TL;DR
- Prepare level 80/90 gear sets for Viper and Pictomancer through Aymark NPC purchases
- Bank completed side quests and Wondrous Tails books for instant XP gains at launch
- Stockpile materia and Island Sanctuary currency for post-launch market opportunities
- Maximize Grand Company seals and squadron buffs for enhanced leveling efficiency
- Farm Bicolor Gemstones and prepare consumables to capitalize on early expansion economy
With Dawntrail’s imminent arrival on July 2, 2024, strategic preparation becomes crucial for maximizing your Final Fantasy XIV experience. This comprehensive guide synthesizes expert insights from content creators like Jolsn to help you efficiently level the new Viper and Pictomancer jobs while capitalizing on lucrative gil-making opportunities. Proper planning now will save significant time and resources when the expansion launches, allowing you to focus on enjoying new content rather than scrambling for basic necessities.

Leveling New Jobs
Gearing Up for New Jobs
Both Viper and Pictomancer commence at level 80, necessitating immediate access to appropriate gear. Visit Aymark in Old Sharlayan to acquire complete Tomestone gear sets, ensuring you’re combat-ready immediately. For optimal performance, prepare both level 80 starter sets and level 90 upgrade sets to maintain progression momentum without interruption.
Quest Banking Technique
Strategic quest management can dramatically accelerate your leveling process. Complete up to 30 side quest objectives but delay turning them in until Dawntrail launches. This banking strategy provides substantial instant experience points, potentially bypassing several levels within the first hour of expansion access.
Wondrous Tails Optimization
Visit Khloe Aliapoh in Idyllshire to obtain Wondrous Tales books approximately two weeks pre-launch. Complete all stamp collection objectives but retain the finished book until expansion release. This method delivers massive XP rewards while avoiding the initial login rush congestion.
Trust System Advantages
Anticipate significant DPS queue delays as both new jobs attract massive player interest. Level your Trust companions to enable efficient dungeon runs with NPC parties, bypassing potentially hour-long queue times. Additionally, unlock all available dungeon content to increase roulette variety and reduce wait times significantly.
Making Gil
Materia Market Strategies
Transitioning from leveling preparations, let’s explore lucrative economic opportunities. Begin by accumulating undervalued materia, particularly focusing on Mutamix’s Materia Transmutation system in Central Thanalan. Convert five unwanted materia pieces into potentially valuable higher-tier variants, transforming currently worthless level 9-10 materia into assets worth 10,000-15,000 gil post-launch.
Market analysis reveals significant undervaluation of materia VII, especially for gatherers and crafters. Savvy players are already stockpiling these materials anticipating three to fourfold price increases when Dawntrail’s crafting demands surge.
Island Sanctuary Currency
Advance your Island Sanctuary development to maximize weekly workshop currency generation. Hoard this specialized currency until expansion launch, then purchase high-demand level 9 materia from the Market Board as new recipes create scarcity.
Bicolor Gemstone Farming
Maximize your Bicolor Gemstone reserves through the Shared Fates system accessible via the Travel menu. Farm Fates across Shadowbringers and Endwalker zones, remembering that in previous expansions, materials purchased with these gemstones saw prices skyrocket during launch periods.
Historical data shows materials like Ovibos Milk reached extraordinary price points due to crafting demand, making pre-launch gemstone accumulation highly profitable.
Grand Company Resources
Build substantial Grand Company seal reserves anticipating new craft material additions to vendor inventories. Acquire gear through dungeon runs or Anabaseios token collection to supplement seal accumulation efforts efficiently.
Adventurer Squadron Buffs
While managing Grand Company resources, deploy your Adventurer Squadron on priority missions to secure valuable combat enhancements. These include Squadron Battle Manuals for 15% experience bonuses, Engineering Manuals, and Priority Seal Allowance for enhanced seal acquisition rates.
Coordinate with your Free Company leadership to determine which buffs they’ll activate during launch week, then supplement with complementary squadron buffs for maximum efficiency.
Spiritbond Optimization
Prepare Spiritbond Potions through crafting or Market Board purchases to accelerate materia extraction rates from equipped gear. These consumables dramatically increase spiritbond accumulation, making them essential for players focusing on materia production.
Teleportation Cost Reduction
Complete hunt targets to accumulate Allied Seals exchangeable for Aetheryte Tickets at your Grand Company headquarters. Configure automatic ticket usage via the cogwheel menu to substantially reduce or eliminate teleportation expenses during intensive play sessions.
Collectible Pre-crafting
Pre-craft collectible items for scrip exchange, dedicating inventory pages specifically for this purpose. This strategy not only generates gil but also provides supplemental experience points with each turn-in completion.
Additionally, craft Grand Company provision mission items that other players will utilize for leveling their crafting professions during the expansion’s initial phase.
Crystal Stockpiling
Aggressively accumulate various crystals now, as increased crafting activity typically drives prices upward while few players prioritize gathering during launch week excitement.
Action Checklist
- Purchase level 80 Tomestone sets from Aymark and prepare level 90 upgrade gear
- Complete and bank 30 side quests without turning them in
- Obtain and complete Wondrous Tails books from Khloe Aliapoh
- Level Trust companions and unlock all available dungeon content
- Stockpile materia VII and Island Sanctuary currency for post-launch sales
- Farm Bicolor Gemstones to cap and accumulate Grand Company seals
- Prepare Spiritbond Potions and collectible items for immediate post-launch utilization
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