- Sadu FFXIV Guide – The Azim Feminist - February 6, 2023
- Deidar FFXIV Guide - February 1, 2023
- Alisaie FFXIV Guide – More than Alphinaud’s Sister - January 30, 2023
While mounts in Final Fantasy XIV don’t have unique abilities like they often do in other RPG games, they are fun to collect and flex with. If you play tank classes, the tank mounts may be the most unique mounts you can get.
For example, only 6% of all players have the Battle Tiger (Gunbreaker mount). So if you unlock it, you’re in the top 6% percentile, which is more than what 94% of players have done.
These beasts look threatening, can fly, and have upgraded fully armored versions. If your interest has been piqued, continue reading our FFXIV Tank Mount guide and find out today how you can unlock all eight tank mounts.
What are Tank Mounts in Final Fantasy XIV?
| Class | Mount | Achievement Title | Achievement Description | Upgraded Mount |
| Warrior | Warbear | But Somebody’s Gotta Do It (Warrior) | Complete 200 high-level duties as a warrior | Battle Bear (Tank You, Warrior III) |
| Dark Knight | Panther | But Somebody’s Gotta Do It (Dark Knight) | Complete 200 high-level full party duties as a dark knight | Battle Panther (Tank You, Dark Knight III) |
| Gunbreaker | Sabertooth Tiger | Tank You, Gunbreaker II | Complete 200 level 61 and above duties | Battle Tiger (Tank You, Gunbreaker III) |
| Paladin | Warlion | But Somebody’s Gotta Do It (Paladin) | Complete 200 high-level full party duties as a paladin | Battle Lion (Tank You, Paladin III) |
Each tank class has a special mount that you can unlock by playing that tank. After you complete the initial achievement to unlock the mount, an upgraded version is available. The upgraded version is armored and is often a different color.
Warrior Mount – Bear
The Warrior mount is a bear. Out of all of the tank mounts, I think that the Warrior’s Battle Bear sees the best upgrade from the original Warbear. While the Warbear is vicious, the Battle Bear’s armor is fantastic.
Warbear Mount
- Achievement – But Somebody’s Gotta Do It (Warrior)
- Description – Complete 200 high-level duties as a warrior
The first bear mount is available after completing the achievement, But Somebody’s Gotta Do It (Warrior). The process is simple. If you main tank, then you will naturally achieve this in time. If you don’t, then you’ll have to farm high-level duties.
Something I have noticed about the visual of the bear is that it is more badger-like than bear-like. Though the coloring is similar to a grizzly bear, the form is slightly off. I consider this a good thing because badgers are less mainstream, reminding me of a chunky Purlovia.
Battle Bear Mount
- Achievement – Tank You, Warrior III
- Description – Complete 300 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a warrior.
I love the Battle Bear. Imagine a creature with battle armor, and this is the type of armor you most likely suspect. The spikes, the claws, the pleated steel. It all comes together for the most traditionally fierce battle armor of any of the tank mounts.
Now, to complete this achievement, you can’t farm daily roulette. You can only receive one point from each daily, each day. This makes sense as you can only receive rewards from dailies once a day.
Similar Mount – Panda Bear
- Unlock – Mog Station
Square Enix likes to make bear mounts seasonal. However, there is one mount that is always available on the Mog Station, and that is the Panda Bear mount. So if you have a few bucks, this is an easy unlock.
Dark Knight Mount – Panther
Panthers are one of my favorite animals, so I am partial to this beauty. While it does not take on the appearance of a generic panther, the aesthetic is all there. The Dark Knight starts at level 30, so getting to 60 for the upgraded mount is relatively easy.
War Panther Mount
- Achievement – But Somebody’s Gotta Do It (Dark Knight)
- Description – Complete 200 high-level duties as a dark knight
The basic panther mount is my favorite of the four base mounts because I believe it is executed the best. The sleekness of the cosmetic is exquisite, and the touches of red throughout its black frame are incredibly tasteful. The Panther is actually a Coeurl – an in-game species in Final Fantasy. The skin on this War Panther is gorgeous, and the other mounts should be jealous.
Battle Panther Mount
- Achievement – Tank You, Dark Knight III
- Description – Complete 300 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a dark knight
As much as I love the base Panther, the Battle Panther let me down. While some people love the new corrupted mole-rat vibe, I prefer the original.
The “battle” aspect seems to be forgotten, and instead, it looks a little sleazy to me. Don’t get me wrong, some players are into this look, and that’s great. But for me, it should have been the other way around.
Similar Mount – Kamuy of the Nine Tails
- Unlock – Collect every “Stormblood” Extreme primal mount, and complete the A Lone Wolf No More sidequest that unlocks.
Though the Couerl mount is similar to the Panther mount, you must purchase the Collector’s Edition of A Realm Reborn. My favorite alternative to the Panther is the nine-tails. You can unlock her by unlocking the Stormbnlood Extreme trial mounts.
This can be farmed in a weekend reasonably quickly if you have the right group. After you get the other mounts, then you can talk to the quest NPC, and she’ll give you the whistle.
Gunbreaker Mount – Tiger
The Tiger mount is well-rounded. The base art for this guy is a super typical Sabertooth and is a near-twin to Diego from Ice Age. He is everything you could want in a Sabertooth if you enjoy the standard coloring. Though for me, it’s the Battle Tiger that shines.
Unlocking the Tiger is different than unlocking the other mounts. Because the initial But Somebody’s Gotta Do It achievement isn’t available for the Gunbreaker. Instead, we have two Tank You achievements.
