Cosmic Tools Relic Guide and Best Missions for FFXIV
Cosmic Tools are the newest Crafting and Gathering relics added in Dawntrail, read on to learn about these tools, their special effects as well as how to farm for Cosmic Tools.
What Are Cosmic Tools in FFXIV?
Cosmic Tools are the Crafting and Gathering relic tools available for Dawntrail. These tools are upgraded using content called Cosmic Exploration where these tools are upgraded over a range of stages to become some of the best tools in the game.
For players looking for information about the core mechanics of Cosmic Exploration such as how to unlock, rewards, or further information about game mechanics. Please read our guide!
How do i Unlock Cosmic Tools?
Cosmic Tools are simply given to you as soon as you enter Sinus Ardorum while unlocking the Cosmic Exploration. Your first tool is given to you from the questline however all other tools can be picked up for free by speaking to Researchingway in Sinus Ardorum (21.1, 21.8).
Cosmic Tools Have Special Effects
Cosmic Tools have special effects on them. These are:
- All: Completing a stellar mission from start to finish with this tool equipped grants a bonus to earned rewards. Region-specific Credit Bonuses: +35%
- Crafting: Increases to quality are 1.75 times higher than normal when material condition is Good.
- Miner/Botanist: Increases the chance to trigger Collector's Intuition by 20% when gathering collectables.
- Fishing: Has a chance to reduce the GP cost of Powerful Hookset and Precision Hookset by 50%. (Chance is around 10-15%)
These effects are the exact same as last expansion's relics, with the added Cosmic Exploration-based bonus.
Are Cosmic Tools Worth Using?
The Cosmic Tools currently go up to i750. Cosmic Tools have no meld slots, instead they have the equivalent of a CP/GP meld added on as well as the aforementioned special effects.
Cosmic Tools are more than viable at the current endgame and a direct upgrade if your using either Scrip Gear or a cheaper meldset that only has a CP/GP meld on it. These tools should also end their final upgrades at i770. This would make them equivalent to pentamelded but while there may be higher raw stats, you lose the flexibility which comes with melding.
The Cosmic Tools are also always best in situations revolving their special effects. This means:
- Crafting: These tools are best when Expert Crafting
- Miner/Botanist: These tools are best at any collectables.
- Fishing: These tools are best in any situation that uses
Patience II such as Ocean Fishing
For further information, check out our melding guides!
Gallery of All Cosmic Tools for Crafting and Gathering
Cosmic Saw

Cosmic Cross-pein Hammer

Cosmic Raising Hammer

Cosmic Mallet

Cosmic Round Knife

Cosmic Needle

Cosmic Alembic

Cosmic Frypan

Cosmic Pickaxe

Cosmic Hatchet

Cosmic Fishing Rod

How to Gain Data to Upgrade your Cosmic Tools
Upgrading your Cosmic Tools is simple, simply obtain Data which comes in multiple (numbered) types. Data comes from Stellar Missions and completing them will grant you progress towards your current tool.
Every Mission inside the Cosmic Exploration has set data that it can grant you. But when you gain either a Gold or a Silver rating on the mission, you will gain a 5x or 4x multiplier to the respective rewards. Critical Missions do not give you any multipliers however.
A few tools exist to help you know what missions are efficient as well as knowing further information about the mission types. I would suggest checking out:
- Sinus Ardorum, a Cosmic Research Helper
- Crafting Spreadsheet with data, macros and relative efficiency
- Gathering Spreadsheet for Breakpoints and Score efficiency
- Fishing Spreadsheet with Hole Data
Rerolling Stellar Missions
Did you know that you can reroll Stellar Missions? If you start a mission and then Abandon it, your missions list will change. This is great and allows you to repeatedly refresh your missions until you find something desirable.
This is especially useful on earlier stages of the relic because each mission has set rewards. When you only have I and II data unlocked for example, many missions will not give data so your best bet is to simply abandon them.
Rerolling is also great on classes that have much more efficient missions such as specifically looking for high-data missions.
Data Requirements for Each Level
Each upgrade of your Cosmic Tool requires you to gain a lot of data of varying types. Starting with rank I data and then progressing into II, III and so on. As you progress multiple data types are also required.

The great thing is though, your current data (Analysis) does not reset when you upgrade! Furthermore, the more relics you complete, the faster your data acquisition becomes.
Data Bonus for Completing Relics
As you complete more relics, you begin to gain a buff that makes the next relics much easier to obtain. This starts at +50% and ends at 150%. This is indicated by new text appearing in your Cosmic Research menu.

