Kiting in Under Observation

[Taskmage]

I tried this BCNM out for the first time yesterday. (I don't use my seals much.) All the descriptions I'd heard about a rdm's role in this BC basically added up to "ES+Gravity the big eye, then you win." I hadn't heard that this guy doesn't just cast Bindga and Breakga, he absolutely spams them. How am I supposed to kite something if I can't move half the time or reliably cast spells?

So here's how the two wipes went. First run I go in and ES+Gravity the Sobbing Eyes and start running. He binds me as soon as I step off the ramp, and I bind him back to counter. Unfortunately, he's right next to one of the ninjas when bind lands so he starts meleeing him by default while casting Breakga on me. By the time petrify wears off, his gravity has worn off and he's almost next to me so I Gravity again and take off running to put some distance between us when he binds me again, only this time I'm out of spell range and can't bind him back. I've only cast 4 spells on him the whole fight at this point, so I guess my hate decayed because he just turned right around after binding me and killed one of the ninjas.

The second fight went better and worse at the same time. This time he bound me before I even got off the ramp, but I was able to bind him and stick a couple DoTs for some extra enmity before he petrified me. My petrify wears before his gravity, so I get to run a few steps before he pulls the Bindga Breakga combo again—just before his gravity wears. Naturally he's able to catch up with the immobilized rdm, so he beats the crap out of me and I bleed hate. He goes back after the ninjas. When petrify wears I run back to the circle to try to nuke him off the ninja and get caught in another Bindga facing the eyes, with a pillar between me and the ninja so I can't cure him. I get the big eye off him and the ninjas finish off the smaller eyes, but I eat a Hex Eye. Nine consecutive attempts at Cure III get paralyzed and a ninja goes down. The other one can't finish the job without support.

Did I just have a horrible run of luck or is there some fundamental of kiting and holding this guy that I'm not doing?

[LadyKiKi]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

I cast from maximum range when kiting. Run all the way down to the "entrance". Wait for it. As it comes, bind it again and gravity, run back to main arena, where the 2 NINs would be coming to me by that time anyway. If you do get binded or petrified, he doesn't do that much damage even with it casting and pounding on you (go go stoneskin/phalanx). Best to cast those 2 spells as you get back to the main entrance from the first run.

I don't see why you would get binded initially. Do you cast like, right next to it? I only get binded as I drag it to the bottom and need to run back (you cross its path). And try to never face it because facing it when he does that move will petrify you.

[Raydeus]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

I find going /nin and using dual Eremite wands to be much better (-50% interruption rate + aquaveil!!), just Grav the mob and run away, after he tries to cast a spell on you just go back and Bind it, then run again.

If for some reason you get hit by Bindga or Breakga and the mob catches up to you the shadows can let you take a few hits while you recover, but you shouldn't get hit by it at all, there's plenty of room to kite it easily.

The only difficulty is not taking the mob too far away because time is limited but you can easily wait for the mob to miss a spell and then run back towards the BC.

[Jei]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

I don't even use ES. I start with barfira, stoneskin, run in and gravity the middle eye right away. I don't usually run all the way to the end, I try to stay near maximal range so the eye will cast something on me. Once it starts casting, I walk out of range, wasting its cast time This method, the nin usually catch up only about half way down to the entrance. You can throw Bio at it while you kite, that can lose about 20% of its HP before Nins are done with the babies.

I usually just grab my RSE, some event hats and my HQ wand to do this BC. I think you can even do it naked if you want.

[Taskmage]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

So it sounds like I just got horribly unlucky. All I'm hearing is Gravity and run, but I wasn't even able to get away from the circle before being bound, much less out of casting range. I don't understand how I'm losing hate, either. The first fight he didn't even do any damage to me. He just bound me and went after the ninjas. I know neither of them cast any spells on it so I should've been the only one with hate. ... I don't get it. Why am I the only one having trouble with this?

[Jei]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

That's strange how the ninja got hate off you.... Did they miss target and do something to the eye? Did they cure you? Make sure they only attack the babies and ignore the daddy. Also, make sure you're the first person to initiate the fights. I have mob not turning to me before if it aggro someone else before I gravity it.

The max range when start is where the ramp change angle from up slope to down slope... err hope that makes sense @_@;; Should give you enough time to run away from the daddy's first cast.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

Sobbing Eyes can either be a pain or really easy to deal with.

As far as doing it as RDM goes, I went with the Gravity/Bind route. But I've also found that BST can kite this with TigerFamilar as well. Its a pretty fast pet when Heeled and its nice to have the Eyes on another target so you can save some MP.

You could also replace one of the NINs with a BST have them take CourrierCarrie to a Compound eye. This again gives one of the Eyes something to focus on while BST either tanks it with that pet or helps the NIN with the other Compound Eye. Its also helpful that at this level BST has Amorph Killer and Amorphs are intimidated by both the BST and CrabFamiliar/CourrierCarrie.

In the event the pet dies before Call Beast is back up, BST can Charm and kite a Compound Eyes til the ability is back or the NIN can help. Since these are all NMs, Charm will function as a weak bind you can spam every 15 seconds. Bind and kite in a pinch.

