FFXIV Red Mage Leveling Guide

Level up your Red MAGE (RDM) ASAP! Setting up – Early Rotations – Gear Checks and more!

If you’ve found yourself here, you’re likely leveling up a Red Mage. You’ve found the right place. Hopefully, our Red Mage Leveling Guide helps you out – especially with setting up and the early L50+ rotation!

Red Mage Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L50 Skills & Rotation, L50 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling RDM 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling RDM 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

For those who jumped right into this page, we will add a little blurb about unlocking Red Mage, if you haven’t already.

Unlocking Red Mage (RDM) Job

Quest Name: Taking the Red
Quest Location: Ul’dah – Steps of Thal (Merchant Strip) (X:14, Y:12)
NPC Name: Distraught Lass

You will be rewarded with the Soul of the Red Mage, your main hand weapon (Mythrite Rapier), and a free coffer of 115 left side gear (Red Attire Coffer)! Equip them as soon you have them!

Since Red Mage starts at level 50, there are a few things you have to “catch up to”… Namely, your Skills, Rotation, and to a lesser extent, Gear.

Fresh Level 50 Red Mage Rotation & Skills

RDM Rotation Summary

Red Mage is all about generating Black and White mana “equally”, then subsequently dumping it using our melee combo. We use Dualcast on every “long spell”, which is Verthunder or Veraero.

It’s also HEAVILY influenced by procs.

In the next tab we go into the nitty gritty, and talk about EVERY SKILL you’ve unlocked just now.

L50 RDM Single Target Rotation
L50 RDM Basic Single Target Rotation

Gaining Mana Phase

Jolt (L2) (DUALCAST ON).
Verthunder (L4) or Veraero (L10), use what boosts your LOWER mana (DUALCAST OFF).
===
Proc triggered? Verfire (L26) or Verstone (L30), Use that (DUALCAST ON).
No Proc? Jolt (DUALCAST ON).
===
Verthunder (L4) or Veraero (L10), Use what boosts your LOWER mana (DUALCAST OFF).
Repeat from here (Either Jolt, or Proc Triggered)

It may seem a little odd reading it – but try it out first, it makes a lot of sense after a few cycles. After the gaining mana phase, it’s melee time.

80+ Black and White Mana? Melee Phase

Corps-a-corps (L6) (optional – to dash close to them)
Riposte (L1) (Melee Combo A)
Zwerchau (L35) (Melee Combo B)
Redoublement (L50) (Melee Combo C)
Displacement (L40) (Optional – backflips out)
(Go back to gaining mana phase)

Also, use Fleche (L45) whenever able.

L50 RDM Basic AoE Rotation
L50 RDM Basic AoE Rotation

For 2 Enemies: Use Single target rotation on one of them.

For 3 Enemies: Scatter (L18) spam is “ok”, but generates colored mana slowly. I would replace all Jolts with Scatter, and try to use as many Dualcasts on Veraero and Verthunder. Any procs gained should be saved for when 1/2 guys remain.

For 4+ Enemies: Scatter spamming seems best. While mana charges slowly, you’ll do far more damage.

At 52 (might as well give you an idea now), Moulinet is an AoE melee attack which uses your Black and White mana – so don’t worry, you have an AoE rotation for both ends.

L50 RDM Misc (Cooldowns, Utility)
L50 RDM Misc skills (Cooldowns, Utility)

Acceleration (L50): ENSURES that the next spell you cast will trigger its proc. Obvious uses, use as often as possible.

Fleche (L45): An off-GCD nuke to be used as often as possible.

Tether (L15): Binds enemies, largely useless.

L50 RDM Role Actions

TL;DR – for general usage:
Lucid Dreaming > Diversion > Swiftcast at 32

Caster role actions are pretty slim pickings…

For a more detailed write-up check out our Caster DPS Role Actions Guide.

 

Fresh level 50 Red Mage: Gear Check

The free gear you get from completing the Red Mage quest is item level 115. All things considered this ain’t so bad. HOWEVER, it is missing the right-side accessories, and belt.

Ignore this section if you plan to sully yourself in PotD forever.

I want better than 115 item level!

There are only 2 possible item level upgrades from 115, and 4 possible sources:

  • 120 gear from World of Darkness (hassle if you don’t have it already)
  • 120 Ironworks gear from “old tomestone” (not too bad to obtain!)
  • 130 Dreadwyrm gear from Final Coil (hassle if you don’t have it already)
  • 130 Augmented Ironworks gear (needs Carbontwine and Carboncoat…)

While I imagine many people have these lying around – I can only faithfully vouch for only ONE of these tiers – 120 Ironworks from older tomestone gear is easy to obtain, and can be fairly worth it as they’re shared between many classes.

And, if you happen to get Carboncoat and Carbontwine from WoD (queue up that Alliance Raid!), great!

If you read the clicky above, you can FILL UP THE BLANKS with the left table, or TRYHARD AND UPGRADE with the right table. I will not be listing Dreadwyrm or WoD gear in these tables, due to their difficulty to obtain for people who weren’t there at the time.

L50 RDM Basic GearL50 RDM Better Gear
L50 Red Mage Gear – Basic of the Basic (i115)
WeaponMythrite RapierFREE from coffer
HeadRed HatFREE from coffer
ChestRed BilaudFREE from coffer
HandsRed GlovesFREE from coffer
BeltHQ Rainbow of CastingCrafting / Market
LegsRed GaskinsFREE from coffer
BootsRed BootsFREE from coffer
EarringHQ Mythrite Earrings of CastingCrafting / Market
NeckHQ Rainbow Ribbon of CastingCrafting / Market
WristHQ Mythrite Bangle of CastingCrafting / Market
RingHQ Agate Ring of CastingCrafting / Market
RingHQ Agate Ring of CastingCrafting / Market
L50 Red Mage Gear – Tomestone (i120+)
WeaponIronworks Magitek DegenTomestone
HeadIronworks Hood of CastingTomestone
ChestIronworks Doublet of CastingTomestone
HandsIronworks Gloves of CastingTomestone
BeltIronworks Belt of CastingTomestone
LegsIronworks Breeches of CastingTomestone
BootsIronworks Boots of CastingTomestone
EarringIronworks Earrings of CastingTomestone
NeckIronworks Choker of CastingTomestone
WristIronworks Bracelet of CastingTomestone
RingIronworks Ring of CastingTomestone
Ring(Cannot use 2 of the same!)

Purchased from Auriana – Mor Dhona (X: 22.7, Y: 6.6)
For the other ring, use one from the other tab, Dreadwyrm, or Augmented Ironworks.

Red Mage Class Quests: Where!?

It happens to everyone, don’t worry. We will be listing the relevant chunks per tier on the respective page of this leveling guide as well, for easy reference.

Red Mage Job Quests 50 to 60
LVL
QUEST
LOCATION
COORDS
ISSUER
REWARDS
XY
50Taking the RedUl’dah -Steps of Thal – Merchant Strip1412Distraught Lass
Soul of the Red Mage; Mythrite Rapier, Red Attire Coffer
50The Crimson DuelistCentral Thanalan2021X’rhun Tia
52A Rewarding StruggleEastern Thanalan1222X’rhun Tia
54Tracking the CabalWestern Thanalan1213X’rhun Tia
56A Vermillion VendettaWestern La Noscea2828X’rhun Tia
58On Lambard’s TrailWestern La Noscea2826X’rhun Tia
60Stained in ScarletNorthern Thanalan2021X’rhun TiaManafication
Red Mage Job Quests 60 to 70
LVL
QUEST
LOCATION
COORDS
ISSUER
REWARDS
XY
60The Color of Her HairMor Dhona238X’rhun Tia
63Traced in BloodIdyllshire65X’rhun Tia
65NightkinIdyllshire65X’rhun Tia
68Child of LilithIdyllshire65X’rhun Tia
70With Heart and SteelThe Pillars1111X’rhun TiaVerholy, Duelist’s Attire Coffer

 

Red Mage Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L50 Skills & Rotation, L50 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling RDM 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling RDM 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

I’m sure you’re itching to level up – and I hope you took the above preparations to heart! Just continue onwards with the links just above!

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

FFXIV Astrologian Leveling Guide

Level up your Astrologian (AST) ASAP! Setting up – Early Rotations – Gear Checks and more!

Praise the stars! If you’re here, then you wanna level up an Astrologian! The heavens guided you true then – cause your Astrologian Leveling Guide will help you out! Especially with setting up from L30 so you won’t get overwhelmed!

