Of all of Final Fantasy 14‘s enemies, the final big bosses in each expansion are the most memorable, by far. The whole expansion arc culminates in that single moment, which is always complete with some of the most special fights in the game. You’re always guaranteed to have a good soundtrack, cool-looking effects, and some unique mechanics to go with it.
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In Dawntrail, Queen Sphene is given the honor of being a final boss herself during The Interphos Trial, the final duty for the Main Story Quests in the MMO’s fifth expansion. And as usual, you’ll not be alone in this fight.
How To Unlock The Interphos
You unlock the final Trial in Dawntrail automatically by progressing through its final quest, also named “Dawntrail”. More precisely, it’ll be available as soon as you leave the Level 100 Dungeon Alexandria, also unlocked in the same quest, in Living Memory.
The Interphos is a Level 100 Trial with a minimum Item Level of 670. As long as you obtained your Artifact Gear from Mewazunte in Tuliyollal (X:12.4, Y:12.9) back in the In Pursuit of Sphene quest, you shouldn’t have any trouble with your equipment, and it’ll also be enough for starting other Level 100 content in the future.
The Interphos Trial Guide
The Interphos is filled with fast-paced mechanics, particularly during its final phases. It can be a lot to take in for first-timers but don’t worry if you die once or twice. You do get Echo if your party wipes, so clearing it won’t be that much of a hassle.
Most attacks are well-telegraphed before they happen, so pay attention to the Queen Eternal and her animations. Following veterans also never hurt. Below you’ll find all of her attacks.
Initial Phase
|
Attack |
Type |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Legitimate Force |
Special |
Sphene attacks one side of the arena, then immediately attacks the other. Look at the boss once she casts it. The side that glows first is where she’s attacking first. |
|
Aethertite |
Special |
Deals constant damage to all players and distorts a portion of the arena. Players standing in the distorted area will be pulled and killed. |
|
Coronation |
Special |
Circles appear on the ground and start following random players. Run from them, as they’ll hit that exact area with drones after a few seconds. |
|
Prosecution of War |
Tankbuster |
Targets the main Tank for a heavy-hitting Tankbuster that must be mitigated. Happens during Coronation. |
|
Legitimate Force |
Special |
Same as before, but starts while Coronation is still going. |
|
Virtual Shift |
AoE |
Heavy raid-wide damage on all players. Transitions the arena to use new attacks. |
After a few attacks, she changes the arena and unleashes some new attacks.
Shifting Phase
During this phase, Sphene will constantly change the arena to accommodate her moves. She uses two different arenas here, with slightly different movesets in each.
|
Attack |
Type |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Coronation |
Special |
Instead of the circles, Sphene targets two players with lines linked to a triangle she summons in the area. These players can move the triangle’s position by walking, so they must leave the triangle in a position that won’t hit the party. |
|
Downburst |
Knockback |
Knockback from the middle of the arena. Position yourself not to fall, or use Arm’s Length/Surecast. |
|
Brutal Crown |
Circle AoE |
The drones from Coronation appear somewhere in the arena, indicating a safe spot for an incoming AoE. Enter the zone made by the drones, as the rest of the arena will be hit. |
|
Powerful Gust |
Knockback |
Another knockback, but this time from one side to another. Position yourself at the corner to avoid falling, or use Arm’s Length/Surecast if you didn’t last time. |
|
Virtual Shift |
AoE |
Heavy raid-wide damage on all players. Changes the arena back to normal. |
|
Coronation |
Special |
The line/triangle variation for Coronation, but this time in a bigger arena. |
|
Aethertite |
Special |
Deals constant damage to all players and distorts a portion of the arena. Players standing in the distorted area will be pulled and killed. |
|
Virtual Shift |
AoE |
Heavy raid-wide damage on all players. Transitions the arena to a two-platform zone with shifting gravity. The gravity changes are indicated by the message at the center of the screen, and the next attack must be dodged at your new height.
|
|
Castellation |
AoE/Knockback |
Sphene throws a castle wall at the party, with various windows and holes as safe spots. Position yourself in front of a window to be safe. Pay attention to the current gravity, as this may change where you must stand. Players hit are knocked out of the arena, and this cannot be resisted with Arm’s Length/Surecast. It is repeated three times. |
|
Legitimate Force |
Special |
Sphene attacks one side of the arena, then immediately attacks the other. Look at the boss once she casts it. The side that glows first is where she’s attacking first. |
|
Virtual Shift |
AoE |
Heavy raid-wide damage on all players. Changes the arena back to normal. |
This phase ends as she readies her ultimate attack, Absolute Authority.
Final Phase
This is the hardest phase of the fight, as there are lots of attacks going off at the same time. Healers must give them all to keep their team alive. At least one of them should be alive by the end, as you may need a Healer Limit Break 3, especially if there are many newcomers.
|
Attack |
Type |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Absolute Authority |
Special |
Targets all players with various debuffs while casting various consecutive fast-paced AoEs. Here’s a breakdown:
It’s a lot to take in, but it gets easier if you focus on your role.
|
|
Divide and Conquer |
Line AoE |
Targets all players, one by one, with a line AoE that hits them after a delay. Stay away from players baiting their lines, and spread from others when it’s your turn. Stay in your spot once the first line hits. After all eight players are hit, they’re all immediately hit again at the same time. |
|
Aethertite |
Special |
Deals constant damage to all players and distorts a portion of the arena. Players standing in the distorted area will be pulled and killed. Combined with Brutal Crown. |
|
Absolute Authority |
Special |
Raid-wide damage. Renders all players stunned for a while. A cutscene starts, and Wuk Lamat joins the fight. |
|
Dynastic Diadem |
Circle AoE |
Similar to Brutal Crown‘s full-arena AoE, with only a circle as a safe spot. The circle is around Wuk Lamat, at the center front of the arena. |
|
Royal Banishment |
Cone AoE |
Attacks the arena in cones, always leaving either the middle or the sides as a safe spot. Dodge accordingly. |
Once Wuk Lamat joins the fight, the fight is as good as over. She’ll deal the necessary damage to finish Sphene off, so Healers must only pay attention to the group’s HP. The boss will be defeated by the time both Sphene and Wuk Lamat exhaust their voice lines.
The Interphos Trial Rewards
As a tradition of the final boss fights, your main reward is finishing the expansion and finally seeing the credits. Congratulations! The final scenes will roll out as soon as you finish the fight, and you get access to quests that unlock lots of post-story content, such as Dungeons, Alliance Raids, and 8-man Raids.
You may also get the Queen Eternal Triple Triad card, a random drop from this Trial. The same card may also be obtained from the Extreme version of the fight, which has other unique rewards.
Next
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