Reaper Guide

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Beginner's Reaper Guide

Reaper (RPR) is a maiming melee DPS, who shares this role with dragoon.

Reapers specialize in having consistently high damage accompased within their weaponskills, while having hectic bursts, accompanied by their avatar. Reapers possess some party utility, being able to grant a party-wide regen upon taking damage at higher levels. It is one of the easiest melee DPS, with its basic weaponskills doing a large amount of damage, while also being slow outside of its bursts. While it is one of the easiest melee DPS, it has a higher skill ceiling to accomidate for cooldowns, melee uptime, and their unique job gauges:

The soul and Shroud gauge are reaper's main mechanics, with nearly every weaponskill generating soul gauge, which can be spent for powerful weaponskills that generate death gauge. Certain cooldowns may grant large amounts of soul gauge, or even a free usage of Enshroud, costing death gauge and doing a ton of burst damage. The damage output of reapers suffer greatly when they are unable to harvest souls for their gauges due to downtime, or low player-skill unable to keep uptime, as it will delay their bursts or may even lose entire burst phases.

Basic Combos and Weaponskills

Like other disciple of war jobs, reapers have a basic "1-2-3" combo and a two-hit AoE combo, in addition to other tools. Like other jobs, begin using the AoE combo when there are three or more enemies.

Basic 1-2-3 Combo:
1 (Level 1) 2 (Level 5) 3 (Level 30)
Slice Waxing Slice Infernal Slice
Basic AoE Combo:
1 (Level 26) 2 (Level 45)
Spinning Scythe Nightmare Scythe

Reapers can, and should, inflict Death's Design to enemies they are actively fighting. Death's Design increases the amount of damage enemies take by 10%. It does not deal any damage over-time. Two weaponskills inflict Death's Design:

Single-target AoE
Shadow of Death Whorl of Death

Both actions inflict Death's Design for 30 seconds, and may only stack up to 60 seconds. It is considered bad practice for reapers to always keep the duration of Death's Design near its max duration, because both of the aforementioned weaponskills do not grant soul gauge. Additionally, some bosses may leave the arena and become untargetable, wasting the duration. These effects become more pronounced at level 80 when the Shroud Gauge is unlocked, further hampering reaper's maximum potential damage. For more details, see this page.

  • Harpe is reaper's ranged attack. Unlike almost every other melee job's ranged attacks, Harpe is a casted spell, meaning reapers must remain stationary for a short amount of time to cast, and it does not benefit from skill speed. While it is stronger compared to other melee job's ranged attacks, it is still weaker compared to being within melee range and using weaponskills. It generates 10 Soul Gauge.
  • At level 82, reapers learn both Soulsow and Harvest Moon. Casting Soulsow will allow for one execution of Harvest Moon. While casting Soulsow out of combat is instant, it has a 5-second cast time while in combat, meaning reapers should never cast this spell while enemies are targetable.
    • Harvest Moon is an instant-cast spell. It is a ranged targeted circle-AoE, and it is stronger compared to every other basic weaponskill, and also generates 10 Soul Gauge. It should replace Harpe as a ranged attack when fighting bosses.
    • Because Soulsow is instantly casted while out of combat and Harvest Moon's very high AoE potency, it should be used once in every trash pull.

Taking excessive amounts of damage or moving while casting spells will interrupt casting.

Utility and Movement Tools

At level 40, reapers learn Arcane Crest. It grants a barrier (shield) equalling 10% of the reaper's maximum HP.

  • At level 84, Arcane Crest is upgraded to grant Crest of Time Returned to themselves and all nearby party members. It is a regen.

At level 20, reapers learn Hell's Ingress and Hell's Egress. They are a forward-dash and a backward-dash respectively, based on what direction the reaper is facing at the time of execution. Upon execution, it grants Enhanced Harpe, which makes the next cast of Harpe instantly casted, and reduces the cooldown of both Hell's Ingress and Egress by five seconds.

  • At level 74, both actions are upgraded to spawn a Hellsgate at the original location of execution, and grant Threshold for 10 seconds. Within the duration, reapers can Regress back to the Hellsgate.

