In Final Fantasy 16Clive is tasked with defeating a number of Eikons in unique boss fights. The rising tide is no different, resulting in a battle with water Eikon Leviathan.
The Rising Tide is the second part of the DLC expansion for Final Fantasy 16 and is more difficult overall, with the final battle against Leviathan proving particularly tricky thanks largely to a mid-phase DPS check.
To help you, here is our guide on how to beat Leviathan throughout its four phases in Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide.
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For more Final Fantasy 16 guides, find out how to get the Ultima weapon and where to find hunting locations.
How to beat Leviathan in Final Fantasy 16 The Rising Tide
In the battle against Leviathan, Clive will transform into Ifrit. As such, you won’t have to worry about selecting which Clive Eikon abilities to use.
As a reminder, Ifrit has three special abilities to take into account in addition to regular attacks:
- Fires – A movement boost that also deals damage
- Sulfur – A fiery combo of powerful blows
- Spitflare – A long-range energy beam
The Battle of Leviathan takes place in four phases, with increasingly complex attacks. A general tip is to learn these attacks and avoid them accordingly with precise timing. Remember that your Firelight heals replenish if you die and restart at the most recent phase, meaning you can force your way through a little brutally if necessary.
How to beat the first Leviathan phase in Final Fantasy 16 The Rising Tide
The first phase unfolds in a thunderous maelstrom with Ifrit and Leviathan fighting in the air.
As with much of the Leviathan battle, it is recommended to focus on dodging attacks with correct timing and countering with basic combo attacks: square, triangle, square, triangle, square, triangle, triangle is a good option. Patience is key – it will be a long fight overall.
Use Brimstone and Spitflare between Leviathan attacks whenever you’re ready to deal big damage, especially when staggered by regular attacks.
How to beat Leviathan Phase Two in Final Fantasy 16 The Rising Tide
The second phase moves to flat, open seas for a less disorienting battle. Again, the best tactic is to dodge Leviathan’s various whips, thrusts, and beams and counterattack with powerful basic combos.
For Leviathan’s more elaborate attacks like Breach, Riptide, Waterjet, and Salt Spray, use Wildfire to quickly dodge to the side and then quickly close the distance. Brimstone can also be used to counter Riptide as Ifrit will not take damage during the building animation.
Again, pepper in Brimstone and Spitflare when the opportunity presents itself.
How to beat Leviathan phase three (DPS check) in Final Fantasy 16 The Rising Tide
For the third phase, Leviathan will summon an impregnable barrier around himself and push Ifrit back a certain distance. The goal is to cause as much damage as possible in a short period of time, otherwise Leviathan will summon a tsunami wave for instant failure. Be careful, this is the trickiest and most frustrating part of the battle.
To cause maximum damage, follow this strategy to break the barrier:
- Use Spitflare immediately. This causes high damage, and when used at the very beginning, there should be enough time to use this skill three times during this phase.
- Use Wildfire to close the gap as quickly as possible, avoiding the water jets but still moving forward.
- Hit Leviathan with a Brimstone once reached.
- Precisely dodge projectiles or water eruptions while dealing as much damage as possible with basic combos: square, triangle, square, triangle, square, triangle, triangle.
- Once knocked back, use Wildfire again to close the gap again.
- Continue with this strategy, using Brimstone and Spitflare whenever they become available. The timing is going to be tight!
- The real deciding factor is learning the timing to dodge each attack. If you’ve been hit, it’s wasted time when you have to attack!
How to beat Leviathan phase four in Final Fantasy 16 The Rising Tide
The final phase is similar to the second, although Leviathan has new, more powerful attacks. Again, the key is to dodge his attacks and counter with combos plus Brimstone and Spitflare whenever possible.
Leviathan will launch multiple attacks one after the other in rapid succession, so knowing how to dodge phase two is imperative.
Maelstrom is the hardest attack to dodge, as Leviathan summons a swirling vortex. Sulfur can be used to absorb damage before dodging projectiles.
Halfway through, Leviathan will summon Waterspout, a massive cyclone of water. It’s imposing but easy to dodge with Wildfire.
This will be followed by Angry Seas, a combination of previous attacks. Riptide-type closing circles can be jumped and dodged, the Maelstrom vortex absorbed with Brimstone, and projectiles and charged beam attacks can be dodged with precision.
Once low on health, Leviathan will summon a tsunami again, triggering Ifrit’s final attack. Congratulations on beating The Rising Tide – literally!
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