Dive into the epic world of Final Fantasy XIV and discover exactly where and how to unlock all the thrilling alliance raids across every expansion-from the iconic Crystal Tower to the nostalgic Echoes of Vana’diel crossover with FFXI. Whether you’re on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox, this guide will lead you step-by-step through the questlines and locations needed to gather your 24-player squad and conquer these massive challenges for exclusive loot and unforgettable battles.
Notably, most of the gear from these raids (except the last Endwalker raid) is pretty outdated, though lots of it does make good glamour. You can also get things like minions, orchestrion rolls, and Triple Triad cards from these raids, too. (Not to mention that the story for each of these raid lines is good!)
FFXIV alliance raids and alliance raid roulette, explained
Alliance raids in FFXIV are large-scale 24-player encounters where three parties of eight (each with 1 tank, 2 healers, and 5 DPS) face multiple bosses and trash mobs in a sprawling dungeon-like environment. These raids require coordination across the sub-parties, sometimes splitting to handle different tasks or routes, and do not have enrage timers, making them more forgiving than other raid types. The Alliance Raid Roulette is a Duty Finder option that lets players queue for these raids once they have unlocked the first raid in the series, typically Crystal Tower. However, the roulette often defaults to the most commonly unlocked raid, leading to less variety in the content players experience. Rewards in alliance raids include catch-up gear, minions, and other unique items, with weekly loot restrictions to encourage regular participation.
Once you have two such raids unlocked, you’ll unlock alliance raid roulette in the duty finder, rewarding you with lots of EXP and Poetics for queueing into a randomly selected one of these raids.
Unlocking and completing alliance raids is entirely optional, with exception of the A Realm Reborn alliance raid series, The Crystal Tower. While it used to be optional, it became a mandatory part of the story in patch 5.3. If you already progressed past the main scenario quest “A Time to Every Purpose,” then you don’t need to complete it, though.
That said, we list where to unlock all FFXIV alliance raids below. We point out where to start, but as you complete the quests, you will need to continuing talking to any nearby NPCs with the blue plus sign quest marker above their heads to continue progressing.
Where to unlock A Realm Reborn’s alliance raids, ’The Crystal Tower’
To unlock A Realm Reborn’s alliance raids, known as “The Crystal Tower,” players must first complete the main scenario quest “The Ultimate Weapon.” Afterward, they can start the questline by speaking to the Outlandish Man in Mor Dhona at coordinates X:21.8, Y:8.1, who gives the quest “Legacy of Allag.” Completing this questline, which includes unlocking and clearing all three Crystal Tower raids, is essential for progressing further in the main scenario and accessing the full alliance raid content from A Realm Reborn.
The three raids for this series are “The Labyrinth of the Ancients,” “Sycrus Tower,” and “The World of Darkness.”
To start this raid, you need to have completed the main scenario quest “The Ultimate Weapon,” and then talk to the NPC called Outlandish Man in Mor Dhona at the spot below to start the “Legacy of Allag” side quest:
The quests that actually unlock the duties in the quest line share the name as their respective alliance raid. (So the quest “Labyrinth of the Ancients” unlocks the raid of the same name.)
Where to unlock Heavensward’s alliance raids, ’Shadow of Mhach’
To unlock Heavensward’s alliance raids known as the “Shadow of Mhach” series in Final Fantasy XIV, players must first complete the Heavensward main scenario quest. The initial quest, “Sky Pirates,” can be accepted from the Unquiet Trader in The Pillars (X:14.1, Y:10.7). This questline leads you through the story involving sky pirates uncovering ancient ruins tied to a dark pact. Progressing through these quests unlocks the three raids: The Void Ark, The Weeping City of Mhach, and Dun Scaith. Each raid requires completing the previous one, with The Void Ark unlocking first, followed by The Weeping City of Mhach after completing Void Ark, and finally Dun Scaith. These raids are designed for level 60 players and feature unique gear and challenging encounters, continuing the narrative of the Shadow Queen and the ancient civilization’s fate.