Soul Gauge and Cooldowns (Level 50+)

Accumulating Soul Gauge

At level 50, reapers are able to accumulate Soul Gauge, the red bar. Their basic combos (the section above) generate 10 Soul Gauge per execution, and combo weaponskills must be executed within a combo to generate Soul Gauge. Enemies also grant 10 Soul Gauge when they are defeated while under the effect of Death's Design. Reapers may only store up to 100 Soul Gauge.
At higher levels, reapers gain two weaponskills with a cooldown, sharing the same cooldown of 30 seconds. These actions grant 50 Soul Gauge:

Single-target (unlocked at level 60) AoE (unlocked at level 65)
Soul Slice Soul Scythe

Spending Soul Gauge

Soul Gauge is only spent on three abilities. All of these abilities will consume 50 Soul Gauge:

Single-target (unlocked at level 50) AoE (unlocked at level 55) Cooldown, both single-target and AoE
(unlocked at level 76)
Blood Stalk Grim Swathe Gluttony

One stack of Soul Reaver is granted at level 70 upon executing any of the aforementioned actions. Gluttony, learned at level 76, will grant two stacks of Soul Reaver. Soul Reaver allows for three strong weaponskills to be executed:

Flank Positional Rear Positional AoE
Gibbet Gallows Guillotine

Any weaponskills that are not the aforementioned actions above will waste Soul Reaver. It is therefore required for reapers to execute those weaponskills when available.

Shroud Gauge and Enshroud (Level 80+)

At level 80, executing Gibbet, Gallows, or Guillotine (and their upgraded variants at level 96) will grant 10 Shroud Gauge, the blue bar under the Soul Gauge. No other actions will grant Shroud Gauge. Upon having 50 Shroud Gauge, reapers can become Enshrouded, granting five stacks of Lemure Shroud. Lemure Shroud grants access to enhanced weaponskills, all dealing massive amounts of damage in a short timespan.
Reapers become Enshrouded for 30 seconds. Certain actions cannot be executed while Enshrouded, which is listed on its respective page. Upon consuming all stacks of Lemure Shroud, or upon expiry of the duration, reapers return back to normal.

Below are lists on what Enshroud bursts typically look like at all relevant levels:

Note at all levels: it does not matter which reaping action you begin Enshroud with.

Sacrificium may be used as an ability to be weaved at any time. It may even be executed immediately after Enshroud as a double-weave. Keep in mind that you cannot double-weave abilities between each reaping action without clipping your next GCD.

Single Target:
1 2 3 4 5
Void Reaping Cross Reaping Void Reaping Cross Reaping Communio
Weaving: Sacrificium Lemure's Slice Lemure's Slice
AoE:
1 2 3 4 5
Grim Reaping Grim Reaping Grim Reaping Grim Reaping Communio
Weaving: Sacrificium Lemure's Scythe Lemure's Scythe

Perfectio becomes available after executing Communio if you have entered Enshroud with Perfectio Parata, which is gained when using Plentiful Harvest at level 100, only. You do not need to be Enshrouded to use Perfectio, and you can save it for up to 30 seconds after executing Communio. While you can use it during raid buffs, it is more advisable to save it for if you need to disengage from a boss as a ranged option, instead of casting Harpe.

Single Target: Perfectio
1 2 3 4 5
Void Reaping Cross Reaping Void Reaping Cross Reaping Communio
Weaving: Sacrificium Lemure's Slice Lemure's Slice
AoE:
1 2 3 4 5
Grim Reaping Grim Reaping Grim Reaping Grim Reaping Communio
Weaving: Sacrificium Lemure's Scythe Lemure's Scythe

Arcane Circle (Level 72+) and Plentiful Harvest (level 88+)

Arcane Circle is reaper's raid buff. It grants the reaper and every party member in range Arcane Circle, which increases damage dealt by 3%. Because of its potent effects, it should be used on cooldown while fighting both trash mobs in dungeons and bosses, unless they are about to be defeated.

