How Pictomancer Differs from FFXIV’s Other Casting Jobs

The Japan fanfest keynote revealed the new Caster job for Dawntrail – Pictomancer, which mixes aether with paint to create familiars to fight. Now that Krile is taking up Pictomancer and the job is coming to us in the summer, what can we predict about How Pictomancer differs from FFXIV’s other casting jobs using the information in the keynote?

Pictomancer and its place in the Caster lineup

Each of the existing Casters has a unique playstyle regarding casting times. Black Mage is infamous for its long casts, Summoner is full of instant casts, and Red Mage rotates casting and instant casting. Pictomancer’s playstyle description appears to mix Black Mage and Summoner.

The sketching coming to life takes a while, but in the meantime, Pictomancer is full of instant-cast spells. This presumably means Pictomancer’s paint familiars make up its burst damage phase, similar to Summoner’s summon phase.

The most unique part of Pictomancer’s playstyle comes from the mention of the job being support-based. Currently, Summoner and Red Mage are the most support-oriented of the Casters. Both can resurrect players, heal, and buff the entire party. However, none of the Casters have any party support beyond this. This has led many to speculate that Pictomancer will be the Dancer of the Casters. Dancer and its older cousin Bard are some of the most supportive DPS in the entire lineup. Each gives the party multiple layers of damage buffing and in Dancer’s case, even shielding and healing. This leaves the possibilities open for Pictomancer, especially in light of Astrologian’s simplification from Shadowbringers onward.

Related: FFXIV: Dawntrail expansion is coming Summer 2024

Perhaps Pictomancer will allow for critical hits or speed buffs, or shielding the party like Machinist can do, all things other Casters are not capable of at the moment. We’ll have to wait for further details, but when it comes to how Pictomancer differs from FFXIV’s other casting jobs, we can reasonably expect Pictomancer to occupy that support niche none of the other Casters fully fit into.

Of course, in my completely professional opinion, it will be hard to top the objective best Caster, Summoner. But I am certainly looking forward to wielding a paintbrush.

When Dawntrail releases, Pictomancer will be available in Gridania at level 80, using brushes as their weapon of choice.

Take a trip down memory lane, to the London Fanfest reveal of FFXIV Viper job for Dawntrail.