Dragonsong’s Reprise is the first Ultimate Raid for the Endwalker expansion released in Patch 6.11. The raid features a retelling of the Heavensward expansion with a “what if…” twist on its events – and it is the first Ultimate raid in this concept. The fight is split up into eight distinct phases and features a “checkpoint” after the first phase, making it seven phases on subsequent pulls.
5.0There is a new achievement to earn, a new title, and weapons to obtain. We will talk about these rewards in this review, but let’s begin with the preparation for the raid.
What are Ultimate Raids?
Ultimate Raids are the hardest difficulty raids for 8 players themed around previous raid series or storylines. These encounters enforce Level Sync and Item Level Sync, and feature mechanics from the raids and trials related to them with increased difficulty compared to their Extreme/Savage counterparts.
Completing Ultimate Raids awards players with their corresponding achievement with a corresponding Legend title, as well as gives an opportunity to loot the encounter’s Totem once per week, which can be exchanged for that encounter’s Dragonsong War Ultimate Weapons of your choice. If you want to get all these rewards, but don’t want to waste your time trying, you can find DSR and other Ultimate Raids on Overgear.
Dragonsong’s Reprise unlock requirements and preparation
To unlock Dragonsong’s Reprise, every player in the group must first have cleared Asphodelos: The Fourth Circle (Savage), currently the latest boss from the latest eight-player raid series, Pandaemonium. If it’s defeated, you can talk with Wandering Minstrel in Sharlayan at his usual spot (X: 12.7, Y: 14.2) to unlock Dragonsong’s Reprise. You can access the raid via the Duty Finder on the High-end Duty setting.
The requirements strongly suggest you already are clearing Pandaemonium: Asphodelos regularly and geared up with the latest BiS gear of ilvl 600 armor pieces and ilvl 605 weapons with substats tuned to your job. The BiS gear loadout is subject to change when the latest raid tiers arrive (in patch 6.2), as it’s expected there will be the ilvl 605 sync.
Communication is important. Most of the mechanics later in the fight require strict positioning and understanding of what your party members are doing, so it will become easier if party members communicate with each other.
Phases and bosses
Dragonsong’s Reprise gives all players a chance to travel in the time of famous Heavensward expansion with the story of the Dragonsong War. In this new encounter, we can replay the best FFXIV moments and meet an old friend Haurchefant again.
Phase 1: The Vault: Introduction
The fight starts with two bosses from The Vault dungeon: Ser Adelphel and Ser Grinnaux, while the third one, Ser Charibert, will be cast from outside the arena.
Phase Notes
- Ser Adelphel’s Holiest of Holy raidwide hits hard, use at least one mitigation ability;
- Ser Adelphel’s Holiest Hallowing can be interrupted by tanks and physical ranged classes to avoid healing;
- Use Ser Grinnaux’s Faith Unmoving for your advantage to properly resolve Ser Adelphel’s orbs and Ser Charibert’s Heavensflame;
- Both Ser Adelphel and Ser Grinnaux must be defeated simultaneously to avoid enrage and start the Pure of Fire mechanic;
- Pure of Fire’s damage reduces with the amount of damage Ser Charibert receives;
- If at least one player survives Pure of Fire, a checkpoint activates and the next phase begins.
Phase 2: Singularity Reactor
This phase features King Thordan and his Knights Twelve. Most of the mechanics are borrowed from the Singularity Reactor (Extreme) Heavensward trial.
Phase Notes
- Before the fight, split your party into 2 light parties for the first pattern and into 4 partner pairs for the second pattern to avoid confusion on the positioning;
- Most of the phase is resolved in two downtime phases based on avoiding and surviving their distinct patterns;
- King Thordan’s basic attacks and tankbusters cleave, be wary of tank positioning during mechanics;
- Heavenly Heel is a tank swap;
- Once defeated, heal up and mitigate immediately for the next phase.
Phase 3: Final Steps of Faith
In this phase, the party appears at the Final Steps of Faith, and Nidhogg’s “dragoon” form crashes down the arena.
Phase Notes
- Nidhogg cleaves with a straight line across the arena, so it’s safe to stay to the side of the tank, but not directly behind the tank;
- Keep an eye out on your debuffs during Dive from Grace to determine the order and positioning of incoming AoEs and Towers;
- Be wary of the order of Lash and Gnash (in, then out) and Gnash and Lash (out, then in);
- Dragoons cast Geirskogul after towers, don’t forget to bait them away from the party;
- Drachenlance’s facing is random, don’t get in front.
Phase 4: The Eyes of Nidhogg
As this phase begins, Nidhoggs’ Eyes will stay tethered to Estinien, as well as Alphinaud arrives and the spirits of Haurhefant and Ysayle appear.
