Deep and engaging stories are told through raids and side quests, which far enrich your agreement of FFXIV. several aspects of the world-state and cultures that make up the game ’ s multiple regions are fleshed out here. so many cool characters, both new and revert, take the spotlight to create memorable moments and provide insight into FFXIV ’ mho lore. It ’ mho besides wild to think that some of the best foreman fights are tucked away in these side stories. A batch of this capacity is equitable a long ton of fun to play through, besides .
While Endwalker is already here, I ’ five hundred highly recommend you to tie up some of these free ends before shipping off to the moon. Story threads in these questlines will lone make the Endwalker know more impactful. Besides, you should take your prison term ! But if you ’ vitamin d prefer to circle back on optional capacity after finishing Endwalker, that works besides !
Below is the short-circuit tilt we ’ ve gathered for significant optional contentedness we powerfully suggest you play through careless of where you are in FFXIV. Long-time players have probably done most of the stuff highlighted below, but if you happened to miss something, that ’ s what we ’ re here for. Chances are you ’ ll come away appreciating the world of FFXIV even more — possibly with a better position on plot points that may come full circle at the ending of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark story bow.
The Binding Coils of Bahamut
Starting Quest: Primal Awakening ( from Urianger )
Location: Waking Sands, Thanalan
Requirements: Finish A Realm Reborn
This is the first base eight-player raid series from A Realm Reborn. It ’ s besides deeply rooted in FFXIV lore, peculiarly our understand of what happened at the ending of FFXIV 1.0, when that crippled was wiped out of universe by the moon of Dalamud. It ’ s pretty amazing to speculation into the remains of Bahamut and Dalamud themselves — the very things that destroyed the kingdom and brought about the Seventh Umbral Calamity .
For the most separate, you follow Alisaie through each raid while she provides position on the ancient Allagan technology you scour. particularly for those who weren ’ metric ton around for 1.0, this is how you come to understand and appreciate Louisoix Leveilleur, the twins ’ grandpops who sacrificed himself to limit the destruction caused by Dalamud .
Considering it ’ s a level 50 raid serial, it ’ sulfur still pretty challenging to do as a synchronize party. not to mention it ’ s impossible to get started through the Duty Finder. You need to assemble or find a custom party to do the Binding Coils, and you ’ ll likely do therefore unsynced for simplicity. You can do them unsynced with merely a ally or two — which is probably the manner to go if you ’ re in it for the fat lore. Many of the Turns ( distinct phases of the raid series ) are easy to solo, unsynced, as a level 80 actor. Yet some Turns need at least a small party to handle mechanics that cause automatic pistol party wipes .
The hale series is broken up into three parts : The Binding Coil of Bahamut, The Second Coil of Bahamut, and The Final Coil of Bahamut. The inaugural consists of five Turns and the others feature four, leading to a total of 13 divide raid instances .
Alexander Raids
Starting Quest: Disarmed ( from Slowfix )
Location: Idyllshire, Dravania ( x : 7.0, yttrium : 6.0 )
Requirements: Finish Heavensward
It ’ south always a adept time when Biggs, Wedge, Cid, and the Garlond Ironworks crowd are up to no good ( or good, for the most part ). Alexander is that big ol ’ mechanized elephantine in the middle of the river in the Dravanian Hinterlands, which serves as center stage for the eight-player foray series included in Heavensward. It follows the floor of a rogue Au Ra girl named Mide, a group of cockamamie pirate Goblins called the Illuminati, and some seriously destructive engineering. It ’ mho besides got some substantial commodity time travel folderal that ’ s heavily referenced in everyone ’ s darling dungeon, The Twinning .
This raid series literally has you speculation inside the different parts of Alexander itself and fight through respective imaginative bosses. As you make your way to Alexander ’ south affection, you ’ ll uncover some baseless truths and revelations about its purpose. In the serve of averting end with the world power of a primal-like Alexander falling into the wrong hands and seeking the Enigma Codex, you ’ ll experience a bittersweet fib while broadening your position on FFXIV lore. The whole raid series comes with a bunch of ghastly tunes, like the ska-inspired Brute Justice, to boot !
You can run these reasonably easily through matching up in the Duty Finder. even as synced horizontal surface 60 instances, your party will take down the raid bosses fairly easily .
Omega Raids
Starting Quest: The Hunt for Omega ( from Wedge )
Location: Rhalgr ’ s Reach, Gyr Abania ( ten : 12.6, y : 12.4 )
Requirements: Finish Stormblood
Oh, you wanted more Garlond Ironworks shenanigans ? Well, enter the Interdimensional Rift of Omega, the eight-player raid series in Stormblood. As army for the liberation of rwanda as level 70 synchronize instances go, it provides a decent challenge without excessively a lot stress. I ’ d besides argue it ’ s some of the best optional content for several reasons .
