Puppetmaster

job · PUP

A hand-to-hand fighter who builds and runs an automaton, a puppet that tanks, shoots, nukes or heals depending on the head, frame and attachments you give it.

PUP · two-hour Overdrive · 21 job abilities · 30 trait ranks · 122 spells · 22 weapon skills

What the job does:
A Puppetmaster is two characters at once: a monk-like brawler and an automaton that fights beside it. You choose three things for the automaton:

- A frame (the body): Harlequin Frame, Valoredge Frame, Sharpshot Frame or Stormwaker Frame. It sets HP, MP, defense and which weapon skills the automaton has.
- A head:5 items: - Harlequin Head
- Valoredge Head
- Sharpshot Head
- Stormwaker Head
- Soulsoother Head or Spiritreaver Head

It sets which spells the automaton casts and its one-hour ability.
- Attachments: small parts (Strobe, Armor Plate, Loudspeaker, Auto-Repair Kit and so on) that each give a bonus and grow stronger when you use Maneuvers of the matching element.

Out of that you can build a tank (Valoredge Frame, Valoredge Head), a ranged damage dealer (Sharpshot Frame, Sharpshot Head), a nuker (Stormwaker Frame, Spiritreaver Head), a healer (Stormwaker Frame, Soulsoother Head) or an all-rounder (Harlequin Frame and Head). You can change the build between fights.

What it is good at:

- Flexibility. One job can fill the party's tank, healer, nuker or ranged slot. The automaton also takes hits for you.
- Self-sufficiency. Repair and Maintenance with oil keep the automaton healthy, and Role Reversal swaps your HP with its.
- Burst. Maneuvers, Overdrive and Tactical Switch let you and the automaton trade TP and stack bonuses.

What it is bad at: setup (the automaton menu is the most involved in the game), oil costs, and the automaton's AI, which chooses its own targets and moves. A Puppetmaster without Maneuvers running is a plain monk.

Role in a party:
Whatever the build says, plus melee damage from you.

- Tank: Valoredge Frame with Valoredge Head and tank attachments (Strobe, Armor Plate, Barrier Module), with Ventriloquy to swap enmity between you and the automaton.
- Damage: Sharpshot Frame with Sharpshot Head for ranged weapon skills; or Stormwaker Frame with Spiritreaver Head for magic damage and magic bursts.
- Support: Stormwaker Frame with Soulsoother Head for Cure, Regen, Haste and status removal.
- All-rounder: Harlequin Frame and Harlequin Head, weapon skills plus Cure and enfeebles.

The party expects the automaton to behave like a player in that role, and expects you to keep it repaired.

How the abilities work together:
Numbers. Recasts are the listed times; every job ability recasts 15% faster on Vanadreams.

Ability | Recast | What it does |
Activate | 20 min | Calls the automaton (needs an animator in the range slot) |
Deactivate | 1 min | Sends it away; if it is at full HP, Activate's recast resets |
Deus Ex Automata | 1 min | Calls it at once, at low HP and MP |
Deploy / Retrieve | 10 s | Orders it to attack / to come back |
Maneuvers (8 elements) | 10 s | Power up the attachments of that element |
Repair | 90 s | Heals it with an Automaton Oil, adds Regen |
Maintenance | 90 s | Removes its ailments with an oil |
Role Reversal | 2 min | You and the automaton swap current HP |
Ventriloquy | 1 min | You and the automaton swap your enmity on the target |
Tactical Switch | 3 min | You and the automaton swap TP |
Cooldown | 5 min | Halves your burden and removes Overload |
Overdrive | 60 min | The automaton fights at maximum for 3 minutes; any one Maneuver counts as three |
Heady Artifice | 60 min | The automaton uses a special ability that depends on its head |

Maneuvers. Each Maneuver has an element: Fire (STR), Ice (INT), Wind (AGI), Earth (VIT), Thunder (DEX), Water (MND), Light (CHR), Dark. An attachment has a bonus for no Maneuvers and for one, two and three Maneuvers of its element. Up to three Maneuvers can be up; a fourth replaces the oldest. A Maneuver lasts at least 60 seconds, and the longer the automaton has been in the fight the longer a new one lasts, up to 5 minutes.

