Part 45: Brotherhood

Main Walkthrough

Enemies

  • Akashic Coeurl
  • Akashic Folkstaf
  • Akashic Gandfreyr
  • Akashic Gunvaldr
  • Akashic Osfreyr
  • Akashic Sigfreyr
  • Akashic Tognvaldr
  • Akashic Vulture
  • Akashic Warlord
  • Akashic Worgen
  • Orcish Fodder
  • Orcish Mesmerizer
  • Revenant
  • Specter
  • Undertaker
  • Wraith

The final Mothercrystal is within reach. You'll begin this mission on a bridge, and it won't take long before a horde of Akashic charge at Clive and company. This first group is pretty basic, and only the Folkstaf will do anything besides blindly swing weapons. Take them all down and squeeze through the gate at the far end.

Beyond the gate is... another bridge. It won't be long before you're standing on a sizable platform, and something nasty will come calling. 


Behemoth

A boss? Already? That doesn't bode well. Behemoth is one of the larger opponents you've fought, and it couples great speed with great reach. That's a bad combo. The Behemoth uses the following attacks:

  • Overhead claw swipes
  • Horizontal claw swipes
  • A charging pounce
  • A shoulder tackle
  • An AOE full body spin
  • Summoned projectiles that fire at Clive from a pair of portals
  • Comet, which rains a few slow projectiles down onto the battlefield, creating shockwaves
The first part of this battle is by and large a medium-range melee battle, with some projectiles thrown in to keep you on your toes. Behemoth's comets are a minor nuisance compared to its claws and dashing attacks, and you'll want to pay more attention to the monster's movements than its magic. All of Behemoth's physical attacks require about a second of lag time before they go off, so pace your dodges accordingly and attack once the Behemoth is recovering.



Stagger the Behemoth and it will use Ecliptic Meteor, triggering a cut scene. A few Cinematic Clashes will end it, putting you in the second phase of the fight. The Behemoth now has some new attacks:
  • Horizontal sweeps, followed up by a backhand
  • A field of marks that call down lightning strikes
  • Maelstrom, which conjures a tornado over Clive's head that sits on the battlefield for a while
  • Meteor, which summons many projectiles down that hit the ground and create slow-moving shockwaves
  • Extinction, a massive AOE exposion only used when the Behemoth is defeated
You'll be facing far more projectiles during this phase, and the Behemoth will spend more time trying to swipe or slam Clive while you're avoiding its magic. Keep close to the Behemoth so it won't use its charge attacks, attack it while it is casting magic, and do your best to hop over or otherwise avoid the shockwaves that pour out of its attacks. You'll have fewer openings to get in attacks, but this phase isn't that much more difficult than the first. Make sure you immediately vacate the Behemoth's proximity when it dies, or Extinction will flatten you.

You'll receive Behemoth Shackles, Wyrrite, and Sharp Fangs for defeating the Behemoth. The aftermath of the battle will put you at the bottom of several sets of stairs, and you'll find a Potion and a High Potion on the way up.

At the top of the stairs you'll find a courtyard full of Akashic, and more will appear after you defeat the first bunch. They're basic enemies, and easy targets. Check on your right for another Potion, another High Potion, and more stairs. Go down the stairs and check to the left of the gate at the bottom for a chest containing The Will of Ice (Rime). 

Slip through the gate to get into another battle. The only annoying enemies here are the Akashic Vultures that fly above everything else, and they're still not a big deal. Pop through the gate on the opposite end of the clearing and you'll hit a split in the street. Regardless of the direction you choose you'll face enemies, though if you go right you'll find a chest on the side of the street containing fifteen spools of Steelsilk, fifteen Bloody Hides, and fifteen Sharp Fangs. Going left will get you four Sharp Fangs.

The two streets meet up near a dockside gate, and you'll need to fight a ton of enemies... though they're all pretty easy. Near the gate you'll find a Potion. Go through and you'll find yet more enemies, including an Akashic Gunvaldr. It is by far the most dangerous enemy here, so draw its attention and leave everything else to Torgal and Joshua. The Gunvaldr fights the same as the Imperial Cannoneer from earlier in the game.



Go through the gate on the left once you've wiped out the Gunvaldr. Take a left after some commentary from Joshua and you'll be facing down a gang of orcs. Dash through the Fodder and take down the two Mesmerizers before they can cause too much trouble, then turn around and wipe out the rest. There's a Potion behind the orcs.

Beyond the orcs is a clearing, and when you enter several Specters and an Undertaker will appear. Wipe out the Specters so they aren't a distraction when facing the Undertaker. You just fought a stronger Undertaker variant in Reverie, so the Undertaker itself shouldn't be much trouble. Stay on its flank and watch out for dashes.

Push open the iron door past the Undertaker and you'll be inside a castle. Straight ahead you'll find four Sharp Fangs. Take a right and you'll find a side passage leading to a crossroads. On your right are two spools of Steelsilk, as well as a small room with a chest containing The Will of Light (Satellite). Return to the crossroads and go up the stairs to find another room with more stairs. Check to the right of these stairs for a chest containing 100 gil, ten chunks of Wyrrite, and ten pinches of Magicked Ash.


Check on your right at the next set of stairs for a Potion. Yet more stairs will take you to a landing, and there will be two Bloody Hides on your right. Further up is an exit, and you'll immediately get into a battle with some Wraiths. Dispatch them to call in Revenant reinforcements.

