Raid Discussions

We'll have two BLMs tonight so Raging + BV + Foe's is a good idea. I checked two videos and both verified that if you pop Raging at the initial pull, it finishes cooling halfway thru phase 2. So it'll surely be up for P3. In fact, in one vid they did what I suggested as an example, and popped cooldowns as soon as they got hit by HF1.

Also to be fair, you are correct Winter that HF3 can be dodged easily with some knowledge and anticipation. I still think it's a good goal to push phase before this happens, but I spent a few minutes studying the pattern and if everyone is prepared to dodge then HF3 doesn't have to be a wipe. Watch this clip a few times, and it's clear that the key is to get halfway to center after the pushback, then get equally far away from the two slices when they appear. Then, it's a matter of seeing if the explosions go clockwise or counter-cw so you know which way to move to stay safe. If you're standing right on one of the two slices, get out asap and angle a little towards the middle to cut the distance you'll have to run to get into the 'sweet spot' of the safe area.

https://youtu.be/rhpvsXK2-kE?t=8m35s

Jemy

I wanted to drop in my thoughts about last night's run (3/17):

Pros
- Great job overall and an excellent learning run! We learned how to handle Phase 3 and cleanly push to P4 before the 2nd add. And remember that our subs were a tank and healer, so that DPS was all ours  
- No issues with Ravensbeak exploding on melee DPS
- Very few issues with meteors, discounting Fauna as she was new to our strat
- Excellent job avoiding extra damage (if anyone noticed, Fauna was using Selene so we never had Eos' HoT or healing buff in play)
- We saw the entire cycle for Phase 4

Cons
- We got started pretty late, but that mostly unavoidable
- Still need to get Wyd a bit more comfortable with the turn. He hasn't seen it as much as the rest of us
- We need to memorize and execute the P4 dance better. I'd suggest a little note card or something you can peek at frequently over the next few days
- While we were pushing into P4 before the 2nd add, it felt a bit close on the timing. We'll need to stay focused going into P3 to max our damage and avoid having it summoned.

Other Notes
- Running as WHM plus some chat with Nova gave me some great insight on optimizing damage mitigation. I should share these with Mo.
- For P3, I think it's best to always have Raven Soul use the LB. This is because I've read that Jonas should be able to get his opener combo in before HF1 which helps us with total DPS in that phase
- If everyone is fully prepared and focused on Friday, I believe we have a chance to get the win.
- Because of the above statement, I think it would be good for folks to hop online early so we can chat and iron out any confusion about the final phase
- It sounded like Nova might be able to join us in vent if he comes along again


Winter or anyone else, feel free to correct me if you think I mis-spoke on anything or have a different perspective.

Jemy

Mo will be there on Friday. Sorry she missed yesterday. Thx

Mo Lighting

Nothing to worry about. We were informed and to my knowledge the issue was outside of anyone's control. Her FC mates from Dark Arts stepped in to cover us last night.   

Jemy

spot on assessment in my opinion.

i'll work with wyd, but i think the only problem was mistargeting the golems. the level 2 melee LB (and yes, raven should use it) right away on nael seems to be the easiest way to ensure a smooth transition to p4.

also, i'll be on earlier going forward for the foreseeable future, aiming for at least 30 min before our start time. i would LOVE it if we could get started earlier or possibly end a little later, to add to our overall time in there. we'll discuss on friday. also, anyone feel free to let me know if you know of any players looking for a raid team, as we're going to have to restructure a bit heading into FCoB.

phase 4 is just going to take a little practice, but the fact that it just repeats at that point means once we get it down, nael is going down as well. 35%!

wintersquall

I'm working on a "cheat sheet" for myself for P4. Take whatever you want from this, or ignore it.

