Hakutaku: It's not as bad as you think
Some days I really just don't need encouragment, really. You encourage me and then I have to go out and do something about it. So, after being encouraged, here is the latest lolGuide.
Introduction
Within the game play structure of FFXI there are certain challenges that every person will meet eventually: national rank missions, limit breaks, Maat, etc. Hakutaku is also one of those challenges. It's not compulsory like the ones I've listed, but it might as well be if you're playing a melee job or wish to have a melee build. A player can get along without an Optical Hat, but it's one of those things that just makes life easier. Because everyone wants one and the fact that Hakutaku isn't an NM that can be pushed over by a party of people in most cases, a lot of information and misinformation has gotten around. This guide is my attempt to sort things out from square one. There are several ways to fry this fish and I'll cover the ways I'm aware of. One method I have *no* experience with is using a party of BSTs to defeat Hakutaku. The most difficult aspect of Hakutaku is preparing for it. Hopefully this guide will make that preparation easier for those who wish to do it.
Necessary job roles
Most methods for Hakutaku call for having a full alliance and at very least a small party to take care of adds. You can do this, but it's unnecessary in at least one situation. I'll explain once I get to the maps and places to set up the fight. Here are the job roles that your alliance will need:
2+ Tanks: They can be either blink tanks or Paladins, I've had both. If they're Paladins they'll want to be using an Earth staff and focus on a defensive / damage decrease build. They might want to backwards tank, which I'll explain how to do later on. If you have more than two tanks available, you'll want to keep the third in reserve in case one of the main tanks dies.
3+ Stunners: These can be BLMs, DRKs, or /DRK. It doesn't have to be RDM/DRK either. I've had a DRG/DRK before. The main thing for the stunners is that they be competent and have refresh. If they can't be put in a party with a refresher, make sure they have Yagudo drinks or some other form of refresh granting armor so that they have the MP to stun when their turn comes up.
2+ WHM: Yes, you'll want a couple WHM for a variety of reasons. Paralyna (which /WHM can assist with), Barfira and Shellra IV/V (this is especially good if the WHM has Bar-spells merited). Divine Veil is very handy if Hakutaku becomes squirmy and hits more than the tanks with Hex Eye. Curaga can save a party of the fight gets desperate or is close, but it might cost the WHM their life. And the best reason of them all: Cure V bomb. Two is the minimum number of WHM I'd take to this fight (and they'd have to be smart WHMs to cut it that close). You're safer with 3 or 4 if the WHMs aren't experienced with alliance fights.
Refreshers: I haven't set a number for this because it depends on how many magic users you've got. Refreshers obviously make the fight easier, but if you have Ninja tanks, and DRKs with Parade Gorgets and Yagudo drinks, and 4 well-equipped, solid WHM, with fully merited Devotion and are good at rotating their curing then you could probably slide by without one. Sounds insane? Maybe, but you need to be flexible and realistic for your group. Keep in mind that Refreshers also means Dispellers. Hakutaku will cast Blaze Spikes on itself. It isn't as horrible as the Blaze Spikes that Wamouracampa use, but it can add up to meaningful damage over time.
1 "Disposable" pet: One of the camps I'll describe requires the use of a disposable pet to pull Hakutaku. A SMN or BST would work fine. I'm not sure if an Avatar summoned by a /SMN will last long enough or be safe. I'm also unsure about using a PUP in this role. If your group wanted to try it, you'd need to ask the PUP their opinion on the matter and if the Automaton can do it. Again, be flexible and see what works and doesn't work for your group.
1+ "Trick Attack": For the methods I'm going to describe you'll want at least one person with Trick Attack in the alliance moving Hakutaku between the two tanks. Having more than one Trick Attack doesn't hurt, but having none might. A THF main or /THF is fine either way, but try to stack it on a weapon skill (which is a pretty obvious thing to say...)
Damage dealers: Again, I haven't assigned a number to this role because it's the one that's usually easiest to fill and comes in a variety of flavors. If I was going to toss out a minimum number I'd say six, but I won't say that's an ironclad rule, just a guideline. I've done Hakutaku with as few as 15 people total, so you can do the math on where the slots went...
Some aspects you'll want to be aware of / look for: If it's melee DD, can they partner up and make level 3 skill chains? Even level 2 are useful if you have people bursting on them. If the melee are around level 70 (or not 75, really...) they will probably need more Accuracy / Sushi to hit Hakutaku. I know many people can't fathom defeating Hakutaku without BLMs nuking it to death, but I've done it many times with zero BLMs. In this fight, BLMs are another flavor of DD and stunners.
If the damage dealers are really mixed, um, like if you have mostly level 70s and one or two people who are 75 and fully merited in that job, you will want to instruct the 75s to tone it down a bit. The biggest catch to a successful Hakutaku fight is that the NM is under control the entire time. Positioning means everything, as I'll explain when I get to the maps. Powerful damage dealers can wrest hate on Hakutaku away from the tanks, who are at a disadvantage for the most part (backwards tanking or being hammered with Paralyze constantly). Anyone who is capable of generating more hate than the tanks and making Hakutaku wiggle around needs to moderate themselves. If it's a BLM they can pace their casting slower. If it's a melee they can turn around occasionally or adjust their equipment, etc.
