Coincounter

[SwordCoheir]

There's a way you can setup your log to help anticipate his moves making it easier to identify and avoid them. If you don't know how to setup your chatlog here's a guide I did a while back how to set it up called Prepping yourself for Primals. (Should be able to access it w/o forum access, but please let me know if the link doesn't work and I'll copy/paste it for you).

The BIG thing to be aware of is his behavior changes mid-fight, but his TP move frequency is predictable if you learn to anticipate it.

The first 50% his TP moves are drawn out about after every 3-5 Auto Attacks the exception being when he uses Animal Instinct, which he always follows up with Eye of the Beholder or 100-Tonze Swing.

Post 50% when the slugs pop CC will start using moves almost back to back, during this phase it's actually better to stop what your doing and watch his movements. Wait for him to do the weaker TP moves, and strike with one or two WS/JA's then wait to see what he does next (don't worry about your combo timer running out you'll have plenty of time after his next TP move), it's very important you do this because it can make a world of difference on being to avoid 100-Tonze Swing/Swipe/Whatever. The mages will have to control their hate of course post 50%, but in this case it really is better safe than sorry if they can't take him out in less than a minute or two.

In the off-chance you do get stuck in animation lock when he starts 100-Tonze Swing, don't move you're going to get hit by it (You really do need every second to get out of range), instead fire off any of your mitigation moves like Aegis Boon, Divine Veil, Sentinel, or Hallowed Ground and if all of those happen to be down Shield Bash and hope you get lucky Stunning him or Blocking the move.

It might also be beneficial to save Flash/Voke post 50% as well, though uncommon he is not unknown to spam lots of Animal Instincts in a row, and there's nothing worse than him doing it right after you used all your hate abilities. Just remember he follows up with Eye of the Beholder or 100-Tonze Swing so your party needs to pay attention, especially if he makes a run for the mages right after.

I wonder if anyone has pin pointed the mechanic behind Animal Instinct.

As a PLD, if I go crazy right off the start, then Animal Instinct will proc within the first 30 seconds.
If I keep generating too much Enmity, then he will spam Animal Instinct and 100 Ton Swing.

I've heard that if the Tank's Enmity is too low, then he will use Animal Instinct, but it also seems to proc, if it's too high.
So is there some sort of happy medium? Most the videos I've seen, all the DDs just hover at yellow (50%ish).

I've theorized this too, but unfortunately I haven't found a solid method for predicting AI. Though we've been doing alot of AV speedruns lately for relic, and judging from his patterns it seems like the game just picks one move randomly and he'll spam it at a much greater frequency than others. Like one run he'll do tons of AI, others he'll do tons of 100 Tonze Swings or Swipes, etc.