FFXIV Relic Weapons Overview for Absolute Beginners

After you finish the MSQ, what do you do? Relic weapons.

This kind of exceeds the boundaries of what a bow is, but who cares? Terpander Lux Replica from Heavensward

And Relics are worth doing. They are good weapons, not quite as good as weapons that come from EX trials and the 4th floor of Savage Raids, but their stats are solid.

Relics are acquired in a base form, usually for free or for some small fee in tomestone currency. They are then improved by a series of upgrades. Each upgrade step gives the weapon a new appearance. And, in its final form, near the end of the expansion's lifecycle, it will be the most powerful weapon you can get.

If you prefer the look of an earlier relic stage, you can buy lvl 1 copies (replicas) that can be stored in your glamour dresser. It is worth noting that for ARR relics, no replicas of any stage are available until the entire weapon upgrade chain is complete.

All ARR Dragoon relic stages pictured here.

When is a Relic Weapon useful for combat?

The only relics that are useful for combat now are the Endwalker relics, and they become outclassed by the current expansion's dungeon drops around the middle of the expansion content. In general, the x5 dungeon (e.g. 85, 95, you get the picture) will drop better gear than the BIS tomestone, raid gear and relic weapons from the previous expansion. The Dawntrail example is (minor spoilers for DT) the Skydeep Cenote.

Sometimes intermediate stage relics are more interesting than the final stage.

Hyperconductive Majestas Replica from Heavensward

Relics from any expansion prior to Endwalker are for cosmetic purposes only at this point and should not be used in combat situations.

Objectives for a relic cannot be completed when doing content higher in level than the max level of the expansion the relic comes from, so wearing your level 50 ARR relic to a Shadowbringers dungeon to try to work on it is not going to get you anywhere.

See my favorite Caster relics here.

What do I need to finish a relic stage?

Depending on the relic and the step, the required upgrade materials can be

•  purchased with tomestone currency

•  drops from completing certain overland battle objectives, both guaranteed and not

• rare items that require crafting or buying them for a lot of gil on the marketboard

• purchased from your Grand Company for seals, but require a certain Grand Company rank to be unlocked

• items obtained from completing Palace of the Dead floors, not guaranteed drops

• drops from specific levequests

• drops from 8-person raids

• drops from Alliance raids

• drops from dungeons

• drops from other instanced content

• a gauge that must be maxed out by doing certain content

or some combination of those things.

And the requirements vary widely between relics, with an ARR relic potentially taking weeks to complete and a Manderville relic less than a day.

Mix and match Shadowbringers sword and Heavensward shield. Replica Augmented Law's Order Bastard Sword and Priwen Replica.

There is also a story element that can gate the next upgrade stage. For some weapons, an additional raid or other battle activity must be completed to advance the story and reach the next upgrade step. Some relics also have a one-time requirement that is nullified for any additional relics from that expansion that you work on.

Best Starter Relic

If you're in a hurry, go for a Heavensward or Manderville Relic.

If you haven't tried Bozja or Eureka, I personally think they are pretty fun and there's a lot of great group content. The Shadowbringers relics are associated with Bozja, and the Stormblood ones with Eureka.

Getting an ARR relic is a pretty solo grind, but they are some of the best ones.

I had never thought about wrecking someone with a pair of tea kettles, but now I have! Kettle Knuckles Nexus Replica, from ARR

It's a great feeling of accomplishment whe you finish your first one! And then your second, your fifth, your tenth...ah, who cares. Glamour is the true endgame anyway. See you in Eureka!