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Guide to Materia, Melding and Catalysts in FFXIV
Since patch 1.19 items can be enhanced through the process of Melding Materia to them. In this guide I will describe how this is achieved.

Overview
Certain items, when used in the game, will create a spiritbond with the player. When a full bond is made the item can be turned into materia which is a crystallized form with beneficial stats. Materia can be fused to other items in the game through the process of melding. In order to meld materia to items you need a catalyst.

In short: Use gear until you make a spiritbond, turn it into materia, use catalyst to meld it to other gear to enhance stats.

So let’s go more into details. First of all…

How a spiritbond is created.
This is actually pretty straight forward. Just use the item with which you want to form a bond. As you use the item you can see a progress when investigating the item in either inventory or your gear. When the little star at the end of the bar starts to spin the bond has been fully created and the item is ready to be transformed into material. You will also hear a little sound and see stars when the spiritbond is created to alert you to the fact.

The speed of raising the spiritbond is directly linked to the amount of XP you get. The closer the item is to your current level the faster the spiritbond will be made. It does take a while though and don’t be surprised if you need to get more than 100K XP before the bond is created.

Also remember that a spiritbond is a personal thing. The bond is created between you and the item. What this means is that if an item is traded it will lose the spiritbond and it can only be made again by using the item and building the bond from scratch. So don’t trade items with a spiritbond unless of course you are willing to disregard the value of a spiritbond (which may not always be that much).

How to obtain materia from items with spiritbond
In order to make an item into materia you will have to have completed the quest “Forging the Spirit” (see quest description below). Once you have completed this quest you can select an item in your inventory with a full spiritbond. Just like repairing you can’t select an item that is currently equipped but you will have to unequip it before transforming it into material. When an item is selected you get a menu with different options like repair, seek repair, close etc. Choose “Materia” in the menu and a warning will be given telling you that the item you transform into material will be lost.

Quest: Forging the Spirit
This quest will provide you with the item materia assimilator that you need to turn items with a spiritbond into material.

The quest is started by talking to Swynbroes at 29,20 in Thanalan. It is north of Camp Black Brush and it should not take you long to get there. He will lend you his own material assimilator and ask you to go form a bond with an item. This as mentioned above is pretty straight forward but it does take a while. You will have to do this on your own as a spiritbond will disappear if an item is traded. In other words… you can’t buy an item with spiritbond and there is no easy way to get through this quest.
Once a spiritbond has been created you will have to turn the item into materia as described above. Return to Swynbroes and he will give you some xp and your own material assimilator.

You are now ready to make all the materia you want (or at least as much as you have bonded gear for).

How to meld materia to an item
The materia you gain when you transform items with a spiritbond have special stats depending on type. These stats can be transferred to another item boosting the item and making it (much) better. The more materia melded to an item the greater risk there will be if you attempt to add more. The first piece of materia can be added at no risk but as you try to add more materia you will be given an indication of how high the risk of failure will be.

In order to meld the materia to the item you select the item in your inventory. Once again you need to unequip the item before you can meld materia to it. Once you have chosen “Meld” in the menu you will be shown the materia in your inventory that can be melded to the item. Not all materia can be melded with all items but the materia will inform you about this when viewed in the inventory.
When you have chosen the materia you will be informed about what disciple of the hand you will need in order to perform the melding along with information about level and catalyst (more on catalysts later).

If you accept the risk, meet the demands required for crafting and have the catalyst you can start melding the materia to the item. If you succeed the item will get the bonus stats of the materia and the circle left to the name in the inventory will indicate that materia has been melded to the item. As you add more materia to an item a number will be displayed to let you know how many have been added.

Remember that if you try to add materia to an item and you fail you will not only loose the materia but also the item itself. So be sure to check the risk before adding that second or third materia.

Quest: Waking the Spirit
In order to meld materia to items you need the materia melder. This can be obtained through the quest Waking the Spirit. In order to start the quest you will have to have at least one crafting class at level 18 (it can not be culinaran or alchemist).

Talk to F'hobhas who also is in the camp north of Camp Black Brush. She will instruct you in how to use the materia melded and lend you one to try yourself. Now you need one of all the items required: a piece of materia, a new item and a catalyst. Follow the instructions above to meld the materia to the item and F'hobhas will reward you with your own materia melder and you are now ready to meld whatever you like.

How to obtain catalysts for melding
In order to meld anything you will need a catalyst also refered to as matter. These can be obtained from gathering and there are currently 12 different kinds (four for each gathering class). They can be obtained from any resource point in the areas where they can be found but remember that if you are fishing this means schools of fish and not just any old waterhole. See list below for all locations and sweetspots.

Before you can get the catalysts however you will need to have the skill "Fingerprints of the Gods" activate (see quest description below). Make sure you set this skill before you go looking for catalysts. Once you find a resource point and the skill activates you will have to gather at the right sweetspot. This is always at 5 or -5 so this should be easy to remember. Now fish/chop/dig away and you will be rewarded with catalysts instead of normal items. Catalysts are not a by-product like shards and dark matter. They are the item you obtain.

Quest: Joining the spirit
This quest can be started once you hit level 18 with one of your gathering classes. Once again you should go to the camp mentioned before. Talk to Kokosamu and you will be told about catalysts. You will be instructed to go gather at location pointed out to you on the map in the journal. I did it as a fisher and was told to go to little waterhole at 21,28 I assume that if you go as a miner or botanist you will redirected to a similar location nearby.

Once you get there start fishing/mining/logging and sooner or later Fingerprints of the Gods will activate. It's very important that you now choose the right sweetspot in order to obtain the catalyst.
When you have obtained the catalyst return to Kokosamu and you will receive the ability Fingerprints of the Gods and you are now able to go find the catalysts on your own.

List of catalysts:

Obtained through mining (sweetspot +5):
Carbonized Matter - Horizon's Edge
Petrified Matter - Nophica's Wells
Fossilized Matter - Dragonhead
Crystallized Matter - Treespeak

Obtained through logging (sweetspot +5)
Germinated Matter - Tranquil Paths
Decayed Matter - Humblehearth
Decomposed Matter - Iron Lake
Liquefied Matter - Halatali

Obtained through fishing (sweetspot -5)
Calcified Matter - Bloodshore
Cultured Matter - Cedarwood
Ossified Matter - Bald Knoll
Cretified Matter - Nine Ivies


This was the information I have about Materia, Melding and Catalysts and I hope it will help you get the most out of your items in Final Fantasy XIV and that it can help you enjoy the game even more.

If you have any information that can improve the guide please let me know and I will revise it.

Edited by user Wednesday, November 30, 2011 10:08:31 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I'm sorry and am not trying to be a problem but I am only bringing this up because I had some minor difficulty finding the Swynbroes at 20,29 in Thanalan. But I figured out that you report your coordinates as Y, X as the 20x, 29y does not exist. Coords are 29,20.

But thanks for the awesome guide. It helped so much.

fixed. probably just a typo. Thank you and welcome to the forum Saberlily.

Edited by user Wednesday, November 30, 2011 10:09:39 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified