Introduction

This guide contains information on how to plan and use your cooldowns to gain the most damage possible per phase. The information within this guide is not meant to be followed blindly, and should be coupled with your own understanding of the job to formulate the most optimal rotation plan for your group.

Gearing - 2.10 v 2.12

Viper performs well in FRU at the three standard GCD speeds: 2.10, 2.11, and 2.12. The average DPS difference between these sets are about equal, and any difference can be easily covered by good crit RNG. Which one you should choose ultimately comes down to preference.

 
2.10 offers the most flexibility and is the easiest speed to perform well on. There are several sections in the fight that contain filler GCDs that offer a bit more breathing room and leniency when it comes to rotation performance. We recommend this set to those progging the fight in Party Finder, those who are newer to Viper and/or Ultimates, and for those who do not plan on progging the fight on NIN as the gear sets are incompatible.

2.12 and 2.11 offer slightly more average damage in the first four phases, while evening out - or falling behind depending on rotation choices - in Phase 5. These two skill speeds perform a different rotation than the 2.10 skill speed in order to do its optimal damage. The main selling point of this speed is that it offers complete compatibility with the NIN gearset, allowing you to play both jobs without sacrificing melds.

• For 2.11, just take the 2.12 set and replace the 2x DH melds with 2x SKS melds on the savage weapon. If using the FRU weapon, replace 1x DET and 1x DH for 2x SKS.

Links

2.10 Sets

2.10 no FRU weapon*

2.10 with FRU weapon

2.10 with FRU & CAR*

2.12 Sets

2.12 no FRU weapon

2.12 with FRU weapon

*incompatible with NIN.

Note: Excluding the 2.10 set with CAR pieces, it is possible to substitute the gloves and boots with CAR alternatives. However, BOTH the gloves and the boots must be substituted, it cannot be just the boots or just the gloves. This is because the CAR gloves have identical stats as the raid boots, and the CAR boots have identical stats as the augmented tome gloves.

Limit Break Priority

There are two standard melee LB3 uses in the fight; one in Phase 3 (or on the Ice Veil in Adds Phase if needed), and one at the very end of Phase 5.

The priority in this fight for which melee job limit breaks deviates slightly from the General LB Priority, and also differs depending on which phase the limit break occurs.

Phase 3 Priority: DRG ≥ NIN > MNK > SAM > VPR > RPR

Phase 5 Priority: MNK > DRG > NIN > SAM > VPR > RPR

Note: If a melee has Weakness, Brink of Death, or Damage Down, they automatically become the highest priority regardless of what job they’re playing. If your group’s prog point is not yet at the enrage of Phase 3 (Memory’s End), consider holding LB3 for a potential run-saving Healer LB3 instead to see more of the phase.

Nomenclature

For ease of reading and writing, some ability names may be abbreviated in this guide:

VW = Vicewinder

VP = Vicepit

HC = Hunter’s Coil

SC = Swiftskin’s Coil

HS = Hunter’s Sting

SS = Swiftskin’s Sting

TN = True North

BB = Bloodbath

SI = Serpent’s Ire

UF = Uncoiled Fury

Gems = Rattling Coils

RA = Reawaken

Ouro = Ouroboros

SR = Single-Reawaken Burst

DR = Double-Reawaken Burst

123 = Referring to a dual wield combo. These represent Starter (1), Buffing GCD (2), and Finisher (3).

This guide will refer to Viper’s job resources as X|Y, where X = the amount of gauge (0-100), and Y = the amount of Gems (0-3).

Example:

Note: oGCDs and the Reawaken GCDs are assumed and may not be written out in this guide. Do not skip any oGCDs or Reawaken GCDs.

2.10 FRU Rotation Guide

This section will cover more in depth what is pinned in the Futures Rewritten (Ultimate) vpr_encounter channel on the Balance Discord, as well as additional situational rotations not shown.  

Dual wield starter and finisher choices can be swapped.

Phase One - Fatebreaker

Opener

The short opening active phase and subsequent long downtime in Utopian Sky forces us to do a modified opener that prioritizes our higher-potency abilities. Doing a last UF at the end causes one or both of the oGCDs to ghost, so instead we opt to do a single dual wield starter to apply the Honed buff that will last through the downtime.

Post-Utopian Sky

This reopener will overcap VW by about 5 seconds, but this does not result in a lost use, and arguably leads to better alignment later in the fight.

Following the reopener, we want to begin setting up our burst window. There are two options to choose from:

Double-Reawaken Burst

If your group’s Phase 1 damage is low and is having trouble beating the enrage, then you might want to perform a Double Reawaken burst window.

To do this you’ll want to use 2 UFs during Fall of Faith. Once you reach 60|0, perform the following burst sequence:

The early Reawaken is to line up the 2nd Ouroboros to be just before the Burst Strike, and the following 2 UFs will cover tower soaks for both Fire and Lightning patterns.

This burst window works best when Phase 1 goes to enrage. If you’re killing the phase quickly, instead consider moving a Reawaken into Phase 2 by performing a Single-Reawaken Burst.

Single-Reawaken Burst

To do this you’ll want to use 1 UF during Fall of Faith. Once you reach 60|1, perform the following burst sequence:

The VW will line up just before the Burst Strike, and the following 2 UFs will cover tower soaks for both Fire and Lightning patterns. Note: If you’re still learning the tower soak flexes, you can swap the 2nd UF and VW for comfort and do the entire mechanic from range.

The Writhing Snap is to fill the last potential GCD in the phase if it goes to enrage. A finisher will ghost 99% of the time and the Death Rattle will always be lost. Just move the finisher to the start of Phase 2.

Fall of Faith Positionals

Fall of Faith requires us to stand still for an extended period of time while the boss spins, making hitting positionals difficult. But with smart UF usage, the entire mechanic can be done under True North.