Burden. Each Maneuver adds burden to its element: 14 to 20, lower when your stat for that element is higher than the automaton's. Dark Maneuver costs a flat 8 on Valoredge and Sharpshot frames and 14 on the others. Burden drains over time (the Heatsink attachment speeds it up). When burden gets high there is a chance the automaton overloads: every Maneuver drops, both of you get Overload for a while, and you cannot give new Maneuvers. Cooldown halves your burden and ends Overload.

Repair and oil. Automaton Oil, Automat. Oil +1, +2 and +3 (sold by Gavrie in Aht Urhgan Whitegate) go in the ammo slot. Repair heals 10%, 20%, 30% or 40% of its max HP and gives Regen for 15, 30, 45 or 60 seconds. Maintenance removes 1, 2, 3 or 4 ailments.

The Activate trick. Activate recasts in 20 minutes. If you Deactivate while the automaton is at full HP, Activate's recast resets, so you can change heads, frames and attachments between fights for free.

Heady Artifice (level 96) gives a head-dependent move:

[cut off]

Working with other jobs:
Skillchains. You and your automaton can chain with each other, with the party and with Trusts.

Weapon skill | Properties | A partner closes with | Result |
Combo, Raging Fists | Impaction | Detonation or Liquefaction | the same property |
Shoulder Tackle | Reverberation, Impaction | Detonation, Impaction, Induration or Liquefaction | the same property |
One Inch Punch | Compression | Detonation or Transfixion | the same property |
Spinning Attack | Liquefaction, Impaction | Detonation, Impaction, Liquefaction or Scission | Fusion or the same property |
Howling Fist | Transfixion, Impaction | Compression, Detonation, Liquefaction, Reverberation or Scission | Distortion or the same property |
Dragon Kick | Fragmentation | Distortion or Fusion | Distortion or Light |
Asuran Fists, Stringing Pummel | Gravitation, Liquefaction | Distortion, Fragmentation, Impaction or Scission | Darkness, Fragmentation, Fusion, Scission |
Tornado Kick | Induration, Impaction, Detonation | Compression, Detonation, Impaction, Liquefaction, Reverberation or Scission | Compression, Gravitation, Fragmentation, or the same property |
Victory Smite | Light, Fragmentation | Distortion, Fusion or Light | Distortion or Light |
Shijin Spiral (Godhands) | Fusion, Reverberation | Fragmentation, Gravitation, Impaction or Induration | Light, Gravitation, Impaction or Induration |

Use the automaton's moves as the other half: for example your Combo (Impaction) opens, the automaton's Arcuballista (Liquefaction, Transfixion) closes for Liquefaction, and a Stormwaker nuker bursts Fire. Pair openers and closers from the table in the Skillchains guide.

Trusts that close for you: Ayame (UC) closes anything you open; Gessho and Maat hold their TP to close; Selh'teus, Iroha, Iroha II, Ingrid II, Volker, Mildaurion and Karaha-Baruha save TP for closing.

Magic bursts. A Spiritreaver or Stormwaker automaton casts Stone, Water, Aero, Fire, Blizzard and Thunder at the tier its skill allows. The Amplifier attachment raises its magic burst bonus. Time its casts after a chain closes, and give the Maneuvers of the element the Amplifier, Loudspeaker and Arcanoclutch attachments are tied to.

Healers. A Soulsoother automaton is a healer you can carry yourself. Otherwise a healer Trust covers you: Kupipi, Curilla, Fablinix, Excenmille, Trion and Adelheid Cure whoever holds hate at 75% and everyone else at 50%. The automaton gets Cures from a healer only if you stand near it.

Tanks. A Valoredge automaton can t [cut off]

Levelling it:
Every job is open from level 1. Your level cap is 70 until you win Achieving True Power, the Puppetmaster's own limit break fight in the Bastok storyline. Winning it opens level 99 for every job.

