Submarine voyages in Final Fantasy XIV offer a unique way to explore Eorzea’s underwater world, gather rare materials, and even bring in substantial Gil. If you’re looking to optimize your Free Company’s submarine expeditions, understanding submarine builds is crucial. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about crafting the best submarine builds in FFXIV, from unlocking your first submersible to creating specialized fleets for different goals.
Unlocking Submarines and the Free Company Workshop
Before you can dive into submarine construction, you’ll need to meet a few prerequisites. Submarines are a Free Company venture, so you must be part of one and have access to a Free Company Workshop.
Here’s a quick checklist to get started:
- Free Company Rank: Your Free Company must be Rank 6 or higher.
- Free Company Housing: Your FC needs to own a house in any residential district.
- Free Company Workshop: Purchase and build a Free Company Workshop within your FC house. This allows you to craft various FC projects, including airships and submarines.
Once your workshop is operational, you can begin crafting submarine parts. The initial submarine hull you’ll unlock is the Shark-class, a versatile starting point for your underwater adventures.
Understanding Submarine Stats
To effectively create submarine builds, it’s essential to understand the five key stats that determine their performance:
- Surveillance: This stat influences the weather patterns your submarine encounters in a sector. Weather is critical because it affects loot tables, with rarer loot requiring specific weather conditions and higher Surveillance thresholds.
- Retrieval: Retrieval dictates the yield of items your submarine brings back from voyages. Higher Retrieval increases the chance of obtaining “optimal” yields, maximizing your rewards.
- Speed: Speed directly impacts the duration of a voyage. A faster submarine completes missions quicker, allowing for more frequent expeditions.
- Range: Range determines the maximum distance your submarine can travel. Higher Range unlocks access to more distant and often more rewarding sectors.
- Favor: Favor influences the number of anomalies detected at a single destination, often referred to as “Double Dipping.” Anomalies provide bonus rewards, making Favor valuable for maximizing loot per voyage.
Choosing the right parts to optimize these stats is the core of building effective submarines.
Exploration Submarine Build: Unveiling New Sectors
When new submarine content is released, having an exploration-focused build is invaluable. This build prioritizes Surveillance and Range to discover uncharted territories quickly. The Exploration build is designed to maximize your chances of unlocking new sectors, typically succeeding 4 out of 5 times.
While some players might use this build for general voyages, its lower Retrieval stat makes it less efficient for regular loot farming. However, at the start of any new content patch, an Exploration submarine is indispensable.
Exploration Build Example:
- Pressure Hull: Modified Coelacanth-class
- Stern: Modified Unkiu-class
- Bow: Modified Unkiu-class
- Bridge: Modified Syldra-class
Stats:
- Surveillance: 240
- Retrieval: 115
- Speed: 125
- Range: 165
- Favor: 195
Surveillance Heavy Submarine Builds: Targeting Rare Loot
For acquiring the most coveted and rare loot, especially when new items are introduced, Surveillance Heavy builds are your best bet. These builds maximize Surveillance and Favor stats to increase the likelihood of encountering favorable weather and anomalies, leading to higher chances of obtaining rare drops.
While these builds are incredibly effective for targeting specific rare items, their slightly lower Retrieval compared to dedicated farming builds might make them less optimal for general, long-term farming after the initial rush for new loot subsides. Consider switching to a Surveillance Heavy build for the first 2-4 weeks after new loot is released, then reassess based on your needs.
Surveillance Heavy Build 1:
- Pressure Hull: Modified Coelacanth-class
- Stern: Modified Unkiu-class
- Bow: Modified Syldra-class
- Bridge: Modified Coelacanth-class
Stats:
- Surveillance: 220
- Retrieval: 120
- Speed: 130
- Range: 175
- Favor: 210
Surveillance Heavy Build 2:
- Pressure Hull: Modified Coelacanth-class
- Stern: Modified Unkiu-class
- Bow: Modified Syldra-class
- Bridge: Modified Syldra-class
Stats:
- Surveillance: 220
- Retrieval: 120
- Speed: 90
- Range: 215
- Favor: 215
Purpose-Built Submarines: Focused Material Farming
Purpose builds are specialized submarine configurations designed for a single, specific task. They excel at farming particular materials but are less versatile for general use. Despite their narrow focus, having at least one purpose-built submarine can be highly beneficial, especially for gathering valuable crafting materials.
For players who craft modified submarine parts or sell raw materials on the market, purpose builds can be a profitable investment. Materials like Pure Titanium Ore and Cryptomeria Logs, and Kamacite Ore remain in demand and can fetch good prices. However, if you prefer a more hands-off approach, a general loot farming build might be more suitable.
Pure Titanium Ore and Cryptomeria Logs Farming Build:
- Pressure Hull: Modified Shark-class
- Stern: Modified Syldra-class
- Bow: Modified Shark-class
- Bridge: Modified Coelacanth-class
Stats:
- Surveillance: 185
- Retrieval: 240
- Speed: 150
- Range: 70
- Favor: 175
Kamacite Farming Build:
- Pressure Hull: Modified Shark-class
- Stern: Modified Coelacanth-class
- Bow: Modified Shark-class
- Bridge: Modified Coelacanth-class
Stats:
- Surveillance: 175
- Retrieval: 205
- Speed: 155
- Range: 110
- Favor: 195
Gil Farming Submarine Builds: Maximizing Profit
Gil farming builds are designed to target specific sectors known for dropping high-value items that can be sold to NPCs. Sectors like Unidentified Derelicts, The Wreckage of Discovery, Concealed Bay, and The Wreckage of the Highwind are prime locations for these builds. The goal is to retrieve items like Extravagant Salvaged Rings, which sell for around 27,000 Gil to NPCs. Gil farming builds are highly efficient at generating consistent income.
Gil Farming Build 1:
- Pressure Hull: Modified Shark-class
- Stern: Modified Shark-class
- Bow: Modified Shark-class
- Bridge: Modified Syldra-class
Stats:
- Surveillance: 140
- Retrieval: 205
- Speed: 145
- Range: 155
- Favor: 195
Gil Farming Build 2:
- Pressure Hull: Modified Shark-class
- Stern: Modified Coelacanth-class
- Bow: Modified Shark-class
- Bridge: Modified Shark-class
Stats:
- Surveillance: 140
- Retrieval: 210
- Speed: 150
- Range: 145
- Favor: 175
Submarine Sector Maps and Loot Tables
To further optimize your submarine voyages, understanding the different sectors and their loot tables is crucial. Here are maps and loot tables for the initial sectors:
Deep Sea Site Loot Table (First Area):
The Sea of Ash Loot Table (Second Area):
The Sea of Jade Loot Table (Third Area):
Submarine Repairs: Maintaining Your Fleet
Like airships, submarines require regular maintenance. To repair your submarines, you’ll need Magitek Repair Materials. These can be crafted in your Free Company Workshop using:
- 1 Dark Matter Cluster
- 5 Grade 6 Dark Matter
It’s advisable to craft a substantial stock of Magitek Repair Materials, ideally between 50 to 100, as higher-level submarine parts require more materials per repair. Modified parts, for instance, typically need 6 Magitek Repair Materials per component.
Final Thoughts and Happy Voyaging!
This guide provides a solid foundation for understanding and building effective submarines in FFXIV. By strategically choosing your submarine parts and focusing on specific stats, you can optimize your voyages for exploration, rare loot, material farming, or Gil generation. Experiment with these builds, adapt them to your needs, and enjoy the depths of Eorzea! Happy farming and safe voyaging!
Freya
