Gunbreaker Tank Tips for Asphodelos Savage — Endwalker 6.1

Last updated on Apr 20, 2022 at 05:53 by Lyra, Rin, and Keelan 12 comments

This page will outline Gunbreaker-specific optimization for the Savage difficulty of Pandaemonium: Asphodelos. It assumes, at minimum, a basic understanding of the job and how end game encounters work.

1.

Gunbreaker Overview For Pandaemonium: Asphodelos (Savage)

Pandaemonium: Asphodelos is the first raid tier released for the Asphodelos series of raids in the Endwalker expansion for Final Fantasy XIV. It consists of four fights, with the fourth fight having two different phases with a checkpoint in between:

  1. Asphodelos: The First Circle (Savage) - Erichthonios
  2. Asphodelos: The Second Circle (Savage) - The Hippokampus
  3. Asphodelos: The Third Circle (Savage) - The Phoinix
  4. Asphodelos: The Fourth Circle (Savage) - Hesperos

If you're looking for more generalized guides, you should take a look at our Savage guides linked below each section.

Disclaimer: This document is meant to be used as a suggestion and as such is not the only way to handle these fights on Gunbreaker. If the raid group you are running with decides to change buff placement or mitigation use, you may be doing things differently than as listed in this document.

2.

Asphodelos: The First Circle (Savage) - Erichthonios

2.1.

Mitigation

If pulling, cooldowns need to be weaved in before the opener for longer CDs such as Rampart Icon Rampart, or right at the beginning in the case of shorter CDs such as Heart of Corundum Icon Heart of Corundum.

There are generally two ways to handle Pitiless Flail - invuln all Purgations and mitigate and swap all Graces, or swap during each one no matter what. Note that you can run behind the boss right as Purgation is cast and get knocked back with the party to avoid the proximity marker on the other tank if swapping.

Warder's Wrath is physical and not magic, so do not use Heart of Light Icon Heart of Light on it. Instead, use it for Intemperance, Fourfold Shackles, or Slam Shut. Coordinate Reprisal Icon Reprisal usage with your co-tank, and use your active mitigation and Aurora Icon Aurora as necessary on either tank.

2.2.

Damage

As this is a full uptime fight, cooldown usages will depend on your kill time. As kill times are generally an estimate except when aiming for pre-established end times, adjust your rotation during the fight as necessary to ensure you do not lose usages of important skills such as Wicked Talon Icon Wicked Talon before the boss dies. Aim to keep everything on cooldown following the rotation guide before then.

3.

Asphodelos: The Second Circle (Savage) - The Hippokampos

3.1.

Mitigation

Mitigation will heavily depend on your co-tank. A Warrior will be able to Holmgang three out of five Doubled Impacts, allowing you to use essentially all cooldowns (or invuln) on the other two. Otherwise, rotate your CDs on Doubled Impacts, giving your active mitigation and Aurora Icon Aurora to whichever tank needs it more. Do not kitchen sink any buster, as you will need CDs for the two Coherences that occur during the fight.

Coordinate Reprisal Icon Reprisal usage with your co-tank on Murky Depths, Doubled Impact, Coherence, and Sewage Deluge. Heart of Light Icon Heart of Light should be used on Sewage Deluge and Coherence as they hit the hardest in the fight and require a decent amount of mitigation each.

3.2.

Damage

The fight has downtime due to Kampeos Harma about four minutes in. This delays your natural minute-long rotation. Using the Gnashing Fang combo early will allow you to get an extra use in before the boss jumps away, while using it at the usual time makes you enter a No Mercy window after the downtime with Wicked Talon. Adjust your rotation based on estimated kill time afterwards.

If you do not take any damage from Spoken or Winged Cataract, you will not receive the Damage Down debuff that comes with it. This can be useful during the second Predatory Avarice to ensure maximum uptime. This can be done using mitigation and shields from Brutal Shell and a co-tank. Otherwise, disengage to perform the mechanic correctly.

4.

Asphodelos: The Third Circle (Savage) - The Phoinix

4.1.

Mitigation

As most parties do a strat involving using invulns during Firestorms of Asphodelos, you will need to save Superbolide Icon Superbolide for it. Rotate Rampart/Nebula with your active on Heat of Condemnation. You will want to use a decent amount of cooldowns on the second set of birds: while the first set dies before you take any real damage, the second set stays alive for longer and you take more damage from them. However, there is a Heat of Condemnation right after adds, so you will need to save CDs for that as well.

