FFXIV Retainer Guide: Shadowbringers is the recent and third expansion pack to Final Fantasy XIV. It is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published Square Enix. It is available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and PS4. It came after a full 2 years later Stormblood. If you are new to this game and are wondering about how it looks and feels then you can be easily overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the world of FFXIV. But it is worth it. Enjoyment is guaranteed and if you go for the story, it ranks pretty well among other games.
If you are not new and are wondering about the retainers in the game then you have come to the right FFXIV retainer guide. Here you will find everything required to find out about the FFXIV retainer jobs and FFXIV retainer class in the game.
Retainers are fundamentally important along your path to levelling. Retainers also come in handy when you make a name for yourself in the game as and when you expand. They can even become your companions.
So, let hop in and find out all about retainers.
What are Retainers
Retainers are nothing but some sort of assistants in the game. They help you manage your resources in a great way. A single retainer can hold up to 175 different items. Each retainer can hold even Gils besides regular items. You have many crafting crystals kept in various departments, these retainers can hold even them.
Another important aspect of retainers is that they are the special NPCs in the game through which you can sell things in the market board to make some Gil. How does that work? Actually whenever you sell an item in the market the Gil that it generates goes to the retainer. It will be that very retainer that you used to put your item in the market.
How to unlock Retainers?
To unlock them you must complete the quest of the main story called “The Scions of the Seventh Dawn“. You can find this quest at level 17. don’t worry, reaching level 17 isn’t that hard. Initial levels are easy to complete.
How to Hire a Retainer?
If you are willing to hire a retainer please visit Retainer Vocate. You can find a “Retainer Vocate” in the Market Board in most of the main cities. Initially, you can hire only two retainers by default. But don’t worry if you want more you can hire more by purchasing them from the website of FFXIV. They are available on a monthly subscription basis.
How to Build a Retainer?
After you create a retainer, you can gear it up. It is not too different from equipping your own character. And it is quite fun too! You can put fashion on it the way you like it.
Please be careful while equipping it. It should be in accord with the role of the retainer that you have selected for it.
What are the most suitable jobs for Retainers?
Skip this part if you want to find for yourself the preferred jobs for retainers. But if you would like to know it then keep reading.
The most interesting part about retainers is that as you level yourself up in the game you can send them for ventures.
The jobs that can’t be levelled on a retainer are crafting specialists of weaver, carpenter, etc. the jobs that can be done on them are disciple of war and magic, or even you can go for miner, fisher or botanist from disciple of gathering class.
But it isn’t that simple though, you got to watch out for one thing. And the thing is that the job that you choose for your retainer must be levelled on your main character in the first place.
Disciples of War and Magic Retainers
Essentially any item that you can acquire from disciples of war or magic jobs is more or less the same. Only appearances are slightly different, otherwise, the jobs are similar. Ingredients, hides, feathers, and a variety of many other random objects can be gathered by these retainers as a disciple of war or magic. You can acquire materials by killing monsters.
You can either command them to get a specific item or send them out for EXP whenever you send your retainers on hunting. They can acquire materials at random. You can easily get the crafting materials dropped by the monsters on your own.
Miner Retainers
You can gather crafting materials such as rocks, minerals, and ores from this gathering class of Miners. This class is in control of all the mineral wealth.
If you choose your retainer to be as a miner it could be of a lot of help to you. Particularly if you have a goldsmith or a blacksmith.
Your retainer can gather any item provided you must gather it once before your retainer can gather it.
Botanist Retainers
As the name may imply to you, it stands all things related to plant life. The retainers of this class enable you to collect crafting materials and items for gardening. Plants, seeds and ingredients are to name a few of such items.
If you have a weaver or culinarian crafting class having your retainer as a botanist can be really helpful.
Your retainer can gather any item provided you must gather it once before your retainer can gather it.
Fisher Retainers
Retainers of Fisher type are in Charge of the entire Eorzea’s marine and freshwater wildlife. In gathering class it is the last type. This retainer can collect corals, shells, and fish besides a plethora of sea creatures.
If you have a culinarian or alchemist having your retainer as a fisher can be really helpful.
Your retainer can gather any item provided you must gather it once before your retainer can gather it.
How to Maximize your profits
Botanist, miner, and fisher retainers provide you with the best results. It may feel a bit boring and grinding to level those gathering classes, but it is thoroughly worth it.
Gathered materials are always in demand. And that is where the retainers are quite helpful. That is because when you have a retainer gathering alongside you, naturally you have more gathered materials and can make more Gil in the market. The more you gather the more profits you can make.
In fact, if you demand you can make your retainer acquire rare items for you. Isn’t that something unique? It is not only unique, but also fantastic. That is so because it is something that regular jobs cannot do!
Retainers can do something which you cannot do. There are rare crafting items that can be acquired called “unspoiled materials”. Unspoiled Materials are timed and they can’t be gathered by you outside their spawning time. But retainers are good at gathering them outside their spawning time. With the help of retainers, rare items of this type can be gathered on demand.
Unspoiled materials are always in high demand. You can outrightly sell these items in the market for a huge amount of Gil. You can even farm them and keep them for crafting higher level items. Retainers can boost your play like anything. Retainers are the best bet when it comes to gathering jobs in Ffxiv. There is nothing in the game other than retainers who can gather rare items so fast.
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Communicating with your Retainer
In safe-zones mostly there is a “Summoning Bell” found in all the major cities and sometimes in small towns. When you want to interact or communicate to your retainer you must find this summoning bell in the area that you are in. By interacting with the summoning bell you will get an option to summon any of your retainers.
Let us have a look at the Ventures
Ventures itself make the retainers so important. You can send your retainers to ventures while summoning them.
Ventures are nothing but retainers going out for a task of gathering items that you need them to gather for you. You can also level up your retainers by keep sending them out for gathering. You can’t really level up your retainer unless and until you send them to ventures on a regular basis.
Ventures are of few types – Explorations, quick explorations, your run of the mill, hunting or gathering ventures. Ventures also costs “Ventures”. You can buy them using GC Seals.
You can send your retainers on regular ventures. You can also send retainers to gather specific materials on regular ventures. Sending on these ventures can give you a steady source of EXP. It is moderate to send your retainer on these ventures cost wise and duration wise. It only takes about 40 minutes to an hour to complete it.
Quick explorations have the potential of producing rare items. You can gain EXP by sending your retainer on Quick Exploration and the amount of EXP gained will depend upon the value of the item your retainer picks up. It lasts about an hour and is the costliest of all ventures.
There is one more venture called Explorations and they last about 18 hours. This is the highest yeilding venture in terms of EXP. You can earn maximum EXP out of it. Depending upon your retainer’s level this venture can provide you with either high level or rare items such as minions and crafting materials.
Conclusion
Retainers are indispensable in the game. It is like playing with another character who can only gather and collect for you. They help a ton in leveling up. And also, they can be super helpful in earning Gil. So what are you waiting for? Just appoint at least two of them and enjoy it! Don’t forget to subscribe to HowToShout for more interesting gaming guides. Till then stay tuned!