One of the best ways to show your achievements in Final Fantasy XIV is to summon your minion and stay in town (especially Eulmore or Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks where crazy things happen all the time). Aside from showing off, you get to have a cute or an edgy companion running around with you. You can even do varying interactions with your minions. These minions are rewards for doing a variety of things in the game. 

Collecting them may be one of the things you can do as a checklist. Do not be discouraged when you like one that is event-only, just keep your eyes peeled for more events so that you can have an event-only minion as well.

A group of minions may even do unique interactions. The image shown above is the group interaction when you have a flock of Moogle summoned. They will dance with little music notes below them.

Minions also have battle actions and Special Skills which can be used in Gold Saucer’s Lords of Verminion matches. Each battle action will also be covered in this article.

Read on for a list of top minions, and how to get them. To encourage players, I did not include event-only minions.

5. Pod 054/Pod 316

Pod 054 minion description: 

The perfect assistant for adventuring...or it would be, if it worked properly.

Dug up in the depths of a factory fallen to ruin, this diminutive white machina was apparently designed to provide tactical support to a YoRHa. Though equipped with myriad functions, from support fire to advance conversation, none of these are operational at present.   

Pod 316 minion description:

     The perfect assistant for adventuring...or it would be, if it worked properly.

Dug up in the depths of a factory fallen to ruin, this diminutive black machina was apparently designed to provide tactical support to a YoRHa. While most of its functions are no longer operational, it remains determined to attend the object of its support. 

Fan of NieR: Automata? Want to feel like an android to go along with your 2B/NieR Raid glamour? Check out this minion.

    Having animations that’s as if it will fire its shots or laser when you pet it, the Pod 054/316 is sure to make any list. With a Pod following you around and helping you out in NieR, this will that you’re an android set out to save mankind. Pod 054 or 316 is a realistic minion to follow you around. It depends on your choices which you prefer or which you get, but they both rank the same since they’re both NieR Pods.

    As for battle actions, Pod 054 has a single-target auto-attack and a Special Action called A014: Point Up which grants 10 action points to all allies within range who do not have similar actions. Alternatively, Pod 316 has a Special Action named R014: Speed Up which increases the movement speed of all allies within range by 35% for 6 seconds.

Why Pod 054/316 is great:

• Gives you a NieR: Automata experience
• Both are enhancing minion type
• Shows that you have a stroke of good luck in item rolls for a 24-man party
• A good way to show off

How to Get Pod 054/316:

• Unlock level 80 Alliance Raid The Copied Factory
• Run the Alliance Raid with a 24-man team which can be completed via Party Finder/Duty Finder
• This is a drop-only item on the raid, and each run only has one. It is up to your luck in item roll whether or not you get the Pod that drops in your run.
• Pod 054 has a 100% drop rate; whereas Pod 316 is rare.
• Item is Unique, Untradable, Unsellable, and Market Prohibited.

4. Puff of Darkness

Puff of Darkness minion description: 

When standing nearby, prithee refrain from coughing, sneezing, waving, flailing, or performing any other means of wild gesticulation, lest the puff be lost for eternity.

Old-timer fans of the Final Fantasy franchise covet the Puff of Darkness minion which is based on The Cloud of Darkness, a boss in Final Fantasy III.

Second Cloud of Darkness boss battle in FF14.

Cloud of Darkness in FF3.

Rebooting bosses of the franchise has always been a theme for raids in Final Fantasy 14 to keep players interested since most of its players and fans are followers of the franchise. Obtaining this minion may be a little challenging since the raid is outdated (Patch 2.5) but it is a status symbol of being an old-timer in the franchise or in the game itself.

Battle actions include another single-target auto-attack, and a Special Attack named Nanoparticle Beam which delivers an attack with a potency of 150 to all enemies within range while reducing DEF by 30% for 6 seconds.

Why Puff of Darkness is great:

• Cloud of Darkness, a beauty admired in FF3, has been rebooted. You can get a version for which follows you around.
• You get to have your little seductress
• The orbs around her move around all the time
• Idle animations include her causing them to move faster as she outstretches her arms like a display of power
• She perches over your shoulder cutely
• You fight Cloud of Darkness in two raids in FF14, including the recent tier's raid.

How to get Puff of Darkness:

• Unlock level 50 Raid The World of Darkness
• Run the Raid with an 8-man team which can be completed via Party Finder/Duty Finder. 
• Each run of The World of Darkness has a 100% drop rate of the Puff of Darkness. It depends on your luck when you item roll for it whether or not you get yours.
• Item is Unique, Untradable, Unsellable, and Market Prohibited.

3. Mameshiba

Mameshiba minion description:

Summon your mameshiba minion. Who let the newborn miniature Far Eastern canine specimen out? Who, who, who, who, who!?

An unscrupulous merchant passed this pup off as a rare species of miniature dog known as the mameshiba. Such a thing does not exist. Rather than have the hapless owners discover the deception when it grows, it was trained to run away.

There's a smile made of puppy fat! - Delivery Moogle

Just look at this fluffy furball doge which will run around after you, how can one even resist. Released in patch 4.1, Mameshiba minion was the craze for a while due to its similarities to the doge which is a popular internet icon.