For one, anything with Nero tol Scaeva is premium contentedness, specially when he ’ sulfur annoying the denounce out of Cid while they both somehow put their scientific minds together to save the populace. The banter, pettiness, hostility, and wonder between the two will warm your heart and get a few giggles out of you. They ’ re basically a divorce couple that still has to work together and take manage of a child — that child being Alpha. And ohio my idol, Alpha is so cute, like the cutest thing in all of FFXIV. few things are cuter than a charming baby Chocobo with big ol ’ eyeballs who is the key to all the answers in this extensive storyline .
Okay, anyhow, the Omega raid series is very serious with major implications about an aetherial power that can create beings strong enough to dominate the kingdom. This is all in light of the destruction left behind by the aboriginal Shinryu in the Stormblood floor. Through each case of the raid, you ’ ll fight recreations of some of the celebrated bosses in Final Fantasy V and VI like Exdeath, Chadarnook, and Kefka, fair to name a few. You even fight the Phantom Train, but it ’ s a pity there ’ s no Duty Action to suplex the bloody thing. You besides get big remixes of the boss themes from the aforesaid games that ’ ll pump you up for each competitiveness. The last stage of Omega takes a act for unique knob fights with some hazardous designs and fun mechanics to work through, leading to the conclusion of a fantastic storyline tucked into a dope foray into series .
Eden Raids
Starting Quest: In the Middle of Nowhere ( from Anxious Crystarium Guard )
Location: The Crystarium, Norvrandt ( ten : 9.7, y : 12.3 )
Requirements: Finish Shadowbringers
The latest eight-player raid series, which accompanied Shadowbringers, is a love letter to Final Fantasy VIII and features some amazing boss fights that mix up some of our old front-runner icons. I swear, I got chills the first time I heard “ Blue Fields ” play in FFXIV ; what a beautiful sung. And that orchestral placement of the boss theme ? ! Fam. Don ’ triiodothyronine stumble, there ain ’ metric ton no Junction system in batch, though .
In a post- Shadowbringers earth, Ryne, Thancred, and Urianger feel the need to further investigate aethereal imbalances in Norvrandt — but this clock all the way out in the in-between of nowhere. In the process, you meet Gaia, a mysterious girl with whom Ryne develops a complicated kinship throughout the raid ’ south storyline. (Editor’s note: They’re girlfriends.) Like most things in FFXIV, there are implications about the truthful nature of oneself, defying fates, and the world power of friendship alongside some amazing battles. It ’ sulfur besides dainty seeing your advancement in Eden reflected in the game world itself .
not gon na lie, I think person was cutting up onions the foremost time I did that 12th and final examination foray example. By the time you finish up this raid series, you ’ ll want to bake a batch of coffee biscuits as you reflect on this emotional travel with a tear in your eye .
Ivalice Alliance Raids
Starting Quest: Dramatis Personae ( from Keiten )
Location: Kugane, Hingashi ( ten : 12.2, yttrium : 12.3 )
Requirements: Finish Stormblood
The 24-player Alliance Raids can be intimidating with the sheer number of things happening at once in any one example while you try to process the responsibilities of your alliance group. But if you can learn how to handle the challenge, Alliance Raids draw for some top-tier FFXIV contentedness. With the Crystal Tower raids being compulsory, all players who make it past A Realm Reborn will get a taste of what Alliance Raids are like. With that said, I ’ five hundred strongly recommend giving the Ivalice raid series a go once you ’ ve finished Stormblood .
First-off, it ’ s a recite of the Final Fantasy Tactics narrative that besides incorporates key elements of Final Fantasy XII in the work. Basically, FFXIV has its own version of Ivalice and Dalmasca that identical much mirrors the informant substantial. Folks who got love for those games will be geeked about what ’ south in store in this raid series. You go through recreations of Rabanastre, Ridorana, and the Orbonne Monastery. Yasumi Matsuno ( director of Tactics and XII ) even helped create this foray into ’ second storyline .
Some of the fights in the three instances of this raid can be quite challenge ( and you ’ ll have to do some damn mathematics in the Ridorana Lighthouse ). But they ’ re a short ton of fun to run with some great music that will be a jerk of nostalgia for those who played the games in mention. What ’ second just as important is that completing the Ivalice foray series is required for unlocking one of the greatest chunks of content : The Bozjan Southern Front ( more on that by and by ) .