Last couple of weeks I've done this its been NIN, BST and RDM each time. I take one of the Compound Eyes and the RDM kites Sobbing Eyes. We've gotten to the point we can win in 9 minutes. 2 P Charms so far ^^

[Gwynn]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

I've won this BCNM multiple times as the RDM/BLM kiter, and this is the general strat I use:

Run up, ES+Gravity the big eye, and then run way far away towards the beginning. Keep up Stoneskin and Barfire, and when it comes in sight range target it with your back to it and start slamming on your Bind macro. At this point, he'll probably either cast Bindga or Breakga on you. If its breakga, all you can do is hope you get a good resist on it and then run away the other direction once it wears. If you get bound, take the time you have to recast your buffs if need be, heal, or enfeeble the eye. After this its basically wash rinse repeat. Just keep on Gravity and Bind, and keep up Stoneskin and Barfire. If your NINs are remotely good, you shouldn't have to kite him more that 5-6 minutes.

[Altae]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

You should of come and asked us for advice! Those "guides & walkthroughs" are all lacking in one thing, the fine details. They'll tell you what a monster can do, what the level caps are, etc. But, they won't tell you how it's really done.

For example, don't go so far into the BC arena from the ramp. You can cast on the main NM just by stepping ONE foot step off the ramp. That's plenty distance to run so its casts get cancelled by the distance you create.

Keep stoneskin up as much as possible. You are no match for the NM if you get petrified and left defenseless :O Stoneskin will absorb 2 hits completely and wear off on the third one. Even with Phalanx on.

If you get bound, bind the NM. Kiting this NM, because of what he can do, is like playing tag. Literally PLAY with the NM. "Oh, you wanna bind me? Here's a bind for you!" Of course, you can't petrify him, but don't frett. So long as you had a fresh stoneskin up, you'll live.

Be sure to take advantage of oppurtunities to gravity him when you bind.

Don't forget that if he casts and you move out of range, he'll sit there idle complaining about you ruining his cast. That's practically 3 seconds of freedom. So, when you run to the end of a path or passage, bind him. Then get just barely in range for one of his casts. As soon as that cast starts, move out of range. Wait 2-3 seconds, he should still be bound after this wait. You now have the freedom to run past him without worry of a cast. Really helpful for getting out of dead ends. Not only does the NM have to wait until he can cast again, he's bound and unable to pursue you for the moment.

You almost need zero items/medicines for this BCNM. It's very easy. Even one convert is enough to suffice in keeping your other two members alive.

[Gwynn]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

You almost need zero items/medicines for this BCNM. It's very easy. Even one convert is enough to suffice in keeping your other two members alive.

Very true, but I would still always take at least one (usually two) yagudo drinks per run with me so I always have more than enough MP. You never know when an emergency will pop up and you'll be left with no MP.

[Icemage]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

Very true, but I would still always take at least one (usually two) yagudo drinks per run with me so I always have more than enough MP. You never know when an emergency will pop up and you'll be left with no MP.

Yagudo drink nets the a bit less MP than Refresh. There's no reason to use it when you have MP to cast Refresh. Hi-Ether or Mulsum is a better bet I think.


Icemage

[Jei]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

The BC is capped 40 :O

You do have enough time to run away and convert after the ninja already got on the big eye. But Yagudo drink makes it very easy.

[tdh]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

I never did ES+Gravity in the runs I did. I went with two BSTs from the LS. (Nugen & Cyre) The fights were pretty simple, just took the full time due Pet tanking.

I started with ES+Bind, Gravity the other mob, and then ran down to the bottom of the hill while I waited for them to catch up. Re-Bind & re-Gravity if timers are up, and then kept moving.

Once the BSTs finished off the 1st mob, I kept the other one bound or Gravity'd and helped melee some to speed up our time. I did get hit by Breakga a few times, but my Stoneskin, Phalanx, Blink, and Elvaan HP held out long enough for me to re-Gravity and run away. Only once did I have to have one of the BSTs come help me out.

Side Note: I still have no idea how as a RDM you've managed to collect so many damn BSeals Taskmage! I know I personally helped you Burn through 80~100 of them, and you're still trying to use them?

[Icemage]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

The BC is capped 40 :O
You do have enough time to run away and convert after the ninja already got on the big eye. But Yagudo drink makes it very easy.

Blah, tells you how long it's been since I started RDM when I'm brain fading and not realizing that you can't cast a level 41 spell in a level 40 BCNM... x.x :D


Icemage

[Aksannyi]

Re: Kiting in Under Observation

Even when I've gotten Breakga'd on Kite, I'd usually "wake up" from petrify with plenty of time.

My strategy for this BCNM:

I cast Stoneskin and Blink on myself, then rest to full. Pop a drink (any juice will do, I've never had a problem with MP management in this one). Run up with my group and cast Gravity on the {Mega Boss}. Run like hell all the way to the bottom of the hill. I usually hang out and wait for him by the last torch before you actually reach the BC. I cast Barstone and wait.

When he gets in range, I cast Gravity again, then run right past him as fast as I can until I'm out of range. Sometimes I've gotten petrified, sometimes Stoneskin manages to eat it, and others I get by with some "Thunder II" or some crap cast on me.

The group I've gone with was so good, that by the time I was back up to the "arena" up top, they were ready for me to bring the NM, but if not, just wait for him, recast Gravity and run the other way again.

After that, it's fairly simple. Don't face him, keep stoneskin up, cure your melees, and Convert if necessary. (Just make sure you're out of range for it!) I've never lost this BCNM.

EDIT: I'd like to add that I cast Barstone because it further reduces my chance of being petrified. I'd rather let Stoneskin eat any fire damage they cast on me.