Final Fantasy 14's Shadowbringers expansion slowly builds the mounting conflict in The First, and the ultimate struggle between the Warriors of Darkness and Emet-Selch. Your final battle of the expansion takes place in The Dying Gasp.
The Dying Gasp will have you confront the transformed Emet-Selch in an epic conclusion to the Shadowbringers expansion. Emet-Selch takes on the form of Hades, and will put his Ascian powers to the final test against the Warrior of Light. Let's take a look at the phases of this fight, each of Hades' attacks, and how you can beat him.
Hades Walkthrough
Below are each of Hades' phases, and which attacks he will use in each.
Phase One
- Ravenous Assault: Hades will target the main Tank and deal a large amount of damage to them. Use defensive cooldowns and heal as necessary.
- Bad Faith: Hades will move to the center of the arena before summoning two walls of dark arrows on either side of him. The direction the arrows are facing indicates which quarter of the arena will be damaged. Move behind either of the walls, as long as the arrows are facing away from you to avoid this attack.
- Double: Hades will grant himself a buff that will cause the next Dark Eruption or Shadowspread to be cast twice in a row.
- Dark Eruption: Hades will target five random players, marking them with an AoE marker that will explode after a few seconds. At the same time, the boss will create several AoE circle markers around the arena. Have all affected players spread out to avoid overlapping AoE markers.
- If Double is used before this attack, a second marker will target the previously targeted players immediately after the first one explodes. Keep moving after dodging the first explosion to avoid taking damage from this attack.
- Shadowspread: Hades will deal damage in several thin cone AoEs, originating from the center of the arena. Watch for the telegraphs and move accordingly.
- If Double is used before this attack, a second Shadowspread will be used immediately after the first, dealing damage in the previously safe spots. Quickly move after the first Shadowspread is used to avoid taking damage from the second attack.
- Broken Faith: Hades will summon multiple orange markers on the ground that will continuously call down blue AoE markers from the sky. When the blue markers reach the ground, they will deal damage in a circle that is wider than the original orange marker. The order these circles come down is random, meaning to avoid this attack you will need to remain vigilant throughout its duration and move where necessary.
Hades will continue using these attacks until he has around ten percent health remaining, at which point the add phase will begin.
Add Phase/Fervor of the Ancients
Once Hades reaches around ten percent health, he will become untargeteable and summon Shadow of the Ancients enemies while starting to charge the Fervor of the Ancients Duty Gauge.
Shadow of the Ancients will spawn in five separate waves. During this time, random players will be marked with either an AoE circle marker or an AoE stack marker. The players with the circle marker should spread out, while all other players should group up on the player with the stack marker. Repeat this process for each wave while Tanks group the enemies together.
Throughout this phase, Hades will be continuously charging the Fervor of the Ancients Duty Gauge. Once all five waves of adds are dealt with, or when the gauge reaches 100, Hades will use Ancient Dark IV. This attack's damage scales with how high the Fervor of the Ancients gauge is. If the gauge is at 100, all players will be instantly killed.
After Hades casts Ancient Dark IV, the fight will move into phase two.
Phase Two
This phase will begin after Hades uses Ancient Dark IV. From now on, if your entire party is defeated, the fight will restart from this point rather than the beginning of the encounter.
At the beginning of this phase, Hades will once again transform, this time becoming massive and moving to the north edge of the arena, where he will stay for the rest of the trial.
Below are Hades' attacks during phase two.
- Titanomachy: Hades will deal damage to all party members. Have AoE heals ready, as this attack is used frequently.
- Shadowstream: Hades will create a ball of dark energy at his position before blasting it forward, dealing damage to players in a straight line through the center of the arena. Avoid this attack by simply moving to the east or west sides of the arena.
- Dual Strike: Hades will target the two Tanks with AoE circle markers that will explode after a few seconds. Move away from the rest of the party to avoid damaging teammates, and heal as necessary.
- Echoes of the Lost: Hades will raise one of his arms into the air, preparing to swipe across the arena, dealing massive damage to any player in range. To avoid this attack, identify which arm is raised and run directly behind it.
- Polydegmon's Predation: Hades will raise both arms before slamming them down on the left and right sides of the arena, dealing massive damage in those areas. Move to the center column of the arena to avoid this attack.
- Hellborn Yawp: Hades will place a marker on both Tanks that will target them with a wide cone attack. Have both Tanks move to the edges of the arena to create a safe spot in the center, where all players should group up.
- Captivity: Hades will mark two random players with an AoE circle. After a short delay, both players, and any other players standing in the AoE, will be pulled into an Aetherial Gaol, where they will be unable to take action. At the same time, Hades will begin casting Chorus of the Lost.
- Chorus of the Lost: Hades will deal lethal damage to all players caught in the Aetherial Gaol. All other players must focus their attacks on the Aetherial Gaol to break all affected players free before Chorus of the Lost finishes being cast.
- Doom: Hades will inflict all party members with Doom before creating five circles on the ground. All five of these circles need to have a player stand in them to cleanse everyone of the Doom debuff. If even one circle remains empty, all players will be instantly killed by Doom.
- Wall of the Lost: This attack will knockback all players a short distance from the center of the arena. Group up in the center to avoid being knocked off the edge.
Phase Three
The final phase will begin as Hades' health reaches around 25 percent, at which point he will use Life in Captivity.
- Life in Captivity: Hades will chain all players, preventing them from taking action. At the same time, an Active Time Maneuver will begin. Rapidly click/press buttons to escape the chains. If you fail to do so within the time limit, you will be instantly killed.
- The Dark Devours: This attack will deal a moderate amount of damage to all players, and will continuously engulf the arena in darkness. When the arena is fully consumed by darkness, all players will be inflicted with a Bleed debuff that will deal damage over time, and Hades will begin to cast Black Cauldron.
- Black Cauldron: Hades will begin casting this attack as soon as the arena is covered in darkness from The Dark Devours. If Hades finishes casting Black Cauldron, all players will take lethal damage. Defeat Hades before he finishes casting Black Cauldron, and you will complete the trial.
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