Garrison Guide - FinalFollow

Even though Garrison was introduced quite a long time ago, there are still many people who do not understand everything about it. My original guide included some basic information and strategies, but still left a lot to be desired.

I have gone back and rewritten the entire guide and included all of the information I have collected about this event. Much of it has never been posted before and may help you make a more efficient, more effective Garrison participant.

Several of my LS members are working on Job Specific Garrison Guides for me and they will posted as soon as they are completed.

I will, however, warn you: I have spent a great deal of time collecting this information and this guide is quite extensive. I wanted to be as thorough as possible. Because of this, it is very long.

This entire guide is available for download in pdf format, including full color pictures, organized tables, and special hints and tips. The pdf file also includes all Job Specific guides that have been completed. I’d suggest you download it and look through it. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy it.

Download PDF File
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Taodyn’s Garrison Guide

Table of Contents

Section 1 - What is Garrison?
Section 2 - Garrison Locations / Trade Items
Section 3 - What Occurs During a Garrison Raid?
Section 4 - Preparation for Garrison
Section 5 - Garrison Rewards
Section 6 - Forming a Garrison Group
Section 7 - Setting Up a Treasure Lotting System
Section 8 - Job Specific Strategy Guides
Section 9 - Battlefield Layout
Section 10 - Special Garrison Strategies
Section 11 - Target Priority
Section 12 - Additional Tips


Section 1 – What is Garrison?

So you’ve heard about Garrison. All the cool people are doing it. Awe-inspiring massacres are becoming commonplace in zones just outside your door. But you are left in the dark. What is this Garrison?

Garrison: (noun) the troops who maintain and guard a fortified place.

The basic Garrison event involves some number of players (from 1 individual to a full alliance of 18) defending an outpost from an attacking force.

The attacking force comes in 4 distinct waves, each of which involves high tier mobs with a variety of jobs. Each wave will usually include melee mobs (ex. Orcish Fighters and Serjeants), casters (ex. Orcish Cursemakers), and archers (ex. Orcish Chasseurs). The fourth and final wave will also include some form of boss mob or mobs that must be taken down quickly.

The number of enemies encountered during each wave depends directly on the number of parties in your alliance.

Now, although an individual is able to participate on their own, I would not recommend doing so. As a matter of fact, I do not recommend attempting this with less than 15 people (and for any real chance at success, a full alliance should be used). To get an idea of this, try taking an Orcish Fighter in Ghelsba at level 20. Though not impossible, your chances of success are fairly low.

This is not to say you should not try a Garrison run with fewer people. Indeed several people I have talked with have said that it is entirely possible to be successful with just six people. I, personally, have found it extremely difficult to complete a Garrison with just one party. I suggest trying it with different jobs and group sizes and figure out what works for you.


Section 2 – Garrison Locations / Trade Items

In order to begin any Garrison, you must first find a specific item for the Garrison you intend to do. When the item is traded to an outpost guard, the guard will inform you of an impending attack. The items required for Garrison are:

Level 20 Garrisons

-West Ronfaure
-requires a Red Cryptex obtained from Orcish Fighters in
Yughott Grotto

-West Sarutabaruta
-requires a 7 Knot Quipis obtained from Yagudo Votarys
in Giddeus

-North Gustaberg
-requires a Darksteel Engraving obtained from Copper
Quadav in Pal. Mines

Level 30 Garrisons

-Jugner Forest
-requires a Jade Cryptex obtained from Orcish Impalers,
Bowshooters, Brawlers, and Beastriders in Davoi

-Meriphataud Mountains
-requires a 13 Knot Quipis obtained from Yagudo
Interrogators, Drummers, and Heralds in Castle Oztroja

-Pashhow Marshlands
-requires a Silver Engraving obtained from Bronze and
Zircon Quadavs in Beadeux

-Valkurm Dunes
-requires a Galka Fang Sack obtained from Goblin
Furriers and Smithys in Ordelles Caves

-Buburimu Peninsula
-requires a Mithra Fang Sack obtained from Goblin
Smithys and Shamans in Maze of Shakrami

-Qufim Island
-requires a Ram Leather Missive obtained from Giants in
Qufim Island (including Delkfutt�s Tower)

