Final Fantasy 14 is known for its compelling, epic main story. But the world of Eorzea is full of other mysteries, including the Crystal Tower. It’s a series of three Alliance Raids, which consist of three teams of eight players who will fight a series of bosses.
Usually, Square Enix releases three of them alongside each expansion. Alliance Raids are mostly optional: they’re designed to reveal more about the world, but they’re not tied to the main story. The Crystal Tower, however, has become a mandatory Duty to complete to progress in the main story since the release of Shadowbringers. Here is how to unlock and clear it.
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Quests to unlock the Crystal Tower in Final Fantasy 14
The Crystal Tower is a long succession of quests. The story of this quest reveals the secrets of the Allagan civilization, which is ties into elements of both Shadowbringers and Endwalker, which explains why players must complete it to progress through it. Here is the series of quests to complete to unlock the Crystal Tower’s three Alliance Raids: The Labyrinth of the Ancients, Syrcus Tower, and The World of Darkness.
Legacy Of Allag
This sidequest starts the Crystal Tower’s questline. Players must be level 50 and have completed A Realm Reborn’s main scenario, which ends with the quest “The Ultimate Weapon.” It’s picked up by speaking to the Outlandish Man in Mor Dhona (X:22, Y:8). Players can unlock the first Alliance Raid, the Labyrinth of the Ancients, after completing the “Legacy Of Allag,” followed by “Sanding It Down” and “A Performance for the Ages.”
While Labyrinth of the Ancients isn’t particularly hard, there are several parts where you can die instantly if you aren’t paying attention. It’s recommended to watch carefully and see what other players are doing in the fights, and to ask for help between fights if you don’t know what to do. A few distracted players can potentially cause a wipe.
For Prosperity
The quest can also be picked up after reaching level 50, in Mor Dhona (X:30.5, Y:12), too. It unlocks the Syrcus Tower quest and Alliance Raid. This Raid is easier to complete than the previous one, because while there are many ways to die to complex mechanics, it won’t impact the whole team as much. It’s not recommended to head in there for the first time with a healer, however, as an unfortunate death can be more problematic for the team.
When fighting Amon, make sure to hide behind an ice block when he casts Curtain Call.
The World of Darkness
The last Alliance Raid in the Crystal Tower series is unlocked more quickly than both previous ones. Players can complete it after the Syrcus Tower. When it’s done, they can finish the last quest, named “The Light of Hope,” to clear the mandatory objective and progress through the story. This Alliance Raid is more challenging than the previous two, but if you ask for help, other players will gladly explain what you need to watch out for.
There are a few patterns to figure out for each boss, but it shouldn’t be too challenging compared to Alliance Raids from later expansions. The trickiest boss is easily Cerberus, as a bunch of players standing in the wrong place at the wrong time can cause a wipe.
