Final Fantasy XIV Patch 2.5, Before the Fall, just launched this week. Let me start by saying overall it’s the most difficult content patch to date. Of the three new dungeons, I found Amdapor Keep (Hard) is the most challenging.
There are three bosses in Amdapor Keep (Hard): Anchag, Boogyman, and Ferdiad. I’ll explain each fight below, as well as the mechanics prior to the Ferdiad fight.
Anchag:
Anchag is the only fight that feels even remotely like the original Amdapor Keep.
The fight takes place in a room with four Gargoyle statues, just like the final boss of the normal mode. These statues are used to absorb a specific attack, but can also be damaged by Anchag’s other attacks. For that reason plus the fact that players can damage the statues as well, you do not want to tank Anchag near the statues.
Attacks:
Anchag really only has four big attacks. I’ve listed each one, and how to deal with it below.
- Geirrothr: This is a moderate to heavy damage AoE attack that Anchag only seems to drop on the tank. It initially only does around 2.5k damage, but if you get tether stacks from Yggr, the damage goes up significantly.
- Yggr: Anchag stops moving and raises his sword tethering it to a player. The targeted player will have a red icon over their head prior to this attack starting. Once you get the red icon, hide behind one of the statues before Yggr tethers to you. The tether will attach to the statue instead, and it will absorb the damage. Even if you don’t quite make it to a statue in time you can still pass the tether to the statue by running behind it.
- Valfodyr: This is a straight line attack where Anchag will launch itself at the targeted player. The attack follows the player until the casting bar is complete. It doesn’t seem like hiding prevents damage, as I died while standing behind a gargoyle in one attempt. However it feels as if constant motion until the attack activates will put you out of the hit box. Try not to drag it over anyone else though.
- Hall of Sorrow: This is a very large ground target AoE. It’s easy enough to avoid so just walk out of it.
Boogyman:
This is actually a rather fun fight. For this fight, I’d recommend all ranged members stack slightly away from the tank. This allows for easy add control. Melee can position as usual.
Attacks:
- Smite of Gloom: A targeted attack that does minor damage to a player. It did around 890 to our healer.
- Invisible: Boogyman goes invisible and can’t be targeted. To reveal Boogyman again you have to kill the Luminescence floating somewhere in the room.
- Ripples of Gloom: A room wide AoE that does minor damage. I’m unsure if this skill spawns the adds or if they are independent.
- Batter: A small AoE centered on Boogyman.
- Entrance: A Massive conal AoE. Not sure what this actually does, but it’s best not to stand in it.
- Doppeiganger: At around 50%, Boogyman splits in to two of himself splitting his HP in half as well. Both Boogyman mobs will use all the previously listed skills.
- Bloodmoon Martyr: Uses Spontaneous Combustion to self-detonate and do AoE damage.
- Bloodmoon Sacrifice: I haven’t seen any special skills from these.
Before Ferdiad:
I want to cover the mechanic before the final boss fight. You’re in a room with a Demon Wall in three corners. This is a flat-out DPS check, however there seems to be a bug currently. The mechanic is just kill several waves of enemies before the Demon Walls reach the circle, if you don’t you will die. However if you fail, currently, it doesn’t start over from the beginning. You just start from the wave you failed at with the Demon Walls’ positions reset.
Ferdiad:
This is by far the simplest fight in the dungeon, but also the most fun. Ferdiad has a really interesting attack mechanic, similar to the statue hands in Qarn Hard Mode.
Allacks:
- Jongleur’s X: A single target moderate damage attack.
- Blackout: A room wide AoE that deals moderate damage.
- Wild Card: Ferdiad summons adds, and the range of the AoE for this attack will continue to grow until the adds are killed. The first cast summons Wicked Jester adds. The second cast spawns two slimes on players and an add called Troubadour.
- Jester’s Reap: Ferdiad summons a slime on his target locking them in place. He then starts casting a massive conal AoE. My Warrior took around 2.5k but later a Black Mage gets one-shot.
- Floor Lines: Not sure the actual name of this ability, but AoE lines appear on the ground. This mechanic is much like the second boss of Haukke Manor Hard Mode. Avoid as necessary.
- Spinning Blades: Another skill that I don’t know the actual name of. Again this is a similar mechanic as the Haukke Manor Hard Mode second boss, and easily avoided.
Proper handling of these mechanics makes the fight very simple. This was the only fight we got through on the first try. Let me know in the comments below if there’s anything you don’t understand, or have thoughts on. Be sure to check out my FFXIV guide list for more upcoming patch 2.5 content.
