The Howling Blade is the final Cruiserweight Arcadion Raid in Final Fantasy 14. In an attempt to save the Arcadion participants who are showing symptoms of psychonekrosis, you will need to continue battling your way up the Arcadion, with Howling Blade representing your final step in the Cruiserweight Division.
Related
Final Fantasy 14: AAC Cruiserweight M3 – Brute Abombinator Raid Walkthrough
Here’s how to beat the Brute Abombinator in the Cruiserweight Arcadion Raid tier in Final Fantasy 14.
With the agreement that the loser of the match has to retire from the Arcadion, the stakes are higher than ever. Below, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about the Howling Blade fight, including each of his attacks and mechanics and how to avoid them.
Howling Blade Raid Walkthrough
This fight is divided into two phases, which are separated by an add phase. Throughout the right, the edge of the arena will be covered in an AoE that inflicts Bleeding if you step into it, so try to avoid this area as you dodge the boss’s attacks, which are all detailed below.
Phase 1
|
Attack Name |
Type |
Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Extraplanar Pursuit |
Roomwide AoE |
Deals damage to the entire party. Recover with AoE healing. |
|
Great Divide |
Line Stack Tankbuster |
Targets one of the Tanks with a Line Stack Marker. Both Tanks should stack together to spread out the damage of this attack, and use defensive cooldowns to mitigate. Also, non-Tank players should avoid being near or behind the Tanks for this attack. |
|
Wolves’ Reign |
AoEs |
After a brief cast period, Howling Blade will unleash a combination of AoEs. First, four circle AoEs will appear around the arena. At the same time, the boss will dash to one of them, then prepare to dash across the arena to the other side, dealing damage in a line AoE. Finally, Howling Blade will unleash a conal AoE from its new position. This combo can easily be avoided by initially moving to the opposite end of where Howling Blade dashes, then moving slightly to the side to avoid the incoming line AoE and conal AoE. |
|
Heavensearth |
Stack Marker |
Targets a random player with a Stack Marker. Group up on their position to spread out its damage. |
|
Beckon Moonlight |
AoEs |
Four Moonlit Shadow clones will appear around the arena in an order, holding their swords either to the left or right. Then, they will dash across the arena, dealing damage to half of the arena, indicated by the direction of their sword, and in the same order they appeared in. Watch their order and sword orientation carefully to avoid each attack. |
|
Shadowchase |
Line AoEs |
Summons five clones near the center of the arena that will each perform a line AoE forward. There are safe areas immediately behind each of the clones; move there to avoid taking damage. |
|
Bare Fangs |
Line AoEs |
Howling Blade will summon its Gleaming Fang bits in a line across the arena. Two of these will then fire a line AoE, followed immediately by the other two. Watch the order these appear in and move accordingly to dodge. |
|
Terrastrial Rage |
Circle AoEs |
At the same time the Gleaming Fang bits use their line AoEs, Howling Blade will cast Terrastrial Rage, creating circle AoEs around the arena. Immediately after, the boss will use Heavensearth again. |
After Terrastrial Rage, the boss will use Tactical Pack, summoning the Wolf of Stone and Wolf of Wind.
Add Phase
During this phase, the boss will be invulnerable, and his Saber Intensity gauge will begin to build over time.
Throughout the phase, the Wolf of Stone and Wolf of Wind will cast Weal of Stone and Weal of Wind, respectively, dealing damage in a line AoE to their front. At the same time, players will either be targeted with Gust, which are AoE Markers, or Heavensearth, which functions the same as before.
Once the Wolves are defeated, Howling Blade will cast Ravenous Saber, dealing damage to the party according to how high the Saber Intensity gauge is. Defeat the Wolves before this maxes out to avoid wiping. After Ravenous Saber, the fight will enter its second phase.
Phase 2
At the start of this phase, the notification ‘Invigorated by battle, the Howling Blade strikes all the swifter.’ will appear, indicating that the boss’s attacks will come out more frequently and hit a bit harder.
Additionally, the barrier that previously prevented you from falling off the arena is gone, so take extra care around the edges of the arena not to fall off or take damage from the AoE covering the edge.
During this phase, the boss will use several new attacks, as well as enhance some of its previous ones.
|
Attack Name |
Type |
Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Wolves’ Reign |
AoEs |
Not only will this attack happen a lot faster, but the third, conal AoE in the combo will be paired with a line AoE from each of the Wolves. Watch where the Wolf spirits appear and move accordingly to dodge their AoEs. |
|
Terrastrial Titans |
Falling Pillars |
The boss will summon three pillars around the edge of the arena. He will then cast Titanic Pursuit, dealing damage ot the party and cutting the pillars up, causing them to fall in the direction of their cut, similar to Yojimbo’s bamboo cutter attack in The Slice is Right GATE. This attack will be used three times back-to-back. |
|
Shadowchase |
Line AoEs |
The first part of this attack works the same as it did earlier, but now, after the clones disappear, several Wolves of Wind will appear in their place, repeating similar line AoEs across the arena. Just like before, there are safe areas behind each Wolf head. |
|
Tracking Tremors |
Continuous Stack Marker |
Targets a random player with a Continuous Stack Marker, dealing several hits of damage to them. Group up with the targeted player to spread out the damage of this attack, and heal through each hit. |
|
Beckon Moonlight |
AoEs |
Beckon Moonlight works the same way as before, but now, after the clones use their attacks, four Wolves of Earth will appear, creating line AoEs that intersect in the center of the arena. Move to one of the safe corners to avoid these AoEs. |
The boss will repeat these attacks and mechanics until he is defeated. Although you’ve seen each individual mechanic on its own, the boss will continue to combine several of them as the fight progresses.
For example, when the Howling Blade uses Bare Fangs to summon the Gleaming Fang bits, it will cast Wolves’ Reign at the same time, so you’ll need to avoid all of these AoEs together.
One of the harder attacks to avoid is Beckon Moonlight, as the clones’ AoEs come out rather quickly, giving you little time to adjust and avoid them. We recommend trying to stay as near to the center of the arena as you can, as this will make it so you don’t have to move as much to avoid the next AoE in the sequence.
It’s also important to watch the order they appear in, as this will tell you which ones to avoid first.
Continue avoiding the Howling Blade’s attacks, and eventually you’ll bring him down. With that, your triumph over the Cruiserweight division is secured, and the Howling Blade’s retirement from the Arcadion is all but assured.
Next
Final Fantasy 14: All Patch 7.2 Emotes And How To Get Them
Patch 7.2 brings three new emotes to FF14. Learn how to unlock them by using this guide.