FFXIV: How to Catch a Gold Back in Island Sanctuary

Looks so cuddly!

Final Fantasy XIV players have been hard at work gathering resources, crafting tools, and building various workshops in the new Island Sanctuary mode introduced in the recent patch 6.2 update. With roaming wildlife aplenty, the isle offers a wide selection of animals to potentially capture and domesticate through the sanctuary’s animal husbandry system. These critters come in all shapes, sizes, and rarities, and can drop uncommon materials if kept happy and properly nourished. The Gold Back, a rather Jurassic-looking fellow, is one such rare animal that players can capture if the cards fall in their favor. If you’re looking to take home one of these bad boys, continue reading to learn how to catch a Gold Back in FFXIV’s Island Sanctuary.

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Capturing Animals in FFXIV Island Sanctuary

The Gold Back is considered a Large-sized animal, so don’t expect to hold their talons and gently lead them back to your farm. You’ll need to craft a restraint that can handle the sheer size of this creature, and the only suitable tool for this scenario is the Makeshift Soporific, obtainable after reaching Rank 8 in your Island Sanctuary. To craft one of these, you’ll need the following items:

  • 2 Island Laver
  • 1 Island Sap
  • 2 Island Jellyfish

After crafting your Makeshift Soporific, switch over to Capture mode and select it as your tool.

Capturing the Gold Back – Weather and Location

Screenshot by Prima Games

While some rare spawns are tied to specific Eorzean times of the day, the Gold Back spawn is strictly based on the weather on your isle. For a chance to spot the beast, you’ll have to wait for “Rain” weather, which can be checked by hovering over the small icon attached to your minimap. Note that “Rain” and “Showers” are two different weather patterns, so don’t confuse the two. If it’s rainy, head over to the (X: 31, Y: 28) coordinates located around the south-eastern cliffsides of the island, and you should see the colorful creature standing around.

Approach them and use the Makeshift Soporific to try your luck. Catching them may take a few tries but, if you’re lucky, you’ll capture yourself a new Gold Back to take back home to your pasture. Make sure to tend to your captured animals needs, keeping their moods high and their stomachs full, as the Gold Back will drop Sanctuary Feather leavings for you once a day.

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About the Author

Matt Vatankhah

Matt's writing career began when he joined Prima Games in 2022. As Managing Editor, he tries to make sure everything you read looks as pretty as possible. He's had a passion for video games all of his life and really loves Final Fantasy, retro FPS, roguelikes, and metroidvanias. He will absolutely stomp you in Tetris.