The important bit of the Post-Utopian Sky reopener is UF placement. Using the 1 - or 2 if you’re doing a Double-RA burst - UFs early will allow all of the following 123s and VW combo to be under True North if both charges are chained together. Do note that the opening positionals from HC, SC, and the Finisher need to be manually hit. Using TN in the beginning may cause you to miss a few positionals during Fall of Faith depending on what pattern you get.

After the reopener, the order of VW and 123s leading up to the burst can be moved around. For instance, using the VW earlier and doing 123 combos until burst can free up a weave slot for Feint so that you can hit both the Burnished Glory raidwide and the tank buster. BB is also good to use here to help out your healers as there’s a lot of rot damage.

Fast Kill-time Adjustments

Some groups can potentially kill Phase 1 extremely quickly. These fast kill-times hover around the point where towers resolve, and before the enrage cast begins. This creates a problem for Viper because it will cause us to lose at least 10 gauge overall. This will cause our Phase 4 to be much weaker by forcing us to hold a RA into Phase 5 in order to not overcap Gems. If we also have to Limit Break, this becomes an even bigger problem and can cause us to lose a Reawaken.

We can solve this problem by instead doing a Vicepit opener. This will net us 10 extra gauge to counter the 10 we would lose. Note: Doing this opener will require a 16s pre-pull countdown.

Vicepit Opener

While the initial triple-weave may seem imposing, since the Swiftscaled (Haste) buff wasn’t applied to the first GCD, you have three seconds until Hunter’s Den, making a triple weave possible even on high ping.

At 2.10 you may find that you’re able to squeak in a final Steel/Reaving Fangs at the end. This ability will 100% ghost and you will not get the damage from it, but it will apply our Honed buff that will last through Utopian Sky. If you’re able to do this, it will gain an extra 100 potency on the reopener.

Reopener

The VP opener changes the sequence leading up to burst slightly. We’ll start with our normal 12-VW-3 reopener, but then it’s very important to hold the next VW charge until after burst to make sure buffs are refreshed. The 2 UF’s are needed for both Single and Double-Reawaken burst variants.

During Fall of Faith you’ll be cycling through 123s leading up to burst. While a Double-Reawaken burst is possible - and strong for Phase 1 damage - this section assumes that extra Phase 1 damage is unnecessary and therefore will only look at a Single-Reawaken burst.

The 3rd UF goes out as soon as towers resolve. The active VW combo can be carried over into Phase 2 and will put you at 100|0.

Phase Two - Usurper of Frost

Pre-Diamond Dust

The sequence leading up to Diamond Dust will look different depending on which opener you used, and which burst window you used.

Rather than listing out each possibility, the main end goal is to reach 80|1 before Diamond Dust.

Doing this will set you up properly for the Mirror Mirror burst.

The only important note to mention is if you did the Vicepit opener and P1 went to enrage. In this case, you will need to use 2 VW combos before Diamond Dust or else you will overcap long enough to lose a use. The tell for when this needs to happen is if P1 dies after the “o” in the “Burnished Glory” cast bar. 

Mirror Mirror

There are a couple of notes about this sequence that are worth going over:

Hunter’s Coil vs Swiftskin’s Coil First

There are two reasons we choose HC first over SC first. The first reason is that doing SC first does not gain an extra damaging GCD. Therefore, both options result in the same number of GCDs, so doing HC first results in an overall potency gain from Hunter’s Instinct affecting more oGCDs and SC.

The other reason is for burst alignment. Doing HC first delays our RA slightly enough to fit more RA GCDs into raid buffs. SC first will cause the first 2 Generations to miss, resulting in slightly worse buff feed.

P1 Killtime Adjustments

Killing P1 fast will delay the burst window later into the phase, meaning Serpent’s Ire will come off CD later in this sequence. We can adjust for this by using standard UF GCD manipulation. 

Doing HC first will cover a solid chunk of delay, but we can move the first 2 UFs placed after the RAs to instead be before the RAs in order to delay our burst further to stay aligned with the later raid buff timing. In the majority of cases, only 1 UF is moved to before burst. In rare cases, the 2nd one will be needed. 

Resource Management

Serpent’s Ire will come off cooldown at different times depending on when P1 was killed. An advantage of doing HC first is that the first 3 opening GCDs have about 3s recast timers, meaning triple-weaving SI can be done at any ping. If you prefer, you can drift Ire and use it during the free weave slot of Reawaken. The next Ire will come off CD during the time you are frozen before Intermission, so a few seconds of drifting will not result in any complications.

During this sequence, Vicewinder will have an available charge towards the end of the phase. Do not use this. We are saving this charge to use just before Intermission to carry HC and SC over through downtime.

Make sure all UFs are used before you use Swiftskin’s Sting. Failure to do so will result in dropping our haste buff during Light Rampant.

Post-Light Rampant

Using UF before both buffing GCDs (HS and SS) will delay both Hunter’s Instinct and Swiftscaled long enough to comfortably last through downtime. Since this downtime is less than 27 seconds, we can end the phase with VW and use both Coils immediately on Intermission to quickly reapply buffs and start bursting our Crystal.

In the Mirror Mirror sequence, it’s possible to ghost a Hunter’s Sting at the very end if you are able to start the phase in the middle from dashing to a party member. If you’re able to get this, switch the Coil order in the beginning.

Adds Phase (Intermission) - Ice Veil

There are a few notes worth talking about:

The final VW is only possible if the Veil is above 50% after Gaia hits it. If the Veil is lower than 50%, then move that VW into the start of the next phase.

While you’re frozen, spam pot. Once it goes off, immediately press SI before your crystal spawns. Doing this will make the next pot window in Phase 4 align much better.

The middle UF in the sequence is designed to be moved. This should be used close to your crystal dying. Doing this will give you more time to target another crystal if you kill yours fast, or to target the Ice Veil and give time to run in. The UF at the end of the Reawakens is there for the same purpose. If you kill your crystal with UF, you can use this UF to help kill a friend’s crystal, or to keep your GCD rolling while you run in to hit the Veil.

