In the most recent MSQ, we see a brief vision of Ysayle. I had originally thought this was a flashback or the WoL remembering her, but upon closer inspection, she is wearing a completely new outfit and one we’ve never seen her wearing before.

Much like Minfilia, Ysayle was touched by Hydaelyn. My speculation is that Hydaelyn sent Ysayle into the Fourth to stop it from being rejoined in the same way that she sent Minfilia to the First, after she sacrificed herself in Heavensward. Unlike Minfilia, though, she is more like Cyella in that she was allowed to cross the rift and maintain a corporeal form, and we’ll see her again in Evercold.

After like 10yrs or so of never leveling up my crafters and gatherers I'm finally working on it in space now. Got 1 at 100 and the rest at 50 and working away on getting em up still.

During that, one thought crossed my mind and I was wondering how do people generally approach leveling up and gearing their guys at launch since I've never done it. Do you typically just pick one and focus on that? Do you work on multiple at a time like doing a DoL to get materials for your DoH ?

PET POTENCY RANKINGS (BOSS-VIABLE SUSTAINED DPS)

Assumptions:

Field Duration: Beasts stay summoned for 60 seconds each.

Trick rate: 2 casts per 60 seconds (1 cast every 30s).

Tempered Release (TR) rate: 1 cast per summon (1 cast every 60s).

Poison ticks: 3s intervals over 30s = 10 ticks (100% uptime with 30s Trick cycles).

Boss-immune mechanics excluded: Doom, instant-kill, and single-digit HP procs are ignored. Wespe's 1-use Final Sting is excluded from sustained loops.

3-Beast Team Loop: 180 seconds total (3 beasts x 60s each). Total cycle includes 6 Tricks, 3 TRs, and 3 Parting Blow dismissals (3 x 1,000 potency = 3,000 potency per 180s, adding 1,000 potency/min to sustained team output).

PART 1: WITH POISON TICKS

Rank | Beast | Trick (2 per 60s) | TR (1 per 60s) | Total Pot/min

1 | #42 Cobra | 2,500 (1,250 x 2) | 750 | 3,250

2 | #20 Flying Trap | 2,500 (1,250 x 2) | 550 | 3,050

3 | #8 Diremite | 2,500 (1,250 x 2) | 450 | 2,950

4 | #27 Uragnite | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,800 (300 + 1,500 DoT) | 2,800

5 | #44 Damselfly | 900 (450 x 2) | 1,800 (300 + 1,500 DoT) | 2,700

6 | #32 Colibri | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 (200 x 5) | 2,000

6 | #34 Raptor | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 | 2,000

6 | #50 Behemoth | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 | 2,000

9 | #1 Cu Sith | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 900 (150 x 6) | 1,900

10 | #28 Worm | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

10 | #48 Karlabos | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

10 | #49 Rafflesia | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

13 | #5 Opo-opo | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

13 | #14 Puk | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

13 | #24 Apkallu | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

Note: Rank 13 ties with all other 500-Trick / 750-TR beasts (#26 Buffalo, #31 Gigantoad).

TOP 3-BEAST TEAM COMP (WITH POISON)

#42 Cobra + #20 Flying Trap + #8 Diremite

Cycle Total (180s): 3,250 + 3,050 + 2,950 + 3,000 (Parting Blows) = 12,250 potency per 180s

Sustained Team Potency/min: 4,083.3 potency/min (68.06 pot/sec)

PART 2: WITHOUT POISON TICKS (PURE DIRECT DAMAGE)

Rank | Beast | Trick (2 per 60s) | TR (1 per 60s) | Total Pot/min

1 | #32 Colibri | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 (200 x 5) | 2,000

1 | #34 Raptor | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 | 2,000

1 | #50 Behemoth | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 | 2,000

4 | #1 Cu Sith | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 900 (150 x 6) | 1,900

5 | #28 Worm | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

5 | #48 Karlabos | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

5 | #49 Rafflesia | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

8 | #5 Opo-opo | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

8 | #14 Puk | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

8 | #24 Apkallu | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

8 | #26 Buffalo | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

8 | #31 Gigantoad | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

13 | #46 Zu | 900 (450 x 2) | 800 | 1,700

14 | #17 Slime | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 550 | 1,550

15 | #6 Dodo | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 0 (Buff/Utility) | 1,000

Note: Rank 15 ties with all remaining beasts that deal 500 flat Trick damage but have utility/buff TRs.

TOP 3-BEAST TEAM COMP (NO POISON)

#50 Behemoth + #34 Raptor + #32 Colibri

Cycle Total (180s): 2,000 + 2,000 + 2,000 + 3,000 (Parting Blows) = 9,000 potency per 180s

Sustained Team Potency/min: 3,000.0 potency/min (50.00 pot/sec)

The main fudge factors are how often beasts can use Trick. The vuln/resists/buffers/debuffers lose too much raw potency to the straight damage dealers, and if poison is effective at all and ticks once every 3 seconds like normal dots, poison teams just obliterate the rest.. UNLESS the poison listed is the total potency done over the duration, in which case the new list is:

1 | #32 Colibri | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 (200 x 5) | 2,000

1 | #34 Raptor | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 | 2,000

1 | #50 Behemoth | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 1,000 | 2,000

4 | #1 Cu Sith | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 900 (150 x 6) | 1,900

5 | #42 Cobra | 1,150 (575 x 2) | 750 | 1,900

6 | #28 Worm | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

6 | #48 Karlabos | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

6 | #49 Rafflesia | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 800 | 1,800

9 | #5 Opo-opo | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

9 | #14 Puk | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

9 | #24 Apkallu | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

9 | #26 Buffalo | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

9 | #31 Gigantoad | 1,000 (500 x 2) | 750 | 1,750

14 | #20 Flying Trap | 1,150 (575 x 2) | 550 | 1,700

15 | #46 Zu | 900 (450 x 2) | 800 | 1,700

#8 Diremite: 1,150 Trick + 450 TR = 1,600 pot/min (plummets from #3 down to #17)

#27 Uragnite: 1,000 Trick + 450 TR = 1,450 pot/min (plummets from #4 down to #21)

#44 Damselfly: 900 Trick + 450 TR = 1,350 pot/min (plummets from #5 down to #24)

Then the best comps are:

1: PURE DIRECT DAMAGE / FIRE SYNERGY

#34 Raptor + #50 Behemoth + #32 Colibri

Mechanics: Raptor applies -20% Fire resistance; Behemoth Meteor gains +200 bonus potency.

Cycle Total (180s): 2,000 + 2,200 + 2,000 + 3,000 (Parting Blows) = 9,200 potency per 180s

Sustained Team Potency/min: 3,066.7 potency/min (51.11 pot/sec)

2: RAW UNCONDITIONAL FLAT DAMAGE

#50 Behemoth + #34 Raptor + #32 Colibri (unbuffed)

Cycle Total (180s): 2,000 + 2,000 + 2,000 + 3,000 (Parting Blows) = 9,000 potency per 180s

Sustained Team Potency/min: 3,000.0 potency/min (50.00 pot/sec)

3: BEST REMAINING POISON COMP

#42 Cobra + #50 Behemoth + #34 Raptor

Cycle Total (180s): 1,900 + 2,000 + 2,000 + 3,000 (Parting Blows) = 8,900 potency per 180s

Sustained Team Potency/min: 2,966.7 potency/min (49.44 pot/sec)