Overview
The urge to flip switches is almost irresistible...even when you know full well the consequences for doing so. Once more your finger moves as if of its own accord, and activates the second phase of the Savage Initiative. As the gentle arrangement drifts from the terminal, you are transported to a remembered vista of the Sigmascape, each lapping wave of the song swelling the boundary of your memories...
Strategy Notes
- In this three-phase battle, players will find themselves in an otherworldly location, akin to a mechanical factory, within a square-shaped arena that includes a dangerous outer wall which should be avoided at all costs. Any player who touches the edges of the arena for any reason will suffer moderate damage and a dispellable Paralysis debuff, rendering them unable to move, though it can be dispelled via Esuna.
- Whilst facing off against this literal death-machine, players will also notice large monitors outside of the arena which will give some visual hints regarding upcoming mechanics. Compared to the normal version of the battle, these monitors will be a much more prominent feature of the encounter. For example, the Guardian will load programs quite frequently, displaying sprites on the monitor which will indicate which attacks will happen next, forcing the raid to keep a close eye on the screen much more often compared to normal mode.
- Below is a list of all mechanics and phases represented via the monitor, as well as a list of generic mechanics you will deal with throughout the encounter (regardless of the monitor).
- Below is a description of generic mechanics that will take place throughout the entire encounter.
- In savage mode, the first Load will involve either the Dadaluma Program or Bibliotaph Program. Rather than try to make an order from randomization, we'll explain all four programs in their entirety.
- Unlike the normal version of Sigmascape V3.0, the monitors outside of the arena are far more involved in the encounter. While they still display sprites that represent upcoming mechanics, the Guardian will complicate matters by using various commands that interact with these programs. Commands include:
Boss Encounters
Guardian
- Magitek Ray - Guardian turns to face a random player and - after an animated wind-up - emits a straight-line AoE across the arena. As a rule of thumb, if the Guardian turns to face you or your general direction unexpectedly and you notice blue energy forming by its cannon, a hefty side-step can take you out of danger. Any player hit by the beam will suffer high damage and be afflicted with a stackable Vulnerability Up debuff.
- Arm & Hammer - a devastating tank-buster against Guardian's current target. Be sure to mitigate the blow with cooldowns whenever possible.
- Atomic Ray - places orange markers upon random damage-dealers. After a brief delay, marked players will detonate via unavoidable AoE damage and leave behind a pulsing orb at their current locations (which will periodically explode in a large AoE radius). As a result, marked players should spread apart from each other (and the rest of the raid) to avoid overlapping the initial explosions. Once the orbs have been dropped, the entire raid should move away from their location seeing as they will soon begin to periodically unleash large AoE explosions until they expire.
- Prey Missile - places a noticeably large orange-red marker on a random damage dealer. After a brief delay, the marked target will suffer moderate damage and receive a flaming debuff.
- Missile Simulation - creates multiple missiles at various edges of the arena that will slowly begin to travel from one side to the other, leaving only a few gaps for players to weave through them. Any player hit by a missile will suffer moderate damage and debuffs, so avoid at all costs.
- Diffractive Plasma - unleashes unavoidable raid-wide AoE that will require heavy healing.
- Load Program - as mentioned before, the monitors outside of the arena will display an image that represents which program is being loaded. There are four possible programs - each being represented by a recognizable sprite of Dadaluma, Ultros, Air Force, and Bibliotaph.
- Load (Program) - displays a program (sprite) on the monitor before unleashing a program-specific opening attack.
- Run (Program) - summons an add based on the program. For example, if the Guardian runs the Biblotaph program, then Bibliotaph will be summoned into the arena.
- Skip (Program) - causes the Guardian to completely skip the program being displayed on the big screen and run the program on the small screen instead.
- Retrieve (Program) - causes the Guardian to retrieve and Load a previously Skipped program (see above).
- Copy (Program) - causes the Guardian to make a copy of the currently active program which it will eventually Paste later in the encounter.
- Paste (Program) - causes the Guardian to utilize a previously Copied program. Bear in mind that Paste (Program) will not take place until the finale.
- Load: Whenever the Dadaluma program is loaded, players should expect a knockback in the form of a damaging shockwave. Bear in mind that being knocked into the outer walls of the arena will debilitate you with debuffs, so make sure to position yourself so that you remain inside the arena.
- Run: Summons Dadaluma into a corner of the arena - an add that should immediately be picked up by the off-tank (and slain by the raid) as soon as possible. Whilst active, he will occasionally unleash an Aura Cannon (straight-line AoE) towards a random player marked via a blue-icon. Aura Cannon will initially be used against a random healer, followed by random damage dealers, and inflicts moderate damage and bleeds upon anyone hit.
- Load: Whenever the Ultros program is loaded, pools of ink will be dropped onto all members of the raid in the form of unavoidable and non-telegraphed AoE circles (unlike the telegraphed version in normal mode). As such, all players will need to spread apart from one another as soon as they notice the Ultros program being loaded to avoid overlapping damage onto fellow teammates. Bear in mind that the initial loading of the Ultros Program is typically followed by a Diffractive Plasma (unavoidable raid-wide AoE), so be sure to heal people up as soon as the ink has dropped.
- Run: Summons Ultros into a corner of the arena - an add that should immediately be picked up by the off-tank (and slain by the raid) as soon as possible. Whilst active, Ultros will periodically attempt to cast Stoneskin - an absorb shield that will render him nigh unkillable if he succeeds. As such, Stoneskin should be interrupted at all costs, as failure to do so will likely result in Ultros surviving long enough to enrage and wipe the raid via stacking self-buffs.
- Load: Whenever the Air Force program is loaded, the Guardian will unleash a point-blank AoE from its current location, forcing everyone in melee range to retreat to safety.
- Run: Summons four Air Force adds - one per corner - with each one tethering to a random damage dealer. After a brief delay, each add will aim a huge cone-shaped AoE (Diffractive Laser) towards their respective target which, once fired, will destroy any players caught in its wake. As a result, each damage dealer should make an effort to turn the add away from the raid and force the cannons to shoot harmlessly outside of the arena (rather than across it), preferably whilst attacking the add to kill it as soon as possible.
- Load: Whenever the Bibliotaph program is loaded, players should expect four summoning circles to appear within the arena, much like those encountered when facing Bibliotaph in the Great Gubal Library. The raid will need to quickly 'close' these summoning circles as soon as possible. To do so, four players will need to stand within a summoning circle at the same time, which locks the portal, and then repeat this process for all remaining summoning circles. As such, dividing the raid in half (2x4) and having each group handle two circles each is the quickest method.
Duty Information
- Duty Finder: Savage Raids (Stormblood)
- Time Limit: 90 minutes
- Tomestones: 15 Poetics
Music
- Main: A Battle Decisively