Soon after creating your character and embarking upon your Eorzean journey, you’ll find yourself with a decision to make. When you hit level 20, Alisaie sends you on a quest called “A Hero in the Making”. This quest will have you touring the three main city states in order to pick a Grand Company and this can seem like a daunting task.
Considering how little you may know about them at this point, it is tempting to simply opt for the Grand Company based in your home state. While this is a perfectly viable option and what many choose to do, there are other factors which you may like to consider when making your choice. Here’s a few pointers to hopefully help you when it comes to making your decision.
A few things to note about Grand Companies in general
Each Grand Company is more or less the same, at least at a basic gameplay level. The differences arise when delving into the lore of each Company as well as when looking at achievements, item rewards and their coloring.
Each Company has its own uniform, and although they are more or less identical in style, the color is different for each Company. These pieces are undyeable, so if you’re planning to represent your Company with your glamours, it’s important that you actually like the color of your selected Company’s uniform. On top of the uniform, each Company also has its own specific weapons which reflect the theme of the Company.
Each company also has its own individual Hunting Logs which, when completed, reward players with a minion of a Mammet carrying the standard of their chosen Company.
The Order of the Twin Adder
With their headquarters in Gridania and overseen by the Kan-E-Senna, The Order of the Twin Adder is the perfect choice for someone who seeks to be surrounded by those who focus on magical arts and Bards. The overriding color of the Adder’s is yellow and their uniforms reflect this. If you’re a fan of sunshine and wish to bring some brightness to those around you, I’d more than suggest the Adder’s as the place for you. The titles that you can gain through being a member of the Adder’s reflect the name of the company and include Serpent Lady or Serpent Lord, depending on the gender of your character.
The headquarters for the Adder’s is located just west of the main Aetheryte Plaza in Gridania. You can find more information about the lore behind The Order of the Twin Adder on the Lodestone.
The Maelstrom
Based in the waterfront city state of Limsa Lominsa, The Maelstrom are headed by Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn and they have an irrefutable reputation for winning battles, particularly in player versus player content. That means that if you’re a PVPer at heart, this might be the place for you. With easy access to the central marketplace of Limsa and all of the amenities of the city, it’s easy to see why The Maelstrom is such a popular Grand Company. Their overriding color is red and this is reflected in their uniforms. Titles that you can gain through being a member of The Maelstrom include Stormlord or Lady, Stormcarrier and Stormbringer.
The headquarters for The Maelstrom is located in the Upper Decks of Limsa Lominsa and best accessed by using the Aftcastle aethernet shard and turning immediately left. You can find more information about the lore behind The Maelstrom on the Lodestone.
The Immortal Flames
The Immortal Flames are headed by Raubahn Aldynn and, as you’d expect, the Company is based in the city state of Ul’dah. The uniform you can gain through being a member of the Flames is gray-blue, possibly the most versatile of all the uniform colors, blue. If you enjoy being surrounded by those who are battle hardened and don’t mind the dry heat of the desert, you’ll fit in perfectly here. Titles that can be gained through working with The Immortal Flames include Flamelord or Lady, Flamesworn and Flamecarrier.
The headquarters for the Immortal Flames can be found by leaving the main Aetheryte Plaza in Ul’dah and immediately turning to the right. You can delve into the lore behind The Immortal Flames on the Lodestone.
You’re not stuck once you choose
It is possible to switch Grand Companies, and many players with a love of completionism do so in order to collect all of the available rewards. To do so, you must reach the rank of Second Lieutenant before you can switch and while the first switch costs nothing, every subsequent change in Company will cost you 50,000 gil. There is also a period of 15 days when you will not be able to move again, so it’s worth sticking with one Company to their highest rank before you make the move.
However, if you don’t mind spending the gil and feel like a change, your progress with your previous Company will be retained so you can step back in right where you left off. Any items that you attain which are specific to a Grand Company will be retained, but you will be unable to equip them while not a member of that Grand Company.
