Hey guys. I know a lot of you have either reached level 50 recently or are going to be doing so very soon. I was talking to Vice and he suggested that since I've been doing the end game routine for some time now I should post some information about how to approach post 50 progression. I won't go into too much detail, but I will provide a bit of a guide on the more efficient methods to gearing up.

1 ) Level up your sub classes - This is extremely important. Find out which cross class abilities are important for your main job. One example of this is "Quick Cast" for both Scholar and White Mage. Thaumaturge gets it at level 26. Quick Cast is absolutely essential for doing anything remotely challenging end game as a healer. If you don't have it then you are gimping yourself and your group. This is true of other jobs and their sub classes as well so do a little research and find out what you need.

2 ) Finish the main story - This is kind of a given but I know there are people who don't quest much and have reached 50 by grinding fates or using other methods. While this is fine and all, just about every part of the end game in FFXIV: ARR doesn't get unlocked unless you do this.

3 ) Once you've finished the main story, Ifrit Hard mode will be unlocked by picking up a quest in the Scions of the Seventh Dawn headquarters. The weapon you can get from this raid is very good and can carry you all the way until you get your relic weapon (which I will discuss briefly later).

4 ) An alternative to getting Ifrit's weapon (since it is a random drop and can take a very long time of spamming the raid to get) is the iLvl 55 spear from your Grand Company vendor. Unfortunately, you have to be at 2nd lieutenant rank in order to purchase it for about 7000 seals. This wouldn't be a problem but for the fact that you have to clear the Amdapor Keep dungeon at least once for a quest in order to unlock the rank up. This dungeon can be very difficult when you are undergeared. Since some us are 50 already, and have a bit of gear, ask in Free Company chat for help with Amdapor. It happens to be the best end game farming dungeon for geared players. More than likely, at least a couple of us will be willing to carry you through for a clear. The GC weapon isn't as good as Ifrit's, but it's close and will be suitable for farming Amdapor.

5 ) Once you have one of those weapons (or something else comparable) it'll be time to start farming for Philosophy Tombstones. The iLevel 70 Darklight gear you buy with these tombs is the next step in your progression. You have a few options for doing this. You can run the 8 man story raids (Castrum and Praetorium) you did previously and obtain 100 Tombs for each clear (If you're queueing solo I recommend using the "Join in progress" checkbox at the top of your duty finder list. You can be thrown into runs that are near the end sometimes and grab a quick 100 Tombs). These two raids are a great option since they are very easy, but they won't give you any gear other than the Darklight you buy with the tombs. Also, more often than not, you will have people in the raid that want to watch the cut scenes in these dungeons. This is fine… most of the time… but it can make the runs take quite a bit longer. Your next option is running Wanderer's Palace which is fairly easy and gives 60?? (I'm not too sure about this number) Philosophy for a full clear as well as some decent iLvl 55 gear that will be better than your AF armor. Finally, If you're feeling tough enough, you can farm Amdapor which I'll talk about in the next step. NOTE: The vendors for the Tombstones are in Mor Dhona near the Aetherite.

6 ) Farm Amdapor Keep… A LOT (or at least enough to get the cap of 300 Mythology tokens per week). This dungeon will yield 80 Philosophy and 40 Mythology Tombstones (which are the currency for the iLvl 90 gear). Mythology are also what you will need to +1 your relic weapon and you will need 900 of them (3 weeks worth) in order to do so. The gear you get from the bosses in here is iLvl 60 which is only slightly worse than the Darklight gear. As your gear progresses, this dungeon will go from feeling like a monster to seeming like a very squishable little bug.

7 ) While you are gearing up and choosing which pieces to buy with your tombstones, the important thing is to fill in your weakest slots first. It is up to you which pieces take priority so make good choices as it will make things smoother for you. I chose to get the Darklight accessories first because I already had the AF armor and my accessories were complete shit. I am also currently choosing to spend all my Mythology on the 3 items (300 mythology each) from the vendor that I'm going to need to +1 my relic weapon. What you decide to do with your mythology tombs will largely be based on what job you're playing. Tanks will likely prefer to focus on armor first before going to +1 their weapon. Healers and DPS will most likely prefer to focus on getting their weapon to +1 because their healing/damage output is more important. Something else to note is that you're going to need 900 philosophy tombstones to get your relic weapon, so it may not be a bad idea to set those aside or just buy the item right away when you have enough.

8 ) From the moment you hit 50 you should start working on your relic weapon quest which is called "A Relic Reborn." It can be found in Vesper Bay near the Scion's headquarters. I'm not going to go into detail for this quest. However, everything you need to know can be found here: "A Relic Reborn" Guide or here Caleo's "A Relic Reborn" Guide

9 ) Garuda and Titan Hard Mode - The PUG killers…. As is the case with Ifrit Hard, these boss fights can be an absolute bitch for uncoordinated groups of 8. Garuda and Titan, however, will require that you've obtained some pretty good gear (especially Titan). They will also require some practice. You're more than likely not going to one shot these raids unless you're grouped with other people who have them on lock. Not in keeping with the progression of the story, Garuda actually comes first, and you must kill her to unlock Titan. Both of the bosses can provide very good iLevel 70 weapons. Finally, these two fights are the last steps in your relic weapon quest. It isn't a bad idea to wait and fight these two beasts until after you have advanced your relic weapon quest to the point of needing them.

10 ) Coils of Bahamut…. Finally! The END game raid… for now.

I'm sure I've missed a few things as this was a quick type up, so feel free to make suggestions in order to improve the guide. There is a lot to do in this game once you hit level 50 on any given job. I hope you're having as much fun as I am, and I really look forward to playing with you guys going forward. Finally, if you have any questions feel free to ask me. My ign is Fo Mante so send me a tell.

Thanks for the guide. I've been trying to figure out why people keep suggesting Ifrit's Harpoon over the GC one – particularly the Twin Adder version, since the Serpent Lieutenant's Spear has a higher DPS rating and the always appealing Critical Hit Rating +25 (at the sacrifice of 3 STR and 1 Physical Damage on the Ifrit's Harpoon). Well, I actually typed up a post asking why and ended up doing some math while writing it, which I think answered my own question… so I'll share in case anyone else was also wondering (and to hopefully get confirmation).

Per this extremely verbose and intricate DRG thread, the stat weights are as such:

Weapon Damage: 10.541
Strength: 1
Crit: .222
Determination: .193
Skill Speed: .191

So let's compare that 3 STR you lose on GC weapon with the 25 Crit you gain:
25 * .222 = 5.55
which means the 25 crit is equal to 5 STR which means the GC weapon beats it on that stat.

However, using the same formula for that 1 Physical Damage, if I am understanding correctly:
1 * 10.541 = 10.541

Meaning that the mere 1 Physical Damage boost is worth 10 points of STR! Is that really right? That's crazy if so, but then I think I understand in that case. Because the two different formulas cross to form an end result of the Ifrit's Harpoon having what amounts to 5 STR more than the GC spear (actual STR as depicted on the weapon aside).

Did I understand correctly? :)

Lastly, if I may, I'd like to also link to this other one I also found and bookmarked:
I'm 50, Now What?

Thanks Justice. Your math on the weapons seems spot on. Base damage/healing on the weapons is absolutely huge. Also, I saw that guide and I found it very useful. The part about community building is something you might not see in other guides, and the author is absolutely correct.