Hacking Ranking

[Sinstrel]

I personally think playing the job you're strongest with is the best long term strategy.

I updated the post. I hope more good players give advice for climbing ranking.

I might be biased as a purely DRG main, but I cannot tell you how many times in the past I have seen players try to "match the job of the weaker player" and then get bodied by the weaker player because they still know the job better. I can only imagine how demoralizing that might feel.

Here are some advice I have given fam and members of my FC who have since become multi top 100 players:

1. The crystal does not matter until overtime/last few seconds of the game.

You need to prioritize player kills. Player kills stagger the enemy side and if you manage to kill them more than they kill you, your team will constantly be at a numbers AND limit break advantage. Pushing the crystal 5 v 3 with 5 limit breaks ready is a lot easier than struggling 5v5 at the end. This is not to say; let 1 lone enemy push to 100% while you are farming the other 4. You'll need to use some common sense judgement but if you start with this mantra you will learn, through experience, the best/right times to push the crystal. If one enemy is pushing to 47% while your whole group dives and kills off the other 4 players, you can come back for the solo and then have their team staggered which will let you push to 50% easier all while their whole team can not charge limit break.

No matter how skilled anyone is, the chances of them winning in a 1 v 3 with no LB is pretty close to 0 now.

2. Do not die.

Limit break charges based on time spent alive. Limit break is also the deciding factor in a majority of high level gameplay especially when it comes down to the wire. You having limit break in overtime while the enemy does not is a huge advantage.

3. Pay more attention to the players on the field than the UI.

I mention this as advice for very technical players. My sister would constantly obsess over the party window for buffs/debuffs/guard/purify on enemies. While this isn't terrible, it does turn you into a "reactive" player instead of a more "proactive" player.

With FFXIVs dial-up modem netcode, you do not want to rely on reacting to things that may or may not have happened yet based on whoever's ping is better. You want to be looking at the enemy position and what abilities they pop on themselves as they move toward a target, and stop them before they can even get anything started.

4. Play a rush down job with fast charging limit break.

The current PvP kits do not promote stylistic play and mostly funnel everyone into this rush-down meta. Furthermore, faster limit break charge gives you more opportunities to use limit (duh) and allows you more chances to swing games in your favor. This point allows you to do point 1 and 2 much better.

5. Be realistic.

Be honest with yourself and realize that playing CC for 6 hours a week is not going to get you the same results as someone who no-lifes the game mode. There are players with <Alpha Wolf> (5000 WINS) on multiple alts who you will be matching with in higher ranked games, players who are content creators being paid to play all day every day, and players who literally have no life outside of XIV PvP. Don't be too hard on yourself if you are not getting the results you want, you just need more game time and experience. Set realistic goals for yourself and try to make incremental improvements. Many of the top 100 players have thousands and thousands more games worth of experience over you. However, I'd say that after about 1000 ranked wins on your main job, anyone starting from 0xp will start to be able to hang with these other types of players. I like to think of the skill cap as being on a logarithmic curve. Steep learning curve but the difference in skill level starts to level off and reach a plateau. So keep at it!

Now I am sure there will be plenty who disagree with everything on this list but I would encourage you to try all of the suggestions in this entire forum thread and find what works best for you. Hope to see some new faces up there during Dawntrail! Good luck!

[brancinaed]

Good post! I smile hearing about the success your friends have had with your advice. I also hope more people are able to achieve higher ranking, hopefully Diamond or better! It's important to share and be remembered by helping someone in any small way.

2. Do not die.

Limit break charges based on time spent alive.

4. Play a rush down job with fast charging limit break.

These are two really interesting points to consider. I agree that not dying, just to be a presence on the battlefield, is incredibly valuable. Killing an opponent with a long limit break charge while having a low limit break charge time yourself is potentially a huge advantage. Perhaps it allows 2 limit breaks to 1 instead of 1.5 to 1 at natural charge rates. Food for thought. I don't think slow limit break charge is enough of a reason not to play any job one really likes, though. I believe any job is viable.

[Sinstrel]

I don't think slow limit break charge is enough of a reason not to play any job one really likes, though. I believe any job is viable.

For sure. I just think jobs like WHM, MNK, GNB, RPR will open up more opportunities for you to swing games as you start improving. Another honorable mention would be jobs with party-wide knockback/draw in effects as they offer huge swing potential in overtime matches. Think for example the scenario of your team being down in overtime, enemy has already pushed 50% and you have to push 50% and clear the checkpoint to get 50.1%. During a stalemate at that 50% mark on the enemy side, well placed MCH knockbacks, SMN draw-ins, DRK draw-ins, RPR LB, DNC LB can constantly get them off of the crystal allowing you to slowly make progress over time by having more players on the point... or just outright end the match.