Astrologian Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L30 Skills & Rotation, L30 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling AST 30 to 50 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling AST 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 4: Leveling AST 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

For those who jumped right into this page, we will add a little blurb about unlocking Astrologian, if you haven’t already.

Unlocking Astrologian (AST) Job

Quest Name: Stairway to the Heavens
Quest Location: The Pillars (X:15, Y:10)
NPC Name: Jannequinard

You will be rewarded with the Soul of the Astrologian, your main hand weapon (Star Globe), and a free coffer of 30 left side gear (Velveteen Cowl and Velveteen Tights)! Equip them as soon you have them!

Since Astrologian starts at level 30 (unlocked when you get another character to level 50), there are a few things you have to “catch up to”… Namely, your Skills, Rotation, and to a lesser extent, Gear.

GET A DPS CHOCOBO IF YOU PLAN TO SOLO.

Fresh Level 30 Astrologian Rotation & Skills

Thankfully, there aren’t too many skills unlocked by L30 so you won’t be overwhelmed.

AST Playstyle Summary

The heart of the cards… You gotta have faith when playing AST as it’s one of the classes more heavily affected by RNG!

Card management is a whole ‘nother layer placed on top of the already many list of things healers have to worry about – a daunting yet rewarding prospect! Inversely, mismanage your cards and you will suffer.

Astrologians just “feel” different… their unique cooldowns… how you can (and force) “stars to align” to maximize their effects… It’s unexplainable at this early stage but if this sounds amazing to you – continue forth!

L30 AST Dungeon and Group Basics
L30 AST Healing Basics

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STANCE IF IT’S ON: At level 30 you only have Diurnal Stance – which adds a Heal over Time to some spells, as well as increasing all your healing potency, while reducing enmity.

Benefic (L2) is your basic, low mana low potency heal. Benefic II (L26) costs a lot more but heals for more as well. Use accordingly.

Essential Dignity (L15) is used to “fix” desperate situations. It quickly heals up any low life party member!

Use Draw (L30) as often as possible, so it goes on cooldown faster. The more buffs you can provide your team the better your runs will be!

L30 Ultra BASIC card usage notes:
Bole (green) on tanks (increased defense)
Balance (red) on highest DPS.
Arrow (light blue) on “class that benefits from reduced GCD”, or best DPS.
Spear (dark blue) on “class that benefits from crit”, or best DPS .
Spire (yellow) regenerates TP – very narrow use.
Ewer (bright blue) regenerates mana, usually use on self.

Helios (L10) is your basic AoE heal.

Ascend (L2) to ressurect fallen allies.

DPSING IN DUNGEONS:
open with Combust (L4) on each enemy.
Malefic (L1) when you’re not healing.

L30 AST Soloing Basics
L30 AST Soloing Basics

Combust (L4) on enemies who will last more than 12~ seconds.
Malefic (L1) Spam.

ASTROLOGIANS DPS IS SO LAUGHABLY BAD EARLY ON THAT YOU MUST MUST MUST GET A DPS CHOCOBO IF YOU PLAN TO SOLO

Use Draw OUTSIDE combat (it’s usually not worth the GCD). Balance > Spear > Arrow is what you’re looking for.

THERE IS NO AOE TO SPEAK OF. Simply “Combust all guys” is your best bet.

L30 AST Misc (Cooldowns, Utility)
L30 AST Misc skills (Cooldowns, Utility)

We may have touched on these lightly in the boxes above – but i’ll be listing all of these skills here again.

Lightspeed (L6) is a POWERFUL cooldown which increases healing potency, reduces MP used, and decreases cast time. Godly.

Ascend (L12) to resurrect allies during combat. Usually paired with the Role Action Swiftcast, or in utter desperation – Lightspeed.

Essential Dignity (L15) is an ULTRA off GCD heal that gets better the lower the targets HP is. This is one of the best heals in the game! More noticeable during raids – but this pulls its weight in ANY content.

Draw (L30) is your best friend, and I cannot fit all there is to know about it here. You will learn more and more about draw and its related skills as you journey as an Astrologian!

Undraw (L30) removes currently active card. Only used to throw away unwanted cards to speed up the cooldown of Draw.

L30 AST Role Actions
L30 AST Role Actions

Long story short, for general purposes:
Protect > Swiftcast > Lucid Dreaming > Any

For a detailed write up: check out Healer Role Actions Guide.

 

 

Fresh level 30 Astrologian: Gear Check

The free gear you get from completing the Astrologian quest is, ultimately, lacking. You only get a chest and leg armor, while lacking Helm, Belt, Gloves, Boots – and the entire 5 right-side accessories. If you plan to maximize your options in leveling – you wanna shore this up ASAP.

Ignore this section if you’re one of those pure PotD types.

ODDLY SOME OF THE HEALER GEAR AT THIS LEVEL IS 31.
You may as well level up once before upgrading.

L30 AST Basic of the Basic gear
SlotItemNote
WeaponStar GlobeFree from coffer
HeadVelveteen CowlFree from coffer
BodyVelveteen CowlFree from coffer
HandsHQ Velveteen Dress GlovesMarket board / WVR
BeltHQ Velveteen SashMarket board / WVR
LegsVelveteen TightsFree from coffer
BootsHQ Velveteen Dress ShoesMarket board / WVR
EarringHQ Malachite EarringMarket board / GSM
NeckHQ Malachite ChokerMarket board / GSM
WristHQ Malachite BraceletMarket board / GSM
RingHQ Malachite RingMarket board / GSM
RingHQ Malachite RingMarket board / GSM

OPTIONAL MELDING: Savage Might > Savage Aim > Heaven’s Eye > Quicktongue. Personally, I only melded the accessories (and I used them all the way to L50!)

Astrologian Class Quests: Where!?

It happens to everyone, don’t worry. We will be listing the relevant chunks per tier on the respective page of this leveling guide as well, for easy reference.

Astrologian Job Quests 30 to 50
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
30Fortune Favors the BoleSouth Shroud2523Leveva
35Hanging in the BalanceThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
40A Lesson in PatienceThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
40Slings and ArrowsThe Pillars1510Leveva
45Ewer RightThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
50Loved by the SunThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
50Spearheading InitiativesThe Pillars1510LevevaAstrologian’s Attire Coffer
Astrologian Job Quests 50 to 60
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
50Sharlayan AscendingCoerthas Central Highlands2630Jannequinard
52Empty NestThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
54ConvictionThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
56Feather in the CapThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
58TrumpedThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
60The Hands of FateThe Pillars1510JannequinardWelkin Attire Coffer
Astrologian Job Quests 60 to 70
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
60East Meets WestThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
63Ride Like the WindThe Pillars1510Leveva
65Come Rain or ShineThe Pillars1510Jannequinard
68Behind Door Number TwoKugane1313Kyokuho
70FoxfireKugane1313KyokuhoConstellation Attire Coffer

Astrologian Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L30 Skills & Rotation, L30 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling AST 30 to 50 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling AST 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 4: Leveling AST 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

I’m sure you’re itching to level up – and I hope you took the above preparations to heart! Just continue onwards with the links just above!

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

FFXIV Machinist Leveling

Level up your Machinist (MCH)! Setting up – Early Rotations – Gear Checks and more!

If you’ve found yourself here, you’re likely leveling up a Machinist. You’ve found the right place. Hopefully, our Machinist Leveling Guide helps you out – especially with setting up and the early L30+ rotation!

Machinist Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L30 Skills & Rotation, L30 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling MCH 30 to 50 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling MCH 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 4: Leveling MCH 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

For those who jumped right into this page, we will add a little blurb about unlocking Machinist, if you haven’t already.

Unlocking Machinist (MCH) Job

Quest Name: Savior of Skysteel
Quest Location: Foundation (X:8, Y:10)
NPC Name: Stephanivien

You will be rewarded with the Soul of the Machinist, your main hand weapon (Steel-barreled Carbine), and a free coffer of 30 left side gear (Toadskin Jacket and Toadskin Brais)! Equip them as soon you have them!

Continue doing any and all quests in the chain. You should get the Hotshot skill before proceeding.

Since Machinist starts at level 30  (provided you have a level 50 character), there are a few things you have to “catch up to”… Namely, your Skills, Rotation, and to a lesser extent, Gear.

Fresh Level 30 Machinist Rotation & Skills

Thankfully, there aren’t too many skills unlocked by L30 so you won’t be overwhelmed.

MCH Rotation Summary

The MCH “rotation” or if we can even call it that, is all about bullets, procs, RNG, and frustration.

Reload and Quick Reload add bullets into your gun that “surely” proc your next combo in the chain. If you’re doing it “raw”, your combo is reduced to a chance.

