Machinist
The Machinist relies on guns, measures, and hand-bombs to deal damage. Guns tend to be a weaker source of damage and are not as powerful overall because they do not rely on stats, such as strength or magick, and deal a set amount of damage no matter what. The Machinist job can be somewhat helpful for some of the mage classes, such as the Time Battlemage, Red Battlemage, or White Mage, to allow them to do some additional damage when they are not casting spells, buffs, or debuffs. They also get some access to Green Magick spells.
Esper and Quickening Unlocks
Each Esper and Quickening you unlock is tied to a specific spot on the License Board, and claiming one opens up the licenses around it. The table below shows which extra licenses each Esper makes available on this board, along with the Quickening unlock, so you can decide which character should claim each one.
| Esper License Unlocks | Quickening Unlocks |
|---|---|
| Chaos: 350 HP Cúchulainn: Magick Lore Exodus: Green Magick 1 Famfrit: Time Magick 8, Time Magick 9, Time Magick 10 Shemhazai: Hand Bombs 3 Ultima: Magick Lore (x3) Zeromus:  MakaraZodiark: 390 HP |
Quickening (125 LP): Magick Lore (x3) |
Weapons and Armor Overview
The Machinist attacks from range with Guns, whose damage ignores both the target’s defense and the user’s Strength, depending only on the gun equipped. It wears Light Armor and supports allies with Measures.
| Slot | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Weapon |  Guns |
| Weapon |  Measures |
| Armor |  Light Armor |
| Notable Licenses | Three Swiftness Licenses (faster attack speed) |
License Board
In The Zodiac Age, the Machinist has its own License Board, shown below.
Job Pairing Recommendations
The Machinist works best when paired with a second job that covers its gaps. A few combinations worth considering:
| Combination | Why It Works |
|---|---|
Machinist /  White Mage |
The classic combination. Because gun damage ignores Strength, the Machinist adds reliable ranged damage to the low-Strength White Mage when it is not casting cures. |
Machinist /  Black Mage |
Gives the offensive caster a stat-independent ranged attack for when MP runs low, plus Light Armor mobility. |
Machinist /  Red Battlemage |
Combines stat-free gun damage with a full Red Magick support kit for a versatile back-line unit. |
Read more in the job selection guide in the Tips and Tricks section:
Tips and Tricks
Having trouble deciding which jobs to assign to which characters? This guide walks through how to choose jobs and build effective party combinations.