Frontline
- See also: Borderland Ruins (Slaughter)
Frontline or Borderland Ruins (Secure) is a large PvP battleground featuring 3 opposing forces composed of the members of 3 Grand Companies. Up to 72 players will be able to battle for supremacy. Each of the 3 teams can have up to a full raid of 24 players. It is located in Carteneau Flats near Mor Dhona. Frontline was released in patch 2.3.
- Players are required to be level 50 to participate. Players' item levels are synced to level 80.
- Each battle will have a time limit of 30 minutes.
In patch 2.5, Borderland Ruins (Slaughter), a new mode for Frontline was introduced.
Unlock
The Maelstrom: complete level 30 quest Like Civilized Men and Women (Maelstrom) by talking to Trachraet in Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (x12,y12)
The Order of the Twin Adder: complete level 30 quest Like Civilized Men and Women (Twin Adder) by talking to Scarlet in New Gridania (x9,y11)
The Immortal Flames: complete level 30 quest Like Civilized Men and Women (Immortal Flames) by talking to Mimio Mio in Ul'dah - Steps of Nald (x8,y9)
Match Making
Players can queue to enter Frontline alone, or in a party of up to 8 players. Although there are no role restrictions when queuing as a party, all party members must be affiliated with the same Grand Company.
To improve matching efficiency, 72 (three teams of 24), 48 (three teams of 16), or 24 (three teams of eight) combatants may be matched together depending on the number of available participants.
Objective and Mechanics
Players will be tasked with defending outposts established by their respective Grand Companies, as well as locating and laying claim to key Allagan ruins, holding them safe from opposing teams.
Each team will be awarded points upon completing various objectives including occupying locations of interest, defeating players from opposing teams, and defeating enemies that spawn on the field.
Points
Points needed to Win:
| Players per Team | Points |
|---|---|
| 24 | 1600 |
| 16 | 1200 |
| 8 | 800 |
Occupying Locations of Interest: Locations of interest such as outposts and Allagan ruins can be identified by flags, indicating the Grand Company that currently controls them. By remaining in close proximity to these flags, players can occupy these locations to earn points for their team.
Teams will receive a fixed number of points upon claiming locations of interest, and will also accrue points over time for every location that remains occupied by their Grand Company.
The number of flags on the field will depend on the number of participants matched for combat. A maximum of 6 flags will be up for grabs in a 24v24v24 match.
- Maelstrom Outpost (Southwest)
- Twin Adder Outpost (North)
- Immortal Flames Outpost (Southeast)
- Allagan Markets (Northeast)
- Allagan Manors (Northwest)
- Allagan Sun Temple (South)
Each points is marked with a flag and a circle on the ground.
Occupying locations of interest will prove key to victory, as this yields points in great quantities.
- Your team will gain more points the more flags you control.
10 points are awarded for neutralizing a flag, another 10 points are awarded for capturing one.
| Flags Held | Points per 3 seconds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 |
| 5 | 16 |
| 6 | 32 |
Defeating Opposing Players: Earns the player's team 3 points.
Defeating Monsters: Defeating an Interceptor Drone awards the player's team with 20 points while defeating an Interceptor Node awards the player's team with 200 points
Death
Incapacitated players will be returned to their Grand Company's landing, where they will be allowed to rejoin combat after a short delay. Returning to your landing after being incapacitated will not incur a weakness penalty, but the delay before you can rejoin the battle will lengthen each time you fall.
Mounts
Players are free to use mounts on the Frontline. However, players taking damage while mounted will be inflicted with the Heavy status effect.
Roles
There is no role restriction in Frontline. Teams can have as many or few of the tank, DPS and healer classes and jobs. Players can also change their classes or jobs when they are in their team's Outpost.
Guide
Staging Area
You start in your Grand Company's staging area. You'll have 2 minutes to prepare before the match begins.
- Use this time to buff everyone and check roles, make sure that you have all of your PvP Actions equipped (and that you used your latest PvP points to level them up), talk about strategies with your teammates, and get on your mount.
You can change roles in your staging area (without cooldown if it's the preparation time). Once you leave the staging area, you can't come back, unless you die.
Controlling Flags
Stand in the circles to take control of the flags and defend them.
If the flag is not controlled, the team with the most people in the circle will start capturing it. Capture speed becomes faster if the player difference is large. The player count is maxed at 4. If there are 4 people from one team and 8 from another team in the circle, it will count as if both teams have the same number of players
If a flag is controlled by your team and your enemy team has more players in the circle, the enemy team will start neutralizing it, resetting it to a non-controlled state.
Your team receives more points the more flags your team controls. Additionally Flags rewards your with more points the longer you keep them.
Heliodrome: Defeating Monsters
At the middle of the map stands the Heliodrome. Enemy NPCs named Interceptor Drones and Interceptor Node spawn in the area regularly. Interceptor Drones spawn 1 minute after the match has begun and respawning occurs once every 4 minutes. The Interceptor Node spawns 10 to 12 minutes after a match has begun. The drones do a laser AOE easily dodgeable; the nodes do periodical damage over the whole Heliodrome. The team dealing most damage gets the credit. The heliodrome can really give an edge in Tactical Rating, so don't neglect it!
Defeating Enemy Players
Players will earn their team 3 points for every enemy player kill.
Rewards
| Rank | Reward |
|---|---|
| Rank 1 | 400 PvP EXP, 600 Wolf Marks, 40 Allagan Tomestone of Soldiery, 20 Allagan Tomestone of Poetics |
| Rank 2 | 300 PvP EXP, 450 Wolf Marks, 40 Allagan Tomestone of Soldiery, 20 Allagan Tomestone of Poetics |
| Rank 3 | 200 PvP EXP, 300 Wolf Marks, 40 Allagan Tomestone of Soldiery, 20 Allagan Tomestone of Poetics |
Lore
While many will remember the Calamity for the destruction it wrought upon the realm of Eorzea, that destruction was not without its blessings─one of those being the uncovering of ancient Allagan ruins hidden underneath the war-scarred Carteneau Flats and heretofore unseen for several Astral Eras. When an attempt by the Grand Companies of Eorzea to determine the control of these ruins, and more importantly the secrets they contain, through peaceful negotiations ended in failure, the city-states instead elected to solve the issue of dominion using a form of civilized warfare dubbed Frontline.