NieR Crossover Alliance Raids
Starting Quest: Word About Komra ( from Gossipy Dwarf )
Location: Kholusia, Norvrandt ( x : 12.9, yttrium : 8.7 )
Requirements: Finish Shadowbringers
Sooooo, NieR merely kind of exists in the world of FFXIV. When this raid series ( formally called YoRHa : Dark Apocalypse ) was first base revealed in the lead-up to Shadowbringers, I was like, “ oh, cool ! ! ” But now that I ’ ve completed it, I look back and think to myself, “ holy stool, NieR is in FFXIV ? ! ” And if you have equally a lot sexual love for NieR as I do, you credibly precisely won ’ triiodothyronine get over it .
somewhere in the backyard of Kholusia out in Norvrandt, the Dwarves stumble upon a mining anchor that leads to the remains of the world of NieR: Automata. The floor that follows is tragic, cockamamie, and heartwarming, and kind of shocking considering how core narrative elements from NieR Replicant, NieR Automata, and even Drakengard are used throughout. From the abandoned factories to the decay stations to the tower you climb at this raid ’ mho ending, you ’ ll find thematic parallels and straight-up recreations of things from the source material. The way Yoko Taro and the FFXIV team were able to integrate the global of NieR into a story within FFXIV is nothing short-circuit of incredible. But the floor international relations and security network ’ t the only appeal, for the teams have besides built intricate, challenging, and fantastic raid instances and boss fights with mechanics that stunningly reflect some of NieR ‘ s best elements .
The absolute emotional rollercoaster of hearing some of NieR ‘ s best music remixed and rearranged aboard, and even within, some of FFXIV ‘ mho best music…like, I don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate know what to tell yttrium ’ all. A few fights within this raid series can be quite difficult, particularly with the tears in your eyes obscuring your vision as you try dodging waves of enemy AoE attacks. But my deity, is it worth doing .
The Bozjan Southern Front
Starting Quests and Locations:
- Hail to the Queen (from Keiten), Kugane ( ten : 12.2, yttrium : 12.3 )
- Path to the Past (from Marsak), Yanxia ( ten : 16.3, y : 8.5 )
- The Bozja Incident (from Ironworks Engineer), Rhalgr ’ s Reach ( adam : 11.8, y : 11.8 )
- Fire in the Forge (from Gerolt), Gangos ( adam : 6.3, yttrium : 5.0 )
- Where Eagles Nest (from Marsak), Gangos (x: 6.4, y: 5.7)
Requirements: Complete the Ivalice raid series, finish Shadowbringers
I ’ molarity pretty confident in saying the Bozjan Southern Front is the best optional content so far in FFXIV. With its own abstruse storyline, multifaceted raid-like instances, and unique gameplay mechanics, it about feels like this wholly message package could ’ ve been an expansion on its own. The Bozja storyline, formally called Save the Queen, builds off of the decision of the Ivalice raid series. Spinning off in its own focus for a unique learn on the history of Dalmasca, it explores how the Garlean Empire viciously colonized the region. It besides involves ancient powers of a bygone era .
You enter an exemplify of the Bozjan Southern Front with a maximum of 72 players active in the zone. You can hop in as any combat Job that ’ s floor 71 or above ( granted you have another at flush 80 ). In this expansive zone, you take on FATE-like battles called Skirmishes and queue up for random public events called critical Engagements ( which are fairly tough knob fights ). It ’ randomness all in an feat for Mettle ( a separate form of XP for Bozja ) to raise your Resistance Rank and unlock more Save the Queen story quests .
Any Job you use between levels 71 and 79 gets synced up to level 80, so you get access to its full skillset while in Bozja. You besides gain hefty chunks of convention XP as you complete Skirmishes and critical Engagements, making it one of the best ways of leveling alternate Jobs. then, there are special raid-like instances such as Castrum Lacus Litore and Delubrum Reginae, which feature some of FFXIV ‘ mho most intricate non-Savage mechanics and a spectacle fitting of an all-out war. They ’ ra detached of function restrictions, which means that groups have to think a sting harder about how they use Lost Actions, a freestanding stage set of items and buffs that help players cover the abilities of any neglect roles .