Relic Tools | Increased Data Acquisition |
---|---|
1-2 | +50% |
3-4 | +100% |
5-11 | +150% |
This buff "resets" when upgrading your tool's beyond Novice (i720) into Intermediate. This means you should always complete 1 relic before moving onto farming the next one!
Unlocking and Upgrading the Tool as a Low Level Player
If you are a player who is either new to the game or simply new to Crafting and Gathering. This relic starts at level 10 alongside you and can be upgraded further as you continue leveling.
If you are leveling you do not need to worry about being optimal with regards to progressing the relic. This is because you will complete each stage much faster than you gain experience points. Simply select missions that give you the data types you currently need and you are set to go!
Upgrading Your Cosmic Tool to i750
Because Phaenna allows you to obtain all 5 data's currently available. You do not need to do any missions in Sinus Ardorum. This is perfect because Phaenna generally has better missions. You can also focus on the newest planet this way!
Because missions give a range of Data, the best missions are whatever provides data you currently need and the hardest missions you can clear quickly/reliably! To start with, you will need to the leveling process and then upgrade your Cosmic Tool to i720. To gain further tools, simply speak to Researchingway and they will hand them to you for no extra cost.
You do not need to equip Cosmic Tools to upgrade them! So do not try to use a level 10 tool at level 100.
Further upgrades will be available in patch, 7.4X and 7.5X when further planets are added to the Cosmic Exploration.
Generally Speaking, Start with Crafting First for your Cosmic Tool. These tend to be a little faster and easier, allowing you to gain the increased data analysis. There is no difference between getting all tools to i720 and then moving on to i750 or doing each tool to i750 first.
Best Missions to Farm Crafting Relic Data
Crafting can be tackled differently depending on both your stats and familiarity with Manual/Expert Crafting. Expert Crafting is not required to complete these tools! However, it is more efficient to do the most difficult crafts, but many are impossible to macro. Feel free to check the crafting spreadsheet for macros for all of Cosmic's Crafts.
The 2 recommended missions (names different on each class) give I/IV/V and II/III/V data respectively providing you with a clean coverage of all data types although a bit too much V. That being said, if you cap some data types you may want to consider changing crafts. These crafts can easily be macroed with macros linked at the bottom of the table.
Class | Mission for I/IV/V Data | Mission for II/III/V Data |
---|---|---|
Carpenter | Efficient Recycled Resource Utilization II | Phaenna Resource Utilization Research |
Blacksmith | Crafter's Tools | Experimental Alloy Samples |
Armorer | Crafter's Tools | Experimental Alloy Samples |
Goldsmith | Crafter's Tools | Experimental Alloy Samples |
Leatherworker | Efficient Recycled Resource Utilization II | Phaenna Resource Utilization Research |
Weaver | Efficient Recycled Resource Utilization II | Phaenna Resource Utilization Research |
Alchemist | Refined Yeast II | Endangered Aquaculture II |
Culinarian | Refined Yeast II | Endangered Aquaculture II |
High Tier Macro | Macro Here | Macro Here |
Mid Tier Macro | Macro Here | Macro Here |
Best Missions to Farm Mining/Botany Relic Data
Miner and Botanist have a really efficient Class-B mission called Stellar Repair Materials which gives 9/9/9 of rank I/II/III respectively (or 45 of each when gold). The best part about this Mission is also the fact that as a result of it being Class-B, it is relatively easy. The downside being this mission is in Sinus Ardorum so ideally, you would at most farm until you unlock rank IV data. You can however easily lead this into Phaenna's Energy Panel Materials(MIN)/Optical Fiber Materials(BTN).
If you wanted to stick with just Phaenna you can run Soda-lime Float Survey (MIN)/Precise Iridized Rise Survey(BTN) which gives 30 I/II/III data instead but keeps you focused on any goals you have on Phaenna.
Sinus + Phaenna Combo | Phaenna Only |
|
---|---|---|
Miner | Stellar Repair Materials + Energy Panel Materials | Soda-lime Float Survey + Energy Panel Materials |
Botanist | Stellar Repair Materials + Optical Fiber Materials |
Precise Iridized Rise Survey + Optical Fiber Materials |
Best Missions to Farm Fishing Relic Data
To upgrade your fishing Cosmic Tool to i720, there tend to be 3 missions worth aiming for. These are:
- C: Northwestern Water Inspection - I & II
- B: Absolute Specimen - II & III
- A-1: Aquatic Inspection I - III & IV
C and B are located at the same fishing hole making them require 0 downtime and therefore great to constantly repeat/reroll for.
The best missions to upgrade to i750 are still being calculated with the amount of fish, bite times and holes available. We will update as this is calculated but feel free to check out This Phaenna Fishing Sheet which has all the information you need for relic EXP amounts.
Changelog
- 28 Apr. 2025: Guide updated for 7.31.
- 28 Apr. 2025: Guide added.
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This guide has been written by I'nanghal Shikhu (Discord - Shikhu). He is a Crafting & Gathering theorycrafter, mentor for The Balance and also a guide maker for Teamcraft alongside Icy Veins. He also managed to obtain 10 top 12's on the leaderboard during the Ishgard Restoration rankings.
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