The Dalriada

The Dalriada is a large scale raid available in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers as part of Zadnor via the Critical Engagement The Dalriada. Supporting up to 48 players, it sees adventurers raiding the flagship of the IVth Imperial Legion alongside their allies from the Bozjan Resistance.

Story[]

The Dalriada's engines have failed, forcing it to the ground. The Resistance would seize this opportunity to storm the warship, and at last put an end to the imperials' presence in Bozja.

Critical Engagement Description

The Dalriada is the flagship of the IVth Imperial Legion's airship fleet. It led the recent destruction of Rabanastre as a show of force against Dalmascan rebels, and has recently arrived in Zadnor to fight the Bozjan Resistance. However with the aid of the Garland Ironworks, the Resitance enact a plan to disable the ship's engine and force it to ground, allowing a contingent of Resistance soldiers and other allies the chance to finish the conflict.

Objectives[]

• Divide into two groups and drive back the IVth Legion.
• Infiltrate the Dalriada.
• Clear Magitek Development.
• Divide into three groups and disable the barricade.
• Reach the greater hold.
• Clear the greater hold.
• Defeat the Diablo Armament.

Progression[]

When the raid begins, players will need to split into two groups. At most 8 players will be able to take the star chaser vehicles to the left of the starting area to proceed into the War Bow, while the remainder will move on to Castellum Zadnori.

Castellum Zadnori[]

The players in this section will engage in a series of three encounters. The first against the 4th-Legion Blackburn, borrowing mechanics from the Critical Engagement Feeling the Burn, the 4th-Legion Augur utilizing the serpent adds from On Seprents' Wings and finally a double encounter against the Tamed Carrion Crow based on the Akbaba from The Shadow of Death's Hand, and Tamed Alkonost from Worn to a Shadow.

The War Bow[]

The players who end up in the War Bow can progress further to confront Sartaurvoir the Inferno in the Loading Dock. This boss should be pulled around the same time as the Blackburn.

Loading Dock[]

• Pyrokinesis - Raidwide damage
• Time Eruption - Covers the arena in four square AoEs with clocks on them. The clocks with faster rotating hands will detonate first. Reverse Time Eruption has the slower clocks detonate first.
• Phenex - Summons firebirds at the sides of the arena to perform line AoEs.
• Thermal Gust - Targeted line AoEs at four players.
• Grand Crossflame - Giant cross AoE.
• Pyroplexy - Summons meteor circles. These circles must be stood in before the meteors descend to prevent massive damage.
• Immolate - At around 55% HP, the boss will head into the center of the arena, performing some raidwide attacks before transforming into a new form. This new form has access to more attacks.
• Burning Blade - Tankbuster
• Mannatheiwhon Flame - Raidwide damage that places four fire-crosses on the location of players. These fire-crosses will perform both a line AoE in the direction the player was facing and a point-blank AoE.
• Brand - A 180 degree cleave of either the left or right side of the boss.
• Double Cast - Marks four players with targeted AoEs and another with a stack AoE.

If either group wipes, the other will be killed by a forced enrage and must restart the encounters.

Cargo Administration[]

After the defeat of both Sartauvoir and the minibosses in Castellum Zadnori, the party in the War Bow can progress to Cargo Administration and activate a switch, allowing the rest of the raid group to progress into the Dalriada proper.

The Founder's Deck[]

After the groups reunite, they will combat a IVth Legion Scorpion alongside NPCs. The NPC Marsak will hold enmity for this miniboss, allowing the players to focus simply on bringing it down. Past this miniboss, the first loot chests for the raid will be available: two bronze chests granting 40 Mythril Bozjan coins and a random amount of a rare Fragment. A third silver chest may also appear if players have reached this point in less than 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

Magitek Development[]

Reaching Magitek Development, the players will see Gilbrisbert transform into 4th-make Cuchulainn, before he becomes targettable.

