Brothers of Arms

[Atkara]

Both me and Kend can successfully mitigate Ixion's crushing damage, but his Holy spells hurt -a lot. (1100 crushing damage & 2.5k -or more- holy damage). We're coping with alright, but we're giving a real nightmare to our assigned healers.

And it's not just us: Kharon tanks have similar issues too, and the Acheronian Keeper Set isn't the best we can ever have, due to the applied level penalty inside TAS. The best approach to the general protection issue, would be to organize mutliple and concurrent Xiba runs, until the guild reaches the point to not want to hear the word "Xibaluku" for the next couple of months to follow. That is, until every soldier participating in this instance, has a complete plate set. For T3 you ask? Yes, for T3.

I also noticed that Kharon tanks -in many occasions- die quickly after Ixion comes in. Seems more like a healing issue, rather than momentary loss of aggro rotation control. If this is indeed the case, it's imperative that our healers, must keep all the tanks healed at all cost. Spam the heals as often as needed to ensure every soldier in front of them has both blue & green heals running. This, even if it means to go up close and personal to Kharon, give the heals, then fall back.

[Alb]

you're probably quite right ... Xiba .. the sound of dread . But yes should probably look at that more actively

[ashtar]

what about he dpx

[Atkara]

I take it you're asking about dps on Ixion.

Well, dpsers need to keep a steady dps rate. No burst dps. If both Ixion tanks have their aggro abilities on cooldown, and a dpser goes Gung-Ho, someone will die and it won't be Ixion or his tanks. Guess who will

Also, there is a common rule in boss fights, and Ixion is not the exception. That rule is: Debuffs, above all else!

[Atkara]

Did a search over YG for the Xiba Set. It seems that, if we go on Xiba farming runs, we'll be looking for the following full plate gear:

[aocitem_icon=IHaDq9_e]Nescient Helm[/aocitem_icon]
[aocitem_icon=WQdrmmzx]Voidcage[/aocitem_icon]
[aocitem_icon=MeLRRy09]Warlord's Cinch[/aocitem_icon]
[aocitem_icon=iWC6qJ-m]Impenetrable Legguards[/aocitem_icon]
[aocitem_icon=3uafzUCa]Edge-scorn Sabatons[/aocitem_icon]
[aocitem_icon=sZkxyXVx]Feral Armguards[/aocitem_icon]
[aocitem_icon=HR2oIaAd]Spiteful Gauntlets[/aocitem_icon] and last,
[aocitem_icon=ov-2wn-q]Blanched Vambraces[/aocitem_icon], also dropping there. They might be proven useful, despite their lack of protection.

[Urumaru]

You can also use the armguards/gauntlets of the warmaster, they got white gem slots and you can buy both for around 7G at trader.
Chest/legs/helm/belt at least drop very often in xiba.
For the rest i must admit i've never seen it drop.

But for a conq you can reach 45% protection very easily, which could help a bit it seems.

[Idaho]

I also noticed that Kharon tanks -in many occasions- die quickly after Ixion comes in. Seems more like a healing issue, rather than momentary loss of aggro rotation control. If this is indeed the case, it's imperative that our healers, must keep all the tanks healed at all cost. Spam the heals as often as needed to ensure every soldier in front of them has both blue & green heals running. This, even if it means to go up close and personal to Kharon, give the heals, then fall back.

I agree with you that this is the problem of healers. Since we have to rotate between Ixion group and Kharon group, our big heals are often in cooldown, because we have to also heal every tank individually. So, I was thinking about feating “Presence of Mind” in General Tree to reduce the cooldown of the big heal at least to 20 or 15 seconds.

[Faldman]

sorry to interrupt the conversation but i read "spam the heals". o.O o.O

[Idaho]

sorry to interrupt the conversation but i read "spam the heals". o.O o.O

I can see no spamming if a tank will die before your eyes just because your big heal is in cooldown from which remains 5 seconds. Spam healing is IMHO unnecessary healing, correct me if I am wrong.

Maybe there must be either assigned healer to Ixion or very good rotation of healers between Kharon and Ixion, perfectly coordinated.

I just wanted to share my idea — I was in TAS just because Junoa didn’t sign up, so I thought he can’t go. I think it’s still too early for me to join T3.

[Gert]

Healers were assigned but things got a bit messy it seems that run...and we don't have Junoa any more for a BS so it's either you and Sar or a PS BS...

My thoughts about the Ixion fight:

- We need to look at his attacks a bit more and use the ToS Holy protection buff when needed.
- I BS left with the guard boss seems to be sufficient; 1 PoM or ToS and BS with the demo group should also be enough; this would leave 3 healers for Ixion.
- Ixion needs the heal debuffs kept up to minimise the healing he gets from himself; when he's doing 30-40k heals, it'll make the fight longer...


Also - for the dps balancing during this fight is it viable to shift rangers onto Ixion and use the healers (and maybe a necro) to keep the balance? Or is that over-complicating things...

Hopefully this weeks run where we take those with experience over new people will yield results...

[Alb]

what I've seen when Ixion was up that with me on guard boss their wasn't as much of a problem with imbalance ... so I guess a melee character on it would do it as well as long as they don't over do it. The health balance still would need to be checked. you would probably only need 1 dps on the guard boss to counter the constant the demo boss being constantly hit by up to 4 tanks,etc. during that phase.

Rangers are only needed on Ixion if the have "fire stance" feated ... which means bow rangers only and they only if they have feated it, which not everyone might have.

Beside the healing debuff is a stack of max 5. So as long as there are enough classes to maintain that stack constantly it shouldn't be a problem.