You must be very keen of procs, and maximizing the use of every bullet!

It’s useless to go into detail this early at L30. In the next tabs, we will mention ALL AVAILABLE SKILLS and the context wherein they’re used.

L30 MCH Single Target Rotation
L30 MCH Single Target Rotation

Use Reload (L4) and Quick Reload (L26) as often as possible. Be mindful never to go above 5 bullets.

Is Hotshot (L30) buff up? If no, use Hotshot, if yes, proceed.

Split Shot (L1) Proc or bullet? Proceed. If not, spam Split Shot (L1)
Slug Shot (L2).

If you have Reassemble (L10), use it only on your strongest skill (in this case, Slug Shot with Ammo.

Heartbreak (L6) when the enemy is at low life.

L30 MCH Basic AoE Rotation
L30 MCH AoE Rotation

DO NOT USE YOUR AOE ON 2 TARGETS.  A case can be made for using spread shot on 2 guys IF YOU HAVE AMMO – but I don’t think it’s ultimately worth it.

Spread Shot (L18) spam on 3+ targets.  Obviously with 4 or more targets, Spread Shot becomes beastly – but be wary of the TP costs.

Remember to still keep Hotshot (L30) up.

L30 MCH Misc (Cooldowns, Utility)
L30 MCH Utility Skills

Reload (L4) and Quick Reload (L26), just a reminder, gives bullets which increase potency on most skills, and ensures proccing the combo chain.

Reassemble (L10) ensures your next weapon skill is a critical strike – always save it for your strongest shot.

Blank (L15) is a decent pushback, you can interrupt skills with it. Careful using it in dungeons – you don’t wanna loosen up piled enemies.

Rapid Fire (L30) speeds up your GCD considerably for 3 skills. Useful in the near future with Wildfire (L30). For now, it’s a generic DPS cooldown.

L30 MCH Role Actions
L30 MCH Role Actions

Long story short a basic solo setup is:
Invigorate > Second Wind > Peloton > Any

For a detailed guide check out our Ranged DPS Role Actions guide.

 

Fresh level 30 Machinist: Gear Check

The free gear you get from completing the Machinist quest is, ultimately, lacking. You only get a chest and leg armor, while lacking Helm, Belt, Gloves, Boots – and the entire 5 right-side accessories. If you plan to maximize your options in leveling – you wanna shore this up ASAP.

Ignore this section if you’re one of those pure PotD types.

FOR THE ACCESSORIES: Fluorite Tier, OPTIONALLY melded with Heaven’s Eye > Savage Aim > Savage Might. You can meld your other gear, too, if you like.

L30 MCH Basic of the Basic gear
SlotItemNote
WeaponSteel-barreled CarbineFree from coffer
HeadHQ Steel SalletMarket board / ARM
BodyToadskin JacketFree from coffer
HandsHQ Toadskin ArmguardsMarket board / LTW
BeltHQ Toadskin BeltMarket board / LTW
LegsToadskin BraisFree from coffer
BootsHQ Toadskin Leg GuardsMarket board / LTW
EarringHQ Fluorite EarringMarket board / GSM
NeckHQ Fluorite ChokerMarket board / GSM
WristHQ Fluorite BraceletMarket board / GSM
RingHQ Fluorite RingMarket board / GSM
RingHQ Fluorite RingMarket board / GSM

Machinist Class Quests: Where!?

It happens to everyone, don’t worry. We will be listing the relevant chunks per tier on the respective page of this leveling guide as well, for easy reference.

Machinist Job Quests 30 to 50
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
30Master of MarksmanshipOuter La Noscea2018Rostnsthal
35Always the Last Place You LookFoundation810Stephanivien
40Rook Before You ReapFoundation810Stephanivien
40Securing the LocksFoundation810Stephanivien
45A Suppressive StrategyFoundation810Stephanivien
45Blood on the SandsFoundation810Stephanivien
50Rage against the MachinistsFoundation810Stephanivien
50The Power of a TourneyFoundation810Stephanivien
Junior Machinist’s Armor Coffer
Machinist Job Quests 50 to 60
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
50A Joye-less CelebrationFoundation810Stephanivien
52Pushing the BrumeFoundation810Stephanivien
54A Joye-ful ReunionFoundation810Stephanivien
56Wheels of JusticeFoundation810Stephanivien
58Taking the FallFoundation810Stephanivien
58Rusted SteelFoundation810Stephanivien
60Rise of the MachinistsFoundation810StephanivienMachinist’s Armor Coffer
Machinist Job Quests 60 to 70
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
60The Machinist’s ChoiceFoundation810Stephanivien
63The Hrunting HeistFoundation1212Hilda
65Release the HoundsFoundation1212Hilda
68Snouts Down, Tails UpFoundation1212Hilda
70The Mongrel and the KnightFoundation1212HildaGunner’s Armor Coffer

Machinist Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L30 Skills & Rotation, L30 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling MCH 30 to 50 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling MCH 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 4: Leveling MCH 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

I’m sure you’re itching to level up – and I hope you took the above preparations to heart! Just continue onwards with the links just above!

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

FFXIV Dark Knight Leveling Guide

Level up your Dark Knight (DRK) ASAP! Setting up – Early Rotations – Gear Checks and more!

If you’ve found yourself here, you’re likely leveling up a Dark Knight. You’ve found the right place. Hopefully, our Dark Knight Leveling Guide helps you out – especially with setting up and the early L30+ rotation!

Dark Knight Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L30 Skills & Rotation, L30 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling DRK 30 to 50 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling DRK 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 4: Leveling DRK 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

For those who jumped right into this page, we will add a little blurb about unlocking Dark Knight, if you haven’t already.

Unlocking Dark Knight (DRK) Job

Quest Name: Our End
Quest Location: The Pillars (X:13, Y:9)
NPC Name: Ishgardian Citizen

You will be rewarded with the Soul of the Dark Knight, your main hand weapon (Steel Claymore), and a free coffer of 30 left side gear (Steel Cuirass and Padded Velveteen Trousers). Equip them as soon you have them!

Since Dark Knight starts at level 30 (although unlocked if you have a level 50 character), there are a few things you have to “catch up to”… Namely, your Skills, Rotation, and to a lesser extent, Gear.

Fresh Level 30 Dark Knight Rotation & Skills

Thankfully, there aren’t too many skills unlocked by L30 so you won’t be overwhelmed.

DRK Rotation Summary

The DRK rotation is all about mana management. While it doesn’t fully show yet at this low level, traces of it are seen.

Grit is your tank stance, which reduces damage and increases enmity.
Darkside is a substance that STOP MANA REGEN but increases damage.
Blood Weapon converts damage to MP, but cannot be used with Grit.

It’s useless to go into detail this early at L30, but at least the above gives you an idea of the “shuffling” and “tradeoffs” of the various DRK “stances”.
In the next tabs, we will mention ALL AVAILABLE SKILLS and the context wherein they’re used.

L30 DRK Tanking Basics

This should be your basic flowchart when inside dungeons.

Do I need Grit (L30) ? (Probably yes)
Is Darkside (L30) on? (It probably should be)
Unmend (L15) Ranged pulling skill (Optional)
Unleash (L6) x2: AoE Bonus Enmity
– (More experienced tanks can ditch one or both of these Unleashes)

Single Target rotation on one enemy

Hard Slash (L1)
Spinning Slash (L4): Bonus Enmity.
Power Slash (L26): Bonus Enmity.
You can do this once per enemy in the pack.

After the enemy group is “near death” and the risk to you is lower, start asking yourself these questions:

  • I should have full or near full mana by the next enemy group…
  • Can I SAFELY off Grit (L30)?
  • Should I use Hard Slash (L1) > Syphon Strike (L10) to regain mana?
  • Can/should I save Blood Weapon (L18) for the next pile?

After the enemies die, make sure to OFF Darkside to regain any lacking mana before the next pull.

L30 DRK Single Target Rotation
L30 DRK Basic Single Target Rotation

It feels a bit strange discussing a single target rotation in the context of a tank (I guess for soloing and “last enemies in a pack”). It seems redundant after the above tab but here it is.

  • Can I SAFELY off Grit (L30)?
  • Is Darkside (L30) on? Can I Darkside?
  • Is Blood Weapon (L18) available? Can I maximize the mana gained?

Hard Slash (L1)
Spinning Slash (L4): Bonus Enmity.
Power Slash (L26): Bonus Enmity.

I desperately need mana!

Is Blood Weapon (L18) available?
Hard Slash (L1)
Syphon Strike (L10) Regains mana on hit!

