This is probably old news, but what the hell?

[Polorboy]

So, I have been away from the game for at least 2 years. I was playing since the closed beta. I stopped shortly after Heavenward released. I decided to come back and find that the game is vastly different and it has taken me a while to get used to the changes. One thing that I was actually looking forward to was getting my Chocobo to rank 10. It took me nearly 2 years to get to just past rank 9 before I stopped and when I got back I had a couple hundred thousand xp on my chocobo to get it to rank 10. Well, I finally get to rank 10 and then find out that in order to get these ridiculous reagan peppers I need 48,000 company seals, that is absolutely ridiculous. I then see that I can also get them for 20 allied seals... ok, that is more reasonable I guess but why the huge discrepency. Anyway, so I luckily have enough allied seals from before I stopped to buy a ton of these things. I get 4 and reset to go to rank 10 for all of the types. I figured I would just reset 4 time and get all three bardings. I find out that after I got the tank barding, when I reset and tried to get the whm barding nothing happened. I didn't get anything. I reset again and tried to get the Drg barding, nothing.... what the hell? Can you only unlock one barding per account? That is absolutely ridiculous.

[Dustytome]

You have to go to rank 20 to get all the bardings. To do this, you'll have to feed your chocobo a thavnairian onion for each level past 10, level it up and then repeat. Don't feed multiple onions at once, it has to level up before you use the next one.

[Polorboy]

Thanks, so that is going to take me an incredibly long time... great... more grind.... not your fault but that is disappointing. I am not looking forward to that grind. I know you can level it in the stables, but that is assuming you have money. I also know that most people in the game have many millions on hand... I however am lucky if I have somewhere in the 10k range at any given moment. So, this is going to suck and probably take me at least another 2 years before I can get to rank 20. That is assuming I even stick with this for that long again, the more I play this the more discouraging it is getting. Everything is so far beyond reach for all but the most hard core or those who have figured out how to cheat the system.

[MsQi]

I don't think this is something meant to be focused on. Just keep him out, do the challenge log, train him every once in a while but focus on other things. You can give him Curiel Root to increase Exp and train him so it's his favorite.

[Frizze]

So, this is going to suck and probably take me at least another 2 years before I can get to rank 20.

Assuming you have the challenge log unlocked(if you dont OMG go do it right this second) then it doesnt need to take that long. You get 2 weekly entries in the challenge log for your companion. Kill 20, and kill 100 level appropriate enemies. If you do them both you get 30% of the exp to your birds next level(and remember these reset weekly on the tuesday reset). Mix in enough trainings, and levels 11-20 can be done in under 6 months without just settling in for an endless grind-fest. If buying 10 onions is a concern, see if your FC has the resources to help you grow them.

[StouterTaru]

Everything is so far beyond reach for all but the most hard core or those who have figured out how to cheat the system.

Here's how to "cheat the system"

The challenge log requires you to kill 100 level appropriate enemies. Do this at the same time you're doing 10 different FATEs in 5 different zones. If you use the lowbie FATEs in the starter zones you can do this in half an hour, once per week. That's 30% of a job level for you, and 15% of a chocobo rank.

Make a 2nd character, and add them to your FC. There are two timers for feeding chocobos at the stable, You can feed your chocobo once per hour, and one person not you can feed your chocobo once per hour.

When you max exp for a rank on your chocobo, take it out and kill an enemy so it ranks up BEFORE you feed it an onion. Otherwise, the onion was wasted.

There are a couple of side quests in Ishgard that reward onions, so there's two free ones out there for you.

[Shadygrove]

Polorboy, if you do not have a FC, or if you do but they don't train your chocobos, my FC on Sarganatas will train your chocobo and even provide you with onions as needed.

Also Curiel roots which, when they become your chocobo's favorite food, add +5% EXPs.

Look me or Eva Destruction up in game.

[Brightamethyst]

You get 2 weekly entries in the challenge log for your companion. Kill 20, and kill 100 level appropriate enemies. If you do them both you get 30% of the exp to your birds next level(and remember these reset weekly on the tuesday reset).

Did that change recently? Mine has been 20 for ages, but it used to only be 15% (5% for the first, 10% for the second.)

[Frizze]

Did that change recently? Mine has been 20 for ages, but it used to only be 15% (5% for the first, 10% for the second.)

I was remembering it wrong. I try to fact check myself, but sometimes i reply to posts from memory. My point was that there were bonuses available and it didnt have to take as long as the OP feared. But yeah, its 15% weekly plus whatever training you do and exp from kills.

[Stormfur]

Reagan pepper resets your chocobo's skill pool (so you can assign different points to various stats like defense/attack/heal). What you're thinking of to raise the level is a Thavnairian Onion. These onions can be expensive on the marketboard, but if you have access to a garden, you can cross-breed the seeds to get what you need:

To get the Thavnairian onion directly: Cross breed Nymeia Lilly seeds and Curiel Root seeds.

Since those are probably expensive too, you can cross-breed to get them as well:

Nymeia lilly: Cross breed Krakka Root (obtainable from NPC) and Chamomile seeds (gathered)
Curiel Root: Cross breed Almond seeds (gathered) and Mandrake seeds (gathered)

It takes something like a week and a half for them to grow but you can shorten the time with fertilizer (it knocks an hour off the grow time).

And you'll want to plant these seeds in Grade 3 Thanalan soil since that's the soil that increases the chance for plants to cross.

Hope this helps!