Embarking on the Arcadion Savage M1 challenge, adventurers face the formidable Black Cat, a beast demanding utmost precision and coordination. This initial encounter in the AAC Light-heavyweight tier serves as a rigorous test of understanding intricate mechanics and executing flawless strategies. To emerge victorious against this relentless feline foe, a detailed breakdown of each phase is crucial. Let’s delve into the battle and learn how to tame the Black Cat.
Quadruple Crossing
The fight commences with Quadruple Crossing, a mechanic targeting the four players closest to the boss with a wide cleave. Initially, all DPS players should position themselves to bait and absorb this damage. Following this, the boss will cast the same cleave again, but it’s crucial that different players are hit to manage the stacking vulnerability debuff. Tanks and healers should step in for the second set of hits, ensuring proper damage distribution. The Black Cat will then repeat both of these attacks in the exact same locations as the first set. Players must swiftly recall the safe spots from the initial sequence and move to avoid the repeating cleaves, emphasizing memory and quick repositioning.
Double One-two Paw
This phase introduces several critical mechanics, beginning with Biscuit Maker, a potent two-hit tank buster that inflicts a vulnerability debuff. Tanks must either perform a tank swap or use an invulnerability ability to survive. Next, the boss casts Nine Lives, a buff that stores upcoming mechanics for later use. Following this, One-Two Paw is cast, which functions identically to its normal mode counterpart: two sequential cleaves that require precise dodging. Players must note the safe side after the first cleave, as this specific pattern gets stored by the boss.
Subsequently, the boss uses Soulshade to spawn two clones, each imbued with the stored One-Two Paw mechanic. Later, both clones will unleash their One-Two Paw attacks simultaneously, necessitating players to position themselves in the safe zone relative to *both* clones. After the first cleave from the clones, players must move diagonally through the boss’s hitbox to dodge the second. This is immediately followed by either Double Swipe, requiring light party stacks, or Quadruple Swipe, which calls for pair positioning. This Swipe mechanic is also stored via Soulshade for a later clone interaction.
Mouser 1
The first Mouser mechanic presents a grid of red tiles, similar to normal mode but with defined patterns. Players typically start on tile ‘4’ and observe tile ‘3’. If ‘3’ is hit once, the strategy is to dodge from ‘4’ to ‘3’. If ‘3’ is hit twice, players must dodge from ‘4’ to ‘3’ and then immediately to ‘2’. As tiles are destroyed, agile movement is key: dodge onto ‘3’ as soon as it’s destroyed, and then onto ‘2’ when it shatters. The boss then casts Copycat, repairing four tiles and spawning a clone for “punch” mechanics.
These punches target either all tanks/healers or all DPS. There are two distinct animations and resolutions:
- Uppercut (boss kneels): The player hit is knocked back one tile. To control the knockback direction, face where you want to land. Other players must position diagonally away from the target to avoid a dangerous knockback AoE.
- Overhead Slam (boss stands tall): This attack has no knockback. The targeted player must stand on a *fully repaired* tile. Again, all other players maintain a diagonal distance from the target.
After these punch sequences, prepare for a Biscuit Maker tank buster, followed by Shockwave, an unavoidable raid-wide knockback. The stage repairs, with two corners mending faster. Light parties should position to be knocked back into these quickly repaired corners, specifically one west and one east. Tanks and melee DPS move towards the boss, while healers go left and ranged DPS go right.
Clones Shenanigans
This phase again begins with Nine Lives, followed by a Leaping One-Two Paw. Resolve this similarly to normal mode, but note that this specific leap and paw combination gets stored for a clone. It’s crucial to remember whether “inside” or “outside” was the safe zone, as the orientation can shift. The boss then casts Soulshade, summoning a clone in the middle that executes the stored Leaping One-Two Paw. The clone’s facing dictates the leap direction, so adjust accordingly.
