FFXIV Dawntrail Preparation Guide Tips for Final Fantasy 14 7.0 Patch

The sun rises on a new adventure as Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail prepares to set sail-bringing sweeping graphical upgrades, fresh lands to explore, and a deluge of new content for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players alike. Whether you’re a seasoned Warrior of Light or a returning hero, now is the time to gear up, optimize your setup, and ready your character for the challenges that await when Dawntrail launches on July 2, 2024. Are you truly prepared for the journey west?

Below we list some of the things you can do to get ready for the launch of FFXIV: Dawntrail, whether it’s simple stuff like increasing your item level or more min-max tasks like capping out all your tomes and prepping gear ahead of time.

Check out the FFXIV: Dawntrail benchmark

Before diving into Dawntrail, it’s highly recommended to download and run the official FFXIV: Dawntrail benchmark tool on your PC. This free software uses in-game maps and characters to simulate gameplay, assigning your system a performance score and letting you know how well your computer will handle the new expansion’s significant graphical upgrades. The benchmark not only helps you optimize your settings for smooth play, but also gives you a sneak peek at Dawntrail’s enhanced visuals, including improved textures, shadows, and character models. Plus, the updated character creator lets you preview your character’s appearance-including the new female Hrothgar-so you can see exactly how they’ll look in the expansion. Running the benchmark is a simple way to ensure your hardware is ready and to experience some of the new content before launch.

There is going to be a large scale graphics update in Dawntrail, so if you play on PC, you should make sure your PC can handle it by downloading the benchmark. The original benchmark had a few issues with how characters were displayed, but now it’s all fixed, so you can both test your PC and see your characters in their future glory.

Finish your main scenario quests

Before diving into Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, ensure you have completed all the main scenario quests up to the end of the Endwalker expansion. This is a prerequisite to starting Dawntrail’s new storyline, which takes your Warrior of Light and allies to the distant continent of Tural, introducing fresh challenges and a rich narrative. Completing these quests will not only unlock the Dawntrail content but also provide essential context and continuity for the new adventure awaiting you.

As obvious as this may seem, sometimes it’s easy to miss an extra quest or two that you may have had laying around. Make sure to catch up fully. The MSQ guide UI will say “To be continued.” if you’re all caught up. If you see “???” or something like that, then that means you still have a quest to do.

Gear up to at least 630 ilvl on your main job

To ensure a smooth start in Dawntrail, you should gear up to at least item level (ilvl) 630 on your main job. The first dungeon in Dawntrail is expected to have a minimum ilvl requirement of 630, and having gear at or above this threshold will allow you to participate in new content right away. The easiest way to reach this is by acquiring Augmented Credendum gear (ilvl 660), which can be purchased with Allagan Tomestones of Poetics, or by obtaining ilvl 640-650 gear from recent alliance raids like Thaleia or the Pandemonium: Anabaseios raid series. Make sure your average item level meets the requirement, as the game checks the average across all equipped items. Preparing your gear now will help you dive straight into Dawntrail’s new adventures without delay.

Based on the past few expansions, the first dungeon in Dawntrail should have a minimum ilvl requirement of 630, so you’ll want to make sure you’re at that point. It’s likely that you will get gear from completing quests before this, but we do recommend picking up Augmented Credendum armor, which is ilvl 660. This will carry you through a bulk of the expansion and you can get it now.

You can exchange Allagan Tomestones of Comedy for this gear, and augment it using Divine Twine and Divine Shine. The Divine Twine and Shine are obtainable via trading in coins from the Myths of the Realm raids or Sacks of Nuts from doing hunts.

However, once Dawntrail launches, it’s likely that Augmented Credendum gear will be able to be purchased in whole in exchange for Allagan Tomestones of Poetics – so if you don’t have a complete set, don’t stress too much about it now.

Prepare level 80 gear for Viper and Pictomancer

To ensure a smooth start with Viper and Pictomancer in Dawntrail, prepare a full set of level 80 gear in advance. Both jobs begin at level 80, and the best option for gearing up is the Augmented Cryptlurker set, which can be purchased from Aymark in Eulmore using Allagan Tomestones of Poetics. This gear is currently the strongest available at level 80 and provides a solid foundation for leveling through Endwalker content and into Dawntrail. To fully equip either job, you’ll need 4,055 Tomestones of Poetics, so start accumulating these ahead of time. Setting up these gearsets before launch will save time and give you an immediate advantage when progressing through new content.

