The first DPS class I levelled up was the Rogue, and I loved the stealthy assassin vibes that I got through the class quests. This was only enhanced the more I progressed, with the Ninja job skills and the thematic equipment available to me at higher levels.
Of course, I had been playing as a Miqo’te, whose relatively small frame lends itself to the shadowy, dexterous archetype. When Shadowbringers arrived I used a fantasia to change to Hrothgar. I knew I would continue to play Ninja, but I wondered if I would feel silly doing so on such a large character.
Today I’ll be looking through the equipment available to Ninjas to create three looks, specifically keeping in mind the Hrothgar frame. I’m sure much of this will be applicable to other races, but my focus is going to be on how the gear fits around the body (and hairstyle) of my character. It happens to be the same face and hairstyle as the Hrothgar preview on Gamerescape, so that will work in my favour when checking out certain chestpieces later.
The Styles
The first aesthetic I want to have is a Rogue outfit. I’m thinking of your typical D&D fantasy rogue archetype. Slightly more civilian clothing, the cloak and dagger, at home in an alleyway kind of theme.
The second look will be a Classic Ninja aesthetic. This is…kind of vague actually. When you think ‘ninja’ outside the game you think of an all black outfit which includes a full-head mask (which Hrothgar couldn’t wear) and baggy pants (for some reason). Also throwing stars and a samurai sword, but that’s a whole other thing. For the in-game gear what I’m imagining for this category are lightweight or tight-fitting chestpieces with some intricate designs, and more asian-influenced clothing.
Finally, a Mercenary look. My vision for this is a hired battle seasoned fighter of some kind. Could be something like an assassin or a bodyguard. I don’t know what I’ll find that fits for this, but that’s the feel I’m going for.
The Resources
My list of locations to go check out gear in-game includes the following:
- A main city (Limsa Lominsa) for the Calamity Salvager, Grand Company vendor, armoire, and marketboard.
- Mor Dhona for tomestone gear and a couple other random pieces.
- Idyllshire for tomestone and raid gear.
- Rhalgr’s Reach for tomestone and raid gear (including Centurio Seal vendor).
- Eulmore for tomestone and raid gear.
- Grenoldt for Level 80 Job gear.
- The Wolves’ Den Pier for all PvP gear.
- The Gold Saucer for MGP-priced gear.
After that I’ll be checking out the xivstyle archive to browse through all the dungeon and 24-man raid loot I can’t just preview in-game on my own character whenever I want.
Calamity Salvager Gear
The job gear for Ninjas starts with the aptly named Ninja Chainmail which has some nice detail on the torso and shoulders. I actually feel like the level 70 Kage-kakushi Chainmail has a little less complexity, but I prefer the sleeker look. This one also has a lot of chainmail which I didn’t realize until I switched to Hrothgar, since the visible patch on the back is quite large. I’m not as big a fan of the rear view, but the front looks really cool.
The Scion Traveler’s Jacket actually does make me think of a rogue. I haven’t liked this piece too much for any other jobs, but for a rogue look it actually makes sense to me. I think it’s the cape. For some reason I think cape = cloak = rogue.
Armoire Gear
Checking out what’s in my armoire, the only thing I’ve really got is the Strife Vest for a sort of slim but drapey outfit. It’s a little paradoxical because it seems like one half gives you tons of freedom of movement. and the other half you’ll trip over if you take one step.
Some other stuff in the armoire I like but am not seriously considering are the Spriggan Jacket for the eye-catching spriggan ears (or hair, maybe?) on the back, and the Moonfire Happis for more lightweight clothes.
Grand Company (Maelstrom) Gear
I didn’t see anything that fit the themes I’m looking for with the Maelstrom. The closest thing would maybe be the Storm Private’s Doublet Vest, but there are similar crafted pieces that are dyeable, so those are probably preferable anyway.
Marketboard (Crafted) Gear
The True Griffin Chestpiece of Scouting is one that I’ve already been using because it’s able to give off a Ninja feel without being a tight bodysuit, instead showing off more skin. Kirin’s Osode of Scouting could work too, it seems light because it’s made mostly of cloth, but also has metal armour on the shoulders for protection. I wish they were just a little smaller though.