Loyal Eastern breed of dogs with its adorable smile, a lot of players are attracted to this cute little minion.

TAITO took an opportunity of the craze over the cute dog, they made plush toys that are obtainable through claw machines like the namazu plush toy.

Mameshiba plush toy to make you feel like you're a Warrior of Light accompanied by your minion.

With the /handover emote, you can make the minion feed on your hand, and with the /pet emote, the canine shuffles around his head in happiness. Oh, such a good boy.

Battle actions include yet another single-target auto-attack and a Special Action of the damage type called Full of Beans which delivers an attack with the potency of 150 to all enemies within range while reducing DEF by 30% for 6 seconds.

Why the Mameshiba is great:

• It’s so cute
• Its tail wags all the time
• Perfect for players who want an adorable companion

How to obtain Mameshiba:

• Unlock Retainer Ventures, complete the quest The Scions of the Seventh Dawn.
• Hire at least 1 retainer.
• Complete 1 out of three Lvl. 17 quests of the three major cities namely Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, and Ul’dah. In Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks, talk to Troubled Adventurer (X9, Y11) to get the quest An Ill-conceived Venture. In Gridania, the Troubled Adventurer is in New Gridania X11.8, Y12.2; and in Ul’dah, the NPC is in Uldah – Steps of Nald (X9, Y8).
• Unlock the Miner class. Raise its level slowly.
• At the same time, assign your retainer as a Miner.
• Reach level 70 of your Miner class while your retainer slowly catches up.
• Gear your retainer to have at least 805 Gathering stat to do Highland Exploration XXII
• Alternatively, have your retainer do Miner Quick Exploration.
• If you cannot be bothered to raise your retainer while also trying out your luck, an easy way to get the minion is through the Market Board. Unlike the first two, this item can be sold.

2. The Major-General

The Major-General minion description:

Summon your Major-General minion. It's a shark. With legs.

“Many heads are so passé. Legs are the wave of the future,” someone did say. Little did they know that there already were sharks that possessed not only legs, but arms besides. How these killing machines came to be, however, is a question left unpondered if you value your sanity.

To think I almost 'ad ye fed to the sharks!    - Rhoswen

It’s a baby shark. Yet another adorable minion obtainable in the game is The Major-General minion. This adorable minion is for the players who want to explore the recent changes in Fishing, which is Ocean Fishing.

Ocean Fishing is not something that’s not for everyone, so achievement reward items from the mini-game are good to display as well as a way to show your play style diversity. This is usually explored by players who are worn out from raiding Savage every day and thus want to take a break from the adrenaline. It’s one of the nice ways to take a break from the constant grinding and action of the game.

Plus, it’s adorable. Using the /pet action will make the minion run around in a circle once. Its battle actions include a single-target auto attack as well as a Special Attack called Feeding Frenzy which delivers an attack with a potency of 90 and a knockback to enemies within range. 

Why The Major-General is great:

• It shows that you do other things than play the story
• The mouth opens when it walks
• It has a unique action when you pet it, and the action is very visible

How to Obtain The Major-General:

• Score at least 5,000 points during a single ocean fishing voyage
• To unlock ocean fishing, finish the quest All the Fish in the Sea with at least a level 1 Fisher. The pre-requisite quest is My First Fishing Rod of the Fisher job quest.
• Upon getting the Achievement No More Fish in the Sea I, go to Old Gridania and claim the minion from Jonathas (X10.5, Y6.3).
• Item is Unique, Untradable, Unsellable, and Market Prohibited.

1. Sand Fox

Sand Fox minion description:

Summon your sand fox minion. Will perform tricks for a lick of birch syrup.

The descendent of a thousand-year-old vulpine spirit, this creature dreamed of training under the tutelage of its legendary forebear, Sotan. Alas, it was turned away, and ended up taking you as its master instead. Though it will devour most anything you give it, it has grown fond of birch syrup.

You can't smoke out a fox with hot air.    – Bran

With the release of Patch 5.3 are the Faux Hollows and Unreal Trials which is a new difficulty of Trials. As an introduction to the quest, you talk to the ugly-cute fox Faux Commander. The first unreal trial released is Akh Afah Amphitheatre (Unreal) while the current, Patch 5.4, unreal trial is The Navel (Unreal). Upon release of the current Unreal Trial, the 5.3 challenge was removed.

A variation of the ugly-cute fox is available named Sand Fox. Like the Mameshiba, you can /pet it and use the /handover command to feed it from your hand.

In the Gold Saucer, this Disarming minion is effective against shields. It has a single target auto-attack and the Special Attack Burrow which disarms deployed enemy attacks.

It looks nice for both male and female players, with its eyes looking like an actual sand fox if you ignore its large chin. As a challenge in the current patch, this ranks as the top 1 on this list.

Why Sand Fox is great:

• If you want to show your status as a player indirectly, this is a way to go
• Getting it is not based on luck in item rolls
• It requires the accomplishment of up-to-date content

How to Obtain Sand Fox:

• Exchange 400 Faux Leaf for the new minion
• To obtain Faux Leaf, do Unreal trials. Each run of an unreal trial gives 100 Faux Leaf.

The truly best minion is something based on your tastes, aesthetics, and what you want to show to other players. A good way to know is to match them to your glamour.

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