L30 DRK Basic AoE Rotation
L30 DRK Basic AoE Rotation

It’s pretty bad. You cannot contribute any meaningful AoE damage this early on.

4 Enemies or less: Use single target rotation on one of them.

5 or more: Unleash (L6) spam.

Sadly, even FOUR targets isn’t enough for Unleash to outrun your single target rotation.

L30 DRK Misc (Cooldowns, Utility)
L30 DRK Misc skills (Cooldowns, Utility)

Grit (L30): Tank stance which increases toughness and enmity produced.

Darkside (L30): Increases damage but SHUTS OFF mana regen.

Blood Weapon (L18): CANNOT BE USED WITH GRIT. Increases damage, converts damage to MP, reduces TP cost of skills and increases “skill speed”. Quite a huge buff, which you should maximize each time it’s up.

Unmend (L15): Ranged pulling skill.

Unleash (L6): AoE enmity generating skill with weak damage.

L30 DRK Role Actions
L30 DRK Role Actions

Long story short, for general use:
Provoke > Low Blow > Rampart > Any

For more detailed info, check our Tank Role Actions Guide.

 

Fresh level 30 Dark Knight: Gear Check

The free gear you get from completing the Dark Knight quest is, ultimately, lacking. You only get a chest and leg armor, while lacking Helm, Belt, Gloves, Boots - and the entire 5 right-side accessories. If you plan to maximize your options in leveling - you wanna shore this up ASAP.

Ignore this section if you’re one of those pure PotD types.

FOR THE ACCESSORIES either:

  • Sunstone Tier + MELDING VITALITY I, OR
  • Sphene Tier + MELDING STRENGTH I.

Personally, I prefer Sunstone, with or without VIT I melded.

L30 DRK Basic of the Basic gear
SlotItemNote
WeaponSteel ClaymoreFree from coffer
HeadHQ Steel CelataMarketboard / ARM
BodySteel CuirassFree from coffer
HandsHQ Steel GauntletMarketboard / ARM
BeltHQ Steel Plate BeltMarketboard / ARM
LegsPadded Velveteen TrousersFree from coffer
BootsHQ Steel SabatonsMarketboard / ARM
EarringHQ Sunstone EarringsMarketboard / GSM
NeckHQ Sunstone ChokerMarketboard / GSM
WristHQ Sunstone BraceletMarketboard / GSM
RingHQ Sunstone RingMarketboard / GSM
RingHQ Sunstone RingMarketboard / GSM

Dark Knight Class Quests: Where!?

It happens to everyone, don't worry. We will be listing the relevant chunks per tier on the respective page of this leveling guide as well, for easy reference.

Dark Knight Job Quests 30 to 50
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
30Ishgardian JusticeFoundation1112Fray
35The Voice in the AbyssFoundation1112Fray
40Heroic RepriseFoundation1112Fray
45Declaration of BloodFoundation1112Fray
50Our AnswerFoundation1112FrayDark Knight’s Armor Coffer
Dark Knight Job Quests 50 to 60
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY 
50The Wages of MercyCoerthas C.H.1316Unflinching Temple Knight
52The Knight and the Maiden FairFoundation1312Sidurgu
54Kindred SpiritsFoundation1312Sidurgu
56Original SinsFoundation1312Sidurgu
58The Flame in the AbyssFoundation1312Sidurgu
60AbsolutionFoundation1312SidurguChaos Armor Coffer
Dark Knight Job Quests 60 to 70
LVLQUESTLOCATIONCOORDSISSUERREWARDS
   XY
60In Memories We WalkedFoundation1312Sidurgu
63The Widow and Her LoveCoerthas Western Highlands3236Sidurgu
65The Orphans and the Broken BladeDravanian Forelands3223Sidurgu
68We Can Never Go HomeThe Churnign Mists2835Myste
70Our CompromiseFoundation1312SidurguAbyss Armor Coffer

Dark Knight Leveling Guide Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking, L30 Skills & Rotation, L30 Gear, Class Quest List
Page 2: Leveling DRK 30 to 50 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: Leveling DRK 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 4: Leveling DRK 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

I'm sure you're itching to level up - and I hope you took the above preparations to heart! Just continue onwards with the links just above!

Don't forget to like us on Facebook!

FFXIV Samurai Leveling Guide

Level up your Samurai ASAP! Setting up – Early Rotations – Gear Checks and more!

If you’ve found yourself here, you’re likely leveling up a Samurai. Welp! You’ve found the right place. Hopefully, our Samurai Leveling Guide helps you out – especially with setting up and the early L50+ rotation!

Samurai Leveling Guide – Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking | L50 Skills & Rotation | L50 Gear | Class Quest List
Page 2: SAM Leveling 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: SAM Leveling 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

For those who jumped right into this page, we will add a little blurb about unlocking Samurai, if you haven’t already.

Unlocking Samurai (SAM) Job

Quest Name: The Way of the Samurai
Quest Location: Ul’dah – Steps of Nald (X:9, Y:9)
NPC Name: Ul’dahn Citizen

You will be rewarded with the Soul of the Samurai, your main hand weapon (Mythrite Uchigatana), and a free coffer of 115 left side gear (Nameless Armor Coffer)! Equip them as soon you have them!

Since Samurai starts at level 50, there are a few things you have to “catch up on”. Namely, your Skills, Rotation, and to a lesser extent, Gear.

Fresh Level 50 Samurai Rotation & Skills

SAM Rotation Summary

Lemme tell you the absolute basics of the Samurai rotation. It revolves around generating any number of those three fancy orbs (called Sen – Samurai’s Primary Resource) “Getsu, Ka, and Setsu” then expending these using Iaijutsu. Depending on how many of these you have, Iaijutsu’s actual skill changes.

At 52 onwards (I might as well mention it now), you will gain a secondary resource called Kenki to expend on various utility skills. You can Kenki naturally as you do various weapon skills.

In the next tab we go into the nitty gritty, and talk about EVERY SKILL you’ve unlocked just now.

L50 Samurai Single Target Rotation

Samurais have “3 basic combo trees” since you need to gain three different types of Sen. This is a basic single target rotation.

L50 SAM Basic Single Target Rotation

Hakaze (L1)
Jinpu (L4) (Grants 10% Damage up buff)
Gekko (L30) (Gain Getsu!)

Hakaze (L1)
Shifu (L18) (Grants 10% “Offensive Speed” buff)
Kasha (L40) (Gain Ka!)

Hakaze (L1)
Yukikaze (L50) (Gain Setsu!)

Iaijutsu (L30) (3 Sen: Midare Satsugekka)

“Repeat”

Note: For long fights such as bosses (or anything more than a minute) using Iaijutsu on 1 Sen is Higanbana – a ONE MINUTE DoT!

Note: Try to keep up both the “Speed” buff from Shifu and the damage buff from Jinpu at all times. Remember that while the Samurai doesn’t care WHICH Sen you choose for Iaijutsu, choosing the wrong “path” might lead to dropping one of these powerful buffs.

Note: Personally, I start with the chain which leads up to the “speed bonus” buff – as it’s more “valuable” than 10% damage UNLESS you plan to open with 1 Sen Higanbana – then the 10% Damage buff is better.

L50 SAM Basic AoE Rotation
L50 SAM Basic AoE Rotation

This is typically used on “3 or more guys”.

Fuga (L26) : This is a cone skill.
Mangetsu (L35) (Gain Getsu!) : Circular AoE centered on yourself.

Fuga (L26) : This is a cone skill.
Oka (L35) (Gain Setsu!) : Circular AoE centered on yourself.

Iaijutsu (L30) (2 Sen: Tenka Goken) : Large cone nuke.

Note: Against 2 guys, the “SPEED” wherein you gain sen is the upside here. You will be using Tenka Goken every 5th GCD. Using the AoE rotation against 2 enemies has a very very strong case, unlike most other classes whose clear breakpoint is usually at 3.

Note: The problem with this rotation is heavy TP use, and you will never actually trigger your buffs. This is the primary reason why the AoE rotation “sucks” against 2 enemies.

L50 SAM Misc (Cooldowns, Utility)
L50 SAM Misc skill rundown

Meikyo Shisui (L50): God… discussions on this can get complicated at max level but for now basically it allows you to “cheat” combos. If it isn’t obvious by now, the best use of this is to do combo finishers which grant you Sen! (Gekko – Kasha – Yukikaze > Midare!)

Third Eye (L6): Reduced your damage taken on the next hit by a tiny amount. This is connected to other skills later on, but try and practice it early and often.

Ageha (L10): Only usable on low life enemies. Grants a Kenki (more on this at L52…) bonus if its a “last hit”.

