Final fantasy 14 has numerous battles of varying difficulty including extreme trialswhich are easier than ferocious attacks, but harder than the story trials players encounter.
Below we explain everything you need to know about extreme trials in FFXIVand where you can unlock every extreme trial in every expansion.
Extreme Testing in FFXIV, Explained
Extreme Trials are tougher versions of existing trials that reward high-level equipment (at launch time) and other rewards such as mounts, crafting materials, and orchestrions.
At the time of their respective release, extreme trials are difficult and require a party willing to communicate positions and patterns to complete them (unlike a normal trial, where you can just queue up and complete them defeat). Instead of using the duty seeker to find a group with which you can end extreme fights, you should return to using party seeker.
This is possible as soon as a new expansion is released do not sync the trials from the previous expansion, so you can fight them without your gear being synced to the boss’s level. For example after Shadowbringers launched, you can then desync Byakko and defeat him quickly with higher levels and better equipment. This allows you to outsource a mount or equipment without having to pay for it at a lot of attention to the generally complex mechanics.
Completing the extreme trial will reward one of the boss’s weapons, as well as a chance to drop the other loot mentioned above. Each clear also rewards you with one totem for that boss (except for the extreme trials in A kingdom reborn, that don’t use totems). Some longer battles will even reward two totems, such as Hades or Barbariccia. You can trade totems with merchants to get specific weapons you might need at a 10:1 ratio or the mount at a 99:1 ratio, if you’ve been unlucky with your loot rolls.
For all extreme tests, you must first complete the normal version of the trial before you can unlock it. So if you haven’t unlocked all the trials yet (especially since some are optional), you should do that first.
Where can you unlock A Realm Reborn’s extreme trials?
ARR‘s Extreme Trials are the only ones that have a somewhat complicated method to unlock them. Most trials (Garuda, Titan, Alsrit, Good King Moggle Mog XII, Leviathan, RamuhAnd Shiva) are unlocked by talking Urianger in the Waking Sands (in Western Thanalan):
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
He gives you a series of missions starting with ‘Primal Nature’, and as you complete each mission you progress through the story and unlock the next mission to unlock the next extreme.
Unfortunately, you have to unlock them in order, as they are part of an actual quest chain. Fortunately, these battles can be completed quickly with unsynced settings, if you’re around level 70 or higher (with the right equipment). If not, you can always create a group finder group and say it’s clear for the first time. Experienced players will come and help you as soon as they get Poetics and Miraculous tails new attempts as a reward.
The extreme version of Ultimate weapon, titled ‘The Minstrel’s Ballad: Ultima’s Bane’, is actually unlocked from another NPC. To talk with Alys in Mor Dhona to start and unlock the quest “The Ultimate Ballad”:
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
The mountains fell as a reward An empire reborn extreme trials are based on horses, with each trial producing a uniquely colored glowing horse. Garuda, Titan and Ifrit also have the chance to drop a special black unicorn mount called the Nightmare. Good King Moggle Mog XII doesn’t drop a mountain whistle. By collecting all six horse mounts (excluding Nightmare), you can unlock the Kirin mountain through the search “A legend for a legend.”
Where can you unlock Heavensward extreme trials
Again, most trials are unlocked by the same person: Unukalhai in the rising stones (Mor Dhona):
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
Unlike the ARR quests, you can accept any of the quests Heavenward quests in any order, so you can unlock the extreme trials in any order you want. The quests and their respective unlocks are as follows:
- “The Devilish Bismarck” — “The Boundless Blue (Extreme)” (Bismarck)
- “Thok around the clock” — “Thok ast Thok (Extreme)” (Ravana)
- “A Devilish Parable” — “Containment Bay S1T7 (Extreme)” (Sephirot)
- “A Divine Simulacrum” — “Containment Bay P1T6 (Extreme)” (Sophia)
- “A Demonic Duplicate” – “Containment Bay Z1T9 (Extreme)” (Zurvan)
Two of the Heavenward extremes are again locked behind Alys’s quests in Mor Dhona:
- “Thordan’s Reign” — “The Minstrel’s Ballad: Thordan’s Reign” (King Thordan)
- “Nidhogg’s Rage” — “The Minstrel’s Ballad: Nidhogg’s Rage” (Nidhogg)
you can your Heavenward totems on Bertana in Idyllshire or the Rowena’s representative in Ishgard for loot.
