Hardest Relic Weapons to Farm in FFXIV
Ranked by Overall Grind Difficulty
Relic weapons are one of the most iconic long-term progression systems in Final Fantasy XIV, but not every relic grind demands the same level of time, effort, or content investment.
Some relic systems can be completed through predictable tomestone farming, while others require exploration zones, rare drops, battlefield progression, crafted turn-ins, or long multi-stage upgrade chains.
This guide ranks every relic weapon system in FFXIV based on overall grind difficulty, time investment, and progression complexity.
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Which Relic Grind Is the Hardest?
Relic weapon difficulty comes from more than raw completion time.
The hardest relic systems usually combine several of the following pressure points:
- Long upgrade chains with many required steps
- Exploration or battlefield content that cannot be skipped
- Rare drops or RNG-heavy stages
- Large material requirements across multiple systems
- Heavy time investment with limited shortcuts
This ranking compares each relic system using those factors, rather than judging them only by their final stage or expansion reputation.
Relic Weapons Ranked by Difficulty
| Rank | Relic System | Expansion | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zodiac Weapons | A Realm Reborn | Extremely Hard |
| 2 | Eureka Weapons | Stormblood | Very Hard |
| 3 | Resistance Weapons | Shadowbringers | Hard |
| 4 | Anima Weapons | Heavensward | Moderate |
| 5 | Phantom Weapons | Dawntrail | Moderate |
| 6 | Manderville Weapons | Endwalker | Easy |
These rankings consider total grind length, required content participation, RNG exposure, material volume, and how punishing each upgrade chain feels in practice.
1 — Zodiac Weapons (A Realm Reborn)
The Hardest Relic Weapon Grind
The Zodiac weapon chain remains the most demanding relic progression in Final Fantasy XIV. Its difficulty comes from the sheer number of required stages and the wide range of activities involved.
- Extensive FATE grinding across multiple zones
- Repeated dungeon clears
- Crafted material turn-ins
- Random drop acquisition stages
Even with modern adjustments, completing a full Zodiac Zeta weapon still requires one of the largest total time investments in the game.
Related Guide: Zodiac Weapons Guide
2 — Eureka Weapons (Stormblood)
Exploration Zone Relic Grind
Eureka weapons rank near the top because progression is tied directly to the Eureka expedition zones, their unique leveling system, and long-form zone farming.
- Separate Elemental Rank progression
- Large-scale Notorious Monster farming
- Multiple exploration zones
- Significant time investment
Final Stage: Eureka Physeos Weapon
Related Guide: Eureka Weapons Guide
Related Armor: Eureka Armor Guide
3 — Resistance Weapons (Shadowbringers)
Bozja Battlefield Progression
Resistance weapons are tied heavily to Bozjan battlefield content and remain one of the more demanding relic systems because of their required participation in large-scale progression content.
- Battlefield progression in Bozja
- Delubrum Reginae requirements
- Memory farming stages
- Multiple progression routes
Final Stage: Blade’s Weapon
Related Guide: Resistance Weapons Guide
Related Armor: Resistance Armor Guide
4 — Anima Weapons (Heavensward)
A Balanced Relic Grind
Anima weapons are still substantial, but they avoid the heavy RNG and exploration pressure of the more punishing relic systems above.
- Dungeon farming
- Tomestone materials
- Aetheric density farming
Final Stage: Anima Lux Weapon
Related Guide: Anima Weapons Guide
5 — Phantom Weapons (Dawntrail)
Modern Relic Progression
Phantom weapons use a more modern relic structure built around repeatable content loops and multi-source progression. The grind is still meaningful, but it is less punishing than older systems.
- FATE farming in Occult Crescent regions
- Duty roulettes
- Crafting materials
- Relic currency exchanges
Final Stage: Phantom Weapon Obscurum
Related Guide: Phantom Weapons Guide
Related Armor: Arcanaut Armor Guide
6 — Manderville Weapons (Endwalker)
The Easiest Relic System
Manderville weapons are the least demanding relic system in the game because they strip away most of the friction that slowed down earlier relic chains.
- Simple tomestone collection
- Minimal RNG mechanics
- No exploration-zone progression requirements
Related Guide: Manderville Weapons Guide
Which Relic Weapon Should You Farm?
The best relic system depends on what kind of grind you want.
- Hardest full relic journey: Zodiac Weapons
- Best exploration-heavy grind: Eureka Weapons
- Best battlefield progression system: Resistance Weapons
- Best balanced legacy grind: Anima Weapons
- Best modern progression route: Phantom Weapons
- Fastest and easiest completion: Manderville Weapons
Players looking for prestige and long-term grind usually gravitate toward Zodiac, Eureka, or Resistance systems. Players focused on glamour, completion speed, or lower friction will usually prefer Manderville or Phantom progression.
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