Samurai DPS Rotation, Openers and Abilities - Endwalker 6.3 (2023)

This page tells you how to optimize your aperture and spin in single target and multi target situations. We'll also cover using your cooldowns to ensure you get the most out of them every time as a samurai DPS in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (Patch 6.3).

Note that this page covers Samurai rotation at level 90. To learn what to do at lower levels as you work your way up, read our level guide.

The single target samurai rotation at base level 90 works like a loop with alternating bursts of odd and even minutes. This consists of your opening, the "cooldown" phase where we wait for our cooldowns to come back, "fill in" as needed to kill some extra time, and then the respective odd or even minute bump.

Thanks to Meikyō ShisuiAside from the ability to give us buffs from combo finishers, Samurai only has a standard opener. This opener uses a preference Meikyō Shisuito increase our buffs as quickly as possible and then unload a barrage of powerful attacks under our potion and group attack buffs.

If you cannot weave after casting Iaijutsu, such as Midare Setsugekkaand/or has difficulty with double weaving, it is okay to use some of the oGCDs such as Hissatsu: Seneie Schohato accommodate this while they still fall under party buffs. In some fights, this can also provide more opportunities for double plots. Third Eye. The main buff windows for most jobs are active just before our first activation Midare Setsugekkaand finish beforehand Hakazeor the final Midare Setsugekkadepending on the duration. It's also good for undoing later uses Kaschae lizardno overcapping of Sen based on his ability to hit specific positions. However, the first GCD depends on boss phasing - if used KaschaFirst, you can use additional GCD that you wouldn't normally use lizardFirst, it's worth changing them. If not, keep using it lizardfirst for the guaranteed damage bonus.

1. Meikyō Shisuiwhen there are 9 seconds left in the countdown
2. true northwhen there are 5s left on the countdown
3. lizard→ Strength 6 tincture
4. Kascha→ Ikishoten
5. Yukikaze
6. Midare Setsugekka→ Hissatsu: Senei
7. Kaeshi: Setsugekka→ Meikyō Shisui
8. lizard→ Hissatsu: Shinten
9. Higanbana
10. Kascha→ Hissatsu: Shinten
11. Ogi Namikiri→ Schoha
12. Kaeshi: Namikiri→ Hissatsu: Shinten
13. lizard→ Hissatsu: Gyoten
14. Hakaze
15. Yukikaze→ Hissatsu: Shinten
16. Midare Setsugekka
17. Kaeshi: Setsugekka

Both Meikyō Shisuie true northcan be used closer to the draw with no real damage - these initial timers are just there to maximize potential utility during combat. Depending on kill time or mechanics, both may not make a difference.

At this stage of the rotation, all of your bursts are on cooldown and all you have to do is spin through your combos until they come back again. In a full uptime scenario, this should be around two full sets of three sen.

Kenki and Meditation expenses aren't listed, but make sure you spend the meter on them Hissatsu: Shintene Schohaas needed to avoid overloading resources. These combos can also be swapped out relatively freely, as long as you don't overwhelm Sen or lower his buffs. However, it is recommended to end the second sentence in a lizardor KaschaCombo to pick up initial buffs.

1. Hakaze
2. Yukikaze
3. Hakaze
4. Jinpu
5. lizard
6. Hakaze
7. Lehrer
8. Kascha
9. Midare Setsugekka
10. Hakaze
11. Yukikaze
12. Hakaze
13. Jinpu
14. lizard
15. Hakaze
16. Lehrer
17. Kascha

Filling is a necessary part of the loop, helping us keep our burst phases in sync and taking advantage of our party's raid buffs. This part of the rotation is variable based on the GCD level you choose, whether your previous burst was an odd or even one-minute burst, as well as any combat mechanics that might cause downtime if you hit the boss.

Basically, our rotation is 26 GCDs in the odd minutes and 28 GCDs in the even minutes thanks to 26 GCDs Ogi Namikiri. Because of this difference, our padding has two fewer GCDs after minute impacts.

The three default looping GCD layers are:

1. 2.14 GCD (576-648 Skill Speed) → A loop rotation of 28 GCD per minute, requiring 2 fillers on odd minutes and 0 fillers on even minutes.
2. 2.07 GCD (1044-1116 skill speed) → A loop rotation of 29 GCD per minute, requiring 3 fillers on odd minutes and 1 filler on even minutes.
3. 2.00 GCD (1511-1583 skill speed) → A loop rotation of 30 GCD per minute, requiring 4 fillers on odd minutes and 2 fillers on even minutes.

There are also three non-default looping levels designed to keep time with 120th Birthday Party buffs more than 60th Birthday Party buffs. They aren't recommended unless your skill speed is in an odd place due to gear choices in your odd minute Higanbanait will not always land correctly in time.

