Feast of Swords 2008/Guide

Starting Out

 * Head to Bastok, San d'Oria, or Windurst and talk to one of the Event Moogles to obtain your Ibushi Shinai.
 * Northern San d'Oria (D-9)
 * Southern San d'Oria (J-9)
 * Bastok Mines (I-9)
 * Bastok Markets (G-9)
 * Windurst Woods (K-10)
 * Windurst Waters (F-5)
 * Port Windurst


 * Next, head to the outside area and find the Event Nomad Moogle there. Talk to them to receive an enchantment. The enchantment restricts your Level to 1 and gives you a Flee-like effect. When you die you do not lose Experience Points at all, regardless of whether you are raised or return to your Home Point.
 * West Ronfaure (I-6)
 * East Ronfaure (G-6)
 * La Theine Plateau
 * Jugner Forest
 * Batallia Downs
 * North Gustaberg (L-8)
 * South Gustaberg (L-8)
 * Konschtat Highlands
 * Pashhow Marshlands
 * Rolanberry Fields
 * West Sarutabaruta (J-8)
 * East Sarutabaruta (G-11)
 * Tahrongi Canyon
 * Meriphataud Mountains
 * Sauromugue Champaign


 * Find and kill the armor mobs in the same zone, collecting malice as they use TP moves. Anyone can engage the armor, much like besieged enemies.

Recommended Macros
Malice /item "Ibushi Shinai" 

Remove /equip main

Equip /equip main "Ibushi Shinai"

Milk /item "Selbina Milk" 

Tips

 * DO NOT engage the Omodaka Armor with a party or alliance! Should one member of your party/alliance get hate, ALL members will get hate and she will pursue everyone until the party/alliance is dead.
 * All of the Armors can been seen with the Ranger and Beastmaster ability Wide Scan.
 * Buffs used before accepting the level cap do stay, such as reraise and stoneskin and Protect
 * Be aware that the Armor will not gain TP while hitting you for 0 or missing you.
 * Unlike previous years, automatons do not stay out when the level cap is put on.
 * If you and others wish to participate in this event solo, it's recommended that all Chat Filters are turned off so it can be seen when the Armors will start to use their TP moves. This allows you to time your Absorb Malice accordingly.
 * You do not want to filter any of the Special actions filters.
 * The Armors perform two TP moves: Aetheral Toxin and Edge of Death.
 * All Armors are able to use their TP moves after landing 7~8 hits which have dealt at least 1 damage.
 * Aetheral Toxin - AOE 20-60 damage. Short casting time, less then 4 seconds.
 * Edge of Death - Reduces HP to 1, AOE. Long casting time, about 6~7 seconds.
 * Foods and Drinks are helpful
 * Simple HP+ food such as Boiled or Colored Eggs, Grilled Corn, or Roasted Almonds makes a lot of difference at level 1.
 * If you have Cure, MP+ food and drinks can be helpful.

Soloing with Selbina Milk
Using Regen drinks such as Selbina Milk can make the armors soloable, provided you have enough milk and are able to dodge or absorb Aetheral Toxin, as the Armors' hits will in most cases be canceled out by the milk's Regen. It is generally advisable to solo the armors that spawn furthest from the zone's entrance, so as to not take them from players that want to fight them as a group.

Soloing with Buffs
This works for tarutarus and maybe mithras too since you need a high evasion. Main job whm, using Protect IV is more than enough to lower your damage taken to 0~1 even on a tarutaru with no armor. This gives you a 1~3 cures, depending on your race. You have a chance to rest while the armor is attacking you, which is where evasion comes in handy. When misses or deals no damage to you 5~6 times is the equivalent of resting for one click. This is more than enough to keep yourself alive and absorbing malices forever.

A better way to absorb malices
Since theres only two different attacks you have to absorb, I have found it best to begin using the 'Absorb Malice' enhancement earlier to be better. The idea is to use it when you see the enemy starting to use their TP move. You can anticipate the attack when the enemy lands 7~8 attacks. The real trick is if you keep a close eye on your log. If your notice the enemy is using Aetheral Toxin, then you are fine assuming you used absorb fast enough. However, if notice the enemy is using Edge of Death, then you have to quickly interrupt yourself by running around. This gives you enough time to stop, and re-use absorb in order to perfectly absorb Edge of Death.

Obtaining Malice
The only real way to gain malice (and thus gain the prizes) is to use the enchantment on the Ibushi Shinai BEFORE the armor uses its TP skill. If timed properly, you'll get a message stating "A protective energy absorbs the malice of your enemy!" Malice absorbed will carry over from one armor to the next if you do not trade your Ibushi Shinai to the ??? which spawns where an armor has been defeated.

NOTE
 * You do not lose malice points from dying.
 * You do not lose malice points from zoning.
 * Malice points accumulate from enemy to enemy.
 * You can only gain malice from the last enemy you have engaged.
 * You can not be harmed by malice from enemies you have not engaged in.
 * If you have engaged the enemy and then disengaged, you can still be harmed by their malice.
 * You will lose all of your malice points after trading your sword to the ???.
 * The ??? points exist for 30 seconds.

1 to 4 Absorbs - Mochi of the matching race. (e.g. Elvaan Mochi from the Hizamaru Armor). 3 to 7 Absorbs - Ibushi Shinai +1, which oddly enough cannot be used in the event as it cannot absorb malice. 5+ Absorbs - Kingdom Stables Collar, Republic Stables Medal, or Federation Stables Scarf, depending on which nation owns the area you are in. 5+ Absorbs - Shinai, after the Ibushi Shinai +1 and the nation stable warp item has been obtained  Able to get with only Ibushi Shinai +1 5+ = Lotus Katana or Hardwood Katana, after the Ibushi Shinai +1, Shinai, and the nation stable warp item has been obtained.
 * Note: You will not be able to obtain the items from last years event or the nation stable warp items if you currently have them in your inventory or mog house.

Obtaining Rewards
Once an armor has been defeated, a ??? will spawn where it fell, and remain there for around 30 seconds. Unequip your Ibushi Shinai and trade it to the spot. If you do not have enough malice to obtain a reward, a moogle will let you know.

Notorious Monsters
There are five different armors and they usually patrol a certain region of the map. The following chart gives you the region they patrol at East Sarutabaruta.

Omodaka Armor
This armor is able to deal more than lethal damage (60 or more) to characters. This damage will one-shot kill any character, regardless of job. Its behavior also includes aggroing far outside of its normal spawn and patrol zone, including halfway across the map. This seems to coincide with multiple players attacking a single other armor. The Omodaka Armor shares hate with the other Armors, though not the other way around. She will also aggro anyone in a party with a player she has aggroed and defeated, regardless of her distance from that player. Also the Omodaka Armor seems to continually attack players and run away and then come back (that are engaged to other Armor) multiple times, as the hate share factor seems to be very high.

Possible Rewards

 * Hume Mochi
 * Tarutaru Mochi
 * Galka Mochi
 * Elvaan Mochi
 * Ibushi Shinai +1
 * Shinai
 * Lotus Katana
 * Hardwood Katana
 * Kingdom Stables Collar
 * Republic Stables Medal
 * Federation Stables Scarf