning a key bind, it should work I imagine! 😁 Good luck with your journey, and welcome back!

[@anthonyfraser4801]

They took out rough divide. What do you recommend now?

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Whenever rough divide is referred to as an attack, just skip that. Aside from that, everything is the same, with a bit less weaving 😊 You can use the new trajectory for gap closing without worrying about losing damage! 😁

[@anthonyfraser4801]

Thanks for the speedy reply!

[@theGn0rp]

Early game the gunbreaker seems to do less damage than others? I'm a lvl 62 gunbreaker now, and i've been doing the rotations correctly, buff window correctly and choosing when to use what ability well, but it seemingly does way less damage than my DRK at level 60. Yes i use a DPS meter.

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Dark Knight has a pretty huge advantage in that level range, as it is the only one of the four tanks that both generate resources with its filler AoE combo, and has and can spend resources on an AoE spender as well, through Stalwart Soul and Flood of Darkness. For comparison, Gunbreaker is missing an AoE spender, Warrior cannot generate resources with its AoE combo, and Paladin does not have an AoE spender either. Personally I would say Gunbreaker might have slightly more burst damage right at the outset, but Dark Knight absolutely wins in the long run. On the other hand, Gunbreaker has slightly better options defensively since Camouflage and Aurora works for packs, where Dark Knights Dark Mind does not! There's upsides and downsides to all of the tanks, and as long as the damage output difference isn't gigantic, it is probably fine! Interesting observation! thank you!

[@theGn0rp]

@@CaetsuChaijiCh Thank you for the insight!

[@Lionhart1991]

jesus, i just can't, this game seems so unwieldy, first time i see something about it and i am a huge FF VIII fan so obv this was the class i was looking for but oh man, and lol was hard to master? here you have like 4323443 buttons, rotation and combination to look, i don't think it's for me

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

If you want to get into ffxiv, the thing is that you don't start with this many buttons, but gunbreaker starts at a higher level 😊 if you want to get into it, my best recommendation is trying it, given the Free trial is huge you don't even have to pay anything to give it a go 😉 By the time you reach level 60, whatever job you chose will have gradually prepared you to have this many buttons!

[@madz3531]

lol is way harder lmao

[@lloroshastar6347]

Sorry every time I try watching this channel I find it too hard to follow

[@CaetsuChaijiCh]

Maybe my style of teaching isn't for you. If other guides also don't work, it can be your approach to it. I do recommend having the game open and trying out the things being taught alongside it so you don't just get the explanation and then retain no memory of it! 🤔😊 Could be a lot of things

[@lloroshastar6347]

@@CaetsuChaijiCh I think it's the style of teaching but also lack of experience with other MMO's, I never played WoW or any game like that before FFXIV I play it because I'm a longterm Final Fantasy fan and I find a lot of the jargon hard to retain it feels like learning a new language, I also find the visual cues better than the names of the attacks because I can never remember the names of the attacks. I'm picking up more of the abbreviation's and jargon as time goes on but still a lot of it just goes in one ear and out the other. It feels like I'm listening to a TED talk that I'm not interested in, except I am interested in this because I want to play Gunbreaker better so I don't get shouted at by other players. I didn't have any issues with Warrior but am really struggling with Gunbreaker it seems, it feels like there is less room to make mistakes, but I'm struggling to find an easy to follow rotation guide anywhere.