Assigning retainer classes

Hello all, I am new to MMOs and new to FFXIV but a vet at the other FF titles. I've been wanting to assign a class to my retainer but I am wondering what advantage a retainer class has over the other.

I honestly have never used my retainers for anything more than holding excess inventory, and selling my goods on the market boards. I want to utilize all that available to me from the retainers. So I want to assign a class to them. Just needing some guidance.

Thanks! -Matt

For starters, fisher retainers can do waterside exploration missions which at around lvl55-60 can bring back fat cat and gestahl minions.

Each mission type brings different rewards, I'd suggest looking into the different types. Actually, I'll provide links.

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Waterside_Exploration

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Highland_Exploration

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Woodland_Exploration

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Field_Exploration

See which reward set you actually care to shoot for.

Fisher - Waterside

Miner - Highland

Botanist - Woodland

DoW and DoM - Field

There's really only 4 types of retainer clases: fisher, miner, botanist, and hunter. All the DoW/DoM classes are the same, it only differs in terms of what gear you give them.

Awesome! Thanks for the info

Also your retainers aren't allowed to exceed your level. They'll be level capped at whatever level you've reached yourself in the same class. So you want to assign them classes you're leveling up all the way.

If you're crafting they're really handy. You can send them out to gather material for you, sometimes even more efficiently than if you farmed for it yourself. If you're not crafting selling whatever they bring is still a solid income.

Also further to what Niwashi said, above level 50 the quality of the gear you equip to them actually directly affects the likelihood of them bringing back rare items, the higher the item level of the gear they have the better the chances of them bringing back rare loot.

So don't just stick level 1 glamour gear on them (or worse, no gear at all other than an old weathered weapon you had lying around!), make sure their gear is as decent as possible if you want them to bring you back worthwhile things. :)

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Originally Posted by Niwashi

Also your retainers aren't allowed to exceed your level. They'll be level capped at whatever level you've reached yourself in the same class. So you want to assign them classes you're leveling up all the way.

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Ahh.. good to know!