Continuing our happy guide-writing tradition 'round here ...
Riverne Site #A01
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/areas.html?farea=156
A much better, marked-up map:
http://pol-world.com/smn/map773.gif
Started: 04/06/2005
Last update: 05/11/2006 - edited out the LG tags due to a change on this website.
Area Notes
* Level cap: 40
* Handy items for the zone: Prism Powder
* Handy items for the BCNM: Yellow Liquid, Hi-Potions, Shihei, Yagudo Drinks, Vile Elixirs, Scrolls of Instant Reraise - really depends how you want to play it.
* The mission requires you to kill three Mammet-19 Epsilons. They are not easy. Think ahead for this fight; a pick-up group is likely to die.
The Map
The map for this zone is not attainable until you reach Riverne Site B #01. When you are able to reach Riverne B you'll be able to activate the `Go! Go! Gobmuffin` quest from an NPC in the Tavnazian Safehold. This quest is completed in Riverne B and gives you the map to both sections of Riverne.
You will be doing this area blind as you go through the first time.
`Go! Go! Gobmuffin`
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/quests.html?fquest=597
Enemy Notes
Hippogryph Aggressive (True Sight) | Non-linking
Hippogryphs are creatures born from the unusual union of a gryphon and a horse. In this game they resemble a four-legged creature with an eagle's head, a feathered horse's body, four legs that end in talons. They're quite unique.
Nihility Song - AOE Dispel (also kills food effects).
Jettatura - `Terror` effect, single target; sort of like Bind+Petrify, not eraseable. Wears fast.
Choke Breath - Paralyze + Silence, cone.
Fantod - Boost effect; next hit will cause higher than normal damage.
Back Heel - damage, single target.
* Normal attacks from Hippogryphs can add the Gravity effect.
Drops: Hippogryph Tailfeather, probably Wind Crystals, can't recall.
Cloud Hippogryph Aggressive (True Sight) | Non-linking
Bigger cousin of the Hippogryph, all other data applies.
Drops: Hippogryph Tailfeather, probably Wind Crystals, Hippogryph Feather (rarely). The regular feather is a crafting item, sellable at the AH.
Firedrake Aggressive (Sight) | Non-linking
These are wyvern-class enemies and look like the Hurricane Wyvern. They run very quickly and are dangerous to parties. You must fight some to progress through Riverne.
Radiant Breath - Slow, Silence, 400~ damage, cone attack. One nasty skill.
Dispelling Wind - AOE Dispel, can take food away.
Dread Shriek - AOE Paralyze.
Fang Rush - damage, single target.
Deadly Drive - damage, single target.
Tail Crush - damage, single target.
Wind Wall - Evasion up.
Drops: Wind Crystal, Wyvern Skin, Wyvern Wing, Giant Scale (rare/ex).
Flamedrake Aggressive (Sight) | Non-linking
Bigger cousin of the Firedrake, all other data applies.
Atomic Cluster Aggressive (Sight, Magic) | Non-linking
Clustered bomb-type enemies. These are difficult to fight, as they are most everywhere. This variety is bright white, making it a clustered Snoll.
Drops: Cluster Core
Riverne Vulture Non-aggressive | Non-linking
Bird class.
Drops: Copper Key (rare/ex)
Hawkertrap Non-aggressive | Non-linking
Flytrap class.
Mission Notes
Mission: Ancient Vows
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/quests.html?realm=&fquest=564
Obtaining giant scales -
You will need 2 giant scales to make it to Monarch Linn. These come from fighting Wyverns. I suggest fighting Firedrakes as early in Riverne A as possible - they start to appear after your first portal hop.
Progress through Riverne Site A -
Your goal for this mission is to make it to the Mammets and destroy them. The Mammets are hiding in Monarch Linn, the BCNM zone. You must get there.
From the entrance turn to the right, and enter the first Stable Displacement portal.
Follow the path and stick to the right wall as much as possible. You'll reach the first Unstable Displacement at G-10. Use a giant scale to expand the portal. The portal will stay open for quite a few seconds (20?), so there should be plenty of time to move even an alliance through - just don't forget to announce that you're going.
After this unstable portal you will enter the land of Firedrakes and Atomic Clusters. Please use the Invisible spell (if no bombs are near) or Prism Powders for this section; it will be far easier on your nerves. Run across this area to the Unstable Displacement at E-10. Use another giant scale and pop on through.
You'll now be on an island with Cloud Hippogryphs. Fight these if you wish, or carefully stalk your way to the end of the island; you're looking for a Stable Displacement at D-9. Technically there are *two* Stable Displacements at D-9; the one you want is at the very end of the island you're on.
Now you're on an island with enemies that don't aggro, and it's a short walk to the Stable Displacement at E-8. This displacement leads into Monarch Linn. Go ahead and zone over; you will not enter the BCNM automatically. Monarch Linn is a safe zone, much as the Spires were in Promyvion.