There are so many reasons to give The Bozjan Southern Front a shooting, and I haven ’ thyroxine even gotten into the irregular expansive zone called Zadnor. Some folks do it for the keepsake weapons, but I ’ five hundred highly suggest Bozja for the storyline, fast leveling for interchange Jobs, and sheer playfulness of its most intense battles and boss fights .
sorrow of Werlyt Quests
Starting Quest: Ruby Doomsday ( from Resistance Officer )
Location: The Lochs, Gyr Abania ( adam : 36.4, y : 31.8 )
Requirements: Finish Shadowbringers
You ever wish FFXIV had Gundam or Evangelion energy with bad dads and night storylines ? I present to you the Sorrow of Werlyt. Remember that old Garlean commander, Gaius van Baelsar, who pops up every now and then to talk about such destruction and how it was not his intention ? Well, there ’ s more to him than that.
That fellow did some bad stool under the Garlean streamer. In the wake of him leaving the empire, he is never left unattended by those whose duty it is to keep a sharp eye on him even as he now tries to aid the Eorzean Alliance. While this questline may seem like a kind of redemption arch for Gaius, Sorrow of Werlyt has more to do with the calamity of the found-family of orphans he raised being left to the mercy of a fascist empire.
You travel to a new coastal zone. You fight Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond Weapons ( all from Final Fantasy VII ) in some excite boss fights. You pilot a whole arsenic mech, which has its own moveset. Ruby, Emerald, and Diamond Weapons are imposing bosses in their respective eight-player Trials with truly playfulness mechanics and grand piano spectacles. Sapphire Weapon, on the other hand, is your opportunity to go neck and neck using your own mech. When it ’ s all said and done, you ’ re left rather sad because this fib is pretty black.
I have a feeling the things we learn in the Sorrow of Werlyt quests will come spinal column around in some class in the future, besides .
The Warring Triad Quests
Unlock Quest: Gods of Eld ( from Torsefers )
Location: The Pillars, Ishgard ( adam : 11.7, y : 11.5 )
Requirements: Finish Heavensward
Taking things spinal column to Heavensward for a moment, you can easily miss one of the expansion ’ mho best side stories and set of boss fights. The Warring Triad represents Primals from a bygone earned run average, specifically when the Allagan Empire ruled the kingdom during the Third Astral Era. In this questline, you have to square up against Sephirot, Sophia, and Zurvan, all of whom you may recognize from Final Fantasy VI.
It ’ second absorbing because of how deep the lore goes as you try to unpack what the Allagan Empire was doing with aetherochemical inquiry and Azys Lla, the massive Heavensward zone that was home to the Allagan ’ s technical advancements. You ’ ll learn more about the origins of King Thordan ’ randomness might — but more importantly, you ’ ll be introduced to Unukalhai, a kyd whose own deep backstory ties into both the Ascians and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Seeing this questline all the way through will besides lead to supernumerary bits of narrative in Shadowbringers, peculiarly after completing MSQ through Patch 5.3.
In the crusade against Sophia, you ’ ll grow to hear one of FFXIV ‘ s top-tier foreman battle themes in “ Equilibrium, ” which writer Nadia Oxford analyzed in capital detail to give us insight into the song ’ second lore implications .
Hildibrand Manderville Quests
Starting Quest: The Rise and Fall of Gentlemen ( from Wymond )
Location: Ul ’ dash, Steps of Nald ( adam : 9.8, yttrium : 8.7 )
Requirements: Finish A Realm Reborn
Are you looking to experience some saturated, cockamamie, unadulterated bullshit ? I can not emphasize adequate precisely how goofy and authentically hilarious the Hildibrand questline can be. This is the acme of the FFXIV team having unfiltered fun with optional subject, providing some much-needed levity to a kingdom constantly fighting for its survival.
It ’ s wild to think about how this clown Hildibrand Manderville has a bequest dating spinal column to FFXIV 1.0 during the fall of Dalamud, but that only makes his place in the world all the more challenging. Following these quests will lead you down a fix of absurdist humor, syndicate drama, and the inexplicable god-like powers of Hildibrand and his father Godbert ( who besides owns the Manderville Gold Saucer ) as you help him chase down some screen of apparition thief. It ’ s thus speechless. I love it. And you meet Nashu Mhakaracca, who ’ s a fantastic catgirl. She ’ randomness great. I love her.
If you ’ re looking for easy-going subject as opposed to a gauntlet of intense party boss fights, the Hildibrand quests should be at the top of your list. You can see how the FFXIV team got a snatch experimental with how it put together cutscenes in this questline, and Hildibrand is much better for it. You can kick back, get a few laughs, and enjoy the giddiness of it all !
Beast Tribe Questlines
There are a short ton of Beast Tribes to do quests for throughout FFXIV, but not everyone has the time or will to do all of them. So we ’ ll direct you to a couple of our darling ones that we think are worth doing .
