Not long ago, Final Fantasy 14 released the latest patch 7.2 on March 25, bringing a series of new content, such as New raid, dungeon, trials, & PVP updates. Among them, the most attractive and rewarding one should be the level 100 raid AAC Cruiserweight M4.
AAC Cruiserweight M4 will first be launched in normal difficulty, and will open Savage difficulty for you to experience a week after the release. If you want to take this opportunity to earn more FFXIV Gil and your character is strong enough, don’t miss this opportunity!
More specifically, AAC Cruiserweight M4 is actually a raid series, which contains 4 specific bosses, namely Dancing Green, Sugar Riot, Brute Abominator, and Howling Blade. In this order, later the boss, the higher the difficulty, and the final challenge, Howling Blade, is obviously the most difficult. So ensuring you can complete the entire AAC Cruiserweight M4 successfully, we will bring you a guide to Howling Blade raid.
Howling Blade Overview
This raid consists of 3 phases: phase 1 phase 2 and the additional phases in between. When the fight begins, the boss will cover the right edge of the arena with an AOE effect, and if you step into it, you will suffer bleeding damage. Therefore, you must try to avoid this area while avoiding the boss’s attacks throughout the fight.
Boss Skills In Phase 1
To successfully avoid or deal with the boss’s skills, you need to know what skills he has and how they work. Here are the specific functions of each boss skill in phase 1:
1. Extraplanar Pursuit
As a full coverage AOE skill, Extraplanar Pursuit will damage your entire raid team, and can only be healed by your healing skills that also have the AOE effect.
2. Great Divide
This skill allows the boss to target one of your team’s tanks with a line stacking marker and output damage, so it is recommended that the two tanks in your team are as close as possible to share the damage, or use defensive cooldowns to reduce the damage. In addition, non-tank teammates should avoid getting close to or hiding behind tanks when facing Great Divide.
3. Wolves’ Reign
This skill causes the boss Howling Blade to release an AOE combo after completing the cast. First, four circular AOEs will appear around the arena, and the boss will rush to one of them, then continue to rush across the arena to the other side, causing linear AOE damage to you, and then release a cone AOE from the new position. To avoid this attack, you need to first move to the other end of the boss’s sprint direction, and then move slightly to the side to avoid the upcoming linear AOE and cone AOE.
4. Heavensearth
This is a boss skill that deals with damage by stacking markers that target random players in your group. You and your teammates just need to gather together to spread the damage.
5. Beckon Moonlight
After using this skill, the boss will summon four Moonlit Shadow clones that appear in sequence around the arena. They will then rush across the arena and damage half of the arena according to the direction of their swords and the order in which they appear. To avoid them, you must examine their order and the direction of their swords.
6. Shadowchase
Summon five clones near the center of the arena. Each clone will move forward and cast a straight line AOE. Fortunately, there is a corresponding safe area behind each clone. Move there to avoid their attacks.
7. Bare Fangs
After casting this skill, Howling Blade will summon its glowing fang fragments in the arena, and they will attack you in a straight line AOE in pairs. To avoid them, be sure to carefully observe the timing and order of each fang.
8. Terrastrial Rage
While using Bare Fangs, Howling Blade will continue to perform Terrastrial Rage to create a circular AOE around the arena, after which the boss will use Heavensearth again and summon Wolf of Stone and Wolf of Wind via Tactical Pack.
Add Phase
During this phase, the boss will become invincible, and his Saber Intensity gauge will increase over time, and during this phase, the previously summoned Wolf of Stone and Wolf of Wind will cast Weal of Stone and Weal of Wind on you, damaging you and your party in a straight line in front of them.
Once the wolf is defeated, the boss will continue to cast Ravenous Saber, dealing varying amounts of damage to you based on Saber Intensity gauge. To avoid fatal damage, it is recommended that you defeat the wolf before this gauge reaches maximum, and the battle will then enter the second phase.
Phase 2
Once this phase begins, a notification will be posted indicating that the boss’s attacks will appear more frequently, hit harder, and will also have some new abilities added, including:
- Wolves’ Reign
- Terrastrial Titans
- Shadowchase
- Tracking Tremors
- Beckon Moonlight
In addition, the barrier that previously protected you from falling from the arena has disappeared, so you must not only be careful to avoid the enemy’s AOE attacks, but also be careful not to fall out of the arena. Howling Blade will then repeat these attacks and mechanics until defeated, and then you can get various loot, including FF14 Gil.
The above are some precautions for dealing with Howling Blade. I hope it can help you complete all AAC Cruiserweight M4 raids as soon as possible! Good luck!