Level 40 Garrisons

-Beaucidine Glacier
-requires a Tiger Leather Missive obtained from Rime and
Cold Gigas in Beaucidine Glacier

-Sanctuary of ZiTah
-requires a Hound Fang Sack obtained from Goblin
Traders, Poachers, and Robbers in the Sanctuary of ZiTah

-Yuhtunga Jungle
-requires a Sheep Leather Missive obtained from Brook
and Riparian Sahagins in Sea Serpent Grotto

Level 50 Garrisons

-Xarcabard
-requires a Behemoth Leather Missive obtained from Demon
Knights and Pawns in Xarcabard and Castle Zvahl

-Eastern Altepa Desert
-requires a Dhalmel Leather Missive obtained from
Antican Princeps, Hastatus, Veles, and Secutors in
Quicksand Caves and Eastern and Western Altepa Deserts

-Yhoator Jungle
-requires a Coeurl Leather Missive obtained from
Tonberry Stalkers and Cutters in the Temple of Uggalepih

Level 75 Garrison

-Cape Terrigan
-requires a Bunny Fang Sack obtained from Goblin Tamers
in Kuftal Tunnel

Note: This information can be found at Mysterytour along with specific listings of the types of mobs faced in each Garrison.

Only one item is required for each round of Garrison (ie. Only the trader must have the item) and the items are Rare/Ex meaning they cannot be traded between players. The trader must be allied with the nation that currently controls the outpost you are using for Garrison. Otherwise, the item will not be accepted. Once, a specific Garrison related item is traded to the proper outpost (each player can only trade once per RL week, but only one person needs to trade for the whole group), all players are capped at a specific level and a number of friendly NPCs will spawn. These are NPCs that will fight along side you, but must be kept alive. At least one NPC must survive for Garrison to be successful, though the more you keep alive, the more items will drop at the end. Mobs will then spawn in waves and will automatically attack the NPCs. There is about 30 seconds between waves during which time you can rest.


Section 3 - What occurs during a Garrison raid?

Explaining each Garrison would prove difficult, so I will use the West Ronfaure Garrison as an example. When you trade a Red Cryptex to the outpost guard in West Ronfaure, he will explain that the color of the rock and the number of nails in it is actually a coded message explaining that an attack is impending on the outpost. He will then ask that you help defend the outpost against the onslaught. At this point, all members of your group will be automatically capped at a specific level and a group of friendly NPCs will spawn. The number of NPCs that spawn is exactly equal to the number of people in your group (ie. a full alliance of 18 would have 18 NPCs to protect). This is followed shortly by a wave of Orcs. This continues for three more waves of orcs until all, including an Orc MNK boss, are defeated.

You will see similar relationships between enemy mob types and the given area. The North Gustaberg outpost will involve Quadav type enemies. The West Sarutabaruta outpost will involve Yagudo type enemies. Other outposts (depending upon their location) can involve other enemy types such as Goblins for the level 30 Garrisons and Demons for the level 50 cap Garrisons.

The specific level of the enemy is directly proportional to the level cap of the event. The West Ronfaure Garrison is a level 20 cap and the Orc mobs include level appropriate Orcs, such as Orcish Fighters, Orcish Cursemakers, and Orcish Chasseurs.

These mobs spawn in four distinct waves with approximately 20 seconds between one wave being defeated and the next wave spawning. Each wave includes a number of mobs of each job class (melee, caster, archer). The number of enemies that spawn in each wave is directly related to the number of parties in your group.

Number of Enemies Per Wave Based on Number of Parties

1 Party -> 2 (Wave 1), 4 (Wave 2), 6 (Wave 3), 7 (Wave 4)
2 Parties -> 4 (Wave 1), 6 (Wave 2), 8 (Wave 3), 9 (Wave 4)
3 Parties -> 6 (Wave 1), 8 (Wave 2), 10 (Wave 3), 11 (Wave 4)

During the fourth and final wave, a boss mob will also spawn. This boss will use a 2 hour ability, so make sure you study what job class you can expect and have an appropriate tank ready. A Monk boss will use Hundred Fists, so you'll want a Paladin ready with Invincible or a Thief ready with Perfect Dodge. (Please refer to Section 2 to determine the job class of the Boss NM for the Garrison you are organizing)

You job is to keep as many friendly NPCs alive as possible. The event ends when one group dies: your party, your NPCs, or the enemies.

