How to unlock Elite Hunt Marks in FFXIV Dawntrail

One of the first things many veteran players seek to embark on in a new expansion for Final Fantasy XIV is to unlock access to Elite Hunt Marks for that expansion. The same will certainly be the case for Dawntrail, and if you're wondering where to do so, here is our handy guide on unlocking Elite Hunt Marks in FFXIV Dawntrail.

Where to unlock Dawntrail Elite Hunt Marks in FFXIV

At the dawn (aha) of a new expansion in Final Fantasy 14, if you want to participate in taking down Elite Hunt Marks in the open world areas for that expansion, you must first complete a quest at the respective Clan Mark Hall, essentially to prove your worth.

In the case of Dawntrail, you'll need to head to Tuliyollal (as seen below) and seek out an NPC named Wing of Protection Scout at (X:11.8, Y:13.7) to pick up the quest "A New Dawn, a New Hunt". While there is no item level ("ilvl") requirement for this, you need to have a Disciple of War or Magic job at Level 90 to accept this quest.

You also first need to complete the sidequest "Elite and Dangerous" as well as the Dawntrail Main Scenario Quest "The Rite of Succession", if you haven't already. The Hunt Clan in Tuliyollal will give you access to beginner hunts starting out, and as you progress further in the Dawntrail MSQ, eventually you will get access to Elite Marks across Tural as well.

Defeating one or all of them will reward you with Allagan Tomestones of Aesthetics along with Sacks of Nuts, the unique hunt currency originally introduced in the Shadowbringers expansion.

In Dawntrail, you can exchange Sacks of Nuts for a variety of rewards in Tuliyollal at (X:13.9, Y:13.4) by speaking to an NPC named Ryubool Ja.

Unlocking Elite Hunt Marks early on in an FFXIV expansion grants you an extremely valuable method of acquiring new Allagan Tomestones, which is fundamental for gearing up existing and newer jobs such as Viper and Pictomancer. The player community regularly organizes and runs "hunt trains" for anyone to participate in. They effectively allow larger groups to take on challenging Elite Hunt Marks (also called "A Ranks" and "S Ranks") together across every single area and reap the rewards collectively.

This is especially helpful when duty queues are clogged with traffic in the early days of an expansion, which is the other daily method of accruing Tomestones, and that is certainly the case with Dawntrail. So knocking this task out is a must for anyone looking to progress efficiently.

Be sure to check out all of our latest news and guides for Final Fantasy XIV at Pro Game Guides, such as All Dawntrail Twich Collab rewards: How to get Chocorpokkur Mount and more.