After five long years, Clive and Jill seek to make progress in fulfilling Cid’s dream by taking on Drake’s Breath, the Mothercrystal that looms over the Iron Kingdom inFinal Fantasy 16. After muddling through fights against a demonic plant and a fiery lizard, the pair reach the heart of the crystal.
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Waiting for them is the Mothercrystal’s own defense system: Liquid Flame. You may remember this boss from Final Fantasy 5, where it took the form of a shape-shifting enemy with powerful attacks, and it’s quite similar here. Read on to find out how to take this malleable terror down.
How To Beat Liquid Flame
This fight is split into some distinct phases, with Liquid Flame gaining more attacks and becoming more difficult as the fight progresses.
Liquid Flame is a veryagile bosswith fast attacks and the ability to zip around the battlefield in the form of a floating orb. It will use this to reposition itself before starting attacks, making it important to keep an eye on the boss at all times.
When you begin the battle,Clive will have automatically triggered his Limit Break, so take advantage of this and rush in to attack the boss. You won’t take any knockbacks or stuns from Liquid Flame’s attacks during this time.
Speaking of, though, here are the attacks that Liquid Flame will use in the first phase of the battle.
Description
Stomping Attack
Liquid Flame performs two arcing stomp attacks in quick succession. The attack has good tracking and deceptive range.
While this attack is very quick, it has an obvious startup animation. Just be ready for the second impact, don’t get too counter-happy.
Swipe & Lunge
Liquid Flame performs a backhand swipe and then thrusts forward, leaving a trail of fire as it goes.
This attack has little startup, you will likely have to react as the attack is happening. Be sure to avoid the second part though, as the thrust is highly-damaging and will knock Clive back.
Fiery Impact
Liquid Flame leaps forward and smashes into the ground, causing an explosion upon impact.
This is a named attack, so you’ll have plenty of warning when Liquid Flame uses it.
Eructation
Liquid Flame slams its hands on the ground, causing a patch of the ground to glow red. After a moment, it will burst into flames. In later phases of this fight, the danger zone gets larger.
Simply move out of the glowing circle to avoid the damaging part of this attack.
Firaga
Liquid Flame conjures a very large fireball, which it then fires at you. The fireball travels extremely quickly.
This attack’s trajectory is set very early in the animation, so as long as you’re moving around Liquid Flame’s body, you’ll avoid this easily.
Despite how quick the boss’s moves are, many of them have quitelengthy cooldowns, so the fight against Liquid Flame plays out quite like a dance.Avoid its attacks and then counterwith your own while it’s recovering.
After dealing enough damage and Staggering the boss, a cutscene will play in which Shiva uses Diamond Dust to help you. This will shrink the arena slightly and triggers the beginning of the second phase of the fight.
In this phase, Liquid Flame will starttransforming into different monsterswith different attacks.
Wyvern Form
Liquid Flame takes the form of a wyvern and spews fiery breath in a line toward you.
This attack follows a simple line, so moving to the side will let you avoid it easily.
Coeurl Form
Liquid Flame takes the form of a coeurl and performs a spinning attack with a large radius.
As this attack is so large, you should definitely try to dodge through it and rely on the invincibility frames to avoid damage.
Flagrant Wyvern
Liquid Flame takes the form of a dragon and performs a divebombing attack that ends in a fiery explosion.
You should be able to get an easy Precision Dodge from the impact of this attack with good timing.
Flagrant Coeurl
Liquid Flame takes the form of a coeurl and runs around you for a while before stopping and performing a quick lunge attack.
You’ll know when this attack is about to come out as the coeurl will stop and reorient itself toward you, so save your dodge until then.
Apart from the addition of these attacks andEructationbeing upgraded, this phase of the fight plays out much like the first, but is more chaotic thanks to Liquid Flame becoming more mobile.
Make liberal use of yourLunge attackto close gaps and save your ability uses for the long cooldowns after Liquid Flame’s attacks.
After lowering Liquid Flame’s health even more, likely after a second Stagger, Liquid Flame will use its ultimate attack, Eleventh Hour. There are three parts to this attack:
Don’t attempt to attack the Liquid Flame during the attack- just wait until after the explosion and close the gap between you with aLunge. Liquid Flame will be stunned for a few moments after the attack, so this is a great time to get some damage in.
As long as you’re able to keep up the offensive and learn how to avoid Liquid Flame’s attacks, you should come out victorious quite quickly.
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