Strategy One
Set-up: PLD/WAR*, NIN/WAR, Melee DD, Melee DD, Support, Support, Support, Support, WHM, WHM, your choice of ranged DDs
- Earth staff, kiting gear, and Phalanx II help a lot.
Strategy: Buff up, and have the PLD/WAR kite all 5 mobs without actually getting hate on them. The NIN then chooses a target, and all DDs should focus on that one. Recommended order is BLM > BLM > WHM > WHM > WAR. Continue to kite until all 4 adds are defeated. Afterward, the PLD should accumulate hate, while everyone lets loose on the boss. if someone grabs hate, they should kite until the PLD can get hate back. Usually the only TP attack that will actually land will be the AoE. As SOON as the message comes up that he's going to use this, make sure the WHMs are ready to use Stona. The move DOES reset hate, so be prepared to kite until the PLD can get hate.
I think it's key to stress not trying this without at least 2 or more solid nukers to drop his aura. You kill the 4 adds pretty fast, and end up wasting a ton of time trying to get the shield down, and if you don't kill him when it's down, it's close to a timeout before you can drop it again sometimes. Everything but AMs do minimal damage to him when aura is up. Boss is silly easy to kite around one of the pillars if no one else is touching him. Waku
Strategy Two
We focused on all ranged damage
2 PLD 2 RDM 2 WHM 3 SMN 4 BLM 2 RNG 1 COR 1 BRD
Made quick work of the fight... definitely could have handled with less people. Aura doesn't take too long to drop, and we were still doing a ton of damage to him with it up. The big thing is he'll stop using Torment of Gu'Dha when it's down. Video below:
Be sure to watch in HQ, it makes a big difference. Shadida_Sylph
Strategy Three
We had a big setup, and it worked like a charm.
Kiter/Tank party :
PLD/WAR
PLD/NIN
BRD/WHM
WHM/SCH
RDM/WHM
SAM/NIN
Black Mage Party :
BLM/WHM
BLM/WHM
BLM/WHM
BLM/WHM
COR/NIN
SAM/NIN
DD party :
RNG/NIN
RNG/NIN
RNG/NIN
RNG/NIN
SAM/NIN
WHM/SCH
Let the PLD/WAR run in and kite it around the pillars in the back without accumulating hate on any of the mobs. PLD/NIN picked the mobs off one by one, starting off with the 2 BLM's
When the last mob was being pulled away from the Kiter, PLD immideatly voked Adamantking to get hate on it.
After that, SAM's and RNG's held back so Adamantking wouldn't gain too much TP. BLM's torn away at it with high tier nukes. Since his shell was up still, they didnt do to much damage to him, thus not pulling any hate. After his shell was down, RNG's and SAM's ripped away at it and it was a done job.
Pro here is, after his shell is down he wont use his signature move. we went in four times, and on some occasions he didnt even use that move. do to him not gaining any TP when his shell was up. WHM's can concentrate on Cures instead of Stona spam.
Average time used for this strat is 15-17 minutes.
Strategy Four
Tank Party
PLD/NIN
WHM/SMN
RDM/WHM
Damage Party
BLM/RDM
BLM/RDM
BLM/RDM
WAR/NIN
RNG/NIN
BLM/RDM
(can replace the RNG or a BLM with a COR/BRD buffer)
Once entering the BC, the PLD sight aggros everything and kites in figure 8 around the two posts in the BC. The WHM and RDM can cure spam the tank because he will not have hate on any of the mobs, allowing them to cure without pulling hate. The WAR/NIN vokes and pulls the lessers in order away from the main area. BLM > BLM > WHM > WHM. Once the Damage Party is done killing all of the adds, they will rest for full mp while the PLD continues to kite around. Any PLD with a halfway smart sense of kiting and pathing and w.legs should rarely get hit while kiting it with only the boss up. Once everyone is at full mp, the PLD will begin to straight tank the boss. Slow2 will need to be at all times as the PLD will be tanking without haste and ~35% slow on at all times. He will be tanking without shadows for a good period of time, so be prepared to heal him. If necessary, return to kiting. When the shell is up, no melee should be hitting it, period. Whatever TP is being generated by the PLD hitting or getting hit himself should be negligible anyway. All BLM nuke with T3/T4 until shell wears off, making it much easier to straight tank without constant slow. Slowly chip away, kiting when necessary. Anyone with movement speed can kite, even without if they pull hate. The last two fights we didn't even bother tanking if hate was pulled, just whoever had hate kited it around the pillars.
4 Runs got 3 RNG heads, 4 Great Axe rings, 1 Paramount Earring