In Final Fantasy XIV there are so-called Ultimates – these are really tough fights. MyMMO author Fabienne Kissel has finally succeeded in one of the hardest Ultimates but made a really dumb mistake that still haunts her today.
I am a huge fan of Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV). In Eorzea, I feel at home. Especially in battles, I am very ambitious. I have successfully mastered the current raid at the hardest level (Savage).
Next, I dreamed of successfully completing one of the Ultimate fights. For me, it would be a personal milestone to master such a fight.
Ultimates are the hardest fights in Final Fantasy XIV. They require immense skill, knowledge, patience, and a strong team. The fights consist of a series of boss battles, where teams of 8 players fight against several intermediates before they must defeat the final boss.
Ultimate raids offer titles and shiny weapons. These rewards primarily serve as status symbols that show that one has mastered the hardest content in the game – and are popular glamour pieces (i.e. transmog).
The new expansion Dawntrail is just around the corner, and I am really looking forward to it:
My Journey to Ultimate – A Dream Comes True
Since I started playing FFXIV, I dreamed of successfully mastering at least one of the hardest Ultimates. I am talking about the two Ultimates from the Endwalker expansion: The Omega Protocol (TOP) and Dragonsong’s Reprise (DSR).
I absolutely wanted to do one of them, as these are the only Ultimates so far that have a weapon for my job (the Sage). However, in my friend’s raid group (Static), there had not been a spot for a shield healer, so I waited.
The thought of diving into this adventure with strangers through Party Finder stressed me out too much. The endless waiting for a group, the lack of coordination, and the constant need to get used to new players – that was not an option for me in a fight of this class.
Moreover, I preferred to raid with my friend and guild members.
Finally, a Spot Opened Up for Me
In February of this year, it finally happened: A healer spot for the Ultimate Dragonsong’s Reprise (DSR) opened up in my friend’s Static. Awesome! The group had already reached the 6th phase of the fight, but they decided to rehearse the fight with me from the beginning.
The joy was immense, but I knew that a long road lay ahead of me.
What is Dragonsong’s Reprise (DSR)?
Dragonsong is one of the most challenging fights in FFXIV. The Ultimate raid challenges you with complex mechanics that require precise coordination, speed, and perfect timing.
It consists of several phases (a total of 7), which are tied to the events of the Heavensward expansion. The fight lasts about 18 minutes, and mistakes are almost unforgivable. A single error can mean the end for the entire group.
Therefore, it is crucial that everyone plays their role well and knows the mechanics inside out. There are, of course, damage and heal checks as well.
It Was Really Hard, But That Makes It Epic
Anyone who has ever tackled an Ultimate knows that this is no walk in the park. It was my very first Ultimate raid. Until then, I had managed the current Savage tier, but I had never encountered content this difficult before.
To prepare myself, I watched guides on Dragonsong on YouTube . My mitigation plan (according to LPDU) was also ready. A mitigation plan is a guideline for the fight that specifies exactly when and which shields, healing spells, and damage-reducing abilities must be used.
Everything had to fit perfectly, or the group would die from the damage.
It was hard. I was the only one in our group who had to relearn the fight up to phase 6. Many mistakes happened while the others played well. Sometimes I forgot a shield or wasn’t always in the right position for mechanics that needed to be solved. Here and there, I lost my orientation and concentration.
The entire group must be extremely consistent to return to the prog point where progress was made.
The pressure was high, but my ambition was just as strong.
After Over 400 Pulls, the Moment Finally Arrived…
After over 400 pulls, countless hours, and massive efforts we did it! In the last phase, I was shaking with excitement and breathing heavily. I even forgot to give our dear tank a shield at the end! So he died at the end, but we defeated Dragon King Thordan.
The moment of triumph was overwhelming. I was so proud and happy.
…but the high didn’t last long
Because I made a really dumb mistake: My inventory was full.
ARGH!! How can one be so stupid
, I thought to myself.
And so the inevitable happened – I missed the totem for the weapon. After successfully completing the Ultimates, everyone receives an item that can be exchanged for a weapon of their choice.
The weapon I so desperately wanted and fought so hard for, I unfortunately forgot.
To be honest… I somehow deserved it.
This MMORPG sin I have been committing for years – sometimes I am just too lazy, don’t feel like it, procrastinate, or simply forget to clean up my own inventory. While I always made sure during Dragonsong that I had at least two slots free for the totem – but of course not on that evening.
My totem was gone. It did not appear in the mailbox. Even the FFXIV support could not help me. So I walked around with my new awesome title
– without my shiny weapon that I wanted so much.The Heaven’s Legend
Since then, we have tried to complete Dragonsong again, but so far without success. I felt really bad.
But Again Party Finder and a New Class?
The frustration ran deep and I decided to bravely dive into Party Finder. Definitely a challenge for me. I had gotten so used to our Static; to the calls of our reliable raid leader. They have always helped me a lot. Although, of course, one has to know and see all the mechanics themselves.
But it was doable.
I threw myself as a healer into Party Finder, spent countless hours again, and finally managed to get my totem. Originally, I wanted to use my first totem to get the weapon for the Sage, but my plans changed.
Because in my guild’s Static, a permanent spot for the Physical Ranged Damage Dealer
became available, which I got. With this group, I will also raid the Savage tier in Dawntrail and hopefully also the upcoming new Ultimate Futures Rewritten (Eden)
.
So I treated myself to the dancer’s weapon, because I won’t be playing the healer in Dawntrail for now.
I Am Looking Forward to the Dancer
I have been playing only healers or supporters for years, whether in LoL, Baldur’s Gate 3, or in FFXIV. The last time I played a DPS (damage dealer) was back in the Burning Crusade days in WoW. Back then, I played a warlock.
But I am feeling positive. I am already constantly practicing my rotation on the training dummy in front of our guild house and running various content so that I can deal proper damage in Dawntrail.
And I have to say: Wow! The dancer feels really great in terms of gameplay. We don’t even have to talk about the aesthetics of the job.
Now it’s your turn: Has something like this ever happened to you? What MMORPG sins do you commit? Feel free to write it in the comments. If you’re unsure what else you should do before the new expansion Dawntrail is released in Final Fantasy XIV, we have a checklist for you: 10 important things you should do.
