Garrison Guide for FFXI (Version 3.0) I see a lot of people on different forums asking questions about Garrison. In order to help, I will post as much as I know and hopefully that will answer any questions you may have. This is actually my third attempt at a Garrison Guide. The first two received good reviews, but were deemed to be missing some information. Hopefully, this version will be more complete. Legal Stuff This guide may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. ----- Table of Contents Section 1: What is Garrison? Section 2: Garrison levels, locations, and required items Section 3: What occurs during a Garrison raid? Section 4: What are the rewards of Garrison? Section 5: Preparation for Garrison events Section 6: How should I form a Garrison group? Section 7: Job Class Strategies Section 8: How do we organize/prioritize our targets? Section 9: Other tips -Use Ctrl-F and enter the specific section number you wish to find Section 1: What is Garrison? So you’ve heard about Garrison. All the cool people are doing it. Awe-inspiring massacres are becoming commonplace in zones just outside your door. But you are left in the dark. What is this Garrison? Garrison: (noun) the troops who maintain and guard a fortified place. The basic Garrison event involves some number of players (from 1 individual to a full alliance of 18) defending an outpost from an attacking force. The attacking force comes in 4 distinct waves, each of which involves high tier mobs with a variety of jobs. Each wave will usually include melee mobs (ex. Orcish Fighters and Serjeants), casters (ex. Orcish Cursemakers), and archers (ex. Orcish Chasseurs). The fourth and final wave will also include some form of boss mob or mobs that must be taken down quickly. Now, though an individual is able to participate on their own, I would not recommend doing so. As a matter of fact, I do not recommend attempting this with less than 15 people (and for any real chance at success, a full alliance should be used). To get an idea of this, try taking an Orcish Fighter in Ghelsba at level 20. Though not impossible, your chances of success are fairly low. This is not to say you should not try a Garrison run with fewer people. Indeed several people I have talked with have said that it is entirely possible to be successful with just six people. I, personally, have found it extremely difficult to complete a Garrison with just one party. I suggest trying it with different jobs and group sizes and figure out what works for you. Section 2: Garrison levels, locations, and required items In order to begin any Garrison, you must first find a specific item for the Garrison you intend to do. When the item is traded to an outpost guard, the guard will inform you of an impending attack. The items required for Garrison are: Level 20 Garrisons -West Ronfaure -requires a Red Cryptex obtained from Orcish Fighters in Yughott Grotto -West Sarutabaruta -requires a 7 Knot Quipis obtained from Yagudo Votarys in Giddeus -North Gustaberg -requires a Darksteel Engraving obtained from Copper Quadav in Pal. Mines Level 30 Garrisons -Jugner Forest -requires a Jade Cryptex obtained from Orcish Impalers, Bowshooters, Brawlers, and Beastriders in Davoi -Meriphataud Mountains -requires a 13 Knot Quipis obtained from Yagudo Interrogators, Drummers, and Heralds in Castle Oztroja -Pashhow Marshlands -requires a Silver Engraving obtained from Bronze and Zircon Quadavs in Beadeux -Valkurm Dunes -requires a Galka Fang Sack obtained from Goblin Furriers and Smithys in Ordelles Caves -Buburimu Peninsula -requires a Mithra Fang Sack obtained from Goblin Smithys and Shamans in Maze of Shakrami -Qufim Island -requires a Ram Leather Missive obtained from Giants in Qufim Island (including Delkfutt’s Tower) Level 40 Garrisons -Beaucidine Glacier -requires a Tiger Leather Missive obtained from Rime and Cold Gigas in Beaucidine Glacier -Sanctuary of ZiTah -requires a Hound Fang Sack obtained from Goblin Traders, Poachers, and Robbers in the Sanctuary of ZiTah -Yuhtunga Jungle -requires a Sheep Leather Missive obtained from Brook and Riparian Sahagins in Sea Serpent Grotto Level 50 Garrisons -Xarcabard -requires a Behemoth Leather Missive obtained from Demon Knights and Pawns in Xarcabard and Castle Zvahl -Eastern Altepa Desert -requires a Dhalmel Leather Missive obtained from Antican Princeps, Hastatus, Veles, and Secutors in Quicksand Caves and Eastern and Western Altepa Deserts -Yhoator Jungle -requires a Coeurl Leather Missive obtained from Tonberry Stalkers and Cutters in the Temple of Uggalepih Level 75 Garrison -Cape Terrigan -requires a Bunny Fang Sack obtained from Goblin Tamers in Kuftal Tunnel Note: This information can be found at http://mysterytour.web.infoseek.co.jp/ffxi/us/tips/garrison/garrison.htm along with specific listings of the types of mobs faced in each Garrison. Only one item is required for each round of