Did you know that nestled within the bustling Grand Companies of Final Fantasy XIV lies a hidden gem – the Adventurer Squadrons? Often overlooked by new players, this system allows you to command your very own squad of NPC adventurers. Far from being just a novelty, Squadrons offer a wealth of benefits, from valuable consumables to a unique way to level your combat jobs, especially if the Duty Finder’s queues or pressure feel overwhelming.
This comprehensive guide will delve deep into the world of FFXIV Squadrons. We’ll cover everything you need to know, starting from unlocking and recruiting your initial members, to advanced strategies for leveling, team building, and maximizing your rewards from both Squadron Missions and Command Missions. Get ready to become the ultimate Squadron Commander!
Unlocking Your Adventurer Squadron: Joining the Ranks
Before you can lead your own elite team, you’ll need to unlock the Squadron system. This is achieved through the level 47 quest, aptly named ‘Squadron and Commander‘, available at your Grand Company headquarters.
To be eligible for this quest, you must have reached the rank of Second Lieutenant within your chosen Grand Company. This is a mid-tier rank, requiring dedication to Grand Company activities to earn Company Seals and complete associated rank-up quests. New players should prioritize Grand Company progression to access this and other valuable features.
It’s crucial to note that the ‘Squadron and Commander’ quest has a prerequisite: unlocking the Challenge Log. If you haven’t already, complete the level 15 quest ‘Rising to the Challenge‘. The Challenge Log is a fantastic system for all players, offering bonus experience and rewards for completing various in-game activities. If you are level 15 or higher and haven’t unlocked it, consider checking out resources detailing the Challenge Log’s Tasks and Rewards to understand its benefits.
Once both prerequisites are met, completing ‘Squadron and Commander’ will grant you access to a new area within your Grand Company HQ. Look for a door now marked ‘Entrance to the Barracks’. Stepping through this door will transport you to the Barracks, the central hub for all Squadron operations. Here you will manage your roster, recruit new members, oversee training, and dispatch your Squadron on missions.
The Barracks also offer convenient amenities like a Glamour Dresser and Armoire. These allow you to customize the appearance of both your Squadron members and yourself. Remember that standard glamour rules apply – items must be appropriate for the character’s level and class. Squadron members can utilize glamours once they reach level 51.
Squadron members are restricted to the base classes: Gladiator, Marauder, Conjurer, Lancer, Pugilist, Rogue, Archer, Thaumaturge, and Arcanist. Their maximum achievable level is 60.
Building Your Ranks: Recruiting Squadron Members
Recruiting new members for your Squadron is intrinsically linked to the Challenge Log. This is why unlocking the Challenge Log is a prerequisite for accessing Squadrons. Each time you complete a Challenge Log task, you have a chance for a recruit application to appear.
To check for new applicants, open your Timers menu (default keybind Ctrl+U) and select ‘Adventurer Squadron’. This panel displays the status of any ongoing Squadron Missions, remaining time, and, most importantly, if you have new recruits waiting to be reviewed.
The type of recruit application you receive is determined by the categories of Challenge Log tasks you complete. A detailed list of recruits and their associated Challenge Log categories can be found here. Note that the older categories ‘Guildhests’ and ‘Dungeons’ have been consolidated into the broader ‘Battles’ category.
For example, completing a ‘Levequest’ category challenge like ‘Making Like a Tree’ might trigger an application from Nanasomi, a Lalafell male Archer, or Kumokiri, an Au Ra female Gladiator, or potentially no application at all – recruitment is not guaranteed with every challenge completion.
To increase your chances of receiving applications, utilize a Squadron Enlistment Manual. These manuals can be purchased from your Grand Company vendor for 2000 Company Seals under the ‘Material’ tab at the highest rank, or earned as rewards from certain weekly Squadron Missions. Activating a manual significantly boosts the likelihood of an application upon Challenge Log completion, and the buff persists until a recruit applies.
Within the Barracks, you’ll find a table displaying Enlistment Papers. This is where you review potential recruits. You can choose to ‘Question’ them to get a closer look and learn a bit about their personality, ‘Enlist’ to welcome them into your Squadron, or ‘Dismiss’ them. Selecting ‘Postpone’ allows you to defer your decision if you’re unsure.
Alt Text: Reviewing Enlistment Papers for new Squadron recruits at a table in the Grand Company Barracks.
