Adventurer Squadrons in FFXIV

One of the main features you unlock after ranking up in your Grand Company is Adventurer Squadrons. You can interact with Squadrons by heading to the Barracks of your Grand Company, located in the Company Hall.

The Squadron system allows you to recruit, train, and fight alongside NPC adventurers in instanced dungeons. Advancement in the Squadron system is also tied to further advancements in Grand Company rank.

To unlock the Squadron system, players must first attain the rank of Second Lieutenant in their Grand Company and unlock the Challenge Log. You must then complete a quest offered at the Company Hall called Squadron and Commander.

Upon unlocking the Squadron system, you will receive three recruits right away. However, you need four recruits to form a Squadron.

To enlist new recruits, players must complete entries in your Challenge Log, which gives a random chance to gain a new recruit. Alternatively, you can use the Squadron Enlistment Manual item, which automatically grants you a random recruit. This item can be purchased with seals once you reach the rank of First Lieutenant. Recruits are predetermined, and selected based on the category of Challenge Log you complete.

New recruits can be viewed by interacting with the Enlistment Papers. For each recruit, you are able to view their name, race, gender, origin, class, level, stats, affinities, and reason for enlistment. If you like the recruit, you can select "Question" to view their profile. You can then choose whether or not you would like to recruit them. You can also postpone the enlistment, though selecting this option prevents you from seeing any other potential recruits. Finally, you can choose to dismiss them.

You can have a maximum of eight Squadron members in your Barracks at one time and up to five enlistments. You must dismiss one of your current members if you wish to enlist a new recruit.

After enlisting your first recruit, you can begin to send your Squadron members on missions. You must first undertake the mission City Patrol in order to unlock further missions.

Each mission requires an expenditure of Grand Company seals. In addition, each mission has a level and stat requirement. If none of your Squadron members meet the level requirement, you will not be able to undertake the mission. If your Squadron does not meet the stat requirement, the mission will have a greater chance to fail. Missions take 18 hours real time to complete.

There are four different types of missions:

1. Trainee Missions are given to new Squadrons and are the easiest missions to complete.
2. Routine Missions are harder missions that grant greater rewards.
3. Flagged Missions are special, but difficult missions that unlock new missions. To complete these missions, your Squadron must meet all three stat requirements.
4. Priority Missions are the hardest normal missions and grant the greatest rewards. Completing these will reward players with Squadron Manuals.

Squadron members have a chance to gain Squadron Chemistry upon completion of a successful mission. Squadron Chemistry are stat boosts or chances to gain bonus rewards based on the composition of the Squadron. It must be assigned to a member, and any unassigned chemistry is lost upon starting a new mission.

After completing your first Squadron Mission, you unlock the ability to train your recruits. You can train your Squadron members three times a day. Training increases the Squadron's base stats, of which there are three: physical, mental, and tactical. There are different training courses that focus on different stats, and one training course that does not alter stats at all but grants bonus experience points. All training courses take one hour real time to complete and grant the entire Squadron experience points.

Upon reaching Squadron Rank 2, players can unlock Command Missions by talking to the Squadron Sergeant NPC inside the Barracks. Command Missions allow players to enter specific instanced dungeons with three members of their Squadron. Players must first have unlocked them and spend Company seals to enter.

You can read more about Command Missions, how the system works, and the rewards you can get on our dedicated page, which is linked below.

Once your Squadron returns from a mission, you are greeted with a Squadron Mission Report. This has two results: either the mission was a success or the mission was a failure. If the mission was successful, the Squadron will receive experience points and potentially gain Squadron Chemistry. If the mission was unsuccessful, they will only receive half of the experience point gain.

You are able to gain rewards based on Squadron Chemistry, such as materia, crafting and gathering scrips, and consumables that allow you to change the class of your Squadron members. In addition, successful Priority Missions reward Squadron Manuals, a consumable that grants you the equivalent of Tier 3 Free Company buffs for 24 hours each.