Hakutaku
Here's a run down on Hakutaku. It's a level 85 Hectaeye-type NM that's spawned using a Hakutaku Eye Cluster. BLM job, it casts spells of the Fire line (Fire IV, Firaga III, Flare, Blaze Spikes). It has roughly 50,000HP, thus the fight can be lengthy and become an endurance match. The ??? that spawns Hakutaku has a 15 minute repop from the time that Hakutaku is defeated. If you wipe to Hakutaku and it despawns the Cluster used to spawn it is lost.
The Optical Hat is 100% drop. Other things you might get are scrolls of Fire III and IV, Firaga III, Flare, Hi-Reraiser, Vile Elixir, Vile Elixir+1, or a Dark Crystal. It's all about the Dark Crystals.
Besides being a caster, it does Hectaeye TP moves like Death Ray, which is single target darkness damage. Hex Eye is the one you need to be concerned about. It's a cone gaze attack with a fairly strong paralyze. This is why positioning is so important and people sometimes backwards tank this NM. There are advantages and disadvantages to backwards tanking that I'll go into when I discuss strategy.
When scheduling Hakutaku runs I usually plan on spending 30-40 minutes per hat (15-25 minutes per fight + 15 for the ??? repop). Unless the group is really motivated or has an exceptional attention span I try plan runs that are 3-4 hours long at most. This rarely covers everyone who wants a hat, so multiple trips might be needed. It's just that going into hour six of a run people tend to get bored/testy or another group will show up by then and want to do Hakutaku as well.
Another thing I try to do and isn't a bad idea if you're doing this as a LS event or with a community (not randoms) bring an extra Cluster. The first run with a group that hasn't done it before is always the hardest and most nerve-wrecking. If something goes wrong at some point and a fight is lost no one has to feel bad that they have to start over again. (This is also good advice during the synthing process of the Cluster since a break is 100% loss.) If your group is farming the eyes together getting another set for one more shouldn't be a stretch. It's worth it for the peace of mind and comfort if something goes wrong.
Positioning
I cannot emphasize enough how important player and Hakutaku positioning is during this fight. If Hakutaku is allowed to twist and turn around the fight will be significantly more difficult. Every camp that I'm going to suggest is in a tunnel. Below is a diagram of where people should position themselves.
You're going to create a box around Hakutaku. I'll use the directions of north, south, east, west while explaining it, but in practice your orientation may not be along those directional lines. Assume the tunnel walls were north and south.
Have the melee position along one wall (we'll say south) and the mages along the opposite (north) wall. This positioning will be a bit uncomfortable for RNG and COR since it will be difficult to get distance for their attacks and rolls. This can be a hidden blessing since it moderates damage without having to adjust anything else. If the ranged attackers want to move down the tunnel they can try to find a position where they aren't hit by Hex Eye. If it becomes problematic (they're getting hit every time with it), I'd politely insist that they line up with the other melee. This fight can be straining on the healers and their MP. How much extra work they have to do needs to be reasonably minimal and prioritized (I’ll get to that).
To the east and west should be a tank. No one else should be east or west unless they're doing Trick Attack. Hakutaku should only face east or west and not north or south where the majority of your people are. If someone gets hate and the tanks can't get it off immediately they should move next to the current main tank until hate is fixed. In other words, the person with hate shouldn't stand in the middle of their buddies and draw attacks onto everyone else.
Camps
Here is a map of where the Hakutaku fight takes place:
There are three camps that I've used for Hakutaku, which were chosen depending upon alliance make-up and if there's an add party or not. Here's a picture of the camps:
A, B, and C are where you would set up your alliance in the tunnels.*
Camp A: If you're using this camp you'll want an add party outside of the alliance. Your alliance is pinned between a Million Eyes spawn area (marked in blue) and a one way drop to the south (marked by the red arrow). There is also the risk of blood aggro from the flesh below (marked in dark pink). The flesh can and will come up the ledge and thrash your alliance if there's blood aggro. There is also a flesh NM called Ogama that spawns down there. Fun times. This camp has the shortest pull distance between the alliance and the ???. Of the three camp suggestions, this is my least favorite.
Camp B: This camp is much like Camp A, only without the risk of blood aggro. You're pinned on both sides in a fairly small area by Million Eyes, so an add party will be needed.
Camp C: Camp C is my first choice if I have a pet puller available for the run. Million Eyes don't spawn in the tunnel, so an add party isn't necessary.
For how to complete the pull: Have the person with the pet be fully buffed and up by the ??? while the alliance is at C. They'll pop Hakutaku and put their pet on it, then Sneak themselves. If they're hit before their pet can take hate, they might need additional curing, so be on your toes. Doing the pop with Stoneskin/Blink up is strongly suggested. Once they're ready they'll instruct their pet to follow and drop down the ledge with Hakutaku in tow (you can also let the pet die and have it follow, but it might come unclaimed if you do that.)
This pull is easier for a SMN to do than a BST. When popped, Hakutaku will aggro the person who popped it. If the SMN has their Avatar out, the Avatar will automatically attack Hakutaku. For a BST, they have to tell their pet to attack.