You can accumulate multiple recruit applications, reviewing them at your convenience. However, you must make a decision on each applicant before moving to the next in the queue. It is possible to receive applications from the same recruit multiple times if they are randomly selected across multiple Challenge Log completions. Perhaps their persistence will sway you to enlist them, or you might choose to decline them repeatedly. The choice is yours, Commander!
Building the Ideal Team: Race, Class, and Composition
Your Squadron Roster can accommodate a maximum of 8 recruits, although Squadron Missions only require a party of 4. This roster size allows for strategic team composition, enabling you to tailor your party to different mission requirements. A balanced team with diverse roles (Tank, DPS, Healer) is highly recommended. For Command Missions, at least one Tank and one Healer are essential. For Squadron Missions, having two of each role provides flexibility in adjusting your party’s attribute balance.
Alt Text: Squadron Roster screen displaying members, classes, and stats for strategic team management in FFXIV.
When starting out, your initial roster begins with 3 recruits. It’s advisable to accept any applicants to quickly fill out your roster. Once your roster is full, you can become more selective, dismissing less desirable recruits to make room for potentially stronger or more synergistic members.
Different classes exhibit varying attribute distributions. Some classes, like Marauder (Physical), Conjurer (Mental), and Archer and Rogue (Tactical), are “specialists” with exceptionally high stats in one attribute at the expense of others. These specialists excel when missions demand a specific attribute focus.
Other classes offer more balanced attribute distributions. While still viable for missions, balanced classes might require more strategic adjustments to your overall Squadron Attributes to meet mission thresholds. For challenging missions, the high attribute values of specialist classes often provide a more direct path to success.
Crucially, your recruits are not locked into their starting classes. You can change their class using Contemporary Warfare books. These books are available from your Grand Company vendor for 3000 Company Seals (Defense for Tank classes, Offense for Physical DPS, and Magicks for Magical DPS and Healers) or as Chemistry rewards from Squadron Missions.
The only immutable characteristics of your recruits are their race and gender. Gender is purely cosmetic, affecting appearance and glamour options. Race, however, plays a significant role in Squadron Chemistry.
Strategic race selection can unlock powerful Chemistry bonuses. For instance, assembling multiple Lalafells can synergize with Chemistry conditions like “accompanying someone of the same race” or “accompanying a Lalafell.” Consider adjusting recruit classes, recruiting specific races, or manipulating Chemistries to build strong team synergy.
Unlocking Synergies: Squadron Chemistry Explained
Each recruit can possess a Chemistry, a bonus that thematically enhances their performance based on team composition. Chemistry consists of two parts: a condition and a reward. Conditions often relate to party makeup, focusing on race or class combinations. A simpler condition is simply having the recruit be above level 50.
Chemistry rewards can be attribute boosts, increased experience gain, or a chance to receive bonus items upon mission completion. Potential item rewards include materia, scrips (crafters’ and gatherers’), Contemporary Warfare books, MGP, or gil.
Alt Text: Confirming Squadron Chemistry bonus for a recruit, showing condition and potential rewards.
Chemistry is not static; it can be changed. Upon a recruit’s return from a mission, there’s a chance a new Chemistry will be discovered. Interact with the recruit in the Barracks to view their current and potential new Chemistries. Select the ‘Confirm Chemistry’ lightning bolt icon and press OK to switch to the new Chemistry.
Alt Text: Squadron Chemistry window showing current and new potential bonuses to choose from for recruit customization.
You have a limited time to decide on a Chemistry change – until the next mission assignment. If you don’t ‘Confirm Chemistry’ before assigning a new mission, the opportunity is lost. You may or may not be offered another new Chemistry upon the next mission debriefing, indicated by blue text on the Mission Debriefing Window.
Alt Text: Mission Debriefing window showing mission results and potential new Squadron Chemistry discoveries.
Some recruits already possess a Chemistry when they apply. Always check for pre-existing Chemistries – a valuable Chemistry might be reason enough to enlist a recruit, saving you the effort of re-rolling later.
Unless you are actively changing recruit classes, Warfare books have limited utility and cannot be sold on the Market Board. Gil rewards are modest and generally not a primary motivation for Squadron missions, considering the Company Seal cost to undertake them.
This leaves materia and gatherers’/crafters’ scrips as the most desirable Chemistry rewards. Crafters’ scrips are particularly valuable as they are not readily available on the Market Board, requiring dedicated farming or weekly Custom Deliveries. For materia, prioritize DoH or DoL materia, as they typically command higher Market Board prices.