There are 3 UFs used total in this phase. This is not possible if you clip your GCD at all. This is a common occurrence, and if it happens, hold that last UF into Phase 3, and therefore end Intermission on Vicewinder. If you clip your GCD long enough for whatever reason, you will end the phase on SC, and will carry over VW and a UF into Phase 3. All of these options will not ruin the rotation, it will only change how many UFs you use during Ultimate Relativity, and which GCD you end Phase 3 on. 

If you get all 3 UFs, you’ll enter Phase 3 60|0. If you only get 2 off, you’ll go into Phase 3 60|1 (2 if ending on VW).

Alternate Phase Two - Usurper of Frost

There is an alternate rotation you can do for an overall gain during phase 2. This rotation hinges on whether or not your group can clear Intermission using only 1 Reawaken.

This option solves the issue with Ice Veil. The Ice Veil has a buff that reduces all damage taken by 50%. 

Once you’re comfy with Intermission, you may find that you’re killing your crystal shortly after the first Reawaken. This means the damage of the second Reawaken is getting halved. If this damage isn’t necessary to clear the phase, we can move this Reawaken during Mirror Mirror instead to get the full damage. 

Alternate Mirror Mirror

Note: This sequence will only work if you go into DD at 80|1.

The immediate difference is that we want to start with SC instead. With this sequence, it does gain us a GCD…kinda.

An important thing to note is that we need to open Mirror Mirror by Slithering to the boss. In some comps, we can slither to a party member that’s able to start in the middle of the arena. With this sequence, we deliberately need the delay.

This delay will cause the last Steel/Reaving Fangs to ghost. We need to do this intentionally to carry over the combo through Light Rampant. The downtime there is 29 seconds, meaning if we don’t ghost that last gcd, we will drop combo just as the boss becomes targetable. Carrying over this combo is important for the Post-Light Rampant sequence.

Alternate Post-Light Rampant

Note: The skill choice and order in this sequence is deliberate and should be followed exactly (excluding the starter and finisher option). 

Personal buffs drop during Light Rampant. We intentionally want to reapply Hunter’s Instinct first for an overall potency increase and better rotation alignment. 

The UF in between SC and HC is to delay HC as late as possible. This will make the Hunter’s Instinct buff carry just long enough to last through the rest of the phase and through the downtime.

Alternate Adds Phase (Intermission)

Ideally, your crystal should die during the 1st or 2nd UF. In worst-case scenarios, bad crit rate can extend this further. This may result in some GCD clipping while running back to the Veil. 

This sequence has some wiggle room in time at the end. As long as the clipping isn’t too long, that last VW will still land. If not, then that final VW will be moved into Phase 3.

With this alternate Phase 2 sequence, you will be entering Phase 3 at 70|3. If you don’t get that last VW, it will be 70|2.

Do note that the extra gauge compared to the standard version does not mean this version gained 10 gauge. This version carries more UFs into Phase 3 in order to get the full damage of those UFs, meaning more will be spent in Phase 3 instead of building gauge. This will even out the overall gauge generation between both versions.

Phase Three - Oracle of Darkness

Phase 3 is a full uptime phase with a brief ~4 second stun at the end of Ultimate Relativity. Rotation fundamentals can be followed in this phase. What’s discussed in this section is just one recommended rotation sequence, but it is not the only one that works. As long as rotation fundamentals are followed, you can use whatever sequence is most comfortable for you, as all paths should lead to the same setup for Phase 4.

A total of 4 Reawakens will be used during this phase: 1 during Ultimate Relativity (UR), 2 during Burst, and 1 during Apocalypse.

Ultimate Relativity

There are several important notes for Ultimate Relativity:

• You want to be combo neutral before the Rewind stun. Combo neutral means that you do not have an active 123 combo. To do this, you will either spend 2 or 3 UFs during UR. 

  • If starting Phase 3 with Vicewinder, use 2 UFs during UR.
  • If starting Phase 3 with HC or SC carried over from Intermission, use 3 UFs during UR.

• Use Serpent’s Ire off cooldown, but hold your burst window until after the Rewind stun.

  • It’s standard for raid buffs to be held until after the stun so they don’t get cut short and have a few seconds wasted. 
  • Delaying Serpent’s Ire will cause issues later in Phase 4. Do not drift it.

• Save 1 UF for when you need to spread for the Fire eruption. 

  • The only pattern that doesn’t go out for a spread is the 20s Ice debuff. In this case, spend UFs as you see fit - namely to delay hitting positionals while you stay still for mechanics to resolve.

• The last GCD you press before the stun should be Vicewinder. This recast of this ability will cover most of the stun. You will then complete the VW combo and then do a Double Reawaken.

Standard burst timing is about 2-3 GCDs after the stun ends. For this, the above points will lead to the best burst alignment and leave you enough time on personal buffs to comfortably manage resources.

If your group is deciding to send raid buffs the second the stun ends, you can replace the Vicewinder right before the stun with Reawaken instead. This will guarantee both Ouros land under buffs. 

• Note that you will be very close to overcapping VW charges at the end of burst. Make sure you’re combo neutral and have at most 2 Gems before the stun. You will need to use VW directly after the Double RA in order to not cap charges. 
• If you’re doing this, be sure to use the 2 or 3 UFs required to be combo neutral early during the mechanic. Using the remainder of the UFs too late may cause 1 of your personal buffs to drop. 

Apocalypse

Resource management can change depending on your group’s strategy. Regardless of what strategy you use, the following notes will cover what you should do during this mechanic.

• Save UFs for Spirit Taker. It’s important to keep your GCD rolling at all times, so consistently using at least 1 UF during Spirit Taker will cover any bad jumps that take the boss out of melee range.

