Grand Company Adventurer Squadrons give you AI allies you can manage, send on missions, and run with in special dungeons. I’ve led squadrons for years and I’ll tell you plainly: they save time, help level jobs, and can be a steady source of gil and materials if you treat them like a small, unpaid staff. Honestly, many players ignore them — that’s a mistake.
Getting the Squadron
To use a squadron you must reach Second Lieutenant in any Grand Company and complete the mid-game main scenario quest “The Ultimate Weapon” (level ~47). The unlock quest appears at your company HQ; it teaches recruitment, basic management, and gives your first recruit. I’ve noticed people skip the tutorial and then wonder why their missions fail. Don’t do that.
How Recruitment Works
Recruitment comes from weekly challenge-log entries that refresh every Tuesday (yes, every week — I track mine since 2024-06-12). Complete marked activities: dungeons, FATEs, crafting HQ items, gathering — each finished objective can net a recruit opportunity when you visit the barracks.
| Squad Class | Main Stat | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Gladiator / Marauder | Physical | Tank |
| Pugilist / Lancer | Physical | Melee DPS |
| Archer | Physical | Ranged DPS |
| Conjurer | Mental | Healer |
| Thaumaturge / Arcanist | Mental | Magical DPS |
Stats come in three buckets: Physical, Mental, Tactical. These decide mission fits. Tactical raises mission success. Why care? Because sending a mismatched squad wastes seals and time. So check stats first.
Training and Timing
Train members with company seals. Sessions take between 1 and 18 real hours depending on intensity. Training costs rise fast; I’ve spent too many seals learning that the hard way. Prioritize the attribute you need for current missions — don’t try to max everyone at once (this doesn’t always work and it costs seals).
Short missions (1–4 hours) are great between play sessions; long ones (8–18 hours) should go out before you log off overnight. Watch weekly resets so you don’t lose recruitment chances. Also, keep a small seals buffer for surprise training or recruitment.
Mission Types and Rewards
There are three practical mission types: exploration (XP, crafting mats, gil), combat (gear, materia, consumables), and strategic (rare drops like minions or orchestrion rolls). Match your roster to the mission’s three stat requirements to hit 100% success.
If Squadron Stats ≥ Requirements → High Success (100%)
If 80%–99% → OK (60–80%)
If <80% → Likely Failure
Yes, it’s that simple. But here’s the funny part: sometimes running several short, easy missions nets more seals-per-hour than grinding one long, risky mission. Counterintuitive? Absolutely, and it depends on your niche — there are exceptions.
Command Missions — Why They Matter
Command missions let you take three squad members into select dungeons instead of players. They give strong experience for both you and the squad, so use them to level alternate jobs and avoid long queuing. The AI handles most mechanics; they’ll struggle with very complex fights, though (watch this). Use them repeatedly when you need steady XP without roulette penalties.
Pro tip from me: run command missions to level DPS jobs quickly — the instant group formation is liberating!
Advanced Tips and a Few Opinions
- I recommend a diverse eight-member roster instead of all-in on one stat. It keeps you flexible.
- Track each member’s strengths (spreadsheet or notes). I did that on 2025-03-02 and it saved hours.
- Controversial take: some players say squadrons are only for alt-leveling — I disagree. You can farm niche materials and cosmetics effectively if you plan.
- Another hot opinion: balancing every stat is often worse than specializing a few members for your common missions.
Why these choices? Because the game rewards matching supply (your squad) to demand (mission requirements). When you know the why, you waste less seals and time. To be fair, there are design limits: AI won’t improvise like a party of humans, so for very tight, mechanic-heavy runs you’ll still want real teammates.
Practical Routine
- Check challenge-log on Tuesday for recruit chances.
- Deploy long missions before sleep; shorter ones when active.
- Train the attribute you need next, not everything immediately.
- Use command missions for steady job XP and repeat when efficient.
Analogy time: treat your squadron like a slow-rolling bank account — small deposits over time pay off. Or like a potted herb garden; if you water the right plant at the right time, you’ll harvest sooner. Sometimes I stumble explaining this — but you get it, right?
Final Notes
Mastering squadrons takes patience, planning, and a bit of bookkeeping. I’ve found that a steady, planned approach beats frantic seal-spending every week. There are exceptions, of course — and if you disagree, tell me why (I’ll probably argue back!).
Surprisingly, many players still undervalue this system. Use it well and it will quietly support nearly every part of your Final Fantasy XIV play: leveling, pocket money, and collections. Try it — and don’t forget to check the barracks every Tuesday!