Level | What arrives |
1 to 14 | Activate, Deploy, Deactivate and all eight Maneuvers (1), Deus Ex Automata (5), Retrieve (10), Resist Slow (10). Hand-to-hand weapons: Cat Baghnakhs (1), Brass Baghnakhs (11). |
15 to 29 | Repair (15), Resist Amnesia (15), Evasion Bonus (20), Martial Arts (25). Strike Baghnakhs (14), Cougar Baghnakhs (20), Baghnakhs (24). |
30 to 49 | Maintenance (30), Damage Limit+ (45). Turbo Animator (40). |
50 to 69 | Martial Arts II (50), Smite (60), Evasion Bonus III (60). Artifact Pup. Churidars (52) to Pup. Taj (60). |
70 | Level cap. Do Achieving True Power. |
71 to 99 | Role Reversal, Ventriloquy, Fine-Tuning, Optimization (75), Stout Servant (78), Tactical Switch (79), Tactical Guard (80), Crit. Def. Bonus (85), Martial Arts IV (86), Deluxe Animator (87), Cooldown (95), Heady Artifice (96), Martial Arts V (97). |

Level with a healer Trust behind you, melee beside the automaton, and let it use Deploy while you chain. The automaton's skills rise by fighting, so use it from the start. Records of Eminence and Fields of Valor pay experience as you go. Classic mode holds you at level 75 until you finish each era's list (the Puppetmaster's Classic skill is Automaton Melee). Moogle Mode gives faster rates and doubles the automaton's skill-ups.

At 99 and endgame:
Merits. The Puppetmaster's merits are Automaton Skills, Maintenance recast, Repair effect, Activate recast, Repair recast, and Role Reversal, Ventriloquy, Fine-Tuning and Optimization. Take Automaton Skills first (higher skill means stronger weapon skills and spells), then Fine-Tuning and Optimization (the automaton's accuracy, evasion and magic defense; attack, defense and magic attack), then Activate recast and Repair effect.

Job points (from level 99, with the Job Breaker):

- Overdrive Effect (+5 to all automaton attributes per rank) and Automaton HP and MP Bonus (+10 HP and +5 MP per rank) first.
- Heady Artifice Effect, Activate Effect and Cooldown Effect (each cut burden by 1 per rank), Repair Effect (MP back over the oil's duration), Tactical Switch Bonus (+20 TP per rank), Deus Ex Automata Recast (-1 second), Deactivate Effect (the HP needed to reset Activate, -1% per rank), Martial Arts Effect (-2 delay per rank).

Gifts to reach first: Automaton Physical Attack and Defense Bonus (60, 360, 910, 1710 JP), Physical Accuracy and Evasion Bonus (80, 405, 980, 1805), Magic Attack and Defense (125, 450, 1050, 1900), Magic Accuracy and Evasion (150, 500, 1125, 2000), Automaton Elemental Capacity (100, 1200; more attachments), Martial Arts Effect (550). Superior gear opens at 50 JP.

Spend all 2100 job points on a level 99 Puppetmaster to master it; with the Master Breaker, Master Levels open.

Where it shines. Anywhere a party needs a role it is missing: Omen, Odyssey, Ambuscade, Vagary and Dynamis all allow Trusts, so a Puppetmaster can fill the gap beside them. In places without Trusts (Sortie, Salvage, Nyzul Isle, Assault, Einherjar) a Puppetmaster with a Soulsoother or Valoredge build covers a role a human party is short of.

Gear to aim for:
Level | Sets |
1 to 29 | Cat Baghnakhs (1), Brass Baghnakhs (11), Strike Baghnakhs (14), Cougar Baghnakhs (20), Baghnakhs (24); Automaton Oil (15) |
30 to 59 | Artifact Pup. Taj (60), Pup. Tobe (58), Pup. Dastanas (56), Pup. Churidars (52), Pup. Babouches (54); Puppetry Torque (30), Turbo Animator (40), Automat. Oil +1 (30), +2 (50) |
60 to 75 | Pantin Taj (75), Pantin Tobe (74), Pantin Dastanas (73), Pantin Churidars (71), Pantin Babouches (72); Adaman Sainti (70), Pygme Sainti (73), Oberon's Sainti (75), Inferno Claws (75), Animator +1 (71) |
76 to 99 | Cirque Cappello (85), Cirque Farsetto (89), Cirque Guanti (87), Cirque Pantaloni (83), Cirque Scarpe (81); Marotte Claws (82), Burattinaios (89), Deluxe Animator (87), Automat. Oil +3 (80); at 99 Artifact Pitre, Relic Karagoz, Empyrean Foire, each with +1 to +3 upgrades |