This is a fast paced, incredibly hectic event. Be ready for a flurry of activity.

If all mobs are defeated and at least one NPC remains standing, a number of items will drop into the collective treasure pool. These items are usually some mix of Exp Scrolls (Page from the Dragon Chronicles) and Garrison equipment. A good group can get 5 items per successful Garrison, but this directly relates to the number of NPCs that survive. A great group that saves 16 of 18 NPCs (one spawns for each player involved) can get six items per successful round (two scrolls and four pieces of equipment). The armor obtained from the level 20 cap Garrison events is among the best for level 20 players as each has defense similar to other armor of that level, but also includes specific stat boosts.


Section 4 - Preparation for Garrison

Unlike Eco-warrior events where each person is guaranteed a reward if successful and preparation is minimal, Garrison requires a great deal of planning and organization to run smoothly.

Below, you will find a list of key things that should be done in order to ensure a smooth, clean Garrison event. If you are responsible for organizing such an event, you should take the time to explain each point to your party/alliance.

1) Organizing Treasure Distribution

Because a maximum of only 5-6 items drop per successful round, I suggest setting up strict lotting rules before the event even begins. This may become difficult to control as having 18 people lot on six items using a ruleset is fairly hectic. With practice and a good group though, it should run fairly smoothly. Section 7 of this guide gives a more detailed review of setting up a treasure lotting system.

As well, since there will usually be 18 players involved, it may be a good idea to run several rounds in a row so that each person may receive an item. This is the best way to be fair, but will require more planning. Each round of Garrison will require one item, so you must ensure you have an adequate number of traders. Also, each round takes about 8-10 minutes, but a 30 minute wait period exists between Garrison rounds. This gives ample time to rest up and build tp between raids, but can make multiple runs very time consuming.

2) Organizing Traders

Before even planning this event, it is important to obtain at least one trade item. In order to initiate a round of Garrison, you need to acquire a specific item that corresponds with the outpost/region you have chosen.

To run multiple rounds in the same day/night, your group must include a number of participants who have the appropriate trade item and belong to the nation that currently controls the outpost. Take the time to organize your traders and the order in which they will trade.

3) Equipment

Make sure your gear is appropriate for the level cap. There is literally no time for you to change gear after you are capped. The mobs spawn almost immediately and will instantly aggro the NPCs you are supposed to protect. You have to be ready to go the second Garrison starts.

4) Building TP

The level cap status effect does not reduce your TP to 0%, so long as your weapon is not automatically unequipped. To take advantage of this, all melee participants should equip a weapon appropriate for the specific level cap and begin killing enemies in the area to build up TP.
This TP will enable the melee damage dealers to open with several weaponskills, greatly speeding up the first wave. This will save them from taking damage and save the mages from having to expend MP to heal them.

Gaining TP can be difficult. If your chosen job is much higher in level than the area the event is to take place in, it may take 20-30 enemies to build 300% TP. Also, in higher level areas, it can be very difficult to build full TP without endangering yourself. This difficulty is well worth it though as it will make the entire Garrison event run much more smoothly.

As there is a 30 minute wait between initiating rounds of Garrison, there is plenty of time to build full TP between multiple Garrison events.

5) Warning Surrounding Area

Because one of the most interesting aspects of this game is observing events and battles, it is entirely possible that your Garrison event may draw spectators. Also, it is entirely possible that a player outside your party/alliance may not be aware a Garrison is taking place and may wander into the fray.

While spectators and bystanders are not a bad thing in and of themselves, their presence can lead to some frustration. People who are not familiar with Garrison may start asking questions which can make it difficult to follow the instructions of the group leader.

As a note, I find it always polite to shout a warning to the entire area before beginning any Garrison. Something along the lines of “Warning! Garrison at outpost! Stay clear for safety.” This warning has a three-pronged effect:

1) people who are either unaware or unprepared can stay clear of the immediate area and keep themselves safe from AoE attacks

2) people who are aware, prepared, and of sufficient level can come by and spectate

3) several bad players who are not prepared will run to the outpost and will be killed by random AoE attacks. We call this Darwinism.

Okay, the third was a joke, but you get my point. You will find that when doing Garrison, many people will show up to watch. You will see random shouts of panic and even see people walk right into the middle of the battle. Most of these mobs have some form of AoE attack and you will see many people outside your alliance die. In general, it is always good to shout a warning for everyone’s sake.

