FFXI Monks are agressive and highly offensive Melee characters. The FFXI Monks are martial arts specialists who prefer to be unarmed as they relentlessly deal body blows to their foes. Final Fantasy XI Monks use very few weapons.
The ability to seriously thrash an opposition, in quick time, is the Final Fantasy XI Monk's forte. Where the Warrior is a defensive melee fighter, there is nothing defensive about a FFXI Monk's style of fighting.
One great advantage a FFXI Monk has over his opposition is their agility. Because they don't use weapons, the Monks are can deal serious damage very quickly through their 'hand to hand' skills.
The FFXI Monk has a decent enough defense, but not quite as strong as that of the Warrior. Consequently, he can't take as much damage as the latter can absorb. Though the 'parry' skill is useful, to ward off attacks if the Final Fantasy XI Monk is using a weapon.
Final Fantasy XI Monks can rush through the first easy levels fighting solo. However, it is always useful to join up a party when the quests get tougher and the beasts, rougher.
The job of a FFXI Monk in a party is to deal consistent damage to the enemy. Seemingly simple, but the trick is to stay just below the 'hate' the Tank is soaking up. Otherwise, your Mage/healer would be kept really busy tending to your wounds.
Some would call the idea insane, but Monks can actually turn out to be good at Tanking as well. The trick is to know just how to do it, lots of expensive stuff involved in the equipment, and its not a job for the faint of heart either. Though tanking for a FFXI Monk is just something that can be done if there is no specialist tank available, don't make it a profession!
As always there is a diverse choice available for sub jobs. However, with a Monk's ability you can really pummel the enemy, the most tempting option is to add to it's destructiveness!
A Warrior sub-job can affix some decent defense options to your character, and raise your total strength and vitality. Plus there is the added attack bonus, and the Berserker and the Double Attack options. Warrior's War Cry is really handy in parties. Overall, Monk/Warrior is the best combination by a long way.
Subbing a FFXI Monk with a melee fighter can really pay off, but the other idea can be to churn up some magic skills that would provide some healing abilities for your FFXI Monk. If you are considering going for a Mage sub job then, quite frankly, Black Mage and the Red Mage don't make the cut. But the White Mage can be an interesting option with the healing abilities and teleportation to go with; this is more than just a good option, its right up there with the Mnk/War combo. (Not for Galka though)
Monk/Thief or Monk/Samurai combos are not the only other options; choose your own style of play and pick a job that raises you adrenalin. The point is to give it some thought.
While Galkas can consider a FFXI Monk's job tailor made for themselves, the Elvaans are not far behind either. Hume and Mithra are decent enough as Monks in FFXI, though they are not specialists as the Galka.
The Tarutaru would do well to stay clear of the job, as the most they can achieve with being a monk is mediocrity.
| Race/Specs | HP | MP | STR | DEX | VIT | AGI | INT | MND | CHR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hume | 33 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Elvaan | 35 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| Galka | 38 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Mithra | 33 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Tarutaru | 27 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Job abilities mean special strengths which are unlocked after the required number of levels are completed. These can be reused after a specific amount of real-life time has passed (re-use time for each ability is different).
| Ability | Level | Re-use Time (min) | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hundred Fists | 1 | 120 | Cuts down the time between attacks and increases attack while reducing attack range. |
| Boost | 5 | 15 (sec) | Heightens the attack effectiveness in the next attack by over 12% |
| Evasion | 15 | 5 | Betters evasion ability for 2 minutes. |
| Concentrate | 25 | 5 | Increases the ratio of blows that actually land on the target. |
| Chakra | 35 | 15 | Refills the HP bar and adds a couple of points to Vitality |
| Chi Projectile | 41 | 3 | Swells the FFXI Monks's hit ratio while the evasive skills go down, for 30 seconds. |
| Counterstance | 45 | 15 | Enhances counter attack skill, but the defense takes a low blow |