* These camps are to the best of my knowledge. SE has a nasty habit of moving mobs around for giggles, so it's a good idea to scout a camp before you decide upon one. If one of the camps I have listed here is no longer viable, please do let me know. Maybe SE will change their mind again on mob placement a month afterwards. [Stares very pointedly at Phomiuna Aquaducts and Sacrarium.]
Strategy
After all that information on how to get set up for Hakutaku, we're finally to the fight itself. Let's start with the tanking. As mentioned, you'll want at least two of them, one standing on each side of Hakutaku. NIN or PLD doesn't matter, but whichever you choose will change strategy some. If you have a PLD tank you will need to set up a Stun order to catch Fire IV, Firaga III, and Flare. With a NIN you only need to stun Firaga III and make sure the WHM are ready to cast Flash if the NIN is having difficulty getting Utsusemi up.
Hakutaku's melee hits can be described as truck-like, so your tank may want to use an Earth Staff. NIN may want to wear Arhat's equipment as well where appropriate. Your tanks are going to get pounded with Hex Eye, which does a strong Paralyze and damage. It's a gaze attack, so if their backs are to Hakutaku, they won't be Paralyzed, just take damage. It's easier for a PLD to do backwards tanking since they can use Flash, Cures, and Provokes to keep Hakutaku on them. A NIN tank may prefer to just straight up tank it and have their damage help them hold hate. Make sure there's plenty of communication between the tanks and the WHM. If they're going to straight tank it, make sure the WHM are prepared for it.
Next let's discuss Trick Attack since that's going to be a big part of helping the tanks keep hate. You'll want to set it up for what is most comfortable for your group. I usually have the TA move back and forth between the two tanks. Hate needs to be kept as high as possible on the tanks because by the end of the fight their hold on it will start slipping. (Other players would have built up hate with attacks/Cures/etc. by then and loosening hate.)
As I've mentioned, Hakutaku is not the time for a damage dealer to decide that they're going to show off and destroy a tank's hold on hate. DDs needs to focus on doing steady, controlled damage that works with the tank rather than against them. If Hakutaku is squirming around some, hold off on using that weapon skill unless you're going to TA it onto a tank. This gets more difficult as the fight goes on, so be aware of it. Try to set up skill chains if you have BLMs to burst on them, not just spam weapon skills whenever you happen to have TP. Partners can report their TP to each other via /tell and then announce in /p when they're ready to go.
Which brings up another very important point with Hakutaku (or any alliance fights, really.) A lot of things are going to be happening at once, so you'll want to make sure you have your filters set to what you need to know and block out the rest. (Like, a WHM would probably want to block out all of the damage that the alliance is doing.) Set your chat log to Hold on Party so that lines in /p will freeze at the top of the log momentarily before scrolling off. Remove /p announcements from macros for things that the alliance doesn't need to know. Party chat announcements for Cures, Refresh, Provoke, and reporting TP (which should be moved to /tell with your partner) should be removed. Things you *do* want to see in party chat are when a skill chain pair is about to go so those bursting on it know and other partners don't go at the same time. You'll also want to keep Stun order turn announcements in party chat so that the next person in line knows they're up.
If you've never set up a Stun order before here's how it goes. Establish in which order your stunners will go. We'll call ours A, B, and C. Have each of them set up a Stun macro with a /p announcement in it that says they've gone and says who's next in line. Like A's macro would say something like "Stun! B next!" If A is a melee and it's their turn in the order, they'll want to hold off on doing any weapon skills or casting spells until it's not their turn. (In other words, don't perform any actions that might interfere with casting Stun). If it's a mage, same thing, don't cast any long spells while it's their turn. After their turn they can go back to normal actions until their turn comes up again. If it's a stunner's turn and they're unable to do it (no MP, have to AFK suddenly, etc.) they need to announce that in party chat and have the next stunner acknowledge that it's their turn. Don't just assume that they person saw the announcement because it was said. A lot of text is going to be scrolling. Confirm!
This level of communication is also necessary among the WHM. If a WHM's MP is running low (like under 25%) they need to let the others know. You might want to set up a WHM resting order. Again, let's assume you have three WHM X, Y, and Z. We'll have X as the main healer for the tanks, Y will back up, and Z can work on buffs like Haste. In reality all three of them will be Curing some, but the idea is to have X exhaust their MP first while Z conserves their MP the most. When X's MP is low they'll rest and Y will take over main healing with Z backing them up. When Y's runs low, Z will take over and X will back them up with Y resting, etc.
The WHMs also need to communicate and have an idea of what to do if Hakutaku gets turned around or has a Firaga III gets by the stunners. If Hakutaku is only hitting the tanks with Hex Eye, it's pretty obvious that they're the one's getting Paralyna. If it gets turned towards the melee or mages, the first people who should be Paralyna'ed are the stunners, specifically, the one that is next in the Stun order if they were hit. After that Paralyna the WHM, /WHM, Refreshers, TAers, then work through the rest of the alliance from there. The stunners must be able to stun, so keep them high on the priority list for Paralyna and Cures if they're getting hit. The tanks, the WHM, and stunners are the three highest priority groups for keeping on their feet.
