Garuda EM(Advice, Tips, etc.)

[CertifiedBalla]

Just opening a Thread for Garuda EM. I possibly didn't look hard enough to find one but that's not the issue.
This is primarily just for free discussion of strategies used to clear Garuda EM. I, myself, have not cleared it but only see the fight from an OT perspective.
I'm open to any advice as long as it's constructive and actually helpful.
Or you can merely come here to converse and share strategies to possibly pick-up something that you've never tried or something that could be of use and applied to your own strategy.
Thanks everyone.

[SirGazuntai]

The key to this fight is making sure you tank swap the Spiny Plume and making sure no one kills it before Garuda disappears. Apart from that, it's a very simple fight.

Main tank takes Garuda during first phase, everyone hides behind pillars when she disappears.

Main tank takes Garuda while everyone else burns down plumes (especially Satin Plume).

When Chirada and Suparna spawn, the Main tank takes Garuda and Suparna north while the off-tank takes Chirada south. DPS burn down Chirada, then burn down Suparna. Make sure Chirada only has 1 stack of the buff (keep her as far away from Garuda and Suparna as possible)

As soon as Garuda jumps, run away from where she was or you'll get hit with raining feathers (but not too far or you'll get hit by her huge purple tornado thing on the outside). When she lands and casts her huge AoE, she'll bring the huge purple tornado thing on the outside. At this point the off-tank picks up the Spiny Plume and takes it away from the other Plumes so the DPS can AoE them down without killing the Spiny. The Main tank and off-tank should tank swap the Spiny at 2 stacks (I believe it's 2? Haven't done the fight since I got my ring) and as soon as Garuda disappears again, kill the Spiny as quickly as possible and run into the dome (after all the AoE's disappear first, obviously).

As soon as Garuda uses her huge AoE, run away from the center or, again, you'll get hit with raining feathers. This is where a lot of groups differ.

Most groups I run with will use this setup:

Main tank: Takes Garuda and Suparna to NW
Off-tank/Melee DPS: Takes Chirada and Spiny to SE
Ranged DPS/Heals: Go to the SW

DPS kill Chirada while the tanks continue to tank swap the Spiny Plume (a tornado isn't going to kill a Tank, so don't worry about them TOO much). After Chirada is dead, DPS should instantly unload on Suparna as the off-tank is going to use Provoke and take the Main tanks enmity, anyway. After Chirada and Suparna are both dead, unload on Garuda until she disappears, kill Spiny Plume and basically you repeat from the previous phase where Garuda spawns the purple tornado thing on the outside and the off-tank moves the Spiny Plume away.

At this point, you're pretty much done. You just have to repeat these until she's dead.


Random tips:

If you have a BLM, they can cast Lethargy on the Spiny Plume. It gives Heavy AND Slow, which will help with stacks (though, not entirely sure how useful it is since I don't do it anymore unless asked).

There's a skill tanks have to dodge (I forget the name) but it's pretty simple to dodge. Just run through them when they start casting it and make sure to run back before she turns around to get you, otherwise Melee might get hit in the face.

The off-tank can DPS the Spiny Plume down a little so it's easier to kill as soon as Garuda disappears. If you don't kill it quickly enough, you won't get into the dome quickly enough and will wipe.

Apart from that, it's actually pretty simple. WHM help with AoEing Plumes, as do Bards, BLM and SMN (DRG too, maybe). A PLD's Circle of Scorn is pretty useful, too. Nothing worse than wasting a GCD on a Plume that has about 5HP that would have died from CoS's DoT.

If your DPS is low in the first phase/second phase, Garuda will disappear for a second time and spawn on the NE side rather than spawn her adds. You'll have to hide behind the rocks again.

It's possible the Plumes won't stack well enough for AoEing, but single targetting them down works too. There shouldn't be any trouble at this stage. Though, if you don't kill them they'll explode and do a lot more damage than Garuda HM. You also won't get as much damage on Garuda, either. This is the phase you'll do most of your damage to her when repeating the last 2 phases.

Sidenote: I may have him on farm, but I still often make some mistakes. Make sure your DPS are careful when they're Tabbing. Targeting the Spiny Plume by accident seems to happen a lot.