Garrison (ie. Only the trader must have the item) and the items are Rare/Ex meaning they cannot be traded between players. The trader must be allied with the nation that currently controls the outpost you are using for Garrison. Otherwise, the item will not be accepted. Once, a specific Garrison related item is traded to the proper outpost (each player can only trade once per RL week, but only one person needs to trade for the whole group), all players are capped at a specific level and a number of friendly NPCs will spawn. These are NPCs that will fight along side you, but must be kept alive. At least one NPC must survive for Garrison to be successful, though the more you keep alive, the more items will drop at the end. Mobs will then spawn in waves and will automatically attack the NPCs. There is about 30 seconds between waves during which time you can rest. Section 3: What occurs during a Garrison raid? Explaining each Garrison would prove difficult, so I will use the West Ronfaure Garrison as an example. When you trade a Red Cryptex to the outpost guard in W Ronfaure, he will explain that the color of the rock and the number of nails in it is actually a coded message explaining that an attack is impending on the outpost. He will then ask that you help defend the outpost against the onslaught. At this point, all members of your group will be automatically capped at a specific level and a group of friendly NPCs will spawn. The number of NPCs that spawn is exactly equal to the number of people in your group (ie. a full alliance of 18 would have 18 NPCs to protect). This is followed shortly by a wave of Orcs. This continues for three more waves of orcs until all, including an Orc MNK boss, are defeated. If all mobs are defeated and at least one NPC remains standing, a number of items will drop into the collective treasure pool. These items are usually some mix of Exp Scrolls (Page from the Dragon Chronicles) and Garrison Armor (Garrison Sallet, Tunica, Gloves, Hose, and Boots). A good group can get 5 items per successful Garrison, but this directly relates to the number of NPCs that survive. A great group that saves 16 of 18 NPCs (one spawns for each player involved) can get six items per successful round (two scrolls and four pieces of armor). The armor, itself, is among the best for level 20 players as each has defense similar to other armor of that level, but also includes specific stat boosts. It is important to remember that even the most successful Garrison will only result in winning six items. That is six items for the entire Garrison. These six items will drop to the collective treasure pool ONLY after the trader speaks with the outpost guard. Be prepared to begin lotting (it may be advantageous to have the trader wait until everyone else is prepared and the group has reviewed any lotting rules). Section 4: What are the rewards of Garrison? As stated in the section above, a successful Garrison run will result in each player being given a certain amount of gil and a number of items dropping to the collective treasure pool. These items can then be lotted on by anyone in the group. The amount of gil one receives varies with the number of NPCs that remain alive and the level of Garrison you are participating in. Level 20 gap Garrisons usually result in about 1500 gil per player if successful. As well, certain items will also be won: Garrison Gear The type of gear that can be won from Garrison depends on the level cap of the Garrison being run. The gear that drops as reward is roughly the same level as the Garrison. There are four types of gear that can be received. 1) Garrison Armor This gear is around level 20 and, as such, is obtained from level 20 cap Garrisons. These pieces of gear are very similar to other level 20 gear (ie. Lizard and Beetle gear), but also provide a number of basic Stat boosts. Garrison Sallet (Head Gear) Level 19, All Jobs Def 5, MND +1, CHR +1 Garrison Tunica (Body Armor) Level 18, All Jobs Def 15, DEX +1, CHR +1 Garrison Gloves (Hand Armor) Level 20, All Jobs Def 4, VIT +1, INT +1 Garrison Hose (Leg Armor) Level 21, All Jobs Def 9, STR +1, DEX +1 Garrison Boots (Foot Armor) Level 18, All Jobs Def 4, INT +1, MND +1 Along with these level 20 armors, there are a number of level 20 enhancing accessories. Mercurial Earring Level 20, All Jobs Def 1, Garrison: Evasion +1 Variable Cape (Rare/Ex) Level 20, WHM/BLM/RDM/BRD/SMN Def 2, MP +3 Variable Mantle (Rare/Ex) Level 20, WAR/MNK/RDM/THF/PLD/DRK/BST/BRD/RNG/SAM/NIN/DRG Def 3 Variable Ring Level 20, All Jobs Garrison: MP+ 28, MP recovered while healing +1 Protean Ring Level 20, All Jobs Garrison: Attack +3, Ranged Attack +3 2) Military Weapons These weapons are around level 30 and are obtained from the level 30 cap Garrisons. Again, these weapons give certain stat boosts. Military Axe Level 28, WAR/DRK DMG 46, Delay 474, AGI +1 Military Gun Level 30, THF/RNG/NIN DMG 