FFXIV Endwalker Guide: Abyssos: The Eighth Circle

25 Aug 2022
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It’s time to jump back into Pandaemonium! Abyssos: The Eighth Circle is the fourth and final encounter of the second 8-man, normal raid content released with Patch 6.2 of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. It’s available at level 90 after completing Abyssos: The Seventh Circle and unlocked by the quest A Keyward’s Gaol. It can be completed via the duty finder with a minimum ilvl of 585 and rewards Unsung tokens of Abyssos for each gear type, which can be turned in to Djole at (x:10.3, y:9.7) in Meghaduta, Radz-at-Han. Mylenie at (x:8.4, y:27.7) in Aporia, Labyrinthos will also exchange Unsung tokens of Abyssos for gear.

For the sake of your fellow players, please remember that this is new content (at the time of publication). A little friendly explanation can go a long way. Similarly, don’t be afraid to take advice. You may learn something you didn’t know.

Hephaistos

Phase 1

  • Genesis of Flame – Unavoidable, raid-wide damage. This first time, is also rims the arena in flames that apply a Burn debuff.
  • Sunforge – This while summon either a dragon or a phoenix to Hephaistos. If it’s the dragon, avoid the centerline of the arena. If it’s a phoenix, avoid the sides. This first time is always the dragon.
  • Sunforge – This second one is always a pheonix.
  • Sunforge – This one will be random, as will the rest of them from here on out.
  • Flameviper – A linear tank buster that applies a Bleed debuff.
  • Reforged Reflection – He changes his form!
    • If he takes on a centaur-like form, he’ll be doing Phase 2-1 starting with Blazing Footfalls.
    • If he gets… tentacley and snakey, he’ll be doing Phase 2-2 starting with Into the Shadows.

Phase 2-1

  • Blazing Footfalls – Hephaistos jumps to one edge and projects a linear knockback that will force players back from it’s centerline toward either side of the arena. He then shows 2 circular knockbacks one after another that are centered on random cardinal locations. Line yourself up to have the first line knockback knock you to the first circular knockback. Then, from that first circular one, to the second. And finally, from that last circular knockback into safety, rather than the fiery wall.
  • Rearing Rampage – Unavoidable, raid-wide damage.
  • Proceed to Phase 3

Phase 2-2

  • Into the Shadows – Hephaistos will plunge his Gorgon-headed arm into the ground twice and 2 little Gorgon buddies will begin tunneling around. You’ll be able to watch their progress by the purple eye indicators moving quickly around in opposing directions. Keep an eye on the eyes until they stop, then make sure you’re looking away from both of them. Remember that you’re technically looking away from something as long as it’s directly beside you. Getting caught looking at either Gorgon when they pop out of the ground will paralyze you.
    • Gorgoneion x2 – When the Gorgons emerge, they will begin this cast, Kill them before they do, or ???
  • Gorgospit – Hephaistos will aim a fairly wide, linear AoE at a random player.
  • Gorgospit
  • Ektothermos – Unavoidable, raid-wide damage.
  • Proceed to Phase 3

Phase 3

  • Fourfold Fires – A pulsing, proximity based AoE will show up in each corner, so move to the center.
  • Cthonic Vent – Where each of the previous Fourfold Fires AoEs went off, there will be a fiery Cthonic Vent left behind. Two of these vents will be tethered to Hephaistos and will soon explode in large, circular AoEs. After these explosions, 2 dragons will emerge from the vents and fly down into 2 different vents. You’ll need to move away from those before they explode as well. The dragons will repeat this 1 more time for 1 more set of explosions.
  • Sunforge
  • Genesis of Flame
  • Reforged Reflection

Phase 2-1 or 2-2

Hephaistos will do whichever version of Phase 2 that he didn’t before.

Phase 4

  • Volcanic Torches – Three, blue torches will embed themselves in the ground on one edge of the arena and start moving along the lines in the floor. once they reach the opposite side, they’ll turn in one direction or the other along the wall and begin coming back toward the side they started on. Once they complete a full circuit around their row of the floor, those enclosed areas will explode. Move to the one safe row as soon as you see which way the torches turn once they hit the wall.
  • Volcanic Torches – This second set happens in conjunction with:
  • Hemitheos’s Flare – Four players will be marked with pink, traveling AoE circles. Spread out along the safe row left from Volcanic Torches.
  • Sunforge
  • Genesis of Flame
  • Flameviper
  • Reforged Reflection – Phase structure splits here again.
    • Centaur – Phase 5-1 starting with Blazing Footfalls.
    • Snakes/Gorgon – Phase 5-2 starting with Into the Shadows.

Phase 5-1

  • Blazing Footfalls – This version has an additional circular AoE.
  • Rearing Rampage
  • Proceed to Phase 6

Phase 5-2

  • Reforged Reflection – tentacles
  • Into the Shadows – This will function the same way, with the addition of clones of Hephaistos on each corner, projecting linear Aoes and making the outside rows of squares unsafe to stand in.
    • Gorgoneion x2
  • Volcanic Torches
  • Gorgospit
  • Gorgospit
  • Ektothermos
  • Proceed to Phase 6

Phase 6

  • Fourfold Fires
  • Cthonic Vent
  • Volcanic Torches – While there are only 2 this time, these happen during Cthonic Vent, so you’ll need to dodge both mechanics simultaneously.
  • Hemitheos’s Flare – All players will be marked this time.
  • Sunforge
  • Genesis of Flame
  • Genesis of Flame
  • Flameviper
  • Reforged Reflection

Phase 5-1 or 5-2

Hephaistos will do whichever version of Phase 5 that he didn’t before, then while likely follow it up with Phase 6, and then the first version of Phase 5, and on and on until defeat, or an unknown enrage.

Congratulations, you’ve completed Abyssos: The Eighth Circle!

Make sure to check out the guides for the rest of this Pandaemonium tier!