Namazu
Starting Quest: Something Fishy This Way Comes ( from Floundering Namazu )
Location: Azim Steppe, Othard ( ten : 17.4, yttrium : 37.5 )
Requirements:
- Finish the questline starting with Courage the Cowardly Lupin
- Location: Yanxia (x: 30.9, y: 17.8)
- Finish the questline starting with Perchance the Hanami
- Location: Yanxia (x: 30.3, y: 18.3)
- After complete the two previous questlines, finish the quest Kurobana vs. Gyorin
- Location: Yanxia (x: 29.3, y: 17.5)
- Must have a a Job from Disciples of Hand (DoH) or Disciples of Land (DoL) at level 60
It ’ ll take quite a morsel of work to get the Namazu Beast Tribe quests going since you need to have at least a level 60 craftsman Job and complete two, albeit short, questlines ahead. Like other Beast Tribes, you cycle through daily quests to build your repute with the group in an effort to gain rewards and see the Tribe thrive .
The reason why I chose the Namazu is because they ’ re cunning and they deserve to be glad, so it ’ s your duty to help them. Don ’ t let their depression in Stormblood ‘ s MSQ fool you ! You won ’ thyroxine want to skip the cutscenes for repute quests ; they ’ re so adorable and wholesome. Their theme birdcall will lift your spirits and bring a tear to your eye from absolute happiness ( listen close for their spongy footsteps that follow the beat of the song ). And you can get one of the best mounts in the integral game, I ’ meter not kidding .
Dwarves
Starting Quest: It ’ s Dwarfin ’ Time ( from Affable Townsdwarf )
Location: Kholusia, Norvrandt ( x : 15.7, yttrium : 30.3 )
Requirements:
- Disciples of Hand ( crafting ) Job at Level 70, finish Shadowbringers
- Finish the questline that starts with Village of Woe and ends with Ronitt to the Rescue
- Starting Location: Kholusia (x: 15.3, y: 28.6)
- Finish the questline that starts with A Disagreeable Dwarf and ends with Learning the Lali-ho
- Starting Location: Kholusia (x: 12.4, y: 9.2)
The Dwarven Beast Tribe questline requires you have a craft Job at grade 70, which would make this inaccessible to a lot of players. however, if you meet that necessity, you ’ ll decidedly want to do it. It ’ s a more efficient way to get a crafting Job to level 80, but besides, the Dwarves of Norvrandt are adorable small goofballs who deserve to live their best lives. You can get another one of the game ’ s big mounts : the cutest cooler you can imagine .
pyxie
Starting Quest: Manic Pixie Dream Realm ( from Pink Pixie )
Location: The Crystarium ( ten : 13.1, y : 15.3 )
Requirements: Finish the Shadowbringers main quest The Wheel Turns ( level 73 )
Given that the Pixies are one of the new groups in FFXIV, it ’ s a more refine Beast Tribe questline. As your repute grows with the Pixies, so excessively does their fanciful down of Lyhe Mheg, which will turn into a big playground that bursts of forte arsenic color. You can earn a Porxie saddle horse in the process, but more importantly, there ’ sulfur a deeper backstory for Titania explained through these quests.
If you found the Fae tribe of Il Mheg annoying and quite be done with them ( tied though you should be grateful for Feo Ul ), then you may want to skip this one for now. otherwise, it ’ s a good time .
fish !
Starting Quest: Way of the Fisher ( from N ’ nmulika )
Location: Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks ( x : 7.0, y : 14.0 )
Requirements: none
If you haven ’ thyroxine taken up fish yet, then you ’ re credibly not aware of the things underneath the huge oceans across Eorzea and the stories they tell. As one of the few gather Jobs ( aka Disciples of Land ), taking on the character of Fisher comes with a robust stage set of features like its own unique skillset, enticing story quests, and the chill-hype vibration of fishing raids.
Fishing starts out simple, having you cast a line into a consistency of water and hitting the Reel carry through when something bites. however, catching specific fish for certain quests ( or filling out your fishing log ) will require you to cleverly wield the skills you gain as you level up. It makes you look at FFXIV ‘ s regions with a clean perspective, taking you to areas of zones you wouldn ’ t have ventured to otherwise. And the questline that accompanies the Job shows you a different side of a few groups of people you only passed by in previous quests.
It ’ s a identical fast Job to level up to 80 because of Ocean Fishing, the 24-player raid-like instances you can queue into every two hours. here, take a boat from Limsa Lominsa and across the open seas in three discriminate phases to catch as many fish as you can, and rack up points and a wholly draw of XP ( particularly when the oceans start bursting with rare spectral pisces ).
flush though you ’ re subject to the RNG gods for the most depart, being a Fisher is a great way to relax .
