Limit Breaks are a Final Fantasy series staple, first appearing in Final Fantasy VII before becoming a core part of the games following. In Final Fantasy XIV, Limit Breaks are high-damage attacks used to finish off enemies, beat DPS checks, and wipe out large packs of mobs.
But when you first start playing, the Limit Break can seem daunting and confusing. Additionally, the game doesn’t really explain how or when to use your Limit Break, and in fact, it doesn’t even put the ability on your hot bar for you. As a result, you may find yourself wondering how to even Limit Break at all in FFXIV.
What are Limit Breaks in FFXIV?
In FFXIV Limit Breaks come in three tiers known as LB1, LB2, and LB3. Limit Breaks are earned over the course of an encounter and are generated as you kill enemies, heal, mitigate damage, and more, filling each of the Limit Break bars in turn. If one bar of the Limit Break bars is filled, you can perform LB1; if two are filled, LB2, and so on.
Limit Breaks are a shared ability between a party, and the bars you have access to depend on the size of a party and the enemy you’re facing. In a duty, a Light Party (four players) will have access to a single Limit Break bar. In a Full Party (eight players) you’ll have access to two bars. In boss encounters, Trials, and Alliance Raids, you’ll have access to an additional Limit Break bar, bringing the potential total to three.
Healers, Tanks, Melee DPS, Caster DPS, and Ranged DPS all have a different type of Limit Break. Healers heal in an area of effect (AoE), increasing in potency for LB2, and fully resurrecting all dead players at LB3. Tanks have an increasing amount of damage mitigation for the LB. Melee DPS do high single target damage, increasing per bar. Caster DPS do AoE damage in a circular area, and Ranged DPS do AoE damage in a line. These are detailed under the Limit Break tooltip.
How to Limit Break in FFXIV
To Limit Break in FFXIV, you’ll first need to make sure it’s on your bar. The game doesn’t do this for you automatically, so you need to do it manually. To do this, select Actions & Traits from the Character menu (P button on PC by default), and navigate to General. Limit Break will be one of the actions listed here. Drag it to your hot bar to select it.
Depending on your preference, it’s sometimes advised to put your Limit Break button on a static hot bar (as in, one that doesn't change when you switch jobs). This way, you’ll never find yourself without LB when you need it. Alternatively, ensure you include it on your bar for all jobs, and, if possible, in the same out-of-reach location for each job. This way, you won’t find yourself fat-fingering the Limit Break by accident.
To use Limit Break, simply select the action. Limit Breaks have a channel time, like a spell, and as a result, can be interrupted. You should allow the Limit Break to fully channel to ensure you cast it successfully. Limit Breaks also have a small amount of animation lock, meaning your character may be unable to move or act for a few seconds while using Limit Break.
When to Limit Break in FFXIV
Limit Breaks are a limited resource in Final Fantasy XIV content, and should be used sparingly. In general, there are a few accepted places to use a Limit Break.
DPS are the main players who should be using Limit Breaks. Usually, a DPS will use a Limit Break to deal damage at the end of a fight. This is because some bosses have enrages or DPS checks that mean Limit Breaks must be used. Caster and Ranged DPS will also sometimes use a Limit Break on the final pull of a dungeon, or during add phases of fights, to quickly clear large numbers of enemies.
Healers' use of Limit Breaks is more circumstantial. In Trials and raids where you find players dying, you might need to use a LB3 to resurrect the party and prevent a wipe. In general, outside of high-end content and very limited circumstances, Healer LB1 and LB2 are rarely used, as your own conventional healing should be enough.
Tank LBs are some of the least used. Damage mitigation for the entire party is rarely needed outside of the most high-end of content. However, there exist some very specific fights and challenges where you’ll need to use Tank LB to survive. These are pretty rare occasions though, and your party will likely remind you when you need to use it.
Limit Breaks in FFXIV PvP?
In PvP, players have access to their own personal Limit Breaks. They follow the same conventions as in PvE content, but in general, are used more frequently and for differing reasons, either to save a life or kill a single opponent. Check out some PvP guides for more information.
