Limit Break Caster or DPS First or Last Boss

[CaptainLagbeard]

Each LB has it's uses, but the two most commonly used ones are the Melee and Healer LB...

Using the LB against mobs is generally a waste in my opinion, it doesn't kill them in one hit, and if the party is worried about surviving a giant pull with the use of an LB, tank LB might do a better job, keeps the mobs from doing too much damage for a while...

In dungeons you can usually get away with LBing the first boss if it's up by then, as it'll be up again by the final boss most certainly.
In 8 mans (raids and trials), you technically can use the LB as soon as it's ready, unless there's a DPS check mechanic... But you should probably keep it around in case someone fucks up and healers need it.


Tank LB is either a mechanic, or if people fail at certain mechanics and the party is about to be oneshotted.

[Alaray]

LB's not really something worth stressing over IMO, in normal dungeons/content. In 24mans it's just better to hold it for healers half the time, since people just die in them left and right. The other half of the time it's a cool animation you can watch as you eventually hit the boss pretty hard. (or, if you're me, you tank LB3 when everyone's dead 'cuz it looks cool).

Most people I run into will use it sub 2 percent of a Boss's HP anyway, and at that point it's not even worth it. May as well blow it on a massive pull and have a bit of fun.

Or run up to a maidservant, stun it, then LB1 it in the face. Best leveling feeling I ever had.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Use it while a boss is prepping an attack that requires running, so half of the party is blinded by bright flashes and explosions and runs off the edge of the arena.

I admit nothing.

[Timmyz]

as a WHM I prefer it if you save a LVL3 Limit in case we get an 'oh shit' moment and need to raise everybody. If at the last 10-15% melee or caster use it, it don't really matter, at that point its USUALLY safe to assume that even if shit hits the fan you can complete the trial/boss/raid etc

[Frizze]

Your profile says BLM, so my answer is based on that. As a BLM there are only 4 times ill toss out a LB attack. The animation lock(especially on 2/3 bar moves) is so long that im guaranteed to drop all my buffs and have to start my rotation over afterwards, so i wont do it just randomly.

1. Large dungeon trash pulls. The damage a caster LB1 does to a large pull actually speeds up the run more then you might think considering its only one attack(and is certainly a bigger gain then crushing off a bosses last 3% health). This is easier if you know the dungeon and which pulls are the biggest(knowing if the tank will go for the bigger pulls also helps - saving a limit for the biggest pull and seeing the tank split it in two hurts a little). This can be any pull in the dungeon between the first boss and last boss(most dungeons go too quickly to bust out 2 on trash pulls). The bar will typically rebuild to 1 bar fast enough for the other DPS to still get a finishing move on the final boss in if they want it(even if you used it on the final trash pull).
2. Skipping add phases on bosses. Some bosses have dangerous add phases, and a well timed LB can either neuter or completely eliminate them. Examples would be the wings on the bosses of Sohm Al and Bardams, the 4 scorpions(its the 2nd add set, 2 of them eat your platform 2 of them throw out mini-tankbuster attacks) at the end of Sohm Al(hard), or the golems during the Hashmal fight in Rabanastre. The idea here is to skip the dangerous phase and continue the fight as quickly as possible. In most of these cases the boss also eats the attack because they spawn near/are part of them.
3. Panic button. Everyone else is dying but maybe i can end the fight and we can win instead of starting over? Might be worth a shot. This isnt a great strategy though, because you often die trying to pull it off(wasting the move) or the enemy still survives and kills you after(wasting the move). But a poor strategy is sometimes better then none.
4. Pulling alliance raid bosses. Sometimes in the 24 man alliance raids you walk up to a boss and already have a bar or two of limit charged. This could be because the group wiped, or because the last boss died without it being triggered. When the next boss fight starts, all those limit bars will drain away to nothing(only bosses drain your limit and not trash pulls, so alliance trash is an appropriate time to toss out a limit under reason 1 above). So if im given a chance, ill open the fight by dropping a rock on the bosses head. This isnt always possible(some people will just run in and start the next fight before anyone can even think of queing these attacks in, and even when people dont run in not all tanks like to give a countdown to allow these to be timed right), and it doesnt speed up the fight a great deal(if one group gets off a one bar move, figure it probly cut the fight by 3-5 seconds - but if 2 or 3 groups get off attacks and maybe some have 2 bars rather then one... something to think about anyway) - but still, why throw away free damage?

[Kohdo]

I think we all know the correct way to use LB is preferably as a NIN or DRG, waiting until all bars are filled, then pop it on the last boss at >1% health, so that the boss dies before the LB animation even goes off.

[Nabril]

So, in this thread alone, the opinions are to have the caster cast LB during trash pulls, have the melee do it during the first and last boss, cast it only during the last boss, use it to drop add phases on the last boss, use it during the opening, use it at 15%, or save it for the Healer!

I'm glad that all my confusion has been cleared up in this thread

Use it while a boss is prepping an attack that requires running, so half of the party is blinded by bright flashes and explosions and runs off the edge of the arena.

I admit nothing.

I think that this so far is the best advice I've seen on the subject

[Bahd_Monkey]

So, in this thread alone, the opinions are to have the caster cast LB during trash pulls, have the melee do it during the first and last boss, cast it only during the last boss, use it to drop add phases on the last boss, use it during the opening, use it at 15%, or save it for the Healer!

Exactly, who and when to use a LB depends on the content and the party.

[Hyperia]

I don’t really care when the LB is used as long as it isn’t a 3 bar RDM or BLM LB. Why? Same reason why we don’t look at the flash from a nuke

[Cirgellon]

I almost forget about my LB button. I've been playing Bard and DRK. I have never used it as a tank, and always got complaints for using it as Bard. About the onky time it's okay for me to use it is on Bard, in a 4 man dungeon, with another ranged dps.