Strategies: MMM Manaburn Merits
This is a maze we made for manaburning merits. Once you get the hang of it, there should be very few deaths. You should finish in 16-18 minutes from the time you enter the well, depending on which family you get 2 waves of. The first half of each wave will take you to chain 3, and the second half will have made it to the center with enough time for you to chain 7. Total exps is 9.5k without Corsair's Roll, or 11k+ with a COR depending on their luck with rolls.
If you aren't careful, it is very easy to get people killed. You can't come in here with average gear, only half pay attention like a lot of people do at the pudding camp, and expect to be able to clear it in a reasonable amount of time. The listed jobs are not a suggestion: it is the best combination for clearing the maze quickly, efficiently, and with the most EXPs. You can take BLM/RDM x5 + any refresher, but it will significantly increase the amount of time it takes to clear the maze due to the extra time required for resting (losing out on Parsimony) and self buffing (SCH can buff you while you rest).
- Maze Setup (7 marbles)
- Voucher 02 (Sanitization Team Beta)
- Tabula 02
- 001 Aquan
- 014 Tiny Warrior (resonating)
- 017 Supreme Might
- 018 Might
- 102 Trial by Numbers
- 108 Conditioning Contract
- Note: Mysticism (037) does not give Pugils or Sea Monks MP to aspir
- Party
- BLM/SCH
- BLM/SCH
- BLM/SCH
- BLM/SCH
- SCH/RDM
- COR/BRD (can be replaced with any refresher, but you lose out on Corsair's Roll)
- Gear/Merits
- BLM: HQ Staves, Rairin Obi (Thunder), Hyorin Obi (Ice), and 5/5 Thunder and Ice Potency merits
- SCH: max Stoneskin build (97 MND), 300 Enhancing Magic is a bonus
- A good enfeebling set, full and partial resists are common for BLMs
- A physical damage reduction set to idle in is highly recommended (Sea Monks hit hard)
- Using a Sorcerer's Ring is risky, resists will happen
Notes
- Everything agros and links by sound (30')
- There are 3 possible mobs: Crabs, Pugils, and Sea Monks
- You will get one wave of each type, plus a fourth wave that is a duplicate
- Each wave consists of 8 mobs, but only 4 spawn at a time
- Mobs spawn in each of the 4 corners of the room and travel to the center of the room; wait for them to reach the center before pulling
- Once one mob dies, a replacement will begin advancing toward the center from the same spawn point
- If mobs do not die close to the same time, advancing replacements can link to them if they are of the same family
Preparations
- Designate one BLM to call the times for nuking
- RR in Jeuno (if syncing, RR must be done inside)
- Enter the maze
- Sneak in the lobby (make sure one of the mages sneaks the COR)
- Talk to the moblin NPC to go down
- Head to northeast corner, behind 3 wooden posts (you must rest behind the posts!)
Note that the posts block sight. The western (right) gap is buggy and sometimes you won't be able to see mobs standing right in front of you, so use eastern (left) gap.
Strategy for each Pull
- Buff
- BLM: Shock Spikes
- SCH: Accession Stoneskin and Phalanx; Accession+Thunderstorm for Pugils
- Pull using sound agro
- All BLM stagger their Sleepgas about a second apart to catch mobs that were farther away; do NOT Sleepga II unless all mobs are already slept and you need extra time to setup your timed volley
- Debuffs for Sea Monks
- One BLM: Elemental Seal+Sleepga II
- SCH: Manifestation+Gravity if it is Sea Monks
- The designated caller says a time and all BLMs cast Thundaga III when the clock changes to that time
- If the mobs didn't die, all BLM Sleepga again
- Smaller targets might only need a few drains to finish off, Sea Monks will require a second volley of Thundaga II
If it is Iceday or Earthsday, replace Thundagas with Blizzagas and Thunderstorm with Hailstorm.
BLM/SCH
- Remeber to get into Dark Arts at the beginning of the maze
- Parsimony for every Thundaga/Blizzaga III
- Must manually cancel Stoneskin before they can get a fresh one from the SCH
SCH/RDM
- Accession+Stoneskin after every set
- Accession+Phalanx every time it wears off
- Accession+Weather for Pugils
- Manifestation+Gravity for Sea Monks
Support
- COR: Corsair's Roll, Evoker's Roll, and Quick Draw (assist with sleeps or kill low HP targets)
- SMN: Diabolos' Favor and Dream Shroud
- BRD: Double Ballads, be ready to lullaby if necessary
- If you are subbing BRD, also cast Mage's Ballad.
Waves
There are specific tactics for handling each type of mob.
Crabs
- Low HPs
- Easily dies to 4 Thundaga IIIs from any BLM with a HQ staff
- Can be Aspired
Pugils
- Moderate HPs
- Requires day or weather bonus to die in 4 Thundaga IIIs
- Novio+Sorcerer's Ring BLMs will be able to kill in 4 Thundaga IIIs without day/weather
Sea Monks
- High HPs
- Will not die in a single volley, even with perfect BLMs
- Significantly more dangerous than the other mobs and can quickly kill a fully buffed BLM
- Most likely to partially resist Sleep and should have Elemental Seal+Sleepga II cast on top of the initial Sleep
- Manifestation+Gravity after they are slept
- Cast Thundaga III from max distance so you have enough time to Sleepga before they reach you
- For the second volley, use Thundaga II
Dealing with Doubles
Sometimes the maze is bugged and a second set of 4 will advance, making 8 at the center. This happens when the second half of the current wave and the first half of the next wave advance together. If they are different families, make sure the puller is careful (preferrably using the Distance plugin) to pull only one family. If one of the sets are Sea Monks, it is safest to pull the other set first, regardless of which wave they belong to.
Sometimes the next wave is the same as the current wave and you will end up with 8 of the same type. In this case, handle them the same way as the Sea Monks (Gravity, cast at max distance, etc.)
Credits
- Mercilessturtle of Leviathan for coming up with the concept
- Cake LS of Bahamut for confirming our maze should work
- Ultraq of Leviathan for being generous enough to post the maze on Duplidoc
- Mercilessturtle, Cymmina, Dissonant, Fistforhire, Pibwawa, Shadowbladaru, Kincard, and Mystfyre for testing and refining the maze