FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Lock and Load: The Reassembled Machinist Guide

Gauss Barrel, Ammo, And Turrets

The Machinist has 3 major concepts that it utilizes: the Gauss Barrel, usage of Ammunition, and the supportive toggled abilities of the autoturrets.

Like the Bard’s Wanderer’s Minuet, Machinists get access to Gauss Barrel, an ability that puts a cast time on weaponskills and stops all auto-attacks. However, unlike the Bard, once a proc is triggered for Split Shot or Slug Shot, the following Slug or Clean Shot has no cast time. Some skills are also only usable while the Gauss Barrel is equipped.

Ammunition, unlike the Gauss Barrel, is introduced at the start of the class with the 2 skills Quick Reload and Reload. A round of ammunition adds 20 potency, but the increase in potency isn’t the benefit of ammunition. Ammunition and Reassemble does not apply on Lead Shot DoT, only its initial hit. If ammunition is stocked, the 50/50 chance of chaining a Split Shot into a Slug Shot and a Slug Shot into a Clean Shot becomes reality, increasing the burst damage you can put out.

Turrets serve as a mix of the Bard's songs and the Summoner pets. They take reduced damage from AoE, and have a static amount of HP. They will be withdrawn from the battlefield if their HP hits 0. The amount of damage a turret does is around 15% of the Machinist's DPS.

Weaponskills (Global Cooldown Actions)

Hot Shot - Delivers an attack with a potency of 120. Additional Effect: Increases physical damage dealt by 5%. Duration: 30s

Lead Shot - Delivers an attack with a potency of 40. Places a DoT with a potency of 45 for 30s.

Split Shot - Delivers an attack with a potency of 140. Additional Effect: 50% chance of increasing next Slug Shot potency by 80. Gauss Barrel Effect: Next Slug Shot will have no cast time. Duration: 10s. Ammunition Effect: 100% chance of increasing next Slug Shot potency.

Slug Shot - Delivers an attack with a potency of 100. Split Shot Bonus Potency: 180. Additional Effect: 50% chance of increasing next Clean Shot potency by 100. Gauss Barrel Effect: Next Clean Shot will have no cast time. Duration: 10s. Ammunition Effect: 100% chance of increasing next Clean Shot potency.

Clean Shot - Delivers an attack with a potency of 100. Slug Shot Bonus Potency: 200

Spread Shot - Deliver an attack with a potency of 100 to all enemies in a cone before you.

Grenado Shot - Delivers an attack with a potency of 120 to target and enemies near it.

Abilities (off-Global Cooldown Actions)

Skills

Gauss Round - Delivers an attack with potency of 180. Can only be executed with a Gauss Barrel attached. Recast Time: 20s

Ricochet - Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 to target and 200 distributed among all nearby targets (300 potency single target). Can only be executed with a Gauss Barrel attached. Recast Time: 60s

Wildfire - Covers target's body in a slow-burning pitch. For the next 15 seconds, 25% of most damage you inflict upon the target is compiled, then dealt at the end of the effect’s duration. Recast Time: 90s

Suppressive Fire - Delivers an attack with a potency of 100. Additional Effect: Stun Duration 2s. Shares a recast timer with Head Graze. Recast Time: 25s

Head Graze - Delivers an attack with a potency of 100. Additional Effect: Silence Duration: 2s. Share a recast timer with Suppressive Fire. Recast Time: 25s

Blank - Deals damage with a potency of 100. Additional Effect: 15-yalm knockback. Recast Time: 30s

Heartbreak - Delivers an attack with a potency of 180. Can only be executed when target's HP is below 20%. Recast Time: 30s

Buffs and Utility

Gauss Barrel - Equips your current firearm with a gauss barrel, increasing damage dealt by 30%. While barrel is equipped, all auto-attack will stop and all weaponskills will require casting time. Effect ends upon reuse. Cast Time: 0s, Recast Time: 15s

Reassemble - Next weaponskill will result in a critical hit. If the next action is an area of effect attack, only the first enemy hit will be ensured critical damage. Duration: 20s, Recast Time: 60s

