The Final Steps of Faith
- See also: The Minstrel's Ballad: Nidhogg's Rage
Unlock
- Quest: An End to the Song
- Quest-giver Location: Aymeric - The Churning Mists (x7.4,y26.7)
- Prerequisites: Main Scenario Quest Winning Over the Wyrm
Strategy
Unlike the previous encounter in The Aery, this fight has four phases that combine healer checks, DPS checks, and raid mechanics (such as stacking to share damage). Positioning of all players is crucial to your success in this fight, as several lethal AoE zones will be cast in quick succession that you may not be able to avoid with poor positioning.
Those without experience in Alexander or Containment Bay S1T7 will need to pay especially close attention to positioning cues that may be unfamiliar during the final phase. This encounter can be especially tricky for those whom have only done Main Scenario Quests, as coordination and positioning are critical, especially during the second and final phases.
Phase 1 - Normal Dragon
- Avoid the flyover AoE and "Hot Wings" AoE. This will be a huge AoE blast of fire, followed by a room-wide AOE with a safe line along the length of Nidhogg's body.
- Nidhogg will do a Deafening Bellow every so often throughout the fight. It does approx 4k dmg each time to the entire party, and in later portions of phase 1, will be cast twice in a row. It's recommended for casters to stay within AoE heal distance of their healers at all times, preferring to avoid AoE damage where necessary.
- Run out of the holes that spawn under the players, as these will do massive damage to any player caught inside of one.
- Run out of Nidhogg's fire trail. The holes will spawn first, Nidhogg will disappear and you will be able to see from where he flies to where the trail will go. Since the room is massive, it's recommended to stack in the center of the room every time Nidhogg flies away, then spread out to avoid the AoEs, thus ensuring you can get positioned in time.
Phase 2 - Adds
- This is a DPS check. If adds are killed too slowly, or not killed at all before Nidhogg blasts players back, it's a wipe.
- Middle add can't be tanked and will attack players randomly with an unmarked, short range frontal AoE telegraphed by him preparing to swipe at a player. Move away from the add before it swipes to avoid this extra damage.
- Tank the two remaining adds to the sides, positioning their AoE cones outside of the arena. Assign one healer to each tank to heal and provide additional DPS if possible.
- If you find yourself wiping on the transition phase where the 8 circles appear then it is because you didn't kill the adds on time. Whether you stand in the circles or not makes no difference. The DPS requirement is fairly strict with minimum iLevel gear, and may require a limit break and healers to contribute to DPS if the four group DPS cannot burn the adds fast enough.
Phase 3 - Humanoid Form
- Nidhogg will cast the hard-hitting "Ala Morn" on the tank. This is a tank buster that should be single target healed and shielded through when possible.
- Run out of "Geirskogul" line AoE that goes from Nidhogg towards a random player.
- Spread out the meteor circles about the sides of the room. Healers should also spread to the edges, even when not targeted. Once hit, run out of the circle placed on the floor immediately to avoid a bleed debuff effect.
- After the first meteor circles spawn, an area target, room-wide AoE will spawn (seemingly under a healer). Run as far away from this as possible, avoiding any additional AoEs that spawn to reduce damage. Healers should cast AoE heals and shields when possible to help mitigate this damage.
Phase 4 - Fire Dragon
- When "Akh Morn" is cast, stack and STAY STACKED on the targeted player until all lightning bolts have been cast (it may be helpful to set a waypoint for everyone to stack onto). Doing so will spread the damage to all players, which ideally will prevent anyone from dying. The number of bolts that will strike increases as the fight progresses. Everyone should stack, including the main tank if possible. Even doing so, this will deal heavy damage that SHOULD be healed and shielded through. Should players not stack, each bolt will kill a random player after the targeted one is dead, which will most likely cause a wipe.
- 3 Fireballs will spawn on the ground occasionally. These are bombs that will each explode in a plus shape, very similar to mechanics seen in Alexander (Savage). Stand in a row and column unoccupied by these bombs to avoid the damage, and be prepared to immediately sprint back to the center for another cast of "Hot Wings".
- Run out of "Hot Wings" AoE. It is a room-wide AoE with a safe line along the length of Nidhoggs body. This is immediately followed by "Hot Tail", below.
- Run out of "Hot Tail" AoE. It will appear straight after Hot Wings and cover the area that was safe during Hot Wings.
- Run out of the holes that spawn under random players.
- Run out of Nidhogg's fire trail. The holes will spawn first, then Nidhogg will disappear and repeat the fire trail mechanic from phase one. Position yourself accordingly.
- As this is the final phase, these mechanics will repeat until the boss is dead.
Loot
Lore
The great steps which marked a journey's beginning shall now mark its end as the Warrior of Light enters into a final confrontation with the great wyrm Nidhogg. Steel will clash against fang and furious flames. But when the dust settles, only the victor will decide the fate of man, dragon, and the broken bonds that once united them.