• • If your group’s strategy has a chance to place you out of melee range for Apoc spreads, the remainder of your UFs should be held for this part of the mechanic.

• You will need to use a Reawaken during this mechanic. There are 2 moments you can use it comfortably: 

  • Start Reawaken before the Dark Eruption cast finishes and before you run into the middle safespot.

    • Using it after you run in will risk still being in the Reawaken combo right when the knockback happens. If you still have an available UF, you will need to use it just as the knockback happens so you don’t clip your GCD.

  • Use Reawaken after the Apoc knockback and during the ending raidwides.

You should be looking to end Phase 3 at 50|1 or 60|1. While not required, if you end Phase 3 combo neutral, it sets up the next 2min window much better. Doing this may require a filler Writhing Snap as the last GCD used in the phase. We definitely want to hold 1 UF into Phase 4 to maximize our cleave damage on 2 targets.

Phase Four - Enter the Dragon

Phase 4 has two different rotation options. The setup and burst during Darklit Dragonsong is the same for both, but changes after the burst is complete.

The first is designed to maximize cleave damage and get the highest overall damage. The second is designed to sacrifice overall damage in order to substantially increase our damage output in Phase 5.

This guide will discuss when to choose one option or the other at the end of this section.

Darklit Dragonsong Burst + Pre-Crystalize Time

The following recommended sequence is based on ending Phase 3 combo neutral.

For reference, Gaia spawns in the time between SC and the UF.

Assuming the last pot usage was just as you were unfrozen in Intermission, it will come off CD shortly after the UF. This sequence will push the second Ouro out of buffs, but the cleave from the Reawakens more than makes up for it without altering pot timings earlier in the fight. You should be targeting Gaia as she spawns.

Towards the end of the burst sequence, Gaia will jump toward a random party member for Spirit Taker. There is a chance that this jump goes away from you and causes you to lose uptime. To prevent this, swap back to Ryne while spreading after the Darklit towers and cleaves resolve. Ryne being in the center and having a larger hitbox will allow you to continue cleaving. 

In the event you are not combo neutral before going into burst, make sure that you will not drop that combo after the burst window. The easiest way to do that is to use Vicewinder earlier in the phase, meaning one of the leading GCDs will instead be a dual-wield GCD. You can then follow up the burst window with the next dual-wield GCD in the combo. 

• A common sequence may have you starting Phase 4 on a finisher (3). In this case, you can hold the UF until later as you shouldn’t need it to delay for your pot. If desired, you can still use UF anyway for comfort.
• If you start Phase 4 on a Buffing GCD (2), then you will enter burst with an active combo and must continue it after the Double Reawaken. This may result in a worse pot window, but dropping the combo will result in a much larger loss.

Do note that entering Phase 4 where your first GCD is a Buffing GCD (2), then you will not be able to choose Option 1 below, as you will not be able to get the required gauge needed for Phase 5 without losing an Uncoiled Fury (~1700p loss).
You can see the timeline difference in the image below:

This is because we only get a set amount of Dual Wield GCDs in the phase, and since only 1/3 of those GCDs give gauge, it matters when and where that Finishers are used.

Therefore, you should aim to enter Phase 4 either combo neutral or with a finisher being the first GCD used. 

Following the burst window, the rotation splits into two choices.

Option 1: Max-Cleave

One of Viper’s strengths is its strong cleaving abilities. After the burst window, we can use 1 more Reawaken before Crystalize Time (CT) and to dump all of our UFs on two targets.

Following the burst window, you will first need to refresh buffs. Target Ryne and refresh buffs by doing a Vicewinder combo and a 123 combo (do not overcap Gems). By the time this is done, both Ryne and Gaia will be stacked while they cast Akh Morn, to which you can then send the third Reawaken and dump all of your UFs.

• Make a point to not use Reawaken or UF until after Gaia ports back to the middle after Spirit Taker. This will guarantee every GCD will hit its cleave.
• This is an excellent place to use BB before Reawaken to help your healers out.

If done properly, you should be going into CT at 30|0.

Note: If you are not at 30 gauge before CT, you have either made a mistake that resulted in lost gauge, or killed P1 too fast and did not do the proper opener to gain the lost gauge back. 30 gauge is the bare minimum needed to properly prepare for Phase 5.

Option 2: Deadzone

Viper being a gauge job means you can sometimes hold gauge between phases in order to meet dps checks easier. Viper can hold gauge after the Darklit burst windows to move a Reawaken into Phase 5 and contribute substantial extra damage that could be the difference between a clear and a fading Promise before being sent back to Utopian Sky.

To do this properly, simply do 123 combos and 2 VW combos following the Darklit burst. Be sure to dump all of your UFs at a point where the cleave is guaranteed. 

You should be entering CT at either 80|0 or 90|0 depending on how fast P1 was killed.
Note: Before CT, Ryne will exit the arena about 0.5-1.0s before Gaia exits. This means you can potentially get an extra GCD off if you’re targeting Gaia before CT. The last 2 GCDs of this phase should be 2 filler dual wield combo actions, but if you made any mistakes earlier, this could potentially mean being able to get the required gauge needed to properly set up Phase 5.

Which Option to Choose

The option you should choose largely depends on your group and Phase 4 kill time.

If your group needs additional Phase 4 damage, then Option 1 will go a long way to making the dps check much easier. This option is great for group comps that have weak 2 target cleave, such as Ninja, Reaper, Black Mage, or Machinist. These jobs’ burst windows have phenomenal burst but only onto 1 target with little cleave. Option 1 is also the option that results in the highest overall damage.

Option 2 is much better for groups that have great 2 target cleave and smash the dps check. This option also puts the group in a better chance to clear the fight with the additional Reawaken moved to Phase 5, which results in an extra 250-400k damage, or ~1% of the health bar. If your group is killing Phase 4 quickly, then this option will additionally give the Post-Crystalize Time Reawaken a better chance to get its full damage off.

