Fastest & Easiest Relic Weapons in FFXIV — Ranked by Time & Effort

Relic weapons are one of the longest-running progression systems in Final Fantasy XIV, but not every relic grind takes the same amount of time — or the same amount of effort. Some chains are fast and almost frictionless. Others demand weeks of exploration zone farming, rare drops, and coordinated content.

This guide ranks every relic weapon system by how quickly and easily players can realistically complete them today, assuming you’re farming after the original expansion’s release window. Rankings focus on practical modern speed, not how hard they were at launch.

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Relic Weapons Ranked by Speed & Ease

#	Relic System	Expansion	Time	Difficulty	Solo-Friendly
1	Manderville Weapons	Endwalker	Very Fast	Easy	Yes
2	Phantom Weapons	Dawntrail	Fast	Moderate	Mostly
3	Anima Weapons	Heavensward	Moderate	Moderate	Mostly
4	Resistance Weapons	Shadowbringers	Long	Hard	Partial
5	Eureka Weapons	Stormblood	Very Long	Very Hard	Mostly
6	Zodiac Weapons	A Realm Reborn	Extremely Long	Extremely Hard	Mostly

Rankings reflect modern completion speed, not original expansion difficulty. Solo-Friendly refers to whether the majority of the grind can be completed without other players.

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Fastest vs Easiest — At a Glance

Speed and ease are closely related but not identical. A relic can be fast but still annoying (Phantom requires learning Occult Crescent systems). A relic can be long but still soloable (Eureka is time-consuming but self-paced). The table below shows both dimensions so you can find what fits your situation.

Relic	Fastest?	Easiest?	Best For
Manderville	★★★★★	★★★★★	First relic, fast completion, pure tomestone grind
Phantom	★★★★★	★★★★★	Current content players already in Dawntrail
Anima	★★★★★	★★★★★	Legacy feel without punishing time cost
Resistance	★★★★★	★★★★★	Bozja & battlefield content grinders
Eureka	★★★★★	★★★★★	Exploration-focused, self-paced grinders
Zodiac	★★★★★	★★★★★	Full ARR completionists, long-haul collectors

If you’re looking for the easiest relic weapon in FFXIV, Manderville Weapons are the clear answer — simple tomestone requirements, no exploration zone learning curve, and fully soloable from start to finish.

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What Makes a Relic Fast or Hard?

Relic completion time and difficulty usually come down to a few consistent factors. Understanding them helps you pick a system that fits the way you actually want to play.

What makes a relic fast and easy: predictable grind with tomestones over RNG; efficient repeatable content available at any time; no zone-specific systems to learn first; soloable from start to finish; progress carries across sessions cleanly.

What makes a relic slow and hard: locked behind exploration zones like Eureka or Bozja; multi-stage grind with RNG item drops; requires other players for key steps; prerequisite systems with their own separate progression; rare crafted materials or turn-in gating.

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1 — Manderville Weapons

Manderville Weapons are the fastest and easiest relic weapons in FFXIV. Unlike every other relic system, progression is tied almost entirely to Allagan Tomestones — a currency you accumulate naturally through roulettes and dungeon runs. There is no exploration zone to learn, no RNG item farming, and no steps that require other players.

For players who want a completed relic weapon without a major time investment, this is the clear starting point. The grind is predictable, efficient, and easy to run alongside other content.

Best sources of progress: Expert Roulette · Alliance Raid Roulette · Trial Roulette · Level 90 dungeon farming

Full Manderville Weapons Guide →

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2 — Phantom Weapons

Phantom Weapons are one of the faster modern relic systems, but they require more varied activity than Manderville. Progression draws from multiple sources including exploration content, roulettes, and open-world activity — meaning the grind is still approachable, but you’ll need to engage with the Occult Crescent zone and its systems.

If you’re already active in Dawntrail content, Phantom Weapons are a natural second choice. The increased involvement over Manderville comes with more engaging progression variety.

Best sources of progress: FATE events · Critical Engagements · Duty Roulettes · Occult Crescent exploration

Full Phantom Weapons Guide →

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3 — Anima Weapons

Anima Weapons are the most approachable legacy relic system in the game. Despite having multiple stages, most of the grind runs through repeatable dungeon clears and tomestone materials — making progress stable and predictable compared to the older Zodiac chain.

For players who want a legacy relic that still feels like a meaningful grind without becoming punishing, Anima hits a solid middle ground. It takes longer than the modern systems, but it doesn’t demand exploration zone learning or coordinated group content for most stages.

Full Anima Weapons Guide →

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4 — Resistance Weapons

Resistance Weapons are heavily tied to the Bozjan Southern Front and its related battlefield content. Multiple farming routes exist, but several key stages demand significant time through battlefield events, memory item collection, and Delubrum Reginae — which requires a coordinated group.

This is the right system if you enjoy the Bozja zone and battlefield gameplay. The content is engaging and well-designed, but the time cost is substantially higher than the relics ranked above it.

Full Resistance Weapons Guide →

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5 — Eureka Weapons

Eureka Weapons remain one of the slowest relic systems in the game because progression is locked inside the Eureka expedition zones and their unique leveling model. You must build Elemental Rank across four separate zones — Anemos, Pagos, Pyros, and Hydatos — before completing the weapon chain.

The grind is long, but it’s self-paced and mostly soloable. Players who enjoy the zone-crawling, NM train-catching style of content often find Eureka genuinely enjoyable rather than just a grind to endure. But if you’re looking for the easiest relic weapon, this is not it.

Progression involves: Leveling within Eureka zones · Notorious Monster encounters · Zone-specific upgrade items

Full Eureka Weapons Guide →

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6 — Zodiac Weapons

Zodiac Weapons are the slowest relic chain in FFXIV. The original ARR relic path runs through a long sequence of upgrade stages combining FATE farming, dungeon clears, rare drops, crafted item turn-ins, materia infusion, and multiple older progression systems. Even with modern adjustments, this chain represents the heaviest relic investment in the game.

Zodiac weapons are for players who want the prestige of completing the original relic journey, or who are pursuing full ARR completionism. They are not for players looking for the easiest or fastest relic weapon.

Progression involves: FATE grinding across multiple zones · Dungeon farming · Rare drop acquisition · Crafted item turn-ins · Materia infusion

Full Zodiac Weapons Guide →

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Best First Relic to Farm

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Which Relic Weapon Should You Farm?

The right relic depends on what you want from the experience — fast completion, legacy prestige, exploration content, or something in between.

Goal	Recommended Relic	Why
Fastest completion	Manderville Weapons	Pure tomestone grind. No RNG, fully soloable, runs alongside other content.
Easiest relic weapon	Manderville Weapons	Lowest barrier to entry. No exploration zones, no prerequisite systems.
Best modern alternative	Phantom Weapons	Faster than legacy relics. Good fit for current content players.
Balanced legacy grind	Anima Weapons	Multi-stage feel without punishing RNG or zone prerequisites.
Battlefield progression	Resistance Weapons	Best for players who enjoy Bozja and large-scale battlefield content.
Exploration grind	Eureka Weapons	Long but self-paced. Rewarding for players who enjoy zone-crawl content.
Longest full journey	Zodiac Weapons	The original relic chain. For completionists who want it all.