Enpi (L15): Is a ranged skill typical of most melee classes. Junk (for now…).

Iaijutsu (L30): Again, I might as well mention it here.
1 Sen: Higanbana – Long DoT, only used for long fights.
2 Sen: Tenko Goken – Large cone AoE.
3 Sen: Midare Satsugekka – Massive single target damage.

L50 SAM Role Actions
L50 SAM Role Actions

To summarize, for general purposes use:
Invigorate > Second Wind > Leg Sweep > Any

For more information about this, check our Melee DPS Role Actions Guide.

 

Fresh level 50 Samurai: Gear Check

The free gear you get from completing the Samurai quest is item level 115. All things considered this ain’t so bad. HOWEVER, it is missing the right-side accessories, and belt.

Ignore this section if you plan to sully yourself in PotD forever.

I want better than 115 item level!

There are only 2 possible item level upgrades from 115, and 4 possible sources:

  • 120 gear from World of Darkness (hassle if you don’t have it already)
  • 120 Ironworks gear from “old tomestone” (not too bad to obtain!)
  • 130 Dreadwyrm gear from Final Coil (hassle if you don’t have it already)
  • 130 Augmented Ironworks gear (needs Carbontwine and Carboncoat…)

While I imagine many people have these lying around – I can only faithfully vouch for only ONE of these tiers – 120 Ironworks from older tomestone gear is easy to obtain, and can be fairly worth it as they’re shared between many classes.

And, if you happen to get Carboncoat and Carbontwine from WoD (queue up that Alliance Raid!), great!

If you read the clicky above, you can FILL UP THE BLANKS with the left table, or TRYHARD AND UPGRADE with the right table. I will not be listing Dreadwyrm or WoD gear in these tables, due to their difficulty to obtain for people who weren’t there at the time.

L50 SAM Basic GearL50 SAM Better Gear
L50 Samurai Gear – Basic of the Basic (i115)
WeaponMythrite UchigatanaFREE from coffer
HeadNameless HachiganeFREE from coffer
ChestNameless TogiFREE from coffer
HandsNameless TekkoFREE from coffer
BeltHQ Archaeoskin Belt of StrikingCrafting / Market
LegsNameless HakamaFREE from coffer
BootsNameless KyahanFREE from coffer
EarringHQ Mythrite Earrings of SlayingCrafting / Market
NeckHQ Rainbow Ribbon of SlayingCrafting / Market
WristHQ Mythrite Bangle of SlayingCrafting / Market
RingHQ Agate Ring of SlayingCrafting / Market
RingHQ Agate Ring of SlayingCrafting / Market
L50 Samurai Gear – Tomestone (i120+)
WeaponIronworks Magitek Samurai BladeTomestone
HeadIronworks Visor of StrikingTomestone
ChestIronworks Cuirass of StrikingTomestone
HandsIronworks Armguards of StrikingTomestone
BeltIronworks Belt of StrikingTomestone
LegsIronworks Hose of StrikingTomestone
BootsIronworks Sollerets of StrikingTomestone
EarringIronworks Earrings of SlayingTomestone
NeckIronworks Choker of SlayingTomestone
WristIronworks Bracelet of SlayingTomestone
RingIronworks Ring of SlayingTomestone
Ring(Cannot use 2 of the same!)

Purchased from Auriana – Mor Dhona (X: 22.7, Y: 6.6)
For the other ring, use one from the other tab, Dreadwyrm, or Augmented Ironworks.

Samurai Class Quests: Where!?

It happens to everyone, dont worry. If you’re lost we have reminders on the relevant pages AS YOU LEVEL UP, but we may as well put the entire list here… for reasons.

Samurai Job Quests 50 to 60
LVL
QUEST
LOCATION
COORDS
ISSUER
REWARDS
XY
50Master MusosaiUl’dah – Steps of Thal912Musosai
52The Sands of DebtUl’dah – Steps of Nald1210Musosai
54Blood on the DeckLimsa Lominsa Upper Decks1111Musosai
56A Fraudster in the ForestNew Gridania1213Musosai
58Tears in the SnowFoundation1413Musosai
60The Face of True EvilFoundation1412MomozigoMeditate
Samurai Job Quests 60 to 70
LVL
QUEST
LOCATION
COORDS
ISSUER
REWARDS
XY
60A Dignified VisitorUl’dah – Steps of Nald1210Momozigo
63Trials of the SekiseigumiUl’dah – Steps of Nald1210Momozigo
65Matsuba MayhemKugane148Makoto
68The Hunt for UgetsuKugane148Makoto
70The Battle on BekkoKugane148MakotoHisatsu: Guren; Myochin Armor Coffer

Samurai Leveling Guide – Navigation:
Page 1: Unlocking | L50 Skills & Rotation | L50 Gear | Class Quest List
Page 2: SAM Leveling 50 to 60 (Basic info for now)
Page 3: SAM Leveling 60 to 70 (Basic info for now)

Well, hopefully this page helped you out in setting up your Samurai so your leveling process will come along much more smoothly. Proceed to the next pages with the links above!

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

FFXIV Stormblood Dungeons & Primals (STORY) Quick Guides

If you searched for this, I have bad news for you.

Here’s a quick little guide regarding all the dungeons and trials you’ll be facing in the 4.0 Stormblood STORY. Not in-depth ’cause they don’t need to be! I nicknames since many like to identify bosses by appearance.

***Forgive me if I use humor***, it’s to keep me sane during this hectic time. And light spoiler alert on boss names.

Stormblood Story Dungeons & Trials – Navigation:
Story Dungeons: Sirensong | Shisui | Bardam’s | Doma | Abania | AMO
Story Primals: Susanoo | Lakshmi | Shinryu

The Sirensong Sea (Dungeon)

Sirensong Boss 1: “OCTOPUS” (Lugat)

If you’re new, the 4 yellows arrows means STACK TO SHARE THE DAMAGE. So help a brother out when he’s targeted by hugging him! For the love of god, don’t run from your team!

Sirensong Boss 2: “SLENDER MAN” (The Governor)

If tethered, move away, otherwise you get a huge magic vulnerability debuff. This is the only truly punishing mechanic in this entire dungeon, as a 5 stack vuln can be deadly.

Move away from the general area of the shadows.

Sirensong Final Boss: “SEASLUGMAID” (Lorelei)

Morbid Advance and Morbid Retreat force you to move a certain direction depending on where you’re facing. Retreat makes you go backwards, Advance – forward (YOU DON’T SAY!?)

“I’ve seen enough aNime to know what’s next”,
Mahiko “Taku” San


Shisui of the Violet Tides (Dungeon)

Not really a “side” since you need it for Aether Currents…

Shisui Boss 1: “SCORPY MCCLAW” (RNF)

Those guys who get “stunned”… you actually have to attack the “arm” or whatever it is. Some classes are AoE light so you may not notice it’s a new enemy on the list. Free your friends!

*real name forgotten*

Shisui Boss 2:  “TOO MANY DRINKS” (Ruby Princess)

Seduce: Hide behind the boxes before this skill comes off. AVOID BOXES IF YOU DON’T NEED TO BE THERE! You get “silenced” otherwise.

Lasers from the sky? Sprint! This appears to be only countered by Sprint. You can outheal it, sure… but ah…

Shisui Final Boss: “WHOA” (Shisui Yohi)

Sharks & Water Balls: kill ‘em fast.

Mad Stare: for new players, the LARGE EYE ICON means “Look away before this is finished casting”.

 


Susanoo (Story Mode Primal)

If this is your first time to the primal rodeo, they’re colorful fights! But avoid those colors…

Remember the Yellow Arrows? Stack with friends.

Susanoo “Sword” phase:

Whoever picks up the “item” blocks his attack. (I’ve never done it, but I presume:) You can’t take actions while doing so. Have your MAIN TANK pick up the sword since healers need to heal during this mini phase.

It’s a DPS race – you gotta kill the sword before it hits ya! That’s it!

Oh, in the final phase, Itachi absorbs Susanoo’s essence to create an armor of… wait a second…


Bardam’s Mettle (Story Dungeon)

Bardam Boss 1 “COW” (Galura)

RUN FAR if targeted by the “rush” skill.  Older players will mistake this for the “rush go near!”, as it looks almost the same.

I suppose it mirrors real life, in this regard. I would share the same reaction to a rushing cow.

Bardam Boss 2 “DODGE BALL” (Ben Stiller)

Dodge as hard as you can.

Gaze = Look away.