Before starting the fight you'll want to have your melee gain TP so that they can get some skill chains going. Do this in a way that doesn't mess things up for the add party. Kill the Million Eyes that are further down the tunnel or make sure the add party knows what's been killed when. Having the alliance clear the area all at once means that everything is going to repop at once and that may become overwhelming. Make sure buffs are fresh and that everyone who can cast Reraise on themselves has it up. If you have a SMN with you, have them put up Stoneskin and Blink on the tanks right before starting.
For how to structure the alliance itself, there's two ways to do it and I'm not sure one is better than the other, so I'll explain both and you can choose whichever is best for your group.
Consolidate Tanks and Healers: This is a setup that's often used in events like Dynamis and puts similar job types together. Your alliance would be structured something like: 1) Tank Tank WHM WHM SMN Refresh 2) BLM BLM Refresh DRK DRK BLU 3) DD DD DD DD DD DD The advantage of this layout is that if the tanks get rocked they can be hit with Benediction or Curaga. There is also a SMN with them to keep putting up Stoneskin / Aerial Armor and the Refresh to keep their MP going. With the Group 2 Merit abilities like Devotion and Martyr the WHMs can Devotion each other or Martyr the tanks if MP is low.
The second party is mostly set up as your Stun party and keeping them Refreshed with extra DD who might need MP (like BLUs) stuck in there.
The third party of DDs is left out in the cold regarding healing, which may seem unreasonable, but if everything goes according to plan they shouldn't be taking damage except from things like Blaze Spikes. You can do some creative wiggling to make the third party a bit more secure. Like a BRD with Paeon, DRG with Healing Breath, and BLUs with Magic Fruit and Wild Carrot can help keep the party going if they aren't taking direct damage or eating multiple Firaga III's.
This alliance configuration works better with a group that's used to working together and communicating. If it was a Hakutaku alliance made up of random players, I wouldn't set it up this way.
Each Party Balanced: The other way to go about this is to make each party a balanced one. There is a bit more overhead involved in terms of WHMs and Refreshers necessary, but it's overall safer and probably better if your WHMs don't have the Group 2 merit abilities. Here's an example alliance: 1) Tank WHM Refresh BLM DRK DD 2) Tank WHM Refresh BLM BLU DD 3) WHM Refresh BLM DD DD DD. If you only have two Refreshers available it's better to consolidate the WHM, but if they're good at resting order, this can be worked around.
This configuration provides a healer to Curaga and keep Barfira up if Stuns are being missed or resisted. If Hakutaku is squirmy and throwing around Hex Eye everywhere, there is a WHM to Divine Veil and Paralyna in each party. The WHM without a tank supports whichever WHM's tank is currently main tank while the other main tank WHM rests some if they can. If you have the people to support it and this is your first time doing an alliance fight, this is the safer way to go because it covers your bases for healing all around.
Add Party: I want to take a moment to discuss the add party since I've been throwing the term around. It's a party that is not part of the alliance that's responsible for killing any Million Eyes that have or might possibly aggro the alliance while they're fighting Hakutaku. A solo BST *can* do the add party by themselves, but it's a lot safer if they're not alone. (It depends entirely upon the BST's level and how comfortable they feel doing it. If the BST doesn't feel comfortable solo, don't force them!)
The Million Eyes range in level from DC to Ts at 75, so a small balanced group can take care of things. (A "tank" which could just be a DD/NIN, a "healer" which could be a DRG/WHM, BLU, etc. and a DD can do fine in most situations.) If your group is mostly people around 70 then you'll prolly need closer to a full, balanced XP-type party to take care of things since the Million Eyes will check as T-VT (their levels are 73-76).
The add party needs to be careful not to get in trouble themselves while they're keeping the coast clear. You might want to keep track of the respawn times on the Million Eyes, or at very least have a rough idea of what order you've killed them in. Don't be afraid to pull them back to where it's safe to kill them. If the alliance is doing a good job of stunning Firaga III's killing the Million Eyes next to them should be safe.
Conclusion
Organizing a Hakutaku run is a big project. It's not really something you just go out and do, especially with a group that's never done it before. With an understanding of what's needed and what to look out for, the fight can be simplified to near rote. The first one is the most exciting and nerve-wrecking, but your group will feel 100% better and more confident after the first fight is won. Hakutaku itself isn't a difficult NM. It doesn't have any unpreventable attacks that are special or can completely demolish an alliance out of nowhere. The group setup is the hard part. Get your ducks in a row with everyone on the same page regarding positioning and strategy and things should click into place. There's always the random chance that something unexpected will happen (like the tank DCing and the other getting mauled), but Hakutaku really isn't as bad as people make it out to be if everyone sticks to the plan.
Acknowledgements
Maps were shamelessly robbed (again) from FFXI Atlas with additions made by me. FFXIclopedia provided a couple more details that I didn't know off the top of my head (like how many HP Hakutaku has).
Many thanks go to Devilshortee and the former LS EternalKnights for originally teaching me Hakutaku strategy and giving me my O.hat (thanks Kait). Further thanks go to Merlee, Draque, and Zubis of FantasyInsanity for introducing and refining pulling strategy for Camp C. I cannot fully express my gratitude towards FantasyInsanity and those outside of our LS who have done Hakutaku with us and carefully followed directions. We've never lost a fight across many runs and I think that says a lot. The credit goes to those who listened and worked as a team, so thank you.
