How to Get More Wind Crystals in FFXIV (& What They’re For)
For Carpenters and Goldsmiths in Final Fantasy XIV, Wind Crystals are essential crafting resources. Elemental Crystals in FFXIV act as the "fuel" when crafting recipes, and no artisan can advance in their profession without them. However, suppose Carpenters and Goldsmiths wish to conveniently purchase Wind Crystals from NPC vendors. In that case, they are out of luck, as any Crystal can only be obtained through specific activities in FFXIV. On the other hand, adventurers can trade this resource with each other via the Market Board, albeit at very high prices.
Unless a crafter is abundantly wealthy to purchase their Crystals from the player market, they will need to engage in other options such as questing, gathering, and Retainer management. In regards to questing, the storyline quests of the Carpenter Job will generously reward participants with hundreds of Wind Crystals. However, this method is limited, as the quests can only be completed once. Alternatively, Hydaelyn's Chosen can partake in the Daily Quests of the Moogle, Namazu, or Dwarf Beast Tribes to earn a decent supply of endless Crystals in FFXIV.
Gathering is the second-best way to farm Wind Crystals in Final Fantasy XIV. For this endeavor, The Twelve's Bounty and The Giving Land are two essential Miner/Botanist skills to use when gathering Elemental Crystals. The first is a Level 20 ability that consumes 150 GP to increase every gathering yield for a node by 3. The second is unlocked at Level 74 and randomly increases the number of Crystals collected from a node for 200 GP. While not essential, it can be very beneficial to have several GP- replenishing Hi-Cordials on hand when utilizing these abilities. Hi-Cordials can be purchased from the FFXIV Market Board or one's GC Quartermaster for Seals.
Here are three Final Fantasy XIV zones with several Wind Crystal nodes for convenient gathering access.
- Gyr Abania: The Fringes - Miner
- Othard: Yanxia - Botanist
- Norvrandt: The Rak'tika Greatwood - Botanist
Alternatively, players can also "gather" Wind Crystals by slaying Wind Sprites located in Eastern La Noscea, The Sea of Clouds, The Fringes, and The Azim Steppe.
Finally, one of the most efficient ways to farm Wind Crystals in FFXIV is using Retainers. Frequently sending Retainers on Crystal-gathering Ventures can net up to hundreds of Crystals in a few hours. The downside is that this method requires players to manage their Retainers in a timely manner continually. Additionally, those who pay real money for extra Retainers in Final Fantasy XIV will always have a competitive advantage in earning loads of crafting Crystals.
Final Fantasy XIV is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam or Square Enix's official website.