FFXIV Heavensward: The Final Steps of Faith Guide (Nidhogg)

[@TeaquestSagas]

Thanks. It helps me beat my tankxiety of doing things first-time to look up your guides!

[@ProlificPianist]

Wow just finished it. Probably the most tense and close moment in the game for me. Story wise, it's epic and climactic, but the way the finale went down for me... just wow. I was at little equipment durability the whole fight and was scared I'd run out mid fight. That and our party wiped at 2% except me(PLD) and the other DRK. Fought like hell to stay alive and my last heal went to him before I went down. He went into living dead and had probably -3 Sec of it left as the last stand and just BARELY killed Nidhogg. Looked at durability, all at 0-1% after dying. Holy. Shit.

[@kiiturii]

damn. Wish it went something like that for me... Only me and 2 others in my party knew what the yellow arrow markers meant so I died everytime it happened... Ended up spending over half the game dead including when nidhogg went down... Super dissapointing for me but at least the cut scenes and the songs were amazing we even said in chat. "yellow arrows means stack" and when they still didn't understand I said "yellow arrow marker means group hug" they still ran away every time...

[@GlobalWarmingSkeptic]

Important thing to remember is that the yellow mark means everyone group together. The purple-ish marker is the one you move away from others on. I knew about getting close together but forgot that it was a represented by a mark.

[@666stryder666]

Thank you for doing this so that people can finally realize a person in a circle isn't gonna save you from wiping. Further proof that it is the DPS check we kept wiping to.

[@BilingualFinance]

Exactly! I kept telling that to every single party I encountered and they were all like "no, get in a circle"... I almost got kicked out the duty because 7 ignorants vs one player :s, even tho the dps check part was pretty damn obvious..

[@galebuckhannah3430]

Nothing about those circles looks even remotely safe lol. I don't understand why people would want to stand in one.

[@Bluecloudandrew]

Dude great video. Been a subscriber of you for a bit now and I don't often post, but would like to give you props on growing your channel man. The small nuances in your videos shows your editing growth. That's what I like about youtube, it allows enthusiasts, as yourself, express your thoughts, often daily, in an emergent and expressive way. Thanks for continuing to work and keep the FFXIV community tight. You always make me feel like "I can DO it! I can beat this content" whenever I watch, and that feeling has only gotten stronger as your channel has grown. Thanks Mr. Happy. I hope its benefited you as your work has benefited me.

[@Michael-iw3cq]

This was such a satisfying ending to this story arc

[@setadoon]

He was makin guides @4:30am. respect! thx for the helpful vid!

[@lrdeldric]

Oops didn't know you had to stack with the akh morn thing. I was like - nidhogg is totally beating on that area, I ain't going there.....

[@dad5004]

that meme of the kitten holding the xbox controller crying was me doing this boss for the first time yesterday, just so emotional that whole cutscene before and after.

[@zinniahondoram3778]

Short and sweet and found out some valuable information about Nidhogg's hot tail. Thanks for the to the point vid!

[@DreamsInWild]

Thanks for posting this!! It's MUCH clearer than the half-assed explanation I got from my duty finder group lol

[@andreleavesseur4711]

Hey Mr. Happy just wanted to say thank you for your excellent guides. They have helped me so much in returning to FF 14.

[@bobokisama]

Have not even watched past "also makes me want to order hotwings." Take my thumbs up you mad man.

[@LoTekkie]

I like the new pace Mrhappy, thanks for t he vid.

[@mim.4113]

I ran this the first time and we aced it! I bit the dust once and so did another person, but no wipes! Overall, this was a fun one and the group was really nice from the start! Thanks Happy, the guide definitely helped!!

[@HoneyBadger363]

I beat this on my first try, someone just said to avoid the dark circles under you and if it didn't move, then to run away from each other during the DPS checks and then run towards each other for the stack thingy too. For a main story fight, it was pretty tough for those that didn't know that very helpful advice. Many people across many forums complained about this fight being really hard when it was the DPS checks where most wiped and then the stacking mechanic was the other.

[@TwodeeTwodimensional]

I knew it! People were yelling at me for not standing in Nidstinien circles.

[@SteSmith2004]

Haha, same here. The idea of having to spread out, all 8 players standing in a circle each in such a sort time frame to prevent a wipe is crazy. I'd expect that sort of thing in Extreme mode but not in normal mode, and a MSQ at that too! It was my first attempt at Nidhogg though and other players in the party were adamant you had to stand in the circles, so I went along with it. But here is video proof that says otherwise.

