Since the introduction of Crystalline Conflict, and a new reward system, PvP has surged in popularity which means now is as good a time as any to start your PvP journey. This page will explain all the different game modes available in Final Fantasy XIV’s PvP.

Frontline¶

Frontline is a large-scale PvP game mode where up to three teams of 24 people can battle it out for victory. There are four campaigns currently available, and these change daily. Each of these campaigns will change the objective of the match depending on the campaign of the day. The four campaigns are as follows:

The Borderland Ruins (Secure)¶

This campaign has a minimum requirement of level 30 to enter, and each match will last no longer than 20 minutes. During a Frontline Secure campaign the goal is to reach the required Tactical Rating (Score). This can be done by securing key locations such as Allagan Ruins and Outposts which will be identified as flags on the map. Occupying these locations will increase your team’s tactical rating, and the team with the highest tactical rating will win the match.

You’ll gain a fixed amount of tactical rating for the first time you claim a location, and then your team’s tactical rating will slowly increase over time providing you keep hold of it. Occupying key locations isn’t the only way to increase your team’s tactical rating as defeating opponents from the other teams, and even monsters that can appear on the map will also increase your tactical rating slightly.

Seal Rock (Seize)¶

This campaign has a minimum requirement of level 30 to enter, and each match will last no longer than 20 minutes. During a Frontline Seize campaign the goal is to obtain the most data. You can obtain this by occupying relics known as Ancient Tomeliths. These wondrous relics contain data that is vital for the Grand Companies, and your job is to retrieve it. These relics can have three ranks which are B, A, and S.

The higher the rank, the higher amount of data your team will obtain, although the higher ranks will have a lower chance to spawn. Like all the game modes, defeating opposing players will reward you with a small amount of data, but ideally you’ll want to defeat them while you challenge for a relic.

The Fields of Glory (Shatter)¶

This campaign has a minimum requirement of level 30 to enter, and each match will last no longer than 20 minutes. During a Frontline Shatter campaign the goal is to obtain the most data. To do this, you can occupy Allagan Tomeliths, similar to the Seize game mode, but where Shatter differs is from the Icebound Tomeliths.

Throughout the match the Icebound Tomeliths will appear around the map, and once you destroy one, you’ll gain valuable data. These Tomeliths come in two sizes, small, and large with the large Tomelith offering you more data. The Tomeliths will appear on the map 30 seconds prior to spawning which gives your team enough time to head over to it and contest it. Like all the game modes, defeating opposing players will reward you with a small amount of data, but ideally you’ll want to defeat them while you challenge for a Tomelith.

Onsal Hakair (Danshig Naadam)¶

This campaign has a minimum requirement of level 30 to enter, and each match will last no longer than 20 minutes. During a Frontline Danshig Naadam campaign the goal is to reach the required Tactical Rating (Score). This can be done by claiming sacred sites known as an Ovoo. These sites all begin inactive once the match begins, but over time they’ll begin charging up, and once charged a team can make a claim for the site.

If you’re attacked during the claim, you’ll be interrupted, so your team will want to make sure that the person making the claim is protected. Each Ovoo comes in three ranks, B rank which is indicated as a blue triangle, A rank which is indicated as a red diamond, and S rank which is indicated by a yellow pentagon. The higher the rank, the higher the tactical rating your team will receive for claiming it. What makes the ranks important is that they have a lower chance to spawn which means they’re extremely important in winning the match.

Like all the game modes, defeating opposing players will reward you with a small amount of tactical rating, but ideally you’ll want to defeat them while you challenge for an Ovoo.

Rival Wings¶

Rival Wings is a slightly smaller scale game mode which consists of up to 48 participants. These players are split up into two teams, the Falcons, and the Ravens. There are two game modes within Rival Wings, Astragalos, and Hidden Gorge. The two game modes are as follows:

Astragalos¶

This campaign has a minimum requirement of level 30 to enter, and each match will last no longer than 15 minutes. During Astragalos the goal is to destroy the other team’s core which is located in the enemy base first. If neither cores get destroyed, the team which has the highest core HP will win.

Each team will have two towers which protect the core. These towers are enveloped in a defensive field that mitigates the damage taken by team members while also being able to restore their HP. When you destroy the towers, the magitek field that surrounds the enemy base will dissipate which makes the base vulnerable to attacks. On top of that, all parties within the team will earn ceruleum, and Soaring Stacks.

Ceruleum is key to winning the match as it can be used to deploy three different types of machina which are Cruise Chaser, Oppressor, and Brute Justice. These are very powerful, and can turn the tide of battle. To purchase these, you’ll need to pay 50 ceruleum at a Hangar Terminal which is situated near the starting area of each base. As mentioned above you can obtain ceruleum by destroying the towers, but you can also claim the power generator in the center of the map which will give you a steady supply of it.

Soaring Stacks are a buff that you can obtain by defeating towers or destroying towers. This buff can stack twenty times, and you’ll gain 2% increased damage, and healing per stack. When you reach twenty stacks, you’ll achieve the Flying High buff which will increase your damage, and healing by 50% as well as increasing the rate the adrenaline gauge fills by 100%.

