Patch 6.3 of Final Fantasy 14 is finally here, adding needed buffs for specific Jobs, new content, and much more into the ever-expanding world of Hydaelyn. Amongst these additions is Series 3 of the game's PvP, allowing you to unlock cool new rewards by squaring off against other players.
While not for everyone, the rewards for progressing through the new PvP Malmstones are always worth it, as they offer unique cosmetics, Mounts, customization options for your Adventure Plate, and more. The recently overhauled PvP makes it a much more enjoyable experience overall, so you should tackle it if you've been on the fence in the previous Series!
Series 3 PvP Overview
Much like the past two series of Final Fantasy 14's newly improved PvP, Series 3 brings in 30 new Series Malmstones that unlock tons of Trophy Crystals, unique equipment, Mounts, and more. With the vast majority of unlocks being Trophy Crystals, do not forget to exchange them for special Weapons, Armor, Accessories, and other items by visiting the Crystal Quartermaster found in the Wolve's Den Pier (X:4.4, Y:6.1).
Only five Malmstone Rewards will be unique items, with the other 25 granting Trophy Crystals. All except for the final level will offer 1,000 Trophy Crystals, with the one at Level 30 giving you 5,000 Trophy Crystals. After you have reached Level 30, you can still accumulate Series EXP and earn 1,000 Trophy Crystal per 20,000 EXP. Before we get into everything you can unlock here, let's review the EXP needed for each level in the table below!
Series 3 EXP Chart
|
Series Malmstones Levels |
Experience Needed |
|---|---|
|
Levels 1 > 4 |
2,000 EXP Per Level |
|
Levels 5 > 9 |
3,000 EXP Per Level |
|
Levels 10 > 14 |
4,000 EXP Per Level |
|
Levels 15 > 19 |
5,500 EXP Per Level |
|
Levels 20 > 24 |
7,500 EXP Per Level |
|
Levels 25 > 29 |
10,000 EXP Per Level |
|
Level 30+ |
20,000 EXP Per Level |
Malmstone Level 25 is the final level that offers a unique reward, with the remaining being Trophy Crystals. If you only care about obtaining the special items for the Series, you can stop after reaching this level!
To keep track of your Malmstone progress, you can view it by opening your PvP Profile from the Character Menu. From here, select the "Series Malmstones" button near the top right portion of the screen. Once in the Series Malmstone menu, you can see your current level and claim your rewards. It's crucial to remember to claim your rewards whenever they become available!
Claiming Series 2 Rewards
Speaking of remembering to claim your rewards, you will still have the opportunity to claim any Series 2 Rewards you didn't grab, but you will only have until the end of Series 3 to do so, which won't be until Patch 6.4, so you have a bit of time to do so. While it was initially believed that you could also level the previous Series alongside the new one, it appears you can only claim items you have already earned and nothing more.
Fear not, however, the devs have assured that items found in the Series Malmstones will become available to obtain elsewhere later on down the line. What that is isn't known yet, but rest assured there will be other ways to get these items. To claim previously earned rewards, open the Series 3 Malmstone tab and click the "Previous Series" button in the top left. Be sure to do this before Patch 6.4!
Series 3 Malmstones Rewards
As previously covered, there are only five unique rewards you can earn by progressing through the Series 3 Malmstones, ranging from Emotes to sick Gear. Level 25 will grant you the last item in the Series, so if you no longer want or need Trophy Crystals, you can stop your grind there and patiently wait for the following Series in Patch 6.4. Nonetheless, everything you can obtain can be found below!
Level 5 Malmstone Reward
First up is "Ballroom Etiquette Discreet Discussions," which unlocks the Linkpearl Emote, letting you freely use the animation you see used hundreds of times over the course of your adventure. There's nothing cooler than looking like a spy, and this emote allows you to nail that look in spades, and all you have to do is reach Level 5!
Levels 10 And 20 Malmstone Rewards
Malmstone Levels 10 and 20 grant you Framer Kits, with the Falcon's Framer Kit pictured on the left and the Raven's Framer Kit showcased on the right. Both are simple yet pack a punch in their design while still keeping the Blue and Red color scheme present in the last Series.
Level 15 Malmstone Reward
In between the Framer Kits at Level 15 is the "Logistics Node Identification Key," which grants you the Logistics Node Mount upon use. While very similar to the Logistics System Mount, the bright green lights sort of makeup for it.
Level 25 Malmstone Reward
Lastly, the final unique reward you can receive at Malmstone Level 25 is the "False Monarchy Attire Coffer," which will grant you the following items upon use:
- False Monarchy Mask
- False Monarchy Armor
- False Monarchy Gauntlets
- False Monarchy Breeches
- False Monarchy Sabatons
This Attire Set resembles a Griffin, showcasing an excellent black and white color scheme with gold trim and a blue jewel positioned in the center of the chest plate. While it will take quite a bit of time and effort to reach Level 25, this makes the grind seem worth it.
How To Earn Series EXP
Before wrapping things up, let's cover how to accrue Series EXP and the best methods of farming out EXP to earn the rewards as quickly as possible. To earn Series EXP for Malmstone Rewards, you must play one of the three PvP Modes available in Final Fantasy 14. These three modes are Crystalline Conflict, Frontlines, and Rival Wings.
Winning will secure you more Series EXP overall, while losing will subtract anywhere from 200 to 300 EXP from the total. If you played the last Series, the EXP Rates and Payout are the same, but you can follow the table below if you don't know what each mode offers in terms of Series EXP.
PvP Series EXP Rates
|
PvP Mode |
Winning |
Losing |
|---|---|---|
|
Crystalline Conflict |
900 EXP |
700 EXP |
|
Rival Wings |
1,250 EXP |
750 EXP |
|
Frontlines |
1,500 EXP |
1,250 EXP |
Though it may seem like Frontlines is your best bet at acquiring lots of Series EXP, please note that Crystalline Conflict matches don't last very long and can be over within minutes, depending on the situation. While Crystalline Conflict offers the lowest Series EXP payout, the swiftness of the mode actually turns it into the best method to farm Series EXP.
In short, after you finish your Daily Frontlines Roulette, we suggest hopping into a few matches of Crystalline Conflict to earn lots of Series EXP in a short amount of time. You can likely complete three Crystalline Conflict matches in the span of time it would take to clear one game of Frontlines, and possibly even more if you get lucky enough to finish them all at blazingly fast speeds.
However, like last time, we suggest playing the modes you enjoy, as forcing yourself to play a mode - especially one as competitive as Crystalline Conflict - can sap all joy away in a matter of seconds. If you don't mind the mode, we suggest playing it as much as you can tolerate a day, and you will reach Level 25 in no time!