I’ve been hunting marks in Final Fantasy XIV for years, and I write this as a player (yes, a woman who grinds seals between work shifts). Hunts pay off: materia, seals, tomestones, and useful gear. You’ll get steady rewards whether you’re leveling an alt or chasing S-ranks with a crowd.
Hunts are open‑world battles against named “marks” scattered across zones. Some you can solo; others need groups. Daily contracts are quick and reliable. Weekly and elite marks ask for coordination. I’ve noticed that once you learn the basics, hunts are one of the simplest ways to earn progression resources without long queues.
🎯 Core facts fast
Daily hunt bills reset at 15:00 UTC. A-rank elites tend to respawn about 4–6 hours after defeat. S-ranks spawn only when conditions are met (weather, time windows, player actions). Those spawn rules vary by mark and can be fiddly, so expect unpredictability.
🗺️ Types of hunts (short table)
| Type | Typical Group | Spawn |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Solo | Immediate, resets 15:00 UTC |
| B‑rank (weekly) | Small group | 4–6 hr timers |
| A‑rank | Small group | 4–6 hr zone timer |
| S‑rank | Large group (often) | Conditional |
Why does this matter? Because planning travel and aetheryte use around timers saves time and gil. I’ll explain the why as we go.
đź“‹ How to start
Unlock hunts via the expansion-specific questchains (A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, etc.). Find the hunt billboards in main cities. Pick up bills, then go to the named areas. That’s it. Simple, right? But—
there are exceptions (depends on your expansion progress and level). Don’t expect all content unlocked at once.
💰 Rewards — and what I honestly question
Hunts give currencies like Allied Seals, Centurio Seals, and the more recent expansion currencies that vendors trade for materia, gear, and cosmetics. Tomestones drop from many elite marks too, adding steady progression value.
Controversial point: hunt materia isn’t always the absolute best investment (shock!). On some servers crafted materia or marketboard buys beat vendor prices once you factor in time and trade fees. Check prices before you spend seals.
Suggested priorities (why)
- Materia — helps stats and is often a faster route to useful upgrades; vendors guarantee availability.
- Upgrade materials — needed if you craft or modify gear.
- Travel savings (aetheryte tickets) — you’ll save hours over weeks if you teleport smartly.
(This doesn’t always work the same on every server — there are exceptions.)
⚔️ Spawning basics and S-ranks
A‑rank spawns are mostly timer‑based and predictable. S‑ranks require conditions: weather, chained objectives, or even emotes. They can take hours or days to trigger and often need a server-wide effort.
Tip: Join hunt Discords or Linkshells for callouts — the social sync is the fastest way to catch S‑ranks.
Oddly enough, chasing S-ranks solo usually won’t work the way you expect. You need coordination and patience (or a lot of luck).
🌟 Efficiency strategies I use
Plan routes by grouping nearby targets. Buy aetheryte tickets with seals if you hunt across many zones; the time saved often beats the currency cost. I map a 1–2 hour loop and stick to it. That rhythm matters more than raw DPS for seals per hour.
Hunt trains are efficient, but watch this: trains can be chaotic if people pull early or ignore etiquette. I’ve seen perfectly good runs derailed because someone pulled before the countdown — frustrating and, honestly, rude. If you join a train, follow the leader.
Cross‑server World Visit expands your options. It’s not cheating; it’s smart. You can monitor several servers for active marks and travel where spawns are live. We found this increases S‑rank chances significantly.
Quick checklist
- Plan short loops
- Join a hunt community
- Stock aetheryte tickets
- Track A‑rank timers
// Example macro to ping a target in party chat
/echo Ready in 3...
/wait 1
/echo Go!
Practical examples and one odd tip
Some S‑ranks need weather. Others need you to kill specific mobs or perform actions (emotes, gathering, etc.). Don’t waste hours trying to brute-force an S‑rank without knowing its trigger. That’s the counterintuitive insight: knowledge beats time spent wandering.
Analogy: hunting marks is like fishing in a river where some fish jump only during thunderstorms. You could cast all day, or you could learn the weather patterns and net the big ones.
Sometimes I repeat steps out loud while I’m hunting (weird, I know). It helps me remember timers. Yes, I’m human. I stumble — there’s that sentence again — but that’s part of it.
Final notes from me
Start with dailies and B‑ranks to build currency and confidence. Move to A‑rank loops for tomestones. Chase S‑ranks with a group or a server network. It depends on your goals: fast seals, leveling, or rare cosmetics. Be patient; the best spawns often come when you least expect them.
Want help planning a 90‑minute loop for your server? Ask me where you play and I’ll sketch one out. — Mara (hunt mains, since 2016)
