Board 8 > Final Fantasy Record Keeper Topic 52: Our greatest foe yet... A SANDWORM?!

(+) Yeah! (+)

OMG, you have to be kidding me. I just did this... the game crashed after this screenshot... and when I reopened the game it told me I left in the middle of battle. The fight was over!! I have to do it again?

https://i.imgur.com/qYDuzz3.png

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Man these short turn limits on Sandworm phase 4 are fucking garbage, I always get instant killed when I have like 3-10% left. It's just such fucking shit that after a long grueling fight you lose just because you only have like 5 turns to actually damage the fucking thing before it instant kills you. If it only allowed just like 2 more turns then the fight would feel reasonable but you're straight up at the mercy of RNG, and if you don't get the dualcasts well fuck you now you gotta start all over!

Also 21 hits AOSBs just seem worthless now. They barely do any damage against current endgames even at high chain.

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Whew, beat him again and this time it didn't crash. It froze for half a second during the "loading..." animation and my heart almost stopped but then it finished loading.

2/11 - Tyro dyad, Montblanc BSB
2/11 - Fran sync, Luneth BSB

I grabbed Red XIII's ATB sync for my first pick. Second pick will probably be Tidus2, but I'll hold off for a little bit.

Fran's sync is cool, somehow my Fran has become a monster with me picking up two awakenings, sync, and limit break all on random draws. Tyro's dyad is a weird one, it seems like a pure DPS relic but cool to get I guess. I probably won't use it unless I randomly get his sync too.

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Magic version also beaten with Red's sync. Took 35 seconds but that one felt super safe with Cait and Elarra both healing and keeping last stand up. I saved Red's sync for the last phase to make sure I had plenty of firepower to finish it in time and that worked.

I think I'm going to have to try physical wind with Orran solo healing again since that one seems to require huge damage output.

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Finally fucking beat this god damn common enemy fucker!!!!



Phew! This was rough! I had to go more YOLO with Eiko over Deuce since this is more of a DPS race than anything, still I just barely beat him on the last turn before the instant kill!

Now those beautiful 5% weapons for Vaan and Bartz are mine!

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Congrats. Right now I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to beat this one. I barely know what to do without overdrive, and my damage just feels inadequate. Feels like I need a better chain... I don't see many clears with Zack's chain on the mastery thread.

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This guy managed to beat Sandworm with Zack chain and just Bartz and Gau awakenings.

https://youtu.be/rX8e6iuizc8

Granted take this poverty vid with a grain of salt...

I want to try and beat the FFV Bahamut first and get the record board bonuses for Bartz before I attempt physical Sandworm, I'll try tomorrow with my new Galuf awakening 2 and see if I can do it now.

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Hmm, well, didn't understand everything that was happening there but I got a few ideas. Maybe I should take longer in phase one and build up enough for 2 SBs before starting the offense. And maybe I should use an entruster. Also looks like chases are good, but I'm not sure if they're as good as Cloud's USB1.

Also I did a 100 gem pull on the banner and got Bartz's wind dyad, which is pretty nice but I really wanted Strago's sync.

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GEEZ FFV Bahamut is so stupidly bulky! I can't even get past the second phase, I thought I had a chance by stacking two Galuf awakenings to dps past phase 2 and break king's rage, but he struggles just to break rage in phase 2.

I'm pretty tempted to get Faris Awakening 2 with my dream select, but I have my doubts even that's enough.

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Finally took down a Dragonking (VII), just in time. Physical team of Tifa/Cloud/Yuffie, plus Aeris for healing; no FB counter (my first attempts used Mog but he kept dying), so instead I brought Cait Sith, who needed to have BSB and Warrior's Hymn going in Phase 3 to keep my damage from being crippled by Cardia BS. Phase 1 was mostly about figuring out how many resources I could conserve for Phase 2; Phase 2 was about bashing my head into a wall trying to figure out when I needed to use SBs so that I wouldn't get interrupted, have my bars drained, die to super moves, or die to Sap. The big hurdle in Phase 3 was Bahamut's mega-savage; what got me through it was having Cloud rely on USB1 for Phase 1, so that he could activate AASB + Sync in Phase 2 and be able to doublecast Cmd2 in Phase 3. And also about being able to unload Cloud AOSB and Tifa TASB afterwards, that helped a lot.

Sap-related aside: You know how dying to Sap before your instant cast heal goes off sucks? Well, Bahamut VII mostly uses Poison, he only inflicts Sap once... and his next attack is timed to go off exactly before the Sap ticks. (It's also a two-hit attack, one weak and one very strong; if you use Cait USB2 to overwrite Sap, Bahamut still gets 90% of his damage through your Damage Barrier 75.) I suspect the reason Bahamut doesn't speed up at high savage levels, like some other bosses do, is because they don't want anything to interfere with their evil timing window.