Rapid Fire - Reduces weaponskill recast timer to 1.5s. Gauss Barrel Effect: Weaponskills will have no cast time. Effect ends upon using 3 weaponskills. Duration: 15s, Recast Time: 90s

Rook Autoturret - Deploys a single-target battle turret which will deliver auto-attacks with a potency of 80 to its master's target. Using a weaponskill will cause turret to change targets. Hypercharge Potency: 160. Hypercharge Effect: Increases target’s physical damage taken by 5%. Duration: 10s. Shares a recast timer with Bishop Autoturret. Recast Time: 10s

Bishop Autoturret - Deploys an area of effect battle turret which will deliver auto-attacks with a potency of 60 to all nearby enemies. Hypercharge Potency: 120. Hypercharge Effect: Increases target’s magic damage taken by 5% Duration: 10s. Shares a recast timer with Rook Autoturret. Recast Time: 10s

Promotion - Disables a turret's attack mode. Rooks will instead create a 20-yalm radius TP regeneration field. Bishops will create an MP regeneration field. Caster MP is slowly drained while autoturret is promoted. Hypercharge Effect: Regeneration potency is doubled. Attack mode is reactivated upon reuse. Recast Time: 5s

Hypercharge - Overcharges your autoturret, increasing its effectiveness. Duration: 15s. Can only be executed when a turret is deployed. Recast Time: 120s

Turret Retrieval - Retrieves an autoturret from the battlefield. Recast Time: 5s

Reload - Loads firearm with five rounds of special ammunition. One round of ammunition is used each time a weaponskill is executed. Increase that weaponskill's potency by 20. Ammunition use may also increase the rate at which a weaponskill's additional effect is triggered. No more than five rounds can be loaded one at a time. Duration: 30s. Recast Time: 60s

Quick Reload - Replenishes your ammunition by 1 and restores 30 TP. Recast Time: 30s (15s with the trait)

Dismantle - Lowers target's physical damage dealt by 5% Duration: 10s. Shares a recast timer with Rend Mind. Recast Time: 90s

Rend Mind - Lowers target's magic damage dealt by 5%. Duration: 10s. Share a recast timer with Dismantle. Recast Time: 90s

Leg Graze - Inflicts target with Heavy +40%. Duration 12s. Shares a recast timer with Foot Graze. Recast Time: 20s.

Foot Graze - Binds target. Duration 12s. Cancels auto-attack upon execution. Shares a recast timer with Leg Graze. Recast Time: 20s.

Recommended Cross-Class Abilities

Raging Strikes (BRD) - Increases damage dealt by 20% for 20s. Recast Time: 180s

Hawk’s Eye (BRD) - Increases Dexterity by 15% and guarantees that all attacks land. Recast Time: 90s

Feint (DRG) - Delivers an attack with a potency of 120. Additional Effect: Slow +20% for 10s.

Invigorate (DRG) - Instantly restores 400 TP. Recast Time: 120s

Blood for Blood (DRG) - Increases damage dealt by 10% and damage suffered by 25% for 20s. Recast Time: 80s

Alternative to Feint if not using Gauss Barrel: Quelling Strikes (BRD) - Reduces enmity generated by each attack for 15s. Recast Time: 120s

Another alternative to Feint: Keen Flurry (DRG) - Increases parry rate by 40%. Duration: 20s. Recast Time: 90s

Pull

Hot Shot - Potion

Lead Shot - Reload

Split Shot - Wild Fire

Slug Shot - Quick Reload + Reassemble

Clean Shot - Rapid Fire + Ricochet

Split Shot - Gauss Round

Slug Shot - Head Graze

Split Shot - Blank

Clean Shot

Split Shot

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Late Trick/Disembowel

An alternative opener to accommodate a late TA/disembowel (credit to Aiurily Ari of Sargatanas)

On run-back or while buffing

Quick Reload for Two ammo

8 sec Pre-Pull

-Gauss Barrel (on)

5 sec Pre-Pull

-Rook Autoturret (if more Physical DPS than Magical DPS, if otherwise, Bishop Autoturret)

