White Mage is the original healing class of Final Fantasy 14. It was around before Scholar and Astrologian and is still considered the best healing class by many players. It is also a good class for beginners, though at the beginning stage it is called "Conjurer." With the all-in-one-class system though, most players have dabbled in White Mage at one time or another.
For those just getting into the class, or getting into healing for the first time, it is understandable to have many questions. It is quite different from tanking and requires a multitasking mind to balance between healing other players and outputting damage to enemies. Focus on damage more than healing, and your party may die. Focus on healing more than damage, then the battles will go much slower.
Every player has their own tricks, but the online discussion of how to best use a White Mage has come up with some pretty good tips for anyone taking on the class.
Updated on July 22, 2021, By Allison Stalberg: With Final Fantasy 14 being more popular than ever before, new players who want to heal are picking up White Mage. Many new players are coming from World of Warcraft, and they need to learn some key differences between White Mage and the art of healing in WoW. Keep in mind though, the class gets more complex with each new level achieved.
With that in mind, it is best to first focus on the basics. Veteran players will have certain expectations of healers. Between damage dealing, healing, and strategic positions, White Mages can have a lot on their plate. On the bright side, healers often get commendations from other players. Other players are acutely aware of the importance of a well played healing class like White Mage.
13 Don't Be Afraid To Spam Holy In Mobs
Holy is a monstrous spell. It not only deals damage to all nearby enemies, but it also stuns them for four seconds. That is damage to enemies as well as less damage to your party members.
This spell is best used in mobs. At that moment, be sure to stand in the mob after the tank gets all of their aggro under control. Once they are after the tank and the tank stopped pulling, stand in the mob and spam Holy.
12 Do Not Stand Near Tanks
Tanks are meant to draw the aggression of enemies, meaning the opponents will be targeting them. If a healer gets too close, then they will likely be damaged with the tank. A tank is built to take hits, a White Mage is not.
White Mages should always position themselves strategically during combat. While they should avoid damage, White Mages should also make sure they are close enough to heal other players. Luckily, White Mage spells have a decent range. Therefore, they should never stand near tanks unless special stacking mechanics is happening.
11 Always Be Casting, Either Healing Or Dealing Damage
White Mages should always be dealing damage when they are not healing. Just because it is known for healing does not mean that that is all they do. Helping a party take down an enemy faster is a form of defense.
Typically, players try to run through pretty dungeons and epic boss fights as fast as possible. A White Mage who does not contribute to damage will significantly slow down that process.
10 Don't Bother With Cure I Once You Get Cure II
Most players agree that Cure I is irrelevant once Cure II is unlocked. Sure, if you cast Cure I enough then you may get a free cast of Cure II without expending mana. However, most players do not find that to be worth it for such small heals.
If you play low-level dungeons, keep Cure I on your hotbar. Maybe keep it on keys you do not often use though if you are high level.
9 Place Your Bubbles Strategically
If other players are not standing in a White Mage bubble, there are typical reasons for that. A bubble should be placed where the combat is happening so that melee players can still hit their targets while being buffed.
Usually, it is a good idea to place bubbles on tanks since they are the ones that are supposed to be taking the brunt of enemy damage. Also, be sure to place a bubble at the beginning of a fight that will last a while. Placing at the end is a waste, as players will finish off the enemies and move on.
8 Get Used To Checking If Players Need Esuna
White Mages can actually be pretty split on what should be prioritized in terms of Esuna. For example, Doom, if it can, should be cast on immediately with Esuna. Heavy takes less priority.
Advice-wise though, Esuna has such a quick cast-time that it is best to just cast it on whatever debuff you see in the party. The players will likely commend that extra effort. Too many healers forget or just don't care to Esuna the little things.
7 Pay Attention To Other Healers
Sometimes there are two healers in one party. Healers who do not communicate with each other often accidentally raise the same dead player, wasting a Swiftcast, and can also accidentally both use the strongest heal on the same low-health player. Some players solve this issue by creating macros for when they are going to raise a player.
Luckily for White Mages, many of their spells can overlap. It is the overlap of raising other players that can be frustrating, as it basically amounts to a wasted spell. Ultimately, a White Mage needs to remain attentive to the actions of the rest of the party, and communication is key.
6 Always Keep Regen On The Tank
This tip is not always agreed on when White Mages get more spells. However, at least for a beginner at a lower level, regen is the best friend of the White Mage. For 18 seconds, it slowly cures whatever player it has been cast on. With that in mind, it is common White Mage practice to constantly have Regen on the party tank.
The tank's job is to take all the damage, so it is guaranteed at all times that regen will be of use to them. It also allows the White Mage to focus on other matters for 18 seconds such as damage output or healing the DPS players. Once at higher levels, they may not use regen as much.
5 Heal Yourself Before All Else
Healers are the most important class to a party. Without them, everyone will die. Due to that, a healer should be a healers' first priority. If a White Mage heals the tank and not themselves, they will die and the tank can no longer be healed.
Most of the time, White Mages should not be taking damage because the tank will aggro the enemies. In the world of Final Fantasy 14 though, enemies have AOE attacks that can be difficult for healers to dodge. So heal yourself first, as that is actually the best strategy for the entire party as well.
4 Be Very Careful When Using Rescue
Healers like White Mages get the controversial spell: Rescue. This spell literally drags other players to where the White Mage is. This, at very specific times, can save the life of your fellow players. At the wrong time though, it will do far more harm than good.
Some healers just do not use Rescue. This is suggested until you can identify specific moments where you know you can actually save a player from a certain dungeon mechanic. For example, the Ancient Flare of the last boss in the Labyrinth of Ancients is a pretty commonplace for healers to successfully use Rescue.
3 Don't Heal Before The Tank Pulls Enemies
If any healing spells, including regen, are cast too early on a tank, or any player, enemies will notice the healer before the tank and attack them. This can quickly wipe a party, as the healer can go down fast without the enemies focusing on the tank.
Wait until the tank successfully aggros all nearby enemies before casting any healing spell.
2 Save Swiftcast For Your Raise Spell
Swiftcast is a spell a lot of magic users get that allows one spell to be instantly cast. The question is: which spell to use Swiftcast on? The best spell for White Mage is their Raise. Bringing back players from the dead can mean life or death for the party as a whole, so the quicker they are up, the better.
The Raise spell takes a long time to cast and leave a White Mage vulnerable for a while. This is why some refuse to Raise other players until their Swiftcast is ready.
1 Burn Through Your Lilies
At the latter levels, White Mages get lilies. For every 30 seconds of combat, they get a lily which is basically a free healing spell. A White Mage can hold three lilies at a time, so be sure to always use them to make room for more later.
Once they use three lilies, they get access to the blood lily and unlocks the White Mages' most powerful attack. It is best to use that attack the moment it pops up as accessible.