23, Delay 548, Ranged Attack +7 Military Harp Level 33, BRD “Finale” +2 Military Pick Level 28, WAR/DRK/BST/RNG DMG 24, Delay 260, Accuracy +1 Military Pole Level 33, MNK/WHM/BLM/RDM/PLD/BRD/RNG/SMN DMG 29, Delay 378, INT +1 Military Spear Level 28, WAR/PLD/SAM/DRG DMG 36, Delay 374, STR +1 3) Enhancing Earrings Accurate Earring Level 52, All Jobs Accuracy +2 Amorph Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Amorph Killer”, Enhances “Bird Killer” Aquan Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Aquan Killer”, Enhances “Amorph Killer” Arcana Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Arcana Killer”, Enhances “Undead Killer” Beast Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Beast Killer”, Enhances “Lizard Killer” Bird Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Bird Killer”, Enhances “Aquan Killer” Demon Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Demon Killer”, Enhances “Dragon Killer” Dragon Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Dragon Killer”, Enhances “Demon Killer” Lizard Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Lizard Killer”, Enhances “Vermin Killer” Plantoid Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Plantoid Killer”, Enhances “Beast Killer” Refresh Earring Level 50, All Jobs Garrison: Adds “Refresh” Effect Undead Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Undead Killer”, Enhances “Arcana Killer” Vermin Earring Level 50, All Jobs Weakens “Vermin Killer”, Enhances “Plantoid Killer” 4) Mighty Weapons Mighty Axe Level 73, WAR/DRK DMG 88, Delay 504, VIT +1, AGI +1, Firesday: DMG 98, [FIRE +15] Mighty Bow Level 70, WAR/RDM/THF/PLD/DRK/BST/RNG/SAM/NIN DMG 53, Delay 450, Rng ACC +5, Windsday: DMG 63, [WIND +15] Mighty Cudgel Level 70, WAR/MNK/WHM/BLM/PLD/SMN DMG 30, Delay 288, INT +1, MND +1, Firesday: INT +9, MND +9, [FIRE +15] Mighty Knife Level 73, WAR/RDM/THF/BST/BRD/RNG/RNG/NIN DMG 24, Delay 200, AGI +1, CHR +1, Windsday: DMG 31, [WIND +15] Mighty Lance Level 73, DRG DMG 87, Delay 507, VIT +2, Firesday: DMG 99, [FIRE +15] Mighty Patas Level 72, MNK DMG +17, Delay +96, Evasion +5, Firesday: DMG +22, [FIRE +15] Mighty Pick Level 73, WAR/DRK/BST/RNG DMG 47, Delay 312, VIT +1, CHR +1, Windsday: DMG 52, [WIND +15] Mighty Pole Level 72, WAR/MNK/WHM/BLM/PLD/BRD/DRG/SMN DMG 56, Delay 402, Windsday: Elemental, Divine Magic +13, [WIND +15] Mighty Sword Level 72, WAR/PLD/DRK DMG 75, Delay 444, STR +1, DEX +1, Firesday: DMG 84, [FIRE +15] Mighty Talwar Level 72, WAR/RDM/PLD/DRK DMG 40, Delay 240, DEX +2, Windsday: DMG 48, [WIND +15] Mighty Zaghnal Level 72, WAR/DRK/BST DMG 86, Delay 494, INT +2, Windsday: DMG 94, [WIND +15] Nukemaru Level 73, SAM DMG 77, Delay 450, STR +2, Firesday: DMG 87, [FIRE +15] Rai Kunimitsu Level 74, NIN DMG 34, Delay 227, Critical Hit Rate +5%, Firesday: DMG 41, [FIRE +15] Experience Scrolls The second type of item that can be received from Garrison are experience scrolls. These scrolls, when used, will give the player a random number of experience points. This random number is between two boundaries that vary with the type of scroll used. There are two types of these experience scrolls: 1) Page from the Dragon Chronicles This scroll is the same as the scroll you receive for a successful Eco-Warrior quest. These scrolls give between 500 and 1000 experience points when used. 2) Miratete’s Memoirs (Unknown) Mannequin Pieces When the relatively new mannequin quest was introduced to the game, Garrison mobs became the source of two pieces of the mannequin required for this quest: the mannequin legs and mannequin feet. These drop mid-battle as regular drops from the Garrison mobs. Mannequin Legs (Rare) – The wooden legs of a display mannequin Mannequin Feet (Rare) – The wooden feets of a display mannequin Section 5: Preparation for Garrison Unlike Eco-warrior events where each person is guaranteed a reward if successful and preparation is minimal, Garrison requires a great deal of planning and organization to run smoothly. Because only 5-6 items drop per successful round, I suggest setting up strict lotting rules before the event even begins. This may become difficult to control as having 18 people lot on six items using a ruleset is fairly hectic. With practice and a good group though, it should run fairly smoothly. As well, since there will usually be 18 players involved, it may be a good idea to run several rounds in a row so that each person may receive an item. This is the best way to be fair, but will require more planning. Each round of Garrison will require one item, so you must ensure you have an adequate number of traders. Also, each round takes about 8-10 minutes, but a 30 minute wait period exists between Garrison rounds. This gives ample time to rest up and build tp between raids, but can make multiple runs very time consuming. As a note, I find it always polite to shout a warning to the entire area before beginning any