EDIT: Best time to use a Melee LB is during the phase where you have to kill the Plumes. You usually always have plenty of time with her after the Plumes are killed to get the LB off. I've seen a lot of people trying to do it during the big green tornado phase and she disappears before she takes any damage from it, resulting in a wasted LB.

Also, this is just the strategy I run into most of the time. There are some other ones (some people kill Suparna before Chirada (for some reason I can't figure out) while some position differently during the huge green tornado phase) so don't take this is THE strategy.

[kukurumei]

There are many strategies in Garuda EX that revolve around the same basic strat, like above.

phase 1 and phase 2 are HP based. Thus in those phases you want to push hard to keep her to 1 turn per phase. Anymore and you might loose too many pillars to her wicked wheels. It's a sign in phase 1 and phase 2 that your group needs changing if you can't 1turn phase 1 / phase 2.

Phase 1: she disappears feathers, slip stream. Hide behind pillars. Plumes destroying pillars again kill plumes ala garuda all. She will rotate clock wise (shouldn't be needed if you can down her in one slipstream).

Phase 2: Call sisters. Pull chirada away from pillar to other end, weaker the line weaker the regen, and kill. Then pull suprana (stoneskin) away (left or right usually) kill, then garuda. Garuda can't be killed while suprana is alive, so don't both all you derping mages that aoe this phase(don't go wasting your bane. Try to keep it to 1 turn repeat or you will not be able to have enough pillars.

basically phase 1 and 2 is a soft dps check, that tells you if your team has problems. You need 4+ stones to move on to the core fight.

Eye phase: pull spiny away with provoke. Nothing else will work. once away aoe plumes then garuda. It helps for everyone to sit on garuda's rear at first, since plumes will randomly latch on to a player, you get a much bigger group. With luck not too many razor's will latch onto the OT(never aoe near spinny), to slow down this phase. Then pop the spinny dodge the feathers, and in you go. There are several bugs with this phase, most can be avoided by not trying to pop the spiny in the middle with garuda next to you.

Getting good at eye phase is critical since this is the only phase you get a good crack at downing garuda's hp.

One she arial blast, immediately sprint/run out and hug an edge to avoid feathers. Do not hesitate, that is what usually wipes parties. Generally it's safer to head north if your MT is pulling spiny north of garuda (most tanks do) since garuda's feather will be to the south.

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Tornado phase
Here is where strats diverge a lot. Different set ups will require different approaches.
You will need to pull chirada away from garuda(OT) while suprana with garuda(MT). Reversing the sisters is possible but garuda will switch with surpana and cause a big mess at some point of the fight, so garuda+surpana is the accepted combo.

Some people pull different ways, but ne-sw is generally accepted. Through the phase you will need to pass spiny with provoke so no tank should use provoke this phase. It is generally easier to let the spiny randomly latch on, and have the OT take it off at 2. If the OT gets spiny, the MT will take it. But there are other ways to pass spiny around. Only provoke will ever work, so communication is important. and anyone with spiny should stay near the edge of tornado for OT provoke.

How you kill, who you kill and who you put on killing is entirely customizable, and each have their trade offs.

1st: Chirada first: 1 less friction to worry about, and melee friendly, problem is your MT is eating massive burst damage from double wicked and feathers, and even an ilvl90 pld can die. Unless you have an ilvl90 war with 10k+HP, very dangerous. (lease used method)

2nd: Kill suprana first: MT won't suffer the massive burst KO of these two sisters. Melee Unfriendly. No melee will be decent on surpana due to wicked wheel. Unless the melee has very good tornado animation timing to move between the mage group and suprana group, 1 wicked wheel will kill them.

3rd: Split suprana and chirada. The highest speed possible since you have melees on chirada and range on surpana. Melee they will usually do the most dps and range, the least. Biggest problem is both MT and mages will be hit with rapid frictions and the like. Worse case, mages fall behind due to dodging, and you do not kill either sister.

hybrid 2+3: Melees burst down surpana and then move to chirada before whicked wheel happens. They have to know their timing really well, and know how tornado animations in combinations with their gap closers. Generally the best method if mastered

If any sister is not down in time, you only hope is a tank LB, otherwise wipe.

Repeat eye and tornado phase till garuda is dead.

Get good at watching tornados. The animation is fast but predictable. Travel through tornados means a higher up time on killing sisters and hurting garuda. A pro group on farm will waste no time with tornados and even the OT (with spiny in hand) can go bust up garuda once both sisters are down.