6) Food and Buffs

Just before starting a Garrison raid, each member of your group should use any food that best suits their role. Suggestions for food are covered below in the Job Class Strategy section. Also, all members should receive the highest enhancing spells available from the WHMs. Enhancing spells will remain after the automatic cap is placed on your level, so having the WHMs cast Protect III and Shell III on tanks is very important. These mobs hit hard and fast, and you will need all the buffs you can get.

If you are fortunate enough to have a higher level Summoner among your group with Garuda and Titan, group Blink and Stoneskin can also prove an asset.

Only once everyone is prepared, the designated leader should signal the trader to start and everyone should prepare for War.

Section 5 – Garrison Rewards

As stated in the section above, a successful Garrison run will result in each player being given a certain amount of gil and a number of items dropping to the collective treasure pool. These items can then be lotted on by anyone in the group.

The amount of gil one receives varies with the number of NPCs that remain alive and the level of Garrison you are participating in. Level 20 gap Garrisons usually result in about 1500 gil per player if successful. As well, certain items will also be won:

Garrison Gear

The type of gear that can be won from Garrison depends on the level cap of the Garrison being run. The gear that drops as reward is roughly the same level as the Garrison. There are four types of gear that can be received.

1) Garrison Armor

This gear is around level 20 and, as such, is obtained from level 20 cap Garrisons. These pieces of gear are very similar to other level 20 gear (ie. Lizard and Beetle gear), but also provide a number of basic Stat boosts.

Garrison Sallet (Head Gear)
Level 19, All Jobs Def 5, MND +1, CHR +1

Garrison Tunica (Body Armor)
Level 18, All Jobs Def 15, DEX +1, CHR +1

Garrison Gloves (Hand Armor)
Level 20, All Jobs Def 4, VIT +1, INT +1

Garrison Hose (Leg Armor)
Level 21, All Jobs Def 9, STR +1, DEX +1

Garrison Boots (Foot Armor)
Level 18, All Jobs Def 4, INT +1, MND +1

Along with these level 20 armors, there are a number of level 20 enhancing accessories.

Mercurial Earring
Level 20, All Jobs Def 1, Garrison: Evasion +1

Variable Cape (Rare/Ex)
Level 20, WHM/BLM/RDM/BRD/SMN
Def 2, MP +3

Variable Mantle (Rare/Ex)
Level 20, WAR/MNK/RDM/THF/PLD/DRK/BST/BRD/RNG/SAM/NIN/DRG
Def 3

Variable Ring
Level 20, All Jobs
Garrison: MP+ 28, MP recovered while healing +1

Protean Ring
Level 20, All Jobs
Garrison: Attack +3, Ranged Attack +3

2) Military Weapons

These weapons are around level 30 and are obtained from the level 30 cap Garrisons. Again, these weapons give certain stat boosts.

Military Axe
Level 28, WAR/DRK
DMG 46, Delay 474, AGI +1

Military Gun
Level 30, THF/RNG/NIN
DMG 23, Delay 548, Ranged Attack +7

Military Harp
Level 33, BRD
“Finale” +2

Military Pick
Level 28, WAR/DRK/BST/RNG
DMG 24, Delay 260, Accuracy +1

Military Pole
Level 33, MNK/WHM/BLM/RDM/PLD/BRD/RNG/SMN
DMG 29, Delay 378, INT +1

Military Spear
Level 28, WAR/PLD/SAM/DRG
DMG 36, Delay 374, STR +1

3) Enhancing Earrings

Accurate Earring
Level 52, All Jobs
Accuracy +2

Amorph Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Amorph Killer”, Enhances “Bird Killer”

Aquan Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Aquan Killer”, Enhances “Amorph Killer”

Arcana Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Arcana Killer”, Enhances “Undead Killer”

Beast Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Beast Killer”, Enhances “Lizard Killer”

Bird Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Bird Killer”, Enhances “Aquan Killer”

Demon Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Demon Killer”, Enhances “Dragon Killer”

Dragon Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Dragon Killer”, Enhances “Demon Killer”

Lizard Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Lizard Killer”, Enhances “Vermin Killer”

Plantoid Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Plantoid Killer”, Enhances “Beast Killer”

