Final Fantasy XIV has introduced new features over its lifespan, some as part of full expansions and others as continuous regular updates. This even includes plans to revamp the main storyline quest. With a likely influx of new and returning players trying out a vast selection of jobs – broadened by the release of FFXIV on Xbox Series X/S consoles – there will possibly be a lot of activity in the game’s open world. To ease quest difficulty and grinding, it would be a good idea to bring along a Chocobo Companion into battle.
After finishing some of the Main Scenario Quests at level 20, players will be able to obtain a Chocobo by joining one of the three Grand Companies of Eorzea. Each company will have a blue Feature Quest called “My Little Chocobo,” which players can complete to acquire a Chocobo. In FFXIV, players can summon their Chocobo using Gysahl Greens, which can be purchased from NPCs for 36 Gil. The Chocobo can be summoned for 30 minutes by default, but players can extend the duration by using two extra Gysahl Greens.
Chocobo Companions can act almost like an extra party member, with abilities to tank, heal, and deal damage. As they assist in slaying monsters, they will earn their own EXP and access to new powers. Best yet, players who own city lodging in FFXIV can passively train their Chocobo during downtime or even while asleep. However, it is important to note that you will need to use the Chocobo while Mob Farming, Fate Farming, or feeding at the stable. In addition, you should not ignore the Weekly Logs as they yield tremendous experience points for the companion.
To obtain a Chocobo Companion, you must first gain a riding Chocobo from the level 20 quest “My Little Chocobo.” There are three different quests, depending on your current Grand Company and starting city in FFXIV:
Once you have a Chocobo, you can then turn it into a battle companion via the level 30 quest “My Feisty Chocobo“ from Docette at South Shroud X: 17, Y: 28. During the quest, you will need to acquire Gysahl Greens, which are sold by most merchants in settlements and near town Aetherytes.
After the quest is completed, consuming a Gysahl Green while in the field will summon your Chocobo for one hour. This timer is paused while mounted, in a city, attempting instanced content, or logged out. As soon as the timer ends, your Chocobo will leave. However, you may instantly return it to the field with another Gysahl Green. Your Chocobo will always be at the same level as you, even if you are currently level-synced. If you are in a party, all eight members can each use their own personal Chocobo in FFXIV.
It is worth noting that Chocobo companions are only actually summonable while in the open-world maps. They cannot be spawned within major city destinations like Gridania, Ul’dah, or Limsa Lominsa. These creatures cannot be used in dungeons, trials, raids, or PvP content either – with the exception, of course, of Chocobos being used exclusively as mounts in certain game modes, like Frontline.
Even though your Chocobo will match your character level, it won’t be at full power until it gains ranks and experience. Chocobos will gain EXP when you kill monsters around your job level on the field, which can be useful if you are already doing field content like Fates or Beast Tribe quests. Defeating opponents whose levels are drastically below your own will not provide a satisfactory amount of EXP for your Chocobo and will, ultimately, be a waste of your time and efforts in FFXIV.
Grinding levels by defeating enemies can take some time, so you can supplement this by unlocking the Challenge Log via the level 15 quest “Rising to the Challenge” from I’tolwann at Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks X: 11.5, Y: 11. Once unlocked, every week (starting at Tuesday 04:00 AM EST) you can gain 5% of your Chocobo’s level in EXP by killing 20 enemies, and 10% more by defeating another 100.
Stable Training
If you or your Free Company own property like an apartment or estate, then you will likely have access to a Chocobo stable. First finish the level 30 quest “Bird in Hand” from Luquelot at Central Shroud X: 20, Y: 21. You can then corral your Chocobo in the stable and feed it every hour to gain some EXP. Best yet, other players can feed your Chocobo when you are busy or offline. If your Chocobo eats enough of the same feed while stabled, they can gain a bonus when eating it in the field as follows:
It is important that someone keeps the stable tidy; an unclean stable will incur an EXP penalty during feeding. Also, be sure to release your Chocobo after it is fed, as it cannot be summoned on the field if currently stabled. It is worth noting that these specific foods will not change your Chocobo’s colors in FFXIV, so you can feed these without worrying about them overriding your already-achieved coloration or resulting in a color blend that is not to your satisfaction.
Beyond Rank 10
The initial max rank of your Chocobo is 10, but it can be raised 1 rank (to a maximum of 20) by feeding them a Thavnairian Onion (note that they will gain zero EXP until their rank limit is raised). You can gain guaranteed onions from the level 50 quest “Landing a Stable Job” from Mathye in The Pillars X: 6, Y: 9, and the level 57 quest “A Hunter’s True Nature” from Hevoix at The Dravanian Forelands X: 31, Y: 22.
Extra onions can be earned by gardening in your apartment or estate, mostly from crossbreeding other seeds and plants along with some luck. This also means that other gardeners will likely be selling Thavnairian Onions on the Market Boards for extremely high premiums. Check the boards on your server for the current best price, and keep in mind you can avoid market fees by buying directly at the city where the retainer is selling the product.
Additionally, if all prices are high in your World, you can visit other servers on your data center by using an Aetheryte in Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, or Ul’dah. You can buy (but not sell) on another World’s Market Board. Prices tend to vary a lot from server to server, so sometimes it is worth the travel, as you can get enormous discounts from other game Worlds in FFXIV.
Every time your Chocobo advances in rank, they will be awarded Skill Points (SP). From rank 1-10 you will gain SP equal to that rank, 11-16 give 10 SP, while from 17-20, you can add an additional 1 over the previous level (11, 12, 13, 14) for a grand total of 165 SP. These points can be spent on one of three skill trees to improve your Chocobo’s performance. If you are unhappy with your chosen skills, they can be reset with a Reagan Pepper sold at all Grand Companies for 48,000 Grand Company Seals or 20 Allied Seals.
Attacker
The Attacker tree will turn your Chocobo into a DPS, making it valuable for defeating tough enemies in FFXIV. They can use Choco Slash for 150 Potency, Choco Beak to deal damage over time (130 instant Potency and 360 Potency across 18 seconds), Choco Rush to inflict Stun, and the conical area attack Choco Blast. This tree also enables bonus Strength and Attack Speed over the other two. Learning all Attacker skills will also unlock Dragoon barding for your companion to wear.
The Attacker role’s main deal is providing extra damage output for you. If you play as a healer or a tank, both classes that naturally deal less damage than a fully dedicated DPS, an Attacker Chocobo can supplement your lack of damage while you stick to your regular rotation, dealing your own type of damage while also healing your allies or pulling Enmity toward you.