Final Fantasy XIV Tomestones: Your Ultimate Guide To Earning And Spending
Have you ever found yourself staring at your character screen in Final Fantasy XIV, wondering what all those mysterious currency icons are? Or maybe you’ve heard veterans talking about "capping poetics" and felt utterly lost. If you’ve ever asked yourself, "What are these Final Fantasy XIV tomestones, and why does everyone seem so obsessed with them?" – you’ve come to the right place. These currencies are the absolute backbone of your character’s progression from the moment you hit level 50 until the day you hang up your weapon. They dictate how you gear up, how you prepare for the next raid tier, and even how you help your friends. Understanding tomestones isn’t just optional; it’s a fundamental survival skill in the world of Eorzea. This guide will demystify everything, transforming you from a confused newbie into a master of your FFXIV economy.
What Are Tomestones? The Currency of Endgame Progression
At their core, Allagan Tomestones are a special type of endgame currency introduced in the Heavensward expansion. Unlike gil, which you spend on everything from potions to housing, tomestones are exclusively used to purchase high-level gear. They represent the spoils of your adventures, a direct reward for conquering the game’s most challenging content. Think of them as a dedicated, account-wide savings account for combat readiness. You earn them by participating in a wide variety of duties, and you spend them at specific vendors in major cities like Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, and Ul'dah, or in the later expansion hubs like Kugane and Crystarium.
The system was designed to create a more predictable and equitable gear progression path. Instead of relying solely on random drops from dungeons or raids (which can be frustratingly inconsistent), tomestones provide a guaranteed, grindable alternative. You know exactly how many runs of a dungeon you need to afford that one piece of gear you’re missing. This makes them an indispensable tool for catch-up gear for alts, players returning from a break, or anyone looking to optimize their setup without the pressure of raid loot. They are the great equalizer, ensuring that dedication and time invested directly translate into tangible power increases.
The Tomestone Ecosystem: A Guide to Every Type
The tomestone system has evolved with each expansion, meaning different types exist for different level ranges and content eras. It’s crucial to know which is which, as they are not interchangeable.
Allagan Tomestones of Poetics: The Evergreen Currency
Allagan Tomestones of Poetics are the oldest and most universally important. Introduced in Heavensward, they are used to buy gear for levels 50, 60, 70, and 80. Yes, you read that right. Poetics are the permanent catch-all currency for all previous expansion's endgame gear. This makes them infinitely valuable. A new player can use poetics to buy the best level 50 gear (Ironworks), while a veteran can use the same currency to outfit a freshly leveled Dark Knight at level 80 with Augmented Shire gear. You earn poetics from any duty that rewards them, which includes almost all level 50+ dungeons, trials, and alliance raids. Because their utility never expires, capping your weekly poetics (the maximum you can hold is 2,000) is a sacred ritual for every player.
Expansion-Specific Tomestones: The Current Meta
For the current expansion’s highest-level gear, you use its specific tomestone. These have a hard cap (usually 2,000) and are earned from the latest dungeons, trials, and raids. They are replaced when a new expansion launches.
- Creation & Revelation (Shadowbringers): Used for level 80 gear (Augmented Cryptlurker’s). Earned from level 80 dungeons and Eden’s Verse raids.
- Astral & Umbral (Endwalker): Used for level 90 gear (Augmented Lunar Enchanted). Astral comes from level 90 dungeons and normal-mode Pandaemonium raids. Umbral comes from more challenging content like Savage raids and the final trial.
- Sowelu & Zonureskin (Dawntrail): The newest pair for level 100. Sowelu is earned from the new level 100 dungeons and normal-mode raids, while Zonureskin is reserved for Savage and ultimate-tier challenges. This is the active grind for the most powerful gear.
Allegory and Other Special Cases
- Allagan Tomestones of Allegory (Endwalker): A special currency used to buy old raid gear from the Endwalker normal raid series (Pandaemonium). It’s a way to collect glamour or stats from previous tiers without running the raids again. It’s earned from a variety of duties and has a separate cap.
- Wolf Mark: While not a tomestone, it’s worth mentioning. This PvP currency is used to buy PvP-specific gear and glamour.
How to Earn Tomestones: Your Daily and Weekly Checklist
Earning tomestones is about routine and efficiency. Here’s your breakdown of the best methods.
The Daily Grind: Consistent, Low-Effort Income
Your first stop every day should be the Duty Roulette. Completing your first roulette of the day for any role (Tank, Healer, DPS) awards a large chunk of tomestones. The Leveling Roulette and Main Scenario Roulette are particularly lucrative for poetics. Additionally, running the highest-level dungeon available to you (e.g., The Tower of Babil for poetics at 80, Vanadiel’s Memorial for Sowelu at 100) is a fantastic, 20-minute investment. Don’t forget Hunt Trains! Joining a party to kill world-fate S- and A-rank monsters in the latest expansion zones yields a nice bonus of current-expansion tomestones and poetics.
