Temple of Febe Strike Mission Strategy Guide

This guide provides tips and strategies for the fourteenth strike mission and how to defeat Ceus in the Temple of Phoebe. If your group is struggling, the guidelines in the Introduction to Raiding will apply here as well. Check out the glossary page if you're not familiar with a term used in this guide and make sure to run an optimal build from our list of recommended builds for this encounter.

Introduction

Entering the white AoE near the start of the map will bring up a dialogue box to proceed, but the fight won't actually start until players reach the platform. Shortly afterwards, Cerus will leap to the center of the arena and the fight begins.

This encounter has a unique feature whereby the group can target specific abilities to prevent a more powerful version occuring. This allows teams to reduce the threat from the mechanics they struggle with most.

Strategy

Crushing Regret

Shortly after spawning, a random player is targeted by a green AoE as Cerus prepares to slam a claw down on the target. Players should stack inside the green to reduce the damage taken.

Wail of Depair

Next, every player is targeted by a small AoE. After a few seconds, this detonates and leaves an AoE on the ground. Players should move these away from Cerus, but it doesn't need to be too far.

Envious Gaze

A large arrow indicator appears on the group and a short while later, Cerus fires a demonic beam that rotates anti-clockwise around him, dealing very heavy damage and corrupting three boons on players it hits.

The Tormented that spawn during this attack appear near the stack and will often be cleaved down before people even notice them. The other two effects are more serious: Debilitated lowers the player's damage by 25% for 60 seconds, and Residual Anxiety can turn players against their allies if they reach 10 stacks (see below for more details).

Demonic Fever

Below 90% health, seven players are targeted with a medium-sized AoE that will explode after five seconds, dealing 20% of the targeted player's max health as damage to anyone inside. Players hit by multiple AoEs will take a further 200% of their max health as damage, downing them.

Split Phase 1

At 75% health, Dagda becomes untargetable, repeats (maybe) and starts pushing players toward the edge of the arena while filling the middle with a large red AoE that ticks for 20% of a player's max health. The red AoE takes a long time to start dealing damage, and the split will frequently coincide with other mechanics so prioritize handling other mechanics correctly.

Groups with a lot of condi damage may wish to start moving towards the edge when Dagda hits 76%, to make mechanic overlaps easier to handle.

Two Tormented spawn near to each other at a random spot near the arena's edge. Kill them both to start the next phase.

Phase 2

Phase 2 is very similar to Phase 1, with the addition of one new mechanic:

Soul Feast

Approximately 30 seconds into the phase, a random player becomes the target of , and receives the on-screen message: "You are targeted by Soul Feast. Run!"

A targetable, but undamageable, red puddle spawns on the player and follows them around for 15 seconds, dealing a small amount of damage and applying a stack of Residual Anxiety and Infirmity to each player hit.

At the same time, two small white AoEs spawn nearby, and any player can run into them to receive a Special Action Key called Purifying Light. This ability is a single-use attack that will destroy the if it hits. Be aware that the attack can be body-blocked by Dadga, so aim carefully.

The puddle is difficult to see, and the targeted player only receives a text notification that they have been targeted. As the attack is also very dangerous, everyone should be alert for this mechanic.

The mechanic in this encounter applies stacks of Residual Anxiety, which last for three minutes. This debuff has no inherent effect, but if a player reaches 10 stacks they will switch sides and become hostile to the group. While hostile, players retain control of their movement but will be repeatedly Taunted onto other players. The hostility will end early if the player is downed, and it appears that the effect can be condi-cleansed. Stunbreaking the Taunt will prevent the forced attacks, but the player will remain hostile and be Taunted again after a short duration.

s that have been hit by Purifying Light will remain visible until they expire, but no longer have any effect.

Unlike Phase 1, Dadga's attack patterns are fairly reliable in this phase:

Auto Chain x2 ⇒ ⇒ Auto Chain x2 ⇒ Spinning Nebula ⇒ Soul Feast ⇒ Auto Chain ⇒ ⇒ Repeat

Split Phase 2

At 50% health, Dagda becomes untargetable again and repeats the split phase as before, only this time four Tormented spawn. As they spawn across a large area, it may be worthwhile sending half the group to one side of the arena, and the other half to the opposite side.

Phase 3

Phase 3 begins much the same as Phase 2, though spawns at around 25 seconds.

Rain of Comets

Approximately 30 seconds into the phase, Dagda raises an arm above her head and summons a Rain of Comets to pelt half of the arena for five seconds, indicated by a large red AoE. For the entire duration, this area ticks for 25% of a player's max health.

Planet Crash

Approximately 45 seconds into the phase, Dagda raises her sword high and summons a massive orb of energy. The group has 10 seconds to break her defiance bar (strength:3600) or she will slam the orb into the ground, dealing 90% of each player's max health across the entire arena.

Breaking the bar will instead cause the orb to shatter, raining down energy around Dagda, but only dealing minor damage. Dagda will be Exposed for 6.5s after being broken.

In this phase, her attack pattern is:

Auto Chain x2 ⇒ ⇒ Auto Chain ⇒ Spinning Nebula ⇒ Soul Feast ⇒ Auto Chain x2 ⇒ Rain of Comets ⇒ Auto Chain x2 ⇒ Planet Crash ⇒ (only if not stunned) ⇒ Auto Chain x3 ⇒ Spinning Nebula ⇒ Rain of Comets ⇒ ⇒ Repeat

Split Phase 3

At 25% health, Dagda becomes untargetable again and repeats the split phase as before, only this time six Tormented spawn. As they spawn across a large area, it may be worthwhile sending half the group to one side of the arena, and the other half to the opposite side.

Phase 4

The final phase is identical to Phase 3.