Option 2 is necessary if you have to be the one to use Limit Break in Phase 3, or if you killed P1 too fast and lost gauge because of it.

Parsing this fight will heavily favor Option 1, but the extra damage in P5 from Option 2 can be the difference between a clear or not.

Post-Crystalize Time

Viper is in the unique position to be able to use our 2 minutes during CT to gain an extra use of Reawaken and an extra UF and still have it aligned for the start of Phase 5. We are able to do this properly by getting the requisite gauge needed to reopen in Phase 5 before CT, and do not need to spend this time building any additional gauge.
There are two options for the sequence following Crystalize Time (CT). Both options have a mandatory combo to build 10 gauge to hit the thresholds needed for Phase 5:

Vicewinder Reopener

The highest damaging option is as follows:

For this option to work, the bosses must live until after the final UF. The timing for Serpent’s Ire is to use it 2 seconds before your Rewind snapshot during CT. Doing so will allow the 30s buff to last until just after the VW combo is completed. 

If done properly, you will go into Phase 5 at either 40|1 or 90|1 / 100|1 depending on which previous option you chose.

Vicepit Reopener

If the bosses are low HP going into CT (<20%), you can instead reopen with Vicepit to speed the sequence up.

This option speeds up the sequence by about 3 seconds, giving you a better chance to get more Reawaken GCDs off before the bosses reach 0.1%. Choose this option if your group is consistently killing Phase 4 during the Post-CT Akh Morns. Since the sequence is sped up by about 3 seconds, you can use Serpent’s Ire about 4-5s before you place your Rewind Snapshot. This will also align the cooldown better for Phase 5.

If done properly, you will go into Phase 5 at either 40|1 or 90|1 / 100|1 depending on which previous option you chose.

Note: 40 gauge is the bare minimum gauge required to properly reopen in Phase 5. If you go into Phase 5 with 100 gauge, you will overcap 10 gauge on the reopener, but this is expected and planned for. 

Phase Five - Pandora

Phase 5 is roughly 4:30 long and is entirely full uptime. Depending on which Phase 4 option you chose, the number of total Reawakens in this phase changes:

• If entering with 40|1, then you will use 8 Reawakens.
• If entering with 90 or 100|1, then you will use 9 Reawakens.

Note: There is nothing gained from entering Phase 5 with 50-70 gauge. Entering with 80 gauge can achieve 9 Reawakens by overcapping 1 Gem toward the end of the phase. However, entering with 80 gauge usually means you made a mistake and should be avoided - this is a loss compared to entering with 90 gauge. Both 40|1 and 90|1 options can end the fight with 0 gauge and 0 Gems remaining if it goes to enrage. 

Reopener

While pretty straightforward, there is one important note regarding Serpent’s Ire.

SI will come off cooldown at different times depending on when exactly you used it during CT, and how long the Post-CT sequence lasted. 

• Using it later than the points described in the above section will cause it to drift further into the Phase 5 reopener.

Drifting SI later into the reopener can affect our burst alignment for the remainder of the phase. It’s important, then, to be mindful of when raid buffs happen during the phase.

Tracking Raid Buffs

It’s important to stay aligned with raid buffs, but if your Phase 4 kill time is inconsistent, then using Ire to track burst windows can end up being misleading. There are 3 methods you can use to keep track of them:

• Use Ire to track burst timings. Depending on when Ire is used in the reopener, how it’s tracked can change.

  • If SI was weaved after the 1st GCD (Vicewinder), then the burst windows will be Ire+1, meaning you’ll start the Double RA 1 dual-wield GCD after pressing Ire off CD.

  • If SI was weaved after the 2nd GCD (Swiftskin’s Coil), then the burst windows will be Ire+0, meaning you’ll start the Double RA immediately after pressing Ire off CD.

  • If SI was weaved any time after the 3rd GCD (Hunter’s Coil), then the burst window will start before Ire comes off CD.

    • This can drift Ire further until after the first Reawaken has completed. However, if planned for, this won’t cause any issues for the final burst.

• Use mechanics to track burst timings.

  • After the opener, the next burst window occurs immediately after the cast of the 2nd Fulgent Blade cast, and takes place during the 2nd set of exa-waves. Pressing Reawaken as soon as the Fulgent Blade cast ends will keep your Double RA aligned.
  • The final burst window starts 1-2 seconds before the Paradise Lost enrage cast begins.

• Use gauge checkpoints to track burst timings.

  • Both 40|1 and 90|1 rotations will have Reawakens being used as soon as, or shortly after hitting 50 gauge. The extra Reawaken that 90|1 brings will happen in the second odd minute sequence after the 2 minute burst.
  • The final burst will have several variants… some of which will make tracking gauge a helpful tool to use to figure out when to start bursting.

These are not the only 3 methods you can use to help stay aligned, and you can freely mix and match techniques to suit what works best for you.

Final Burst

The final burst of the fight can look different depending on several factors: how much gauge you entered Phase 5 with, how long SI was drifted in the reopener, the amount of party buffs in your group, your group’s projected kill time, and whether or not you have to Limit Break.

40|1 - Standard Final Burst (Better Buff Feed)

The standard variant will be performing a Double Reawaken burst window under raid buffs. The pros of this variant is that it increases in value with the more buffs your party comp has - assuming raid buffs are properly sent together. This variant is also great if your group is fighting against the enrage timer.

To perform this variant, dump all UF stacks before or during exa-wave dodges, and then start a Vicewinder combo just after hitting 50 gauge. This will take you directly to the proper burst timing, and then perform a Double Reawaken. 

• Serpent’s Ire may come off cooldown in the middle of your first Reawaken if it has been drifted further than the 3rd GCD on the phase opener. This is fine since it’s the final burst window - just use it after Ouroboros.
• The Vicewinder should put you at 60 gauge before the burst window, ending the fight on 10 gauge.
• Afterward, send any remaining UFs until either the boss is dead or you are sent back to Utopian Sky.

