Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Patch 7.55 is shaping up to be one of the biggest updates before the next expansion. Following the excitement from FanFest Berlin, players will finally get access to major new content, including the conclusion of the Dawntrail Hildibrand questline, the Allied Society capstone quest, the Occult Crescent: North Horn zone, and the final stage of the Dawntrail Phantom Relic Weapons. If you want to enter Patch 7.55 fully prepared, here is everything you should do before Patch 7.55 arrives. The content is from Desperius’s YouTube channel.
Dawntrail Relic Weapon Preparation Guide
For players who have not started the Dawntrail relic journey yet, your first step is unlocking the Phantom Weapon content. Head to the Expedition Messenger in Tuliyollal (X:17, Y:11.8) to begin the questline and unlock Phantom Village, the main hub for everything related to Phantom Weapons. After unlocking it, you can easily return through the passage located in Tuliyollal. Inside Phantom Village, accept the quest “Arcane Artistry” and meet the legendary weaponsmith Gerolt.
Stage 1: Phantom Penumbrae Relic Weapon
The first relic stage requires collecting six different Demiatma items, with three coming from each category. These Demiatma can be obtained through:
- FATEs and Critical Encounters inside Occult Crescent
- FATEs across Dawntrail zones
The recommended method is farming FATEs in Dawntrail zones because this step is a one-time character unlock. By joining FATE trains, you can:
- Level old jobs
- Farm Bicolor Gemstones
- Exchange 100 gemstones for Turali Voucher items
- Sell those vouchers on the Market Board for additional FF14 Gil
However, if you still need progress inside Occult Crescent: South Horn, combining both grinds is much more efficient. Although farming Demiatma inside Occult Crescent may take longer, you can complete multiple goals at once instead of repeating the same content later. This step does not rely on daily resets, meaning dedicated players can finish it within one or two days.
For future relic weapons, this step becomes much easier. Once completed, additional weapons only require 1,500 Allagan Tomestones of Mathematics. You can quickly obtain these through rank hunt trains, daily roulettes and other high-level activities.
Stage 2: Phantom Umbrae Relic Weapon
The second stage begins after Gerolt asks you to collect several crafted materials. These materials can be crafted by yourself or purchased directly from the Market Board to save time. After completing this step, you will receive the Aetherwell Array, another important one-time character progression item. This requires collecting 10,000 points across four categories:
- High-level dungeons
- Alliance raids
- Normal raids
- Trials
Each activity contributes progress, and the daily bonus system plays a huge role. The daily bonus can provide anywhere from half of the required Aether up to six times the normal amount.
If you have not started this step yet, completing everything before July 28 may require a serious grind. The most efficient approach is to play consistently rather than forcing yourself to finish immediately. Among the four categories, Alliance Raids generally provide the least important daily bonus. However, since every category must be completed anyway, you will naturally progress through everything over time.
Stage 3: Phantom Obscurum Relic Weapon
If you have already reached the third relic stage, things become much easier. This stage can likely be completed within one or two days. You need 500,000 Gil for Umbral Clay and three crafted items, which can be purchased from the Market Board. After that, Gerolt requires collecting 1,200 Crystal Paste. The Crystal Paste requirement is divided into milestones – 100, 200, 300 and 600. This is another one-time character unlock. After completing it:
- All future jobs skip this step
- Additional weapons only require 1,500 Allagan Tomestones of Mathematics
- There are no daily restrictions
You can farm this progress whenever you want. If you are already working on Occult Crescent, combining the Crystal Paste grind with FATE farming is highly recommended.
Occult Crescent North Horn Preparation
The biggest feature of Patch 7.55 is the arrival of Occult Crescent: North Horn, the next expansion of the exploration content. Here, your main goals should be:
- Unlock all available areas
- Complete quests
- Reach Level 20 progression
Inside Occult Crescent, your normal gear will sync down to Item Level 700, meaning secondary stats become much more important. Try to prepare the best possible Item Level 700 gear with optimized stats before entering the new zone.
Why Phantom Jobs Matter in Patch 7.55
Phantom Jobs are one of the most important preparation systems. When a Phantom Job reaches maximum level, known as Mastered, you receive a permanent 2% additive damage and healing potency bonus inside Occult Crescent. Every mastered Phantom Job increases your power inside the zone. With Patch 7.55 introducing North Horn, this system will likely become even more important. Entering the new zone without any mastered Phantom Jobs may make enemies and bosses feel extremely difficult. If you have not invested time into Phantom Jobs yet, start leveling them before Patch 7.55.
Best Job Choice for Learning Occult Crescent
If you are unfamiliar with Occult Crescent mechanics, entering as a tank is highly recommended. Among tanks, Warrior is considered one of the strongest choices because of its massive self-healing, bloodwhetting ability, and high survivability. Warrior allows players to survive multiple vulnerability stacks while learning boss mechanics. This safety net is especially useful for encounters where mistakes can quickly lead to deaths. Warrior is also excellent for farming Gold Coins inside Occult Crescent. While it may not be the fastest method, it provides a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Hildibrand Questline Finale Preparation
Patch 7.55 will also bring the conclusion of the Dawntrail Hildibrand storyline. Inspector Hildibrand and Nashu will continue their adventures through Living Memory and Solution Nine. Before starting the new quests, make sure you have completed the entire 7.4 Hildibrand storyline. Historically, Hildibrand finales often reward players with unique cosmetics, mounts and special emotes. Do not miss these rewards.
Dawntrail Allied Society Capstone Quest
The Allied Society finale will bring together all Dawntrail tribal storylines. Players will see the return of Pelupelu, Mamool Ja and Yok Huy as they join forces for one final adventure. However, there is an important requirement: you must reach maximum reputation with all three Allied Societies before unlocking the quest. Because Allied Society quests are limited by daily allowances, you cannot rush this content on patch day. If you have fallen behind, start completing your daily quests now.
Patch 7.55 Gil Preparation: What Should You Stockpile?
There is not much specific preparation required before Patch 7.55. The best preparation is simply:
- Farm FATEs
- Build a comfortable Gil reserve
- Finish leveling unfinished jobs
FATE farming is especially valuable because it can be combined with Relic weapon progression, job leveling and Bicolor gemstone farming. When North Horn launches, new items will likely appear on the Market Board at extremely high prices. Instead of spending huge amounts of Gil immediately, farming the new content yourself will usually be the better option.
