AU44 Pain (Warning spoilers I suppose)

[Empedocles]

I'm at this fight, currently no successes and at least 17 fails.

Mostly, Rau has taken so long that we end up either running out of time on Alex or just leave during Raz's 3rd life.

I can't help but wonder if there's something I can do....

I'm using Carbonara & Defender -it didn't seem like I was doing enough damage to justify semi DD'ing after 2 attempts- to buy a little more time between Eyes On Me spam (although once I got whammed with Eyes -> Seraph on lightsday in less than 2 seconds that just killed me) I don't have trouble with hate, as I'm also using a High Breath Mantle. We have run with standard party setups unfortunately I don't know any BLMs who have been able to help and any pickups we get are all physical... plus they like to leave after only one or two attempts :(

Gear is thus:

Durandal/Koenig
Happy Egg
Valor Coronet
Shield Torque
Hospitaler Earring/Buckler Earring (Guardian Earring swapped in when appropriate)
Gallant Surcoat (Have Adaman Curiass but thought HP+ was better)
Valor Gauntlets
Hercules' Ring/Unyeilding Ring (No Sattva - static dumped me at Keremit because they joined sky shell and the shell burned them through CoP)
High Breath Mantle
Warwolf Belt
Gallant Breeches (Again, have Adaman but thought +HP was better)
Valor/Gallant Leggings


Just doing normal Paladin stuff, holding hate, curing when I can... is there some sort of better way of doing Rau that'll allow me to not get whacked so much? Almost every run I've died on Rau at least once >.< . We've tried sleep/nuking the third life (2 of the people that have gone through with me and need 44 are RDMs) but that's always taken too long.

Is /NIN better than /WAR, despite Eyes On Me ignoring Utsusemi?

[Sevv]

I used /nin mainly for the blue portion of it, if you have good melees you can go /war for the alex. The best way to go at alex, is standing to the north @ max cast distance and voke flash ja's etc.

[Empedocles]

Yeah, Alex doesn't seem too much of a problem for myself, the times we took him on, we ran out of time due to Gospel of the Lost :(

I'll suggest that I go /NIN next time (if there is one) we try, are there any foods that would be better than Carbonara/Pesacora?

[Sevv]

i just used tacos cuz i had them on me =x

[Karinya]

It's very helpful to stun EOM. May need multiple stunners because his recast is pretty short. This is one place a blm comes in handy - if you don't have one, how are you getting around the damage immunity thing? RNGs?

[IfritnoItazura]

Took our team three tries to get past it; I was PLD/WAR for all three. (PLD/WAR, SAM/THF, MNK/NIN, BRD/WHM, BLM/RDM, and WHM/SMN.) The winning formula for me was:

Raubahn:
HP / MDB / Magic Damage -% / Enmity

Coral Ring, Coral Earring, Lamian Kaman, Iron Ram Sallet set, Bomb Queen Ring, Sattva Ring, Jungle Belt, Insomnia Earring, Macuahuitl +1, Koenig Shield, Adaman Cuirass, Gallant Breeches, Gallant Leggings, etc.

Alexander:
Physical Damage -% / Enmity / HP

Macuahuitl +1, Koenig Shield -> Earth Staff
Bomb Queen Ring -> Jelly Ring
Coral Ring -> Sattva Ring
Shield Torque -> Parade Gorget (more for Defense than MP.)
Gallant Leggings -> Valor Leggings

Raubahn from my vantage point was basically surviving WS's and those Eyes on Me which got past stun by having HP--while hanging on to him as tightly as possible, since he can destroy a DD in a very short order. (Stun provided by BLM and a SAM with Soboro Sukehiro for Tachi: Hobaku; WHM also gave BLM Haste.)

Alexander was an endurance fight; I was completely packed with MP items--Yagudo Drinks, Pro-Ether, and Hi-Ether--with the exception of three Hi-Potion +3's. Didn't use the potions at all. Our WHM was using Yagudo Drink full time, on top of Ballad, and had Pro-Ethers. Position wise, I stood straight on in front of it, but well out of reach so when it attacks me, no one near it would eat AoE.

Melees and BLM need to dial it back when they gain too much enmity, else they can easily kill themselves and everyone around them, or cause healer(s) to gain Alexander's attention.

Feet aside, I didn't (and still don't) have most of Valor set, yet, so not sure what I'd do in your place for visible armors. For food, I used Pescatora, which together with my gear kept my max HP above 1500 for both portions of the fight, IIRC. (And, the middle portion, too, but that's kinda the "lol" part.) Defender full time.

We have run with standard party setups unfortunately I don't know any BLMs who have been able to help and any pickups we get are all physical... plus they like to leave after only one or two attempts :(
I'm not a believer in pick up groups for missions. x_x;

Just doing normal Paladin stuff, holding hate, curing when I can... is there some sort of better way of doing Rau that'll allow me to not get whacked so much?
Yes. Well, sort of. Stunners, magic damage -% gear, MDB gear/buffs, max HP, and a spot on healer was what got me through the three-lives critter.

BLU or SAM (with Soboro Sukehiro) would be really nice. More than one stunner is even better. A good healer is not optional.


We've tried sleep/nuking the third life (2 of the people that have gone through with me and need 44 are RDMs) but that's always taken too long.

Doesn't Raubahn have the smallest amount of HP on first round? At least, he seemed the easiest to kill that time. You can have RDM's Chainspell nuke; pop up Sentinel, and use it to double the enmity from multiple job abilities and spells in short order just before they start. If one of the RDM is /DRK, /BLM, or /SCH, toss in Drain and Aspir as part of the Chainspell.


Is /NIN better than /WAR, despite Eyes On Me ignoring Utsusemi?

I don't know. All I know is that PLD/WAR can work--just need spot on support, appropriate gear, and a great deal of consumables.

* * *

p.s. Our SAM was only 73 at the time. ._. We won with 10 minutes to spare.
p.p.s. Some random, extra tips:
- WHM/SMN: Shining Ruby for Raubahn portion; don't let Regen drop on Alexander portion.
- Melees: Yes, (some of) they do have stun.
- DRK: Avoid /SAM, for Stun recast's sake.
- PLD: HP is good, but defense helps for Alexander (and probably Raubahn). Have... both.
- PLD: Can use Jelly Ring for Alexander--don't use it for Raubah. XD
- PLD: If a BRD asks which songs, the answer is: Ballad x2.
- Mages, PLD: Bring MP consumables.
- BRD: /WHM and Yagudo Drinks; cure is good.
- WHM, RDM: Find the MP to haste the BLM, too. Somehow.