If there’s one thing you’re always going to be in need of in Final Fantasy XIV, it’s Gil. It’s the main currency in Eorzea, and whether you’re shopping for gear to increase your iLvl, glamour items, or minions, you’re going to need it and a lot of it.
It’s fair to say that some things, especially sought-after things like mounts and minions, are ludicrously expensive to buy. It’s also fair to say that crafting is, as it’s widely acknowledged, the best way to make piles of Gil very quickly.
I’ve wracked my brain, thought back to my early in-game experience, and I’ve come up with some ways to make Gil without crafting in FFXIV. It’s worth remembering that none of these are likely to make you a Gillionaire, unless you get very lucky, and some are more effective than others. But hey, any money is good money, right?
Treasure Maps are good for making a quick buck
If you want to make a quick buck in FFXIV, one of the best ways to do it is by running Treasure Maps, especially high-level ones such as Loboskin and Br’aaxskin Maps.
While you won’t always spawn a portal upon using a Map or get lucky in the dungeon itself, there’s always a chance that you’ll get a rare minion or sought-after material from a chest inside. They also give hefty sums of Gil as a reward on their own, so they’re worth exploring.
A word of warning: if something particularly valuable comes up, like a minion or rare material, and you have the opportunity to gamble, don’t do it. This is a painful lesson, and one that cost me 20 million Gil at one point, so please don’t make the same mistake!
Before you can take part in the Treasure Hunt, you’ll need to complete the level 36 quest “Treasure and Tribulations”, which can be picked up by talking to H’loonh in Eastern La Noscea (X:21.1, Y:21.1).
Work towards your weekly challenges
After completing the level 15 quest “Rising to the Challenge” (head to Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks and talk to I’tolwann (X:11.4, Y:11.0) if you haven’t done this yet!), you’ll gain access to the Challenge Log.
This log is split into different categories, including Battle, Crafting & Gathering, and Levequests. While some challenges reward other currencies upon completion, such as Wolf Marks or MGP, most will provide you with a nice chunk of change (either 1,000 or 2,000 Gil) when completed.
The Challenge Log refreshes at the same time as the general weekly reset, 2 a.m. on a Tuesday, so make sure you complete them before this happens, or you’ll miss out on free Gil.
Be the ‘adventurer in need’
When running daily roulettes, it’s always a good idea to check which type of player is classed as “in need.” If you queue for a Duty as this type of Job (Healer, Tank, or DPS), you’ll gain a significant boost of EXP, and also Gil as well. As you can see from the image above, the reward is pretty hefty, so it’s always worth dabbling in different classes so you can always play the Adventurer in Need role.
You’ll only receive this boost if you queue for a duty with less than the required number of people in your party. If you are queueing with three friends for a Dungeon roulette, this buff won’t apply.
Levequests are repetitive, but they come with monetary rewards
I’m the first person to admit that doing Levequests is not my idea of a fun time. However, some of the higher level Levequests offer a comparatively huge amount of Gil when you consider how little effort is involved.
This is especially true for Large Scale Levequests, available only in Foundation. Some of these Levequests offer a reward of more than 10,000 Gil per completion, so they’re definitely worth doing.
You get three Levequest Allowances every 24 hours of real time up to a maximum of 100; what you do with them is up to you. I’d suggest using them if you have them because otherwise, you’re just missing out on free Gil for very little effort.
Hoard and sell everything
Whether you’ve been grinding out dungeon runs, tackling FATEs in the overworld, or your retainers have returned from a venture with items in tow, almost everything can be sold for a profit in FFXIV. It’s unlikely that you’ll gain anything of significant value by any of these methods, though it does happen, but you will be able to amass a lot of items.
If you don’t want to mess around with the Marketboard, you can simply head to any vendor who sells items for Gil and select the “Buyback” tab in the pop-up window. Either click and drag items from your inventory into the vendor’s pop-up window or right-click the item in your inventory and click “sell”.