Refresh Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Garrison: Adds “Refresh” Effect

Undead Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Undead Killer”, Enhances “Arcana Killer”

Vermin Earring
Level 50, All Jobs
Weakens “Vermin Killer”, Enhances “Plantoid Killer”

4) Mighty Weapons

Mighty Axe
Level 73, WAR/DRK
DMG 88, Delay 504, VIT +1, AGI +1, Firesday: DMG 98, [FIRE +15]

Mighty Bow
Level 70, WAR/RDM/THF/PLD/DRK/BST/RNG/SAM/NIN
DMG 53, Delay 450, Rng ACC +5, Windsday: DMG 63, [WIND +15]

Mighty Cudgel
Level 70, WAR/MNK/WHM/BLM/PLD/SMN
DMG 30, Delay 288, INT +1, MND +1, Firesday: INT +9, MND +9, [FIRE +15]

Mighty Knife
Level 73, WAR/RDM/THF/BST/BRD/RNG/RNG/NIN
DMG 24, Delay 200, AGI +1, CHR +1, Windsday: DMG 31, [WIND +15]

Mighty Lance
Level 73, DRG
DMG 87, Delay 507, VIT +2, Firesday: DMG 99, [FIRE +15]

Mighty Patas
Level 72, MNK
DMG +17, Delay +96, Evasion +5, Firesday: DMG +22, [FIRE +15]

Mighty Pick
Level 73, WAR/DRK/BST/RNG
DMG 47, Delay 312, VIT +1, CHR +1, Windsday: DMG 52, [WIND +15]

Mighty Pole
Level 72, WAR/MNK/WHM/BLM/PLD/BRD/DRG/SMN
DMG 56, Delay 402, Windsday: Elemental, Divine Magic +13, [WIND +15]

Mighty Sword
Level 72, WAR/PLD/DRK
DMG 75, Delay 444, STR +1, DEX +1, Firesday: DMG 84, [FIRE +15]

Mighty Talwar
Level 72, WAR/RDM/PLD/DRK
DMG 40, Delay 240, DEX +2, Windsday: DMG 48, [WIND +15]

Mighty Zaghnal
Level 72, WAR/DRK/BST
DMG 86, Delay 494, INT +2, Windsday: DMG 94, [WIND +15]

Nukemaru
Level 73, SAM
DMG 77, Delay 450, STR +2, Firesday: DMG 87, [FIRE +15]

Rai Kunimitsu
Level 74, NIN
DMG 34, Delay 227, Critical Hit Rate +5%, Firesday: DMG 41, [FIRE +15]


Experience Scrolls

The second type of item that can be received from Garrison are experience scrolls. These scrolls, when used, will give the player a random number of experience points. This random number is between two boundaries that vary with the type of scroll used. There are two types of these experience scrolls:

1) Page from the Dragon Chronicles

This scroll is the same as the scroll you receive for a successful Eco-Warrior quest. These scrolls give between 500 and 1000 experience points when used.

2) Miratete’s Memoirs

These scrolls give between 750 and 1500 experience points when used.

Mannequin Pieces

When the relatively new mannequin quest was introduced to the game, Garrison mobs became the source of two pieces of the mannequin required for this quest: the mannequin legs and mannequin feet. These drop mid-battle as regular drops from the Garrison mobs.

Mannequin Legs (Rare) – The wooden legs of a display mannequin
Mannequin Feet (Rare) – The wooden feets of a display mannequin


Section 6 - Forming a Garrison Group

Garrison can be an incredibly fun, incredibly entertaining event. Unfortunately, ‘can be’ does not always translate into ‘will be’.

In order to make this a worthwhile and effective event, it is important to form a good group to participate with. Ideally, this should be a group of people you fell comfortable with and that you trust to do their job. The hectic nature of these battles does not allow time for you to make sure everyone is doing their job. You need to concentrate on the target at hand and be confident that everyone is functioning efficiently and effectively.

I do not recommend doing this with pick up groups. Quite often, a group gathered at random will not have adequate preparation or education to make the event worthwhile. Even if they should be successful, it will come at the cost of a great deal of frustration. Also, it is rather difficult to get 18 random people to agree on a standard lotting system, and that can cause serious problems.

