T8 Tanking

[Marukoban]

Hi, I'm using Paladin @i104 now. Solo tank T8.
I noticed the boss can hit very hard, especially if it crits.
Need advice from experienced player here.
Should I save my buff for landmine and dreadnought, or should I also use it in between landmine and dreadnought?
For now, I save the buff for dreadnought and when RNG grants me 2-3 landmine on South side. Sometimes I got real close to dying in between and thinking whether I can actually utilize my buffs better.

Also looking for advice on spacing buffs for T9
Do I just save them all for Ravensbeak, Heaven's Fall and Bahamut's Claw?

[PetiteMalFleur]

Any minor CD will help for the dread. You'll die if you don't pop one. Use a major CD for mines. This is the most healing intensive part of the fight for a solo tanking strat because the people hitting mines need big heals and the MT gets cleaved with a dot applied.

I can't think of a reason outside of this healing is so intense they let you dip. I'm sure you could use a CD to help and not be at risk but I just can't think where one would be needed. Maybe when defense west tower goes off? But I can only see this if healers are not prioritizing well.

For beak you need stoneskin and adlo up with a CD. Ask your WHM to keep up stoneskin for Ravens ascent damage as well. Stoneskin yourself to prep for damage when he jumps in the air then lands. Stoneskin yourself for heavensfall but save your CD. You need a minor CD for the three little claw attacks during p3 and multiple CD up for every favor in p4. You need a CD up when you are tanking the green golum.

Good luck!

[TemariVtwo]

You pretty much have to be buffed for Dreads. Make sure you have Rampart and Sentinel on.

Mines are another story. While buffs will help you on mines, you do have some time to pop them. You can use Convalescence/Stoneskin to help the healers, but make sure you have full health before you pop them. You can also pop one, SS yourself/ get topped off, then pop another. While you do want to pop the ones on your side in a timely manner, it is not necessary to pop ALL of the mines in the first 5 seconds of them spawning.

The only real issue is when all 3 spawn on the tank side. You might want to consider using Rampart there, and use the block buff with Sentinel on the following Dread if Rampart is still not up.

[SirTaint]

I use convalescence for the mines it's always up in time. Just remember you don't have to rush blowing them up. If you get 2-3 on your side pop one wait for heals then go to the next.

For dreads we only get 2 per clear now which makes them zzzz. But while learning you get 3 or 4.

First use rampart right before the dread pops. You get cleaved just before the spawn so you want it up early. Once he's in place I pop bulwark.

2nd dread pops right after brain jack. I pop rampart asap then sentinel once he's in place.

3rd (5th tower set of not skipped) or 7th if skipped is where you want to use HG.

If you get a 4th dread pop everything you can. Should be rampart bulwark and sentinel.

Do not use any of your big CDs except for with dreads. It made the fight extremely easy once I stopped popping CDs for mines and other trivial points.

[Marukoban]

Thanks all for the input.
I just tried T9 and got a bit confused about popping cd.
For Ravensbeak and Ascent, Rampart duration is usually long enough to cover both, but when I pop Sentinel for beak, I always reach critical hp after explosion.
Any tips on how to overcome that?

[Cyrus-Wallace]

Thanks all for the input.
I just tried T9 and got a bit confused about popping cd.
For Ravensbeak and Ascent, Rampart duration is usually long enough to cover both, but when I pop Sentinel for beak, I always reach critical hp after explosion.
Any tips on how to overcome that?

This fight does require some cd/buff management. It depends a lot on the healers for their stoneskin, eye for an eye and adloquium. We never use Sacred Soil, except for Megaflare.I pop nothing at the begining, but you can pop Awareness to avoid some critical hits. But that's what I do, it's not perfect and 100% optimized, but it helps me a lot:

1- After the first Stardust, he'll cast Ravensbeak. Use Rampart.
2- You'll get Blight. When the Blight marks 8 seconds, start casting Stoneskin on yourself if your healer doesn't. Nael will jump without hitting you by that time.
3- When Blight marks 2/3 seconds, start casting another Stoneskin. You'll explode, removing the Stoneskin, but you'll get it again by Raven Dive.
4- Rampart will least for Ravensbeak -> Raven's Ascent and Raven Dive.
5- Cast Stoneskin on yourself when you see Nael using "Lunar Dynamo", because he'll jump shortly after that and then go back to you with a Dalamud Dive. This one hurts.
6- Ravensbeak after that. Pop Sentinel. Now it's up the healer in my case to deal with the Ascent.
7- Nael will jump. Stoneskin, and, on second stream, I pop foresight, wich will also help me to mitigate the next claw.
8- Rampart for Ravensbeak. Same as before.
9- I run with my party for Thermionic Beam, and I cast Stoneskin on myself as he uses Iron Chariot. Then go back to position on Raven Dive.
10- If it happens that your DPS is not enough and you get another claw before reaching the 65% of Nael's HP, let it hit normally and use HG when he jumps after that to deal with the Dalamud Dive + Raven's Ascent, because it might one shot you if you're not prepared.