[@kalmahcarl]

Eh, it makes sense to be fair. It's what I did when me and my friends first cleared it

[@galebuckhannah3430]

It makes sense? Those circles looked dangerous. The last thought I had was to stand IN them.

[@Lunar_Crescentfall]

I wonder why there isn't much guides on this fella in Normal mode? He still has a lot of mechanics to look out for, which could end up being a potential wipe if people don't know them. I haven't done this fight yet, but going in knowing what's to come, I'm more than ready, thanks haps

[@TokidoTaro]

It's not that complicated, but people still manage too wipe, because they cant do the simplest mechanics, that we have already seen like 1000 times. I hope this guide will help change that at least a bit. Thanks a bunch for making one, Happy

[@meakimon]

Short and to the point. Thank you very much, MrHappy!^^ Now I won't be going in completely blind, haha!

[@g33ktube16]

Thank you mrhappy. Just finished it with your tips. Even got some coms =)

[@ManxoChu]

Suggestion for the add phase: Focus down Shadow Dragon first, because he lacks an aggro table. Also, depending on your party's overall dps you might want to Limit Break on the last remaining add; the add phase is technically a dps check.

[@Sidherich]

Also the Shadow Dragon does an attack that gives a Damage Down debuff and can be dodged by just walking out of the way when he charges. You can only see this from his animation that he start to attack so you need to look out for it.

[@Mrhappy1227]

Better to kill other adds first. The Shadow Dragon's damage is completely avoidable while the tanks are getting beat on

[@Sidherich]

Certainly a way to do this. I played as healer and I had to run away quite a lot of time in order to dodge the Shadow Dragon. Both tanks were not that much in danger. As I said we ended up only having one healer taking care of both tanks while the other Healer applied dots in a round robin kind of way.

[@DreamsInWild]

I've personally found saving the Shadow Dragon for last to be the easiest, since you can just sidestep it's attacks. But damn near every group I've been in does it in a different kill order, so you really just have to communicate with your party and set a kill order before you get to the add phase and everyone attacks something different xD

[@Sidherich]

After watching the Extreme guide I tend to agree. Since the order seems a lot more important for that fight I would advocate doing the Shadow Dragon last in either mode for consistency.

[@namelessking5413]

As a tank I will like player to leave part of stage empty so tank can come together but face differwnt directions from tank buster adds attacks.

[@Infindox]

Gah, every team I've gotten for this wipes at the time you are supposed to stack. We all stack then most of us die anyways.

[@アヤラ-z7g]

Healed this as AST and our WHM died just before the last Akh Morn of the fight, when we finally got that far, scariest stuff of my life. Finished the fight in the middle of that Akh Morn, with 1 dead dd and the 3 others below 1k health. (1 more blow would have been the end *gulp*)

[@shawnthefox3459]

The problem with this fight is it is just too unforgiving for being in the Main Scenario. Don't move out of an AOE in time? You're dead. Wrong person dies? Everyone dies. Half the group is usually dead by the time the ads spawn, and then people fail the DPS check and everyone gives up and leaves. Up until now, a trial was basically a free carry for most people. You could have no idea what to do and die a million times but the group can still kill the boss without you even if you're a healer or a tank. Most players are just unprepared for the difficulty increase. Personally I liked the fight but 90% of Duty Finder groups fail multiple times or give up right at the start.....

[@dbzfanexwarbrady]

i can attest going in blind (hence why im looking at this vid) was very punishing

[@UltraCasualPenguin]

Just did this for second time I watched guides and thought I was ready. My first time was years ago so didn't remember anything. Well, I died twice. Second time they didn't rez me because fight was almost finished.

[@first9742]

I really hope they don't nerf this fight....

[@Nisi1]

i fanboy'd so hard when he cast Akh Morn, and fanboy'd even harder when I saw that Nidhogg's is RED EEE! took a few tries to clear, but eventually I got into a DF group with a little patience and we got it on the fourth try

[@VeracityTrigger]

Lol, I thought the same about the 'hot wings' too Mr. Haps ;)

[@nezkeys79]

every group i do this with cant kill the 3 adds in phase 1 before the ultimate attack

[@edwardlecore141]

They do a surprising amount of damage.