4 sec Pre-Pull

Hawk’s Eye

Blood for Blood

Hypercharge

Raging Strikes

Hot Shot - Potion

Lead Shot - Reload

Split Shot - Wild Fire

Slug Shot - Quick Reload + Rapidfire

Split Shot - Reassemble

ta/disembowel should be up by now

Clean Shot - Ricochet

Slug Shot - Gauss Round

Split Shot (cast time) - Blank

Clean Shot - Head Graze

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you don't need to this if your melee can reach the boss fast enough or if you delay your prepull precast a bit, but it's an option for when the situation is otherwise

The Rotation

Single-Target

Machinists work off a Priority System rather than a set rotation due to the unpredictability of the Shot skills. It goes like this:

Hot Shot – (120 Potency) Keep up your 5% increased physical damage.

Lead Shot – (490 Total Potency) The highest total potency weaponskill in the Machinist’s arsenal.

Split Shot – (140 Potency) Did it proc Slug Shot? Proceed to use Slug Shot. Did Slug Shot proc Clean Shot? Proceed to use Clean Shot. Did nothing proc? Repeat Split Shot while keeping up 1 + 2.

When to use Ammunition? Use Ammunition from Reload when Hot Shot and Lead Shot have a comfortable duration remaining, and use Ammunition from Quick Reload whenever it is available spending it on Split/Slug Shot. Using Lead/Hot Shot while a Slug Shot/Clean Shot proc is up will not remove the proc so time Ammunition appropriately. The first Reload can be timed with Reassemble to guarantee a Critical Hit with Clean Shot. In summary, always try to save your Ammunition for Split/Slug Shot. Ammunition priority should look like this:

Do I have a Clean Shot proc + Ammunition?

Use Split Shot.

Do I have a Slug Shot proc + Ammunition?

Use Slug Shot.

Do I have no procs + Ammunition?

Use Split Shot.

Do I have a Clean Shot proc + No Ammunition?

Use Clean Shot.

When to use Reassemble? Reassemble should always be saved for Clean Shot with Ammo, as a Critical Hit increases the potency by (1.45 + scaling on critical hit rate), allowing Clean Shot to deal more potency.

Gauss Barrel? With the buffs to Gauss Barrel in Patch 3.01 (going from 20% to 30%) it is now worth it to keep Gauss Barrel active in most situations. One situation that may require Gauss Barrel to be toggled off is in situation of high movement. It is better to toggle it off for extended periods of time of movement (longer than 1-2 GCD’s), however, if short movement or small shifts are required it is better to use Feint to fill that short burst of movement.

There is also some testing going on in the higher end of the Machinist community of “stance dancing” with Gauss Barrel to get auto attacks in when no other oGCD moves are available. I will update this guide and section when more testing is completed.

Feint? When forced into a situation that requires movement yet you have Gauss Barrel active, like how a Black Mage uses Scathe while moving, as a Machinist you should be using Feint if no procs are available to use. However, if put in a situation where constant movement is needed (Greater than 1-2 GCD’s), it is better to toggle Gauss Barrel off and not use Feint, turning Gauss Barrel back on when you are at your destination or are in a position to not move for the following 15 seconds.

Keeping Procs? Holding onto a proc is only advisable if burst is required within the next 6 seconds or if you screwed up your procs; there is no difference in total potency otherwise.

Holding Proc

Split Shot (Slug Shot Proc, 4 Ammo) - Slug Shot (Clean Shot Proc, 3 Ammo) - Split Shot (Slug Shot Proc, 2 Ammo) - Clean Shot (1 Ammo) - Slug Shot (Clean Shot Proc, No Ammo) - Clean Shot

140 + 180 + 140 + 200 + 180 + 200 = 1040

Not Holding Proc

Split Shot (Slug Shot Proc, 4 Ammo) - Slug Shot (Clean Shot Proc, 3 Ammo) - Clean Shot (2 Ammo) - Split Shot (Slug Shot Proc, 1 Ammo) - Slug Shot (Clean Shot Proc, No Ammo) - Clean Shot

140 + 180 + 200 + 140 + 180 + 200 = 1040

These abilities should always be on cooldown:

Gauss Round

Heartbreak

Blank (unless the target can get knocked back)

Ricochet (if period of battle is longer than 180s; else save Ricochet for Wildfire burst)

Head Graze/Suppressive Fire (unless Silence/Stun required for fight)

Cooldown Alignment

Like Bard, Blood for Blood benefits from being delayed after the opener.

