How to unlock the AAC Light-heavyweight Savage raids in FFXIV Dawntrail

The endgame content of Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail finally begins with the release of the Savage Arcadion raids.

Patch 7.05 brings us the first high-end raids of the expansion, adding even more party-wiping mechanics to the already deadly bosses in the AAC Light-heavyweight tier. If you’re ready to get enchanted to death by Honey B. Lovely or blasted into the aether by Wicked Thunder all over again, head to Solution Nine to unlock the next level of show-stopping spectacle. 

How to unlock the Savage raids in FFXIV Dawntrail Patch 7.05

Remember Gabbro, the comic artist who approached you at the end of the AAC Heavy-lightweight tier story cutscenes? Keeping with the usual “what-if” premise of FFXIV raids, Gabbro creates fantastical renditions of the previous Arcadion matches that the Warrior of Light can then vividly hallucinate in the form of high-end raids. 

You can find him where you last saw him, standing next to the Tritrails Training gym in the Recreation Zone of Solution Nine. He has a blue quest marker but no actual quest to accept—speak to him and agree to recount the AAC Light-heavyweight matches for a short cutscene that unlocks the Savage tier. 

You can find the AAC Light-heavyweight (Savage) series in the High-End tab of the usual duty Finder menu. The minimum item level requirement for entry is 710, so grab some Quetzalli gear with tomes or buy Archeo Kingdom pieces off the marketboard. Going in for the first time at minimum level also means you need all the help you can get—stock up on HQ Grade 2 Gemsaps and level 100 food with your best-in-slot substat buffs. 

Remember: Savage raid rewards always start heavily restricted before unlocking in later patches. If you haven’t cleared M1 (Savage) yet but want to try out the other raids, ensure you’re okay with forfeiting your weekly reward from M1 before heading in. Queuing into M2, M3, or M4 automatically revokes your eligibility for rewards from any of the previous fights, so you need to complete the fights in the story sequence to get all your weekly drops.