At 99:
13 items: - Pitre Taj
- Pitre Tobe
- Pitre Dastanas
- Pitre Churidars
- Pitre Babouches; Karagoz Cappello
- Karagoz Farsetto
- Karagoz Guanti
- Karagoz Pantaloni
- Karagoz Scarpe; Foire Taj
- Foire Tobe
- Foire Dastanas
- Foire Churidars
- Foire Babouches

Weapons: Godhands (Shijin Spiral), Kenkonken (Stringing Pummel, suppresses Overload), Verethragna (Victory Smite), Xiucoatl (Automaton: Accuracy+50), Ohtas (Oboro in Port Jeuno makes it; Automaton Refresh+1), Karambit, Kaja Knuckles. Animator: Animator P II, Animator Z, Neo Animator.

Vanagear builds and swaps these for you; see its guide.

Common mistakes:
- Not enough oil. Repair and Maintenance both need Automaton Oil in the ammo slot. Carry a stack.
- Four Maneuvers. Only three count; a fourth replaces the oldest.
- Maneuvers of the wrong element. Check what your attachments respond to.
- Overloading. Do not chain Maneuvers back to back at high burden. Use Cooldown first.
- Deactivating a hurt automaton. Deactivate resets Activate only if it is at full HP.
- Building a Valoredge or Sharpshot Frame and expecting spells. They have no MP.
- Subjob with a pet. Beastmaster, Summoner, Dragoon and Geomancer pets cannot be out with your automaton.
- Ignoring skill. Weapon skills and spells need automaton skill; fight with it from level 1.

Job abilities: Overdrive (SP, recast 1h): Augment the fighting ability of your automaton to its maximum level. | Activate (Lv 1, recast 20 min): Calls forth your automaton. | Dark Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of dark attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Deactivate (Lv 1, recast 1 min): Deactivates your automaton. | Deploy (Lv 1, recast 10s): Orders your automaton to attack. | Earth Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of earth attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Fire Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of fire attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Ice Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of ice attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Light Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of light attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Thunder Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of thunder attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Water Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of water attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Wind Maneuver (Lv 1, recast 10s): Enhances the effect of wind attachments. Must have animator equipped. | Deus Ex Automata (Lv 5, recast 1 min): Calls forth your automaton in an unsound state. | Retrieve (Lv 10, recast 10s): Orders your automaton to return to your side. | Repair (Lv 15, recast 2 min): Gradually restores your automaton's HP. Special items required. | Maintenance (Lv 30, recast 2 min): Cures your automaton of status ailments. Special items required. | Role Reversal (Lv 75, recast 2 min): Swaps HP of master and automaton. | Ventriloquy (Lv 75, recast 1 min): Swaps the enmity of master and automaton for target. | Tactical Switch (Lv 79, recast 3 min): Swaps TP of master and automaton. | Cooldown (Lv 95, recast 5 min): Reduces the strain on your automaton. | Heady Artifice (Lv 96, recast 1h): Allows automatons to perform a special ability that varies with the head used.

Traits: Resist Slow (Lv 10), Resist Amnesia (Lv 15), Evasion Bonus (Lv 20), Martial Arts (Lv 25), Resist Amnesia II (Lv 35), Evasion Bonus II (Lv 40), Damage Limit+ (Lv 45), Martial Arts II (Lv 50), Resist Slow II (Lv 50), Resist Amnesia III (Lv 55), Evasion Bonus III (Lv 60), Smite (Lv 60), Resist Slow III (Lv 70), Fine-Tuning (Lv 75), Martial Arts III (Lv 75), Optimization (Lv 75), Resist Amnesia IV (Lv 75), Evasion Bonus IV (Lv 76), Stout Servant (Lv 78), Tactical Guard (Lv 80), Resist Slow IV (Lv 81), Crit. Def. Bonus (Lv 85), Martial Arts IV (Lv 86), Stout Servant II (Lv 88), Damage Limit+ II (Lv 90), Tactical Guard II (Lv 90), Crit. Def. Bonus II (Lv 95), Resist Amnesia V (Lv 95), Martial Arts V (Lv 97), Stout Servant III (Lv 98)