As for job specifications, this is one of the factors that makes Garrison so appealing. There is no “required” set up to run a successful Garrison. Indeed, almost any selection of jobs (within reason, of course) can stand a good chance of winning the event. There are, however, a few rules of thumb that can make the experience much easier and much more rewardable.

1)You will need at least one White Mage (or Main Healer) for each party in your group. If you run the event with 2 or 3 full parties, it is also advisable to have an extra healer assigned to healing the friendly NPCs.

Remember, the more NPCs that survive, the greater the rewards.

2) You will need at least one tank assigned to handling and controlling the boss NM that will spawn during the fourth wave. The job class of the assigned tank should be chosen to counter the specific 2 hour of the NM.

3) Damage dealers are incredibly important in this event. Each party should have 2-3 damage dealers at minimum.

4) All melee damage dealers should choose WAR as their sub job for Provoke. This will enable them to concentrate enemy attention on them and save friendly NPCs from damage.


Section 7 - Setting Up a Treasure Lotting System

A successful Garrison run will result in a number of items dropping into the treasure pool. The number of item drops depends on how many NPCs survive the onslaught. Usually, a successful run of the lower level cap Garrison events will result in 5 drops with an exceptional run capping out at 6. This will include 2 experience points scrolls (Dragon Chronicles or Miratete’s Memoirs) and 3-4 equipment drops (Please refer to the Rewards section for more information on equipment drops).

One of the major drawbacks of the Garrison reward system is that all item rewards become part of the communal treasure pool. Each and every person in your party/alliance can free lot on all the reward items.

Now this can cause problems. Obviously, if a large group of people participate in an event, each one of them would like some reward. Also, the Garrison equipment rewards are highly sought after and some can be extremely valuable. Because of this, problems may arise during lotting.

In order to avoid this frustration, it is in your best interest to design and agree upon a specific system for handling lotting. Players should be made aware of the system well before hand so any difficulties can be worked out.

There are two mainly accepted Lotting Systems for any type of shared reward event:

1) Have a single participant designated to sell all items and then distribute all profits equally among participants

2) Participants cast lots on each item and those who win a lot are ineligible to lot on other items

Both systems have their strengths and weaknesses, and will depend greatly upon the group you are doing the event with.


Section 8 - Job Specific Strategy Guides

As in any event, there is no single strategy that will work for all jobs. Instead, each job must consider their strengths and weaknesses, their traits and abilities at each level cap, and their role as part of a party/alliance, in order to be an effective participant.

The following guides include information from experienced players of each job class and how that job class functions in Garrison. They include recommendations for optimal equipment, food, and preparation, as well as important strategies.

Note: Work In Progress


Section 9 – Battlefield Layout

Rather than stepping blindly into the event and attempting to find targets on the fly, the diagram below gives a rough approximation of the battle layout. Also included are some recommended areas to place your melee damage dealers and mages.

Once an item is traded to the guard, a number of friendly NPCs will spawn (all participants will then receive a level cap status effect). There is one NPC for each person in your party/alliance. They will spawn in three straight lines just in front of the Outpost.

Diagram

Just a few seconds after the NPCs appear, the first wave of enemy attackers will spawn. These enemies spawn a small distance beyond the NPC lines. Caster and ranged attacker type enemies will remain in this area using distance attacks, while melee type enemies will charge toward the NPCs.

For maximum effectiveness, you should organize your melee damage dealers/provokers in front of the NPC spawn points. This way, you form a barrier between the attackers and the people you are attempting to defend. All provokers should focus on melee type enemies first, but be careful of caster type mobs. Several Garrison enemies can cast some serious spells that can dangerously hinder your group.

Mages should stay near the outpost if at all possible. You will most likely draw agro and this distance gives provokers a chance to assist you. Three White Mages should focus on healing their parties, with an extra White Mage dedicated to cycling through friendly NPC targets and healing any who are damaged.


Section 10 - Special Garrison Strategies

1) Stopping the Boss NM 2 hour ability

During the fourth and final wave of any Garrison event, a boss NM will spawn. This boss NM is much stronger than the other Garrison enemies and is also capable of using specific 2 hour abilities.

Because of this, it is highly recommended that you have a tank assigned to handle this boss NM and that they be capable of handling devastating 2 hour abilities. If your group is planning on running multiple rounds, you will need a tank assigned for each round.

