Ifrit, ladies and gents is an easy kill if you use the battle tab. I can't express this enough. Your battle log will save your life. You cannot rely on the animations for tells due to server latency. So remember, first thing is first. Before going into the fight, make sure you have a special tab with the battle log up. Onto job descriptions.
Keep in mind that these are recommended jobs for this fight. Theoretically, every job can participate and be a key player to win. 'Theoretically.' When you're gonna go grind Ifrit and farm dark matter all night you want this to be as easy as possible.
Tank: Warrior/Paladin. Either job can tank this honestly, Ifrit is quite simple to keep hate on. Since I'm a biased Warrior, I'll always take Warrior to tank this guy simply because you can collision a Black Mage, you can DPS it which will help keep its regen down and because Warrior is awesome.
Black Mages/Thaumaturge: Unbeatable in this fight, absolutely essential. With range not being an issue you can stand at the designated DPS spot without worrying about hurting yourself with Ifrit's seer, and having Sanguine Rite will help you survive Hellfire quite easily. You can't go wrong. If you're going as either of these roles, make sure to stack INT and magic accuracy. I'd say roughly about… 440 to hit? INT, well, there's no cap so go crazy.
White Mages: I don't need to explain why you need a white mage. One word says it all, Cure.
Bard: Not as efficient as BLM/THM, DPS-wise however Magi or Rigor is great support for the DPS. A Bard avoids using weapon skills, saving up TP for Bloodletter when it's safe.
Dragoon/Monk: Dragoon is a decent alternative to Black Mage if you don't have a caster job ready, but really it's advanced game play. You need to be on top of everything to stay alive. Watch the tab, watch your range, don't Second Wind in risky situations, don't Elusive Jump to avoid cracks. Monk can be incredible, but it can also plunge into the depths of hell if unskilled. If you only have Monk, keep Fists of Wind up and make sure to get Collision from your Warrior-tank when using final back combos.
Now there are certain preferences and strategies to this fight, like any boss really. Some say jobs, others preach classes. Why classes though? You have a much wider selection of skills as a class, for example a THM can equip Sentinel and Rampart, stack both and Sanguine Rite and reduce more damage from Hellfire.
Sentinel: Gladiator level 22. Just get it up there, it's worth it.
Second Wind: Cause it's Second Wind. I mean. It's Second Wind man!
Chameleon: It hurts writing this one down because it requires archer about 40-somethin'. That's steep. But it lowers your emnity and you cannot go wrong with that. If you've got the fortitude, get it up there.
Rampart: If you've got Sentinel you've got Rampart. Just a little extra defense, nothing too special. It helps.
Alright lets talk strategy. This chart will help you understand how Ifrit works. The key to winning is predicting his movement and know when it's safe to combo skills. Post-Hellfire, Ifrit goes a tad berserk and can put down a full party if they are unaware of his tactics.
Extra Tips
At the start of the fight, If you run along the edge of the map (ring of fire) you won't aggro Ifrit. WHM and the tank run along this path to get in position. Everyone stands still until the tank claims Ifrit.
When Ifrit does Eruption, all DPS must run back, AWAY from the tank. Never run towards the WHM. Guaranteed death! The reason for this is… well the tank can't help you from Eruption and if you're in the final phase and you do this you've guaranteed a wipe. The idea is that all DPS stand together, stacked so when Eruption appears there are no surprises. Everyone runs in the same direction and if you're watching your battle tab, there should be no problem.
If you're using BRD, don't worry about casting Magi on the WHMs. A good WHM will be able to conserve MP throughout the fight and I don't think that's a problem with this LS, we have very good WHMs.
During Phase 1 and 2, Ifrit only dashes once. So when he jumps all you really do as the DPS is run towards the tank then pretty much immediately back to your DPS spot. Phases 3-5, make sure to run to your DPS spot during his last dash to avoid getting hit by seer and his opening Slash move.
After the spires appear, you have exactly 60 seconds to kill them all. After 60 seconds, Ifrit will jump in the middle and blast Hellfire. Keep in mind that in our strategy, we knock down all the spires then go to then one WHM will go with the DPS to the gathering spot and buff. Once Hellfire hits, the WHM will Benediction the party and the DPS goes back to their designated area. The tank and the other WHM stay together in their spots.
Keep in mind how many Eruptions appear during the phases. Phase 1 through 3 only three Eruptions. When spires are up, only one Eruption. During Phase 5, six eruptions.
WHMs must apply Aero bleed effect whenever possible. If Aero bleed is down, try to stick it when you can.
Never raise a fallen party member while Ifrit is stationary. The time to recover are during his dashes. Never heal yourself openly while he's stationary either. You will be animation locked and killed by Plumes or Eruption. If you have low HP, go back to the 'gathering spot' and wait. The reason for this is to be out of Vulcan Burst range and also because if Eruptions appear below you, you can run along the rim of the arena and avoid getting your party killed. This is an advanced tactic.
During Phase 5, all melee auto attack only. No weapon skills. BLM should never use Thundaga or Burst. Don't worry about critical hits with Excruciate. Parsimony takes priority and only do Excruciate if it's safe. Like phases 1-4.
That should cover most things about this fight, of course learning the fight takes experience and being there getting railed by Ifrit is how you learn to cope. Keep in mind, as corny as this is, that a positive attitude goes a long way. Seriously, it does. This almost sounds like team building exercises, but what keeps a party strong against boss fights is synergy and a relaxed attitude. But we want to win! Be cold blooded, chill and let nothin' phase you. So we lost, that's cool. I ain't even mad. Psh!
Navei Asumiere replied
639 weeks ago