That’s not all. Within the battle you’ll come up against Mammets which are clockwork soldiers that will set out to destroy the opposing teams towers, and their core. These will come from their own core periodically, and will slowly set out a route towards the towers/core. If they reach a tower or core, they will self-destruct, dealing a large amount of damage to either of their targets.

Mammets come in two-types, Viking and Magus. The former boasts high HP, and favors close combat while the latter has lower HP and favors ranged magic combat. Defeating a Mammet can award the team ceruleum which will be distributed amongst all the parties that engage with it. Finally, the other possible hindrance you may find are the two Steam Cannons that are situated near each team’s base. These cannons will fire 5000 potency attacks at your team and can recast the attack every second with a cast time of 1.5 seconds.

Hidden Gorge¶

This campaign has a minimum requirement of level 30 to enter, and each match will last no longer than 15 minutes. During Hidden Gorge the goal is to destroy the other team’s core which is located in the enemy base first. If neither cores get destroyed, the team which has the highest core HP will win.

At the beginning, this game mode looks the same. You’ll need to do the same stuff as you do in Astragalos. The difference becomes apparent when you see the Ceruleum Engines, Loading Stations, and Supplies. Ceruleum Engines speed across the map on rails until they reach a loading station. If you are hit by one of these, you could take lethal damage, so when you hear the sound of it approaching, make sure you’re not in its path!

Once a Ceruleum Engine has reached a loading station, it will give supplies to whatever team is in control of the loading station. To take control of a loading station, you need to stand next to the parked Ceruleum Engine while it’s at a loading station. Once the gauge reaches the end, you’ll claim the station. Supplies come in four different types, which are as follows:

• Main Ceruleum Tank: Each party on the team will gain 50 ceruleum and one Soaring Stack. Appears for the first 12 minutes of the match.

• Gobbiejuice: Fills the adrenaline gauge of every team member and one Soaring Stack. Appears for the first 12 minutes of the match.

• Gobtanks: Two gobtanks will start at the core and travel the north and south routes to the enemy base. You’ll also gain one Soaring Stack. Appears for the first 12 minutes of the match.

• Gobcrates: Grants all the effects of the previous three supplies. Grants three Soaring Stacks. Only appears after 10 minutes have passed in the match.

After a certain amount of time has passed, Goblin Mercenaries will appear at the mercenary bases in the north and south of the map. At first, these won’t be affiliated with any team and will attack anyone who’s near them. However, it is possible to recruit them to your side. To get them to ally themselves with you, you’ll need to deal the most amount of damage to them which is indicated by a small gauge above their heads with blue representing Falcons and red representing Ravens. If the condition isn’t met by the time their HP reaches 0, they’ll join the team that did the most damage to them.

Once you have a Goblin Mercenary on your side, they’ll appear at your core, and attempt to destroy the enemies towers and core, similar to the Mammets. The Goblin Mercenaries have a contract which counts down, when it hits zero, they’ll reappear at their respective base, and won’t be allied with anyone again.

Crystalline Conflict¶

This campaign has a minimum requirement of level 30 to enter, and each match will last no longer than 5 minutes. It is a small-scale game mode consisting of 10 players with 5 on each team. During a Crystalline Conflict game, the goal is to transport the Tactical Crystal to the other team’s goal. If neither team meets this condition, the team with the furthest progress will win.

The Tactical Crystal is a large blue crystal that travels along a predetermined path which are called crystal lines. Underneath the crystal is a large circle, and when the crystal has more of your team in the circle it’ll slowly follow the path towards the enemies’ goal. When you progress with the crystal, your progress will be saved. If the opposing team pushes the crystal towards your goal, past your progress point, and you win it back. The movement speed of the crystal will have increased speed until you reach your progress point.

In the center of the arena are checkpoints. When you reach one of these, the crystal’s progress is halted temporarily. You’ll need to clear the checkpoint by keeping your team in the circle until it charges up. Once it charges to 100% it can be moved again. Another thing to help you throughout the mode is items called “Medicine Kits” which can be found in the field. These can be used to restore 30,000 HP. If you’re already at 100% HP, you won’t be able to access them.

There are three arenas that your Crystalline Conflict match can be played on, and some of these arenas have things called arena events that can change the gameplay dramatically. The three arenas are:

• The Palaistra: This arena just has Sprint Zones which greatly increase your movement speed.

• The Volcanic Heart: This arena has Sprint Zones and an Eruption Arena Event. This event will periodically scatter bombs throughout the arena which self-destruct. If you’re hit by these, you’ll take significant damage. Once the bombs have exploded, they’ll leave behind bomb cores that can increase your attack for a short time as well as a boost to the limit gauge. This can stack up to 10 times.

• Cloud Nine: This arena has jump glyphs which will transport you to a specific location on the map. The arena event for this stage is Turbulence. If you get hit by the small tornadoes around the field, you’ll be cast into the air, and will take damage when you land. While you’re in the air, you can acquire black chocobo feathers which will grant you a soft landing, an attack and movement speed buff, and a boost to the limit gauge. If you don’t want to go in the air, you can cast guard to negate the effects of Turbulence.

That’s all the game modes currently available in PvP at this moment in time. When more modes are added, this page will be updated accordingly.