#FFXI – Chocobo Digging Guide Revisited

I originally authored the first guide that was posted between 2007-2009. This was at a time items had a faster turnover rate, there was no fatigue system, and there was more competition and fewer zones available. Since then, Ghysal Greens now stack to 99, most ores and logs now stack, new zones and a key item chocobo whistle was introduced, and certain items are more profitable than others.

Startup

1. Multiple stacks of Ghysal Greens – about 10-15 per day.
2. Blue Race Silks (obtained via chocobo racing strongly recommended for low levels)
3. Black Chocobo Suit (this is for higher level digging with no delay timer) – obtained during New Year Days event from Moogle Shop
4. Chocobo Wand (obtained from special event but very hard to get)
5. Demin Pants (need 2 to Syngerize the HQ; obtained from Login Points/Events) – can be used with Blue Race Silks to optimize profits.

Pros of Chocobo Digging

1. Can take it to max level and still take another craft to max level.
2. Easy to break even once you get level high enough to have no delay between digs.
3. Costs of digging stays fixed.
4. Gear related to digging are cheap

Cons of Chocobo Digging

1. Approximately 2000 stacks required to get to max level.
2. Takes 2 to 3 years in real life of daily digging to get to max level if you dig to fatigue daily.
3. Egg Helm is useless
4. Requires a lot of free inventory spaces, thus making Gobbiebag and Mog Sack quests mandatory.
5. Best zones often require a personal chocobo and completion of the Chocobo Whistle quest for the key item.

Best Zones to Dig

1. Qufim Island. This zone is best dug at night with no weather active and with Black Chocobo Suit equipped. (Digging during day and/or weather active is not preferred due to other less desirable items being added to the pool.) The money making items are Silica (about 110-130k a stack on AH with decent turnover even in 2022), and Heavy Metal Plate tends to have its best dig rates. Dynamis Currency also digs up but not as common. Digging at night is strongly recommended as you can also dig up Sparkling Stones (they sell very well per stack). The main drawback is that Black Chocobo Suit reduces dig accuracy so you need to have no dig delay between digs to make this a viable zone. If you have high alchemy skill, Magic Pot Shards turn into cermet chunks that are combined with Silica for Imperial Cermet, an item that is used to make automation attachments.
2. Behemoth’s Dominion. The main targets are Behemoth Hide, Darksteel Ore, and Lightning Clusters. Heavy Metal Plates can be found here but the rate is not as good as Qufim. The Clusters and Darksteel will move quickly in the AH and both have surprisingly uncommon rates. The rare item is Bloodthread. This zone is only the second best compared to Qufim because everything else dug up is junk unless you got a very high goldsmithing skill to deal with the geodes. Digging with weather active is not recommended. Behemoth Hides also move at a considerably slower rate than Silica.
3. Xarcabard (S). This zone is a woodworkers paradise and come with a home point crystal for easy access. The main target is Sif’s Macrame, which goes over 1.5M a stack or 120k a single. Jacaranda Logs can max out a Woodworking skill. Everything else aside from Dynamis Currency, Gold Beastcoin, and Dragon Heart is junk, and unless you stay in the southeast corner you risk aggro from everything, and this is why it drops lower on the top zones.
4. Grauberg (S). Need the survival guide near Pashhow (S) zone to get a easy warp and it drops down on my preferred ones as a result. Digging by the pixies is strongly recommended so you can pop Bottled Pixies. Personal chocobo with key item is required. Like Xarcabard (S), Jacarand Logs can be dug. Bore ability allows Darksteel Ores to be dug. Digging at night with no weather effects is recommended with Black Chocobo Suit equipped to avoid junk being added to the pool.
5. Lufaise Meadows. This zone requires advancement in certain missions with CoP to access but the target is Griffon Hide. This item sells best as singles as it is required for Geomancer quests and AF i119. Heavy Metal Plates can be dug. Dig only at night with no weather present and with Black Chocobo Suit equipped.
6. Rolanberry Fields (S). Sif’s Macrame digs up at a better rate than Xarcabard (S) but unless you dig at night with no weather present the rest of the pool is filled with junk items. The good news is that the dig pool for Rolanberry only has 10 items at night with no weather present and as long as you did not progress in the Wings of Goddess mission after the first mission, you will not dig up allied notes.