M12S Phase 2 Guide: AAC Heavyweight M4 Savage (Lindwurm)

M12S Lindwurm Strategies and Positioning

In the M12S phase 2 fight against Lindwurm, players need to adapt to various strategies and mechanics depending on their region and playstyle. Notably, there are differences between the North American and European party finder methods, each featuring unique adaptations to the fight’s mechanics.

Key Mechanics and Initial Strategies

The fight commences with Arcadia Flame, a powerful raid-wide attack. It is crucial to mitigate this as heavily as possible to minimize damage. Following this, the boss will cast Replication, spawning four clones at the cardinal points. These clones each prepare distinct attacks:

1. Winged Scourge: Clones initiate cone-shaped AoEs.
2. Mighty Magic: Targets the two nearest players with dark AoEs.
3. Top Tier Slam: Requires a two-person stack on the nearest player.

   To tackle these mechanics, players initially need to ensure they’re positioned properly:

   • All players partner up and stand at intercardinal points to naturally avoid cone-shaped cleaves.
   • They remain vigilant to make slight movements if a cone attack approaches.

Handling Clones and Baits

After the initial phase, the clones divide into eight and repeat their attacks. Players must strategically bait these repeated attacks to prevent lethal outcomes:

• Dark Fire Bait: Four players (dark debuff holders) bait fire clones, typically a healer with a ranged DPS and a tank with a melee DPS.
• Dark Clone Bait: Remaining players manage dark clones. They ensure that two players are nearest to a dark clone without overlapping AoEs.

• Fire Ad Positioning: Use way marks for effective positioning.
• Far fire ads are handled by players with dark debuffs, heading to cardinal points.
• Inner fire clone duo positions centrally.
• Dark Ad Positioning: Divide players without dark debuffs across cardinals to avoid spreading AoEs.
• Inner dark clone duo stays near the boss but away from clones.

Snake Pryo Strategy

A traditional strategy used is “snake pryo”:

• Support Players: Healers and ranged DPS baiting fire ads look north, then clockwise, selecting the nearest cardinal.
• DPS Players: Head northwest, then counterclockwise.

An alternative suggestion is using the “clone relative” method, ditching complex maneuvers for simpler left-right split positioning. However, this requires group agreement as it diverges from party finder norms.

Sequence of Attacks and Tank Busters

Once positioning is complete, players should attempt to minimize movements:

• Conclave Attacks: Slight adjustments may be necessary to dodge cone AoEs.
• Tank Buster Mechanics: Tanks alternate dealing with a three-part buster. A well-timed invulnerability can help. The group must then prepare for replication sets and subsequent clone attacks.

The battle requires consistent coordination to effectively respond to both the predictable and random elements inherent in the replication strategy, ensuring survival and success against Lindwurm.

Managing Clone and Boss Mechanics

In a battle against Lindwurm, positioning and coordination are crucial when handling both fixed player clones and interchangeable boss clones. Players need to remain stationary at predefined spots, facing the center, while keeping an eye out for tether interactions.

1. Player Clones: These are characterized by fixed tethers to specific players. These cannot be exchanged and require players to strategize around their tethered position.
2. Boss Clones: These allow more flexibility. Players can swap tethers by moving to a different clone, picking the tether they prefer. Although two tethers can be held briefly, each player should ultimately have one tether.

   Once the mechanics are secured, players can maneuver their characters to optimal locations and orientations for the upcoming reenactment phase.

Execution of Clone Mechanics

The replica mechanics involve coordinated dodging and stacking maneuvers based on set orders dictated by the positioning of the clones. Common mechanics encountered include:

• Cone Cleave: Determined by the direction faced by either the player or their clone.
• Defamation AoE: A large area attack demanding spatial awareness.
• Firefall Splash: Requires strategic splitting as the boss targets the tethered player followed by a conal AoE strike.

Strategic distribution and proper tether management ensure that these mechanics play out predictably, turning them into routine sequences of dodges and stacks.

Acting Light Parties and Mechanics

To streamline tether and mechanic management:

• Acting Light Party 1: Players on the west side assess their mechanics priority, incorporating a northwest and counter-clockwise approach.
• Acting Light Party 2: Participants on the east adopt a north and clockwise methodology.