Garrison. Something along the lines of “Warning! Garrison at outpost! Stay clear for safety.” This warning has a three-pronged effect: 1) people who are either unaware or unprepared can stay clear of the immediate area and keep themselves safe from AoE attacks 2) people who are aware, prepared, and of sufficient level can come by and spectate 3) several bad players who are not prepared will run to the outpost and will be killed by random AoE attacks. We call this Darwinism. Okay, the third was a joke, but you get my point. You will find that when doing Garrison, many people will show up to watch. You will see random shouts of panic and even see people walk right into the middle of the battle. Most of these mobs have some form of AoE attack and you will see many people outside your alliance die. In general, it is always good to shout a warning for everyone’s sake. Make sure your gear is appropriate for the level cap. There is literally no time for you to change gear after you are capped. The mobs spawn almost immediately and will instantly aggro the NPCs you are supposed to protect. You have to be ready to go the second Garrison starts. As your group gathers and organizes for Garrison, all melee players should start killing any and all mobs in the area. This will cut down on lag, possible links, and will also help everyone build full tp. Full tp can then be used for Weaponskills in the first wave, which may prove vital as clearing the first wave of mobs quickly may mean the difference between success and failure. Just before starting a Garrison raid, each member of your group should use any food that best suits their role. Suggestions for food are covered below in the Job Class Strategy section. Also, all members should receive the highest enhancing spells available from the WHMs. Enhancing spells will remain after the automatic cap is placed on your level, so having the WHMs cast Protect III and Shell III on tanks is very important. These mobs hit hard and fast, and you will need all the buffs you can get. Only once everyone is prepared, the designated leader should signal the trader to start and everyone should prepare for War. Section 6: How should I form a Garrison group? Garrison is one of the most fun events to participate in IF you have a good group. This makes a great LS event as a large group can work together and reap rewards. Personally, I would recommend avoiding pick up groups for two very simple reasons: 1) there is a good chance of dying and you want to know that the people with you can do their jobs properly. 2) though a successful Garrison rewards each player with gil, the limited number of reward items can cause stress between players. Organization is also a very important part of running a successful Garrison. You will require a certain number of specific jobs in order to optimize your chances of winning. This is another reason why pick up groups may suffer. This is not to say that Garrison cannot be successfully completed with a pick up group. In my opinion though, your group will be far more efficient and successful if everyone knows they can trust the people around them. Section 7: Job Class Strategies It is difficult to create good strategies for Garrison. With the excessive amount of lag involved coupled with an incredibly high number of mob targets, most complex strategies will break down. As for specific job class strategy, there are a few simple concepts that can greatly increase your chances of success. -> Melee Characters All melee characters should at the very least sub WAR to provide multiple provokes. The mobs will instantly aggro the NPCs and must be voked off in order for them to survive. This is also very important as your mages will be doing a great deal of healing which will cause them to draw aggro. It is the job of any melee character to pull as much hate as possible. At least one melee character per round will have to be assigned as tank to the boss mob. I suggest either a Paladin (to use Invincible) or a THF (to use Perfect Dodge) for this role. The boss mob will use their two hour which will kill most capped players. Melee characters should also bring along an adequate supply of melee oriented foods. Mithkabobs are the food I would most recommend as they increase your damage output. -> Mages The WHM is the backbone of a successful Garrison. With 18 players, 18 NPCs and multiple target mobs, things get hectic quickly and a WHM has to keep up with healing. Most people will tell you to have three WHM, one per party, to be safe, but to get the best possible reward, I recommend having four WHMs. Three to heal the individual parties and a fourth dedicated to healing the NPCs. As mp permits, it is often wise to heal as many NPCs between waves as possible. BLMs should not rely on nuking. Instead, these mages should stick with enfeebling the mobs to make the role of the melee characters easier. You do not want to draw