With group composition, melees should be doing the bulk of the damage. A good mnk/drg can bust up 20%+ alone on parses if done right (somewhere on 200+ pot). All range is safer, but they will need a lot more ilvl and skill to make up for the lack of damage, that those friction will make you do. If both sisters can't be killed a melee will work a lot towards that.

General tips:

Focus focus focus. Aoe is bad for many reasons except during razor. Garuda has stoneskin whenever suprana is up, so it's pointless to touch her, unless a warrior is using storm's path combo.

Friction randomess. Friction makes life miserable for range people. That's usually wipable. Sometimes you just want to eat it to get off your attack/heal. A sch with succor will want to trade MP for pre-shield to help with that trade off.

slow from blm works on spiny, use it .

You need 1 seconds to get the debuff from the spinny bubble. Do not think you can walk in and live, you need that debuff.

Each tornado phase garuda does more damage, and probably less time to kill sisters. Be conservative, and save a tank LB if your dps is not that great(or someone dies).

Moving between tornados are possible. Use it to bait friction away from the mage group
Melees are not a bad thing, they will be better damage and can bait that friction (on the chirada side)

[SulwynCaliope]

The two above me have posted some really good tips but I just want to emphasize one point.

AVOID FEATHER RAIN AT ALL COSTS!!!!

I can't tell you how much it annoys me as a healer to see half the party get windburned. During the transition from the center phase to the vortex phase, Garuda feather rains TWICE. Stand away from the spiny plume at the edge of the outside whirlwind, let feathers come down and spiny explode THEN run inside. Once garuda does her thing, RUN AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE MAP. Getting to your positions faster isn't going to make Garuda + sisters appear any sooner. Rather, if you run through the middle and get wind burned, not only do I as your healer have to spend at extra second dispelling the debuff but I also have to heal whatever damage it dealt. This means that I have less time to ensure the tank is in good health and is ready to face whatever he needs to.

[xxalucard]

One of my FC members made a video guide for this fight if you're interested: Youtube

[Estellios]

My FC prefers doing the tornado phase this way:

1. Positioning
   • DPS pull Chirada to the southeast, going as far south as they can go in the safe area. Healers are in the same spot but closer to the center of the arena so they can heal everyone.
   • Main Tank holds Garuda in the northeast section, grabbing the Spiny Plume once his stacks from the previous phase are about to wear off.
   • Off tank takes Suparna to the northwest section, as far northwest as they can, then turns her around so Suparna's facing the center of the arena. This is so he is within healing range.
2. Killing sisters
   • DPS stack together in the corner while fighting Chirada to split the damage Downburst does so it is a very light hit. They must avoid Slipstream and must immediately move back to the corner after avoiding Slipstream or Friction. We typically do a level 1 DPS Limit right when she gets to position but it isn't necessary.
   • Suparna and Garuda will switch places and hate so Main Tank will need to pull Suparna as far North as he can if Chirada isn't dead yet
   • Off Tank grabs the Spiny off the Main Tank and starts damaging it once he has solid hate on it.
   • After Chirada is dead DPS work on Suparna. MNKs can Shoulder Tackle to approach and DRGs can Dragonfire Dive or Spineshatter dive.
3. After sisters
   • This one is up to your group, but at this point if provoke is up your Main tank can grab Garuda back and the DPS can damage her for a while.
   • Offtank and anyone else kills the Spiny right when Garuda disappears.
   • Everyone gathers in the bubble, and if your Main tank hasn't yet he Provoke Garuda and rebuild his hate on his way to the center for the repeat phases.

We like doing it this way as it only demands slightly more effort on ranged DPS while making the fight a lot more melee-friendly (which we have quite a few of) and making it much easier on the tanks and healers.

[Kaonis]

When I ran it last we did the typical strategy of MT with Suparna and Garuda, OT with Chirada. However we had DPS focus Suparna first so MT had less double Wicked Wheels to deal with, it also drops stoneskin on Garuda we found out so it means DOT's and the MT can get a little extra DPS on her. We didn't have any melee, but we didn't plan to change the strat much if one was in our group, just put them on Chirada to avoid any chance they get killed from Wicked Wheel.