[SirTaint]

Thanks all for the input.
I just tried T9 and got a bit confused about popping cd.
For Ravensbeak and Ascent, Rampart duration is usually long enough to cover both, but when I pop Sentinel for beak, I always reach critical hp after explosion.
Any tips on how to overcome that?

I still use the same rotation from my learning days. (it makes sure JAs are up even after a wipe, if you use Sent/Bulwark during the 2nd its not always up in time)

First Beak: Foresight/Conva, when he jumps I Stoneskin myself for ascent.
Second Beak: When he jumps for Meteor stream I pop Awareness then Rampart once he lands.
Third Beak: Bulwark for Beak then Sentinel for Ascent.

[Remn]

For T9 I usually go with

1st Beak, Rampart ( I use it here first so it came back in time for 3rd Beak)
2nd Beak Foresight/Conva + Virus,
3rd Beak, Rampart again.
4th Beak (if your team has low DPS, Bulwak for beak, Sentinal for Ascent.

I'm also counting on my healer to cast stone skin and alldo (sch shield lol).

[Ellatrix]

For T9 I usually go with

1st Beak, Rampart ( I use it here first so it came back in time for 3rd Beak)
2nd Beak Foresight/Conva + Virus,
3rd Beak, Rampart again.
4th Beak (if your team has low DPS, Bulwak for beak, Sentinal for Ascent.

I'm also counting on my healer to cast stone skin and alldo (sch shield lol).

This is completely horrible advice... you eat it unmitigated on Beak 2 (lolforesight).

I still use the same rotation from my learning days. (it makes sure JAs are up even after a wipe, if you use Sent/Bulwark during the 2nd its not always up in time)

First Beak: Foresight/Conva, when he jumps I Stoneskin myself for ascent.
Second Beak: When he jumps for Meteor stream I pop Awareness then Rampart once he lands.
Third Beak: Bulwark for Beak then Sentinel for Ascent.

Additionally, any rotation that has Bulwark by itself to eat Ravensbeak is flat out wrong, since it isn't guaranteed to block.

I've posted an actual good cooldown rotation before for the entire fight, but here we go again... solo tank.

P1
Pull: Awareness/FoF (pull here)/Foresight/Conv (nothing will be needed for exactly 120 seconds, might as well use it here)
Beak 1 : Rampart
Beak 2 : Sentinel
Beak 3 : Awareness/Foresight/Conv/Rampart + Bulwark while Ravensbeak is cast. Ascent is 12s, Bulwark is 15s, so it covers the cleave that is in sync with the Ascent explosion.
Beak 4 : Get better dps, this is trivial to skip at this ilvl

P2
Green 1 : n/a
Green 2 : rampart

P3
Scourge 1 : Sentinel
Scourge 2 : Get better dps, this is trivial to pass the check after some practice, and safe solo tank depends on not getting a 2nd scourge

P4
Claw 1 : E4E/Virus + Rampart
Claw 2 : Conv+Bulwark
Claw 3 : E4E/Virus + Rampart
Claw 4 : Sentinel (or Hallowed, depends on Nael % if it will be alive much longer)
Claw 5 : E4E/Virus + Rampart (or Hallowed, depends on Nael % if it will be alive much longer)
Claw 6 : Hallowed
Claw 7 : E4E/Virus + Rampart/Bulwark, if it reaches this far

P4 Philosophy
Odd claws are 'safe' since they occur in a lull in activity, except the first one which is usually Clawx2 > Favor > Clawx5. But since it is only the first one, it isn't that bad. Evens occur after Beam when the entire party just got hit and you won't have shields on, so it is better to use the stronger cooldowns here. This also preserves the use of Hallowed until later, so it is kept ready in an emergency. It is possible to use it earlier and get an extra Sentinel/Bulwark out if you don't want to keep it.

[Marukoban]

@Ellatrix,
around how much dps should my dps do to skip 4th RB?
I'm a bit concerned because my group is new and not used yet to the P1 mechanic.
We got to P2 before but it was very messy.
Also, what kind of ilvl or hp should I aim for solo tanking?
I think after food I currently have around 8.2-8.3 Hp.

I also noticed you put Sentinel for 2nd RB which I believe is after Lunar Dynamo when he jumps back. My problem is Sentinel has 10 secs duration, while Raven Ascent is after 12 secs, so basically Sentinel can't cover the explosion damage. Is the 2nd RB considered rather safe for that? I'm also a bit unsure whether Raven Ascent is magic or physical damage. Magic means I only have Rampart or Sentinel to mitigate it.

For the golem phase with solo tank, should the group focus on Green one or Blue one?
Thanks everyone for the advice.