aggro in this situation and nuking will most likely lead to your death. You make a much more effective member of the team by sticking with weakening the enemies. RDMs should find a good midpoint between these two strategies, though healing should be foremost. Mages should also make sure they bring appropriate food supplies. Pies to increase your total mp and juices to provide mp refresh are incredibly important. Every mp point will count during Garrison, so you want to ensure that you are optimizing your abilities. Mages (or any job class capable of kiting/sleeping a mob) also play a very important role between Garrison rounds. In order to give your group enough time to recuperate, many groups will employ the “Sleep Trick.” This involves taking a single mob out of range of the battle and sleeping it. The next wave will not spawn until this mob is killed, giving your group ample time to rest to full. It is, however, very important that the mob be kept well clear of the battle as the friendly NPCs will attack and kill it if you don’t. Section 8: How do we organize/prioritize our targets? The sheer number of targets will make it almost impossible to designate specific players to specific mobs. Rather, it is better to have people organize around certain areas so that they are near the mob spawn points. This will take practice. There are, however, some basic strategies and priorities that can be suggested to your group. Though it is the melee mobs that will do the most damage in a strict sense, the caster mobs are more dangerous. They attack from a distance and often bind players, which is very bad. Caster mobs should be high priority for attack. Players should provoke as often as is possible. There will be lots of damage and hate flying, so each player should do their utmost to help the group. The boss mob(s) should be killed as quickly as possible, but must be tanked very carefully. To this end, it is vital to designate one player as the tank for the boss mob. During the fourth wave, this player should stay out of the battle until the boss mob spawns so that they are prepared to provoke him. The tank should usually be a PLD or a THF as their two-hour abilities will enable them to tank extremely damaging attacks without losing hp. Remember that mobs have 2 hour abilities, too. A MNK type boss will use Hundred Fists, which will tear apart any tank not using an appropriate 2 hour. The tank should be prepared to possibly die if a mistake occurs. Section 9: Other tips Have all members of your group stand near the outpost guard, but facing in the other direction. This is the direction from which the mob waves will spawn. The waves will spawn in lines just beyond the outpost. Avoid using macros. It is quite easy for macros to fail given the amount of action. Turn off all effects. Even some of the better systems will experience lag with the sheer amount of models involved. It is even recommended that you turn on all chat filters to cut down on lag. Don't be angry if you die. It happens. If you are raised, you can still receive gil and lot for items. Once the round is done, the person who traded the item should NOT speak with the outpost guard until everyone is ready. All defeated players should be raised and all discussion should cease as there is limited time for 18 players to lot on five items fairly. Making strategies and plans is often a mistake. Garrison is exceedingly hectic and laggy which makes even the simplest organization difficult. Your best bet is to simply target the nearest character and handle them as the situation requires. Melee should voke and attack any mob they target, mages should heal any friendly NPCs they come across. Note: This is a level cap battle meaning that any and all players who do not have the cap are unable to interact with either players or mobs. Therefore, it is impossible to get help curing from people outside your alliance. --- This should provide a good basis for a Garrison event. Given time, a good group should be able to finish this event successfully everytime. My LS and I take part in several Garrisons every week. All strategies provided have been worked out over multiple attempts and with the input of many players (basically the entire ShirtNinja LS). There are general rules that our LS uses for every Garrison and having every participant read them ahead of time helps us stay organized and efficient. I suggest you and your LS or group set up your own ruleset that every player can understand and agree upon. It will really help eliminate some of the headaches associated with such a complex event. I would like to thank my LS, the ShirtNinjas, for helping me develop this guide. I’d also like to thank everyone who helped me with my first Garrison guides, as I used their suggestions to update information. Also, specific item information was found using Mysterytour. Good luck to you all. Copyright 2004, Matthew Peddle