Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Patch 7.4: Drill and Drill-like skills up through Excavator boosted to 660 Potency in Dawntrail levels.
Patch 7.3: More potency boosts and AoE falloff further reduced to 25%. Auto Crossbow a lot more useful, altering AoE priority slightly. Drill is now always better on 2 targets.
Patch 7.25: Various further reductions in falloff. Most falloff potencies are now 30% or 35%.
Patch 7.2: Spread Shot down to 110 potency and Scattergun stays at 130 potency. AoE is overall far stronger though as skills with damage falloff are nearly all buffed. 65% falloff is now 50%, and 50% has dropped to 40%.

New? Got too many skills? Made the mistake of using a level skip and have no idea what anything does? Just hate reading? Try this guide out!

This guide seeks to teach new Machinists how to Machinist properly, without getting too deep into optimization. I'll be showing off and explaining some openers but not delving too much deeper beyond that and general skill usage. Endgame is a long way away and there's lots to learn along the way. Start slow and work your way up one skill at a time! Then, graduate to more advanced guides.

General DPSing Guide: youtu.be/QV7gLorSweo
Ranged Role Actions Guide: youtu.be/QiSyibWe0IU
Guide to my HUD: youtu.be/GgXOHas9GyY
Dictionary of Terms (if you need): youtu.be/Oi8-myAY-Uc

Opener images: imgur.com/a/qw7ORdY

Dawntrail 1-100 Guides Full Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoXER4idrFLZTFHQXlLzGIwGgNti_yKiS

Twitch: twitch.tv/weskalber
Twitter: twitter.com/WeskAlber
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/weskalber.bsky.social
Discord: discord.gg/mbZkAgy3ej
Patreon: patreon.com/WeskAlber

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00
Playstyle Summary 1:44
Requirements: 2:29
Role Actions: 2:50
L20. Increased Action Damage: 3:12
L1, 2, 26. Split Shot, Slug Shot, and Clean Shot: 3:31
L4. Hot Shot: 4:09
L10. Reassemble: 4:50
L15. Gauss Round: 5:40
L30. Hypercharge: 6:21
L18. Spread Shot: 7:14
L35. Heat Blast: 8:48
L40. Increased Action Damage II: 10:55
L40. Rook Autoturret and Rook Overdrive: 11:05
L45. Wildfire: 13:49
L50. Ricochet: 15:30
L50. Opener: 16:36
L50. AoE Opener: 19:17
L52. Auto Crossbow: 20:44
L54. Split Shot Mastery and Heated Split Shot: 22:10
L56. Tactician: 22:24
L58. Drill: 24:22
L60. Slug Shot Mastery and Heated Slug Shot: 25:29
L60. Opener: 25:42
L60. AoE Opener: 26:09
L62. Dismantle: 26:59
L64. Clean Shot Mastery and Heated Clean Shot: 28:20
L66. Barrel Stabilizer: 28:36
L68. Heat Blast Mastery and Blazing Shot: 29:37
L70. Flamethrower: 29:52
L70. Opener: 31:37
L70. AoE Opener: 33:01
L72. Bioblaster: 33:56
L74. Charged Action Mastery: 35:13
L76. Hot Shot Mastery and Air Anchor: 35:54
L78. Enhanced Wildfire: 36:20
L80. Promotion, Automaton Queen, and Queen Overdrive: 36:43
L80. Opener: 38:01
L80. AoE Opener: 38:24
L82. Spread Shot Mastery and Scattergun: 38:47
L84. Enhanced Reassemble: 39:17
L84. Marksman's Mastery: 39:42
L86. Queen's Gambit and Crowned Collider: 40:05
L88. Enhanced Tactician: 40:43
L90. Chain Saw: 41:07
L90. Opener: 42:25
L90. AoE Opener: 42:43
L92. Double-barrel Mastery, Double Check, and Checkmate: 43:07
L94. Enhanced Multiweapon: 43:40
L94. Marksman's Mastery II: 44:30
L96. Enhanced Multiweapon II and Excavator: 44:42
L98. Enhanced Tactician II: 45:23
L100. Enhanced Barrel Stabilizer and Full Metal Field: 45:35
L100. Opener: 46:51
L100. AoE Opener: 50:25
Outro: 51:23

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#FFXIV #Dawntrail #machinist