As we approached the end of Heavensward, I finalized a glamour for each of the game’s main armor types in Pure White, using some of my favorite pieces from the expansion. Around the same time, I used my complete lack of skill in image editing to cobble together a new header for the site, featuring each one. I’ve been toying with the idea of doing something similar to sort of “cap off” Stormblood, but first I had to make sure that I was happy with each and every one of my glamours, which has proven to be no easy task.

Sometime after the announcement of Shadowbringers and the accompanying news that we would be taking on the role of the Warrior of Darkness for the next expansion, I started thinking about ways to represent that shift from Light to Darkness in Alahra’s glamours. Since she ended Heavensward in her canonical Pure White, it only made sense to go into Shadowbringers in Jet Black instead. For unifying elements, I decided to stick with the Reading Glasses—which feel “meaner” than the Elegant Rimless pair and perfect for Shadowbringers—and to go back to a relic stage for any role that I’d gotten one for throughout FFXIV‘s history. Where possible, I wanted to use new pieces from Stormblood, too, but in some cases I did find myself returning to older looks where the expansion had not offered up anything suitable for Alahra.

Glamour Components (Required Level: NIN 70)
Weapon: (Replica) Sasuke’s Blades Zeta
Head: Reading Glasses (Shale Brown)
Body: Ala Mhigan Tunic of Scouting (Jet Black)
Hands: Ala Mhigan Fingerless Gloves of Scouting (Jet Black)
Legs (not visible): Thavnairian Tights (Jet Black)
Feet: Gyuki Leather Highboots of Scouting (Jet Black)

As it is her canon job, Alahra’s Ninja glamour has always been her most important one. Of the seven main glamours she’ll be taking into Shadowbringers, this one is the only one that feels truly new, with all of the others being based on older looks either from earlier in Stormblood or from Heavensward. With a journey into the unknown awaiting the Warrior of Light, I wanted a Ninja glamour that felt appropriate for heavy travel through exotic locations. The Scion Traveler’s glamour I put together a little while ago had started to feel wrong for Alahra, and it took me several days of experimentation to ultimately settle on the Ala Mhigan Tunic. I’ve loved the piece since the early days of Stormblood, but it never felt right for a glamour until now.

Glamour Components (Required Level: MNK/SAM 70)
Weapon: (Replica) Nyepels.
Head: Reading Glasses
Body: Augmented Scaevan Jacket of Striking (Jet Black)
Hands: Serpentskin Bracers of Striking (Jet Black)
Legs: (Common) Makai Manhandler’s Quartertights
Feet: Augmented Ironworks Sollerets of Striking (Jet Black)

For Monk and Samurai, I wasn’t ready to let go of the Augmented Scaevan Jacket, which had formed the basis of my last glamour for Monk. Figuring out a way to use it in Jet Black proved tricky, until I noticed that the Magitek portions of the Ironworks Sollerets actually match some small bits of Magitek on the Scaevan Jacket, too. That led me back to the Serpentskin Bracers—which I’d first used with the Ironworks Sollerets forever ago—and the Makai Quartertights, which were a better fit with everything else in black than the Guardian Corps Skirt.

Glamour Components (Required Level: DRG 62)
Weapon: (Augmented) Shire Halberd
Head: Reading Glasses
Body: High Steel Mail of Maiming (Metallic Silver)
Hands: High Steel Gauntlets of Maiming (Metallic Silver)
Legs: Lady’s Knickers (Black) / Scion Healer’s Halftights
Feet: High Steel Sollerets of Maiming (Metallic Silver)

Had I not settled on a black theme in preparation for Shadowbringers, I very likely would not have touched my most recent Dragoon glamour. Even now, I’m highly fond of the way that one came together, but it didn’t quite fit in with what I wanted before 5.0. I wanted to keep the High Steel Mail, though, and I found that I liked it better in silver than Jet Black, since the former still makes the tabard black. Though I experimented with other options for gauntlets and boots, nothing fit the Mail better than the pieces from its own set, so I went with those to round this one off.