The frames in Heavenward are called colorful glowing birds lanners. Once you have all seven lanners, you can use the Firebird mount via the search “Fiery wings, fiery hearts.”
Where to unlock Stormblood extreme trials
To make the most of the Stormblood extreme fighting (Susano, Lakshmi, Shinryu, Byakko, Tsukuyomi, SuzakuAnd Seiryu), talk to the Wandering minstrel in Kugane to complete the quest “Songs in the Key of Kugane”:
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
You’ll actually have to choose options from a list to tell him about your various achievements (beating the normal trials) to unlock the extreme version.
You can trade your totems for Eschina in the range of Rhalgr or to the Rowena’s representative in Kugane for loot.
The frames in Stormblood are called foxes kamuy. Once you have all seven kamuy mounts you can use the Kamuy of the Nine Tails mount via the search “A lone wolf no more.”
The extreme version of Rathaloscalled “The Great Hunt (Extreme)” is unlocked by the same person who unlocks the normal version: the Affectionate Hunter NPC in Kugane.
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
The extreme version of Rathalos does show one Rathalos Mountain and instead of totems it rewards “Rathalos Scale+.” You can trade the Rathalos Scale+ for armor, a Poogie minion, a Monster Hunter orchestrion roll, or mount the Rathalos to the Smithy in Kugane (next to the Hearty Hunter). You need 50 Rathalos Scale+ to get the mountain.
Where you can unlock the extreme trials of Shadowbringer
Most of the Shadowbringers extreme trials (Titania, Innocence, Hadesand the warrior of light) are unlocked from the Minstrelling Wanderer in the Crystarium:
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
Just like his S.B counterpart, you will have to talk to him about your achievements to unlock that particular battle.
The Sorrow of Werlyt Extreme Fights (Ruby weapon, Emerald weaponAnd Diamond weapon) unlock from another NPC, the Warmachina fanatic in the Lochs:
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
You can trade in Shadowbringers totems on Fathard in Eulmore or Mowen’s merchant in the Crystarium for loot.
The frames in Shadowbringers are called dragons gwibers. By collecting all seven gwibers you can get the Landerwaffe mount, which is basically a huge robot dragon, through the quest “Made the dragon.”
There is actually another extreme fight to do, but there is no normal version of this trial: “Memoria Misera (Extreme)”, that you compete against Varis yae Galvus. This is just an extended eight-person version of the instanced task where you have to fight Varis as part of the Bozja questline (the same quests you do to get your Shadowbringers relic weapon). After completing the quest “The Bozja incident”, you can unlock the extreme battle by talking to the Wandering dramaturge in Gangos:
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
You can trade the totems C’intana in Mor Dhona in exchange for treasure chests that give you special armor: paintable versions of the level 80 artifact armor. Right now, this is only worth farming for glamor. You can’t get a mount from Varis, but he does drop a Triple Triad card needed for the Triple Triad mount.
Where you can unlock the extreme trials of Endwalker
Thank goodness for some simplicity. All End runner Unlocking One Man’s Extreme Trials: The Wandering minstrel in ancient Sharlayan:
Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix
Again, you just need to talk to him about your exploits to unlock the extreme fight in question.
you can your End runner totems for equipment Nesvaaz in Radz-at-Han.
The supports for End runner are big cats, also called lynxes. Once you have all seven lynx mounts you can use the Apocryphal Bahamut install via theWings of hope” scavenger hunt.
If you’re just starting out in the vast world of Final fantasy 14, we have tons of guides to help you. We have a beginner’s guide to get you started, along with guides detailing when you get your horse and which Grand Company to join.
If you’re starting out but feeling overwhelmed, we have guides to help you choose a job and a guide that explains how long it can take to stay up to date with the current content. FFXIV.
We also have guides to side content such as Ocean Fishing, Relic Weapons and Island Sanctuary, for those who want to take a break.