Final Fantasy XIV’s retainer system is undervalued by many players, and I say that from years of play and market selling on multiple servers. In my experience they do three practical jobs: extra storage, market selling, and gathering rewards from ventures. Honestly, once you set them up right they save hours of grinding and a lot of gil.
You’ve got at least two retainers free after the MSQ step “The Scions of the Seventh Dawn” at level 17. Visit a retainer bell in Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, or Ul’dah and you’ll be able to hire one. I’ve noticed some players skip the setup because it feels fiddly; that’s a mistake.
Quick fact table (accurate as of June 1, 2025):
| Feature | Detail | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Storage per retainer | 175 item slots | MSQ level 17 unlock |
| Market listings per retainer | 10 active listings | Retainer setup complete |
| Max retainers | 8 total (paid add-on) | Optional add-on via Mog Station |
Why this matters: extra slots and market listings are how you move from clutter to profit. If you hoard without selling, you’ll run out of inventory and opportunities. To be fair, some people like collecting; that’s fine. But if you’re selling, organized retainers pay back their upkeep many times over.
Setting one up is quick. Go to a retainer bell, pick “Hire a Retainer,” pick appearance, name, and the starting class. Pick a combat class that matches a job you’ve already leveled; retainers can’t exceed your job level. Equip basic gear before you send them on ventures—don’t send them out naked! (It won’t end well.)
Simple checklist for your first retainer:
- Finish “The Scions of the Seventh Dawn” MSQ to level 17
- Hire at a retainer bell
- Choose name and class
- Equip any weapon or armor you can spare
- Send them on a venture and set market permissions
Here’s the funny part: names show up on the market board when you sell, so choose something that fits your style. I’ve used themed names across my retainers and buyers remember them—useful for reputation.
Retainer ventures: how they make gil
Ventures send retainers out to come back with items and XP while you play something else. There are several venture types with different risk/reward profiles. Field Explorations are steady and predictable. Quick Explorations can drop rare minions or glamour but are less reliable. Long Explorations are for AFK players and return bulk mats after many hours. Some ventures require tokens; you get those from Grand Company turn-ins and certain repeatable content (depends on your server and current events).
| Venture Type | Typical Duration | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Exploration | ~1 hour | Chance at rare items |
| Field Exploration | 40–60 minutes | Consistent materials and XP |
| Hunting/Mining | 40–60 minutes | Specific craft materials |
| Long Exploration | 18+ hours | Bulk farming while AFK |
Check market prices before you commit a retainer to fetch certain materials—markets shift after each patch. For example, patch 7.0 on March 18, 2025 pushed new crafting recipes that spiked demand for certain crystals on many data centers. If you ignore price data, you may collect items nobody buys—unfortunately, that happens a lot.
Market board and storage tactics
Retainers act as your shopkeepers. Each one can list up to 10 items at a time (so two retainers = 20 listings). If you subscribe to the optional add-on and purchase extra slots via Mog Station, you can list much more. Why is timing important? Because people buy consumables before raid nights and on weekends. Post then, not only when you feel like it.
Quick price rule (practical):
// price calc example
lowest = 15000;
your_price = lowest - 1; // undercut by 1 gil to stay competitive
That formula works because very small undercuts keep your profits intact. However, there are exceptions—some servers reward bulk sellers who price slightly higher but provide fast delivery and reputation. It depends on your niche.
“Research, time your listings, and clean expired entries regularly.” — practical advice from my market work
Tip: organize retainers by role. One for crafting mats; another for glam and equipment. We found that clear categories reduce accidental vendor sells and speed up restocking.
Combat vs gathering retainers
Combat retainers can be any Disciple of War or Magic job you’ve unlocked and leveled. They’re good at varied ventures and sometimes return equipment or heavy materials. Gathering retainers (Miner, Botanist, Fisher) fetch node-based materials and rare items you’d otherwise grind. I recommend at least one of each gathering class on your main to unlock retainer potential.
Why choose gathering retainers? Because they can grab things you won’t bother farming—rare fish or timed plant nodes—so they save your real time. An analogy: retainers are like vending machines in a mall; you stock them and they quietly sell while you sleep.
One counterintuitive insight: a mid-level retainer with decent gear often out-earns a low-level retainer even if the venture is longer. Level matters less than correct equipment in many cases—so gear upgrades are often the best early investment.
Leveling and gear
Send retainers on the highest-level Field Exploration they can consistently finish. Keep a spare set of gear that’s 5–10 levels ahead in their inventory so you can upgrade immediately. This small habit increases success rates and returns.
Be cautious: changing a retainer’s class resets them to level 1. That detail surprises newcomers and wastes time if you switch often.
Controversial take: buying all eight retainer slots immediately is a waste for many players. If you’re a hardcore crafter and you sell daily, go for it. If you play casually, two well-managed retainers do most of the heavy lifting. Debate me? Fine—it’s personal, but here’s the math: more listings = more potential sales, but also more time spent relisting and managing prices.
Oddly enough, some of my most profitable months came from focusing on one popular consumable rather than hoarding dozens of items. Focus beats scattershot in most markets.
Practical examples and a small checklist
- Equip the retainer with a weapon first; it affects venture success most.
- Use Field Explorations for steady XP gain.
- Send one retainer on long runs overnight for bulk mats.
- Monitor market prices every 2–3 days (patches change values fast).
Short note: the retainer UI will show venture rewards and durations; read it before hitting send.
To wrap up—well, not a formal wrap—this is what I do: two combat retainers, one miner, one botanist, and I rotate the others through market-selling duties. It took months to reach a smooth rhythm, but by January 12, 2025 my routine covered most of my crafting needs. You’ll get there, too. Be patient, check prices, and don’t buy into every piece of advice you read (including mine—use what fits you).
One last weird tip (between us): name a retainer something memorable and slightly cheeky. Buyers talk, and repeat customers help more than you think. Surprising, right? Yep.
