Phase skipping: Battle on the Big Bridge (Novus light farmers please read!)

[Zeny]

I'd like to explain a bit how Battle on the Big Bridges second phase works and how you can phase skip the final part (where he frogs the whole group, then shrinks the whole group). There have been a few PF groups that know how this works, that use a solo healer, and down Gilgamesh in probably less than 5 minutes.

The key here is his move "Rocket Punch". Rocket Punch randomly selects two players to be hit with the confusion debuff. During this time, they run around and use auto attacks on other players. Usually a Black Mage, Summoner, or Bard is chosen (ranged dps). The debuff can be removed by healing the player. You want to be sure that you heal the debuff off of any physical damage dealing player ASAP (Bard, Monk, Dragoon, etc.) as a hard hitting Bard can potentially kill a player very quickly. Summoners and Black mages won't hit a player for more than 300 damage per slow auto attack, so they pose no threat being confused. Just make sure you kite the player out of damage.

"But isn't it a dps loss to leave one player confused for the second half?"

No. Avoid using group heals, avoid the whirlwinds, be mindful of his dives, and healers - don't just stand there! Throw in a few offensive spells! This fight is NOT hard.

The confusion debuff lasts for nine minutes. So long as its not healed off the player, Gilgamesh will not use frog and minimize on the entire group. It is more of a dps loss to have the whole party immobilized the last 10% (or less) of the fight than it is to have one caster not casting.

"What if there is no caster in the group?"

I've not encountered this specific instance, ever. I'm sure its possible. My suggestion would be to be mindful of which player is confused, and to heal the person getting hit through the auto attack damage.

If anyone would like to comment or add anything to this, please do. I just hope DF groups don't continue to laugh at me when I suggest something "crazy" like this!

[Sarynth]

I'd have to test it but one thing to do to charmed players in ffxi was to sleep them. Could the same be possible in xiv? Also thanks for the tip on confused player = no frogs/mini.

[DarkmoonVael]

snip

Thanks for sharing this valubale info with the community. I was solo healing this earlier on, and in my first run everyone was hit by frog/mini because i healed both confused players to full. Thankfully one of the guys from one of the leading raiding FC's one my server happened to be in my party and explained what to do afterwards. All the rest of the runs went fine. This is not a fight that many people know well, and its a little counter-intuative for healers not to heal people!

[Zeny]

I'd have to test it but one thing to do to charmed players in ffxi was to sleep them. Could the same be possible in xiv? Also thanks for the tip on confused player = no frogs/mini.

Good idea, it may be possible to bind them too. I wonder, worth testing.

[SeraviEdalborez]

I'd have to test it but one thing to do to charmed players in ffxi was to sleep them. Could the same be possible in xiv? Also thanks for the tip on confused player = no frogs/mini.

Can't attack players under any circumstances outside of PvP.

[Fytayn]

I'd like to add a comment:

This entirely sucks as the "chosen sacrifice".

I'm not even Nexus farming, just doing Trial Roulette, and I get hit with Rocket Punch. I'm swinging away at Gilgamesh (it actually had me attack him, first time seeing that happen) and not getting an Esuna thrown my way. Healed, certainly, but I may as well have been dead and not ress'ed with all the control and ability to actually play the game that I have. At 20% I ask for an Esuna, wondering if they're that new, and get told "No" and "he doesn't do anything else if a person is confused". I look it up and this is, of course, a known exploit for farming.

I wouldn't have complained if this (obviously organized) farming group had "sacrificed" one of their own. But they didn't. The other person got an Esuna. And don't start with me on "it has to be a caster" when you admit the fight is easy; you could even have a Monk confused and easily heal through it.

It's a dick move to the uninvolved player.

[Buff_Archer]

And the sad thing is I'm sure not of them bothered to commend you or anyone else not in the light farming party that they used in Duty Finder. What they do with a full party finder group is up to them but I detest the light farm groups I get into a roulette with. I like parties that can down Primals in super fast time, but i don't do trial roulette to join a spaz fest where pull happens before a healer even bothers casting protect.

[Zeny]

I'm not even Nexus farming, just doing Trial Roulette, and I get hit with Rocket Punch. I wouldn't have complained if this (obviously organized) farming group had "sacrificed" one of their own. It's a dick move to the uninvolved player.

True, and I'm sorry for that negative experience. I will note though, if you had read my entire post at the beginning that Esuna does not remove the confusion. Healing the player does. All in all, there was good intention on leaving you confused. It does leave the party as a whole much less vulnerable to taking damage.

If I had seen a new player in my group, and they spoke up about cut scenes and stuff I would have taken the extra five minutes for them. This is far from the worst experience a new player will have however.

So as not to go so far off topic, I've created a new thread based off your post and would hope you think of some suggestions so something is implemented. In the end though, there's not much you can do about something like this unless this mechanic is fixed, but I'm not even sure its broken.

The thread is here.

[Buff_Archer]

By the way I do find it interesting that you identified this as a tactic, running things the same way gets boring. My comments above were more along the lines of how Nexus light farm parties that use PF should be able to do a fight however they want, it's only the partial light farm parties using DF that create a miserable or at least unfulfilling experience for the ppl they get matched with. So that wasn't directed at OP, it's just I can relate to the frustrations of the guy above who wasn't part of the premade party.

[MilesSaintboroguh]

stuff.

Esuna doesn't cure Confusion. Healing to full HP does.