Beanie / FantasyInsanity / Midgardsormr
07.27.07
Introduction
Within the game play structure of FFXI there are certain challenges that every person will meet eventually: national rank missions, limit breaks, Maat, etc. Hakutaku is also one of those challenges. It's not compulsory like the ones I've listed, but it might as well be if you're playing a melee job or wish to have a melee build. A player can get along without an Optical Hat, but it's one of those things that just makes life easier. Because everyone wants one and the fact that Hakutaku isn't an NM that can be pushed over by a party of people in most cases, a lot of information and misinformation has gotten around. This guide is my attempt to sort things out from square one. There are several ways to fry this fish and I'll cover the ways I'm aware of. One method I have *no* experience with is using a party of BSTs to defeat Hakutaku. The most difficult aspect of Hakutaku is preparing for it. Hopefully this guide will make that preparation easier for those who wish to do it.
Necessary job roles
Most methods for Hakutaku call for having a full alliance and at very least a small party to take care of adds. You can do this, but it's unnecessary in at least one situation. I'll explain once I get to the maps and places to set up the fight. Here are the job roles that your alliance will need:
2+ Tanks: They can be either blink tanks or Paladins, I've had both. If they're Paladins they'll want to be using an Earth staff and focus on a defensive / damage decrease build. They might want to backwards tank, which I'll explain how to do later on. If you have more than two tanks available, you'll want to keep the third in reserve in case one of the main tanks dies.
3+ Stunners: These can be BLMs, DRKs, or /DRK. It doesn't have to be RDM/DRK either. I've had a DRG/DRK before. The main thing for the stunners is that they be competent and have refresh. If they can't be put in a party with a refresher, make sure they have Yagudo drinks or some other form of refresh granting armor so that they have the MP to stun when their turn comes up.
2+ WHM: Yes, you'll want a couple WHM for a variety of reasons. Paralyna (which /WHM can assist with), Barfira and Shellra IV/V (this is especially good if the WHM has Bar-spells merited). Divine Veil is very handy if Hakutaku becomes squirmy and hits more than the tanks with Hex Eye. Curaga can save a party of the fight gets desperate or is close, but it might cost the WHM their life. And the best reason of them all: Cure V bomb. Two is the minimum number of WHM I'd take to this fight (and they'd have to be smart WHMs to cut it that close). You're safer with 3 or 4 if the WHMs aren't experienced with alliance fights.
Refreshers: I haven't set a number for this because it depends on how many magic users you've got. Refreshers obviously make the fight easier, but if you have Ninja tanks, and DRKs with Parade Gorgets and Yagudo drinks, and 4 well-equipped, solid WHM, with fully merited Devotion and are good at rotating their curing then you could probably slide by without one. Sounds insane? Maybe, but you need to be flexible and realistic for your group. Keep in mind that Refreshers also means Dispellers. Hakutaku will cast Blaze Spikes on itself. It isn't as horrible as the Blaze Spikes that Wamouracampa use, but it can add up to meaningful damage over time.
1 "Disposable" pet: One of the camps I'll describe requires the use of a disposable pet to pull Hakutaku. A SMN or BST would work fine. I'm not sure if an Avatar summoned by a /SMN will last long enough or be safe. I'm also unsure about using a PUP in this role. If your group wanted to try it, you'd need to ask the PUP their opinion on the matter and if the Automaton can do it. Again, be flexible and see what works and doesn't work for your group.
1+ "Trick Attack": For the methods I'm going to describe you'll want at least one person with Trick Attack in the alliance moving Hakutaku between the two tanks. Having more than one Trick Attack doesn't hurt, but having none might. A THF main or /THF is fine either way, but try to stack it on a weapon skill (which is a pretty obvious thing to say...)
Damage dealers: Again, I haven't assigned a number to this role because it's the one that's usually easiest to fill and comes in a variety of flavors. If I was going to toss out a minimum number I'd say six, but I won't say that's an ironclad rule, just a guideline. I've done Hakutaku with as few as 15 people total, so you can do the math on where the slots went...
Some aspects you'll want to be aware of / look for: If it's melee DD, can they partner up and make level 3 skill chains? Even level 2 are useful if you have people bursting on them. If the melee are around level 70 (or not 75, really...) they will probably need more Accuracy / Sushi to hit Hakutaku. I know many people can't fathom defeating Hakutaku without BLMs nuking it to death, but I've done it many times with zero BLMs. In this fight, BLMs are another flavor of DD and stunners.
If the damage dealers are really mixed, um, like if you have mostly level 70s and one or two people who are 75 and fully merited in that job, you will want to instruct the 75s to tone it down a bit. The biggest catch to a successful Hakutaku fight is that the NM is under control the entire time. Positioning means everything, as I'll explain when I get to the maps. Powerful damage dealers can wrest hate on Hakutaku away from the tanks, who are at a disadvantage for the most part (backwards tanking or being hammered with Paralyze constantly). Anyone who is capable of generating more hate than the tanks and making Hakutaku wiggle around needs to moderate themselves. If it's a BLM they can pace their casting slower. If it's a melee they can turn around occasionally or adjust their equipment, etc.
