I realize that by this point most of the front vanguard has already gotten through these dungeons, so this week’s column won’t be just about strategies but about the dungeons as a whole as well as strategy for those who haven’t been through the dungeons yet. Also note that the names of some bosses have been redacted, and I’ll be making an effort to avoid spoilers as much as possible; that being said, there will be some minor spoilers here and there regarding locations. Fairly warned be ye.
Dusk Vigil
It’s weird that Dusk Vigil is the only dungeon in the expansion before the top level that isn’t unlocked via the storyline. I appreciate its not being shoehorned in, but it also seems to be a very important thing to have done, and I’ll admit to a certain measure of sadness insofar as it is totally skippable.
Most of my sadness, though, comes from the fact that it’s kind of boring. The first boss has mechanics that basically come down to a minor heal check, and the second boss just summons some adds and asks you to avoid bad stuff. Only the griffin at the end has an actual mechanic in his little central whirlwind, and that’s as simple as hiding behind the shifting piles of rubble, so it doesn’t exactly tax the old gray matter.
The biggest thing this dungeon does is introduce the loot paradigm of the expansion, insofar as you can and will receive plenty of stuff for a single run. It also has several armor sets that later show up as crafted and dyeable equipment, which is kind of cute. I think it’s my least favorite dungeon, ultimately, but even it isn’t all that bad; it’s just a wee bit boring.
Sohm Al
I recognize this dungeon isn’t actually much longer than others, but it feels long. That’s what really gets me, probably because unlike those in the other dungeons, the shifts in environment are huge in Sohm Al. You cover a lot of ground.
The first boss is sort of Diet Rafflesia; you kill hornets before they reach the center and stay out of bad. Second boss is mostly focused on killing the big green slime that he summons, as the little slimes can be safely healed through by even a mildly competent healer. The last boss is mostly a matter of staying out of the bad, but I quite like her comet mechanic: Have the victims stand at the edge of the room, then everyone runs from the future point of impact.
It’s not a hard dungeon, but it feels a bit slog-like. The plants in the beginning don’t help matters, either; I hate proximity poison bombs like that.
The Aery
All right, this I love. I love the sleeping dragon mechanics, I love the bosses, I love the look, I love the gear that is dropped in the dungeon… it’s great stuff all around. You still cover a lot of ground, but it’s recognizably part of the same overall flow, which I also enjoy. In an expansion that seemed poised to be all dragons all the time, here’s your big dragon dungeon, and it’s just as cool as you could hope without devolving into piles of the same stupid lizards.
The first boss is simple enough; his big tricks include a tether, which you drag to one of the statues around the arenas and a knockback attack, followed by an AoE that affects everything except the area around him. So, you know, you run back. The second boss has a pretty simple mechanic insofar as he increases his damage as he spawns poison clouds, so it’s up to players whether they want to eat the poison clouds, let the adds eat them and then kill the adds, or whatever. The last boss is probably the simplest from a mechanical standpoint as long as you break people out when he imprisons them and kill the adds quickly during that phase.
One question this does raise is how in the world we’ll get a hard mode of the dungeon, since this one is so intimately tied to the storyline that it’s hard to imagine new occupants taking up residence. Wait and see, I suppose.
The Vault
Large parts of this dungeon are meant to basically smack people in the face who have a bad habit of running ahead of the tank. I have a bad habit of running ahead of the tank. The whole thing is carefully handled and manages to feel very much like a running battle. It also has the minor benefit of making it very clear what the deal is with the bosses ahead of time from a narrative standpoint, although if you managed to miss it – which I did – it’s helpfully explained shortly afterward.
The first boss requires you to just avoid the bad and stay out of the glowing orbs that trail behind him after his charges. On the second boss, he’s got void portals along the outside and his circle AoEs leave behind damage fields; keep your back to a safe wall when he starts casting his knockback AoE and have someone “pop” the little land mines he leaves.
The last fight is more involved, but not too much more so. Avoid the little charging chess pieces like the mummies in Qarn HM, increase the distance between chained people to break the chains, and kill the fireballs quickly during what amounts to his nail phase. After the first clear, get ready for one of the most surprising emotional gut-punches in a story just full of them.
The Great Gubal Library
Another fun dungeon? And it’s a library dungeon, which is a particular point of joy for me. I like libraries. There’s tons of lore in here if you take the time to read it, so feel free to take pauses during your initial run. Plus, none of the bosses here is a spoiler, so I can safely say that the last boss always reads like a Kirby character name to me. Even looks a bit Kirby-esque…
The first boss is a perfect example of how to redo the Demon Wall fight in a new and interesting way, bypassing the annoying gnats in favor of a much more precise mechanic. Essentially, it’s the same core fight with damage fields, but he’ll ice the floor over to make you slide, and when the book closes, he’s preparing to murder-nuke half of the room, so run behind the book’s spine or slide behind it if necessary. Byblos is pretty straightforward, insofar as he’ll summon adds that must be killed quickly, followed by a fire orb that should be dragged into him to remove his invulnerability.
Everliving Bibliophile is a big more involved, again; he lights up panels that must be run over by multiple people. The first time, one person can run over the panel to shut it down; the second time, two separate people have to run over the panels; the third time, three people need to do so. You don’t have to stand on the panel once it’s shut down, but you do need to stand on it until it’s shut down. Otherwise, adds are summoned and you have to deal with those. Enjoy your Bloodborne-esque coat as a reward.
They’re fun dungeons, reasonable in length, and they show the signs of designers having learned lessons from previous designs. Plus, there’s plenty of dropped gear. Almost too much. My inventory is overflowing, and I don’t like it.
As always, feedback is welcome below or via mail to eliot@massivelyop.com. Next week, let’s talk about the upcoming Alexander rollout and connected issues.
The Nymian civilization hosted an immense amount of knowledge and learning, but so much of it has been lost to the people of Eorzea. That doesn’t stop Eliot Lefebvre from scrutinizing Final Fantasy XIV each week in Wisdom of Nym, hosting guides, discussion, and opinions without so much as a trace of rancor.