Sabertooth Tiger Mount
- Achievement – Tank You, Gunbreaker II
- Description – Complete 200 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70/80 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a Gunbreaker
The first achievement to unlock the Gunbreaker mount is practically the same as the others. Only you can also do dungeons rather than just high-level duties. It is easier to achieve. Not to mention, the Gunbreaker starts at level 60.
So, if you don’t main tank, I highly recommend unlocking the Gunbreaker mounts first. Then, you only have to complete the 200 duties rather than the many duties required to reach level 60 in the first place.
Battle Tiger Mount
- Achievement – Tank You, Gunbreaker III
- Description – Complete 300 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70/80 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a Gunbreaker
For my personal taste, the Battle Tiger has the best improvement from its base. While the original Sabertooth look is excellent and nostalgic, the Battle Tiger has the most original armor. The detail on it is terrific, likely because it was created more recently than the other mounts.
Although, I do believe that his armor looks like Dark Knight armor, despite being a Gunbreaker mount. Still, it’s hard not to fall in love with the Battle Tiger as it isn’t a niche look though it isn’t too vanilla.
Similar Mount – Centurio Tiger
- Unlock – You Got Game achievement
This is not a quick mount to unlock, but you can unlock it as any class. The You Got Game achievement involved completing the Bring Your Game achievements.
To complete these, you need to slay thousands and thousands of hunt marks. If you want a rare mount, then choose this one as only around 1% of players own it.
Paladin – Lion
The Paladin is my number one tank class, and I believe that the pairing of class and mount is most appropriate with this one. The lion generally represents nobility, majesty, and purity.
The Paladin also represents the same traits. So, these two are a match made in heaven. From aesthetics to symbolism, they are a whole mood.
War Lion Mount
- Achievement – But Somebody’s Gotta Do It (Paladin)
- Description – Complete 200 high-level duties as a Paladin
The white chiseled look of the War Lion makes it appear to be a grand marble statue. Up close, it does appear slightly more feral than I would have liked, more akin to a hyena than a lion, but overall, it does look nice.
Battle Lion Mount
- Achievement – Tank You, Paladin III
- Description – Complete 300 dungeons (lv. 61 and above), extreme trials (lv. 61 and above), unreal trials, level 50/60/70 duty roulette dungeons, or duty roulette leveling duties as a Paladin
The Battle Lion skin does little to cover up the feral nature of the Paladin’s mount, but it still looks quite royal. I do believe that the graphics for this guy need to be updated.
But, to be fair, this, along with the Warrior’s bear, were the first two tank mounts in the game. So it does deserve credit for staying relevant.
Similar Mount – Forgiven Reticence
- Unlock – purchased from Xylle at The Crystarium or Ilfroy at Eulmore for 3,200 Sack of Nuts
The Forgiven Reticence is a winged lion statue that has come to life. You can unlock it by doing The Hunt and killing Elite Marks. Again, this is a lot of farming and I recommend joining a hunt train via Party Finder or your Free Company to optimize your time.
Fastest Way to Unlock Tank Mounts
If you’re a tank main, then you shouldn’t have a problem unlocking the tank mounts. All you have to do is play. However, if you’re not, then it may be a struggle. Here is what I recommend to unlock the tank mounts quickly.
Step 1: Level Your Tank
If your tank is under level 70, this will be difficult, even unsynched. So I suggest getting it as high as possible. If you can get it to level 90, then perfect. It’s time to begin earning that mount.
Step 2: Choose Trial and Find a Party
You can get friends or use Party Finder to search for others who want to help. Although you can do any of the trials, I recommend not doing Limitless Blue because of the unnecessary pauses in the fight that make it take longer. The Heavensward trials all have similar delays and phases to go through. I would get a party and try them all out and find out which one takes the least amount of time.
Step 3: Unsynch and Repeat
Stay unsynched and find out the quickest trial. There should be one that takes you less than three minutes. Ensure everyone is playing their highest level DPS, aside from you, who will play tank. Then, go at it. If you can get one done in under three minutes, then that means, you can unlock the base mount in ten hours and the Battle mount in fifteen. However, you can probably get it done quicker.
Though it can help you finish the achievement to farm like this, I recommend playing a tank to do your dailies and farm trial mounts. Otherwise, you’ll burn out. So, instead, it may be better to play tank and let it happen. I’m a completionist, but I try my best not to let farming achievements, or in-game items, steal my joy for the game.
FFXIV Tank Mount FAQs
Question: What tank mount should I get first in final fantasy XIV?
Answer: The best tank mount to get first is the Gunbreaker mount. This is because you can start unlocking the mount the second you unlock the Gunbreaker. You don’t have to prep level.
Question: What’s the easiest mount to get in final fantasy XIV?
Answer: The most accessible mount to get is the Chocobo. You will earn it early on in the story. Other easy mounts are the Mog Station mounts, the Extreme trial mounts (unsynched), and the beast tribe mounts. The beast tribe mounts take time, not skill, so have at it.
Question: What is the best high-end duty to farm for tank mounts?
Answer: In my opinion, the best high-end duties to farm are the trials from Heavensward, unsynched. You can have one done in a minute or two if you are max level. Bring a few friends to make them even faster. You shouldn’t need a healer so have everyone else be a DPS.
Tank Mounts in Final Fantasy XIV Takeaway
Tank mounts are a fun way to show off your achievements. Each mount is unique, so you can unlock all eight mounts just by playing tank jobs. This is extremely easy if you play all of the classes or if you main tank. So get out there and start tanking. Even if you don’t main tank, it’s great to learn to play every role!