Head up the stairs on your right, then look to your left to see a Potion near a brazier. Keep climbing steps until you find a gate into a clearing, where an Akashic Coeurl will leap out and attack. You've fought a few Coeurls by now, and should know how to handle this one: Wait for it to leap at you, then attack. Avoid its whiskers. A few Revenants will also appear, but they're barely a blip in this fight.

You'll receive Bloody Hides, Magicked Ash, and Meteorites for defeating the Akashic Coeurl. Past it is another gate. Look along the walls on the other side of the gate for three pinches of Magicked Ash, a Potion, and, to the right of the steps from the gate, a chest containing 2,400 gil. The main path continues down the stairs to the left of the gate.

A group of Specters are waiting down the stairs, and they're guarding two Bloody Hides. Check on your left for a gate, then to your right and dead ahead for three pinches of Magicked Ash and four chunks of Wyrrite. Go down the steps and you'll find a big gang of enemies just waiting to be hit by an AOE attack. Another group will appear to challenge you if you fully descend the stairs, and they're also easy kill.

After wiping out the second batch of foes you'll be in a sizable courtyard. Check the edges of the courtyard for two Bloody Hides, a Potion, and a High Potion. To your right is a long, black gate, and you can open it via a lever on the right. On the other side are several waves of enemies: 

  • First are two Akashic Tognvaldr. Leave one of them to Joshua and Torgal while you distract the other. You've fought many of these guys, and shouldn't have trouble dispatching two more.
  • Second are Osfreyr, Gandfreyr, and Wraiths. As always, the Gandfreyr should die first, before they can cast Protect.
  • Third are Orcish Fodder, and they will likely overlap with the previous phase. Not a big deal.
  • Last is an Akashic Warlord, along with more Fodder. This is basically the same fight as outside the Great Southern Gate in the previous quest, only you're less likely to lose the attention of the Fodder as you fight the Warlord. You should nevertheless keep your eyes on the big magic user and wait for it to teleport into range, rather than trying to hunt it down.
You'll receive Sharp Fangs, Steelsilk, and Magicked Ash for defeating the waves of enemies. A cut scene follows, and once it is done you'll be joined by a large group of friends. Included among them is Goetz, who will sell you items and forge any equipment you might need. Speak to Joshua once you're done stocking up to trigger a cut scene...

... and when it is done, Clive, Joshua, and Torgal will be sent to a bizarre realm called the Interdimensional Rift. This is an exposition-heavy zone that will reveal much of Final Fantasy XVI's backstory. Keep following the path, and, eventually...


Ultima

At last, the duel with the big bad. Ultima lives up to his supposed godhood, and won't make this fight easy. He uses the following attacks:
  • A series of sword combos
  • A charging sword slice
  • An ice projectile that freezes Clive in place for a few seconds if it hits
  • Graviga, a slow-moving energy ball that explodes after a while
  • Mark of the Storm, several targeted spells that appear directly over Clive
  • Neutron Flare, a series of beams that sweep at you horizontally
This battle is somewhat similar to your fight with Barnabas. Ultima creates plenty of distance between the two of you, trying to hit Clive with magic from afar, then zipping in close to execute quick, brutal sword slices. His most troublesome attack is Neutron Flare, which you can dodge... you just need excellent timing, and to dodge multiple times. Deadly Embrace can also jump you over the beams. Otherwise, wait for Ultima to get in close, dodge or Parry his sword, and use Eikonic Abilities. Limit Break is great at Parrying Ultima.

Once you reach the end of Ultima's stagger bar he will negate your opportunity to get in free shots, immediately changing phases. He'll begin using the following attacks:
  • A pair of ice darts, one after another
  • Event Horizon, which sucks Clive towards in the arena while Ultima uses other attacks (usually Neutron Flare) - If you touch the energy ball Clive will immediately die
  • Ricochet, a slow energy bolt that bounces around Clive while other attacks are going off
This phase isn't too different from the first, though Event Horizon can prove a real pain when combined with Neutron Flare. Hold Clive away from the energy sphere and just keep dodging as soon as the beams go horizontal, traveling in the opposite direction that they're sweeping. Event Horizon's energy ball will immediately end the battle if Clive touches it, so keeping away from the casting point is crucial.



Whittle Ultima far enough down and he'll gain fiery wings and a wider range of elemental abilites, changing his attacks again:
  • A charging slice with a fire sword
  • An electric sword slice that propels Ultima away from Clive
  • A quick, huge beam of energy
  • A close-range, fiery explosion
  • Deliverance, a series of long-range sword swipes that will catch Clive in a combo if you can't avoid them all
  • Frostbolt, several long lines of AOE lightning strikes and icy projectiles
  • Eternal Darkness, a line of beam attacks that go off one-at-a-time
This phase can get quite distracting, as there is magic flying everywhere most of the time. If you focus too much on Ultima's magic you'll likely miss him teleporting in close to hit Clive with a sword combo, which is how Ultima does the majority of his damage. Once magic starts flying dodge as best you can, and keep a close eye on Ultima's position, as he usually tries to catch you off guard with a combo. Get out of the way (or Parry, if you can) and hit Ultima with Eikonic Abilities once he's up close. Ultima will continue to use Event Horizon, so remain vigilant for the potential of a OHKO.

You'll receive The Pull of Darkness (Dancing Steel), Sharp Fangs, Steelsilk, and Magicked Ash for defeating Ultima. Many cut scenes follow, and once they're done - which is going to take a while - you'll have to return to the Hideaway for a significant debrief.

Part 47: Back to Their Origin

Main Walkthrough