Each group ensures no overlap in mechanic acquisition, with players maneuvering to correct positions in response to the boss jump and ensuing cleaves, followed by defamations.

Handling Netherwrath and Light Party Stacks

During Netherwrath mechanics, stacks are baited depending on proximity:

1. Near Mechanics: Attract the nearest two players, combining stacks at the boss's hitbox perimeter.
2. Far Mechanics: Require players to extend to predetermined far positions, sharing stacks with partners.

Mechanic Resolution

Mechanics culminate with choreographed movements:

• Melees Proceed Northeast: Ensuring uptime as the boss tracks the main tank.
• Range Head Northwest: Dodging AoEs while preparing for subsequent light party stacks.

Transition to Mutating Cells

The challenge escalates with mutating cells, introducing a sequence involving alpha and beta debuffs.

• Alpha Debuff: Mandates no damage intake until expiration.
• Beta Debuff: Requires damage absorption timed before expiration.

These mechanics couple with candy-like projectiles, each executing distinct area effects upon returning to the origin, complicating positioning strategies.

A balance of strategic foresight and adaptive tactics is crucial in navigating these adversities, securing a coherent flow through replication phases and encroaching complex mechanics.

Candy and Black Hole Strategy

The complex mechanics of the Abbey Phase require precise maneuvering to ensure successful resolution. A key aspect revolves around the interaction between candies and black holes. When all candies converge into a black hole simultaneously, the result is catastrophic. To mitigate this, beta players must stand in the path of the candies. This strategy staggers their arrival, allowing only two candies at a time to reach the black hole, making the mechanics manageable.

1. Assign Beta Roles: Beta tank heads north with light mitigation while other three beta players stack south.
2. Positioning: Beta players stand in front of the candies, then quickly dodge to create the delay.
3. Strategize Black Hole Priority: Check the positioning of the candies relative to fixed sides, specifically focusing on green and orange candies for optimal staggering.
4. Timing and Provocation: Ensure beta tanks provoke accordingly as debuffs switch and position for dodging black hole attacks.

Replication and Clone Mechanics

In the ensuing phases, replication and clone management are vital. Here, players must track multiple boss clones and ensure correct tether assignments.

• Clone Identification: Groups of four figures spawn cardinally or intercardinally. Mark these for later stages.
• Replication Order: Boss clones emerge pairs-wise starting north-south and rotating clockwise, impacting defamation and stack resolutions.
• Positioning and Tethering: Assign each player a quadrant based on their position relative to the clone, determining who picks which tether.

Table: Player and Tether Assignment

Idyllic Dream and Strategy Adjustment

As Idyllic Dream begins, players face one of the toughest challenges. The mechanic combines stacking, defamations, AoEs, and tower management.

• Mechanic Recognition: Initiate by identifying whether cardinals or intercardinals will determine the sequence of stacks and defamations.
• Resolving Stacks and Defamations: Conventionally, defamations deploy to east and west while parties stack north and south. However, the uptime idyllic strategy offers enhancements by concentrating defamations at north corners, allowing parties to hide south. This improves healing proximity and overall efficiency.

Conclusion

Effectively managing these sequences necessitates precise positioning and coordination among party members. By assessing the advantages of alternate strategies like upland idyllic positioning, parties can enhance both uptime and healing capabilities, thus paving the way for a more streamlined resolution of this intricate phase.

Clones and Telegraphed Attacks

In the intense dance of clone management, awareness of the sequence in which clones execute mechanics is critical. Players need to remember whether the cardinal points are addressed first to ensure proper positioning for avoiding attacks. Traditionally, clones will initiate from cardinal points; thus, teams are advised to organize with tanks heading east and the rest of the party north for optimal heal and mitigation efficiency. As these mechanics unfold, the intercardinal points follow the cardinals, requiring the group to reposition accordingly.

