Besieged

{|border="0" width="100%"| Besieged is a form of defensive battle that takes place when enemy forces breach the gates of Al Zahbi. The Imperial army declares martial law, and the city is enveloped in conflict.
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After martial law is declared, anyone in the area who can use a weapon is required to join the Imperial Army in combat and take charge of Al Zahbi's defense. However, repeated beastman attacks have nearly destroyed the city's fortifications, transforming the majority of these defensive battles into aggressive clashes on the streets themselves. Al Zahbi's enemies are after one thing--the “Astral Candescence” located in the Hall of Binding. The fate of Aht Urhgan and the beastmen ride on this single item, which allegedly draws upon the infinite energy of the Astral Plane.

Five “Serpent Generals” hold the keys to the Hall of Binding. They must be protected at all costs while driving the beastmen from the city. The safety of the townspeople and the future of Al Zahbi rest in the hands of the adventurers!

Stages of Besieged
/bmap displays the state of the enemy armies. Each of them has a strength level, "Enemy Forces".
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 * When this number is below 100, the enemy is "Training".
 * During Training the force level rises slowly.
 * The speed of Training depends on the number of Archaic Mirrors they have.
 * Server maintenance will reset Besieged timers, causing the level to rise shortly after maintenance ends. Beastmen will also make attempts to invade approximately 16-36 hours after their last invasion.
 * The force level can also be lowered by defeating monsters in the appropriate stronghold. However, once it is reduced to a certain point, the rate of the increase of that force will accerlate.
 * The force level is increased when a player inside that stronghold is KO'ed.
 * When the number is 100 or above, the enemy is "Preparing".
 * Once the army starts Preparing, their force level cannot be lowered, and rises at a rate of 1 point per 3 minutes.
 * Preparing ends when the force level reaches 100 + 10 * the target level (1-5, usually 5).
 * The target level is based on the number of consecutive successful defenses.
 * The Preparing stage typically lasts 2.5 hours.
 * When the beastmen have completed preparation, the army leaves its stronghold and starts "Advancing". At this point, players in Aht Urhgan get a log message ordering them to intercept the approaching army. The amount of time before the beastmen reach Al Zahbi varies:
 * The Undead Swarm takes 15+ minutes to arrive and go through Bhaflau Thickets.
 * The Troll Mercenaries take 24+ minutes to arrive and go through Wajaom Woodlands.
 * The Mamool Ja Savages take 31+ minutes to arrive and go through Wajaom Woodlands.
 * If the army should reach Al Zahbi, they start "Attacking", and players in Aht Urhgan get another message.
 * If the army is successfully intercepted prior to reaching Al Zahbi, credit will be given for a successful defense.
 * If the enemy forces should gain control of the Astral Candescence, the enemy status changes to "Defending."
 * Also of note, the Orders (on /bmap) are changed to "Regain the orb." ).
 * Once Al Zahbi regains the Astral Candescence, that enemy level returns to 0.

Besieged Strategies
Though Besieged is a group effort, it is often too chaotic to organize any true strategy, so most people attempt to help out, while maxing out their EXP/IS bonus. Some basic strategies are:


 * Stay near one of Al Zahbi's Serpent Generals. If you are a damage dealer, /assist them and attack their target. If you are a healer help keep them alive with cures when they get in trouble.
 * Attack the Beastman General or the Notorious Monster. Beastmen tend to retreat once all their notorious monsters are defeated.
 * For melees, fight and stun as needed. Accuracy gear/food is highly recommended, as many players have trouble hitting Besieged mobs reliably, even at 75 with merits.
 * For mages Cure NPCs (especially the Serpent Generals) and anyone else around. Stun and Flash can be helpful. Dia II also helps, as it does damage to the mob and lowers its defense for the melee that are attacking it.
 * BLMs have reported being able to do more Damage meleeing with a Scythe than nuking. Nukes are generally not worth the MP cost.
 * Unless your PC can handle heavy amounts of lag, stay away from the initial waves, particularly in the Bastion, as these tend to have lag issues.
 * During an Undead Swarm besieged, having many players attack a Draugar makes them near-impossible to kill, as they can drain back all of their HP in a single Blood Saber.