[@Pokerit]

Still waiting for that extreme guide

[@Arcliff7]

People keep leaving during Akh Morn which is really annoying

[@Clutch1984]

ok, question, so when you kill all 3 adds, do you stand in the circles or not when he goes to phase 2?

[@Kamuyy]

That 11k Essential Dignity is super sweet. I kinda miss my AST now.

[@jahlightshows8526]

Hot wings comment got you my sub instantly. Thanks for the guide.

[@bowdowntomight]

Do you not need to stand in all 8 circles when he transforms to phase 2? That's how I learned to do it.

[@ZephWraen]

From what I understand of the fight, they're just decorative and part of his attack. I know, it's counter-intuitive to ignore them. The only thing that matters is killing the adds quick. If an add is still up when he attacks, you'll wipe.

[@bowdowntomight]

Okay. Just that one of my guild members said that his first group killed all of the adds well, grouped up in the middle under a heal aoe, and still died. XD

[@galebuckhannah3430]

If you don't kill the adds fast enough its a wipe. Adds must die before the animation begins for nidhogg's attack. Had some really close calls and it seems like if they die even a split-second after he begins his animation/knockback its already too late.

[@WhiplashSL]

Man, I can't wait for his guide on Weeping City.

[@Slirith]

Now I want hot wings too...damnit Happy!

[@KohiKona]

The absolute fear I got when Nidhogg was at 2% health left and everyone except myself (a PLD) and a DRK wiped. We thankfully brought him down though! Slight Heavensward Spoiler below: The cutscene that came after made me feel happy I ran it as PLD, especially with the Haurchefant/Fortemps shield

[@Gonk]

Ty this helped me win my first try, well many deaths but still my first try.

[@dacashmoney09]

I love the Bomberman reference! I also may order wings...

[@AnjaliSmith.]

lol me too

[@korratargaryen]

how did you take so little damage at 3:20 ? Everytime I've gotten there the party either almost or does wipe even from full health.

[@Mrhappy1227]

Means people aren't stacking, healers aren't healing, no mitigation, any of those things

[@AshRabbit001]

Or maybe it's bugged.

[@thomashafner8487]

also you have to take into consideration how many times has he casted it, like he says another blast per cast so it will get steadily worse

[@lutziify]

this game isnt bugged, i think its just heal shild etc.^^

[@ninj0shikirei]

Is there like a specific sequence to adds? In my first clear, we down the shadow dragon then two others. But on another attempt, it's the opposite.

[@galebuckhannah3430]

The fatty no-agro-table dragon should die first. Then of the other two it doesn't appear to matter. On my clear we killed the WAR OT's dragon first so that he could get back to helping pass the dps check.

[@Chelsea_Danger]

Tried this fight we 2 different duty finder groups and both groups failed the dps check evey time except once (and we still didnt end up defeating nidhogg that time). It's nuts.

[@aqj2014]

with how much trouble this gave me during my first attempt, I'm surpised at who short this is

[@merofuruya8972]

whats the music in the background?

[@Jackald]

Wait, during the shift from Phase 1 to 2, I thought you had to all stand in the circles? I seemed to wipe whenever we didn't. Is it failing to kill the adds that makes it an insta-wipe?

[@Mrhappy1227]

Yeah its failing to kill the adds

[@MuroKhan]

And what about Deafening Bellow? Is that just a heal check, or is there something that can be done to prevent it?

[@Mrhappy1227]

Thats just the AOE I mention

[@songofyesterday]

22k hp drk and he killed me with two rapid fire breaths that wasn't aoe, wtf was that? happened second attempt too, I just fall after -60% hp taken from two successive hits

[@Its_an_Eze]

Had 3 ppl leave and a wipe and me dying three times lol twice cause i got hot tail and wings mixed up :P and once to the black aoes overlaying right where i was exactly but other than that it was a fight that kept me on my toes just like sephirot

[@phoenixgames3351]

everytime someone not getting in the circle the groups I'm in always wipe even when we beat all the adds in the groups I've cleared it with we stacked on one circle and barely any damage

[@undds]

Same here....

[@Mrhappy1227]

The adds have to be killed before he even knocks you back mind you. It doesn't matter if they're dead before the attack hits. If he knocks you back and you still have adds alive its gg wipe

[@phoenixgames3351]

+Mrhappy1227 okay so it's the roar knock back that's the dps check I'll try it pm trial roulette to see if it works thanks for clarifying

[@ecstanley]

we have been seeing where we will drop the last add BEFORE the knockback goes off, we stack under a bubble for shielding and STILL wipe.....