Fight the Mammets -
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/bestiary.html?fmob=3256
If you talk to the Displacement at the other end of Monarch Linn you'll be prompted to enter the battlefield. Today's BCNM is against three Mammet-19 Epsilons. Do not expect to win this fight with a random pick-up group.
The Mammets look like casters of some kind; human shaped, always moving at a dead run, wearing long hooded tunics that look a bit like Seer's gear. All three are arrayed in the arena and they will attack simultaneously when you step in. Mammets cannot be slept.
The word `mammet` means doll, or idol, or possibly puppet. A thesaurus might list words like "image" or "representation".
Mammets are job-shifters. They start out as what people refer to as "MNK" but which is really no job at all; they'll have both hands empty and attack by pointing at you to cause damage. This is annoying but not terribly dangerous. During the fight, the Mammets will raise their hands over their heads and form weapons out of nothing.
MNK: Empty hands
WAR: Sword (scimitar)
DRG: Polearm (glaive?)
BLM: Staff
The MNK is a weak melee job but packs Transmogrification to make up for it's deficiencies. The DRG form has some AOE attacks, but the damage output is not terrible; I recommend fighting them. The BLM form is dangerous because the Mammets will spam AOE magic, but this is mitigated a bit by the fact that you can Silence them; keep in mind they can use Mindwall, which will ruin combat for a caster-heavy party. The WAR form gets no special abilities but it's Sonic Blade attack will ruin parties fighting it; try to avoid the WAR.
Special attacks vary by job...
All jobs
Tremorous Tread - AOE Stun, does damage.
MNK
Microquake - damage, single target.
Transmogrification - Physical damage shield. All physical damage will heal the Mammet.
DRG
Percussive Foin - AOE damage, not strong.
Gravity Wheel - AOE damage, not strong.
BLM
Psychomancy - AOE Aspir
-ga Spells - Waterga, Stonega, Firaga, Blizzaga, Aeroga
Mindwall - Magic damage shield. All offensive casting will heal the Mammet.
WAR
Sonic Blade - AOE damage, hurts a lot.
Velocious Blade - damage, single target.
Scission Thrust - damage, single target, I think.
Strategy:
Watch Transmogrify/Mindwall
Make yourself a macro to warn that Transmog or Mindwall have been used. If Transmogrify is in effect, physical attackers *must disengage* for the next 20+ seconds - if you don't, you're just healing the enemy! If Mindwall is up, magic users *must* stop combat-casting for the next 20+ seconds. Spend that MP on curative magic instead!
This can be mitigated by fighting the DRG form. For the love of god stay away from the WAR, Sonic Blade hurts!
Yellow Liquid
Yellow Liquid is at the AH under `Medicines` and also drops when you kill a Mammet. You can use Yellow Liquid to lock a Mammet on one particular job temporarily. By temporarily I mean "under one minute" and probably mean "more like 30 seconds". If you can hold a Mammet on a weaker job (such as it's MNK form) you will be much more likely to survive.
Spend the money on Hi-Potions
In most Mammet fights I've seen the margin of victory or defeat has been decided by whether or not the tanks/kiters had a ton of Hi Potions with them. Consider at least six and possibly 12. You can always re-sell them later (or use them on later fights).
Watch for the BLM change
The BLM form has access to all the low level -ga spells. Make sure you silence it if it's casting. Silence sticks reasonably well to Mammets. I actually like locking them on the BLM form with Yellow Liquid because that form is not particularly damaging when Silence is on.
New strategy: Super Paladin
It came to my attention (thank you, Missions forum) that there's a hate-trick Paladins can use to make life easier for this battle.
Have your Paladin run into combat and gain the aggro from all three Mammets. Do not have your Paladin use Provoke, nor draw his weapon, nor do anything except run out there and get them to chase him.
Next, the Paladin leads the Mammets back to the team. He stands there, self-curing and using Hi-potions, and does not draw his weapon. The team picks a single target and engages it. Let the rest of the team peel one of the Mammets off and destroy it. You can make the first kill faster as you'll have four people beating on it as opposed to three in a kiter strategy. Make sure that you lead the engaged Mammet away from the poor Paladin, as you don't want to subject him to massive -ga magic from three casters.
The way this trick works is that if the Mammets names are not in red (meaning they have not been directly claimed), you *cannot* pull hate off the Paladin. You can claim the critter yourself (which the team will do, one Mammet at a time), but anything else you do won't matter. The big point here is that the healer can cure spam the Paladin -- light him up like a glowstick -- and the Mammets won't care.
I have heard some conflicting reports about how well this strat works, but I cannot verify any problems with it. I've used this strat for the five-way Moblin fight later in CoP and it worked perfectly.