• Putrified Soul - Raidwide damage
• Might of Malice - Tankbuster
• Burgeoning Dread - Places forced-march debuffs onto all players that will force them to walk in the direction indicated on them when the timer expires, relative to the direction the player character is facing.
• Fleshy Necromass - The boss will perform body-slams on players that will disable them and give them damage over time. The disable effect can be minimized by transforming into gelatin mobs via walking into one of the four persistent puddle AoEs in the arena.
• Necrotic Billow - Places three sets of eight AoEs under players.
• Ambient Pulsation - Places three sets of three Aoes on the arena. The first set will always be down the middle, followed by either the left or right. Players should dodge from where the last set spawns into where the first was located after it detonates.
• Ghastly Aura - Places the Misdirection debuff on players, which will force them in the direction indicated by the rotating hand over their heads when they attempt to move. The hand locks position when moving. Attack is followed by either Necrotic Billow or Fleshy Necromass.
• Fell Flow - The boss will turn into random direction and perform conal AoE attack in front of him and at the same time he will fire 3 small conal AoE at direction of 3 players with green markers. Marked players should avoid stacking and if possible hitting other players with blasts directed at them.

After defeating Cuchulainn, a silver chest will appear for players to claim their reward.

Dynamic Systems[]

Reaching Dynamic Systems, the path forward will be blocked. The central room will have a platform with four squares on it. To the left and right are two doors that lead to side passages. These side passages are filled with enemies as well as a floor that will inflict a heavy electrocution debuff, laser fields that will temporarily turn on and off, and canons that covering one half of the passage and knocking any player hit back a fair distance. The laser floor for both sides can be disabled if at least four adventurers stand on the platform in the central room. A screen in the central room will show which side of each hall will be blasted by canon-fire.

Players will need to split up to defeat adds in both passage ways, which will open doors at the end of each passage where an interactable switch lays. As the above is happening, the group in the central room will be attacked by spawning mobs that will attempt to keep players off the central platform. Both switches need to be activated at the same time to end the encounter and allow progression.

After opening the barricade, players will engage a IVth Legion Colossus Rubricatus before being allowed to interact with the door to the Greater Hold.

The Greater Hold[]

The encounter will begin with raid facing off against Saunion, which will introduce its mechanics. When the boss hits around 40% HP or less, Dawon the Younger will join the fray after a transition. The two bosses will share health, and if they remain close together, will gain a buff increasing their damage and defense.

Saunion[]

• High-Powered Magitek Ray - Tankbuster.
• Magitek Halo - Roomwide donut AoE.
• Magitek Crossray - Giant cross AoE.
  • Later uses of Halo and Crossray will have Saunion cast a travel technique, moving its position to another point on the arena as indicated by the arrow beneath it.
• Missile Command - Targets several players with AoEs, while targeting another with a stack AoE
• Spiral Scourge - A technique in which the boss becomes invincible and travels around the arena along a set path dealing damage to players in it's path. This technique will be paired with mechanics from Dawon the Younger.
  • S path variant - boss will travel back and forth covering whole arena. Attack is paired with Dawon Obey.
  • Spiral path variant - boss will travel in spiral pattern covering almost whole arena. Attack is paired with two sets of Wildfire Winds.

Dawon the Younger[]

• Wildfire Winds - Summons fire and wind plumes around the arena. Fire plumes cast point-blank AoEs and wind plumes cast donut AoEs. Will be utlised alongside a travelling Magitek Halo and the second Spiral Scourge.
• Swooping Frenzy - The boss will leap at a targeted area of the Arena dealing damage indicated by AoE marker. Followed by either Frigid Pulse or Pentagust.
• Frigid Pulse - a giant donut AoE.
• Fervid Pulse - a giant cross AoE based on Dawon's orientation. First line is always parallel to line betwen start and end point of Dawon leap. Second line is perpendicular to first one.
• Obey - A combination of the previous 2 mechanics. Three markers will be placed around the arena that Dawon will leap (leap itself deals no damage) to and then use either Frigid or Fervid Pulse depending on the shape present on the marker (Green circle - Frigid, orange cross - Fervid). Markers will also indicate the order Dawon will leap to them. This will be used alongside the first Spiral Scourge.
• Pentagust - Five conal AoEs in front of the boss aimed towards a random player.
• Tooth and Talon - Tankbuster.