Phase Notes
- Stack up with Alphinaud to receive both buffs from Haurchefant and Ysayle and be able to damage both eyes;
- Players with Clawbound should take as much damage as possible to damage the Left Eye (Red) while players with Fangbound should avoid damage to not heal the Right Eye (Blue);
- Orbs increase in size over time, increasing their damage as well;
- Clawbound and Fangbound can be swapped between party members;
- Diving spread AoEs target 2 random players with Clawbound, hit players should swap immediately to avoid getting hit once more.
Phase 5: The Vault: Intermission
As the time goes back, the party returns to the last part of Phase 1 with Ser Charibert casting Pure of Fire once again. At this time, the party attempts to save Haurchefant from death.
Phase Notes
- Ser Charibert’s cleaves and puddles resolve as in Phase 1, healers should go first to focus on healing Haurchefant and the party;
- Tanks should use Limit Break 3 as soon as Haurchefant becomes targetable;
- After the party and Haurchefant survive Pure of Fire, destroy Spear of the Fury before it casts Pierce to clear the phase.
Phase 6: Tharl Oom Khash
The party gets another time skip in the alternate future where they fight King Thordan, his Knights Twelve and tempered dragons in Churning Mists.
Phase Notes
- The phase structure is the same as Phase 2: two downtime phases with new patterns;
- During uptime, King Thordan still cleaves;
- During the Wrath of the Heavens pattern, dragons’ mechanics work similarly to Twintania from Binding Coil of Bahamut – Turn 5;
- Death of the Heavens ends with an individual DPS check as Meteor Circles are too spread out to hit with AoEs;
- Stop damaging King Thordan when he’s at 3% HP or lower to progress to the final phase.
Phase 7: Return to Final Steps of Faith
The party returns to Steps of Faith fighting both Nidhogg in his dragon form and Hraesvelgr.
Phase Notes
- Spread out damage evenly between the dragons to avoid wipes by Akh Afah;
- There are two enrages with the damage and defense buff, both for Nidhogg and Hraesvelgr. Nidhogg enrages when Mortal Vow was not passed in time, Hraesvelgr enrages when anyone dies by his attacks or mechanics;
- If King Thordan was killed in the last phase, Nidhogg’s eyes will wipe the raid.
Phase 8: Shattered Remembrance
The party and Dragon-King Thordan appear at Sohr Khai where the final phase begins.
Phase Notes
- During Trinity, tanks should use swaps to cycle out enmity and avoid being struck by the same sword twice;
- Trinity’s third sword is aimed at the closest player;
- Edge mechanics cycle out through Bahamut’s patterns (Exaflare, Gigaflare, Akh Morn);
- Watch the imbued swords glow during Edge mechanics. Fire – stay outside the boss’s hitbox, Ice – inside;
- All of the mechanics deal massive damage, healers beware;
- After three cycles (nine Edge mechanics), sacrifice three players into towers each time Dragon-King Thordan casts Morn Afah’s Edge, it’s the final enrage timer.
Loot Overview
Clearing Dragonsong’s Reprise awards players with an As Suits a Hero achievement, which unlocks a new Legend title The Heavens’ Legend, as well as dropping a Dragonsong Token that can be exchanged by Nevaaz in Radz-at-Han (X: 10.6, Y: 10.1) for an ilvl 605 Dragonsong Reprise Ultimate Weapons of your choice. These weapons feature a unique design and effects, have the same stats as ilvl 605 Asphodelos weapons, and feature an extra materia slot, making DSR Ultimate weapons a little better than Asphodelos weapons.
 Paladin |  Paladin |
 WarriorUltimate Axe of the Heavens |  Dark KnightUltimate Claymore of the Heavens |
 GunbreakerUltimate Gunblade of the Heavens |  MonkUltimate Knuckles of the Heavens |
 DragoonUltimate Halberd of the Heavens |  SamuraiUltimate Katana of the Heavens |
 NinjaUltimate Daggers of the Heavens |  ReaperUltimate Sickle of the Heavens |
 BardUltimate Bow of the Heavens |  MachinistUltimate Heavensfire |
| Dancer Ultimate War Quotis of the Heavens |  Black MageUltimate Staff of the Heavens |
 SummonerUltimate Grimoire of the Heavens |  Red MageUltimate Rapier of the Heavens |
 White MageUltimate Cane of the Heavens |  ScholarUltimate Codex of the Heavens |
 AstrologianUltimate Heavensmeter |  SageUltimate Milpreves of the Heavens |
If you’re interested in Dragonsong Ultimate weapons, but still can’t find a good party for raid completion, you can order DSR boost from Overgear to provide yourself an easy run and guaranteed token for coveted Dragonsong War Weapons.
