With every new expansion released in Final Fantasy XIV, the dynamics of the game’s two dozen or so combat jobs continue to evolve and change to maintain balance, and Dawntrail is no exception. Both Viper and Pictomancer have entered the fray, and while the dual-sword DPS has put up some fight, the magical Pictomancer is already in the Eorzean stratosphere in terms of both power and popularity.

Pictomancer has already proven itself so powerful that long-standing magic DPS heavyweight Black Mage seems to have a potentially bleak outlook for future content in FFXIV. One of the very first mage jobs added to the game during A Realm Reborn, Black Mage has built a reputation over time as one of the strongest damage dealers bar none. They could rip aggro off of tanks with ease and often found themselves at the top of the DPS list regardless of battle content.

That reputation, which has stood the test of time with each expansion, is now showing some visible cracks thanks to Pictomancer, a unique mage (originally seen in FF6) who wields mixed aether and a paintbrush in place of a staff. Since its arrival with the launch of Dawntrail, the Pictomancer job has been enthusiastically embraced by countless FFXIV players and has proven to be a clear keeper for a number of reasons.

The introduction of Red Mage (Stormblood) and now the ability to unlock Pictomancer has seen players embrace magical DPS classes with unique skills that utilize both ranged and melee DPS abilities. In other words, mobility and flexibility. Additionally, Pictomancer’s rampant DPS output currently dwarfs almost every other DPS class in the game, to the point that Black Mage has now effectively been benched.