Final Fantasy XIV‘s first encounter of the Abyssos Savage raid tier brings the Devour mechanic back, but this time Proto-Carbuncle is far less forgiving. Thankfully, for those still stuck in the boss’ hopscotch hell, there are a few ways to tackle its nasty jumps and secure the clear.
Beware of spoilers below for Pandaemonium Abyssos: The Fifth Circle Savage (P5S). In our P5S Devour guide, we’re explaining both of Carbuncle’s patterns, how to solve them, and what Party Finder groups may expect from each role.
Abyssos Fifth Circle Savage: Devour Explained
Like in the normal version of Abyssos: The Fifth Circle, Proto-Carbuncle shakes things up a bit from his usual attack rotation with Devour. However, unlike his easier trial, more than one death here spells a wipe for your party, as the P5S Devour is faster, longer, and unforgiving.
During the mechanic, Proto-Carbuncle marks the arena with eight blue arrow icons then outlines where he will jump with the red fang marker. At the same time, the same four poison puddles (or towers) from earlier in the fight return, and two players must soak three of them. A successful Devour run involves a few things, so let’s break it down piece by piece.
First Thing’s First: Satiety & Puddles (Towers)
The only time you’ll worry about the gruesome Carby’s Satiety meter is during Devour. If the boss’ gauge remains at zero, it goes into enrage, but the ads during Devour help avoid this.
To replenish Proto-Carbuncle’s Satiety, players should leave one puddle open at the end of Devour. In Party Finder groups, we typically see this handled by Healers in the east puddle, Melee DPS in the south puddle, and Ranged DPS in the west puddle.
Tanks move to stand close to the north puddle but do not stand in it. This causes the puddle to explode and spawn one Lively Bait add.
Note: Damage from the puddle will hit the players closest to it, so having Tanks standing nearby ensures they take the hit. If one player dies during the Devour jumps, one Tank can invuln through the puddle damage while the other Tank runs to take the downed player’s puddle position.
Telegraphing Devour Patterns
The P5S bite mechanic only has two patterns, both of which are determined by watching Carbuncle’s first three moves. When the blue arrow markers go out, follow the red fangs icon as it shifts around the arena. Anything it highlights after the third move won’t matter for the purposes of these strategies; you already have enough information to determine if it’ll hit with a Circle or Zigzag pattern.
As of Patch 6.2’s first week, Party Finder has already adopted a popular strategy for resolving both patterns through Hector Hectorson’s guide (see below). You’ll find PF listings commonly refer to the Devour solutions as Hector strat or Luka strat (named for Luka Oxenstierna). But here’s how we explain the Devour strategy.
FFXIV P5S Devour — Circle Pattern
When the boss highlights its Devour starting position, move to the diagonal, opposite position. If the first three moves of the red fangs form a semi-circle around the arena, Carbuncle will use its Circle Devour Pattern. This pattern is the more complicated of the two and will require you move twice, but remember the goal is to wind up near your starting position as it ends.
Once Carbuncle begins moving, run immediately in a clockwise semi-circle around the center of the arena. You’ll wind up near the boss’ starting marker as it hits its fourth explosion.
After the fourth explosion, Carbuncle reverses to move in the opposite direction — the party will need to as well. Reverse along the same direction you ran from this point. Make sure you remain running closer to the center, but further out than the starting Waymark where you began Devour — its last explosion lands close to you at the end, and you don’t want to be too close to the middle and get hit.
The Circle Devour Pattern requires two movements every time, pay attention to the arena floor to help you determine where to start and stop. Don’t forget to start moving toward your puddle position as the mechanic ends; the timers on them don’t give you much time before they explode.
FFXIV P5S Devour — Zigzag Pattern
When the boss highlights its Devour starting position, move to the diagonal, opposite position. If the first three moves of the red fangs form a V-shape in the arena, Carbuncle will use its Zigzag Devour Pattern. This pattern is the simpler of the two, requiring one movement before tucking into the corner.
Once Carbuncle begins jumping, wait for it to hop twice before you move from your starting position. As his second jump lands, start sprinting at a slightly wider angle from near the center and opposite of the boss. You’re running toward the corner Carbuncle began jumping from. Get closer to the corner and stay there until the end.
The Zigzag Devour Pattern only requires this one clean movement across the arena. Watch closely for the end of the mechanic, as you’ll need to run into your assigned puddle as this ends.
