FFXIV Arcadion AAC Light-Heavyweight M1 (Savage) Guide & Timeline

If you’re dabbling into the Savage encounters in Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail (FFXIV), Arcadion AAC Light-Heavyweight M1 will be the first on your list to overcome. Here’s all you need to know about Black Cat’s moves and weaknesses.

FFXIV Arcadion AAC Light-Heavyweight M1 (Savage) Timeline

The Black Cat fight has a minimum Item Level of 700 and lasts around 10 minutes like most Savage fights. Most of her Normal mode mechanics are presented at a harder and faster pace, but she also has some new tricks on her paws and she’s eager to show you those.

The Shade versions of Leaping Quadruple Crossing and Leaping One-Two Paw happen in a random order, so the timeline might change a bit. However, their secondary mechanics (Nailchipper and Tempestuous Tear, respectively) are always tied to them. The following Blood Scratch syncs both possible timelines correctly.

Related: How to Get the Qeziigural Mount in Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV)

FFXIV Arcadion AAC Light-Heavyweight M1 (Savage) Guide

As per usual for each fight, players should set up clock spots for Quadruple Crossing. Light Parties and partners are also needed for Double Swipe and Quadruple Swipe. You can also loosely use those positions for the Grimalkin Gale spreads later.

• Quadruple Crossing: Proximity-based cleaves on the four closest players. Four players will bait first inside the hitbox, then the other four take their place. Use role priority to decide who baits first (usually DPS first). After two hits, Black Cat repeats the two previous cleaves in the same baited directions, so dodge accordingly. Players die if they’re hit twice in a row.
• Biscuit Maker: Two-hit tank buster with a debuff that kills you if you take the second hit. Use invulnerability or swap to solve it.
• Nine Lives: Black Cat stores her next attack to a clone.
• Soulshade: Spawns a clone that copies one of Black Cat’s moves.
• One-Two Paw: Two half-room cleaves hitting in the order Black Cat showed her claws. Leaves a bleeding debuff if you’re hit.
• One-Two Paw (Shade): Same as before but spawning from her clones. If two clones use it together, the safe spot will be a small slice area.
• Double Swipe: Party stacks targeting both healers.
• Quadruple Swipe: Partner stacks targeting each role (DPS or Tank/Healer).
• Leaping Quadruple Crossing: Same as Quadruple Crossing, but she teleports to the telegraphed spot a second before the first cleaves.
• Bloody Scratch: AoE damage.
• Mouser: Black Cat damages the platforms, destroying any platform she hits twice. Gives a damage down debuff if you’re hit (and don’t fall). Enrage will destroy all platforms.
• Elevate & Eviscerate: Black Cat targets a role for four hits telegraphed by her clone’s glowing hand. The target will have a paw symbol above their heads and will be stunned upon hit. The attack also hits all cardinal platforms, so the rest of the party must also be in a safe spot.
  • If she raises her glowing left fist, the attack will damage the platform. Stand on an undamaged platform to safely bait the hit.
  • If she’s crouched and raising her glowing right fist, the target will be knocked up to the platform they’re facing. Stand in front of an undamaged platform and make sure you’re looking at it before you’re hit.
• Shockwave: Knock backs all players. Ignores Arm’s Lenght/Surecast. Position yourself toward the reconstructing platforms to land a safe spot. You can use dashes to solve it easily.
• Grimalkin Gale: Spread attacks on all players. Casts alongside Shockwave and resolves a few seconds after it.
• Leaping One-Two Paw: Same as One-Two Paw, but she leaps to the marked spot before executing it.
• Leaping Quadruple Crossing (Shade): Same as Leaping Quadruple Crossing, but coming from a clone. The clone leaps in the same direction Black Cat leaped when using the mechanic herself.
• Leaping One-Two Paw (Shade): Same as Leaping One-Two Paw, but coming from a clone. The clone leaps in the same direction Black Cat leaped when using the mechanic herself.
• Nailchipper: Four players of a role get a spread debuff during Leaping Quadruple Crossing (Shade). They cannot be hit by cleaves or they’ll die. If you’re first with the debuff, stand away from Black Cat until it resolves. The second set goes out after her fourth cleave, so stay away from that one too. Heals are necessary here.
• Tempestuous Tears: Line party stack targeting healers happening during Leaping One-Two Paw (Shade). Solve it by having one party north and the other south while dodging the cleaves.
• Overshadow: Happens during Elevate & Eviscerate 2. Line party stack on a random player of the non-selected role.
• Splintering Nails: Happens during Elevate & Eviscerate 2. Line AoE on a random player of each role. Tanks stay to the left facing the boss, healers in the middle and DPS on the right. Don’t overlap roles or all players will die.
• Raining Cats: Two tethers appear and hit four times each, leaving a debuff that kills the player if they’re hit by it twice. Each player takes the tether once, and another replaces them immediately as. Usually solved in the order Tank – Healer – Melee – Ranged (THMR).
  • At the same time, Black Cat targets the closest and the farthest players for four sets of three-person stacks. Have a light party closer to the boss and another away from it to bait those, and be ready to take your tether accordingly.
• Predaceous Pounce: Black Cat dashes and pounces through the whole arena. Immediately follows up with a One-Two Paw.

It’ll take a while to get used to all of Black Cat’s movements, but you’ll get the hang of it after a few tries. Keep trying and the victory will eventually be yours, so don’t give up and get those rare items from Savage mode!

Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail is available now.