I like the Kudzu Tunic of Scouting because it’s tight on the torso while still having a bit of a flared sleeve, and the drapey tail part at the back looks nice. I might be reaching here, but the Archaeoskin Jackcoat of Crafting and Gathering have patterns and textures that just make me think they’d work nicely for a Ninja.
The Rainbow Shirt of Scouting is pretty similar to ninjas in pop culture. The High Allagan Cuirass of Striking evokes a similar feel as the level 50 job gear for a more armoured Ninja. I like the Taoist’s Shirt because it looks like something a main character might wear in an Asian action movie.
The Facet Dolman of Scouting looks pretty badass, sharing its jagged, almost sinister model with the level 60 Dun Scaith gear. The Ovim Wool Jacket of Scouting is one I kind of skipped past while levelling, but looking back it actually fits this aesthetic really well.
The Iridescent Acton of Scouting is another piece that looks a bit civilian, but that kind of works for a rogue, and the small cloak around the neck and shoulders seems unique. The Brightlinen Gambison of Scouting has a long scarf and looks a bit more designed for battle.
The Gazelleskin Corselet of Scouting is a great thief-style chestpiece that I’ve been using for a while. The Ruby Cotton Gilet of Scouting is a little simple, and I don’t love the frills on it, but I think its simplicity makes it work for a rogue, and the bare arms let it with a number of gloves to come up with different looks.
I love the scarf and belt on the Chimerical Felt Tabard of Scouting, but I’m not as fond of the three segments on the back at the bottom since they look kind of plastic. The Holy Rainbow Shirt of Scouting looks really piratey for a seafaring rogue. The Arachne Shirt of Scouting (and Pagos Shirt) have a very piratey feel to them, and include tattoos.
The Falconer’s Shirt is another older looking, perhaps pirate or medieval themed garment. This might be the first time I consider the Dhalmelskin Coat for anything cause it looks so tattered, but that totally works for this aesthetic.
The Atrociraptorskin Corselet of Scouting is sleeveless but looks tough. The Sky Rat Harness of Scouting definitely has the ‘thug’ part of the mercenary aesthetic. The Star Velvet Tabard of Scouting is a little more soldier-y of a design.
The Chimerical Felt Cyclas of Scouting isn’t a complete fit for this category, but I just really like the shape of the garment, especially on Hrothgar. The Dhalmelskin Jacket of Scouting makes an aggressive hired thug outfit. The Saurian Shirt of Striking (or Raptorskin Shirt) looks like lightweight assassin garb to me.
The Gryphonskin Jerkin is pretty simple but it’s a tight-fitting piece that looks good from both the front and back. The Anemos Gambison is perfect for a more modern day looking assassin. The Uraeus Body Armor is a stitched, padded piece that looks combat-oriented.
Tomestone and Raid Gear
Mor Dhona doesn’t have anything of interest to me except the dyeable version of the level 50 job gear. Idyllshire has the Asuran Togi of Scouting which looks a little casual but menacing with the shoulder spikes. The Iga Ningi is actually the closest thing to a pop culture ninja. It looks really cool and the collar only clips my Hrothgar’s hair a tiny bit.
All of the Heavensward raid gear looks really nice on Ninja. The Gordian Corselet of Scouting looks really cool, though it leans a little more towards a soldier aesthetic. The Midan Coat of Scouting is much more casual, though still very stylish. Finally, the Alexandrian Coat of Scouting is a snugly fitted hooded robe with some intricate metal patterns on the back.
In Rhalgr’s Reach the Centurio Seal vendor has the Ala Mhigan Tunic of Scouting which is a bit dresslike but still fits the bill for the cloak and dagger look. The Diamond Armor of Scouting is sleeveless and has a scarf and shoulder plate. It could honestly fit with either the rogue or mercenary aesthetic. The Omega Coat of Scouting has a unique barbed hem at the bottom which gives it a bit of a dangerous assassin feel.
The Deepshadow Scale Mail of Scouting has a long cape and a dark colour scheme, but the fabric balloons out in front which looks a little weird when your weapon is out. The Edengrace Jacket of Scouting is really pretty but I don’t feel like it fits well into any of the styles I’m trying to create.