Anyway, if this spurs you to think "hey, that's right, there's a ticket on the line, I should try for it"... honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. I mean, make your team, try the fight once or twice, and if it seems like something you won't be able to master in the next couple of hours, it probably isn't. Put the tablet down and enjoy your weekend. In related news, I gave up on Spiraling Depths after floor 81.

Ticket was Sice AASB. I don't know when I last used her and don't have plans to use her in the future, but still, new awakening.
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Yeah, I've also been working on Dragonking (V) and he's super annoying. I don't know how Lenna can have this much trouble keeping up with damage when I have her sync, awakening 2, and her awesome USB4. I'm not super impressed with Bartz's wind sync on first usage either.

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Yeah it's a pickle. I tried Sandworm without the record boards and I got him under 20% at least.



I think I can beat him if I can get another cap break for Luneth or Vann sync/dyad somehow (or seriously good Bartz RNG.) But I got the 5% armor for Eiko and the maps from magic weak so I can wait for now.

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Speaking of annoying, X Dragonking is also super annoying. I'm not sure if Tidus's sync would even help me much here, my problem is I don't have enough SB gauge to clear the historia souls and I keep dying to Dragonking Megaflare. Which is weird because I have two +500 SB point glints in my party, and I'm saving most of my SBs. I can't remember what I did in other realms, was I getting out of the phase before Dragonking Megaflare?

Yuna's USB5 would help a lot. Hard to take spending $30 on a USB these days though. I don't know why USBs aren't 2 for 1 like glints.

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I found a shimmering painting today in a labyrinth trying to get Wedge and Freya artifacts!

I also got a 5% damage weapon for Freya, I've been thinking about getting her HA and using her over a healer to see if I can DPS Sandworm before I run out of turns, but I dunno if I really should or if it would just be a waste of sapphires.

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Bit on that half price banner in hopes of Bartz sync or another new Awakening.

2/11 Bartz AOSB dupe (5/10 so I have the damage boost now) and Serafie Awakening.

Well I guess Serafie might be useful for Core Bahamut someday.

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It seems like a great banner... half price and all but one are sync or awakening... but I have so many dupes. Only 6 aren't dupes and one is the AOSB. But I do want those Zack awakenings.

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Pulled because I wanted some Bartz stuff

3/11: Serafie, Freya, and (dupe) Zack awakenings

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Pulled 'cause half price. I have 4 dupes; I got 3 relics. Two were dupes for Alphinaud, one a dupe for Freya. Sheesh.

At least Alph AASB is now up to rank 9. Three more dupes and he can use it twice!
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I hate to skip a 25 mythril banner, but that banner has so many dupes. I'm only missing 4 relics.

Kinda tempted to pull once on this healer banner

Dont even have the 50 mythril right now, though

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Yeah it's been feeling pretty mythril scarce recently. Probably because there's so many superbosses in the near future like FF13 Bahamut on Thursday. If Dena keeps to the schedule we're going have next 3-4 Bahamuts (8, T-0, T, 3) next maintenance plus Nexus Enkidu and Armor Constrict.



Oh also the ice weak Wodin, Dena's not that dumb that they'd release Enkidu before Ice Weak Wodin would they...?

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X Dragonking has been driving me crazy. I got Tidus's sync and it's great, but I just can't keep my team alive to finish the fight. I keep dying in different places too since my timing's not exact and doublecasts change when I hit phase 2, and I'm also trying different things. Best I did was just past 80%.

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Hrm too bad XIII is apparently one of the tougher DBs. I have three characters with syncs (Lightning, Serah, and Snow), but only Snow would have much to do after the sync ran out and I would have to lens everything for Vanille.

At least I can probably get the tails from the D450...!

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Yeah the FF13 Dreambreaker sucks, mostly because of dealing with 3 70% full breaks and status effects.

Also FF13 Bahamut is tomorrow, anybody else gonna try to tackle him? On paper I should be able to beat him since I have Hope and Nabaat sync/awakening, both Raines awakenings and Vanille's Elara clone USB with 3 quick casts. Still worried about that 5.5 million HP though.

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Three full breaks? Jeeze! I guess I actually have an extra counter for 13 though in Snows AASB. Still probably not even gonna try it, though.

Im finally taking another stab at the 350 Lab (currently on floor 10). this is really rubbing in how much it sucks that I dont have native chains on any of my main teams!

(I could make a decent fire team with a chain, but elemental teams seem kinda risky in Lab since you can get thrown into a blind battle with something thats immune to or absorbs the element; my only semi-viable realm team I have a chain for is V).

Oh god, just went into a battle with my C team without switching over equipment
Thank god I had just gotten 0 fatigue or that probably would have been a wipe

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My fire team for Labyrinth is Edge, Quistis and Ace. Against a fire resistant boss Edge uses his HA (which he would use anyway) Quistis uses Ultima and Ace uses Meltdown. Valigarmanda is also an option.

Abilities with multiple elements are extremely valuable in labyrinth.