The three Heavensward alliance raids are “The Void Ark,” “The Weeping City of Mhach,” and “Dun Scaith.”
To unlock these raids, you will need to have completed the main scenario quest, “Heavensward.” You can start the side quest “Sky Pirates” from the NPC Unquiet Trader in The Pillars (Ishgard) at the spot below:
The names of the actual quests that unlock the duties throughout the story are as follows:
- “To Rule the Skies” unlocks “The Void Ark”
- “The Weeping City” unlocks “The Weeping City of Mhach”
- “Where Shadows Reign” unlocks “Dun Scaith”
Where to unlock Stormblood’s alliance raids, ’Return to Ivalice’
To unlock Stormblood’s alliance raids, “Return to Ivalice,” you must first complete the Main Scenario Quest “Stormblood.” The quest chain begins with “Dramatis Personae,” which you can pick up from Keiten in Kugane. From there, follow the subsequent quests such as “A City Fallen” to unlock the first raid, “The Royal City of Rabanastre,” and continue progressing through the story to unlock the other raids in the series. You can access the Prima Vista airship by speaking to Minegumo in Kugane (X:10.3, Y:12.1) and then the Shuttle Pilot (X:10.0, Y:21.1). This alliance raid series features a narrative connected to Final Fantasy XII and Tactics, with players exploring iconic locations like Rabanastre and Ridorana Lighthouse alongside characters such as Ramza Beoulve.
The three Stormblood alliance raids are “The Royal City of Rabanastre,” “The Ridorana Lighthouse,” and “The Orbonne Monastery.”
You’ll need to finish the MSQ “Stormblood” to start this quest line. It begins at the NPC Keiten in Kugane with the quest “Dramatis Personae” in the location below:
The names of the actual quests that unlock the duties throughout the story are as follows:
- “A City Fallen” unlocks “The Royal City of Rabanastre”
- “Annihilation” unlocks “The Ridorana Lighthouse”
- “The City of Lost Angels” unlocks “The Orbonne Monastery”
Where to unlock Shadowbringer’s alliance raids, ’YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse’
To unlock Shadowbringers’ alliance raids, “YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse,” players must first complete the main scenario quest “Shadowbringers” and reach level 80 with a combat class. The unlock process begins by accepting the quest “Word about Komra” from the Gossipy Dwarf in Kholusia at coordinates (12.9, 8.7). Following this, players complete a series of quests including “A Scandal in Komra” and “On the Threshold,” which leads to unlocking the first raid, “The Copied Factory.” This raid series features a NieR: Automata-inspired storyline and requires an item level of at least 435 to enter the initial raid instance. The raids are designed for 24 players and unfold across multiple parts, each introducing new bosses and loot as the story progresses.
The Shadowbringers alliance raids are a crossover with the Nier series. You’ll see familiar faces like 2B and 9S in the three raids, “The Copied Factory,” “The Puppets’ Bunker,” and “The Tower at Paradigm’s Breach.”
You’ll need to complete the MSQ “Shadowbringers” to unlock these raids fully. Talk to the Gossipy Dwarf in Kholusia at the spot below to start “Word about Komra.”
The names of the actual quests that unlock the duties throughout the story are as follows:
- “On the Threshold” unlocks “The Copied Factory”
- “Everything You Know is Wrong” unlocks “The Puppets’ Bunker”
- “Brave New World” unlocks “The Tower at Paradigm’s Breach”
Where to unlock Endwalker’s alliance raids, ’Myths of the Realm’
To unlock the Endwalker’s alliance raids, “Myths of the Realm,” players need to start the quest “A Mission in Mor Dhona,” which is obtained from the Fresh-faced Student in Old Sharlayan at coordinates X:9.1, Y:11.5. Progressing through this questline will lead players to the opportunity to join the “Myths of the Realm” alliance raid series, which includes raids such as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thaeleia. This content is part of Patch 6.1 and explores the lore of The Twelve, Eorzea’s pantheon of gods, offering a mix of story, challenging encounters, and rewards for up to 24 players in a casual-friendly raid environment.