Paladins and Thieves are great in this role as their 2 hour abilities protect them from taking any damage. Using their 2 hour ability, however, will mean they are unable to tank the boss NM in subsequent rounds until the ability timer is reset.

2) The Kiting Method

The enemies in Garrison spawn in timed waves, each wave appearing approximately 20 seconds after the previous wave was completely defeated. The next wave will not spawn until all enemies in the previous wave have been killed.

To increase your chances of running a successful Garrison round and obtaining an optimal reward, it is often recommended to delay the beginning of the next wave of attackers until all participants and NPCs are fully healed. Each person will then begin the next round with full HP and MP.

In order to delay the next wave, a player can pull one of the weaker mobs away from the main group and either sleep the enemy or kite it until their group is ready to continue. They would then bring the enemy back to the main group to be killed and subsequently begin the next wave.

Note: The kited mob must be pulled a fair distance from the main group as the friendly NPCs are designed to automatically attack any remaining targets in the area. If the chosen enemy is within their range, the entire group of NPCs will attack it and end the wave.

3) Outside Protection

Enemy monsters outside the Garrison event can still aggro participants during the event. This can be especially hazardous during higher level Garrisons as enemies in the surrounding area can be exceptionally strong.

Because of this, it is often helpful to have higher level assistance outside your party/alliance to handle any aggro.


Section 11 - Target Priority

The sheer number of targets will make it almost impossible to designate specific players to specific mobs. Rather, it is better to have people organize around certain areas so that they are near the mob spawn points. This will take practice. There are, however, some basic strategies and priorities that can be suggested to your group.

Though it is the melee mobs that will do the most damage in a strict sense, the caster mobs are more dangerous. They attack from a distance and often bind players, which is very bad. Caster mobs should be high priority for attack.

Ranger type mobs do very little damage. They will remain in one spot using fairly weak ranged attacks. It is much more beneficial to focus on the melee and caster type mobs, and save these mobs for last.

Players should provoke as often as is possible. There will be lots of damage and hate flying, so each player should do their utmost to help the group.

The boss mob(s) should be killed as quickly as possible, but must be tanked very carefully. To this end, it is vital to designate one player as the tank for the boss mob. During the fourth wave, this player should stay out of the battle until the boss mob spawns so that they are prepared to provoke him. The tank should usually be a PLD or a THF as their two-hour abilities will enable them to tank extremely damaging attacks without losing hp. Remember that mobs have 2 hour abilities, too. A MNK type boss will use Hundred Fists, which will tear apart any tank not using an appropriate 2 hour. The tank should be prepared to possibly die if a mistake occurs.


Section 12 - Additional Tips

1) Have all members of your group stand near the outpost guard, but facing in the other direction. This is the direction from which the mob waves will spawn. The waves will spawn in lines just beyond the outpost.

2) Avoid using macros. It is quite easy for macros to fail given the amount of action.

3) Turn off all effects. Even some of the better systems will experience lag with the sheer amount of models involved. It is even recommended that you turn on all chat filters to cut down on lag.

4) Don't be angry if you die. It happens. If you are raised, you can still receive gil and lot for items.

5) Once the round is done, the person who traded the item should NOT speak with the outpost guard until everyone is ready. All defeated players should be raised and all discussion should cease as there is limited time for 18 players to lot on five items fairly.

6) Making strategies and plans is often a mistake. Garrison is exceedingly hectic and laggy which makes even the simplest organization difficult. Your best bet is to simply target the nearest character and handle them as the situation requires. Melee should voke and attack any mob they target, mages should heal any friendly NPCs they come across.

Note: This is a level cap battle meaning that any and all players who do not have the cap are unable to interact with either players or mobs. Therefore, it is impossible to get help curing from people outside your alliance.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Please, if you find any inaccuracies or would like clarification on anything, let me know and I’ll do my best to fix it. Also, if you’d like anything added, post it below.

Thank you for reading. Good hunting.

It's worth noting that the Variable Ring, Variable Cape, Variable Mantle, Protean Ring, and Mercurial Earring - while all being Lv.20 pieces of equipment - actually come from the Lv.40 Garrisons in Li'Telor, Fauregandi, and Elshimo Lowlands.

Other than that, I have nothing to add. Great job.