Hakutaku
Here's a run down on Hakutaku. It's a level 85 Hectaeye-type NM that's spawned using a Hakutaku Eye Cluster. BLM job, it casts spells of the Fire line (Fire IV, Firaga III, Flare, Blaze Spikes). It has roughly 50,000HP, thus the fight can be lengthy and become an endurance match. The ??? that spawns Hakutaku has a 15 minute repop from the time that Hakutaku is defeated. If you wipe to Hakutaku and it despawns the Cluster used to spawn it is lost.
The Optical Hat is 100% drop. Other things you might get are scrolls of Fire III and IV, Firaga III, Flare, Hi-Reraiser, Vile Elixir, Vile Elixir+1, or a Dark Crystal. It's all about the Dark Crystals.
Besides being a caster, it does Hectaeye TP moves like Death Ray, which is single target darkness damage. Hex Eye is the one you need to be concerned about. It's a cone gaze attack with a fairly strong paralyze. This is why positioning is so important and people sometimes backwards tank this NM. There are advantages and disadvantages to backwards tanking that I'll go into when I discuss strategy.
When scheduling Hakutaku runs I usually plan on spending 30-40 minutes per hat (15-25 minutes per fight + 15 for the ??? repop). Unless the group is really motivated or has an exceptional attention span I try plan runs that are 3-4 hours long at most. This rarely covers everyone who wants a hat, so multiple trips might be needed. It's just that going into hour six of a run people tend to get bored/testy or another group will show up by then and want to do Hakutaku as well.
Another thing I try to do and isn't a bad idea if you're doing this as a LS event or with a community (not randoms) bring an extra Cluster. The first run with a group that hasn't done it before is always the hardest and most nerve-wrecking. If something goes wrong at some point and a fight is lost no one has to feel bad that they have to start over again. (This is also good advice during the synthing process of the Cluster since a break is 100% loss.) If your group is farming the eyes together getting another set for one more shouldn't be a stretch. It's worth it for the peace of mind and comfort if something goes wrong.
Positioning
I cannot emphasize enough how important player and Hakutaku positioning is during this fight. If Hakutaku is allowed to twist and turn around the fight will be significantly more difficult. Every camp that I'm going to suggest is in a tunnel. Below is a diagram of where people should position themselves.
You're going to create a box around Hakutaku. I'll use the directions of north, south, east, west while explaining it, but in practice your orientation may not be along those directional lines. Assume the tunnel walls were north and south.
Have the melee position along one wall (we'll say south) and the mages along the opposite (north) wall. This positioning will be a bit uncomfortable for RNG and COR since it will be difficult to get distance for their attacks and rolls. This can be a hidden blessing since it moderates damage without having to adjust anything else. If the ranged attackers want to move down the tunnel they can try to find a position where they aren't hit by Hex Eye. If it becomes problematic (they're getting hit every time with it), I'd politely insist that they line up with the other melee. This fight can be straining on the healers and their MP. How much extra work they have to do needs to be reasonably minimal and prioritized (I’ll get to that).
To the east and west should be a tank. No one else should be east or west unless they're doing Trick Attack. Hakutaku should only face east or west and not north or south where the majority of your people are. If someone gets hate and the tanks can't get it off immediately they should move next to the current main tank until hate is fixed. In other words, the person with hate shouldn't stand in the middle of their buddies and draw attacks onto everyone else.
Camps
Here is a map of where the Hakutaku fight takes place:
There are three camps that I've used for Hakutaku, which were chosen depending upon alliance make-up and if there's an add party or not. Here's a picture of the camps:
A, B, and C are where you would set up your alliance in the tunnels.*
Camp A: If you're using this camp you'll want an add party outside of the alliance. Your alliance is pinned between a Million Eyes spawn area (marked in blue) and a one way drop to the south (marked by the red arrow). There is also the risk of blood aggro from the flesh below (marked in dark pink). The flesh can and will come up the ledge and thrash your alliance if there's blood aggro. There is also a flesh NM called Ogama that spawns down there. Fun times. This camp has the shortest pull distance between the alliance and the ???. Of the three camp suggestions, this is my least favorite.
Camp B: This camp is much like Camp A, only without the risk of blood aggro. You're pinned on both sides in a fairly small area by Million Eyes, so an add party will be needed.
Camp C: Camp C is my first choice if I have a pet puller available for the run. Million Eyes don't spawn in the tunnel, so an add party isn't necessary.
For how to complete the pull: Have the person with the pet be fully buffed and up by the ??? while the alliance is at C. They'll pop Hakutaku and put their pet on it, then Sneak themselves. If they're hit before their pet can take hate, they might need additional curing, so be on your toes. Doing the pop with Stoneskin/Blink up is strongly suggested. Once they're ready they'll instruct their pet to follow and drop down the ledge with Hakutaku in tow (you can also let the pet die and have it follow, but it might come unclaimed if you do that.)
This pull is easier for a SMN to do than a BST. When popped, Hakutaku will aggro the person who popped it. If the SMN has their Avatar out, the Avatar will automatically attack Hakutaku. For a BST, they have to tell their pet to attack.
* These camps are to the best of my knowledge. SE has a nasty habit of moving mobs around for giggles, so it's a good idea to scout a camp before you decide upon one. If one of the camps I have listed here is no longer viable, please do let me know. Maybe SE will change their mind again on mob placement a month afterwards. [Stares very pointedly at Phomiuna Aquaducts and Sacrarium.]
