Fastest Relic Weapons to Farm in FFXIV

Ranked by Time to Complete

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.

Some relic weapon chains can be completed relatively quickly through tomestone farming or repeatable content, while others demand major time investment through exploration zones, dungeon farming, rare drops, and multi-step upgrade paths.

This guide ranks the fastest relic weapons in FFXIV based on how quickly players can realistically complete them today, while also showing which systems require the heaviest long-term grind.

Fastest Relic Weapons in FFXIV

The ranking below compares each relic weapon system by modern completion speed, assuming players are farming these weapons after their original expansion release.

Rank	Relic System	Expansion	Average Time	Difficulty
1	Manderville Weapons	Endwalker	Very Fast	Easy
2	Phantom Weapons	Dawntrail	Fast	Moderate
3	Anima Weapons	Heavensward	Moderate	Moderate
4	Resistance Weapons	Shadowbringers	Long	Hard
5	Eureka Weapons	Stormblood	Very Long	Very Hard
6	Zodiac Weapons	A Realm Reborn	Extremely Long	Extremely Hard

These rankings focus on practical modern farming speed, not original expansion difficulty. Older relic chains remain much longer because of grind density, item requirements, and slower progression loops.

What Makes a Relic Weapon Fast or Slow?

Relic weapon completion time usually depends on three factors:

How predictable the grind is
How many required steps must be completed in sequence
Whether progression relies on tomestones, exploration zones, or rare drops

Modern relic systems tend to be faster because they reduce RNG and let players progress through repeatable, efficient content. Older relic systems usually take longer because they force players through multiple grind layers with less flexibility.

1 — Manderville Weapons

Manderville weapons are the fastest relic weapons to complete in the game.

Unlike earlier relic systems that require dungeon farming, FATE chains, or dedicated exploration content, Manderville progression is mainly tied to collecting Allagan Tomestones. That makes the grind predictable, efficient, and easy to optimize.

Best Sources of Progress

Expert Roulette
Alliance Raid Roulette
Trial Roulette
Level 90 dungeon farming

Typical completion time: a few hours to a couple of days depending on tomestone income.

Related guide: Manderville Weapons Guide

2 — Phantom Weapons

Phantom Weapons are one of the faster modern relic systems, but they require more varied activity than Manderville weapons.

The system pulls from multiple progression sources, including exploration content, roulettes, and open-world activity. That makes the grind more involved, but still much faster than most legacy relic systems.

Best Sources of Progress

FATE events
Critical Engagements
Duty Roulettes
Occult Crescent exploration content

Typical completion time: fast, but more active and varied than Manderville progression.

Related guide: Phantom Weapons Guide

3 — Anima Weapons

Anima weapons remain one of the most approachable legacy relic systems in the game.

Although the chain has multiple stages, most of the grind is built around repeatable dungeon clears and tomestone materials, which makes progress relatively stable compared to older relic systems.

This makes Anima weapons a strong middle-ground choice for players who want a relic grind that still feels meaningful without becoming excessively time-consuming.

Related guide: Anima Weapons Guide

4 — Resistance Weapons

Resistance weapons are tied heavily to the Bozjan Southern Front and related battlefield content.

Players have more than one progression route, but several stages still require significant farming through battlefield events, memory item collection, and raid-style content such as Delubrum Reginae.

That makes Resistance weapons longer and more demanding than the faster relic systems above.

Related guide: Resistance Weapons Guide

5 — Eureka Weapons

Eureka weapons remain one of the slowest relic systems because the grind is tied directly to the Eureka expedition zones and their unique progression model.

The need to build Elemental Rank, move through multiple zones, and farm zone-specific materials adds a large time cost that most newer relic systems simply do not have.

Progression Usually Involves

Leveling within Eureka zones
Farming Notorious Monster encounters
Collecting zone-specific upgrade items

Related guide: Eureka Weapons Guide

6 — Zodiac Weapons

Zodiac weapons remain the slowest relic chain in Final Fantasy XIV.

The original ARR relic path includes a long sequence of upgrade stages that combine FATE farming, dungeon clears, rare drops, crafted item turn-ins, and multiple older progression systems.

FATE grinding across multiple zones
Dungeon farming
Rare drop acquisition
Crafted item turn-ins

Even with modern adjustments, Zodiac weapons still represent one of the heaviest relic investments in the game.

Related guide: Zodiac Weapons Guide

Which Relic Weapon Should You Farm?

The best relic weapon to farm depends on what you want out of the grind.

Fastest completion: Manderville Weapons
Best modern alternative: Phantom Weapons
Balanced legacy grind: Anima Weapons
Large-scale battlefield progression: Resistance Weapons
Exploration-heavy grind: Eureka Weapons
Longest full relic journey: Zodiac Weapons

Players focused on glamour, fast completion, or checklist progression will usually want Manderville or Phantom weapons first. Players who enjoy long-form systems and unique side-content may prefer Eureka, Bozja, or Zodiac progression instead.