The event, itself, usually lasts no more than 8-10 minutes depending on how long you kite tank a mob. The level 20 and 30 events especially will fly by very quickly and high level Protectras and Shellras will last.

The only limiting factor timewise is that there is a 30 minute cooldown between initiating the event. Once you trade the item, your group has to wait 30 minutes before someone else can trade.

This leads to about 20-22 minutes of building tp or just having some LS/group fun.

And thank you for posting that part about the Garrison rewards. The downloadable version has tables and charts based on event level, but I couldn't get the formatting right for this forum.

The number of participants is arguable. I have always found, however, that having a full alliance provides a greater chance of having higher rewards.

With three groups, you have extra tanks, extra melee, and extra healers. Yes, there are more enemies to face, but this is not a one-to-one event. The more people you have, the more people there are to watch each other's back.

You are right, though, in that if you have 13 or 14 people, you're probably much better off going with two full parties. Those couple extra people cannot account for the increased number of enemies you will face.

Anyone else have thoughts on this matter?

Excellent info there, Greenray. ^^ Yet another reason to take part in Garrison.

And I actually felt bad when I read your guide. I've been working on this, on and off, for a few months now and I didn't want to steal your thunder. It seemed like you put a lot of work into your guide.

The duration of buff spells is determined at the moment you cast them; they don't magically get cut short just because you get level capped afterward (unless you enter a level capped event that also removes your buffs, like most BCNMs). Since nobody is level capped when you cast your high powered buffs, they will all last just fine, assuming that their actual level is high enough for the spell. For instance, if you're level 75 and someone uses Protect 4 on you prior to entering a 30-cap event, the spell will still last its full duration after you get capped. However, if you cast it on someone that's really at level 30, it will get the duration cut, because duration is determined by what level the target is RIGHT NOW.

Duration is roughly determined by using the formula PlayerLV / SpellLV. Meaning, if you've got a level 40 spell, and you cast it on a level 20, the spell will have around half (20/40) of its normal duration. Protect 4, a level 63 spell will not last very long on people under level 10, but after level 20, the spell will last a little less than 10 minutes (a little less than 1/3 of normal duration). This has nothing to do with Garrison typically though because you still usually get full duration or close to it out of your spells if your party's actual levels are high enough, but this is just informative.

I'm 75RDM, and when I do the mission 2-3 dragon fight, I always go in with all sorts of buffs that I normally would not have at that level (Protect/Shell 4, Phalanx, Stoneskin, the works). They all last their usual durations.

If what you say is true, then you are now my favorite person for revealing some info that I know will helps us to win Garrison. Rate up!

This also justifies me going to garry as my DRK instead of my level 21 WHM.

You do lose exp when you die in Garrison. This can be a drawback, but luckily the exp loss is based on the level cap.

If you are doing this with a group of friends, you could designate any exp scrolls that drop should go to anyone who has died.

Buffs DO last through the cap. You can cast high level spells before the cap and they will not disappear.

The only addendum there is that any BST claimed or summoned pet will disappear. Wyverns will remain, but BST pets will lose claim and vanish due to the new MPK patch.

Variable items scale up like CoP rings.

This is a wonderful guide!! b(^.^)b

I can tell you that as of the last Eco-Warrior I did several months ago, pre-cap buffs remain intact.

The last several Eco-Warriors I've done, I've gone as SMN and used the appropriate avatars to bring about 2 hour death and destruction on the bosses. (My old LS once took three SMN with Shiva in to visit the flies in Windy's Eco-War. Fastest run ever.)

SMN buffs are great for Eco. I always have provided my party with Aerial Armor, and it sticks. In fact, it has saved a couple of the dumbasses who couldn't figure out how to let the escorts kill the agro mobs before running ahead.

On second thought...maybe you shouldn't buff ahead of time...

P.S. - I've sent a PM to MistressKat asking her to consider including this guide in the stickied FAQ thread at http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=24;mid=1115126760887739441;num=46;page=1

Edited, Wed Mar 15 19:11:23 2006 by Greenray

We use a similar system where the trader gets:

a) choice of rewards if not being shared

b) an exp scroll if sellable drops are being split

Since that remark was focused mainly on Shared Rewards systems, I focused on all sellable rewards being focused.

I'll make a note of it. Thanks. ^^