FF14 (Final Fantasy XIV) Dawntrail - Viper Job Guide

The Viper turns out to be one of the exciting new jobs in Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail expansion offering a new gunslinger-like flair to the melee DPS lineup. This fast-tempered warrior uses two blades to the enemy's disadvantage, which can be connected to form a powerful two-handed sword. The Viper is a fast and technical character with quick strikes, combo potential, and strong burst capabilities. 

Suited for fans of high-efficiency fight content, the Viper combines Singletarget and Area of Effect specialities. Despite the lack of party-wide boosts, the Viper is all about packing a punch and unleashing that potential on enemies. The mastery of this job involves good position sense, the ability to manage resources, and constant focus on appropriate buffs/debuffs.

Unlocking the Viper

To open the Viper job, you must have the Dawntrail expansion and be a combat class at level 80 or above. Head to Ul'dah - Steps of Nald (X: (map: 9. 3, Y: 9. 2) and speak to the Worried Weaver NPC to accept the quest "Enter the Viper". After you go through the brief quest line you will get your Viper soul crystal and your starting equipment.

Viper Playstyle Overview

The Viper stands as a quick and versatile melee DPS job. It focuses on providing and consuming personal and enemy bonuses, utilizing area of effect knockbacks, positioning (attack from behind), managing resources for powerful windows of time, and switching between single target and AoE damage. Although the Viper does not grant bonuses to others in the party, it has very significant damage per second on its own.

Job Gauges

The Viper has two main job gauges to keep track of: The Vipersight Gauge, which displays how far into the combo sequence you are and which skills to use next, and the Serpent's Offerings Gauge which charges up as you perform the combo sequences, then when full can be used to unleash a burst ability. 

Key Abilities and Combos

The standard single-target rotation of Viper's combos are as follows: first Steel Fangs or Dread Fangs, then Hunter's Sting or Swiftskin's Sting that applies a buff, and then a positional attack Flanksbane Fang, Flanksting Strike, Hindsbane Fang or Hindsting Strike. 

For the AoE discipline, the combo will be starting with Steel Maw or Dread Maw, then Hunter's Bite or Swiftskin's Bite and, finally, Bloodied Maw or Jagged Maw.

Other intrinsic effects that should also be kept up are Hunter's Instinct which increases the amount of damage you deal, Swiftscaled which reduces ability cast and recast times, and Noxious Gnash which increases your damage on said target.

Even so, the Viper has the same twin-blade abilities: Dreadwinder which applies Noxious Gnash for a Rattling Coil and Uncoiled Fury which uses Rattling Coils for a powerful ranged attack.

During burst phases, Vipers can utilize Reawaken, which puts them in a special state and allows them to use powerful generation abilities and end it off with the Ouroboros finisher.

Viper Rotation Basics

A basic Viper rotation can be initiated with either Steel Fangs or Dread Fangs and then a positional strike after using Hunter's Sting or Swiftskin's Sting for the buff. Integrate oGCD abilities between the main combo hits, and include Dreadwinder to apply Noxious Gnash and proc Rattling Coils whenever possible. 

During the fight, use Rattling Coils on Uncoiled Fury if you need it and regenerate the gauge for Serpent's Offerings. This one you use when your gauge is full and buffs are active for a powerful burst phase for Reawakened.

Tips for Mastering the Viper

To become a better Viper, focus on your position and be able to manage your buffs/debuffs well. Do not go overboard on resources by Rattling Coils and Serpent's Offerings right before reaching the maximum. Arrange burst phases to correspond with other party-wide buffs and be position-wise with Slither.

There are situations where you should stack a single target and other cases where you should focus on AoE rotations, and acquire keybinds that make your rotations smooth. 

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Viper Strengths and Weaknesses

The Viper has strong personal damage, a versatile rotation, excellent burst with Reawakened stacking, adaptability between single-target and AoE damage, as well as a ranged attack in Uncoiled Fury. 

However, its party utility buff is nonexistent, it focuses on position damage, has multiple timers to manage, and offers limited self-sustain and survivability.

Gearing Your Viper

Viper is a class that employs Dexterity as the main stat and could equip the same gears as the Ninja class. If deciding which armor to go for, always start with item level first, because it will most likely give a player the biggest overall increase. For optimal performance, focus on the following stats in order of importance: Weapon Damage, Dexterity, Critical Hit, Direct Hit Rate, Determination, and Skill Speed (to comfortable levels). 

Gear pieces should ideally fall into the target range for all these substats, with a focus on boosting Critical Hit and Direct Hit Rate for increased damage. Do not forget about weapon upgrades as the crucial changes which affect your shooting possibilities the most. When approaching content, always replace your gear to ensure it is performing efficiently at all times.

Viper in Party Composition

Even though the Viper does not offer a pure party DPS or utility in the form of party buffs, it is still a valuable addition due to its high personal damage output. It synergises very well with jobs that grant buffs to the entire raid group, such as Dancer, Astrologian, or Dragoon, as the Viper can make the most out of these during its AoE phases. In dungeons, the Viper combined high single target and threat output along with AoE damage, well suited for both bosses and mobs.

The fact that the job has Mobility with Slither is that it can switch its position for mechanics with a lot of small loss of time. When playing with a Ninja, make sure to synchronize Trick Attack windows to match the burst phases appropriately. In progression content, the Viper's sustained damage can be useful for burst phases and meeting DPS checks. However, do not forget that the balance between players and their jobs is more important than the balance of specific jobs used in a party.

Advanced Viper Techniques

Once you can perform the job comfortably, try to stack all personal buffs with party-wide buff windows, then practice with opener, downtime, and AoE windows. Remember to also strategize on which fight to use your Cooldowns and how to control your Rattling Coils.

Aim to retain this bonus damage by being very perceptive of your position, especially during heavy mechanics or when the bosses are moving.

Viper UI and HUD Tips

To make Viper as good as possible during your gameplay, place the job gauges on the screen where you can easily see how many resources you have and the status of your combos. It is recommended to use the buff/debuff tracking addon or change the interface to have an idea of when certain effects will run out. Place hot bars that follow the combo progression, maybe positioning Steel Fang and Dread Fang's keys to be on either side of the Vipersight gauge.

You should use focus target macros to track boss cast bars and mechanics while on your regular rotation. It is recommended to try different options to choose the HUD layout that helps track all the necessary information without creating bulkiness on the screen. Do not forget, that a clean and efficient interface can boost up your performance and reaction time of the Viper.

Common Viper Mistakes to Avoid

When performing the Viper job, there are several mistakes you need to look out for when you are a beginner. Don't ever let a buff or a debuff become expendable, always watch the timer and remember when they are due to be replaced as well. Do not overcharge gauge; unleash Rattling Coils and Serpent's Offerings when the gauge bar is not full to get the most damage out of them. Be conscious of positionals, mainly for attacks like Flanksbane Fang and Hindsting Strike.

Remember to not abuse Reawaken, do not activate it when the buffs are almost gone or when the boss will soon be invulnerable. When fighting numerous enemies shift to AoE rotation. Although Slither can be a strong tool for gap closing, it is crucial to always have another charge ready in case of critical situations.

Conclusion

The Viper is a high-mobility melee DPS job that is based on speed and good positioning as well as efficient resource management. With time, players will learn how to go through the combos, sustain those buffs and unleash the burst phases in moments of weakness. Whether you're taking on dungeons, trials, or high-end raids, mastering the Viper will make you a valuable asset to any team in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Cunning hunting, and may your fangs always be on the right prey!