Besieged Allies
Mercenaries are not alone in Besieged. Imperial soldiers and other reinforcements also lend their skills to drive out the beastman hordes.

These soldiers were recruited from among the inhabitants of Al Zahbi. Their desire to protect their homeland is strong, and their morale is second to none. However, due to their lack of formal training and proper equipment, they have a tendency to falter in the heat of battle.
 * Volunteer Soldiers

These soldiers receive a stipend from the Aht Urhgan Empire for their services. As members of the Imperial Army, they possess not only quality weapons and armor, but have also received extensive training. Among their number are seasoned veterans who have been brought in from the front lines of the conflict with the Far East.
 * Imperial Soldiers

The Grand Vizier directly commands this unit of elite special forces. Their original duty was to protect the Empress from harm and maintain order in the Empire, but they also participate in Besieged battles under certain conditions. The Immortals use the skills learned in their rigorous blue mage training to command the defending army in battle and provide logistic support.
 * The Immortals

When the treasury permits, the Imperial Army hires Goblin mercenaries. Goblin mercenaries are battle-hardened professionals and should not be judged by their diminutive appearance. Their only drawback is their wavering sense of loyalty, which has a tendency to change with the tide of battle...
 * Goblin Mercenaries

These beastman soldiers are hired on a provisional basis when mercenary numbers are low. The Qiqirn are brought straight out of the shops and guilds where they usually work in town, and thus are unaccustomed to battle. However, they can use their impressive archery skills and devious traps to confound the enemy and occasionally alter the course of battle.
 * Qiqirn Mercenaries

These five generals have been personally charged by the Empress with the defense of Al Zahbi. They are each allowed a name that corresponds with the symbols of the Empire. The Imperial symbols consist of five serpents, each associated with an element--fire, water, earth, wind, and the heavens. Each general possesses a mirror used to open the Hall of Binding, so their protection in battle is crucial.
 * Serpent Generals


 * A good strategy for Besieged is to find one of the Generals and stick with them. If you are a damage dealer, /assist them and attack their target. If you are a healer, buff them with Protect/Shell/Haste and help keep them alive if they get in trouble. Be sure to check before Besieged starts that the General you want to help hasn't already been captured.
 * Skyserpent General Rughadjeen (Elvaan PLD): starts J-7, in the middle of Ulthalam Parade
 * Rughadjeen is usually the first to fall, as the enemy overruns Ulthalam Parade.
 * Flameserpent General Gadalar (Hume BLM): starts G-11, in Springserpent Square by the AH
 * Gadalar is usually the second to fall.
 * Waterserpent General Mihli Aliapoh (Mithra WHM): starts in Flameserpent Square
 * Stoneserpent General Zazarg (Galka MNK): starts H-10 upstairs, in Chocobo Alley
 * Galeserpent General Najelith (Hume RNG): starts J-9 upstairs, in Galeserpent Square

Mamool Ja Savages
In contrast to their name, the Mamool Ja Savages are actually a highly disciplined military force. A specific military role is automatically assigned to every Mamool Ja citizen based on social classification, and their discipline is a direct result of the intensive training they receive in order to carry out their duties. The army is comprised of units that specialize in one particular field of battle. Supposedly, to prevent infighting amongst the different classes, the soldiers are given no opportunities to learn skills outside of their specialization. However, this also means that troops trained to undertake a certain task cannot be easily replaced should they fall--a fatal chink in the Mamool Ja's armor.

The warrior class of the Mamool Ja. On the battlefield, these ferocious combatants wield weapons of unique design and are seen as being either incredibly courageous or foolishly reckless. They excel at sudden assaults, but have little patience for drawn-out conflicts.
 * Mamool Ja Fighter

The sage class of the Mamool Ja. Many of the Mamool Ja mages are assigned to positions that utilize their extraordinary intelligence and magical prowess. The ability to swivel their eyes in any direction also complements their roles as officers and physicians.
 * Mamool Ja Mage

The war birds of the Mamool Ja. Generally employed as pack animals, the ziz possess an aggressive demeanor and are occasionally released to wreak havoc upon enemy forces. They have a tendency to become fixated on prey that is small enough to swallow whole.
 * Ziz

