Best early gear in Final Fantasy 16: Weapon, belt, vambraces & accessories
You’ll eventually get to customise your gear loadout in FF16, so from your weapon to accessory, here is the selection of the best early gear in Final Fantasy 16.
Eventually, choosing the best early gear will be a big question for Final Fantasy 16 players as the option to buy, craft, and upgrade weapons and armour becomes available soon after arriving in the Hideaway.
From the best early-game weapon to which accessory you'll want to run in the game, let’s get into this early gear guide to aid you throughout the earlier sections of FF16.
- If you're wondering how to upgrade your healing in Final Fantasy 16 too, we've got all of the details you'll need in this guide.
SPOILER WARNING: This guide may contain story spoilers, so be sure to proceed at your own risk to ensure details in the game remain a surprise.
Best early gear in Final Fantasy 16
From the weapons, belts, vambraces, and accessories available before the Greatwood mission in Chapter 9, Fanning Embers, the loadout of the best early gear in Final Fantasy 16 is as follows:
| Gear Type | Gear |
| Weapon | Broadsword +2 - 100 Attack |
| Belt | Iron Belt +2 - 26 Defense, 2 HP |
| Vambraces | Iron Bracers +1 - 23 Defense |
| Accessories | Badge of Mettle - increases Defense by 10 |
Like many other gear items in Final Fantasy 16, the best weapon, belt, and vambraces in this loadout are upgraded versions from their respective items which can be done so twice - signified by the +1/+2 marker next to their names.
Whilst the Iron Belt +1 is acquired automatically when you first talk to the blacksmith at The Black Hammer, the Broadsword +1 and Iron Vambraces +1 can be crafted immediately before upgrading (“reinforcing”) them further.
- Make sure to complete any 'plus symbol' side quests that you find in Final Fantasy 16, as they will give you special rewards.
How to get Broadsword +2
However, it’s recommended instead that you buy the base Broadsword first from the merchant, Charon’s Toil, to later upgrade instead. That’s because reinforcing a Broadsword costs far less of your (at the time) limited Wyrrite compared to crafting the +1 version from scratch (five instead of twenty-seven).
With the resources you’ll currently have at this point, you can now go back to The Black Hammer and reinforce your Broadsword twice, once with 5 x Wyrrite and 1 x Frozen Tear and then again with your Meteorite; turning it into the best early gear weapon in Final Fantasy 16: Broadsword +2.
- Still working out the combat? Here is how to parry in Final Fantasy 16.
How to get Iron Belt +2
In order to get the next piece of the best early gear in FF16, you’ll need to complete one of the game’s first two side quests which become available in the Hideaway: Make Do and Mend. This is only a quick fetch quest, taking you around a few minutes to finish.
Once Make Do and Mend is completed, one of your rewards will be another piece of Meteorite - the crafting material required to upgrade a piece of +1 gear. Go back to The Black Hammer, and you will be able to reinforce the Iron Belt +1 already in your inventory to get the Iron Belt +2.
- Wondering when you get access to the Hunt Board in Final Fantasy 16? Have a read of our guide for all of the answers.
How to get Iron Bracers +1
With the small amount of Gil you’ll have left after buying the Broadsword, you won’t have enough to buy the Iron Bracers to reinforce from Charon’s Toil. However, if you complete the second side quest available, Food for Thought, you’ll be given 10 x Wyrrite as one of your rewards.
Combined with the amount you should already have by playing through the story up until now, you should have more than enough for the 24 x Wyrrite required - along with your last Frozen Tear - to craft the Iron Bracers +1.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get another Meteorite to upgrade the Vambraces to Iron Bracers +2. So, this is the ideal choice for Vambraces for the best early gear for now in Final Fantasy 16.
- Check out our Final Fantasy 16 kingdoms list guide to stay on top of the complex lore and characters.
How to get Badge of Mettle
Thankfully, the accessory amongst the best early gear in FF16 is also the easiest to obtain, since you’ll have already acquired it if you followed this gear in order. Completing the Food for Thought side quest also allows you access to Kenneth’s treasure coffers chest in The Fat Chocobo.
Open it, and the Badge of Mettle will be available to equip into one of your three accessory slots right away - boosting your defense by 10.
That’s all you need to know about the best early gear in Final Fantasy 16 before chapter 9.
For even more Final Fantasy 16 guides, you can be sure to find them right here at GGRecon.
About The Author
Ben Williams
Ben is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. Alongside his BA (Hons) in Business Management is a wealth of gaming and entertainment writing experience, having previously occupied roles as a Copywriter in e-commerce at Overclockers and Guides & SEO Writer at GameByte and FragHero. When not whipping up guides and reviews, Ben’ll be off playing the latest Pokemon games, Overwatch 2, Spider-Man, The Witcher, and Final Fantasy - all before reading manga and listening to Ice Nine Kills.