Strategy
After all that information on how to get set up for Hakutaku, we're finally to the fight itself. Let's start with the tanking. As mentioned, you'll want at least two of them, one standing on each side of Hakutaku. NIN or PLD doesn't matter, but whichever you choose will change strategy some. If you have a PLD tank you will need to set up a Stun order to catch Fire IV, Firaga III, and Flare. With a NIN you only need to stun Firaga III and make sure the WHM are ready to cast Flash if the NIN is having difficulty getting Utsusemi up.
Hakutaku's melee hits can be described as truck-like, so your tank may want to use an Earth Staff. NIN may want to wear Arhat's equipment as well where appropriate. Your tanks are going to get pounded with Hex Eye, which does a strong Paralyze and damage. It's a gaze attack, so if their backs are to Hakutaku, they won't be Paralyzed, just take damage. It's easier for a PLD to do backwards tanking since they can use Flash, Cures, and Provokes to keep Hakutaku on them. A NIN tank may prefer to just straight up tank it and have their damage help them hold hate. Make sure there's plenty of communication between the tanks and the WHM. If they're going to straight tank it, make sure the WHM are prepared for it.
Next let's discuss Trick Attack since that's going to be a big part of helping the tanks keep hate. You'll want to set it up for what is most comfortable for your group. I usually have the TA move back and forth between the two tanks. Hate needs to be kept as high as possible on the tanks because by the end of the fight their hold on it will start slipping. (Other players would have built up hate with attacks/Cures/etc. by then and loosening hate.)
As I've mentioned, Hakutaku is not the time for a damage dealer to decide that they're going to show off and destroy a tank's hold on hate. DDs needs to focus on doing steady, controlled damage that works with the tank rather than against them. If Hakutaku is squirming around some, hold off on using that weapon skill unless you're going to TA it onto a tank. This gets more difficult as the fight goes on, so be aware of it. Try to set up skill chains if you have BLMs to burst on them, not just spam weapon skills whenever you happen to have TP. Partners can report their TP to each other via /tell and then announce in /p when they're ready to go.
Which brings up another very important point with Hakutaku (or any alliance fights, really.) A lot of things are going to be happening at once, so you'll want to make sure you have your filters set to what you need to know and block out the rest. (Like, a WHM would probably want to block out all of the damage that the alliance is doing.) Set your chat log to Hold on Party so that lines in /p will freeze at the top of the log momentarily before scrolling off. Remove /p announcements from macros for things that the alliance doesn't need to know. Party chat announcements for Cures, Refresh, Provoke, and reporting TP (which should be moved to /tell with your partner) should be removed. Things you *do* want to see in party chat are when a skill chain pair is about to go so those bursting on it know and other partners don't go at the same time. You'll also want to keep Stun order turn announcements in party chat so that the next person in line knows they're up.
If you've never set up a Stun order before here's how it goes. Establish in which order your stunners will go. We'll call ours A, B, and C. Have each of them set up a Stun macro with a /p announcement in it that says they've gone and says who's next in line. Like A's macro would say something like "Stun! B next!" If A is a melee and it's their turn in the order, they'll want to hold off on doing any weapon skills or casting spells until it's not their turn. (In other words, don't perform any actions that might interfere with casting Stun). If it's a mage, same thing, don't cast any long spells while it's their turn. After their turn they can go back to normal actions until their turn comes up again. If it's a stunner's turn and they're unable to do it (no MP, have to AFK suddenly, etc.) they need to announce that in party chat and have the next stunner acknowledge that it's their turn. Don't just assume that they person saw the announcement because it was said. A lot of text is going to be scrolling. Confirm!
This level of communication is also necessary among the WHM. If a WHM's MP is running low (like under 25%) they need to let the others know. You might want to set up a WHM resting order. Again, let's assume you have three WHM X, Y, and Z. We'll have X as the main healer for the tanks, Y will back up, and Z can work on buffs like Haste. In reality all three of them will be Curing some, but the idea is to have X exhaust their MP first while Z conserves their MP the most. When X's MP is low they'll rest and Y will take over main healing with Z backing them up. When Y's runs low, Z will take over and X will back them up with Y resting, etc.
The WHMs also need to communicate and have an idea of what to do if Hakutaku gets turned around or has a Firaga III gets by the stunners. If Hakutaku is only hitting the tanks with Hex Eye, it's pretty obvious that they're the one's getting Paralyna. If it gets turned towards the melee or mages, the first people who should be Paralyna'ed are the stunners, specifically, the one that is next in the Stun order if they were hit. After that Paralyna the WHM, /WHM, Refreshers, TAers, then work through the rest of the alliance from there. The stunners must be able to stun, so keep them high on the priority list for Paralyna and Cures if they're getting hit. The tanks, the WHM, and stunners are the three highest priority groups for keeping on their feet.
Before starting the fight you'll want to have your melee gain TP so that they can get some skill chains going. Do this in a way that doesn't mess things up for the add party. Kill the Million Eyes that are further down the tunnel or make sure the add party knows what's been killed when. Having the alliance clear the area all at once means that everything is going to repop at once and that may become overwhelming. Make sure buffs are fresh and that everyone who can cast Reraise on themselves has it up. If you have a SMN with you, have them put up Stoneskin and Blink on the tanks right before starting.
