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Raids are endgame duties found in Final Fantasy XIV, of which there are 8-player and 24-player varieties, the latter of which are called alliance raids. With the exception of the crystal tower raid series, raids are not required for completion of the main scenario, and represent the majority of high-end content in Final Fantasy XIV.
Normal and Savage raids
8-player raids are short duties culminating in a single boss encounter. Unlike trials, raids may feature short dungeons to navigate with regular enemies or mini-bosses along the way, although this difference has not been practiced since Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. Raids are also generally considered to be of higher difficulty than trials, and are found exclusively at the max level for their expansion. Raids are also released in groups, unlike trials, meant to represent a larger dungeon divided up into separate duties. Raids feature higher difficulty versions called Savage raids, which are the primary focus of high-end players.
The Raid roulette includes all normal difficulty 8-player raids, with the exception of the Binding Coils of Bahamut which are generally considered on the level of the Savage level raids introduced later.
List of Normal and Savage raids
A Realm Reborn
Heavensward
Stormblood
Shadowbringers
Alliance raids
Alliance raids feature three groups of 8 players for a total of 24 players, navigating large dungeons with 4 bosses. One of the major hurdles for groups participating in this content is coordinating such a large number of players. Spells and abilities that are specified to only affect party-members, such as Medica, will only affect a player's party of 8 rather than the larger alliance, and players have a more limited interface view of the status of players in other groups.
The Alliance Raid roulette includes all 24-player raids.
List of alliance raids
| Name | Level | Min Item Level | Final Boss | Unlock | Tomestones | Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Labyrinth of the Ancients | 50 | 50 | Phlegethon |  Labyrinth of the Ancients
|
 100
|
2.1 |
|
Syrcus Tower | 50 | 70 | Xande | Syrcus Tower
|
100
|
2.3 |
|
The World of Darkness | 50 | 90 | Cloud of Darkness | The World of Darkness
|
100
|
2.5 |
|
The Void Ark | 60 | 175 | Echidna | To Rule the Skies
|
100
|
3.1 |
|
The Weeping City of Mhach | 60 | 205 | Calofisteri | The Weeping City
|
100
|
3.3 |
|
Dun Scaith | 60 | 235 | Diabolos Hollow | Where Shadows Reign
|
100
|
3.5 |
|
The Royal City of Rabanastre | 70 | 305 | Argath Thadalfus | A City Fallen
|
100
|
4.1 |
|
The Ridorana Lighthouse | 70 | 335 | Yiazmat | Annihilation
|
100
|
4.3 |
|
The Orbonne Monastery | 70 | 365 | Ultima, the High Seraph | The City of Lost Angels
|
100
|
4.5 |
|
The Copied Factory | 80 | 435 | 9S-operated Walking Fortress | On the Threshold
|
100 10 | 5.1 |
|
The Puppets' Bunker | 80 | 465 | Compound 2P | Everything You Know Is Wrong
|
100 15 | 5.3 |
|
The Tower at Paradigm's Breach | 80 | 495 | Her Inflorescence | Brave New World
|
100 20 | 5.5 |
Ultimate raids
Ultimate raids are a type of 8-player raid introduced in Stormblood. They are high-end raids that host a gauntlet of bosses from previous duties that must be defeated in a single attempt. Failing will reset the entire gauntlet. They are intended to be of even higher difficulty levels then the Extreme or Savage levels that previously represented the game's hardest content. These raids require players to have completed the Savage difficulty-level of the previous raid section to even unlock. Due to their high difficulty, Ultimate raids are not intended to be "progression" content for the majority of the player base, and are designed solely for those seeking a challenge.
Ultimate raids have thus far been strictly recreations of older content, with the Unending Coil of Bahamut being based on the Binding Coil of Bahamut raid series, The Weapon's Refrain being based on the climactic battles of the A Realm Reborn main storyline, and The Epic of Alexander being based on the Alexander raid series.
List of Ultimate raids
| Name | Level | Max Item Level | Final Boss | Unlock | Tomestones | Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Unending Coil of Bahamut (Ultimate) | 70 | 345 | Bahamut Prime | Complete Deltascape (Savage) | 100
|
4.11 |
|
The Weapon's Refrain (Ultimate) | 70 | 375 | The Ultima Weapon | Complete Sigmascape (Savage) | 100
|
4.31 |
|
The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate) | 80 | 475 | Perfect Alexander | Complete Eden's Gate (Savage) | 30 | 5.11 |
Behind the scenes
8-player raids had not yet settled on a difficulty structure in A Realm Reborn, with the Binding Coils of Bahamut being exclusively high-difficulty when released. The Second Coil of Bahamut was the first series to feature a Savage mode of even higher difficulty. Beginning in Heavensward, the difficulty of new normal raids was toned down to make them more accessible, while the Savage difficulty was retooled to represent of the original difficulty, though the Binding Coils remained at their original level.
Unlike other content, the development team currently has no plans to increase the Level or Item Level syncs on Ultimate raids, or allow the them to be run unsynced. This is in order to preserve the difficulty level as it was when initially released, even as players become more powerful as the game progresses, and ensures that all Ultimate content, both existing and forthcoming, will remain the hardest content for the remainder of the game's lifespan.