General Rotation to Memorize:
Elements -> Thermionic -> Divebombs (R1) -> Free Phase -> Elements -> Thermionic -> Divebombs (R2) (REPEAT)


Order of skills:
Bahamut's Claw
Fire (out) + Lightning + Lunar Dynamo
Fire (in) + Lightning
Fire (out) + Lightning + Iron Chariot
Supernova x3
Thermionic Beam + Fire (in) + Lightning
Bahamut's Claw
Divebomb
Meteor Stream
Divebomb
Meteor Stream
Bahamut's Claw
Fire (out) + Lightning + Lunar Dynamo
Fire (in) + Lightning
Fire (out) + Lightning + Iron Chariot
Supernova x3
Thermionic Beam + Fire (in) + Lightning
Bahamut's Claw
Divebomb
Iron Chariot
Divebomb
Lunar Dynamo
(repeat)


Full Breakdown:

Elements
Stack up on tank!
Fire (out) + Lightning + Lunar Dynamo
Fire (in) + Lightning
(rDPS & Healers can start spreading out between casts - keep center clear)
Fire (out) + Lightning + Chariot  -  everyone spread immediately, keep center clear

Thermionic
(Center should be clear and have Soil on it to specify off limits.)
Supernova 1
Supernova 2
RUN TO CENTER!!!!
Supernova 3 (it shouldn't occupy the center as long as no one was in/near center for Supernova 2)
Thermionic Beam + Fire (in) + Lightning (precast Cure III and land Adlos + Stoneskin on tank)
Bahamut's Claw (huge damage to tank)

Divebombs (R1)
Everyone get on or near "A" marker, spread loosely
(good time for Med II + WD in prep for dives)
DB mark appears on someone. That person sits on "A" until the mark disappears and then runs towards middle to dodge.
Everyone else starts towards "B" marker, but stay spread out for Meteor Stream (the P1 "double dives", same marker as in P1)
Divebomb lands
Meteor Stream lands
DB mark appears on someone. That person sits on "B" until the mark disappears and then runs towards middle to dodge.
Everyone else spreads away from B for the 2nd Meteor Stream (the P1 "double dives", same marker as in P1)
Divebomb lands
Meteor Stream lands

Divebombs (R2)
Everyone get on or near "A" marker
DB mark appears on someone. That person sits on "A" until the mark disappears and then runs towards middle to dodge.
Everyone else starts towards "B" marker, but don't get too close to it until Chariot lands
Divebomb lands
Iron Chariot lands
DB mark appears on someone. That person sits on "B" until the mark disappears and then runs towards middle to dodge.
Everyone else gets away from B, but hug Nael because Lunar Dynamo is coming up
Divebomb lands
Lunar Dynamo lands

Free Phase
Nothing other than a Bahamut's Claw at some point
Pop CDs, beat on Nael like she stole something from you. Like all of your Tuesday and Friday nights the past 2 months.

Jemy

great write-up Jemy.

last night's run was good. we didn't get the win, but we DID see improvement as we're consistently getting cleanly into phase 4.

the thing about phase 4, is that we ALL have to learn the dance.  the way the final part of the fight is structured, one person making one mistake WILL wipe us.  internalize it, so you know what's going to happen and are prepared for it.  compared to the rest of the fight, once we actually understand what's going on this is a cakewalk to the end.

to all our raiders: please, do everything you can to prepare for phase 4.  watch videos on repeat.  memorize the order that jemy just laid out for you. write it down, or type it out.. do whatever you need to do to be ready.  we WILL finish t9 this week if everyone does this.  if everyone does not, we will continue to struggle.  pretty simple

yoooo can doooo eeeettt!!

wintersquall

Not sure if I will be able to make it tonight.  Won't know until later.

Jonas

Wont be online tonight

Jonas

Three things I want to stress for this week's raids:

1.) Stop & Go - Depending on the group makeup we may switch to this on any given night. Therefore I want everyone to understand the timing for the 6 meteor drops in phase 2.5 - this method is extremely easy in terms of movement but challenging when the group isn't stacked tightly, you fail to see who is being marked, and don't have a feel for how much time passes between each meteor mark. I will lead everyone thru it when we do use this method, but for now know that it's about 2 seconds between each meteor mark. Also, do not forget that meteors go OUTSIDE at the edge of the arena, instead of the nipples.

