The latest batch of FFXIV competitive multiplayer prizes is here courtesy of PVP Series 2, released alongside Patch 6.2. Following in the footsteps of the Archfiend armor set, the new additions have a lot to live up to this season. Do they make muster? Let’s take a look and decide for ourselves as we also catalogue how to unlock these PVP Series 2 rewards!
As was the case last season, the latest batch of PVP rewards unlock as earn what are called “Series Malmstones.” A “malm” is basically the Final Fantasy term for a “mile,” meaning you can just think of these as milestones or achievements. Each one basically unlocks like a level reward on a battle pass as you earn EXP: the same as in any other online game these days. Though you don’t need to pay a separate fee. Every single player has access to the Series 2 malmstones as soon as they boot up the game.
Priority number one is learning where to find them. Series Malmstones are located in the PVP Profile section of the Character menu in FFXIV. This opens a unique menu that only relates to competitive multiplayer (or player-versus-player) content. Here you can find your overall PVP rank, an overview of past wins and losses, PVP skills, and a dark gray button marked “Series Malmstones.” Select this to open up the Series 2 battle pass equivalent.
As you can see in the screenshot, there are 30 unique malmstones for the season. Each unlocks as you reach a new Series Level — which is shown above the purple experience bar in the top-right of the screen.
There are a few important things to note here. First, you increase your Series Level and unlock the associated malmstones only rise when you complete a PVP mode. This includes Frontline, Crystalline Conflict, and Rival Wings. Second, the experience needed to raise your Series Level increases as you progress. It takes 3,000 EXP to go from Series Level 9 to Series Level 10, for example, but it takes 4,000 to go from 10 to 11.
This requirement ramps up every five levels. Here’s a breakdown based on Series 1:
- Series Level 1-5 requires 2,000 EXP each
- Series Level 6-10 requires 3,000 EXP each
- Series Level 11-15 requires 4,000 EXP each
- Series Level 16-20 requires 5,500 EXP each
- Series Level 21-25 requires 7,500 EXP each
Put another way, grinding from rank 20 to rank 25 takes more than four-and-a-half times longer than going from rank 1-5. Players planning to snag the final unique reward, which unlocks at Series Level 25, shouldn’t procrastinate until the end of the PVP series.
That brings us to the final point. Most malmstones award 1,000 units of a special currency called Crystal Trophies. This can be used to purchase items from the FFXIV PVP hub: Wolves’ Den Pier in La Noscea. If you’ve never been to Wolves’ Den Pier before, or forgot to attune to its Aetheryte, speak to the Ferry Skipper on the Moraby Drydocks Landing (i.e. the easternmost section of Moraby Drydocks in Lower La Noscea).
The coordinates are (X: 26.8, Y: 35.7) if you’re still lost. Just a bit southeast from where you can return to your Island Sanctuary.
Trophy Crystals can be given to the Crystal Quartermaster inside the Braveheart: that big sailing ship at the westernmost end of Wolves’ Den Pier. Rewards include glamour gear for the various FFXIV Jobs as well as Orchestrion rolls, Adventurer Plate frames, and various other collectable goodies.
FFXIV PVP Series 2 Rewards
Note that these Trophy Crystal rewards do not necessarily cycle out each series. The unique Series Malmstone rewards, on the other hand, do expire with each PVP series. If you want to guarantee you get the special rewards for Series 2, you need to play some PVP during Series 2. Plain and simple. That brings us to the rundown of unique rewards for this season. We’ll lay them out (along with their requirements) in the sections below!
Ballroom Etiquette – Taking Sides is a consumable item that permanently unlocks the “Spirit” emote for your player character. You can access it after using the etiquette tome from the Emotes menu (naturally) or activate it by typing “/spirit” into your chat log. The emote unlocks at Series Level 5 during Series 2.
The Azure Framer’s Kit (above left) unlocks at Series Level 10 during FFXIV PVP Series 2. Whereas the Crimson Framer’s Kit (above right) unlocks at Series Level 20. These are both backgrounds used for Adventurer Plates.
The Clockwork Cerulean Chaser (the blue figure pictured above) and the Clockwork Crimson Chaser (the red creature pictured above) are both minions. Just like the other rewards, they first appear as items in your inventory that must be used to permanently unlock them for summoning from the Minion Guide menu. The cerulean option unlocks at Series Level 15 while the crimson minion unlocks immediately afterwards at Series Level 16.
Last but not least is the Fylgja mount. Technically, it’s the “Fylgja Horn,” which unlocks at Series Level 25 during Series 2. Use the horn from your inventory to permanently unlock the red dragon mount (which looks a lot like those creatures found in Dravania). You can then summon it from your Mount Guide menu like any other mount in FFXIV.
After reaching the 25th malmstone for the series, players can only receive more Trophy Crystals. Every rank will produce another 1,000 units of the currency. Except for rank 30. This offers a whopping 6,000 Trophy Crystals for the truly dedicated. That’s actually up a bit from Series 1, which only gave 5,000 crystals at Series Level 30. After that — at Series Level 31 and above — you will infinitely accrue more Trophy Crystals at 1,000 per level.
Speaking of “popping,” by the way, don’t forget to collect your rewards from the Series Malmstones board. The battle pass does not automatically deposit the currency or items into your inventory. Instead, you must click on each diamond-shaped node on the menu as they unlock. Each malmstone will say “Earned” if you’re able to pop the bubble and get your stuff. After which a green checkmark will cover the icon to show you’ve already collected that particular reward.
That’s basically it for the basics. There’s no way to cheat the system to acquire more series EXP; you simply need to play PVP matches.
The Best Way to Grind PVP Experience in FFXIV
However, not all modes are created equal. At least not when it comes to grinding PVP experience points. Even after the return of Rival Wings in Series 2, Crystalline Conflict is far and away the best mode to earn series EXP quickly. You can find it in the first tab of the “PvP section of the Duty Finder menu. Choose either Casual Match or Ranked match. Either one will award series EXP.
Each match lasts just five minutes (a bit more if there’s overtime). Losses always award 700 EXP while wins always award 900 EXP. Rival Wings and Frontline give more but take considerably longer (15 minutes for the former and 20 minutes for the latter). Matchmaking also tends to be considerably faster for Crystalline Conflict since the mode only requires 10 players in total. Even with a conservative estimate, making room for overtime, you can earn almost double the EXP from three five-minute losses in Crystalline Conflict as from one 20-minute loss in Frontline. That’s not even accounting for matchmaking time and quick shutout matches (something that almost never happens in Frontline).
Quite frankly, Crystalline Conflict is just more fun, as well. The smaller scale battles are more tactical and legible than the huge blobs of dozens of players disintegrating each other in Frontline and even Rival Wings.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t play Frontline, of course. The mode is included among the daily Duty Roulette challenges players can complete once every 24 hours for bonus rewards. That means a huge stipend of Job EXP or Allagan Tomestones. It’s worth playing Frontline for that once per day alone — which slowly accrues more Series Levels while earning you more traditional rewards.
There you have it! We hope this helps you earn all the rewards for PVP Series 2 in FFXIV. Best of luck and have fun in Crystalline Conflict! You’re gonna need to play a lot.
