FFXIV Alexander Loot: The Arm of the Father Guide

Within the legendary Enigma Codex lies the blueprint for Alexander, a mobile fortress conceived as a sanctuary for logic and enlightenment in a chaotic world. According to treasure hunter Mide, this mechanical titan represents the Illuminati’s century-spanning ambition made manifest through primal summoning. However, noble intentions have twisted into dangerous fanaticism, creating a threat that demands intervention. This guide will equip you to confront Alexander’s third chamber – The Arm of the Father.

Alexander – The Arm of the Father (commonly abbreviated as A3) serves as the third tier within the Alexander: Gordias raid series. Entry mandates an average item level of 170 or higher across your equipped gear. To gain access, you must first complete Alexander – The Cuff of the Father and finish the prerequisite side quest ‘Steel and Steam.’ The unlocking process culminates by accepting ‘Tinker, Seeker, Soldier, Spy’ from NPC Biggs located in the Dravanian Hinterlands at coordinates (X:21, Y:18).

Unlike traditional dungeons, A3 doesn’t directly award gear pieces but instead provides various tokens that can be exchanged for iLvl 190 equipment. This deterministic reward system benefits players with unfortunate loot luck, as you can trade tokens with Sabina in Idyllshire (X:5, Y:5) for guaranteed upgrades. This approach eliminates the frustration of repeatedly running content without receiving desired items.

Before engaging the boss, study this comprehensive video guide. Combined with the written strategies below, you’ll gain complete understanding of all encounter phases and mechanics.

The combat arena features a dangerous electric field encircling the entire perimeter. This hazard inflicts three debilitating effects simultaneously: a stun that interrupts casting, an electrocution damage-over-time effect, and paralysis that significantly delays actions. Maintain maximum distance from edges and position the boss centrally to minimize accidental contact. Tanks should establish positioning in the middle, allowing melee players sufficient space for positional attacks while keeping everyone safely away from the lethal boundary.

The boss employs cleaving attacks in this form, requiring tanks to consistently face the enemy away from other raid members. Failure to properly orient the boss will result in devastating damage to melee DPS and healers positioned behind it. This fundamental tanking principle prevents unnecessary raid damage and conserves healer resources for unavoidable mechanics.

Protean Wave unleashes conical area-of-effect attacks in multiple directions, dealing significant damage and applying knockback to affected players. Position yourself between the cones or at safe angles to avoid both damage and disruptive positioning changes. Knockbacks become particularly dangerous near the electric field, potentially pushing players into instant death or severe debilitation.

Splash constitutes a raid-wide area-of-effect ability that demands coordinated healing response. Healers should prepare mitigation cooldowns and area heals anticipating this damage pattern. Timing your healing abilities between Splash casts ensures optimal resource management throughout the encounter.

Sluice marks four random players with distinct indicators above their heads. These marked individuals must immediately spread apart to minimize overlapping area damage and prevent spawning circular hazardous zones beneath multiple raid members simultaneously. Proper spacing reduces overall raid damage and creates safe areas for movement during subsequent mechanics.

The boss follows a predictable ability rotation: Protean Wave > Sluice > Splash x 3. Learning this sequence allows for predictive positioning and cooldown usage. After completing the rotation, the pattern repeats, giving experienced groups opportunities to optimize damage windows and healing efficiency.

For tanks, maintaining boss orientation remains paramount while monitoring cleave timing. Melee DPS should utilize the central positioning to maximize uptime while remaining conscious of Protean Wave angles. Ranged players have optimal flexibility to adjust positions for Sluice markers while maintaining damage output. Healers must balance raid-wide healing for Splash with spot healing for Sluice damage victims.

Common errors include clustering during Sluice markers, resulting in catastrophic damage stacking. Another frequent mistake involves tanks allowing the boss to reposition near the electric field during Protean Wave knockbacks. Groups often underestimate the Splash damage frequency, leading to healer resource depletion before completing the encounter.

Advanced optimization involves using knockbacks from Protean Wave to reposition strategically for upcoming mechanics. Experienced groups can intentionally position marked players near the edges during Sluice to concentrate hazardous zones away from the central combat area. Timing damage buffs and healing cooldowns with the predictable rotation significantly improves clear consistency and speed.

The token reward system provides excellent gear progression, especially when combined with other endgame activities. For comprehensive weapon upgrade strategies or optimal class selection approaches, our additional guides offer detailed optimization techniques. Consider reviewing our complete gameplay guide for broader combat fundamentals.

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