For new players, you may not be familiar with the “expanding cone” mechanic yet. Basically, the smaller sections danger zone will disappear as the larger one resolves. Walk INTO the smaller one after it bursts.

Meteor = hide behind the rock.

“Like love, It’s all about timing” –
Mahiko “Stunned” San

Bardam Boss 3 “BIRD” (Yolo)

Watch out for the boss diving from the side when dealing with adds. You have to visually see from the edge of the arena where the bird is coming from, and move away from its path!

I believe this is the first “visual queue” mechanic new players would face. Old players will suffer from from a plethora of nightmarish nostalgia with visual mechanics

The circular AoE’s in the final phase don’t follow you… Like many seem to think. They just serve as a way to effectively reduce the arena.


Doma Castle (Dungeon)

Doma Castle Boss 2 “ROBO A” (Magitek Rearguard)

Basic stuff… dodge.

Doma Boss 2 “ROBO 2” (Magitek Hexadrone)

Towers mean “STAND ON THIS OR ELSE BAD THINGS HAPPEN”.

When the arena is sectioned off in lasers STAY IN THE LARGEST PART, is it’s likely safest.

Yellow Arrows: Stack with friends

Doma Final Boss “CHAINSAW” (Hypertuned Grynewaht)

BOMB Mechanic: The further you are from the epicenter, the less damage you take. However, keep an eye on your debuff and MOVE AWAY. Once the debuff drops off, you will leave the “bomb” there.

Older players may refer to this as a “Stardust” mechanic.


“What’s next, a group dance!? ….oh” –
Mahiko “ollywood” San

Lakshmi (Story Mode Primal)

You can fall off. Just so you know.

Dodge like hell, don’t go too far so you can stack afterwards.

ONCE BLUE BALLS APPEAR = GET ONE USING THE SPECIAL SKILL. Otherwise you die. Each ball can only be used once.


Castrum Abania (Dungeon)

Abania Boss 1 “BUFFWHEEL” Magna roader

Use cannons to stop Wild Speed

Abania Boss 1 “DUDE” Number XXIV

2 of 3 immunities: Pay attention to his buff, and stand on the circle he ISN’T COUNTERING, or you’ll have a BAD TIME.

Abania Final Boss “ALIENS IV” Inferno

“Bomb” mechanic: move away from the source of the pulse.

Kefu Left Arm: This boss has very painful abilities that are obviously telegraphed. This should be a learning point for healers and tanks to practice mitigating these “tank busters”. Use defensive cooldowns, and precast healing.


Ala Mhigo (Dungeon)

Ala Mhigo  Boss 1 “SCORPY MCCLAW II” (Magitek Scorpion)

Nothing notable.

Ala Mhigo  Boss 2 “WTF IS THIS” (Aulus Mal Asina)

Walk back to your soul! AKA Trace the line back to your body.

Ala Mhigo Final Boss: “ZYG” (Zyg)

A bunch of stuff going on here… Nothing “too” threatening.

When he says “Kill” prepare for a pretty strong tank buster.

Spreading out is a good idea as he has a line skill which targets all players. Can be deadly if you 4 stack. (?)

Lots of AoE healing here, especially in the final phase post swords.


“I Haven’t raised this much since a4s pentacle” –
Mahiko “Salt” San

Shinryu (Story Mode Primal)

You can fall, careful.

Tidal wave: move towards the water at the edge so you don’t get knocked off.

Earth Breath: Drop them at the sides of Shinryu!

Many bombs: Move in between two of them. So basically stay directly N S E or W.

AKH MORN IS A SHARED TANK BUSTER! Tanks: Use a cooldown, don’t absorb it alone! Other party members get away as it will kill you quickly.

Hellfire, Judgment Bolt etc… are basic AoE Nukes.

Press the grey button to fill up the bar when you phase change.

SECOND PHASE

Tethered together by a red chain: BREAK IT BY MOVING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!

Diamond Dust: DON’T MOVE OR YOU SLIDE OFF!

Aerial Blast: MOVE TOWARDS THE CYCLONE OR YOU FALL OFF!

Hellfire & Earthen Fury: Basic meganukes as far as I can tell.


Stormblood Story Dungeons & Trials – Navigation:
Story Dungeons: Sirensong | Shisui | Bardam’s | Doma | Abania | AMO
Story Primals: Susanoo | Lakshmi | Shinryu

“Hey Mahiko, damn this guide sucks!” Yes.

The story dungeons are super simple, and this literally serves as a guide to help those who are in need or confused for a quick fix. If you need a full page guide for a story dungeon, I’m sorry, but you’re likely “MadCuzBad”.

GL wrapping up the 4.0 Stormblood MSQ!!!!!

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

FFXIV 3.0 Relic / Anima Weapon Guide (ALL STEPS)

3.3 UPDATED Find out how to obtain and upgrade your new 3.0 relic weapon. Looks great, but will grind your soul to dust (:

Quick Navigation: [Start 170 :: 10 Dungeons 200] [Base Anima: 210] [230 Hyperconductive]
[240 : “Novus II”]

Go to: MOST RECENT UPGRADE STEP “Novus II” 240

Hey guys! So here comes the new relic quest chain. Infusing another weapon with more soul energy and the expense of our OWN soul energy. Wether you like it or not – here it is. We will detail every known step in the new relic process! Use the links above if you’ve been here before! To those curious of the new 3.0 relic names, it’s in the 210 base anima page.

Step 1: FATEs (iLevel 170 Pre-relic ‘Animated’)

Starting Quest: Soul Without Life
Rewards: 170 Animated Seraph Cane
Previous step: None (2.0 relic)
Next step: “10 Dungeon” 200

(***This step can be SKIPPED by “handing in” your ZETA 2.0 Relic.)

This step rewards you with an item level 170 “Pre-relic”, like ITEMLINKED. It’s very reminiscent of the 2.0 ATMA step, which was quite vile. In any case, this step can be summarized by saying you need to get 3 items that drop after completing FATEs, from each of the six heavensward zones.

These luminous elemental crystals drop by chance. so pray to the RNG gods. Let’s begin by listing which element drops where (ordered by level)

Reminder: You only need THREE from each of the SIX Heavenward maps (18 total)

Coerthas Western HighlandsIce
Dravanian ForelandsEarth
Sea of CloudsWind
Churning MistsLightning
Dravanian HinterlandsWater
Azys LlaFire

Of course this comes with some questions, and possible value moves –

Can I fate with any class? Yes! You can even level up other low-level classes while finding these ‘Atmas’. This is by far the best change they did in comparison to the 2.0 atma step.

Do I need to a specific weapon equipped? Nope. Since you can use any class, this would be in direct conflict.

Does the quest need to be active? I guess YES, and random fating wouldn’t drop these things if you didn’t have the quest active in your log (needs confirmation).

What participation in the FATE do I need? Gold? I need confirmation on this. ATMAS needed a single tag (Bronze up), but I DO NOT KNOW if it’s the same for this. To be safe, go for gold.

PROTIPS: Use the PF to find groups or make one yourself. It’s always better to FATE as a chunk. Also, complete and chase FATEs in a smart manner, try to finish ones with a lesser timer remaining (if you can make it). Sometimes, avoiding mega-boss FATEs is smart, simply due to the time spent. Any FATE that fails will be reset to the easiest difficulty when it spawns again, conversely, FATES which succeed repeatedly get tougher and tougher.

 

Step 2: 10 Dungeons (iLevel 200 Awoken pre-relic)

Starting Quest: Toughening Up
Rewards: 200 Seraph Cane Awoken
Previous step: “FATEs” 170
Next step: “Base Anima” 210

This portion is quite simple. Complete 10 dungeons and you’re done.

Dungeons in order
Snowcloak
Sastasha (Hard)
Qarn (Hard)
Keeper of the Lake
Wanderer’s Palace (Hard)
Amdapor Keep (Hard)
Dusk Vigil
Sohm Al
The Aery
The Vault

Do I have to wear a specific weapon? Yes you must wear the 170 relic AS YOU ZONE OUT. Unlike the Animus wherein you had to wear it while killing the final boss.These dungeons MUST BE COMPLETED in order. There’s not much else to say here. Again, listing down the usual questions and tips below…

Can I use any class? No, since you have to be wearing the weapon as you zone out.

Can the older dungeons be level synced? Yes! This saves us from some of the pain, at least.

PROTIP: DPS will have a harder time with this I assume, due to dungeon queue times. PF may or may not even help here, due to the fact that waiting for it to fill up might be slower than actually just queueing. Try it out, anyway. You may get a group willing to go all the way.