40|1 - Rushed Final Burst (Better Personal Damage)

The rushed variant focuses more on maximizing our personal resources for an overall personal damage increase. This variant increases inversely in value with the amount of party buffs in your group - meaning the less buffs, the better this option becomes. This option is also great for groups with great DPS and are killing the boss before enrage.

To perform this variant, dump all UF stacks before the final Fulgent Blade. Once you hit 40 gauge, perform the sequence above.

• THIS OPTION WILL NOT WORK IF YOU HEAVILY DRIFTED SERPENT’S IRE.
• Raid buffs should come out around the 4th Generation.
• This variant will end the fight at 0|0.

90|1 - Standard Final Burst

Entering Phase 5 at 90|1 will make the final burst sequence a standard Ire+1 Double Reawaken burst window. Again, the extra Reawaken that 90|1 brings will happen after the 2 minute burst.

Note: Ire’s placement here is assumed that it’s weaved on the first GCD of the reopener and subsequently used off cooldown. This can be moved to accommodate for any drift.

To perform this variant, first spend your second odd-minute Reawaken and dump all UFs. Then, build back to 50 gauge using 123 combos and VWs. After hitting 50 gauge, immediately perform a Double Reawaken burst, and end the fight by dumping the 3 UFs you have banked.

• Make a point not to use any UFs between your second odd-minute Reawaken and the 2 minute burst. Doing so will push your second Ouroboros out of buffs.

90|1 - Triple Reawaken Final Burst

A Triple Reawaken pot window lines up perfectly for the end of the fight if you hold the 2nd odd-minute Reawaken. 

To perform this variant, first spend your first odd-minute Reawaken after the 2 minute burst. Then, build your resources until you reach 90|2. Once you hit this threshold, perform the sequence above.

• The benefit for doing this at the end of the fight is that we are not concerned with refreshing personal buffs. The buffs will drop after the first UF, but it’s better to dump any remaining UFs instead of refreshing. 
• The 3rd UF will only go off if the boss finishes the enrage cast but does not wipe the group.

Medicated (Pot) Window Optimizations

Pot windows in Ultimate will always be based around phase timings, and in some cases can be the difference between passing DPS checks. FRU is in a weird spot when it comes to DPS checks due to the fact that Pictomancer exists, and the bosses’ HP is generally tuned lower relative to current 7.1 job balance than typical in previous Ultimates. A decent Pictomancer player can essentially negate the need for any pots to pass DPS checks in the fight. Without one, then these windows can become increasingly more important. 

While progressing the fight, it’s generally always a good idea to only use pots when they are needed. For example, when first starting out, using pots in the Phase 1 opener, or Phase 1 2-minute burst can help see Phase 2 much more consistently. But as you and your group gets more comfortable, you may find that using pots wind up killing the phase too fast and cause issues with burst and mitigation timings later on.

That being said, if you’re looking to further optimize your damage in the fight, there are several different pot windows that Viper can do. 

Standard Pot Fight Timings

There are two standard pot timings in the fight:

Option 1

Phase 1 Opener, Intermission, Phase 4 Darklit Burst, and any Phase 5 burst.

• This option maximizes uses and is better for personal damage overall, however the Phase 1 pot can potentially push the kill time faster and cause issues for you and your group.

Option 2

Phase 2 Mirror Mirror Burst, Phase 3 Ultimate Relativity Burst OR Phase 4 Darklit Burst, and any Phase 5 burst.

• This option is great if you need additional Phase 2 or Phase 3 damage and don’t need it for Intermission. This option does lose an overall usage compared to Option 1.

The graphics for each standard burst window show when exactly to weave the pot. The exception is for the Phase 3 burst window: if you choose to do this, weave pot just after pressing the first Reawaken, as this will maximize its duration. For Phase 5, you can follow the Standard Pot Windows outlined in the Intermediate Guide.

The total amount of medicated potency for each option (Phases 1- 4) is as follows:

Option 1:

Option 2:

Non-standard Pot Windows

If you’re looking to further optimize your pot windows, the following options are designed to get the best possible uses depending on several key factors. All of these options require additional setup that the standard rotation listed above does not cover by default. The specific setups will be included in each option’s section.

As covered in the Intermediate Guide, these advanced pot windows are only a gain if they are performed perfectly. Any mistakes and improper setup can lead to an overall loss compared to the standard variants.

Phase 2 - Mirror Mirror Triple Reawaken

Entering Diamond Dust at 80|1 allows a Triple Reawaken pot window to line up perfectly with the phase timing.

This exact sequence assumes that a pot wasn’t used in Phase 1, and is not needed for Intermission (Option 2 pot timings). Do note that this sequence contains the same GCDs listed in the Alternate Mirror Mirror sequence earlier in this guide. This means the setup, Post-Light Rampant, and Intermission sequences will be the same.

Note: The order of GCDs used is deliberate and must be followed exactly. The GCDs leading up to the RAs are to buy time for our pot to come off cooldown

This pot window is only an overall gain in low-buff party comps. The breakpoint can be found below:

Mirror Mirror Active Phase DPS (~57 seconds)

The data above concludes that this pot window is an overall gain in party comps with two or less party buffs. While slightly lower dps, the data from 2 buffs is close enough to fall within crit variance.

However, it’s interesting to note that the Triple RA is a gain in any comp if the alternative is to not pot at all. There is a way to set this up and gain a pot use for an overall gain.

Extra Pot Use + Mirror Mirror Triple Reawaken

We can gain an extra 2/3rd pot usage by pre-potting at -10 seconds on the fight countdown. This will mean our next pot will come off cooldown at around 4:20 on the fight timeline, or just before we need to press Reawaken for the Triple. This gives us just enough time to fit a full 30-second window during Mirror Mirror before Light Rampant. 