The Allagan Pits[]

After the cutscene, players can interact with the silver chest for their reward, and then interact with the glowing circle to enter the final arena.

The Fallen Ring[]

• Advanced Death Ray - Line AoE Tankbuster focused on main enmity target.
• Aetheric Explosion - Raidwide damage.
• Aetherochemical Lasers - Fires a laser through the middle of the arena and then on the sides of the arena that deal damage, or vice-versa. The lasers leave timed AoE explosions and must be dodged. Later uses of this mechanic may have the boss teleport 90 degrees around the arena and fire an extra set of lasers.
• Diabolic Gate - Summons 8 gates around the arena, with 4 pairs of symbols on each. The boss will take the place of one of the gates and begin charging Ruinous Pseudomen. This will fire a giant line AoE down the middle of the arena, hitting the gate on the opposite side. The gate with the same symbol will quickly fire another Ruinous Pseudomen. This will happen four times in total, with the boss appearing at the end of the fourth AoE.
• Ultimate Pseudoterror - Used after Diabolic Gate, a giant donut AoE with a safe spot deep within the boss's hotbox.
• Magitek Bits - Summons Magitek Bits that will form a line and target two quadrants of the arena. This will be paired with Aetherochemical Lasers and Deadly Dealing in later uses.
• Deadly Dealing - A knockback AoE with an instant-death point of origin.
• Advanced Death IV - Summons small black AoEs around the arena that will expand and inflict instant death on players caught within. After first set expoldes, more of such AoEs will be placed under some survivng players as well.
• Aetheric Boom - Summons 8 orbs around the arena. Each orb will be tethered to the one opposite from it and begin to travel towards each other. If orbs touch, they will explode for high damage and inflict Vulnerability on players. Orbs must be exploded by players touchin them. If an orb has it's tethered partner exploded, then the orb must also be popped or it will explode for high damage and inflict vulnerabilty on the raid. From second time this attack is performed it will be paired with Aetherochemical Lasers.
• Advanced Nox - Summons 3 sets of falling orbs around 3 edges of arena. Attack is paired with Deadly Dealing. Players should stand in spots that they are pushed in the direction of safe edge where orbs are not falling.
• Void Systems Overload - At around 15% remaining HP, the Diablo Armament will return to the north of the arena and cast Void Systems Overload repeatedly until it is defeated. This mechanic involves the following:
  • Inflicts players with the Acceleration debuff. If players are moving, performing attacks, or even auto-attacking when the debuff expires, they will explode for high damage and hit nearby players. There are 2 variants of duration of debuff, short and long.
  • Summons several conal AoEs that appear in sets and fire in sequence.
  • Four players will be marked for line AoEs, while another will be marked for a split damage line AoE.

Musical themes[]

"Into the Fortress (Zodiac Age Version)" plays throughout most of the duty. "Battle with an Esper (Zodiac Age Version)" plays during the battle with 4th-make Cuchulainn. "Life and Death (Zodiac Age Version)" plays during the battle with Saunion and Dawon the Younger. "Nemesis" plays during the cutscene before the battle with the Diablo Armament. "Wrath of the Harrier" plays during the battle with the Diablo Armament, an arrangement of "Wrath of the Eikons" and "Gangos".

Rewards[]

Like the Baldesion Arsenal, Castrum Lacus Litore and Delbrum Reginae, loot chests do not put their rewards onto a loot table that must be distributed to a party through rolls. Rather, each individual player is responsible for opening a loot chest and claiming rewards for themselves. The duty contains two bronze chests, upto three silver chests, and a gold chest.

These chests can award Bozjan mythril and platinum coins, lost fragments and field records. Platinum coins can be exchanged for item level 525 gear from the Resistance Supplier in Zadnor.

Maps[]

Gallery[]

Behind the scenes[]

The Dalriada's design is the same as the Ifrit from Final Fantasy XII.

Dalriada (aka Dál Riata) was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and the north-eastern corner of Ireland, on each side of the North Channel.