Spells by level: Shantotto 1, Naji 1, Kupipi 1, Excenmille 1, Ayame 1, Nanaa Mihgo 1, Curilla 1, Volker 1, Ajido-Marujido 1, Trion 1, Zeid 1, Lion 1, Tenzen 1, Mihli Aliapoh 1, Valaineral 1, Joachim 1, Naja Salaheem 1, Prishe 1, Ulmia 1, Shikaree Z 1, Cherukiki 1, Iron Eater 1, Gessho 1, Gadalar 1, Rainemard 1, Ingrid 1, Lehko Habhoka 1, Nashmeira 1, Zazarg 1, Ovjang 1, Mnejing 1, Sakura 1, Luzaf 1, Najelith 1, Aldo 1, Moogle 1, Fablinix 1, Maat 1, D. Shantotto 1, Star Sibyl 1, Karaha-Baruha 1, Cid 1, Gilgamesh 1, Areuhat 1, Semih Lafihna 1, Elivira 1, Noillurie 1, Lhu Mhakaracca 1, Ferreous Coffin 1, Lilisette 1, Mumor 1, Uka Totlihn 1, Klara 1, Romaa Mihgo 1, Kuyin Hathdenna 1, Rahal 1, Koru-Moru 1, Pieuje (UC) 1, I. Shield (UC) 1, Apururu (UC) 1, Jakoh (UC) 1, Flaviria (UC) 1, Babban 1, Abenzio 1, Rughadjeen 1, Kukki-Chebukki 1, Margret 1, Chacharoon 1, Lhe Lhangavo 1, Arciela 1, Mayakov 1, Qultada 1, Adelheid 1, Amchuchu 1, Brygid 1, Mildaurion 1, Halver 1, Rongelouts 1, Leonoyne 1, Maximilian 1, Kayeel-Payeel 1, Robel-Akbel 1, Kupofried 1, Selh'teus 1, Yoran-Oran (UC) 1, Sylvie (UC) 1, Abquhbah 1, Balamor 1, August 1, Rosulatia 1, Teodor 1, Ullegore 1, Makki-Chebukki 1, King of Hearts 1, Morimar 1, Darrcuiln 1, AAHM 1, AAEV 1, AAMR 1, AATT 1, AAGK 1, Iroha 1, Ygnas 1, Monberaux 1, Cornelia 1, Matsui-P 1, Excenmille [S] 1, Ayame (UC) 1, Maat (UC) 1, Aldo (UC) 1, Naja (UC) 1, Lion II 1, Zeid II 1, Prishe II 1, Nashmeira II 1, Lilisette II 1, Tenzen II 1, Mumor II 1, Ingrid II 1, Arciela II 1, Iroha II 1, Shantotto II 1

Weapon skills: Combo (Hand-to-Hand 5; Impaction), Shoulder Tackle (Hand-to-Hand 40; Reverberation/Impaction), One Inch Punch (Hand-to-Hand 75; Compression), Backhand Blow (Hand-to-Hand 100; Detonation), Raging Fists (Hand-to-Hand 125; Impaction), Spinning Attack (Hand-to-Hand 150; Liquefaction/Impaction), Howling Fist (Hand-to-Hand 200; Transfixion/Impaction), Dragon Kick (Hand-to-Hand 225; Fragmentation), Asuran Fists (Hand-to-Hand 250; Gravitation/Liquefaction), Stringing Pummel (Hand-to-Hand; Gravitation/Liquefaction), Tornado Kick (Hand-to-Hand 300; Induration/Impaction/Detonation), Victory Smite (Hand-to-Hand; Light/Fragmentation), Shijin Spiral (Hand-to-Hand 357; Fusion/Reverberation), Wasp Sting (Dagger 5; Scission), Shadowstitch (Dagger 70; Reverberation), Gust Slash (Dagger 40; Detonation), Energy Steal (Dagger 150; ), Shining Strike (Club 5; Impaction), Brainshaker (Club 70; Reverberation), Starlight (Club 100; ), Skullbreaker (Club 150; Induration/Reverberation), True Strike (Club 175; Impaction/Detonation)