Ok so those first two steps weren’t so bad, right? Next step (3): Base Anima 210 – is where the TRUE grind begins. But before you worry about it, let me give you a short lived congratulations on your EZ 200 weapon.

For more awesome FFXIV updates, Like us on Facebook! Hit us up on Twitter, and check us out on YouTube and Twitch.

FFXIV 3.3 Gathering BiS Gear & Materia Melding

3.3 UPDATED Find out gathering best in slot & materia melding caps for DoL BiS! Info for Ironworks Gathering and Augmented Keep sets.

So you’re looking to spend on melding for your DoL BiS again? Luckily, our little guide here can hope to blunt the costs for you!

  • What is BiS and melding for 3.3?
  • Melding notes and intricacies per slot?
  • Is Augmented Keep (Red Scrip) set worth it?
  • Core 3.3 DoL Reminders?

3.3 DoL Gathering BiS (“Practical BiS”)

Thankfully 3.3 introduced a universal set which happens to be BiS. The set and melds outlined below has a few properties you should be mindful of:

DoL GearGat CapPer CapGP Cap12345
High Mythrite SEE NOTES50285GAT VPER IVFreeFreeFree
High Mythrite tier28505PER VFreeFreeFreeFree
Ironworks Cap of Gathering9285PER VPER VFreeFreeFree
Ironworks Vest of Gathering28140GAT VPER VGAT ?GAT ?PER II
Ironworks Gloves of Gathering2190GAT VGAT IVGAT IIIPER IIIPER II
Ironworks Belt of Gathering975GAT VGP IIIGP IIPER IIPER I
Ironworks Slops of Gathering1415GAT IVGP IVGAT IIIGAT IGP I
Ironworks Boots of Gathering1145PER IVPER IIIGP IIIGP IIPER I
Ironworks Necklace of Gathering9910SAMPLEMELDBELOWSeeNotes
Ironworks Earrings of Gathering9910GP VGAT IVPER IIIPER IIGAT I
Ironworks Armillae of Gathering9910SAMPLEMELDABOVESeeNotes
Ironworks Ring of Gathering995PER VGAT IIIGP IIIGAT IIGP II
SAME RING (Alternate melds)995GAT VPER IIIGP IIIPER IIGP II
Totals w/ melds & no food913929679
Sample w/ Pasta Ortolano947963692
13 OPEN Melds
  • Anything that can be practically capped is capped in the melds above.
  • Any uncapped gear is noted by ANY/FREE or in the Melding Notes above.
  • The set offers 12+ FREE/OPEN melds for any thresholds that may appear.
 

DoL BiS Melding notes for each slot

Mainhand: High Mythrite Pickaxe
GAT V – PER IV – OPEN – OPEN – OPEN

It becomes better than Red Scrip gear with those 2 melds. 3 open slots is a lot of flexibility for any stat soft caps you might need to chase, even just going with III’s.

Offhand: High Mythrite Sledgehammer
PER V – OPEN – OPEN – OPEN – OPEN

LEAGUES ahead of its predecessors. PER V is the only meld here I’d suggest and leaves 4 open flex slots.

Head: Ironworks Cap of Gathering
PER V – PER V –  OPEN – OPEN – OPEN

Brutally “impossible” to cap, but more flex slots for us!

Chest: Ironworks Vest of Gathering
GAT V – PER V – OPEN – OPEN – PER II

I would highly suggest just putting GAT IV GAT III in the open slots here as Perception will be capped.

Hands: Ironworks Gloves of Gathering
GAT V – GAT V – GAT III – PER III – PER II

Easily caps, thankfully uses only a single V.

Belt: Ironworks Belt of Gathering
GAT V – GP III – GP II – PER II – PER I

If only it were like this. “Painless” in comparison – caps using one V.

Neck, Earring, Bracelet SAME MELD!
GP V – GAT IV – PER III – PER II – GAT I

Okay so this is a “cheap meld” which leaves 4 GP uncapped. Does it really matter? No, not really. It’s very very expensive to cap this requiring an overmelded V and two IV’s to work out. All in all if you want to be “maxed out” on GP, consider replacing the perception melds in the suggestion above. Ultimately, everyone has their own budget but the meld I suggested has many good points.

Ring: Ironworks Ring of Gathering
I HAVE 2 MELDS IN THE TABLE ABOVE

Of those two melds, I like the the one that utilizes GAT V simply because they will be a little less in demand compared to PER V. It’s up to prices on the day you meld, anyhow.

It’s a painless meld that caps with a single V and not even an over-melded IV. Great!

Is Red Scrip Augmented Keep set worth it for DoL?

tldr no, except for fillers. If you’re swimming in Red Scrip might as well get weapon for a filler. Shirt is a far second. It doesn’t help that this set is class-specific… yuck.

3.3 DoL Core Reminders

The Moogle Beast Tribe rank-ups give materia V’s (Gathering too AFAIK) So they’re pretty worth doing.

Tricks and StonesDisciple of the Hand level 50
The Churning Mists (X:27.2 Y:34.5)
NPC: Seething Stonemason
Players must first complete the main scenario quest “Into the Aery” and the quest “Laying the First Brick.”

You’re going to need a decent level DoH to complete these, though. Unlocking the Moogle Tribe is connected to quite a few side-quests in the map so GL with that.

Follow us on Facebook for more FFXIV updates!

FFXIV 3.3 Crafting (DoH) BiS and Materia Melding

3.3 UPDATED! Find out crafting best in slot, Melding caps for BiS Ironworks Crafting set and info on Augmented Keep set.

Welcome to our Crafting (DoH) BiS and Melding guide! It’s updated for 3.3 which means it has information on Ironworks Crafting Set and Augmented Keep Set. So, let’s see what’s going on with these…

  • Which set is ‘BiS’ for 3.3?
  • How does the Augmented Keep set line up?
  • Suggested melds for “ANY” and “FREE”
  • Core crafting reminders for 3.3

3.3 DoH BiS (“Practical BiS”)

We’ve come to a point that we don’t need a fully melded ‘BiS’ to do endgame crafting. But EXTRA STATS always help, right? So the properties of this list are as follows:

Thankfully BiS this tier is the universally usable Ironworks Set.

DoH GearCra CAPCon CAPCP CAP12345
High Mythrite+54+29+4CRA VCON IVFREEFREEFREE
High Mythrite Mortar+54+29+4FREEFREEFREEFREEFREE
Ironworks Cap of Crafting+10+14+0CON VCON IVCON IIICRA IIICRA III
Ironworks Apron of Crafting+45+14+0ANY VANY VFREEFREEFREE
Ironworks Sleeves of Crafting+10+14+0CON VCON IVCON IIICRA IIICRA III
Ironworks Belt of Crafting+10+14+4ANY VCP IVFREEFREEFREE
Ironworks Breeches of Crafting+2+14+4CON VCON IVCP IVCON IIICRA I
Ironworks Boots of Crafting+2+14+4CON VCON IVCP IVCON IIICRA I
Ironworks Necklace of Crafting+10+9+8ANY VFREEFREEFREEFREE
Ironworks Earrings of Crafting+10+9+8ANY VFREEFREEFREEFREE
Ironworks Armillae of Crafting+10+9+8ANY VFREEFREEFREEFREE
Ironworks Ring of Crafting+10+9+4CON VCP IVCRA IIICRA IIICON II
SAME RING (Alternate melds)+10+9+4CRA VCP IVCON IIICON IIICON III
Totals: no melds or food891813378
Grand totals w/ melds above935887394
w/ Seafood Stew (Need CON?)935918444
w/ Baked Onion (Need CRA?)963887442
With soul?+20+20
  • What can be “practically” capped is shown above
  • ANY and FREE represent melds that you can or should save in case any thresholds appear in the next tier. They are likely irrelevant in 3.3.
  • If any stat “tresholds” appear for rotations, this will be updated.
 

Craftin BiS Notes

***Stat summary is WITHOUT the ANY or FREE melds, and as you can see is more than enough stats for a baseline set in preparation for the next tier, with enough open melds to be able to compensate for any tresholds that may come.

Weapon? GET EITHER ONE, seriously. Both are a significant upgrade to the previous tiers weapon. Of course, they still aren’t equal.

FRESH OFF THE BAT: Augmented Keep is slightly better.
WITH MELDS: Crafted of course, comes out ahead.

So this all depends on your budget and red scrip amount. Personally? I’ll pick up crafted.

Earring? Bracer? Necklace? If you have a GODLIKE ASTRAL BIRCH ACCESSORY – use it. Otherwise, “not so tryhard” melding these is okay if you’re coming in with anything lower.

