Dread Beasts are a new mechanic introduced in patch 6.35’s Eureka Orthos, Final Fantasy XIV’s new deep dungeon. With a large amount of HP and hard-hitting autos that will make even the tankiest of players sweat, these Dread Beasts will randomly spawn on floors throughout Eureka Orthos. They aggro by sight, allowing players to sneak past them by avoiding the front of the Dread Beasts. Ninjas can also use their Hide skill to walk past them without pulling them. However, players will also be rewarded for defeating a Dread Beast, so it is up to you to weigh the pros and cons of taking one on, as it can kill you in one or two hits if your aetherpool levels are low. Here are tips to safely defeat a Dread Beast in Eureka Orthos.
Related: Unlock requirements and level range for Eureka Orthos Deep Dungeon in Final Fantasy XIV
Tips to defeat a Dread Beast in Eureka Orthos
Dread Beasts have increased health and damage, so you will want to KO them as soon as possible before they end your run. Protomanders of Dread do not work on them, and while Witching does work, the Dread Beast will still have a large amount of HP and will still hit fairly hard. Do not use either of those; instead, use the Protomander of Storms and burst it down as fast as possible.
Alternatively, if a Protomander of Sight has revealed a Landmine trap on the floor, and you happen to be a tank in a party, you can deliberately trigger the trap in a way that will make it hit both you and the Dread Beast, before healing up and bursting it down. Landmines will deal a certain percentage (about 80%) of your HP to you and anything in range, so make sure you mitigate and heal up before attempting to burst it down. Healers can also attempt this, though it is a lot riskier due to the hard-hitting auto attacks, especially for regen healers.
What rewards unlock after defeating Dread Beasts in FFXIV?
Defeating a Dread Beast will reward players with a piece of the Accursed Hoard and one of three 30 minute long buffs, depending on what Dread Beast was defeated:
- Demi-Cochma: Decreased physical and magical vulnerability
- Meracydian Clone: Increased damage
- Lamia Queen: HP regeneration