Managing Telegraphed AoE's

Telegraphed Area-of-Effect (AoE) patterns from boss clones add another layer of complexity to this phase. Consistently, three boss clones appear in the arena, each executing a distinct AoE attack. The middle clone always performs a point-blank AoE, while the two others execute either a front-to-back or side-to-side cleave. Here’s a quick rundown to help remember these events:

1. Memorize which clone performs which attack.
2. Observe the safe zones they create.
3. Anticipate where to move for subsequent attacks.

   It's essential to track the northern and southern ads as one will provide a safe zone by being sucked into a portal. The safety of a platform can often depend on recalling the ad’s teleportation pattern.

Navigating the Tower Dynamics

Tower mechanics are another daunting aspect that requires strict positional awareness and role coordination. Here’s a breakdown of tower assignments and outcomes:

• Fire Meteor: Compels players to remain stationary post-impact, with any movement resulting in immediate penalty.
• Earth Meteor: Necessitates movement to avoid an emerging twister at the meteor’s location.
• Dark Meteor: Requires aiming away, as it projects a debuff-inducing laser.
• Arrow Meteor: Propels players to the opposing platform, needing awareness of landing zones to avoid additional risks.

Player roles and positions must be carefully arranged, with supports to the left and DPS to the right. Key precautions include:

• Coordinating swaps to handle light-affected towers.
• Ensuring healers address players with Doom immediately after the meteor debuff.
• Positioning efficiently for twisters and managing lightning debuffs by standing strategically on platforms.

Order and Transition Management

Understanding the chronological unfolding of these mechanics across dimensions is crucial for mastering this phase. The primary mechanics initiate in one dimension before transitioning to another with the "Twisted Vision" cast. Here, strategic preparation can be invaluable by marking clone positions and meteor targets beforehand.

Monitoring this running order and anticipating each shift is key. Recognizing the sequence in which clones will act, where telegraphed AoE’s will be safe, and organizing tower responsibilities efficiently can make all the difference in overcoming this challenge seamlessly.

Execution of Twisted Vision Mechanics

As we re-enter the original dimension, players need to swiftly organize themselves to handle tether swaps. This involves recognizing quadrant assignments and collecting tethers from the boss clones. Each player should know precisely where to run, as the mechanics will sequence through stacks and defamations in a repeated pattern: stacks, defamation, stacks, defamation.

Once "Twisted Vision" is cast, the tethers are locked, requiring players to quickly dodge the already telegraphed AoEs. During this crucial time, Lindworm's meteor targets the platforms, splitting them into smaller sections. Here’s the positioning strategy:

• Light Party 1: West Platform
• Light Party 2: East Platform

Manage the heavy raidwide damage by positioning in the center for healing before moving into tower spots. Upon the "Downfall" phase, towers and meteors demand attention as Arcadian Arcanum targets support or DPS roles with AoEs. A proper vertical swap ensures damage mitigation.

1. Handle First Stack Positions
2. Send Out First Defamations
3. Address Second Stack Positions
4. Execute Second Defamations

   Returning to the dimension with towers, remember your previous swaps. Quickly adjust tower positions and prepare for any subsequent mechanics.

Clone and Dimension Management

During the temporal curtain, understanding the clone behavior is paramount. The north clone being absorbed into the portal indicates that front and back positions are safe, with the side marked unsafe. Following this, track the south clone movement to determine the next safe area. If it jumps east, sidestep to positions on the boss or eastern platforms.

Twisted Vision prompts a move to intercardinal areas first, followed by a reenactment phase requiring cardinal positioning. Successfully resolving these sections leads to the ultimate maneuver:

Avoid the final clone, heal, and mitigate the idyllic dream raidwide. Conclude with managing a double sobat tank buster, ensuring the main tank is ready for replication and further damage.

Final Climax: Arcadian Hell

Replication spawns four clones, each casting Arcadian Hell—a formidable raidwide attack. Immediate damage mitigation is crucial as clones duplicate, amplifying the attack's force:

• Mitigate the first Arcadian Hell
• Prepare for clone duplications
• Mitigate heavily against subsequent Arcadian Hells

In this critical phase, collapsing under the continuous raidwide damage signals defeat. Swiftly eliminate the boss before the onslaught of Arcadian Hell forces a game over.