1. 2.17 GCD (400-443 Skill Speed) → A loop rotation of 27.5 GCD per minute, requiring 1 fill during odd minutes and 0 fill during even minutes.
2. 2.10 GCD (839-911 Skill Speed) → A loop rotation of 28.5 GCD per minute, requiring 3 fillers on odd minutes and 0 fillers on even minutes.
3. 2.03 GCD (1321-1379 skill speed) → A loop rotation of 29.5 GCD per minute, requiring 3 fillers on odd minutes and 2 fillers on even minutes.

The filling itself is divided into one, two or three GCD options:

1. A GCD: Hissatsu: Yaten→ Mean
2. Two GCD: Hakaze→ Yukikaze→ Hagakure
3. Three GCD: Hakaze→ Lehrer/ Jinpu→ Kascha/ lizard→ Hagakure

Note that each fill with Hagakuremust be used immediately after an explosion or in the middle of the cooldown period afterwards Midare Setsugekka, as the end of the cool down period will directly transition into the next minute's explosion.

As the battle progresses, you may lose one or more GCDs as you are forced to disconnect from the boss to solve a mechanic. In this scenario, you would first remove these GCDs from your population phase. If you are losing more GCDs than filler, an optimization would be used Meikyō Shisuiat the beginning of the cooldown to reach 3 Sen in time for the explosion. If you do this, you will end up in two Perusage GCDs from lizardor Kascha, which has room for up to six GCDs missed in the odd minutes. This comes at the cost of a weaker breakout, however, since you're forced to manually create combos, wasting your three Meikyō ShisuiFees. An example of this is below:

• In the second half of the cool-down period...
• Hakaze
• Yukikaze
• Hakaze
• Jinpu
• lizard→ Meikyō Shisui
• Kascha
• And then lead to its respective explosion, skipping the usual Meikyō Shisuilike you used to use it before.

During our strange burst of minutes, Ikishotenis still on cooldown, which prevents us from using it Ogi Namikiri. As such, this burst is shorter and doesn't hit as hard as our one-minute burst. As with the cooldown period outline, the following bursts don't list Kenki and Meditation spends, but make sure you spend the meter on them Hissatsu: Shintene Schohaas needed to avoid resource overruns. The odd and even minutes flow directly from the end of the cooldown period, which is why they start with a Midare Setsugekka.

1. Midare Setsugekka
2. Kaeshi: Setsugekka→ Meikyō Shisui
3. lizard
4. Higanbana
5. lizard
6. Kascha
7. Hakaze
8. Yukikaze
9. Midare Setsugekka

The still minute burst is virtually identical to our opener, minus the Meikyō Shisuineeded to set up buffs and sen. Ikishotenis not listed here as some players prefer to stock up on Kenki by entering this phase to unload Hissatsu: Shintenunder late-use raid buffs, while others may not be able to execute the dual plots that playstyle demands or may not want to manage their kenki as closely. You can use it before this explosion or in the middle of it as needed, as long as you can't overpower the Kenki and use it Ogi Namikirijust in time.

1. Midare Setsugekka
2. Kaeshi: Setsugekka→ Hissatsu: Senei→ Meikyō Shisui
3. lizard
4. Higanbana
5. lizard
6. Ogi Namikiri
7. Kaeshi: Namikiri
8. Kascha
9. Hakaze
10. Yukikaze
11. Midare Setsugekka

At the end of all this you should end up with a rotation that looks like this:

• opener
• cooling down
• strange explosion
• filling
• cooling down
• uniform explosion
• filling
• cooling down
• strange explosion
• etc...

The first minute is 29 GCDs due to the second load of Kaeshi: Setsugekka, and therefore most GCD layers should not require padding. In the case of 2.14 GCD this causes you to deviate from a GCD as it is a rotation of 28 GCD. This isn't a loss compared to the repair according to tests done with rotary tools, but it's worth noting as you'll see Higanbanastop early on the first repetition. This is also important for optimization as it accounts for a lost GCD without changing its rotation.

On two targets, Samurai uses a light mix of AoE abilities in single target rotation.

1. For combos, use yours YukikazeCombo and switch between yours Mangatsue OKCombos to maintain buffs.
2. spend it Midare Setsugekka.
3. Spend Kenki Hissatsu: Gurene Hissatsu: Shinten.
4. spend meditation Schoha.
5. when using Meikyō Shisui, spend a lot on lizarde Kascha.
6. when using Tsubame-gaeshi, spend a lot on Kaeshi: Setsugekka.

With three or more targets, the samurai enters the AoE toolkit.

1. Switch between yours for combos Mangatsue OKCombos to maintain buffs.
2. spend it Consider the Cuckoo.
3. Spend Kenki Hissatsu: Gurene Hissatsu: Kyūten.
4. spend meditation Schoha II.
5. when using Meikyō Shisui, spend a lot on Mangatsue OK.
6. when using Tsubame-gaeshi, use Kaeshi: Göken.