Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker Sage job guide: a healing how-to

Endwalker’s Sage is pretty tricky to figure out at first. But don’t worry, I’ve got some Sharlayan wisdom that’ll have you healing like a pro in no time.

The newest expansion from Final Fantasy XIV, Endwalker, is finally out and we’ve all been practically beside ourselves waiting for the brand new content awaiting us. We’ve all been teased by the notion of new main story quests, dungeons, trials, and glamours (the true end game). But it’s the brand new jobs that seem to excite people the most. Myself included. Like hundreds of others, as soon as I could snatch up my shiny new job crystal, I did. And oh boy was I in for a surprise with Sage.

Final Fantasy XIV’s last healer addition was released a whopping seven years ago, with plenty of tanks and damage jobs trickling out in the interim. You can only imagine how excited the healer mains were at the prospect of the classic trio becoming a quartet. Better yet, it looked like Sage was focused heavily on dishing out damage in order to heal. For those World of Warcraft players out there, it might sound similar to Discipline Priest, but I have to say it feels very different. In fact, I’ve decided to kiss Eos and Selene goodbye, because Sage is basically Scholar without the hassle of pets.

Unlocking Sage

The NPC you’ll need to track down to pick Sage’s job quest up is found right near the Limsa Lominsa Plaza. Named Sharlayan Maiden, this snazzy looking Miqo’te is found at the coordinates X:9.4, Y: 12.9. Just make sure you’ve got a Disciple of War or Magic at level 70 first.

Once you’ve followed some of the objectives, you’ll be handed a set of armour and the newest crystal to your job collection.

Job gauge and resources

Sage makes use of two resources in particular, with both functioning in completely different ways. Not only that, but it has a pretty unique ability that transforms three of its base ones.

Eukrasia: A global cooldown (GCD), instant cast ability with a recast of 1 second that changes Dosis, Diagnosis, and Prognosis into their Eukrasian counterparts. Casting any one of these abilities is also instant, with a recast time of 1.5 seconds – together these add up to the usual 2.5 second recast time we’re all subject to. This one takes some getting used to, so take care, because this means that your barriers will be slightly delayed.

Kardia: Needs to be applied to your tank at the beginning of every dungeon (acting much like Dancer’s Closed Position ability), it applies Kardion to your target and gives you the Kardia buff. For every damage ability you use, your Kardion target will be healed for 170 cure potency.

Addersting: Identified by purple diamonds on your job gauge, Addersting stacks are used to cast Toxikon (and Toxikon II at level 82). The only way to gain Addersting stacks is through the complete consumption of your barriers – much like Dark Knight’s ability The Blackest Night.

Addersgall: Three blue ovals represent your Addersgall stacks on your job gauge. Like a White Mage’s Lilies, stacks are regenerated one at a time every 20 seconds and hold up to a maximum of three. Thankfully, if you find yourself dead mid-duty they will continue to regenerate and if your team wipes, you’ll be given all 3 back. These are used for off global cooldown heals (OGCD) and need to be paced (much like Scholar’s Aetherflow stacks). Speaking of Scholar, Addersgall stacks are spent via one of four abilities that function pretty similarly to Aetherflow spells too. Each uses a single stack of Addersgall, is an instant cast and restores 7% of your maximum mana, so try not to cap out at 3 stacks!

• Druochole: As your bread and butter filler heal with no cooldown, Druochole’s 600 potency is pretty decent for a simple Addersgall spender.
• Taurochole: With a cure potency of 700, Taurochole might initially seem similar to Druochole, except for it’s 10% damage reduction buff. It also has a cooldown timer of 45 seconds. This spell is best used in the middle of a pull if you need to top your tank up and keep the damage low. Note: Taurochole’s mitigation buff does not stack with Kerachole.
• Ixochole: Your first OGCD, area of effect (AoE) heal has a potency of 400 and cooldown of 30 seconds. Like Indomitability, Ixochole heals you and party members close to you as well.
• Kerachole: The new and improved Sacred Soil is here and its name is Kerachole. Its cooldown is 30 seconds and the damage mitigation is applies is, you guessed it, 10% for 15 seconds. Like Sacred Soil, it applies a 100 cure potency Regen to those inside its radius for 15 seconds as well. But I haven’t told you the best part; This ability is not a ground placeable, but instead functions more like Indomitability/Ixochole with a much larger radius. Anyone caught inside for that brief second will snatch up your buffs, no standing still required. Note: Kerachole’s damage mitigation does not stack with Taurochole’s.

The offensives

Each offensive ability that Sage possesses will heal your Kardion target for a cure potency of 170. No single ability ever really increases this number, despite damage potency. Kardion’s heals are pretty much the same as an Embrace from Scholar’s fairy, meaning dealing damage is an important part of your job as a Sage!

• Dosis: Your filler ability with a 1.5 seconds cast time and cost of 400 MP. It has an unaspected damage potency of 300. When Eukrasia is activated, this ability transforms.
• Eukrasian Dosis: Now an instant cast spell, Eukrasian Diagnosis will still cost you 400 MP but now applies a damage over time debuff to your target. Said debuff will last 30 seconds and has an unaspected potency of 40, but will still heal your Kardion target for 170 cure potency. Apply liberally!
• Phlegma: Despite the name, this flashy AoE ability dishes out a whopping 400 unaspected potency damage for the first enemy and 30% less for all remaining mobs. The caveat here is that you only have 2 charges with a recharge time of 45 seconds and its range is fairly short.
• Dyskrasia: Much like Dosis, Dyskrasia is your filler ability for AoE instances and costs 400MP as well. Although it lets you be a lot more mobile as an instant cast, it also deals 160 unaspected damage to enemies near you. Careful not to stand in bad while you use this one.
• Toxikon: Is only useable when you’ve accumulated Addersting stacks, with each cast costing 1. Unlike Phlegma and Dyskrasia, this ability has a fair amount of distance and casts itself around your chosen enemy. Its unaspected damage potency is a decent 300 for the first mob and 50% less for each remaining one. Don’t cap on Addersting stacks and make sure you use Toxikon when you’re on the move. On single-targets, trying to weave a barrier in for a stack to cast Toxikon is a DPS loss, but large packs are a totally different story.