At level 88 when Enhanced Arcane Circle is learned, it is upgraded and grants a few more effects, in addition to Arcane Circle:

  • Circle of Sacrifice is granted to the reaper and all nearby party members. When the reaper or party member executes any action marked as a spell, weaponskill, or ability, the buff is consumed, and a stack of Immortal Sacrifice is granted to the reaper.
  • Immortal Sacrifice is a stacking buff, given to the reaper after Circle of Sacrifice is consumed. Each stack increases the potency of Plentiful Harvest by 40. At least one stack of required to execute Plentiful Harvest, and it may be executed at any time within the duration of Immortal Sacrifice, even after the effect of Arcane Circle has ended.
  • Bloodsown Circle is the timer before Plentiful Harvest can be executed; it cannot be executed until Bloodsown Circle has expired, with stacks of Immortal Sacrifice available.

Upon Bloodsown Circle expiring, reapers are granted one use of Plentiful Harvest. It grants Ideal Host for 30 seconds, which allows a usage of Enshroud for free.

Typical Gameplay

Disclaimer: this is a large summary of reaper's playstyle, meant to be generalized for players to begin encounters and play correctly at a basic level.

  • While running with the tank, try to apply Death's Design to enemies with Whorl of Death. Use your basic 1-2 AoE combo after it has been applied to deal additional damage while running with the tank.
  • When the tank has stopped with the trash mobs, ensure that every enemy is inflicted with Death's Design, then begin spamming your 1-2 AoE combo.
  • If you are about to overcap on Soul Gauge, use Blood Stalk on the enemy with the most amount of health to not overcap.

Rinse and repeat.

  • While running with the tank, try to apply Death's Design to enemies with Whorl of Death. Use your basic 1-2 AoE combo after it has been applied to deal additional damage while running with the tank.
  • When the tank has stopped with the trash mobs, ensure that every enemy is inflicted with Death's Design, then begin spamming your 1-2 AoE combo.
    • Use Soul Slice at some point to generate Soul Gauge. The sooner you put it on cooldown, the better.
  • Use Grim Swathe to consume Soul Gauge and deal additional damage.

Rinse and repeat.

  • While running with the tank, try to apply Death's Design to enemies with Whorl of Death. Use your basic 1-2 AoE combo after it has been applied to deal additional damage while running with the tank.
  • When the tank has stopped with the trash mobs, ensure that every enemy is inflicted with Death's Design, then begin spamming your 1-2 AoE combo.
    • Use Soul Scythe at some point to generate Soul Gauge. The sooner you put it on cooldown, the better.
  • Use Grim Swathe to consume Soul Gauge and deal additional damage.
  • Use Guillotine to consume the stack of Soul Reaver.

Rinse and repeat.

  • While running with the tank, try to apply Death's Design to enemies with Whorl of Death. Use your basic 1-2 AoE combo after it has been applied to deal additional damage while running with the tank.
  • When the tank has stopped with the trash mobs, ensure that every enemy is inflicted with Death's Design, then begin spamming your 1-2 AoE combo.
  • If available, use Arcane Circle.
  • Use both charges of Soul Scythe at some point to generate Soul Gauge.
  • If available, use Gluttony before using Grim Swathe to consume Soul Gauge and deal additional damage.
  • Use Guillotine to consume the stack(s) of Soul Reaver.
  • If you have enough Shroud Gauge, complete an Enshroud burst. See this section on what a typical Enshroud burst looks like.

Rinse and repeat.

Cast Soulsow again before the next group, then rinse and repeat.

Bosses

Rinse and repeat.

  • Apply Death's Design with Shadow of Death.
  • Use Soul Slice to put it on cooldown and generate Soul Gauge.
  • Spam your basic 1-2-3 combo.
  • Use Blood Stalk to consume Soul Gauge.
  • Consume your stack of Soul Reaver on Gibbet and Gallows. Remember that both actions have positionals.

Rinse and repeat.

Rinse and repeat.

Make sure enemies are always inflicted with Death's Design. Keep enough Shroud Gauge available for raid buffs so you can use Enshroud (up to two times) while in burst windows. For double-Enshroud windows, see its respective page, or consult the Balance.


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