Or just use a white mage team, only thing you have to worry about is Carbuncle, the nymphs and those dinosaur skeletons.

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Ah yeah I have Meltdown, Voltech, and Valigarmanda on my lab teams, but Ultima would probably be a good idea too.

Right now my teams are XIV, Core, and Type-0, with T0 being pretty weak offensively.

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Def get Ultima, it also ignores reflect which is great for Carbuncle and those dinosaur skeletons.


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My only offensive WHM is Rem, and she does not appear to be as monstrous as advertised...!

I dont have her HA which would obviously help, but even accounting even accounting for that she doesnt seem especially strong. Not sure what else Im doing wrong besides not having a chain!

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Are you not using a mind boost at the start? I use Mog Awakening 1 and she mows down everything except Mariliith for some reason.

Also don't you have Paladin Cecil awakening?

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Oh huh, I didnt realize Cecils awakening wasnt just physical. Guess youre right!

Im typically using Mogs AASB2 first and then his USB with +MND once I get the bars for it (speaking of which, does Mogs HA affect MND-based damage?)

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Rem is definitely great, as long as you gear her for mind and with holy boosting weapon & armor.

Not sure if I will do the Bahamut tomorrow. The Farron sisters with their ATB syncs are a strong offense, but for Vanille I don't have her proshellga glint and it's not in the shop, and I don't have a sync or awakening. I do have her good USB. Mixed teams are also harder to do.

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Oh actually I have Arc with an AASB too, but he has seriously underwhelmed me as both a water and holy mage

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Mog's HA is only magic. His Awakening 1 is a 50% mind and magic boost which is better to start with. Onion Knight mage USB with his instant cast LMR is a decent alternative if you don't have Mog's awakening 1.

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Oh whoops I'm an idiot, missed Rem's reverie node on her RB

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Finished the 400 lab and finally got Wedge's weapon. I picked up Rem's HA beforehand, and she's now breaking cap under her sync against the enemies there (the same can not be said of the rest of my C team!)

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I used my ticket on the wind banner to get magic help... got an Angeal awakening, which is new but not very useful.

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Used my ticket on XV and got Ignis Realm chain. Not awful, but I'm not sure how useful this will actually be.

Generally not a big fan of realm chains, since the RW chain just feels more useful than the healer RW.

I used my ticket on FFT, and got a dupe Orran USB, ugh!

I hope we get more tickets before FFT/FF3 Bahamut comes out. Could use another cap break for those. I think there's supposed to be another Crush Cardia in the next maintenance?

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Oh wow, the 400 lab gives a lot more crystals/motes for quick explore than the 300 one. Should have done it earlier!

Am I missing a ticket, or are your 15 day ones all lined up?

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The 15 day ones are lined up, because we've logged in every day since that login bonus was added.

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Woah I almost sub30 FF13 Bahamut! Hope under Mog is no joke!



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Congrats!

Looks like we get 20 of each water for in-realm team event missions instead of gil now

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Yeah, I'm glad there was an easy Bahamut (for me personally) for once. I could probably sub30 him but I don't wanna gamble on RNG right now. At least I know there's a freebie for crush cardia Bahamut missions now.

Now I have to plan for FF8 Bahamut next week (assuming Dena doesn't do anything screwy)

Sheesh why does Rinoa have to be such a mess with her earth/ice/Black Magic/Witch stuff... wish that one didn't do the bar ice so I can just go pure ice for Rinoa or her or Edea could imperil. Apparently starting with this Bahamut, phase 2 Dragon Sphere Ray doesn't interrupt anymore so that's good to know.

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Do you have any tips for dealing with ancient recall/memory bite/Dragonking megaflare back to back? That seems like the thing that gets me in every realm... I know I've gotten past it a few times (I have three clears for one thing) but I don't really remember how.

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I usually have 1-2 characters use cap breaks for phase 1 (depending on how much HP the Bamaut has) One of them is on the first slot and other one is 4. I have the fifth character stock up meter in phase 1 then use both cap breaks in phase 2 to build chain and hopefully that does enough damage to skip Mega Flare and the one to break king's rage in phase 3. I use the first character's second cap break during Bahamut's 5 second wall. Bottom two characters get the most soul break meter drained by bites so I use that for DPS who already got their cap breaks up and are spamming abilties.

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XIII D450 down

Actually, the 30% on DK mission should be a decent amount easier than actually beating the DB, right? Wonder if I can do that one with an out of realm healer.

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That's gonna be rough using an off realm healer against Bahamut because he uses anti heal, unless that healer has HP stock.

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Hrm, that's annoying

I did try XIV DK just to see what it was like and got him a bit below 60% on my one attempt (though a lot of my potential damage was being eaten by his wall and he killed Mog early).

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Wait, why do the bottom two get the most drained? The top 3 drain happens earlier, so bottom ones have more time to use up soul breaks in phase 2.

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