Dawntrail’s first Arcadion Savage is being considered by many in the Final Fantasy XIV community to be the hardest raid in the MMO’s history. So you and your party will need to make the proper preparations before you are able to successfully complete all the challenges that the raid will throw at you.
The best way to prepare will be to take gear, crafting, melding, and the best builds into consideration and create a party that balances each other out. Below is a guide on how you can prep for the Dawntrail Arcadion Savage raid in Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Arcadion Savage prep guide
Here are some of the best ways to prepare for the Arcadion Savage raid:
1) Get your hands on level 710 gears
The first thing you will need to do to prep for the Savage raid is to get your hands on Gear that is at item level 710. Some of the best ways of acquiring high-tier gear will be to grind out in Worqor Lar Dor (Extreme) for armor sets and Everkeep (Extreme) for level 710 accessories.
If you are not looking to participate in the World First Race for the Arcadion Savage raid, then it’s best to spend some time acquiring the best gear available for your character.
If you are looking to dabble into crafting, you can try farming Golden Scripts for Gatherers as they will give you special materials to craft the level 710 sets or to sell them. Just make sure you have obtained enough Scripts from Collectables/Custom Deliveries as they are needed to buy new Master Recipes.
2) Farm Tomestone Currency for Tomestone Gear
If you are looking to take some time to prep for Final Fantasy XIV’s Dawntrail Arcadion Savage raid, you can try farming the Tomestone Currency which was recently introduced in the MMO. You will be limited to 450 of these resources per week, and the best way of using them will be to invest them in rings and other accessories for your character.
You will be able to acquire the upgrade materials for these gear pieces by making your way through the Arcadion Savage raid. So the more you progress in the raid with Tomestone Gear the easier it’s going to get for you and your party.
3) Melding and Overmelding
If you are looking to minmax the amount of damage that you can do then you will have to dab into melding and look to meld Materia in each of your gear. However, for a more casual approach to the Arcadion Savage raid, you can meld Materia into certain gears and try focusing more on Critical Hit or Direct Hit Rate melds.
This will help boost your DPS quite a bit and you will be able to help your team have an easier time in the raid.
However, if you are looking to be a bit more serious about your damage output then you can always look to overmeld your equipment. There is a lot of RNG involved with the process and can only be done on items that you have crafted in the game.
4) Carry the right consumables
The right consumable items are very important when it comes to surviving longer in a Final Fantasy XIV Savage raid. The right food will boost your stats for 30-mins, and make progression significantly easier.
Additionally, you don’t always need to go for food items that are recommended for your class. As a thumb rule, you should be going for items that help your party. DPS characters should be focusing on the following Determination, Critical Hit, and Direct Hit Rate
Healers should be focusing on Piety while tanks should go for food items that raise Tenacity.
Best Pre-Arcadion Savage gear sets to make in Final Fantasy XIV
These are some of the best-in-slot gears you should put on your character to prep for the Arcadion Savage raid:
1) Healer
If you are the main healer in your party you will need to bring Fruit and Aloe Jell with you as food items while boasting a Grade 1 Gemdraught of Mind. As for melding, you should be focusing more on Skill Speed which will allow you to have an easier time rotating through your spells.
Prioritize getting your hands on Normal Raid leg gear, and shoes. Then make the necessary melds to them.
Also, do be sure to carry Ether potions if you are having a hard time managing your MP. This is especially going to come in handy if you have not melded Piety into your gear.
2) Melee DPS
There is a lot of Normal Arcadion raid gear that you will be able to get your hands on if you are playing a melee DPS. Once you have a high-tier set, meld in the proper stats that you need to make the most of your character’s job.
You can also look to boost your tank stats as it will help you survive longer. So if you are having trouble surviving in Arcadion Savage, then improve your vitality.
As for food items, you will need to focus on Vegetable Soup as it will help raise your Det and DH.
3) Tank
Tanks will need to play a more versatile role in Arcadion Savage so when it comes to picking their gear, you will need to focus on stat priority. Based on your party composition pick a stat that you want to prioritize, then craft or farm gear around it.
Each tank in the party needs to prioritize a certain stat and depending on what you settle for, the melds and food you choose will also differ. Fruit and Aloe Jelly will give extra Crit and Det, while Vegetable Soup will give DH and Det.
Potions are also important when you are playing as a tank. So bring both Strength and Vitality pots as they will see you through most encounters. The Strength pot in particular will help see you through the DPS checks in the raid.
4) Physical Ranged DPS
The Normal Raid gear is going to be the standard choice for all Physical Ranged DPS classes. So try getting the leg piece first, and then move onto the chest piece during week two and then the rest of the gear in the following runs.
When it comes to melding, focus on going for Crit, Det, and Dh. You will not need Speed Skill for ranged DPS as you quill already boast a build that has double weaving. It will let you constantly top up your buffs if you are getting your rotations right.
As for food and potions, you will need to go for Vegetable Soup and Dexterity pots.
5) Magical Ranged DPS
Mages will do well with Normal Raid gears as well, but you will need to start with the hands and the leg as the initial pieces to get. Casters are usually locked in their spell rotation animations because of which they are easily caught in the enemy’s AoE. Hence, focusing on getting the leg piece first will be instrumental.
To further optimize the build, make sure to go for Spell Speed melds to help you be consistent with your rotation. By reducing the cast time you can have a wider slidecasting time window, thereby allowing you to have an easier time maximizing your DPS.
For food, pick the Vegetable Soup and for pots, you might want to have an abundance of Intelligence Gemdraughts on your caster.