The Weathered Hattori Chainmail at level 80 is currently undyeable (should be upgradeable later) but it totally fits the bill on the fantasy ninja aesthetic. Very sleek, stylish, fancy, and shows off some skin.
PvP Gear
The Warwolf Corselet of Striking has a huge plate on one shoulder for an armoured mercenary look. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I somehow think Althyk’s Mail of Scouting works for this theme despite clearly being heavy mail. It might be the ribbed texture of the armour.
The Karasu Togi is eye-catching but unfortunately the collar clips my hairstyle something awful. The Republican Dimachaerius’s Lorica doesn’t fit well into any categories but I wanted to mention it because it looks really awesome. You don’t see much good gladiatorial style gear given to Ninja.
The Garo Gear (The Body of the Silver Wolf) kind of makes you look like a Power Ranger. It’s got huge detached pauldrons which flap around when you take out your weapon. Maybe it looks less awkward on other races.
Gold Saucer Gear
At the Gold Saucer, there aren’t a ton of relevant pieces, but the Spring Shirt (available from the Boutique Vendor) has a really simple style that I could see on a ninja in a movie or something. Another thing I saw was the Far Eastern Smock which, predictably, has an eastern design. But it looks very civilian in style.
Alliance and Dungeon Gear
Looking at dungeon loot, I’ll be starting with the 24-man raids. The Fuma Koromo has the perfect aesthetic you would expect for a classic ninja, but I think it’s due to the colour scheme since it’s just the Rainbow Shirt with some extra fabric of a different colour added on top.
The Yafaemi Cyclas of Scouting is a great sleeveless rogue option which has some pretty worn and tattered fabric if you like the rugged look. I really like the Ivalice looks, so the Ivalician Thief’s Jacket is a fun chestpiece to play with. It looks pretty soldiery though. The Ivalician Mercenary’s Jacket as you might think, makes you look like a mercenary.
The Foestriker’s Tabard (or Brand-new Tabard) is one you’ve probably seen really early on in the game, but it holds up. It’s a pretty smartly designed outfit. Interestingly, the Coat of the Ghost Thief is the same model as the Blue Mage’s starting gear, and works for creating a more theatrical rogue. The Filibuster’s Gambison of Scouting is a slightly more modern army version of a mercenary, and it’s what many of the soldiers in Rhalgr’s Reach wear.
The Ghost Barque Himation of Scouting is a very lightweight sleeveless garment with lots of jewellery. The Shisui Joi of Scouting could maybe be used to make some sort of…sexy ninja? Yeah that would probably work.
The Arhat Togi of Scouting is a very modern looking jacket, but I don’t think it fits any of these looks. It’s just cool. The Bonewicca Shadow’s Chestpiece is again a more sort of theatrical feel and is slightly leaning into Dancer or Bard territory.
The Shadowbringers Ninja gear is all unique and interesting but doesn’t fit with the three styles I’m going for, with the exception of the Mt. Gulg equipment which is a reskin of marketboard (and alliance raid) gear.
Favourites
For the Rogue theme I tried to pick one kind of street rat look, and one for a more established adventuring rogue. My top choices are the Gazelleskin Corselet of Scouting and the Coat of the Ghost Thief.
Some other good street looks were the Chimerical Felt Tabard, Dhalmelskin Coat, and Yafaemi Cyclas, but I just like the material of the corselet combined with the clasps and trinkets hanging off the front of it. I also liked the Alexandrian Coat but it’s a bit more elegant. I’ll probably still farm up for this piece to put in the dresser.
For the Classic Ninja theme my favourites are the True Griffin Chestpiece of Scouting and the Kage-kakushi Chainmail.
Honestly I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the job gear since I also really enjoy the Iga Ningi and the Hattori Chainmail. The Fuma Koromo is also very fitting. If you dye the Spring Shirt black you get a very basic ninja look, which is kind of neat to know.
Finally, the Mercenary theme. I like the Anemos Gambison for a hired assassin vibe, and the Gordian Corselet of Scouting for a more honourable type of sellsword.
Some other close choices were the Dhalmelskin Jacket of Scouting, Saurian Shirt of Striking, Warwolf Corselet of Striking, and Ivalician Mercenary’s Jacket.
What do you think of Hrothgar playing traditionally stealthier jobs? Do you think they can pull of the look? Let me know in the comments.
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