Alt Text: Choosing Squadron Chemistry reward options, including materia, scrips, and other bonuses.
Evaluate Chemistry rewards based on the ease of meeting the condition, the base reward chance, and the value of the reward itself. Compare similar Chemistries, like the Hastaloeya example in the original article, to identify the most beneficial option.
If your Squadron is still leveling, prioritize experience or attribute boost Chemistries to accelerate their progression. Experience boosts expedite leveling, while attribute boosts aid in meeting mission requirements. Attribute boosts are most effective when paired with specialist classes – Physical boosts for Marauders, Mental for Conjurers, and Tactical for Archers and Rogues.
Consider changing a recruit’s class to better leverage a particularly strong Chemistry, as classes are easily changed, while Chemistry is largely RNG-dependent.
Once your Squadron reaches max level, Chemistry-based attribute boosts become less critical for mission success. Focus on reward-based Chemistries to gain daily gil, MGP, or other valuable items by aligning Chemistries and Mission Affinities.
Leveling Your Squadron: Training and Missions
You begin with three level 1 recruits. Recruiting a fourth member is the initial step to undertaking missions. New recruits will join at one level lower than your lowest-level Squadron member. This mechanic eases the process of replacing recruits, preventing you from starting from level 1 each time. Once your Squadron is fully leveled, new recruits will join at level 59.
The most efficient methods for leveling your Squadron are Training Regimens and Squadron Missions. Command Missions also grant experience, and can be repeated without limit, but they offer less experience and consume more Company Seals, while requiring your active participation within a dungeon.
Prioritize a daily routine of three Training Regimens and dispatching your Squadron on the highest-level Squadron Mission they can handle. This hands-off approach maximizes daily experience gain. Keep an eye out for Chemistries that further boost experience earned.
Training Regimens: Shaping Your Squadron’s Attributes
Training Regimens are accessed via the Regimen Board in the Barracks. Each regimen takes one hour to complete and manipulates your Squadron Attributes. These attributes are separate from individual recruit stats and contribute to the overall values used to meet mission thresholds. Your initial Squadron Attribute cap is 200, increasing to 400 at maximum Grand Company rank.
The top row regimens increase one attribute by 40 while decreasing the other two by 20 each. The middle row regimens decrease one attribute by 40 and increase the other two by 20 each. Use these to strategically adjust your attribute balance for challenging missions.
Alt Text: Squadron Training Regimen board offering options to adjust Physical, Mental, and Tactical attributes.
The bottom row regimen provides experience without altering attribute distribution. Utilize this regimen daily to passively level your recruits. Recruits currently on a Squadron Mission are unavailable for training and will not receive experience.
You can assign up to three Training Regimens per day, each lasting one hour. Ideally, complete these regimens before assigning an 18-hour Squadron Mission. If your playtime is limited, prioritize Squadron Missions for greater experience gain.
Squadron Missions: Weekly Rewards and Progression
Speak to the Squadron Sergeant to access the Squadron Missions list. Each unique mission can be completed once per week. Within the ‘Priority Missions’ tab, you can select and complete one of the 18 available missions per week. Refer to the ‘Priority Missions’ section below for reward prioritization.
When assigning a Squadron Mission, observe the three target attribute values displayed at the top right. If your Squadron’s attribute value exceeds the threshold, the number turns blue. More blue numbers indicate a higher success chance. The Squadron Sergeant provides a text description of the unit’s success likelihood.
Achieving blue thresholds for all three attributes guarantees mission success. Two blue thresholds yield a 67% success chance, and one blue threshold a 33% chance. Maximize your odds to avoid wasting mission time, as Squadron Missions have an 18-hour duration and limited weekly attempts.
Flagged Missions: Progression Milestones
Flagged Missions are essential progression missions, unlocking subsequent mission tiers. These missions require meeting all three attribute thresholds for guaranteed success. Failing to meet even one threshold guarantees mission failure.
Alt Text: Flagged Mission icon indicating a required mission for Squadron progression, demanding all attribute thresholds be met.
Ensure your recruits are sufficiently leveled and strategically adjust Squadron Attributes using Training Regimens to meet the required values before undertaking Flagged Missions.
If you change Grand Company allegiance, you must re-complete Flagged Missions within your new Grand Company to regain full Squadron progression.
Mission Affinity: Chemistry Boosts
Some Squadron Missions have randomly assigned Mission Affinities, targeting specific races, classes, or combinations thereof. A mission can have up to three affinities.