If you’re comfortable using the Marketboard, it can be a good place to sell stacks of items, especially high-level items that you’ve gathered yourself. Even if you’re opposed to Crafting, you should definitely look into Gathering. It can be relaxing to zone out, listen to music, and pile up the materials in your inventory.
And if you’re up for a little bit of dodgy trading, keep an eye on item prices on different servers by utilizing tools such as Universalis. Items can often be purchased cheaply on other servers and sold for a profit in your home world. I know it feels scummy, but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, sometimes.
Make the most of your FC credits and GC seals
There are a couple of things that you can do with your FC and GC seals to transform the currency to Gil:
- Stock up on GC seals by trading in usually untradeable dungeon gear, and as long as you’ve reached the rank of Captain, you’ll be able to buy Materiel Crates. These contain minions and mounts, which can sometimes be pretty valuable.
- Use your FC credits to purchase items from the OIC Quartermaster. These items can then be sold on the Martketboard for Gil. Miniature Aetherytes are a safe bet here, as Estate owners need them to teleport directly to their house.
You can also purchase some materials which will be needed by Crafters, some of which can also be sold on the Marketboard.
Keep an eye on Moogle Treasure Trove events
Invariably, Moogle Treasure Trove events offer at least one popular item, which can then be sold on the Marketboard for Gil. Usually, this is a minion or mount, so keep an eye on which are available in each event.
Take the Hunt for Goetia, for instance, which is currently underway. One of the rewards is the Alte Roite Prism, which is usually worth a pretty penny, and the Early to Rise hairstyle, which many players choose for their character. These are good items to purchase using Tomestones, set aside, and then sell later when demand increases again.
Side quests might not make you rich, but at least it’s something
There are hundreds of side quests in Final Fantasy XIV, and every single one of them rewards at least a handful of Gil upon completion. While it might only seem like pennies, clearing out an entire zone of side quests will increase your coffers by a pretty hefty sum.
Yes, they’re tedious at times, and if you’re not careful, you’ll spend more teleporting around the map than you earn by doing them. However, if you’re really stuck and dedicate yourself to flying rather than teleporting, you can earn enough to buy yourself something pretty when you get back to a city state.
New patch? New money making opportunities!
This is especially true at the start of a new major expansion, as we’ve recently seen with the addition of Dawntrail. However, it applies to every single patch that adds new content. New patches bring new items, and at least for a little while, those items will be incredibly sought after and spike in price.
While you’re running new dungeons or trials, for example, think twice before using that minion that you rolled high on. Sure, it might be cute, and it might be something that you want, but if you’re looking to make some Gil, I can guarantee that you can make at least 100k by selling that minion on the Marketboard. Trust me, you’re going to be running that dungeon time and again, and the minion will grace you with its presence once more.
On a similar note, pay attention to what crafters need to make new recipes, especially Master Recipes. If you’re here, you’re not likely to be crafting yourself, but there’s nothing stopping you from gathering, and new resources always see a spike in price on the Marketboard immediately after a patch.
Bicolor Gemstones and Shared FATEs are your ticket to (relative) riches
This ties into the previous point, but I’m giving it a section of its own to hammer home the point. Bicolor Gemstones are a goldmine. Whether you use them to purchase Gemstone-exclusive materials to sell or you purchase Bicolor Gemstone Vouchers, you’ll be able to make money off of them.
With that in mind, and I cannot emphasize this enough, you should definitely do your Shared FATEs. For starters, they reward Gil just for completing them, but you’ll also earn up to 40 Bicolor Gemstones depending on bonuses and your level of participation. Materials cost less than 10 Gemstones each, while Vouchers cost 100 each.
Immediately after Dawntrail dropped, these Bicolor Gemstone Vouchers were selling for around 250k each, and they’re still currently selling for around 100k each, depending on which world you play on. On the materials side, those items are always sought after, and because they’re exclusive, players who need them quickly have no choice but to buy them on the Marketboard.
