Square Enix has announced Viper, an upcoming melee DPS job, as part of Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion, Dawntrail. Viper will be the newest Disciple of War job added to the game, requiring players to have at least one level 80 disciple of war or magic job and complete an initial job quest in Ul’dah to unlock it.
As a DPS focused on close-quarters combat, Viper wields a pair of swift one-handed blades that can also be combined into a formidable two-handed weapon. By alternating between quick strikes with its twin blades and devastating blows with the two-hander, Viper can adapt its approach mid-battle. This unique dual-wielding style allows the job to deal high damage through both swift flurries and crushing heavy hits.
As such, the viper alternates between pressuring enemies with swift strikes by their twin blades, and dealing mighty blows with their joined weapon.
By calling on the memories of ancient hunters contained within their soul crystal, the viper can imbue their body with additional power for a brief time.
– 2023 London Fan Festival Keynote
Gear Shared With Ninja
Viper shares the Scouting armor type with Ninja and the Aiming accessory type with Ninja and ranged physical DPS. Its primary attribute is Dexterity which boosts the job’s attack power significantly. Viper also benefits greatly from secondary attributes like Critical Hit, Direct Hit, Skill Speed and Determination to maximize its damage-dealing capabilities.
When using its twin blades, Viper unleashes blisteringly fast combos to build up various buffs and charges. It can then expend these resources on powerful weaponskills while switched over to its two-handed form. Additionally, Viper can temporarily enhance its strikes by tapping into the memories of ancient hunters stored within its soul crystal. This adds stacks of a damage-boosting buff called Primal Instinct.
Viper’s Limit Break abilities include Braver, a devastating single-target attack, and Bladedance which unleashes a flurry of slashes on one enemy. These abilities combined with Viper’s innate affinity for critical hits allow it to act as a sort of assassin, dispatching key targets quickly.
Viper Announcement Hype
The job was initially teased in a trailer at the 2023 Las Vegas Fan Festival showing a mysterious twin-blade wielding hero standing atop a cliff. It was then fully revealed at the 2023 London Fan Festival where the Viper job actions and abilities were showcased.
While details are still scarce, the name Viper is likely a reference to the venomous snake due to the job’s swift striking nature and deadly critical hit capabilities. For now, prospective Viper players will have to wait for the Dawntrail expansion to take the new job for a spin and experience its unique dual-wielding combat style.
