Sophia ex help please

I've just started learning this fight. Watched the vid and read what I could. The first party I've been in seemed to get stuck on the adds. I know the kill order 2nd, 3rd, then first. I know 2nd has a confusion move that you need to look away from. 3rd I need help with. I have been zombified by it, but don't know if I can avoid it (no I'm not dead), plus it seems to drop ice aoes randomly in the middle, can this be controlled? I couldn't quite tell if it was aimed at the tank or random party member. I know to stand behind it to avoid the rav like attack. Then the last add... I understand that it targets one player and everyone else should stand between that player and it. But then we all seem to get stunned and either die, or can't move for the scales. I'd appreciate any clarification or advice :)

Don't even bother trying to stack on the paladin's line AoE. Everyone just lets the person targetted tank it and get zombified, you'll be fine if the scholar/noct ast isn't awful and puts shields up.

Everyone else should stand there, but everyone is almost impossible so nobody should stand there so that only one player gets the zombie. It will follow the group so it should survive the balance. It's much better that way.

The ice is spawned under the 3rd add so it can be moved away from the mid.

That's why guides aren't perfect.
Don't stack for the 1st Demiurge's rush, just let one person take the hit and kite them to the edge.
Also, don't tank the 3rd Demiurge in the center of the arena.
Oh, and stand directly behind it once it casts Gnostic Rant. That's all.

The ice AOE from the Third Demiurge isn't random. The player tanking it should be tanking it off to one side to begin with while players kill the Second Demiurge, then move it away once the AOE is dropped so that players can comfortably DPS it and stand out of the way (behind it) for Gnostic Rant.

And yes, mostly the strategy is to let the targeted player eat the line AOE and get zombified. Your healers should have plenty of time to heal you and then shield the party for tilts.

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Originally Posted by Aivi_lo

I've just started learning this fight. Watched the vid and read what I could. The first party I've been in seemed to get stuck on the adds. I know the kill order 2nd, 3rd, then first. I know 2nd has a confusion move that you need to look away from. 3rd I need help with. I have been zombified by it, but don't know if I can avoid it (no I'm not dead)

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Dying is what causes the zombification to occur. You won't think you died because your HP is still fairly high, but that's what does it. So technically anything during the add phase that would normally KO you will make you a zombie.

Infusion, which is the Line AoE you're talking about, does a ton of damage, so zombification is a guarantee unless everyone's stacked. But as it's been stated, sacrificing the lone target of the attack is the better option, since risking multiple zombies in that phase isn't worth it.

Also be careful when first attacking the PLD (the add which uses Infusion), because it uses Directional Parry buffs that will knock you back (much like Ravana's Seeing attacks) and put a Vulnerability Up stack on you. Usually not a problem when the other adds are dealt with first (he stops using it before Infusion), but sometimes he'll still have it up when you first engage and you won't know which direction is safe to attack.

To add to Andevom's post, do NOT use AoE skills while the 1st and 3rd Demiurges are grouped up. You are just asking to get nailed with the 1st's directional parry, as it deflects all attacks from whichever sides it shields, even AoEs like Elixir Field.

their 3 big skills are hp based so you'll only see them once a piece

for second guy we just have a melee dps tank him and burn him down and look away when the gaze attack comes

third guy should be pulled to the edge by a tank, the line attacks he does are easily avoidable, the circle aoe around himself leaves the ice patch, after the ice patch it should be safe to bring him back to middle then just everyone stack on his backside for gnostic rant.

first guy is just don't hit his shielded sides (even with aoe and ranged attacks) and let the person he targets with infusion be zombified, it doesn't really matter and doing the mechanic by stacking risks people getting thrown off the sides. My group just tanks him near the spot we stack for sophia's big attack after the adds die

Thank you all for your help. I'll try again today :)

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Originally Posted by Mysteltain

To add to Andevom's post, do NOT use AoE skills while the 1st and 3rd Demiurges are grouped up. You are just asking to get nailed with the 1st's directional parry, as it deflects all attacks from whichever sides it shields, even AoEs like Elixir Field.

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Didn't think about the elixir field part, want to thank you ahead of time since my MNK is going in next week.

Some groups I've seen have a DPS tank the White Mage add so the two tanks can split up the Dragoon and Paladin. This also helps avoid AoEs clipping the Paladin when he starts pulling Ravana BS. For the line AoE, you're better off sacrificing whoever gets targeted since it's much easier on the healer.

MT should take the PLD.
OT should take the DRG and tank him SE to drop ice away from middle.
All DD should be on WHM.

The order to kill ads: WHM > DRG > PLD

1) Burn down WHM (look alway from cast if needed).
2) Always be behind DRG.
3) Don't dps PLD until his shield falls.
4) Let the targeted person go melee range to PLD and get zombified.

Congratulations you have passed the ads phase.

the only problem with demiurge directional parry skill, is when the tank rotate the demiurge -.-
tank should just stay put, and disengage, if it uses vertical parry (front/back) that way dps can position themselves correctly, without being derped over by moving tank.
if you want you can focus target the 1st demi, at start, so you can see what parry skill it's casting, so you know beforehand, where to start attacking it. otherwise it only last a few sec, so you can wait a little before starting to attack, if you're uncertain.

1st demi infusion (zombie) skill does some 160k damage to target, which will kill you and turn you into zombie (you only become zombie if you would normally die from the damage) stacking ppl on the line will split the damage, but in most cases someone mess up, and everyone stacked, dies, and become zombies.
so the person targeted should move close to the demi, to make the aoe as small as possible, so it's easier for everyone else to avoid it. and again, don't move around when targeted!! i've been hit by it because ppl run around in circle.

the person tanking drg add, should bait it to a corner, until it drops the ice AOE, then pull it back to middle.

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Originally Posted by Bourne_Endeavor

Some groups I've seen have a DPS tank the White Mage add so the two tanks can split up the Dragoon and Paladin. This also helps avoid AoEs clipping the Paladin when he starts pulling Ravana BS. For the line AoE, you're better off sacrificing whoever gets targeted since it's much easier on the healer.

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as a DRG or MNK i don't like that idea, because you'll get nerfed damage. also you can use your AOEs between parries.

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Originally Posted by Yeol

MT should take the PLD.
OT should take the DRG and tank him SE to drop ice away from middle.
All DD should be on WHM.

The order to kill ads: WHM > DRG > PLD

1) Burn down WHM (look alway from cast if needed).
2) Always be behind DRG.
3) Don't dps PLD until his shield falls.
4) Let the targeted person go melee range to PLD and get zombified.

Congratulations you have passed the ads phase.

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^this.

Just a small change for 4): We let the targeted person die without splitting the damage. This person will be zombified only, while the rest doesnt take any damage and can stay Demi-PLD. The zombified-debuff is not a problem, when only one gets it. Just walk to the north-east corner with the entire group (because of scales) and everything is fine. Mr Zombie will follow you, dont worry ^^.