With the release of Final Fantasy 14's new patch 6.1, the follow-up to the Endwalker expansion, a brand-new player versus player (PvP) mode was added to the game. Players have been wanting a new PvP mode for a long time, due to many FF14 players not exactly enjoying the other PvP modes available.
Though the Frontline and Rival Wings PvP modes in FF14 are popular amongst some players, fans of the game were extremely excited to try out the new Crystalline Conflict mode. This mode of PvP introduced a new format of teams of 5v5 competing to move the crystal to their point.
The Goal
Moenbryda's minion description wasn't the only thing that changed in 6.1, this new PvP mode completely changed the way players look at FF14's PvP overall. When taking part in a Crystalline Conflict PvP match in FF14 players must know what the main goal of the match is.
The player's team and the opposing team work together to defeat the other team while defending the crystal. Once players whittle the opposing team down, the crystal will start moving towards their goal point. There are 3 checkpoint areas along the path to the goal. To see how far along the path the crystal is, players should take a look at the top of their screen to see the PvP bar.
Check The PvP Bar At The Top
Relating to the previous point, the bar found at the top of the screen includes a bunch of important information about the match. This bar shows the player how close their team or the opposing team are to reaching a checkpoint and the goal.
Once the crystal reaches a checkpoint in FF14's Crystalline Conflict, the player will notice a progress percentage next to the team name. Once this percentage reaches 100%, the crystal can then continue to move along the path to the goal. During this time, the opposing team will more than likely try to wipe out the team, so the players need to make use of their restorative abilities.
Additional Respawn Time
An important thing to remember when playing in FF14's Crystalline Conflict is the fact that once a player dies, they will have to wait a few seconds to respawn at the base. This is a common feature of PvP games in general, but FF14 has added a little extra. Each time the player dies in a Crystalline Conflict match, 1 more second is added to their respawn time.
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Players should keep this in mind when going in all guns blazing at the start of the match, as many will find themselves waiting a while to get back into the fight. While some players may find this tedious, it's a strong incentive to utilize the restorative and defensive abilities. On a positive note, it'll give players ample time to check out your Hrothgar's lack of ears while you lay on the ground.
Defense Abilities
The whole PvP system has been completely rehauled, especially when it comes to abilities. FF14's Crystalline Conflict offers the player 4 defensive abilities, one of which costs 2,500 mana points (MP) to use. Players should note that they have a total of 10,000 MP in Crystalline Conflict.
- Recuperate - A self-healing ability with 15,000 potency. However, it costs the player 2,500 MP to use and can be used repeatedly until the mana runs out.
- Purify - A cleansing ability that removes the majority of debuffs (for example, a stun) given by a member of the opposing team.
- Guard - This is a purely defensive ability that reduces considerable damage and blocks possible debuffs. Guard lasts for 5 seconds and if the player uses an ability during this time, Guard will stop.
- Standard Issue Elixir - An ability that completely restores the player's health points (HP) and mana. This doesn't cost any mana to use, but it does take 4.5 seconds to cast. It's best to use this behind a wall or once the opposing team is all down.
Medicine Kits
A brand new mechanic in FF14'S PvP is the addition of the handy medicine kit items are found sprinkled across the arena and can only be used by 1 player at a time. This means the player should be tactful when deciding if they actually need to use the medicine kit compared to a team member who has 10% of their health left.
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The player simply has to run into the medicine kit to use it, and it will restore 30,000 HP. It's recommended to only use this item when necessary, especially if the player can't use Recuperate due to low MP. The medicine kits regenerate after a certain period, so players should use these as a last resort.
Utilize The Sprint Zones
The sprint zones found in FF14's Crystalline Conflict are handy areas that give a considerable boost to the player's speed with Swift Sprint. These areas are useful when the player has extremely low HP and MP, meaning they can't use Recuperate to restore their health. If a player is being chased, they should aim to find a sprint zone to quickly get out of the battle.
This gives them time to hide behind a wall to use the Standard Issue Elixir with a 4.5 second cast time. The player can then sprint back into the battle with fully restored HP and MP. It's the perfect chance to get back into the battle as fast as possible to utilize those 6.1 job changes.
Arena Events - The Volcanic Heart
There are 3 arenas in FF14's Crystalline Conflict, 2 of these have special events per match. The Volcanic Heart arena will have a period where areas of effect (AOEs) will appear on the ground. This is where explosions will fall, causing damage to the players who don't move out of the AOE in time.
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However, the bomb cores left behind at the area of the explosion will provide a damage boost and a boost to the player's limit gauge when obtained. There will also be a period when whole sections of the arena will be set on fire. The players are warned of this by a large AOE marker telling them the section of the arena they should avoid.
Arena Events - Cloud Nine
During a Crystalline Conflict match in the Cloud Nine arena, there will be a moment where all players will be thrown into the air, letting your character's hair flow in the wind. On average, this will reduce a player's HP from 100% to 50% meaning they should use Recuperate as soon as they land back down.
When up in the air, players have the chance to catch black Chocobo feathers to provide them with a softer landing, faster attack and movement speed, and a boost to their limit gauge. There will also be a period where small tornados will move around the arena, creating a knock-back effect on the player and causing damage, players should use Guard to block this.
Rewards From Crystalline Conflict
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In FF14's Crystalline Conflict, players will be given two types of experience points (EXP). The first is PvP EXP, which works to raise the player's PvP rank. A variety of these PvP ranks allow the player to obtain certain titles depending on your chosen Grand Company.
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The second type of EXP is Series EXP, this increases the player's Series Level allowing them to earn Series rewards such as Trophy Crystals and gear. Wolf marks are FF14's PvP currency and can be exchanged for PvP gear and various items at the Wolves' Den Pier. These pieces of PvP gear can be great for glams and can be mixed and matched with all other available gear in the game.
Use Quick Chat To Stay In A Group
When taking part in a team-based PvP match players must remain close to their group. The whole point of a team-based game is to work as a team, this means players shouldn't be going to the opposing team solo. Crystalline Conflict offers a Quick Chat feature.
This means players can't type out in the chatbox but instead have to click one of the Quick Chat buttons on their hot bar to communicate with their team. This can be great to use when notifying the rest of the team when to fall back and regroup to avoid any team wipes and damage.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
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