Mission Affinities provide significant Chemistry benefits. If a recruit with a matching affinity is sent on the mission, their Chemistry condition is waived, and their Chemistry reward drop chance becomes guaranteed (100%). If the Chemistry bonus is an attribute boost, the boost is doubled.
Alt Text: Squadron Missions window displaying mission details and race/class affinities for bonus rewards and chemistry boosts.
Doubled attribute boosts from Mission Affinities are invaluable for tackling challenging missions before your Squadron reaches max level, particularly for specialist classes (Marauders, Conjurers, Archers, Rogues).
Guaranteed drops of gil, scrips, or materia from Mission Affinities transform Squadron Missions into a daily reward system, akin to retainer ventures. Check in daily to reap the rewards your Squadron brings back.
Priority Missions: Weekly Exclusive Rewards
The ‘Priority Missions’ tab offers high-level missions with exclusive weekly rewards. You can complete one Priority Mission per week. If your Squadron fails initially, you can retry throughout the week until successful.
Level 40 Priority Missions have lower attribute thresholds (1190 total) and reward 5 consumable items. Level 50 missions have higher requirements (1325 total attribute points) and reward 10 consumables. Level 50 missions are exceptionally challenging to guarantee success on, even with max-level recruits. Four level 60 recruits (4 x 214 total attributes) plus maxed Squadron Attributes (400) only yields 1256 points.
Achieving guaranteed success on level 50 missions requires meticulous planning, specific Chemistry bonuses, and Mission Affinity alignment, as highlighted in this Reddit post.
For level 50 Priority Missions, aim to meet two out of three attribute thresholds (even the lower two) for a 67% success rate and retry throughout the week until successful. Company Seals are readily obtainable, ensuring eventual reward acquisition.
If you are concerned about weekly reset deadlines, opt for level 40 Priority Missions. Their lower thresholds are easily met by max-level Squadrons, guaranteeing 100% success without relying on Chemistry bonuses.
Alt Text: Squadron Priority Mission window, level 40 missions offer guaranteed success and weekly consumable rewards.
Nine reward types are available from Priority Missions. Actively utilize these rewards to maximize their benefit and avoid inventory clutter.
Priority Seal Allowance: Boosting Company Seals
The Priority Seal Allowance increases Company Seal earnings by 15% for 120 minutes. Its utility is situational, primarily for players aiming for maximum Grand Company rank or stocking up on vendor items. While useful, it’s not a top-tier reward priority.
Gold Saucer VIP Card: MGP Multiplier
The Gold Saucer VIP Card boosts MGP earnings by 15% for 120 minutes across all Gold Saucer activities, excluding Challenge Log rewards. This card is highly valuable for MGP accumulation, especially when combined with the Fashion Report (a significant weekly MGP source). Maximize its use by participating in GATEs and Minigames during the buff duration. Consider using it on Saturdays to coincide with both the Fashion Report and Jumbo Cactpot for maximum MGP gains. This card significantly accelerates MGP farming.
Squadron Battle Manual: Combat EXP Boost
The Squadron Battle Manual increases combat EXP by 15% for 120 minutes, ideal for leveling secondary jobs. This buff applies only to combat experience, not quest or roulette rewards. Maximize its effectiveness by using it during at-level content like high-level leveling dungeons, FATEs, Beast Tribe quests, or daily Hunt bills. This EXP boost is equivalent to the highest tier of ‘The Heat of Battle’ FC buff and does not stack with it.
Squadron Survival Manual: Gathering EXP Boost
The Squadron Survival Manual increases gathering EXP by 20% for 120 minutes. Excellent for leveling gatherers in new expansion content or completing gathering leves for rapid leveling. It only affects EXP from gathering nodes, not turn-in rewards.
Squadron Engineering Manual: Crafting EXP Boost
The Squadron Engineering Manual boosts crafting EXP by 20% for 120 minutes. A significant leveling aid for crafters. Plan ahead by stocking materials and shards/crystals to maximize its duration. It only affects EXP from crafting, not turn-in rewards. Remember that quality progress contributes to EXP gain, even if HQ is not achieved.