For this to work, the Phase 1 kill time must be held close to enrage. Killing even a gcd early will cause the pot to not come off CD in time and result in an overall loss. The timing for this to work properly is if Fatebreaker is killed on or after the “L” in “Burnished Glory.” For more leniency, you can pot at -11 and still gain the same number of GCDs in the opening pot window, but might miss the last UF oGCD.

Referencing the standard Option 1 medicated potency windows, we can see that - if done properly - doing this would lead to a 3,110 pot potency gain for the first 2 windows.

Again - if your group is killing Phase 1 too fast, this Triple will not work.

Phase 4 - Triple Uncoiled Fury 

The non-standard Triple UF pot window can bring a massive dps gain by having the sequence only use GCDs that cleave onto 2 targets. There is a little bit of RNG to this window, but with intentional target swapping, this can be a huge gain no matter which Phase 5 resource set you plan on using.

In order to get the full value of this window, make sure your previous pot window was before Intermission. If it was on or after, then the pot will not be up in time for the max value. This works very well for Option 2 pot timings, or if you did the early Opener pot + Triple Mirror Mirror pot.

To set this up properly, make sure you end Phase 3 combo neutral. This is naturally done if you are able to do the Single Reawaken Intermission.

• You may have time for 1 more GCD at the end of Phase 3 - in this case use Writhing Snap.

If your first GCD in Phase 4 is a finisher, this window can still work - you will just be 1 GCD behind, resulting in worse buff feed, and is more prone to bad RNG with Gaia’s Spirit Taker jumps.

Once you start Phase 4, do 2 dual wield combos, and then perform the following sequence:

Note: Gaia will spawn just before you press Reawaken. Check out the Intermediate Guide for more info on Triple UF pot windows.

For the best chance of success with this window, swap to Ryne after completing both Reawakens. Ryne stays in the center of the arena for the entirety of Darklit, and has a slightly larger hitbox, meaning the cleave from UF has a better chance to still hit Gaia. 

• The only time UF might not cleave is if Gaia jumps to one of the ranged baits at the wall of the arena. If the bait is taken directly to the wall, Gaia may just be out of reach. There is time to adjust if you see this happen. If you think UF misses its cleave, then drop the 3rd UF for Vicewinder instead, and save the UF for when the bosses are back together. Losing the cleave from UF is a significant damage loss.

Phase 4 Triple Reawaken?

While it is possible to get all the necessary resources ready and have a Triple lined up, the risk does not outweigh the reward compared to Triple UF. A Triple Reawaken pot here has several possible pitfalls:

• There will need to be enough group damage to even out the HP bars before Morn Afah. The 3rd Reawaken under pot, and the subsequent Vicewinder will be almost entirely on Ryne to prevent being out of melee range. This will certainly imbalance their HP with very little time to rebalance it.
• Ranged Spirit Taker baits are not taken directly to the wall. If Gaia jumps out far enough, the Reawaken cleave has a chance to not be in range.
• Cannot be adjusted and requires a full commit. The setups for Triple RA and Triple UF are very different and cannot be interchanged. Triple UF can drop the last UF if a mistake was made and still have an effective pot window. Triple RA is full send start to finish.

Although tempting, we cannot recommend this pot optimization due to the risk heavily outweighing the reward - which is only a 134 potency gain over Triple UF. 

Phase 5 - 40|1 Early Triple Reawaken 2 Minute Pot Window

Entering Phase 5 at 40|1 lines up an Early Triple perfectly for the 2 minute burst. Do note, as with all triples, any mistakes or clipping will result in dropping buffs and be an overall loss. 

To set this up properly, spend all UFs and hold your odd-minute Reawaken until you hit 90|0, then perform a Triple Reawaken Pot window (See Intermediate Guide).

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are M1(D1), your Feint must be on the Fulgent Blade cast according to the standard FMBG mit plan. The best time you can feint during this sequence is to add a UF after the first VW, and triple weave Feint as the 3rd oGCD in the weave. If done properly, Feint will have about 1-2s left remaining by the time the Fulgent Blade damage is snapshotted. If you have low ping, it’s also possible - and safer mit timing - to triple weave Feint after one of the VW Coils. If you cannot make this adjustment cleanly, then consider swapping mits with your co-melee, or performing a Triple UF pot window instead.

To make this sequence as smooth as possible, try to reopen Phase 5 to where Serpent’s Ire is weaved after VW. This will make its cooldown come back up at the most ideal time. If it’s weaved after the 2nd reopening GCD, you will have to drift Ire until after the 2nd Reawaken, and you will then have to plan your final burst accordingly. 

Alternate: Triple UF 2 Minute Pot Window

Alternatively, you can instead do a Triple UF pot window for 134 less potency. This option is great if you are not yet 100% confident on the Exa-wave dodges, or if you are M1(D1) and want an easier time Feinting the boss when needed.

To set this up properly, spend your odd-minute Reawaken after the opener, and then build back to 40|1. Then, perform a standard Triple UF Pot window (See Intermediate Guide).

To make this sequence as smooth as possible, try to reopen Phase 5 to where Serpent’s Ire is weaved after VW. This will make its cooldown come back up at the most ideal time. If it’s weaved after the 2nd reopening GCD, you will have to drift Ire until after the 1st Reawaken, and you will then have to plan your final burst accordingly.

Phase 5 - 90|1 Late Triple Reawaken 2 Minute Pot Window

Entering Phase 5 at 90|1 lines up a Late Triple perfectly for the 2 minute burst. Do note, as with all triples, any mistakes or clipping will result in dropping buffs and be an overall loss. 

To set this up properly, spend your odd-minute Reawaken after the opener, and then build back to 90|0. Then, perform a Triple Reawaken Pot window (See Intermediate Guide).

