Just like any other MMORPG, Final Fantasy 14 has raids. These eight-player boss fights are broken up by difficulty, with normal raids being the versions you can clear for loot and story and savage raids being the ones that drop best-in-slot gear and mounts.
Below, we explain how normal raids work, where to unlock every normal (and savage) raid in FFXIV, and where to exchange loot for each raid series.
FFXIV normal raids and normal raid roulette, explained
Normal raids are eight-player boss fights that typically slot into a rich storyline in each expansion. There are typically 12 fights to each raid series released over the span of a single expansion; each of an expansion’s three patches drops four fights.
Normal raids typically reward unique gear that are close to best-in-slot at the time of launch, and the savage difficulty versions of these fights (usually referred to as savage raids) do drop the best-in-slot gear for the time. Savage raids are typically seen as the end-game content — with ultimate raids being even harder content that only the top percentage of players complete, but those are almost an entirely separate thing.
Once the gear becomes outdated a few patches later, it’s effectively only good to be used as glamour.
Rather than getting armor pieces straight-up, you’ll get specific drops that can be traded in for gear. The normal drops trade at the following rate:
- 2 lenses/helms for head armor
- 4 shafts/armor for body armor
- 2 cranks/gauntlets for hand armor
- 4 springs/chausses for leg armor
- 2 pedals/greaves for feet armor
- 1 bolt/bangle per accessory
The most recent set of raids may have raid drop restrictions on them, meaning you can only claim one drop from each fight in that set per week. Completing the last fight in each tier for the savage raids also rewards a special mount.
Unlocking at least two raids from any series (except “The Coils of Bahamut”) will unlock normal raid roulette, which will give you EXP and other goodies in exchange for queueing into a random normal raid.
As usual with post-game content, you’ll need to beat a bulk of or all of the base game or expansion’s story to unlock it. For example, to do the Omega raids in Stormblood, you’ll need to complete the main scenario quest “Stormblood.”
Where to unlock the A Realm Reborn raids, ‘The Coils of Bahamut’
A Realm Reborn’s raid series is unlike any other raid in that there are 13 fights, referred to as “turns” and only four of the fights are available in savage.
To unlock the coils, talk to Urianger in The Waking Sands (Western Thanalan) to start the quest “Primal Awakening.”
You’ll unlock the first five turns, then the next four turns, and then the final four turns all at once. You can just complete the last turn in each set to complete the quest.
Note that nobody queues for the coils anymore, so to do not queue for these fights in the regular duty finder or else you will be stuck there forever waiting for people. Set up a party finder group and consider during these fights unsynced to finish the quests.
This is also the only raid series to actually drop armor and equipment, so you don’t have to worry about trading loot in to an NPC.
Where to unlock the Heavensward raids, ‘Alexander’
To unlock the Alexander raids, you’ll need to talk to Slowfix in Idyllshire to start the quest “Disarmed.”
As you complete the raids and the questline, you’ll continue to unlock more and more fights, until you have all 12 unlocked.
If you want to unlock the savage fights for funsies after you clear the normal raids, you can talk to the Wandering Minstrel in Mor Dhona and do the quests “A Song for Steam and Steel,” “A Refrain for the Undaunted,” and “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Retells Your Story.”
Loot from the Alexander raids can be traded to Sabina in Idyllshire or the Rowena’s Representative NPC in Ishgard.
Where to unlock the Stormblood raids, ‘Omega’
To unlock the Omega raids, talk to Wedge in Rhalgr’s Reach to start the quest “The Hunt for Omega.”
As with the other raid series, more fights will unlock as you complete the quest, until you have all 12 unlocked.
If you want to unlock the savage fights after clearing the normal fights, interact with the Magitek Terminal in Rhalgr’s Reach.
Loot from the Omega raids can be traded in to Gelfradus in Rhalgr’s Reach or the Rowena’s Representative in Kugane.
Where to unlock the Shadowbringers raids, ‘Eden’
To unlock the Eden raids, talk to the “Anxious Crystarium Guard” NPC in The Crystarium to start the quest “In the Middle of Nowhere.”
The fights will unlock one at a time as you complete the quests.
The savage version of the Eden raids can be unlocked by talking to Lewrey in Ahm Araeng.
Loot from the Eden raids can be traded in to a few NPCs: Ghul Gul in Amh Araeng, Yhal Yal in Eulmore, or the Mowen’s Merchant in the Crystarium.
Where to unlock the Endwalker raids, ‘Pandaemonium’
To unlock the Pandaemonium raids, talk to Nemjiji in Old Sharlayan to start the quest “The Crystal from Beyond.”
You’ll need to complete each raid and quest to unlock the next one, as part of the questline.
The savage version of the Pandaemonium raids can be unlocked by talking to Nemjiji in Labyrinthos.
Loot from the Pandaemonium raids can be traded in to Djole in Radz-at-Han or Mylenie in Labyrinthos.
Where to unlock the Dawntrail raids, ‘The Arcadion’
To unlock the Arcadion, talk to the Stylish Stranger NPC in Solution Nine at the following location to start the quest “A New Challenger Appears.”
You’ll need to complete each raid and quest to unlock the next one, as part of the questline.
Look from the Arcadion raids can be traded to Hhihwi in Solution Nine.
The savage version of these raids will launch in patch 6.05 on July 30, likely unlocked by talking to an NPC near the Arcadion.
If you’re just starting out in the massive world of Final Fantasy 14, we have tons of guides to help you. We have a beginner’s guide to get you started, along with guides detailing when you’ll get your mount and which Grand Company you should join.
If you’re starting but are feeling overwhelmed, we have guides to help with picking a job and a guide that explains how long it may take to catch up to current content in FFXIV.
We also have guides on side content, like ocean fishing, relic weapons, and Island Sanctuary, for those who want to take a break from it all.