[@Icecube88]

this just happened to the group i was in. we killed all adds before he knocked us back and we still died. the knockback happened maybe a second later.

[@Red-fg9qr]

Well... duty finder... Akh Morn, i go and stack up with this only poor dude, we both die because no one else did, party wiped. Then, when we restarted... same thing happened died 5 times in that instance, I even told them to stack up, but people either don't put attention or at this point they just jumped to 60 because they couldn't avoid AOEs at all wtf.

[@brbZoning]

I'm giving this game another chance since EQ2 has simply been recycling old content and Lotro's engine remains horribly optimized. :) hope I can get passed the GCD (that was my peeve with this game in the past)

[@frenchtoast3530]

Came for the guide, stayed for the hot wings.

[@raziel258]

really? a day after the thing came out? well great, now i can already expect everone to call me an idiot for not knowing stuff >_

[@MissDee13]

Great guide ty

[@coolhandpaulnewman]

Well, I wiped twice... no one else wiped... embarrassing. For me it was the fireballs... I didn't really understand the mechanic. I think the fireballs will go off in a cross shape perpendicular to the bridge walls/edges? Is that it? Unfortunately, I have never played bomberman so that reference didn't help me. Everything else was A-OK

[@Scoreman7769]

this battle looks so easy in your videos yet I did it earlier and we wiped like six seven times mostly at the Final Phase I got so frustrated I left the group

[@DreamsInWild]

I wiped a bunch too, until we finally vote abandoned. I am actually surprised it's as difficult as it is considering it's a main story fight... though I guess it is the end of the story. But still. I shudder to think what EX will be like >

[@ralmslb]

With a experienced group that does Savage its easy, casual players not so much.

[@DreamsInWild]

+ralmslb I'm waiting for more of my FC to catch up. we'll do far better when we can communicate xD

[@Hitsyfication]

I was going to say something like "you're what's wrong with this game!!" but you actually stayed past the second wipe unlike most scumbags, so kudos!

[@DreamsInWild]

Hitsyfication Me?? I only didn't finish it on my first attempt because the group vote abandoned. I can't exactly stay if I am out-voted :/

[@raymondnavarro3659]

thank you!

[@spacetaco048]

well I just got spoiled ;-; wrong nidhogg fight I was looking up aery guess ill die :D

[@omegagilgamesh]

And of course, KZbin takes away annotations, even though everyone uses them. I would not be surprised if the next thing they take down is the ability to okay videos.

[@sinborn41214]

You had me at hot wings

[@OrmixLannis]

Thanks

[@djentleman1597]

Our healers always managed to die because they couldn't dodge the aoes. The "glowy circles" lol

[@TheSlayer117]

Those fucking circles got us fooled T_T

[@Icecube88]

i can't even get past the dps check

[@NeoSaturos123]

Isn't this guide kinda pointless? This fight appears to be just "dodge the aoes" and "stack for obvious stack mark". The flaming orbs appear to be the only possible problem...

[@Dras7]

yea but he does all the guides even for dungeons so let it be xD

[@NeoSaturos123]

He didn't do Sephirot Normal though. And considering that in that fight you can be knocked off by several attacks and need to kill an add to not have everyone knocked off, it could be useful.

[@Mrhappy1227]

There was a lot of debate on the transition from adds > phase 2 on day 1, and how the fireball bombs exploded. Looking back I should have made one for Sephirot normal because I saw a lot of struggle with it as well. This being part of the main scenario though I figured it was a better idea

[@Zeik188]

It helped me. I watched this video before going in the first time and was much better prepared to understand all mechanics.

[@joeblack9797]

Thx

[@andrex1456]

I wish there was a way to experience these fights like they were meant to be originally for new players like me. Hearing how challenging this fight was makes me sad that my pug melted it in my first try Still amazing climax to the story tho

[@opo3628]

My first run of this was very clean, too. It still felt absolutely epic, though.

[@musiea]

hot wings killed me three times

[@mrgodogodopaint]

SEE EVERYBODY! NO CIRLCES!

[@devindust]

hot wings. dead. XD

[@Aetheriea]

The amount of people who don't know how to stack up, amazing.