Another Nine Lives precedes a Leaping Quadruple Crossing. Handle this like previous iterations, with both the leap and crossing stored as buffs for a central clone. The boss will then tether to one of the clones, which will perform its stored One-Two Paw, but with an added one-tile jump. Position based on the remembered “inside safe” location. Concurrently, Tempestuous Tear, two line stacks, will appear. Light Party 1 should be north and Light Party 2 south, taking the stacks while dodging, then quickly moving across. Immediately after, reposition the boss where the second clone is set to jump.
Finally, prepare for Nailchipper. Designated roles (e.g., all DPS) will be marked, meaning they cannot take the initial cleave. The other roles (tanks and healers) must bait these first hits. Players then rotate to dodge subsequent AoEs and ensure they are paired correctly by the end. The goal is to ensure only non-marked players are hit by the initial cleaves, minimizing damage and debuffs.
Mouser 2
The second Mouser phase kicks off after another Bloody Scratch, a hard-hitting raid-wide attack requiring significant mitigation. This Mouser encounter follows the same tile-dodging rules established earlier: stand on ‘4’, observe ‘3’ for single or double hits, and navigate accordingly. Once again, Copycat activates, repairing tiles and summoning a clone to initiate a series of punches. If tanks and healers were targeted during the first Mouser’s punches, DPS will now be the primary targets.
When a DPS player is targeted for a punch, they move into position, while everyone else remains diagonal. This iteration introduces new mechanics alongside the punches:
- Overshadow: A line stack marker appears. The entire group must stack together to share the damage.
- Splintering Nails: This is a conal AoE targeting one tank, one healer, and one DPS. Players must split into their respective role stacks—tanks left, DPS right, and healers in the middle.
Regardless of the specific mechanic, maintaining a diagonal position from the punched player remains critical. These two mechanics, Overshadow and Splintering Nails, will occur twice each in a random order throughout this segment. The phase concludes with another Biscuit Maker tank buster and a familiar Shockwave knockback, requiring light party spreads into the repaired corner tiles, just as before.
Raining Cats
With Raining Cats, a unique positioning challenge emerges. Hector Lectures recommends a specific setup: Light Party 1 positioned in or very near the boss’s hitbox, while Light Party 2 stays slightly outside. Two tanks step forward to grab tethers in front of their respective parties. A crucial detail here is that the *nearest* and *farthest* players from the boss, who *do not* have tethers, will be targeted by shared damage AoEs. If a tethered player is hit by these shared AoEs, it will result in a lethal blow.
To execute this, one player from Light Party 1 positions within the hitbox to be the nearest non-tethered target, and one player from Light Party 2 moves well outside the hitbox to be the farthest non-tethered target. The two tethered players must stand on the edge of the hitbox. After the initial cones and stack damage resolve, a swap occurs: new players grab the tethers, and others take on the nearest/farthest roles. This cycle repeats until every player has successfully handled a tether once.
Predaceous Pounce
The climactic phase begins with the boss casting Copycat, summoning a clone to the north. This clone will unleash a flurry of AoEs and paw prints reminiscent of earlier mechanics. During this sequence, strong DPS can potentially skip parts of this mechanic. While dodging the clone’s attacks, players must strategically remain close to the north-south line. The boss will then combine this with a final One-Two Paw. Players must navigate to the safe side of the One-Two Paw while simultaneously avoiding the clone’s persistent AoEs. The first cleave of the One-Two Paw will coincide with the clone’s last attack, demanding an immediate dodge to the other safe side. Utilizing gap closers or swift movement abilities is highly recommended here.
The fight culminates in one last Mouser mechanic. However, at this point, too many tiles will be targeted, leaving no safe spots on the platform. The objective shifts to an all-out DPS race. Players must attempt to stay alive for as long as possible by remaining on any available melee tile and unleashing maximum damage. The goal is to defeat the Black Cat before the final remaining tiles are destroyed, leading to a party wipe.
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