Old strategy: Kiters
The way most of us handled this fight is to have a main tank and two kiters, two damage dealers, and a healer to keep your tank alive. Ninjas are excellent for this, as they don't need to kite; you can spread the three Mammets out like the points of a triangle and hold them in place instead of running around.
You head into the arena. The kiters divide up the left and right Mammets, get hate, and run like hell. The tank gets the center Mammet, grabs and holds hate, and works with the damage dealers to make the kill. The healer fixes damage issues as best they can and stays as far out of range as possible.
Kill the center Mammet ASAP. This Mammet *must die*. When the center goes, have a kiter bring down one of the others; now it's 5 on 1 instead of 4 on 1. This Mammet will go faster. Have the final kiter bring in the last Mammet and finish the battle.
The problem with this strategy is Tremorous Tread (which does AOE damage + Stun), coupled with the Mammets being relatively fast.
The best kiters I have seen are ...
BST: particularly BST/NIN) makes an *excellent* kiter due to the fact that they can use Charm to Bind the Mammets - 15s recast time, no casting time to speak of. On top of that they get jug pets to beat on the Mammets awhile - good times, good times.
NIN/WAR (Utsusemi:Ni and Ichi, plus elemental combat magic; can take the Mammet to a quiet place, then stand still and fight it, sort of a solo blink-tank instead of a true kiter)
SMN: deploy pet, let pet get hate, run awayyyy, wait for pet to die. This is tricky and requires lots of distance and good timing. Leviathan seems to evade well.
RDM/NIN: Utsusemi plus Bind, which does work; not sure on Gravity. RDM/BLM also works if the RDM is an expert kiter.
If your kiters fall too early, you are going to die. Ensure that everyone kiting or tanking has an adequate supply of healing potions. If you are afraid of losing, feel free to splurge for some Vile Elixirs. The cost hurts, but it hurts a lot more to do this fight six or seven or eight times. This is a hard battle - approach it as such. (And hey, if you don't slurp the Vile, you can re-sell it later.)
Weird strategy: Zombies!
Have everyone go in and use a Scroll of Instant Reraise or a Reraiser potion. Have everybody unload on the center Mammet, or have one person kite two of them back up towards the first Displacement, using Hi Potions as appropriate. Get that first Mammet killed! Try to take the second.
When you're dying, make sure you die back towards the Displacement, out of the arena field. If your team wipes out (likely), just lay there 'til the surviving Mammets stroll back to the arena proper. Reraise at that point, rest, wait out the weakness, rebuff, and now go in to win.
The Zombie strat relies on being able to take down at least one Mammet before failure ensues. These things are hard 4v1, but 5v1 is less challenging; if you can just get *one* and reraise, you'll be 6v2 - kite one Mammet and stomp the other, then go for the win. This strategy comes up again when considering the Mithra Sin Hunters later in the CoP missions; it's a relatively cheap way to gimp the fight.
There are some problems, though: Transmogrification and Mindwall, for openers. If these skills go at just the wrong time you are almost guaranteed to be screwed over. Nothing says "DAMN" like your Ranger unloading Eagle-Eye Shot into a Mammet that just put up Transmog, unless perhaps you give me a RDM Chainspelling attack magic into a Mammet that just put up Mindwall. It's disconcerting to see how fast they heal. ><
One other issue is if the Mammets change to their BLM form. Remember to keep them silenced, lest they -ga spam you to death.
- Helping Others -
If this is your first time through, you will be teleported to South Gustaberg when you win. You will not be able to go around again.
If you have finished this mission before, you'll go to a special antechamber in Monarch Linn. The Displacement there offers to warp you back to the entrance of Monarch Linn, or to the entrance of Riverne. It may also offer to warp you out to Mis. Coast entirely - can't recall.
- Additonal Data -
KoolAid's report on the mission
http://www.koolaid-ffxi.org/linkshell/space/Ancient+Vows
KoolAid's battle analysis
http://www.koolaid-ffxi.org/linkshell/space/Naria%27s+CoP-M2+BCNM+run
Next!
Forked missions, take one! Also: Pso'xja!
* After the battle you are warped to South Gustaberg. First cutscene ensues.
* Next cutscene is at Port Bastok, near the airship dock; triggers as you walk up.
* Next, go to the Metalworks, talk to Cid. Cutscene.
* Go to Lower Jeuno, to the Neptune's Spire. Yeah. Cutscene.
* You want another cutscene? You've got it! Ru'lude Gardens, at the Palace.
Credits
The Kalm linkshell, for putting up with me as their leader! o.o;
Mellema, Mandalorian, Vygun, Slyph, and Kobain, for having such a great attitude while dying in the name of science. >.>;;;;
Kesac, for reminding me why BST rocks so hard.
Edited, Thu May 11 13:19:43 2006 by Wingchild