[Atkara]

Faldie, now that I've got a healer's attention, now I can analyze how things should be working in my opinion: Blue heals are being handled by the BS near Kharon. Greens are also being handled by that BS, along with both PoM and possibly ToS, if green heals stack from all healer classes. Those healers must ensure that this set of heals is fully running on both the boss tank & the tank falling back from the boss. Even if it means heal spamming...

Thing is, what happens when Ixion comes in...

• 2 healers (BS & PoM) stay back on Kharon. Why leave Kharon tanks with just one healer?
• BS and ToS are already on Daimone -no need to change.
• ToS & PoM head for Ixion.

"Heal spamming" applies here as well

[Alb]

there was only 1 BS on Daimon ... which seemed sufficient last sunday ... at least after Ixion was up.

[Atkara]

In any case:

-Ixion tanks will need protection gear. That'd be Kend and me, unless there's someone else who'd like to step up for the job
-DPS on Ixion must be normal stuff. Guys, if you value your life, keep burst damage off... prioritize your debuffs and especially those that suppress his health regen (natural or self heal)

But for a conq you can reach 45% protection very easily, which could help a bit it seems.

Not just a bit. If we can mitigate 45% of the incoming magic damage, it means that healings (1 blue, 2-3 green, banners and finally, potions) will be more efficient. Also, we're going to be resorting to big heals, less often.

[Faldman]

Faldie, now that I've got a healer's attention, now I can analyze how things should be working in my opinion: Blue heals are being handled by the BS near Kharon. Greens are also being handled by that BS, along with both PoM and possibly ToS, if green heals stack from all healer classes. Those healers must ensure that this set of heals is fully running on both the boss tank & the tank falling back from the boss. Even if it means heal spamming...

Thing is, what happens when Ixion comes in...

• 2 healers (BS & PoM) stay back on Kharon. Why leave Kharon tanks with just one healer?
• BS and ToS are already on Daimone -no need to change.
• ToS & PoM head for Ixion.

"Heal spamming" applies here as well

   Tip

some things about poms and heal mechanism if i may pls. spamming the blue heal or the green DOES nothing at all, it also have a big chance to bug the BURST heal which occures every 12 secs for the blue heal.

   Note

2 different blue heals count the same ( meaning either 1 healer does it or 2 different it is the same).

About PoM on TANK: if 2 healers on tank grp imo small green is WASTE of time. Lance/Divine Halo do more heal over time than speding 2.5 secs for green heal. If buff for Divine Halo is minimum at X3 then a green heal can be casted but in any case never lose divine halo running.

If one healer on mt grp (pom) then feats on instant cast green/blue heal and very fast one dps to trigger divine halo.

Rotation big heal: it is simple i think: 3 bosses 6 healers... it aint rocket science i think ...

   Warning

Rest in raid if they need green heal they should buy hp potions and watch their aggro. healers must focus on tanks not aggro monkeys.

My 2 cents.

[Xeren]

there was only 1 BS on Daimon ... which seemed sufficient last sunday ... at least after Ixion was up.

Was fairly comfortable healing tusk and mel on my own even while struggling to stay awake.so can put 3 healers with 1 boss and 2 with another.the 3rd healer could maybe come drop a big heal on gaurd group if needed from time to time,which I saw Lillie doing anyway on sunday.

[Atkara]

Also, Ixion needs to target either Kharon or Daimone, before healing them. Maybe we could use this to our advantage to suppress the heals either of those 2 gets from him.

[Kendar]

Do we want to suppress the healing Ixion is doing on the 2 others? I was under the impression that we need to let them get back up to 100% health, so that we can move all dps to Ixion. Would ofc be nice if we could keep them at lower health, but not sure if we can manage that. Might be a viable tactic as soon as we get the brothers a bit more under control tho..

[Gert]

We need to get the guard/demo to 100% asap to free dps up for Ixion - we need to lower the healing Ixion recieves so the fight is quicker...

There are 2 heals Ixion does - 1 targeted (Grim Lance) and 1 "team" (Brilliance) which heals all of them...

[Atkara]

Kend, that's what I've been thinking as well, but there's an issue, which Gert already mentioned: Ixion's Brilliance (team heal) and Grim Lance (targeted).

Do we have any actual numbers on Brilliance and Grim Lance?

[Alb]

not me ... haven't had combat log running . But I guess if we could suppress the single target heal it might be easier to keep the other 2s health closer together. .. of course depending on the amount the heals are ...

[Gert]

Grim Lance heals for 45-50k; Brilliance heals for around 40k.

[Atkara]

Gert, are they HoT (Healing over time) heals, or burst heals?

[Gert]

Direct heals from what I saw; Brilliance seems to have the slighltly shorter cooldown hence the need for Ixion's received healing to be debuffed.

[Atkara]

Okay... Brilliance doesn't actually pose a problem, but Grim Lance does. But I guess we knew that already...

What I suggest: Whenever Ixion casts Grim Lance on either of them, divert some burst dps to that direction, until the 50k heal is neutralized. Demos, Necros & rangers seem to be more suitable, since they don't really have to run in close range. Those six, should be able to do the job in about 4-5 seconds. This, will require audio feedback from someone who'll be tracking Ixion's castbar & current target. Something like "Grim Lance on Kharon/Daimone", or even simpler "Grim on Demo/Guard".

This ofcourse will strip healing debuffs from Ixion team. But I don't think we can really focus on him, until Kharon & Daimone are safely back up to 100% health, while keeping the 7% difference between them until they get there...