They aren’t “practical to cap” I listed that as ANY / FREE above. But they are cappable as of now using the below meld:

Capping Earring Bracer:
CON V – CRA V – CP IV – CP IV – CON II

Augmented Keep set? Worth it?

While an upgrade is an upgrade, I highly advise AGAINST getting any of these unless you are absolutely swimming with red scrip. EVEN THEN I WOULD ONLY CONSIDER THE CHEST PIECE.

The non-universal nature of this set is really a pain in the butt.

The Ironworks Crafting chest requires a bit of an investment for it to beat the Augmented Keep chest, but the pros heavily outweigh the cons. You can buy some chests for the core classes while gearing up, but don’t invest into any other piece.

Suggested melds for “ANY V” and “FREE”?

Again these are HIGHLY dependent on stat tresholds and budget. But at the very least SUREMELDS should be considered.

  • Control? Every bit of CON helps.
  • CP? Again, every bit helps.
  • Craftmanship? This purely depends on tresholds, and

So you can’t be sad if you stick CON V and CAP CP on each piece you can. And just try to cram in Craftmanship later on if you need it.

Again, it’s impossible to recommend a general scenario for everyone.

Core crafting reminders for 3.3

The MOOGLE BEAST TRIBE QUEST LINE Rewards DoH Materia! This starts out in Churning Mists:

Tricks and StonesDisciple of the Hand level 50
The Churning Mists (X:27.2 Y:34.5)
NPC: Seething Stonemason
Players must first complete the main scenario quest “Into the Aery” and the quest “Laying the First Brick.”

Unless I’m mistaken, there seems to be a chunky amount of pre-requisite sidequests so good luck with that sir.  I don’t know if the high level dailies give V’s, but the latter Rank Up quests do, so that’s worth it in any case.

Well that’s about it for Crafting BiS changes in this patch. Thank the heavens that they gave us a solid universal set!!!

Follow us on Facebook for more FFXIV updates!

 

FFXIV 3.3 Astrologian (AST) Best in Slot (BiS) Gear

3.3 UPDATED! AST Best in slot guide! “Always play the hand ‘yer DEALT!”. AST Lore buy order, Melding, Pages & Normals, more!

So the cosmos have guided you home – back home to the grind for gear! If you’re looking AST BiS for 3.3 you’ve found well! Here, you can find three options for the AST BiS…

Note: It goes without saying that -Diurnal will be almost identical to WHM BiS, Nocturnal will be almost identical to SCH BiS. So if you follow that “Classic mindset” you can check those out. However, in this page I will be talking about the DET focused set.

3.3 Notes: Aside from filler gear, the only thing that affects BiS is Relic – Sphere of the Last Heir. While melding may depend on your main stance, PIE is always a good idea, followed by DET if you adhere to this pages’ ideology.

Navigation: Astrologian BiS
AST BiS | Discussion | Lore Buy Order (&Pages)  | Crafted TBA

3.3 Astrologian Best-in-Slot

ASTItemMeld 1Meld 2PieDetCritSSN
WeaponPrototype Midal Metal AstrometerPIE VPIE V112118
Offhand-----
HelmMidan Horn of HealingPIE VPIE V7266-
BodyAugmented Hailstorm Coat of HealingDET VDET V11799--
HandAugmented Hailstorm Gloves of HealingDET VDET V512469-ANY
BeltMidan Belt of HealingDET V-5446--
LegsMidan Trousers of HealingPIE VPIE V104-112-
BootsMidan Boots of HealingDET VCRIT V725812-
NeckAugmented Primal Choker of HealingPIE V-4949--
EarringAugmented Primal Earrings of HealingDET V-5446--
WristAugmented Primal Bracelet of HealingDET V-5412-36ANY
RingMidan Ring of HealingDET V-5446--
RingAugmented Primal Ring of HealingDET V--123651
FoodFrozen Spirits--2611--
StatsTotals from items ->81958722987
Totals w base, melds, gear ->1080805583441

AST BiS Discussion

Again if you follow the classic Diurnal=WHM Nocturnal=SCH you can check their respective BiS pages with the only chain being the weapon.

  • Diurnal: Augmented Hailstorm Astrometer
  • Nocturnal: Prototype Midan Metal Astrometer

Click on the tabs below – “Determination?” and “Gear Discussion”

Why DeterminationGear Options & Discussion

This page isn’t just about being cute and different. The set offers power and consistency beyond the usual AST setups.

I don’t like crit stacked Nocturnal AST. Let’s get that out of the way. Hoping for a crit shield is never ever a habit you should form, or better yet, never a situation you find yourself in often (It’s likely a tank or healer error if that’s the case). I’m not too sold on SS stacked Diurnal, either. The base stance bonus is much larger than you’d think.

Piety is still the most important stat for either sect, though, and this set reflects that. Without Assize or Energy Drain, AST’s only have ONE MAIN REPLENISHER OF MANA – Lumineferous Aether (+Celestial Opposition Extension, which should always be used). More Piety means less reliance on Ewer, and in effect more cards meant for raid efficiency – given how Royal Road on Ewer is the amazing AoE effect.

Why Determination? DET DIRECTLY COUNTERS AST’s downside which is “slightly weaker heals”. Yes, I understand crit does this too – but not as consistently as DET does. The problem with AST is the RNG reliant gameplay, and I DO NOT want to compound that with crit! So this set takes care of both the “weak” and “random” weakpoints of AST.

But still, after all that following either WHM BiS or SCH BiS is A-OK and I’m sure its A8S clearable. The power level of both setups definitely have their ups and downs.

There’s some discussion here, but the core remains… after all, the set is full of linear power – boasting 800+ DET and 1000+ Piety. Damn.

Melding Strategy can be changed if you’re the “DPS-er” in your healing duo. A lot of healers may tell you that CRIT is the most important stat for DPSing – this is false. Accuracy and Piety are the most stable DPS stats Since our set is packed in Piety – you can Meld accuracy to your hearts content!

Flex slots? There’s only a small bit of wiggle room in gear choices:

Augmented Hailstorm Bottoms of Healing: Is a legit swap for more DET, but sadly comes with SS which has indeterminate usefulness… depends on which stance you main and your co-healer class/dynamic. You do lose a hefty chunk of Piety, though.

Bracelet -another mindless swap. SS or Crit. Retains Piety. No loss in DET.
Gloves – Same story, the list above use one of each variant.

 

AST Lore Tomestone Buy Order

The tome spending strat below is to obtain BiS fastest:

  • Weapon: good “filler” until you down A8S. Meld PIE I guess.
    • Be mindful you need to time it with Hypercharged Tomestone
  • Body: Obvious second buy as any comparable Ilvl is from A8S
  • Hand: is “Equal to Midan”, but I guess just pick this up to save pages.
  • Ring > Earrings > Neck > Bracelet (is Equal to Midan)

ANYTHING ELSE IS OPTIONAL: Legs > Helm > Boots completing left (if you’re investing in fillers, left comes first).

USING UP PAGES AND MIDAS NORMAL PARTS

Click on the expandables below to see how you should spend pages, and which Midas Normal parts to get first –

Midan Savage Pages

MIDAN SAVAGE PAGES

The below spending strategy is purely to obtain BiS fastest:

A5S: Ring > Bracelet (equal to BiS) > Any
A6S: Belt > Boots > Helm > Illuminati Dark Gobcoat x 4 > Any
A7S: Pants > Illuminati Taut Gobtwine x 2 > Any
A8S: Weapon > Any (Gobdip is okay and just wait for Weapon drop)

Midan Normal Parts

MIDAN NORMAL PARTS

“what should AST’s pick up in Midas normal”! Is something I get asked often so here it is. This is a general thing, and people might have varying levels of gear or goals but as a catch-all good enough recommendation:

M1NM2NM3NM4N
Week 1chainlensspringspring
Week 2boltlensspringspring
Week 3pedalpedalcrankcrank
Week 4boltboltanyany (shaft)

Why avoid chest? Yes it has massive DET, but alas, this early on in the tier (and it’s gonna be replaced by Lore Chest very very quickly) PIE would be the smarter choice. Bolts -> Midan Ring > Midan Bracelet > Any

W5 and up – ANY.

Click the above!!!

AST Crafted Gear Viability

So we can quickly update all BiS pages, I wont discuss every detail just yet. But of course, the above will fulfill 90% of your needs. I usually update this later on…

Navigation: Astrologian BiS
AST BiS | Discussion | Lore Buy Order (&Pages)  | Crafted TBA

Let the stars guide your looting and robot dismantling – and GL gearing up your AST for BiS in 3.3!

Follow us on Facebook for more FFXIV updates!