Coordinate Reprisal Icon Reprisal usage with your co-tank on Scorched Exaltation, Heat of Condemnation, and Firestorms of Asphodelos. Heart of Light Icon Heart of Light should be used on raidwides and the first Gloryplume after adds.

4.2.

Damage

During the first phase, use Blasting Zone before the fourth GCD so you get maximum uses during the phase. Your second No Mercy window should be during Darkened Fire, and you will be able to Bow Shock + Double Down at least two adds and the boss. The boss will jump shortly after you complete your two-minute burst.

Adds damage is not counted on FFLogs, so do a No Mercy window during adds and then save cartridges for bursting after adds die if possible. Only use another one if you need the DPS to beat the adds DPS check. You will want to enter P3 with full cartridges and everything ready to blast.

P3 and P4 are full uptime except for the transition in between. Adjust your rotation for estimated kill time, and make sure you do not burst right after the Gloryplume before the transition, as this is when pots come up if you used one after adds.

5.

Asphodelos: The Fourth Circle (Savage) - Hesperos Phase One

5.1.

Mitigation

This fight hits extremely hard, but tank busters are few and far between so you can invuln two and kitchen sink the other (a Warrior can invuln first and third, so you invuln second). Cooldowns should be spent on auto-attacks when tanking otherwise, and can be used on Lightning Pinax to get closer to the boss if it is closer to the middle.

Coordinate Reprisal Icon Reprisal usage with your co-tank on Decollation, Bloodrake, and Periaktoi. Heart of Light Icon Heart of Light should be used on raidwides and heavy AoE damage during the first set of Bloodrakes, Pinax, and/or Belone Bursts. You should be actively looking for party members that may have missed heals to spot them with Heart of Corundum Icon Heart of Corundum and Aurora Icon Aurora during this fight, as they are largely unnecessary on tanks.

5.2.

Damage

Enrage is at 7:12, so if pushing enrage keep everything on cooldown to maximize usages of Blasting Zone Icon Blasting Zone and Double Down Icon Double Down. Some groups prefer to hold buffs during Pinax if killing before then, and if so you can start the Gnashing Fang combo early and No Mercy in the middle. Faster kill times such as ~6:30 will necessitate using everything on cooldown, but this is a full uptime fight if played correctly so there is not any issue in doing so.

6.

Asphodelos: The Fourth Circle (Savage) - Hesperos Phase Two

6.1.

Mitigation

Again, this fight hits extremely hard but tank busters are few and far between. Both instances of Demigod Double should be invulned, so cooldowns should be rotated between Farsight or Nearsight, as well as used on autos if main tanking. After Act 3, there is a Farsight or Nearsight into a Heart Stake. The Heart Stake can be taken by both tanks, or one tank can invuln the initial hit and take both as the bleed DoT does not stack. This should only be done with a Warrior as they can invuln both Demigod Doubles. Save mitigation for this if it is not being invulned by one tank, and make sure tanks are first and second on aggro.

Coordinate Reprisal Icon Reprisal usage with your co-tank on tank busters, Searing Stream, and Ultimate Impulse. Heart of Light Icon Heart of Light should be during periods of heavy damage such as Act 2, Act 4, and Curtain Call. Aurora Icon Aurora can be used on both tanks during Heart Stake's bleed to help heal up.

6.2.

Damage

Your uptime is heavily affected by the mechanics you get during Act 2 and Act 4. Getting a tether on Act 2 heavily increases your uptime, and you want blue tether during Act 4 to not have to go out a second time. Make sure to prioritize mechanics over uptime during these Acts to not wipe the party. Rough Divide Icon Rough Divide charges should be saved for returning to the boss if necessary over damage on Act 2, Act 4, and Curtain Call.

The enrage is 8:25, so everything should be used on cooldown if pushing it. Otherwise, coordinate for kill time, and keep in mind that two-minute burst is right after Act 2 and four-minute burst is after Act 4 towers and blue tethers. You may need to adjust your rotation depending on the mechanics you get there.

7.

Changelog

  • 20 Apr. 2022: Updated for Patch 6.1
  • 01 Apr. 2022: Guide added.
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