FFXIV Patch 6.38 is here and, as you might be able to guess from the miniscule change to the version number, it’s not exactly huge. There are a few updates worth talking about, however. Most notably those regarding PVP balance and Abyssos restrictions. So, let’s dive in and look at the latest Final Fantasy patch notes!
Let’s get the most predictable changes out of the way first. Just like in so many updates before it, Patch 6.38 now makes it easier to acquire and upgrade certain gear — specifically stuff you get from Pandæmonium: Abyssos and Allagan Tomestones of Causality. Weekly restrictions on Pandæmonium: Abyssos (Savage) have been removed altogether. Not to mention raid groups will now receive two guaranteed treasure coffers per successful run. Those of you still sticking to normal difficulty can also get more Unsung Blades of Abyssos going forward; there are no longer any restrictions on how many you can obtain from The Eighth Circle.
And, regarding Tomestone gear, you can now purchase Moonshine Brine from Nesvaaz inside Radz-at-Han (X: 10.6, Y: 10.0) for either one Aglaia Coin or one Euphrosyne Coin. In case you have trouble keeping your brine, shine, twine, etc. straight, Moonshine Brine is the upgrade material used to boost Lunar Envoy weapons to their final state. Which is to say the “Augmented” variety.
Moving past gear stuff and into actual gameplay changes… There’s not much to talk about. Everything centers around PVP adjustments, with Crystalline Conflict garnering particular attention. However, most Jobs have received (mostly very minor) balance changes to PVP skills which will take effect across all modes.
It’s mostly just potency changes (i.e. some skills do more or less damage and/or healing than they did before). Though Paladin and Warrior, two regular terrors of the player-versus-player battlefield, saw noteworthy nerfs. Paladin’s “Phalanx” skill (i.e. its Limit Break) now only reduces incoming damage by 33 percent, rather than an even 50 percent, which might make the class feel a bit less unkillable. Meanwhile, Warrior’s “Blota” (the skill that sucks enemies in close before reducing their movement speed to a crawl, which you’ve probably been killed by before) was also dropped from a five-second slow to a three-second slow.
You can see all the nitty gritty changes for yourself over on the official patch notes page. There you will also see that “time until the tactical crystal is unbound has been reduced from 30 to 20 seconds.” If you don’t know what that means, the “Tactical Crystal” is the official name for the crystalline payload players need to push while playing CC. Dropping the starting time down by 10 seconds should make matches a bit faster — notably increasing the rate at which players can earn rewards.
Oh, speaking of which, Patch 6.38 also marks the end of the current PVP season. This is not to be confused with the PVP series, however, which is the pseudo-battle pass exclusive to PVP. That has its own schedule.
And that’s pretty much all the big stuff! These iterative patches don’t often add much. That being said, it just means we’re one step closer to the inevitable release of FFXIV Patch 6.4, which is sure to add a whole lot more new content for players to enjoy. Stay tuned until then!