For how to structure the alliance itself, there's two ways to do it and I'm not sure one is better than the other, so I'll explain both and you can choose whichever is best for your group.
Consolidate Tanks and Healers: This is a setup that's often used in events like Dynamis and puts similar job types together. Your alliance would be structured something like: 1) Tank Tank WHM WHM SMN Refresh 2) BLM BLM Refresh DRK DRK BLU 3) DD DD DD DD DD DD The advantage of this layout is that if the tanks get rocked they can be hit with Benediction or Curaga. There is also a SMN with them to keep putting up Stoneskin / Aerial Armor and the Refresh to keep their MP going. With the Group 2 Merit abilities like Devotion and Martyr the WHMs can Devotion each other or Martyr the tanks if MP is low.
The second party is mostly set up as your Stun party and keeping them Refreshed with extra DD who might need MP (like BLUs) stuck in there.
The third party of DDs is left out in the cold regarding healing, which may seem unreasonable, but if everything goes according to plan they shouldn't be taking damage except from things like Blaze Spikes. You can do some creative wiggling to make the third party a bit more secure. Like a BRD with Paeon, DRG with Healing Breath, and BLUs with Magic Fruit and Wild Carrot can help keep the party going if they aren't taking direct damage or eating multiple Firaga III's.
This alliance configuration works better with a group that's used to working together and communicating. If it was a Hakutaku alliance made up of random players, I wouldn't set it up this way.
Each Party Balanced: The other way to go about this is to make each party a balanced one. There is a bit more overhead involved in terms of WHMs and Refreshers necessary, but it's overall safer and probably better if your WHMs don't have the Group 2 merit abilities. Here's an example alliance: 1) Tank WHM Refresh BLM DRK DD 2) Tank WHM Refresh BLM BLU DD 3) WHM Refresh BLM DD DD DD. If you only have two Refreshers available it's better to consolidate the WHM, but if they're good at resting order, this can be worked around.
This configuration provides a healer to Curaga and keep Barfira up if Stuns are being missed or resisted. If Hakutaku is squirmy and throwing around Hex Eye everywhere, there is a WHM to Divine Veil and Paralyna in each party. The WHM without a tank supports whichever WHM's tank is currently main tank while the other main tank WHM rests some if they can. If you have the people to support it and this is your first time doing an alliance fight, this is the safer way to go because it covers your bases for healing all around.
Add Party: I want to take a moment to discuss the add party since I've been throwing the term around. It's a party that is not part of the alliance that's responsible for killing any Million Eyes that have or might possibly aggro the alliance while they're fighting Hakutaku. A solo BST *can* do the add party by themselves, but it's a lot safer if they're not alone. (It depends entirely upon the BST's level and how comfortable they feel doing it. If the BST doesn't feel comfortable solo, don't force them!)
The Million Eyes range in level from DC to Ts at 75, so a small balanced group can take care of things. (A "tank" which could just be a DD/NIN, a "healer" which could be a DRG/WHM, BLU, etc. and a DD can do fine in most situations.) If your group is mostly people around 70 then you'll prolly need closer to a full, balanced XP-type party to take care of things since the Million Eyes will check as T-VT (their levels are 73-76).
The add party needs to be careful not to get in trouble themselves while they're keeping the coast clear. You might want to keep track of the respawn times on the Million Eyes, or at very least have a rough idea of what order you've killed them in. Don't be afraid to pull them back to where it's safe to kill them. If the alliance is doing a good job of stunning Firaga III's killing the Million Eyes next to them should be safe.
Conclusion
Organizing a Hakutaku run is a big project. It's not really something you just go out and do, especially with a group that's never done it before. With an understanding of what's needed and what to look out for, the fight can be simplified to near rote. The first one is the most exciting and nerve-wrecking, but your group will feel 100% better and more confident after the first fight is won. Hakutaku itself isn't a difficult NM. It doesn't have any unpreventable attacks that are special or can completely demolish an alliance out of nowhere. The group setup is the hard part. Get your ducks in a row with everyone on the same page regarding positioning and strategy and things should click into place. There's always the random chance that something unexpected will happen (like the tank DCing and the other getting mauled), but Hakutaku really isn't as bad as people make it out to be if everyone sticks to the plan.
Acknowledgements
Maps were shamelessly robbed (again) from FFXI Atlas with additions made by me. FFXIclopedia provided a couple more details that I didn't know off the top of my head (like how many HP Hakutaku has).
Many thanks go to Devilshortee and the former LS EternalKnights for originally teaching me Hakutaku strategy and giving me my O.hat (thanks Kait). Further thanks go to Merlee, Draque, and Zubis of FantasyInsanity for introducing and refining pulling strategy for Camp C. I cannot fully express my gratitude towards FantasyInsanity and those outside of our LS who have done Hakutaku with us and carefully followed directions. We've never lost a fight across many runs and I think that says a lot. The credit goes to those who listened and worked as a team, so thank you.
Beanie / FantasyInsanity / Midgardsormr
07.27.07