Horrid Holla

We had the biggest LS turnout ever today for Promyvion-Holla with the aim to get Balbir and Kazia their first Prommy done, and Iliona access to Lufaise Meadows. We had ten people turn up from TheHelpingHand, including three SMNs so it was going to be a walkover.

Or at least it was supposed to be.

Although we had several tank jobs in the Alliance, Iliona and Kazia were the only melee to enter the BCNM for Holla, and unfortunately, as Doffo had been using Iliona’s character for other purposes requiring Healing Magic, she still had a /WHM sub on which meant she was a PLD with no ‘Voke and even less damage than she would have had normally. As Kazia was a WAR/MNK (and not WAR/NIN), she had Provoke but could not mitigate the damage.

The run up was very successful and rather easy, especially with ten people. The BCNM, however, was a humiliation. I had asked everyone to bring Poison Potions, as the Holla boss uses Shadow Spread, an AoE Sleep and Curse move, but as always, there were several people who forgot their Poison Potions (I sometimes wonder if people want to actually win BCNMs sometimes) so these were shared around by some generous people. The three SMNs were to use Astral Flow when ready to utterly annihilate the boss with a total of nine Diamond Dusts from Shiva to beat it in seconds, and Doffo, believe it or not, was the WHM!!!

At around 80% I called for Astral Flow and one of the other SMNs and I used it, but the third didn’t see my call and held off. I saw my Diamond Dust land, but nothing from the second, and then when the third finally used his, his Shiva didn’t release a Diamond Dust either. I put it down to heavy resistance, and popped a Hi-Ether and waited for my next Astral Flow. At this time I saw NO Animas being used and in the end I had to use my reserve Anima just to help us out! I had promised not to use it unless we absolutely had to as I needed to concentrate on quaffing MP Meds.

I released a second Diamond Dust which also landed, but STILL nothing from the other SMNs and I began to worry. Doffo was doing an excellent job of healing, and Iliona was also doing backup healing as Kazia tanked really well, but I was really concerned as to what the other SMNs were doing.

Sure enough I soon figured it out. For those who don’t play Summoner, if you don’t Assault a mob, your Avatar sits beside you waiting for your command. If you try to use a Blood Pact whilst it is not engaged with a mob, it’ll miss, as it will be trying to follow you around. You must use Assault then Diamond Dust and Shiva will always land her Diamond Dust (unless the mob is rapidly moved some distance away).

In the end we wiped as with no Astral Flows landing and we did not have the damage to win without them. I was furious as not only did poor Iliona not get Lufaise (or Kazia, who tanked her heart out), but I wasted nearly 50k (Reraise Earring, Poison Potions, Animas, Hi-Ethers, Food, Yags etc) in meds and we will now have to do it again next week. I don’t mind spending money and actually trying but to spend all that money and then lose because people can’t be bothered angers me.

What really rubbed it in was not only losing with three SMNs, but we fell out of the BCNM dead to land in front of a Japanese party who laughed, so we just looked like noobs.

Then get this, we Allianced back up to do the ENM, an EASIER version of the main boss, and WE LOST TO THAT TOO, even with TEN PEOPLE! Poor Omni also DC’d at the start of the fight.

We went back in and everyone forgot their Poison Potions, so within seconds the whole Alliance was asleep (except me), so I had to Cure the WHM who began Curing everyone else. Unfortunately, for some bizarre reason, the Curing then stopped (I guess people were put back to sleep on subsequent Shadow Spreads and kept quiet) and the melee began dropping like flies (SMNs cannot backup heal in BCNMs as they need all their MP for Blood Pacts), and although we had AGREED to put our Avatars onto the three spawned babies when they were summoned NO ONE except me put their Avatars onto the Weepers that spawned and I got my a$$ kicked trying to deal with all three.

Again we wiped. A TEN PERSON ALLIANCE against a weak version of the main boss.

I’m not shouting for fun, but if you want to win at CoP, BRING MEDS, BRING ANIMAS and PLAY YOUR JOB PROPERLY. You CANNOT breeze through CoP and have others just carry you through. I cannot stress enough how hard and expensive CoP is. If you cannot afford it, do not try it without your meds in the hope others will cover for you – prepare and farm in advance.

We rescheduled for next week but I am NOT coming unless people prepare properly next time. Well done to those who tried – there were some good efforts but to lose twice with the firepower we had was appalling for a LS as experienced as us.