Blood for Blood should always be lined up with Hawk’s Eye + Wildfire + Rapid Fire.

Your buff use order should be:

Hypercharge > Blood for Blood > Hawk's Eye > Raging Strikes > Rapid Fire > Wildfire

AoE

First, keep up Hot Shot + Gauss Barrel + Bishop Autoturret. Then decide depending on the number of targets as well as the encounter length.

If the targets will live for less than 30 seconds, use Grenado Shot.

If the targets will live more than 30 seconds, use Spread Shot.

If the targets need to die quickly, Rapid Fire will make your AoE instant cast but this will majorly drain your TP.

Once your Invigorate is used, and you have a Warrior/Dragoon/Bard in your party, switch to Rook Autoturret and use Promotion.

If there are 2-3 adds that will stay up for the duration of Lead Shot, it will be worth applying to them as this does significant damage for its TP cost given the time to run its full duration.

Dungeons

In dungeons with pulls of 3 targets, the skill rotation is to buff yourself with Hot Shot then hit each one with Lead Shot, going into Spread Shot/Grenado Shot depending on how long the targets will be alive. When it comes down to 2 targets, AoEing while keeping up Lead Shot will still do more damage than the single target rotation, however, it is quite taxing on your TP, so hitting each one with Lead Shot and then going into your single target rotation is recommended. For bosses, perform your single target rotation.

Turrets

Turrets are one of the aspects that differentiate the Machinist from other DPS jobs as a support. On the use of Promotion gained at level 42, they will change their effect depending on the turret sent out.

To relate Bard Songs to Turret Promotions:

Rook Autoturret <=> Army's Paeon

Bishop Autoturret <=> Mage's Ballad

However, unlike the Bard songs, turrets do not lower your damage while sent out. If placed in Promotion though to activate the TP/MP recovery, they will not commit any autoattacks, which lowers your total DPS by about 15%, as the turret deals approximately 15% of your DPS.

The Machinist's equivalent to Battle Voice is Hypercharge, with several additions.

-Hypercharge while the turret is in Attack Mode will cause 5% physical/magical vulnerability (Rook/Bishop) on enemies for 10 seconds and increase the potency of the turret autoattacks.

-Hypercharge while the turret is Promoted and its Attack Mode disabled will cause 2x the regeneration rate of TP/MP.

Stat Weights + BiS

Stats

Weapon Damage - The main modifier of weapon damage, always go for the highest weapon damage regardless of sub stats.

Dexterity - Affects the amount of damage you inflict, as well as your parry.

Accuracy - Affects the accuracy of your attacks. You should always look to get enough accuracy for the fight you are doing, and optimize for other stats.

Critical Hit Rate - Affects the rate of your attacks dealing critical damage. Critical Hit modifier is not confirmed yet, requires more testing.

Determination - Affects the amount of damage of your attacks. Also increases the damage of your turrets attacks.

Skill Speed - Changed in Heavensward, it now affects the Potency of your DoTs for weaponskills. As in pre-Heavensward, it still affects the recast timer of your weaponskills.

Tentative Stat Weights (3.01)

w/o GB

WD - 9.172

Dexterity - 1.000

Determination - 0.126

Critical Hit Rate - 0.139

Skill Speed - 0.015

w/ GB

WD - 10.71

Dexterity - 1.000

Determination - 0.125

Critical Hit Rate - 0.140

Skill Speed - 0.020

BiS

3.0

http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/QWAV

3.01

http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/QXOB

3.05

http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/RBKR

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=598815592

Lock and Load: The Reassembled Machinist Guide