The Endwalker alliance raids are “Aglaia,” “Euphrosyne,” and “Thaeleia.”
To start this quest line, you’ll need to finish the MSQ “A Brother’s Grief.” Once you do this, you can talk to the Fresh-faced Student in Old Sharlayan to start the quest “A Mission in Mor Dhona.”
The names of the actual quests that unlock the duties throughout the story are as follows:
- “The Realm of the Gods” unlocks “Aglaia”
- “Return to the Phantom Realm” unlocks “Euphrosyne”
- “The Heart of the Myth” unlocks “Thaleia”
Where to unlock Dawntrail’s alliance raids, ’Echoes of Vana’diel’
To unlock Dawntrail’s alliance raids, “Echoes of Vana’diel,” players must first complete the Dawntrail main scenario quest and reach level 100 with a Disciple of War or Magic class, alongside having an average item level of 695. The unlocking quest, “An Otherworldly Encounter,” is obtained by speaking to the Hoobigo Messenger located near the Aetheryte in Tuliyollal at coordinates (13, 11.5). After accepting the quest, players travel to Mamook in Yak Tel to interact with key NPCs and witness cutscenes that lead to unlocking the first raid, “Jeuno: The First Walk.” This 24-player alliance raid marks the beginning of the Echoes of Vana’diel series, which ties Final Fantasy XIV with its predecessor, Final Fantasy XI, and will continue with further raids in future patches.
The only Dawntrail alliance raids so far is “Jeuno: The First Walk.”
To start this quest line, you’ll need to finish the MSQ “Dawntrail.” Once you do this, you can talk to the Hoobigo Messenger in Tuliyollal to start the quest “An Otherworldly Encounter.”
The name of the actual quest that unlocks the duty is as follows:
- “An Otherworldly Encounter” unlocks Jeuno: The First Walk.
The Echoes of Vana’diel alliance raid series will have two more raids – one that launches with patch 7.3 and another that launches in patch 7.5, so long as the game continues to follow previous expansion schedules.
If you’re just starting out in the massive 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’ll get your mount and which Grand Company you should join.
Want to discover the secret steps to unlock all FFXIV alliance raids quickly
To quickly unlock all alliance raids in Final Fantasy XIV, start by completing the Main Scenario Quests (MSQ) for each expansion, as these are prerequisites for unlocking their respective raid series. For example, to access the Crystal Tower raids, complete the level 50 MSQ and then pick up quests in Mor Dhona from NPCs like Rammbroes. For Heavensward’s Shadow of Mhach raids, finish the Heavensward MSQ and begin the “Sky Pirates” quest from the Unquiet Trader in the Pillars. The Stormblood Return to Ivalice raids unlock after completing the Stormblood MSQ, starting with the “Dramatis Personae” quest in Kugane. For the latest Endwalker alliance raids like Echoes of Vana’diel, you must be level 100, complete the Dawntrail MSQ, and have the required item level before starting the unlocking quest in Tuliyollal. Each raid series involves a chain of quests that lead you to the raid entrance and unlock the content for queueing.
What’s the fastest way to unlock alliance raids after reaching level 60
The fastest way to unlock alliance raids after reaching level 60 in Final Fantasy XIV is to first complete the Heavensward Main Scenario Quest (MSQ). Once done, head to the Pillars in Ishgard and speak with the NPC called The Unquiet Trader at coordinates X:14.1, Y:10.6 to start the questline that unlocks the Heavensward alliance raids: The Void Ark, The Weeping City of Mhach, and Dun Scaith.
Additionally, ensure your gear meets the required item level-typically, you need to upgrade to Heavensward-level gear to queue for alliance raid roulettes, as ARR gear won’t suffice at level 60. Completing these quests and gearing up promptly will allow you to queue for alliance raids without delay.
