Expansion Overview
Heavensward stops teaching and starts testing.
Mechanics are layered immediately. Adds matter. Positioning matters. Cooldowns matter. Recovery windows are tighter, and hesitation is punished faster than in A Realm Reborn.
ARR allowed mistakes to build slowly.
Heavensward exposes them immediately.
This expansion assumes you understand your role. If you don’t, it becomes obvious.
Heavensward contains 18 four-player dungeons across launch and patch content.
All difficulty ratings are calculated using the Guild Risk Model, evaluating Tank Risk, Healer Strain, DPS Responsibility, and Wipe Punishment under level-synced Duty Finder conditions.
For full expansion comparisons, see the complete FFXIV Dungeon Rankings.
Difficulty Profile
Heavensward is mechanically consistent from start to finish.
Even early leveling dungeons demand clean add control and correct positioning. Mid-tier encounters tighten burst windows. Late-tier dungeons leave very little room for overlapping mistakes.
Healer strain rises. DPS execution becomes decisive. Tank mitigation remains mandatory — but poor positioning is punished harder than before.
Most wipes in Heavensward are not gear problems.
They are execution problems.
Heavensward Dungeons (3.0–3.5)
Patch 3.0 (Launch)
- The Dusk Vigil
- Sohm Al
- The Aery
- The Vault
- The Great Gubal Library
- The Aetherochemical Research Facility
- Neverreap
- The Fractal Continuum
Patch 3.1
Patch 3.2
Patch 3.3
Patch 3.4
Patch 3.5
Heavensward Dungeon Difficulty Ranking (Highest to Lowest)
Here is the correct order based on the scores we assigned:
| Rank | Dungeon | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Aetherochemical Research Facility | 4.5 |
| 2 | Sohm Al (Hard) | 4.5 |
| 3 | The Vault | 4.4 |
| 4 | The Lost City of Amdapor (Hard) | 4.4 |
| 5 | The Great Gubal Library (Hard) | 4.4 |
| 6 | Baelsar’s Wall | 4.4 |
| 7 | The Aery | 4.3 |
| 8 | Saint Mocianne’s Arboretum | 4.3 |
| 9 | Pharos Sirius (Hard) | 4.3 |
| 10 | Sohr Khai | 4.3 |
| 11 | Hullbreaker Isle (Hard) | 4.3 |
| 12 | Xelphatol | 4.3 |
| 13 | Neverreap | 4.3 |
| 14 | The Fractal Continuum | 4.3 |
| 15 | Sohm Al | 4.2 |
| 16 | The Great Gubal Library | 4.2 |
| 17 | The Antitower | 4.2 |
| 18 | The Dusk Vigil | 4.0 |
Heavensward Dungeon Progression Order
| Order | Dungeon | Patch | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Dusk Vigil | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| 2 | Sohm Al | 3.0 | 4.2 |
| 3 | The Aery | 3.0 | 4.3 |
| 4 | The Vault | 3.0 | 4.4 |
| 5 | The Great Gubal Library | 3.0 | 4.2 |
| 6 | The Aetherochemical Research Facility | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| 7 | Neverreap | 3.0 | 4.3 |
| 8 | The Fractal Continuum | 3.0 | 4.3 |
| 9 | Saint Mocianne’s Arboretum | 3.1 | 4.3 |
| 10 | Pharos Sirius (Hard) | 3.1 | 4.3 |
| 11 | The Antitower | 3.2 | 4.2 |
| 12 | The Lost City of Amdapor (Hard) | 3.2 | 4.4 |
| 13 | Sohr Khai | 3.3 | 4.3 |
| 14 | Hullbreaker Isle (Hard) | 3.3 | 4.3 |
| 15 | Xelphatol | 3.4 | 4.3 |
| 16 | The Great Gubal Library (Hard) | 3.4 | 4.4 |
| 17 | Baelsar’s Wall | 3.5 | 4.4 |
| 18 | Sohm Al (Hard) | 3.5 | 4.5 |
Tier Summary
Heavensward is disciplined.
Damage is predictable. Mechanics are readable. Expectations are clear.
If the group executes, the dungeon clears without mishaps.
If mechanics are ignored, it’s potentially game over.
There is less chaos than late ARR, and less forgiveness.
Heavensward rewards awareness, positioning, and coordinated damage. It punishes impatience.
This is where dungeon design begins demanding consistency from every role.
Heavensward marks the point where dungeon design becomes consistently execution-driven. Players who clear this tier are prepared for Stormblood’s increased mechanical density.