Pronounced "pook," this small, winged beast is believed to be the artificial combination (chimera) of a dragon and some kind of vermin. Also known as "wind wyverns." Puks are capable of comprehending speech, and are known to sometimes enter the service of the Mamool Ja Savages. They are swift fliers, adept at scouting out enemy territory and harrying opponents with wind-based attacks.
 * Puk

Troll Mercenaries
Emerging from the recesses of Mount Zhayolm and Halvung, the Troll Army is a decently organized fighting force. The Trolls' ancestors served as a mercenary unit in the Imperial Army, and were afterwards hired by the Moblins. The reasons for their move to Mount Zhayolm are debatable, but they were able to maintain autonomy over their mercenary lands (also known as Halvung Territory) by paying tribute to the Empire until the conflict for the Astral Candescence began. With the motivating force of recovering autonomy over their mercenary lands, the Troll Mercenaries are a highly determined fighting force. Their might and hostility towards Aht Urhgan make the Trolls the Imperial capital's greatest threat. These Trolls are the backline soldiers of the Troll Mercenaries. They are known to carry naptha-powered incendiary weapons. They also have practice in engineering and in the arts of magic. While Troll cannoneers lack in heavy armor, they make up with their hand-to-hand and dagger skills.
 * Troll Cannoneer

These Trolls are the frontline soldiers of the Troll Mercenaries. They carry mass-produced cast metal helmets. They wear heavy armor and are often seen with a club and a shield. They also wield giant swords and axes. Because of their experience in fighting, they often command the Troll Army during battles.
 * Troll Hoplite

Although their bodies are pliable and gelatinous, black puddings also possess large, sharp eyes used in searching out prey, and a flexible mouth filled with fangs. Despite their outward appearance, black puddings are also known for being highly intelligent, and reports of flan using extraordinarily powerful magic are not uncommon. However, they are unskilled in suppressing their emotions, and a flan's mood tends to have an enormous effect on its actions.
 * Flan

These reddish crawlers live around the volcanic regions of the Halvung Territories. They tend to have various behaviours and attributes, depending on the time and weather. They assist the Troll forces with their fiery breath attacks.
 * Eruca

The Undead Swarm
The undead swarm is very simply organized, consisting only of manipulators and the manipulated. The Lamiae and Merrows themselves created the undead, but have no misgivings about expending them in order to survive or accomplish a goal. The undead can only follow the simplest instructions, and thus present very little threat when alone. In battle, however, the undead are so numerous that losses are of no concern, and storm tactics tend to prevail over sophisticated strategies. These artificially created beastmen (chimeras) command the undead swarm in battle. Although their numbers are few, the Lamiae are extremely cunning, and often confound the Imperial Army with feint attacks and other deceptive strategies. Lamiae always send their troops before them in battle as they decimate their opponents from afar with powerful magic and archery.
 * Lamia

A close relation of the Lamiae, the Merrow is a type of amphibious chimera. Although they reside in the Cyan Deep, Merrows occasionally respond to the Lamiae's requests and venture to the scene of battle accompanied by hordes of undead raised from watery graves. Merrows can also use their enchanting voices to draw in even the most experienced sailors.
 * Merrow

Although qutrub only have a few shreds of their will remaining, they have pledged their undying loyalty to the Lamiae. Still afflicted by the desires of the living and possessing surprising strength, the qutrub are often utilized in raids on Al Zahbi. Their short swords can be used to devastating effect.
 * Qutrub

These undead skeletons are completely controlled by the curse of the Lamiae. Draugar possess no emotion and feel no pain. They merely fight until they can no longer move, but are capable of little more than the most basic behavior. Their ranks are easily replenished, so draugar are often used as a stalling tactic.
 * Draugar

Beastmen HNMs
Each time a beastman army approaches at level 5, there is a chance that accompanying it will be a unique HNM with significantly higher stamina. These HNM's are easily distinguished by their unique character model, size, resiliance and TP moves, and can take well over 30 minutes to defeat even with 700 players focusing all their attention on them. For this reason, it is highly recommended that they be isolated from the rest of the group, and delt with last. The Beastmen HNM's are:


 * Gulool Ja Ja - Mamool Ja Savages
 * Uses Mijin Gakure at low health.
 * Vorpal Wheel: Ranged single-target damage (~800) used immediately on anyone who casts elemental magic or a successful Enfeeble on it
 * Tyrranic Blare: AoE damage, bypasses shadows
 * Miasma: AoE Poison, Plague, and a strong Slow
 * Decussate: AoE extreme damage, possible to absorb with shadows
 * Rushing Slash: Single-target 4-hit physical damage
 * Gurfurlur the Menacing - Troll Mercenaries
 * Uses Hundred Fists at 50% health.
 * Arcane Stomp: Converts magic damage taken to HP. Highly recommended mages refrain from nuking for the entirity of the fight. However Drain is effective and is rarely resisted.
 * Head Snatch: Heavy damage (1200+), single target.
 * Haymaker: Moderate AoE front attack. Added effect: Amnesia.
 * Sledgehammer: Moderate AoE front attack. Added effect: Petrify
 * Incessant Fists: Moderate damage, single target.
 * Pleiades Ray: Moderate AoE damage, inflicts multiple status effects.
 * Medusa - Undead Swarm
 * Uses Eagle Eye Shot at 50% health.
 * Belly Dance: AoE Charm on foes.
 * Rising Swell: AoE, removes all equipment.
 * Cyrical Barrage: Frontal damage and petrification.

Experience
Every successful Besieged is awarded with experience points and Imperial Standing points. Here are the limits of maximum experience gained:
 * Beastmen Level 1 - max 300 experience points / 300 IS
 * Beastmen Level 2 - max 400 experience points / 400 IS
 * Beastmen Level 3 - max 500 experience points / 500 IS
 * Beastmen Level 4 - max 600 experience points / 600 IS
 * Beastmen Level 5 - max 700 experience points / 700 IS

No specific info yet on how the experience is calculated - most melee get maximum experience points. Healers need to do a lot of healing/raising to get maximum XP, but they don't need to do any damage themselves.

Casting Shell 1 on an NPC seems to be worth 2 experience points. A Phantom Roll is worth 20 points.

Prisoners
During Besieged, prisoners will occasionally be taken captive, and it is up to the adventurers to go and liberate them. Prisoners can be taken even if the beastmen are not victorious is capturing the Astral Candescence. NPCs may be kidnapped, including the Auction House Manager, Chocobo Stables owner, Serpent Generals, and the Warp Taru Shihu-Danhu. Until they are rescued, their services (along with the rest of that guild) are unavailable. Although a beastmen base can hold up to 24 prisoners, beastmen may not capture more than 8 NPCs per besieged. If a Serpent General is defeated in besieged, there is a 50-50 chance that general will be taken prisoner. The only NPCs that cannot be claimed prisoner are NPCs wearing Siraphi Gear (the ones that give Sanction, give Mog House assignments, and stand next to the generals).

To liberate a captive, proceed to appropriate beastmen strongholds (Mamook, Arrapago Reef or Halvung) and locate the prison cells or hatches. Open the cell/hatch by picking the lock (by having Thief use Thief's Tools) or using the appropriate key (Mamook Blackscale Key, Lamian Bone Key? or Halvung Brass Key).
 * After a Besieged, captive Serpent Generals should be the top priority in being liberated as Beastmen forces are more likely to win the next besieged if they only have to defeat 2 or 3 Serpent Generals to break the seal.

After you liberate an NPC, speak to them when you arrive back in town. He will reward you with 100 Imperial Standing points (500 if the NPC is a Serpent General) and a ??? Item.

See also: Prisoner Liberation Order

Recovering the Astral Candescence
If the Beastmen are successful during the besieged event they will capture the Astral Candescence. Adventurers will have to attack the beastmen to recover it and regain its benefits. To recover the Astral Candescence, head to the region that has possession of the Astral Candescence. Note that runic portals will be unavailable.

Two temporary key items will be required to enter the BCNM. Only 6 members are allowed to enter the BCNM fight at a time and all 6 members must possess both key items. The fight is uncapped with a 30 minute time limit.

The Beastmen will not recover HP or respawn should the party wipe. Recovery will require multiple parties to enter the BCNM and gradually defeat the beastmen.
 * For more information on recovery see: Astral Candescence.