[@demdankmemes6247]

Literally had that happen today, both healers and a couple dps ran away from me when i had the circle, meanwhile im running AT them trying to stack xD We only wiped once though (and we really didn't need to, i was the last to die ofc) all in all easy af fight though

[@magnedeusfenrir9582]

Daniel Howes I just tanked it not too long age and the healer that was targeted for Akh Morn kept running from me. -_-

[@Balogna400]

Hot wings make my farts smell like hot garbage.

[@306skrilla]

go get your hot wings man!!!!!

[@Zarryon12]

So I went in...I forgot grit...forgot to say I didn't know the fight wiped twice and automatically earned the ire of my "group" needless to say I didn't get any tips on how the fight worked got to he adds and DPS, hardass McCoy dies and says I just stood there... so I'm out the group itself as an ilvl 205 drk. But as I said as soon. as I admitted I was new, nothing. no tips and right after the second wipe I'm thrown out. Enough to make me think that this game isn't for me anymore. I love the story, love the battles ... and I did love the community, did. I get its a good bit my fault, but no one was even talking to even try to see what should be done. And as I witnessed Nidhogg doesn't forgive mistakes easily.

[@blaze595]

well look at it this way; is one bad experience enough to override all the positive aspects of the game...? i mean yeah what happened is horrible; but you're always going to get bad experiences like that sometimes when other people are involved (though even so, FFXIV's community in GENERAL is so much better than other MMOs ive seen).

[@Zarryon12]

maybe not, but it's gotten me scared to try that trial. I may do it as a DPS, DPS never get blamed for wipe xD .or at least not as I've seen in ffxiv

[@marpinteacup6395]

This kind of thing happened to me a few years ago, only it was with Darkhold waay back in ARR and I was a healer. I was never kicked but the tank was very very very rude and abusive. I stopped playing the main story for a while as I was pretty much scared of being the worst White Mage on the server. I loved my FC too much to outright quit, but I seriously stalled in main story content. Fast forward a year or two and I got to a high enough level on some other classes and I managed to Duty roulette Darkhold. I was terrified. And I told the party I had that I was terrified from bad experience. Thankfully these guys were much more understanding. I had to get all my classes through darkhold, and after running it so many times It's become a much less scary place. I still have problems with other duties and dick mentors, but thankfully I can buddy up with some one in my FC most of the time and they can give me pointers. It's really tough to get over that anxiety. Some of the things you can do is try to buddy with FC or other friends so if you have unhelpful assholes they can get your back, as well as try a[to recruit a party finder party and expressly state that you're doing it to learn and that you would like only helpful people. (granted this doesn't mean you won't get dicks, you can still get dicks, but it's not your fault if they can't read that you are new to the duty). I know its hard some times, but try to not be too hard on yourself; there's people out there who are so miserable in their life and think the only way to feel better about themselves is to put other people down or be rude.

[@applejinx5683]

You caused not one but two wipes without saying shit you deserved to get kicked

[@Zarryon12]

Edward Elric actually , I did say something after the first wipe. I wasn't even given an explanation by the "good group" I was with. No matter, I passed it . But please leave me your character name so I know how to avoid a venomous player. Because I gave information that I didn't know the fight, wasn't given an explanation of it and forced into a trial by fire, where we ALL died. I can proudly say that the second try was more forgiving and able to push past the unforgiving tyrant that is Nidhogg, or a cancerous group who can't seem to figure out to pull together so all may benefit. But you were clearly there and knew what happened so...there's no use explaining. Especially considering you're such a seasoned player who has never made a mistake, he who live in a glass house who cast stones and whatnot. but I digress , this paragraph may not even be read and I may indeed be talking to a troll, dullard or both. You never can tell on the internet these days.

[@silentstreets]

tried to do this fight 3 times and all three times people have eventually rage quit, feel like this is too difficult for a storyline quest. if people cant get passed it then there will be no point in subscribing any longer as wouldnt be able to acces new content lol

[@silentstreets]

did it lol

[@BigYabai]

Little known fact; it's pronounced more like "Need-hoeg" than "Nid-hog"

[@c_huvaknunh9138]

#hotwings

[@TheFibrewire]

man post ex version man leave normal even ADHD kids can even do this. huge confusion going on in many groups I join unable to pass beyond blue tower.

[@KAvanAlten]

You know you are incorrect there.

[@Valen49x]

this fight is garbage for casual content its worse than ozma gears of change more like gears of rage quit

[@Myurridthaekish]

Not a fan of how he says "black circles."