To make this sequence as smooth as possible, try to reopen Phase 5 to where Serpent’s Ire is weaved after VW. This will make its cooldown come back up at the most ideal time. If it’s weaved after the 2nd reopening GCD, you will have to drift Ire until after the 1st Reawaken, and you will then have to plan your final burst accordingly.

As a reminder, the 3rd Reawaken in this sequence counts as your 1st odd-minute Reawaken. Entering Phase 5 at 90|1 will mean your extra Reawaken carried over will happen in the final odd-minute section. After this window, build back to 50 gauge, and send it as soon as possible. Then, build back to prepare for the final burst.

• There is no reason to deadzone the extra Reawaken to the final burst for another Triple, as a Triple RA is only a pot window optimization. 

Alternate: Triple UF 2 Minute Pot Window

If you would instead prefer to do a Triple UF 2 minute window, you can follow the same sequence listed above. The gauge threshold for when to start the sequence is 80|1. 

Limit Break

If you are the solo melee or are paired with a Reaper as your co-melee, you might have to Limit Break (LB) in Phase 3 if your group needs the damage. If your group does NOT need the LB damage in P3, we recommend not using it. Using LB3 will lose us at least 10 gauge, and can easily result in a lost Reawaken in Phase 5 with improper play. 

The following is our recommendation on how to best prevent that from happening.

First, ensure that your Phase 1 kill time is not fast enough to lose you an additional 10 gauge. If it’s too fast, the Vicepit Opener is mandatory. 

• If you know you will be LBing and are unsure of your group’s P1 kill time, the safest option is to default to the Vicepit Opener. If P1 ends up going to enrage, you can use Writhing Snap until the end of the phase to prevent overcapping gauge, and then switch to the normal opener on the next pull… or do a Double Reawaken burst window and continue doing the Vicepit Opener.

Once you guarantee you won’t lose that 10 gauge, consider the following two rotation options:

Option 1: Phase 4 Deadzone (Recommended)

The easiest rotation choice will be to carry over a Reawaken from P4 into P5. Doing so will not require any changes to the standard rotation. This is because this option normally overcaps 10 gauge at the start of Phase 5 assuming no major rotational mistakes are made.

This option will have you burst as normal during P4, and then build gauge and spend UFs for the rest of the phase until CT.

You should be at 80|0 going into CT.

Option 2: Phase 4 Enrage

This option should only be considered if the following criteria can be met:

1. The third Reawaken in Phase 4 is needed to pass the enrage dps check. Killing P4 too fast will cause you to overcap Gems and result in an overall damage loss.
2. You did not lose 10 gauge as a result of a fast Phase 1 killtime.
3. No major rotation mistakes were made that resulted in losing at least 10 gauge.

This option will have you entering CT at 30|1. If you have more than 1 Gem, you will lose a UF. 

• To get to this threshold, focus only on building to 30 gauge after your 3rd Reawaken. Once there, sending 2 UFs will take you into CT. If you are unable to get the 2nd UF, you will overcap.

  • The last UF oGCDs will most likely ghost, but this is better than losing an entire use due to overcapping.

Post-CT: continue the rotation as pinned. In order to not overcap going into P5, do not be above 2 rattling coils by the time P4 has ended. 

• This will require the P4 enrage cast sequence to at least progress to about ~20% of the cast bar

Phase 3 LB Timing

There are 2 places that you can send the LB3 in Phase 3:

The first option is immediately after refreshing Hunter’s Instinct and Swiftscaled buffs. This will be at the start of the UR cast.

• If you did the standard Double RA Intermission, dual wield buffs have dropped and do not need to be applied before the LB. If you did the alternate Phase 2 rotation, there is enough time to LB after refreshing Hunter’s Instinct and Swiftscaled to LB and still refresh dual wield buffs afterwards.

The second option is to use it following the Post-UR 2 minute burst.

• You should have enough time to send LB immediately after your second Ouro and still refresh all 4 buffs. You can preposition in your spread position during the 2nd Reawaken and plant there for the LB.

There is a third option that has been floating around with using LB just before the UR Rewind stun to essentially cut the LB lockout in half. While a small gain if pulled off correctly, the reward arguably does not outweigh the risk for Viper.

• At most this will gain back 2 GCDs that are otherwise lost. This may or may not get back the lost 10 gauge. In the event that it does, it essentially does nothing if you are choosing Option 1 and deadzoning in P4. It could have merit if choosing Option 2 if it does indeed gain the gauge back.
• Doing this is impossible if you get the 20s Fire Spread debuff. This debuff is responsible for baiting the final traffic light laser at the exact time that is needed to LB.
• Messing up the timing and cancelling/rolling back the LB cast could set you further behind and lose an additional 10 gauge from having to start the LB again after burst.

Nevertheless, to do this properly, press Vicewinder when your rewind stun timer hits 5 seconds remaining. IMMEDIATELY start LBing. The cast of LB3 is about 4.2 seconds, with an additional 4 seconds of animation lock. The rewind stun will cover the animation lock, essentially netting 4 seconds of additional uptime - or 2 dual wield GCDs. 

• Ideally you will want to be combo neutral before this sequence. Doing so will require additional rotation adjustments by using standard UF GCD manipulation.

Phase 5 LB Timing

The final LB3 is much less stressful for Viper compared to the one in Phase 3. There are 2 options to choose depending on which resource set you enter Phase 5 with,

40|1
Perform a Rushed Final Burst listed above in the Phase 5 section. LB3 will be available immediately after the second Ouroboros.

90|1

You will need to overcap 1 Gem some time during the phase in order to build enough gauge in time to perform the Standard Final Burst early enough to get both Reawakens off before it’s time to LB. LB3 will be available either after the second Ouroboros, or after the first UF.

That covers everything you’ll need to know for optimizing the fight on Viper. This guide was written for a 2.10 hasted GCD speed. It is possible to play the fight at 2.12 and perform well, although with several rotation changes. If you’re interested, check out the written guide for 2.12! (Coming Soon)