The October version update of Final Fantasy XI is fast approaching, and today, Square Enix has unveiled the newest batch of high-tier battlefields to be added! In line with the other high-tier battlefields introduced in past updates, these will also be versions of older fights tailored towards max level, well-geared adventurers. This time around, players will be doing battle in the elemental Cloisters, facing off against more powerful versions of Ifrit, Ramuh, Garuda, Shiva, Titan, and Leviathan Primes!

Excited for these new battles? Let is know over on the ZAM forums!

From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:

[dev1234] New High-tier Battlefields

• New High-tier Battlefields and Their Leaders
  • ★Trial by Fire / ★Trial by Ice / ★Trial by Wind / ★Trial by Earth / ★Trial by Lightning / ★Trial by Water
    
    In these battlefields, adventurers will square off against Ifrit Prime, Shiva Prime, Garuda Prime, Titan Prime, Ramuh Prime, and Leviathan Prime, respectively.

    
    

• Joining the Fray
  The key items required to participate in these battlefields can be acquired from the following NPCs in exchange for merit points.
  • Trisvain in Northern San d’Oria (J-7)

    

  • Raving Opposum in Port Bastok (J-11)

    

  • Mimble-Pimble in Port Windurst (L-5)

    

  • Required key items
    
    

    Key Item	Number of Merit Points Required
    Avatar Phantom Gem	20

    * Players must be level 95 or greater and have cleared all six of the “Trial by” or “Trial Size Trial by” quests in order to receive these items; it does not matter if players have completed all “Trial bys,” all “Trial Size Trial bys” or a mixture of the two types.
• Regarding Difficulty Levels
  Each mission battlefield is divided into five levels of difficulty. Boss strength, number and drop rate of spoils, as well as content level, increase in line with difficulty.
  
  

  Difficulty	Content Level
  Very Easy	113
  Easy	116
  Normal	119
  Difficult	Greater than 119
  Very Difficult	Greater than 119

  * Any player may select a difficulty level, but the battlefield's level will be determined by the first person to enter.
  * Players must have cleared the battlefield on normal to select either difficult or very difficult.
  * All party members must be in possession of the required key item to enter.
• Battlefield, Boss, and Entry Restrictions
  
  

  Battlefield Name	Required Key Item	Point of Entry	Boss	Entry Restrictions
  ★Trial by Fire	Avatar Phantom Gem	Cloister of Flames	Ifrit Prime	All Levels Thirty Minutes Six-Person Party
  ★Trial by Ice		Cloister of Frost	Shiva Prime
  ★Trial by Wind		Cloister of Gales	Garuda Prime
  ★Trial by Earth		Cloister of Tremors	Titan Prime
  ★Trial by Lightning		Cloister of Storms	Ramuh Prime
  ★Trial by Water		Cloister of Tides	Leviathan Prime

• Spoils
  Spoils are rewarded both for vanquishing the boss and clearing the battlefield, and include items needed for reforging artifact and relic armor in addition to equipment unique to each battlefield.