Squadron Spiritbonding Manual: Spiritbonding Speed Increase
The Squadron Spiritbonding Manual increases spiritbonding speed by +3 for 120 minutes. This is arguably the least useful Priority Mission reward for most players, as spiritbonding is largely passive. However, if you actively pursue spiritbonding for non-combat materia (often valuable on the Market Board) during extensive crafting or gathering sessions, it can be beneficial. Timed endgame gathering nodes or synthesizing high-level intermediate materials are effective spiritbonding activities.
Squadron Rationing Manual: Meal Duration Extension
The Squadron Rationing Manual extends meal effect duration by 15 minutes for 120 minutes. Valuable for progression raiders reliant on endgame consumables. Particularly useful at raid tier beginnings when HQ meal prices are inflated. It reduces meal consumption and mitigates buff run-out during savage raid progression. See guides on savage raiding preparation.
Squadron Gear Maintenance Manual: Gear Wear Reduction
The Squadron Gear Maintenance Manual reduces gear wear by 30% for 120 minutes. Its utility is limited if you self-repair with readily available Dark Matter. However, if you lack repair crafters, it can be useful during gear-damaging progression raiding.
Priority Aetheryte Pass: Teleportation Fee Reduction
The Priority Aetheryte Pass reduces Aetheryte teleportation fees by 40% for 120 minutes. While useful for frequent teleporters, especially across expansion zones, consumable aetheryte passes are generally more gil-efficient for teleportation cost reduction. Focus on gil optimization strategies for long-term savings.
Top Priority Mission reward picks are Battle, Survival, or Engineering Manuals for job leveling (if FC buffs are not consistently active). For max-level players, the VIP Card (for Gold Saucer enthusiasts) or Rationing Manual (for raiders) are strong choices. Spiritbonding Manuals can be used for materia farming during crafting or gathering sessions.
Command Missions: Dungeon Delves with Your Squadron
Command Missions allow you to tackle dungeons with your Squadron, similar to the Trust system introduced in Shadowbringers. You lead a party of four, including yourself and three Squadron NPCs, in a standard Tank-Healer-DPS composition.
Alt Text: Leading a Squadron team through a Command Mission dungeon in Final Fantasy XIV.
Dungeon selection includes a subset of dungeons between Halatali (Level 20) and The Fractal Continuum (Level 60). Both you and your recruits must meet the dungeon level requirements. Treasure chests drop loot directly into your inventory.
Completing at least five unique Command Missions is mandatory for achieving the highest Grand Company rank of Captain. Command Missions provide opportunities to experiment with Battle Tactics and NPC orders.
Battle Tactics offer buffs to recruit HP, damage, or mitigation. While optional, you can customize them by speaking to recruits in the Barracks and selecting ‘Display Orders’. Initially, only ‘Independent’ tactic is available, but new tactics unlock and level up through Command Mission completion.
NPCs primarily use single-target attacks, making them less efficient than player parties. However, you control engagement and pacing, offering a low-pressure environment to learn a new job or dungeon mechanics.
AI behavior can be inconsistent. Tanks may not consistently maintain aggro, and healers might not always prioritize player damage. Expect to be targeted by mechanics, even those typically considered random, such as the Toxic Vomit puddles in Brayflox’s Longstop’s final boss.
Alt Text: Command Mission debriefing screen showing rewards, experience, and tactic mastery gains for Squadron members.
Post-mission debriefing with the Squadron Sergeant in the Barracks grants Squadron experience, gil, high-grade company-issue tonics, and potentially tactic or tactic mastery gains for recruits.
For Squadron leveling, Command Missions are less efficient than Squadron Missions and Training Regimens due to lower experience rewards, higher Company Seal costs, and active player participation requirement.
Command Missions are primarily valuable for Grand Company rank progression and providing a low-stakes environment to learn new jobs or dungeon layouts, especially for players hesitant about Duty Finder pressure.
Conclusion: Mastering Your Squadron
Squadrons are an integral part of Grand Company progression and offer a rewarding system to engage with. Building and customizing your own team of adventurers, dispatching them on missions, and reaping the rewards can be both fun and beneficial.
Squadrons provide a steady source of valuable consumables, gil, and supplementary items like materia and crafters’ scrips. They also offer a unique way to experience lower-level content with NPC companions, ideal for new job practice or solo dungeon exploration.
By mastering Squadron management and optimization, you can transform your Barracks into a powerhouse of resources and a valuable asset in your FFXIV journey. Assemble your recruits, train them diligently, and lead your Squadron to victory!
If you have any further questions about FFXIV Squadrons not addressed in this guide, feel free to ask in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to assist you.