Use your Allagan Tomestones of Poetics to nab Augmented Cryptlurker gear from Aymark in Eulmore. This gear is easy to get (as you get Poetics from doing just about anything in the game), and it’s the best level 80 gear on the market.

You may already have this gear if you’re leveling up other scouting and casting jobs, so make sure to check your inventory and retainers.

If you like to craft or gather: Get Scrip gear

For crafters and gatherers preparing for FFXIV: Dawntrail, acquiring level 90 Afflatus gear through Purple Scrip exchanges is a practical and effective step. This scrip gear provides a solid foundation for most crafting and gathering activities early in the expansion, allowing you to catch up quickly without the need for high-end gear upgrades immediately. While more advanced endgame crafting and gathering may require further gear improvements and preparation, starting with scrip gear is recommended to efficiently progress and familiarize yourself with the new content. Additionally, crafting this gear yourself or gathering the materials can be cost-effective and help build your crafting skills ahead of the expansion launch.

The level 90 Afflatus gear you get from exchanging Purple Scrips should be good enough to set up your crafters and gatherers for a lot of Dawntrail content. While endgame crafts and gatherables may require more prep to create with this gear at first, this should be at least good enough to catch you up to where you need to be when the expansion drops.

You can grab this gear from any Scrip Exchange NPCs in hub towns.

Sort through your inventories, retainers, and saddle bag

With Dawntrail’s launch approaching, it’s crucial to declutter your inventories, retainers, and saddlebag to make room for the flood of new items the expansion will bring. Start by removing old or unnecessary gear, consumables, and crafting materials-especially items you can easily reacquire later. Prioritize keeping only essentials, such as leveling gear for new jobs, valuable crafting and gathering materials, and raid consumables. Consider trading in outdated equipment to your Grand Company for Seals, which can be exchanged for useful items or rare mounts. Freeing up space now will help you quickly sort and store new loot, avoid inventory management headaches, and ensure a smoother start in Tural.

Clean that stuff out! You can start getting rid of old gear (with the exception of leveling gear for scouting and casting, as mentioned above), raid food, and any other trash that may have built up in your inventory. Put some of those fish baits away, turn those extra Triple Triad cards in at the Gold Saucer, and sadly tuck that stack of 78 Rubicante totems back in your saddlebag. You can finish farming that fight later.

You can also sell off some of your extra materia, though crafting and gathering materia will likely still be valuable for overmelders in Dawntrail, so you should hold on to those.

Hold on to those dyes

With the introduction of the new two-dye system in FFXIV: Dawntrail, players should hold on to their existing dyes, as the demand and prices for popular dyes are expected to rise significantly after the expansion’s launch. The system allows applying two different dyes to certain gear pieces, offering greater customization by letting one dye serve as the main color and the other as an accent. Since not all gear currently supports two dyes, but more will be added over time, stocking up on a variety of dyes now-either through crafting or the market board-can give you a head start in creating unique glamours and potentially earning gil by selling sought-after dyes early on.

With a second dye channel coming in Dawntrail, the price of sought-after dyes is going to go up. This includes already popular colors like Pure White and Pure Black, but it’s a little too early to predict exactly what colors will pop off. That being said, hold on to any that you’ve gotten from dungeons or other means.

Cap your tomestones and scrips

Capping your tomestones and scrips is a crucial step before Dawntrail launches, as many existing currencies will be retired or converted when the expansion arrives. Both Allagan Tomestones of Causality and Comedy will become obsolete, and you’ll be able to exchange them for Poetics at a reduced rate, so it’s wise to max out your Poetics and spend your remaining Causality and Comedy tomes before the patch. For crafters and gatherers, White and Yellow Scrips will be removed, with Purple Scrips taking over their function and a new Orange Scrip introduced for endgame items. Make sure to exchange your old scrips and tomestones at Revenant’s Toll in Mor Dhona (Auriana for tomestones at X:22.7, Y:6.7 and the Scrip Exchange at X:22.4, Y:6.7) before Dawntrail launches to avoid losing out on valuable rewards and to ensure you’re fully stocked for the new content.

Once you’re done buying gear, consider capping out your tomes and scrips. Both Causality and Comedy Tomes will be able to be traded into Poetics once Dawntrail arrives, though at a less than one-to-one rate. Having capped Poetics (and extra beyond that) is useful for buying old gear (like the previously mentioned Augmented Credendum gear). The same thing goes for Scrips – you should be able to score any extra old gear or materials you may need.