2.) Overall Focus - We've all had good night and bad nights, but collectively we can do better and have shown that we can. Do what you need to do so that you're ready to give a good performance all around - from handling mechanics to overall output.

3.) DB Markers - I want at least two volunteers to learn how to mark for Divebombs in the final phase. Study it and understand how you can pick out the pattern and marker locations within seconds. I was able to learn it in one night and can help anyone else who wants to learn.


How you handle/respond to these three things may impact if you're asked to sit out on nights where we have more than 8 people wanting to run.

Jemy

It was pointed out in the patch notes thread too, but we now have a 20% echo boost. We should have no trouble getting into phase 4 so long as we're focused and handle mechanics correctly.

Any takers on learning to mark for Divebombs yet? I can do it tonight if needed, but I won't be able to call Fire/Thunder at the same time.  #BadMultitasker

Jemy

I wanted to touch on Tuesday's run and also give a heads up for Friday's upcoming run.


First, feedback on Tuesday:

- Decent run overall. It had been a while since we had went in with a full group (no randoms/subs) so it naturally took a bit to get some rhythm again
- Good job practicing Stop & Go. I'm confident that everyone on the team can handle that strat should they choose to practice with PF groups
- When we get to Phase 4, know when lightning targets a player and be ready to check/move if it's you! It was only handled properly one time on Tuesday, and hitting the team with it is all but a guaranteed wipe.


Things to know for Friday:

- We're going back to Spread for meteors, permanently. I wanted everyone to learn Stop & Go and be comfortable with it for a few reasons, but we're highly proficient with the Spread method and ultimately that's our greatest chance to push phase 4 steadily. I know some favor this and some don't, but I'm deciding this based on the strengths and weaknesses of our team members. For those that haven't run it with us, I'll recap before the first pull but please feel free to ask questions in advance.
- Keep running the phase 4 script through your head. Know when to watch for lightning, when to spread out for supernovas, and when divebombs start. If you have that all down, then take a look at the dragon patterns and learn how to mark - even if you're not the one marking, the knowledge will help you in positioning well during that attack.
- Remember to push DPS hardest in phase 3. If your cooldowns are available, use 'em!

Jemy

Quick feedback about Friday's raid:

- Great job with phase 2 meteors! Very few issues on the placement, and more looks at phase 3 as a result
- Not too bad overall, but we had some mistakes on basic things - phase 1 meteors, kill speed on green golem, etc.
- The group 'seemed' to be pretty calm and unshaken when mistakes happened. Hopefully this is true and everyone is keeping a cool head.
- We're falling short pushing into phase 4 before the second add. We need to improve timing for cooldown usage and max output.

Thoughts for Tuesday:

- Get i130 weapons if possible. This will be a huge help in ensuring we pass those crucial DPS moments.
- Keep sharp on knowledge for phases 3 and 4. We're going to see much more of it.
- Remember to sign up for Tuesday!!

Jemy

Feedback on the Tuesday 4/7 raid:

- Got started a bit late; somewhat my fault.
- We ran into some trouble with P2 meteors, but sorted it out and made good progress
- DPS was very smooth, green golem transferred over only once and no issues with damage in P3.
- We need a good divebomb marker - I can't do it well between heals and other mechanics. Check the below for the best description out there.
--- http://encore.guildwork.com/forum/threads/53681561002aa84a2564e4c9-encore-t9-divebomb-guide


Thoughts for Friday:

- Take a peek at vids for P4, with focus on supernovas thru divebombs and how to dodge DBs. We're almost there!
- Bring the same level of focus that we had tonight. Everyone performed well overall.
- Let's get started on time. If we get into a good rhythm those later pulls might add up to a win, so we don't want to get cut short.

Jemy

i'll work on the DB markers for friday. the most frustrating thing tonight was ppl wiping us on meteors. we know this fight backwards and forwards lol.

looking forward to friday!

wintersquall