M3 Raid Guide (Normal) | FFXIV Dawntrail 7.05 (FF14)｜Game8 (2024)

AAC Light-heavyweight M3 (Normal) is the third raid in the first tier of the Arcadion in Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail (FF14). Read on to learn more about the boss, Brute Bomber, and a guide to the raid mechanics and attack patterns during the boss fight!

AAC Light-heavyweight M3 (Normal) Raid Guide

Brutal Impact

Brutal Impact deals physical raid-wide damage each hit for a total of four hits. Mitigate with shields and heals from the healers, Reprisal from the tanks, and Feint from melee DPS as needed.

Knuckle Sandwich

Knuckle Sandwich targets the off-tank with a telegraphed tankbuster that deals physical damage. The off-tank can stack with the main tank to split the damage between them while using defensives to reduce the damage.

Brutal Lariat

Brute Bomber will jump to the edge of the platform to cast Brutal Lariat. He will raise one of his arms as it builds up power, players will need to stay on the opposite side from where his raised arm is to dodge the attack. Make sure to stand outside his hitbox to avoid damage.

Murderous Mist

Brute Bomber will face a random direction and cast Murderous Mist with green particle effects. Players should move directly behind the boss to avoid the wide 270-degree attack that hits three quadrants of the platform.

Barbarous Barrage

Barbarous Barrage creates four circles (soak towers) around the boss where at least one player needs to stand on each of them. Bombs will slowly drop on the circles and knockback anyone away from the center of the tower.

If you don't have any knockback immunities while soaking, position yourself to be knocked back to the opposite side of the platform through the boss to prevent being blown out of bounds.

Fire Spin

Fire Spin is a rotating frontal cone attack that rotates clockwise (↻) or counter-clockwise (↺) indicated by the arrows that spin around the boss as he casts. Pay attention to the direction and stay behind the cone before he finishes the cast. You can move into the area of the first or second frontal cone after to avoid the rest.

Fuses of Fury

Fuses of Fury spawns bombs around the area with either a short or long fuse. Bombs with a short fuse explode first so players will have to avoid them before they explode. After the first set of bombs explode, move into their area to avoid getting hit by the bombs with a longer fuse.

Doping Draught

Eventually at some point in the fight, Brute Bomber will start cheating and use Doping Draught. It increases his damage dealt and makes his raid mechanics more difficult.

Lariat Combo

Lariat Combo works the same as Brutal Lariat except that he will be doing two casts of Brutal Lariat back-to-back. Pay attention to his glowing arm right after dodging the first lariat attack and be ready to dodge the second one.

Brutal Burn + Brutal Impact

Brutal Burn targets a random players with a stack marker and players will need to group up on the target to share the damage between the whole raid. Afterwhich, he will cast an enhanced version of Brutal Impact that now hits six times.

Healers should be ready to use their cooldowns to heal and shield the whole raid through this heavy raid-wide damage period.

Infernal Spin + Lariat Combo

Infernal Spin works just like Fire Spin but with the addition of alternating donut attacks around the boss during the rotation. Players will need to dodge in and away from the boss during the attack. Just move into the area of the first or second frontal cone and move front and backwards to dodge the donut attacks.

Afterwards, three sets of red circle AoEs will be placed under random players and need to be avoided. The boss will cast Lariat Combo after.

Fuses of Fury + Lariat Combo

When Brute Bomber casts Fuses of Fury again, he will also be using Lariat Combo. Stay near the bombs with a long fuse while paying attention to the side where the lariat will hit.

The bombs with a short fuse will explode before the first lariat hits. Dodge the short fuse bombs and then move into their areas where the lariat won't hit. The long fuse bombs will explode as the first lariat hits and the boss gets ready for another lariat right after.

How to Unlock AAC Light-heavyweight M3

Complete Vile Heat Quest

AAC Light-heavyweight M3 will be unlocked after completing the quest “Vile Heat” from The Arcadion questline received from the Stylish Stranger in Solution Nine (X:19.1, Y:18.8)

AAC Light-heavyweight M3 (Normal) Information

AAC Light-heavyweight M3
Level	100
Item Level	685
Party Size	1～8
Time Limit	90 min
Requisite Quest	Vile Heat

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List of Raids

List of Dawntrail Raids