Puppetmaster Blues

Client	Summary
	Iruki-Waraki (Way of the Devout, Aht Urhgan Whitegate) (K-9) Iruki-Waraki has lost all faith in himself. Meet with his teacher and try to find a way to get Elisabeth to come around.

• Talk to Iruki-Waraki to begin the quest.
• Travel to Bastok Markets and talk to Shamarhaan by the fountain at (F-9). He'll give you a key item and tells you to go to Talacca Cove. But before heading to Talacca Cove, you must go to Mount Zhayolm.
• Either by traveling to Halvung Staging Point via the Runic Portal or by escaping from Halvung, head to Mount Zhayolm. There are conflicting reports, but I found the ??? at L-8. There are also reports that the ??? can be found at I-7, but nothing when I went.
• From either the staging point or the escape point, sneak and invisible to (L-7). Be mindful of using magic because Sweeping Clusters aggro to magic. You'll find a fork there. You'll want the western one (the eastern one leads to Halvung). Go through the tunnel and you'll reach the ??? in the open.
• Before you head to Talacca Cove, you'll need to prepare for a BCNM fight. Most AF3 fights are pushovers for a party of 2 or 3 level 75s. Unfortunately, this one is not. I had the misfortune of doing this BCNM while the Undead Swarm was in control of the Astral Candescence (big mistake). I had a total of 5 level 75s and the BCNM still gave us trouble. With only 3, we wiped (/shamed). A minimum of 4 level 75s is my recommendation. More if the Undead Swarm has the Astral Candescence. I recommend a Whm, Brd, or Rdm for healer, a Rdm, Blm, or Smn for nukes, a melee job, and either a nuker or a melee job for 4th. Of course, you'll be filling in for one of the jobs I suggested. If you don't have enough friends with level 75 jobs, then flesh out the party with more people. I do not see a balanced party of all level 60s beating this BCNM. But I stress again that I fought this BCNM when the Undead Swarm ontrolled the Astral Candescence.
• Head to Talacca Cove. You can either take the Nashmau/Al Zahbi ferry or use the Runic Portal to Azouph Isle staging point. Exit from the western entrance of Nashmau at (G-7). From (F-10) in Caedarva Mire, head west then north through the graveyard. You should know by now, you'll need sneak and invisible. Zone into Talacca Cove at (E-9).
• You won't have an in-game map for Talacca Cove. Basically, you'll want to follow the left wall. Fortunately there aren't any mobs in Talacca Cove, so sneak and invisible aren't necessary. As you follow the left wall you'll pass a rock with a ???. It's for the Corsair flag quest. At the ???, head west through the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel pass a couple of rocks, you'll find a clickable Rock Slab. The Rock Slab is where the BCNM is located.
• The BCNM is uncapped, so buffs, TP, etc. will carry over when you enter. Make sure everyone in the party has Reraise activated just in case.
• Make sure you type "/autotarget off" in the chat box especially if you're a melee. Don't use the menu option as that is just for autolocking. When the Automaton switches frames (described below), targeting gets out of whack.
• When everyone is ready, click the Rock Slab and select "Puppetmaster Blues." You'll get a scene upon entering.
• Down a ramp you'll find a lone Automaton in Harlequin Frame. After it's engaged and taken damage down to 80% full, it will change frame depending upon the type of damage it endured most. Mostly ranged damage will make it change to Sharpshot, mostly melee causes Valoredge, and mostly magic spawns Stormwaker.
• Have your healer stay outside magic range of the arena on the ramp while your melee(s) engage the Automaton. The Automaton may cast Sleepga, so you'll need someone to wake up the rest of the party. Or, the melees could use Poison/Venom Potions to prevent being slept.
• The trick to this BCNM (and we know how ToAU Assaults and BCNM fights have tricks to winning) is to start damaging the Automaton with whatever type of damage your party has in the least. Stormwaker frame is weak to melee attacks, so start off with nukes (preferably thunder based) if your party is melee heavy and have your melees use their two hours abilities once Stormwaker frame appears. Sharpshot and Valoredge frames are weak to magic attacks, so start off with either ranged or melee attacks if your party is magic heavy. If your party is magic heavy, I have no real recommendation over starting with ranged or melee attacks. But, I'm inclined to lean towards starting with ranged because Valoredge has a lot of HP and Defense which could make the battle last longer. However, make sure your nukers stay well out of Sharpshot's melee range.
• If the Automaton switches back to a frame your party is weak against, use the same strategy to switch it back. If your party has a strong melee and a Blm or Smn, they can take turns bouncing the Automaton back and forth. The Automaton switches frames about every 20% of its HP (Harlequin to 80% full, then so on). With two hour abilities, it may be possible bypass some frame switches (such as Blood Pacts and Chainspelled Thunder IVs on Sharpshot frame).
• After beating the BCNM (you won on your first try right?), you'll get a scene. Head back to Shamarhaan in Bastok Markets. You'll have options during these scenes, but I don't think it matters how you respond.
• Head back to Iruki-Waraki in Whitegate.
• Take the ferry to Nashmau or use the Azouph Isle staging point and pay to travel from Nashmau to Whitegate. Then, attempt to leave the dock by talking to Sajhra at (H-9). Again, you'll have options during this scene, but I don't think it matters how you respond.
• Head back to Whitegate one last time and talk to Iruki-Waraki. You'll get your reward and title, "Paragon of Puppetmaster Excellence."

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Overview: Puppetmaster