A staple in every Final Fantasy XIV expansion has been an expansion-spanning series of quests and side content designed specifically to reward the player with a best-in-slot relic weapon by the end of the last patch. Shadowbringers called these Resistance Weapons and let players explore the war-torn area of Bozja. During its peak, Bozja was actually quite enjoyable, and it is still somewhat active today between patches in Endwalker. The team actually designed the relic weapons to have alternative and evergreen ways to obtain some of the items needed to progress, giving players different paths to success. The amount of work required can be daunting, but gloriously detailed weapons await at the end.
Required Prerequisites
In order to even begin the process to start the Resistance Weapon grind, players must have at least one job at level 80 and have completed the Stormblood Return to Ivalice story starting with Dramatis Personae in Kugane. These quests will also unlock the four Ivalice Alliance Raids in the process.
Starting the Process
Once the Return to Ivalice story chain is complete, the player will be able to pick up a new quest in Kugane called “Hail to the Queen.” Following this quest chain will lead to unlocking the Bozjan Southern Front after a long solo scenario, and grant the character with the starter version of the Resistance Weapon. The player can also receive starter weapons for other jobs by turning in 1,000 poetics per weapon.
The Bozjan Southern Front is an instanced area with some interesting new mechanics. Inside, players will explore a map full of fates and creatures that utilize a rank system for difficulty. Players can enter with any job that is level 71 or above and will be set to level 80 with all the abilities they would learn by 80. Inside Bozja, players will also be able to rank up to become stronger by earning mettle from activities. While certain steps for the weapon can be done outside of Bozja, it is recommended to do as much as possible here for now as rank 15 is required to proceed with the chain.
Square Enix has allowed players to use Bozja as a way to level up other jobs, however. Jobs 71 and above may be boosted up to 80 while inside, but they still earn experience from each completed fate (called skirmishes or critical engagements in Bozja). With the release of Endwalker, many players use The Bozjan Southern Front to level their Reaper and Sage jobs to 80.
Ranking up in the Bozjan Southern Front will also periodically open up new quests for the story in the main camp, and let players venture further into the zone. These quest chains will usually ask you to visit a certain place on the map, and most of them just offer clues without appearing in the quest log. Be sure to keep up on these as the area is explored.
For Want of a Memory
The actual first step for the weapon once entering Bozja is done by completing the For Want of a Memory quest. This step requires the character to collect the following for each resistance weapon desired:
- 20x Tortured Memories of the Dying
- 20x Sorrowful Memories of the Dying
- 20x Harrowing Memories of the Dying
There are multiple ways to earn these items:
- Tortured Memories of the Dying
- Completing fates in Coerthas Western Highlands or Sea of Clouds
- Completing skirmishes or defeating mobs in the Southern Entrenchment first area of the Bozjan Southern Front
- Sorrowful Memories of the Dying
- Completing fates in The Dravanian Forelands or The Churning Mists
- Completing skirmishes or defeating mobs in the Old Bozja second area of the Bozjan Southern Front
- Harrowing Memories of the Dying
- Completing fates in The Dravanian Hinterlands or Azys Lla
- Completing skirmishes or defeating mobs in the Alermuc Climb third area of the Bozjan Southern Front
The Will to Resist
The next step in the process requires the player to collect 6 Bitter Memories of the Dying, which can only be completed after finishing For Want of a Memory. This must also be repeated for each weapon the character wants to obtain. Bitter Memories of the Dying are obtained in any of the following ways:
- Chance to be obtained by completing critical engagements in the Bozjan Southern Front
- Running synced level 60 dungeons
- Once per day from completing a Levelling Roulette duty finder
- Chance from killing mobs in the Bozjan Southern Front
Change of Arms
In order to start upgrading the Resistance Weapon, this step requires the player to progress the story and enter Castrum Lacus Litore, a raid engagement that activates periodically in The Bozjan Southern Front. Completing this will follow up with a few more quests that will eventually unlock another raid called Delebrum Reginae. This raid is queued up for outside of the Bozjan Southern Front, but from the same NPC that is used to enter it.
Change of Arms requires the player to collect 15 Loathsome Memories of the Dying. This is also a step that is repeated for every different job’s weapon. There are also multiple ways to earn these:
- Completing any of the Crystal Tower Alliance Raids while synced
- Completing Castrum Lacus Litore (awards 5 each clear)
- Small chance to drop from critical engagements in the Bozjan Southern Front
The Resistance Remembers
The next step is thankfully only done once and will be skipped for every weapon after the first. It requires the player to obtain the following:
- 18x Haunting Memories of the Dying
- Completing any of the Dun Scaith Alliance Raids while synced (awards 3 each clear)
- Chance from completing fates in Gyr Abania
- 18x Vexatious Memories of the Dying
- Completing any of the Return to Ivalice Alliance Raids while synced (awards 3 each clear)
- Chance from completing fates in the Far East
A New Path of Resistance
Once the previous step is completed, the player will then get a new quest to collect 15 Timeworn Artifacts. This is another quest that must be repeated for every additional job weapon desired. There are two ways to obtain the artifacts:
- Completing Delebrum Reginae (awards 3 per clear)
- Chance once per every 10 floors by completing Palace of the Dead (random, but chance increases the higher the floor)
Completing this step will upgrade the player’s weapon, allowing them to customize its stat allocation.
What Dreams Are Made Of
The final part of the process leads the player into a new instanced area called Zadnor. It functions much like the Bozjan Southern Front but allows the character to continue ranking up to a max of 25. If the player kept up with the story quests, they must only take the A New Playing Field quest to enter Zadnor.
Returning to Gerolt in Gangos after unlocking Zadnor will allow the player to pick up the What Dreams Are Made Of quest, which is a long grind that luckily must only be completed once. It requires a substantial amount of items that can be earned through Zadnor or by other means. The following is a list of what this entails:
- Spare Parts
- 30x Compact Axles
- Completing skirmishes in the Southern Plateau area of Zadnor
- Completing Alexander raids while synced (Floors 1,2,5,6, 9, or 10)
- 30x Compact Springs
- Completing critical engagements in the Southern Plateau of Zadnor (awards 2 each)
- Completing Alexander raids while synced (Floors 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, or 12)
- 30x Compact Axles
- Tell Me a Story
- 30x A Day in the Life: Battles for the Realm
- Completing skirmishes in the Western Plateau area of Zadnor
- Completing Omega raids while synced (Floors 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, or 10)
- 30x A day in the Life: Beyond the Rift
- Completing critical engagements in the Western Plateau of Zadnor (awards 2 each)
- Completing Omega raids while synced (Floors 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, or 12)
- 30x A Day in the Life: Battles for the Realm
- A Fond Memory
- 30x Bleak Memories of the Dying
- Completing skirmishes in the Northern Plateau area of Zadnor
- Completing Eden normal raids while synced (Floors 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, or 10)
- 30x Lucid Memories of the Dying
- Completing critical engagements in the Northern Plateau of Zadnor (awards 2 each)
- Completing Eden normal raids while synced (Floors 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, or 12)
- 30x Bleak Memories of the Dying
Irresistible
Here it is — the last step in this journey. Players simply have to collect 15 Raw Emotions, and they have several ways to accomplish this:
- Completing level 70 dungeons while synced
- Completing the Dalriada 48 man raid in Zadnor (awards 3 per clear)
- Completing Delebrum Reginae (awards 2 per clear)
- Chance once per every 10 floors by completing Heaven on High (random, but chance increases the higher the floor)
The player will then upgrade their weapon to the final form, customizing its stats once more and basking in the glory of the beautiful finished product. Irresistible must also be repeated for every additional job weapon desired.