The main heals

Sage only has two heals that are apart of the GCD. Everything else is used through Addersgall or a longer cooldown, utility heal.

• Diagnosis: A cast time of 1.5 seconds, MP cost of 400 and cure potency of 450 sounds decent. Don’t be fooled though, using this ability as a hardcast isn’t worth it.
• Eukrasian Diagnosis: As the upgraded version of Diagnosis after using Eukrasia, the MP cost jumps to 900 and cure potency drops down to 300. Which might make my advice sound strange initially, but as an instant cast barrier that nullifies 180% of the amount of HP restored, it’s worth it. Your whole skillset is centered around mitigating and nullifying damage, not healing it. As an added bonus to this spell, like Catalyze for Scholars, Sages also get Differential Diagnosis, nullifying another 180% of HP restored. Both of these barriers last 30 seconds each and cannot be stacked with Eukrasian Prognosis or Scholar’s Galvanize.
• Prognosis: This ability is your GCD heal, with a cast time of 2 seconds, cost of 800 MP and cure potency of 300. It will heal both you and those around you, but again I say don’t bother. Unless you really have to, that is.
• Eukrasian Prognosis: Much like Eukrasian Diagonosis, this spell is upgraded thanks to Eukrasia. Turned into an instant cast costing 900 MP, with a cure potency of 100, you might find yourself sceptical again. But Eukrasian Prognosis also applies AoE barries that nullify damage equaling 320% of HP restored with a 30 second duration. This barrier also doesn’t stack with Eukrasian Diagnosis or Scholar’s Galvanize.

The cooldowns

Every healer has their “oh shit” buttons. Except Sage, sorta. As mentioned previously, your job isn’t to recover a tank’s health with a quick spam of chunky heals. Your job is to reduce the damage they take and sustain them by dealing damage of your own.

As such, Endwalker has given Sages some nifty cooldowns that mostly help you with mitigation, give your party regen, or increase your damage-healing. Every single one is an OGCD of course, making them instant casts that don’t use any mana or additional resources.

• Physis II: An AoE  that applies Regen to yourself and those around you and has a cure potency of 130 with a 15 second duration. It also applies Autophysis, increasing HP recovery via healing actions by 10% for 10 seconds. Its cooldown is 60 seconds.
• Soteria: This increases the cure potency of your Kardion effects by 50% for 15 seconds and has a cooldown of 90 seconds. Just remember to concentrate on attacking when you use it!
• Pepsis: This will remove your Eukrasian Prognosis and Diagonsis barriers from yourself and party members around you. Depending on which barrier is taken, Pepsis will heal your targets for: 450 potency on a Diagonsis barrier or 350 on Prognosis ones. Those without shields won’t be healed. Its cooldown is only 30 seconds. Note that even if someone has taken damage but still has a small amount of your barrier left, this will still heal them for the full amount!
• Zoe: The potency of your next healing spell will be increased by 50%, which only applies to Diagnosis and Prognosis (or their Eukrasian counterparts). Its cooldown is 90 seconds.
• Haima: As your best tank saver, Haima applies 1 of 5 Haimatinon stacks to your target for 15 seconds. One stack nullifies the equivalent of a 300 potency heal and when fully absorbed, it will apply the next stack. For any Haimtinon’s left over, your target will receive a 150 potency heal per stack once the duration expires. Even with a 120 second cooldown timer, I recommend using this one liberally!
• Icarus: Although not a life-saver for others, Icarus has saved my ass countless times already. This ability pulls you to either a target enemy or party member and cannot be used while bound. Its cooldown is 45 seconds.

Tips and Tricks

For those wanting a little more know-how when it comes to Endwalker’s Sage, fear not. I’ve got some words of wisdom for you all:

Put your Eukrasian Diagnosis onto the tank before they start pulling. While you’re at it, applying multiple Eukrasian Dosis debuffs will make your life so much easier. Each one is like a miniature Regen from White Mage (just remember it might pull some aggro). That 170 cure potency tick will come in super handy depending on how large the pull is.

Toxikon is great for damage and mobility, making it a good replacement for Dyskrasia when you’re on the move and at a distance. Phlegma has a very short cast range, so use this one once the pack is all piled up. Otherwise, Dyskrasia spam to your heart’s content and make use of those OGCD heals.

Speaking of OGCD heals, make sure you cycle through your 10% mitigation spells! Dropping them all at once in a panic will only hurt you and your tank later. Sage is all about sustain, not raw healing power. I recommend starting pulls with Kerachole, then using Taurochole to top the tank up midway through.

If you’re really in a bind, spam Eukrasian Diagnosis on your tank, don’t bother with hardcasting. One of your Addersgall stacks will come back and you’ll be regenerating mana by using it. Just don’t forget Lucid Dreaming either. Otherwise, there’s always your larger cooldowns and hardcasting of Diagnosis if you’re really struggling.

 

Final Fantasy: XIV’s Endwalker is out now!