Pre-prep EXP to gain after level cap expands

With Dawntrail raising the level cap from 90 to 100, players looking to get a head start on progression can pre-prep experience (EXP) to claim immediately after the expansion launches. This can be done by completing high-value activities-such as finishing a Wondrous Tails journal, saving high-level side quest turn-ins, or logging out in a sanctuary-right before the patch. Once Dawntrail goes live and the cap increases, redeeming these sources will grant a burst of EXP, helping you push through the early levels more quickly and efficiently. This strategy is especially useful for those eager to maximize their leveling speed for new or existing jobs as soon as the expansion drops.

If you really want to go the extra mile, you can stockpile EXP to claim once the level cap expands by doing the following:

Completing high-level side quests and waiting to turn them in.
Completing a Wondrous Tails book and waiting to turn it in.
Logging off in a sanctuary before the update to ensure that you have accumulated rest EXP.

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.

What are the essential steps to get ready for Dawntrail’s launch

Essential Steps to Prepare for Dawntrail’s Launch

1. Finish Main Scenario Quests (MSQ)

Ensure you are fully caught up with all previous MSQ content, including the Post-Endwalker quests. Dawntrail’s story will require completion of these quests and starting at level 90.

2. Gear Up Your Main Job and New Classes

Upgrade your main job’s gear to at least item level 640-660 to ensure a smooth start.
Prepare level 80 gear sets for the new jobs, Viper and Pictomancer, as they begin at level 80.

3. Clean and Organize Inventory

Clear out unnecessary items from your inventory, saddlebag, and retainers. Organize your glamour dresser and store or sell excess materials, food, and potions.

4. Cap Your Currencies

Max out Allagan Tomestones, scrips, bicolor gemstones, and sacks of nuts. Stockpiling current tomestones allows you to convert them for Poetics at launch.

5. Prepare Experience Buffs

Stock up on food for the “well-fed” XP buff, ensure you have rested XP by logging out in a sanctuary, and activate Free Company XP buffs if available.

6. Manage Weekly and Daily Activities

Complete weekly objectives (like Wondrous Tails and challenge logs) just before launch to maximize early XP gains.

7. Prepare for Launch Day Logistics

Expect long queue times and server congestion. Consider disabling shout and yell chat to avoid spoilers.
Make sure your hardware meets the new graphical requirements and that you have enough disk space for the update.

8. Miscellaneous Tips

Save dyes, as their demand spikes with new content.
Stockpile materia for early gearing and crafting.
Review previous expansion trials and raids for story context and potential references in Dawntrail.

By following these steps, you’ll be well-positioned to dive into Dawntrail’s new adventures with minimal friction and maximum enjoyment.

What inventory and gear preparations are most crucial for Dawntrail

Crucial Inventory and Gear Preparations for Dawntrail

Gear Preparation

Equip your main job with item level 640-660 gear to ensure a smooth start in Dawntrail’s early content; tanks and healers especially benefit from higher gear.
For the new jobs, Viper and Pictomancer (starting at level 80), prepare a full set of Augmented Cryptlurker gear, which can be purchased with Tomestones of Poetics in Eulmore. Each set costs 4,055 Poetics, so cap your Poetics in advance.
Have level 90 gear ready if you plan to quickly level Viper or Pictomancer to join Dawntrail’s main scenario content, as you’ll need to be level 90 to start the expansion’s quests.

Inventory Management

Clean out your inventory, Chocobo saddlebag, armory chest, glamour dresser, and retainer inventories. Remove or sell unnecessary items, outdated gear, excess food, potions, and crafting materials to maximize space for new loot and quest items.
Organize your glamour dresser to store cosmetic gear and free up inventory slots.
Prepare consumables like Spiritbond Potions (for faster materia extraction) and stock up on food for experience buffs.
Cap currencies such as Tomestones of Poetics, scrips, bicolor gemstones, Grand Company Seals, and Sacks of Nuts. These can be used for gear, materials, and teleportation savings at launch.
Pre-craft collectables and supply/provisioning items for easy turn-ins and quick gil or experience gains once the expansion drops.

By focusing on these gear and inventory steps, you’ll be able to jump into Dawntrail efficiently, minimize downtime, and maximize your early expansion progress.