Glamour Components (Required Level: BLM/RDM/SMN 60)
Weapon: (Replica) Kaladanda Lux
Head: Reading Glasses (Ul Brown)
Body: Augmented Shire Philosopher’s Coat (Jet Black)
Hands: (Augmented) Shire Philosopher’s Gloves
Legs: Star Velvet Bottoms of Casting (Jet Black)
Feet: Songbird Boots

Although Stormblood did add one of my favorite pieces for casters in the game with the Serge Gambison, I couldn’t find a look with it that felt right in Jet Black. None of the other new casting gear from this expansion has spoken to me, though, and so I ended up back on old reliable, with the Shire Philosopher’s set. Outside of going all black, I combined elements of a couple different similar glamours from Heavensward, upgrading the shoes to the Songbird Boots, which fit the Star Velvet Bottoms better than the High House Halfboots I used to use (as I’ve done several times over the course of Stormblood).

Glamour Components (Required Level: AST/SCH/WHM 60)
Weapon: Hyperconductive Tetrabiblos (Replica) (Metallic Silver)
Head: Reading Glasses
Body: Scion Adventurer’s Jacket (Jet Black)
Hands: Augmented Shire Preceptor’s Gloves (Jet Black)
Legs: Miqo’te Loincloth (Jet Black)
Feet: Demonic Thighboots

Much as was the case with casters, I had trouble figuring out a new look for healers. Nothing from Stormblood has really topped the look I settled on at the end of Heavensward for Scholar, and so I decided to stick with it. I did swap over to an actual pair of gloves and chose the Demonic Thighboots over my more normal Scion Healer’s Highboots, given the all-black look I was aiming for here. Both of these changes are especially minor, however, and I’ll be keeping my eye out for exciting new healer glamour options in Shadowbringers.

Glamour Components (Required Level: BRD/DNC/MCH 70)
Weapon: Yoichi Bow Zeta (Replica) (Jet Black)
Head: Reading Glasses (Bone White)
Body: Alliance Jacket of Aiming (Jet Black)
Hands: Augmented Shire Conservator’s Gloves (Jet Black)
Legs: Direwolf Skirt of Aiming (Jet Black)
Feet: Eikon Leather Thighboots of Aiming (Jet Black)

While I haven’t played Bard a great deal in Stormblood, it did receive one of my favorite pieces of gear from the expansion, so I didn’t want to deviate completely from my last glamour for it. Moving from Pure White to Jet Black meant a black and gold aesthetic, which is always the perfect home for my cherished Yoichi Bow Zeta. Accordingly, I brought in the Eikon Leather Thighboots, which are often difficult to use. While I’m not sure if I’d end up using this for Dancer (which will probably be the first ranged DPS I take to 80), I love it for Bard and Machinist.

Glamour Components (Required Level: DRK 70)
Weapon: Caladbolg Anemos
Head: Reading Glasses (Dalamud Red)
Body: Lynxfang Cuirass (Metallic Silver
Hands: Antiquated Abyss Gauntlets
Legs: Werewolf Bottoms (Jet Black)
Feet: Antiquated Abyss Sollerets

Paladin has historically been my tank of choice, but I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Dark Knight. After we saw the recent Job Actions trailer for the expansion, I felt more and more drawn to Dark Knight, and slowly came to the decision that I wanted to level it second, after I finish the Main Scenario on Ninja. With that in mind, I decided to go all in, going back to one of my favorite glamours from Stormblood, including spending the last of my remaining Anemos Crystals to upgrade my Caladbolg solely for glamour.

We’re now less than one month away from the launch of Early Access for Shadowbringers, and I think these glamours will easily last me through that time. While I might think about some changes for my Dancer and Gunbreaker glamours, these others feel rather final. Other than that, I’ve got a couple more retrospective posts I want to get in before the end of Stormblood, and then it will finally be time! I’ve not been this excited about FFXIV in quite some time, and the anticipation for 5.0 is almost overwhelming. I can’t wait!