The Weekly Cap: Strategic, High-Yield Activities
For current-expansion tomestones (like Zonureskin), your primary source is Savage Raids. Clearing a single floor of the current Savage tier rewards a substantial amount. Weekly quests from your Grand Company (like Supply & Provisioning Mission) also offer a tidy sum. For poetics, the absolute best method is running the highest-level Alliance Raid series available (e.g., Return to Ivalice: Royal City of Rabanastre for poetics). One clear can net you over 1,000 poetics. Treasure Maps (especially the high-level ones like Aquapolis or The Shifting Altars of Lyhe Ghiah) also have a chance to drop poetics directly or via chests.
The "When You Have Time" Method
If you’re behind or want to accelerate, running old, relevant dungeons is perfectly viable. A level 80 dungeon will still give a good amount of poetics and Creation/Revelation. Wondrous Tails (the journal from the Stormblood quest) can reward tomestones upon completion. And of course, any duty from the previous expansion will shower you in poetics.
Spending Your Fortune: What to Buy and When
Blindly spending tomestones is a rookie mistake. A strategic approach saves you thousands of gil and accelerates your progress.
The Priority List: From Must-Have to Niche
- Current Expansion Weapon: Your weapon determines your item level and damage. Always prioritize your main job’s weapon first. An Augmented weapon from the current tomestone vendor is often only a few item levels below the raid weapon and is a massive upgrade.
- Left-Side Gear (Body, Legs, Head, Hands, Feet): These slots have the highest stat values. Buy these in order of stat importance for your job (e.g., Critical Hit > Direct Hit for most DPS).
- Accessories & Right-Side Gear: These have lower stat values. Fill these slots last.
- Gear for Off-Classes: Once your main is geared, use poetics to outfit your other jobs. This is the primary use of poetics for veterans.
- Glamour and Minions: Many vendors sell unique glamour items and minions for tomestones. Save these for when you’re completely geared up.
The Poetics Paradox: What NOT to Buy
This is the most common mistake new players make. Do NOT buy level 50/60/70 gear with poetics if you are level 80 or 90. The item level of the Augmented Shire (level 80) or Augmented Cryptlurker (level 90) gear is far higher than the level 70 Scaevan gear. You will outgrow the lower-level gear in a single dungeon. Poetics should be saved for the highest tier available for your current level bracket. For a level 90 character, that means buying Augmented Lunar Enchanted gear (purchased with poetics in Old Sharlayan), not anything from Kugane or Rhalgr’s Reach.
Advanced Strategies: Maximizing Your Efficiency
The Art of the "Alt"
Because tomestones are account-bound, you can farm them on one character and spend them on another. This is a game-changer. Have a friend who mains a tank but wants to level a DPS? You can farm poetics on your main healer and buy gear for their DPS. This makes gearing up alternate classes incredibly efficient.
The Glamour Chest & Saving for a Rainy Day
That glamour coat you’ve always wanted from the Stormblood tomestone vendor? It costs poetics. It’s wise to set aside a reserve of 10,000-20,000 poetics for future glamour purchases when an expansion ends and its vendors are removed (though they often return later). Never let your poetics sit at the 2,000 cap for weeks on end—that’s wasted potential.
Coordinating with Your Static
If you’re in a raid group (static), communicate! You might decide to focus tomestone gear on one role first (e.g., all healers get weapons) to maximize raid performance quickly. Or you might agree to save poetics for the next patch’s new gear. Coordination prevents duplicate purchases and ensures the group’s overall item level rises in a balanced way.
Common Questions Answered
Q: I’m a brand-new level 90. Should I buy the Augmented Lunar Enchanted gear with poetics?
A: Absolutely, yes. That set (item level 560) is your immediate goal. It will last you through the Dawntrail MSQ and into the first few dungeons. It is a massive upgrade over the iLvl 530 gear from the Endwalker story.
Q: What’s the fastest way to cap poetics?
A: Run the highest-level Alliance Raid available (e.g., The Epic of Alexander for iLvl 530 gear, Return to Ivalice for iLvl 560). One clear gives ~1,200 poetics. Pair this with your daily roulettes and you’ll cap in 2-3 days of casual play.
Q: Should I buy gear with tomestones or wait for raid drops?
A: Buy the tomestone gear first. It provides a stable, guaranteed baseline. Raid drops are upgrades on top of that baseline. You want to enter a raid tier with full tomestone gear to make learning fights easier and to be a viable candidate for loot.
Q: What happens to my tomestones when a new expansion drops?
A: The current expansion’s tomestones become obsolete and their vendors move to a hidden area (usually near the old expansion’s main city). You can still spend them, but new, higher-level tomestones are introduced. Poetics remain forever relevant for old gear.
Conclusion: Mastering Your Eorzean Fortune
Final Fantasy XIV tomestones are more than just another currency; they are the structured, reliable pathway to power in a game often ruled by randomness. By understanding the distinct types—the eternal Poetics and the ever-rotating expansion-specific currencies—you gain control over your character’s destiny. The key is a simple, disciplined routine: complete your daily roulettes, run your weekly high-yield duties (Alliance Raids/Savage), and spend with a clear, prioritized plan. Never let them cap wastefully, and always gear your main job first. Whether you’re a sprout just hitting level 50 or a seasoned warrior returning for Dawntrail, this knowledge transforms tomestones from a confusing menu of options into your most powerful tool for efficient, stress-free progression. Now go forth, earn your tomestones, and equip yourself for whatever challenges await in the ever-expanding world of FFXIV.
