Category:Apex Monster

True to their name, Apex monsters are high level and high HP foes which yield a high quantity of Capacity Points. This makes them some of the best targets for players to gain Job Points. Apex foes are only found in the dungeon zones of the Adoulin region. These same dungeons have nearly no penalty for grouping up to gain Capacity Points in them. Unlike outside, where adding party members (trusts excluded) will noticeably reduce the total points gained per monster. Players will usually group up and form a "CP party" with friends, linkshell members, or a random "shout group" (PUG). While it is quite possible to solo Capacity Points on Apex mobs using Trusts; it is suboptimal due to the greatly diminished returns when not in a group. This is due to potential overcrowding as well as slower kill speed, and thus a greater chance at not receiving the bonus from the Capacity Points Chain. It is considered rude by much of the community, especially during months where a Capacity Point Chain Campaign is in effect. During months where a Capacity Point Chain Campaign is active, forming groups with other players should be prioritized whenever possible.

Before Earning Capacity Points

Capacity Point Bonuses

You can increase the amount of Capacity Points you earn by gaining Capacity Point Bonuses through a variety of methods, such as completing story Missions, participating in Reives, Rings that provide a temporary Capacity Bonuses, or during monthly Adventurer Campaigns. Players wishing to earn Job Points should consider these options to increase their Capacity Point Bonuses before setting out to earn CP, as these will make accumulation much quicker.

Apex Strategies

Several strategies are common while dealing with Apexes. This will depend on not only which jobs are available to the group, but the jobs players wish to CP on.
Points may only be gained for the current job being used and are not shareable like Merit Points are.

Magic Burst

Most commonly occurring in Dho Gates as Crabs provide Aspir fodder, and are of a decent difficulty more often for average shout members. Almost no monsters after these Crabs have an MP pool to utilize.
Typically these setups involve a pair of DDs to create skillchains to burst, a GEO, and a combination of support and nukers.

• DD, DD, GEO (Geo-Malaise/Indi-Acumen), SCH, BLM, BLM for example.

• However, a COR or SMN (ideally Shiva for Avatar's Favor) works as well. Ideally you should defeat the mob in a single MB volley. Mages may use a high tier nuke then burst again with a weaker nuke.

• Keep in mind how SDT tiers change from skillchains and multiple skillchains.

See also: Magic Accuracy Food.

Skillchaining

More common, and often more viable against a large array of targets are skillchain style apex parties. Where multiple skillchains from powerful weapon skills are coordinated between DDs.
Players will want to aim for a level 2 skillchain, into a level 3, and then a level 4.

• See the Skillchain page for information on skillchaining.

• A tool like FFXI Calc may be very useful to you for finding skillchains without as much work.
• Each weapon type page on the wiki or the Weapon Skills page itself has the skillchain elements listed.

• While using level 2 properties together to create the first level 2 skillchain is convenient. Often times you will be stuck looking at the secondary/level 1 properties of a weaponskill

• E.g Stardiver's secondary property of Transfixion to a Scission (Sonic Thrust or Dancing Edge for example) creates Distortion.

For example, a party of DRG, THF, PLD, BRD or COR, GEO, WHM against Apex Bats in Dho Gates.

• BRD or COR buffs and pulls then sleeps while the PLD tanks. You don't even really need a tank *. Defense Food works well too in this role with proper buffs/debuffs.

• COR is ideal for Allies' Roll, but it shouldn't matter too much really.

• DRG may open with either Camlann's Torment to Rudra's Storm or Stardiver to Dancing Edge for Distortion. Followed by Stardiver for Dark. Into Rudra's Storm for a second Dark and hopefully a dead bat.

• You could also run this with another job like RDM magic bursting each step or even meleeing, skillchaining, and magic bursting at the end if need be. Don't forget about Inundation.

• While you can't put a price on the sweetness of capping attack via Geo-Frailty, decent/good DDs with Allies' Roll against Dho or even Woh gates targets (gear, targets, and buffs depending) shouldn't require this to down a mob given Dia II/III and other buffs from jobs like BRD or SMN.

Parties may even form magically based strategies where Geo-Malaise is used for something like Leaden Salute as powerful a Dark SC closer to multiple physical weapon skills. There could even be a player there to magic burst after the fact if desired or necessary, given the buffs in this example.

Capacity Point Party Notes

Jobs that aren't typically known for their damage dealing (such as PLD) can be better off setting NIN or DNC as a support job with two weapons in order to help open or close Skillchains, depending on the overall strategy set up. Melee jobs should focus primarily on TP accumulation, with options such as Double Attack, Store TP, Haste, and Accuracy.
Mage-type jobs should focus on increasing their Magic Burst Damage, providing the party with beneficial effects, debuffing the mob's defense and resistances, and decreasing down-time.

Certain players will sometimes have unreasonable requirements to get into their CP PTs. Such as requiring an Ultimate Weapon. DO NOT feel discouraged by the ignorance of such players. Party optimization often isn't required for any but the toughest of Apex monsters; and even then, every job is capable of functioning within a CP PT, provided that they are prepared and fill a needed role in the group's strategy (e.g. overbuffed melee group kills, magic bursting, multistep SCing, etc).

If you are a newer player to Capacity Points; consider soloing Moh and Sih Gates to get the feel for it.
Then form small parties with friends or random people and fill empty slots with trusts.
If you want to join a CP PT but are unfamiliar with the party set up, be up front with the party leader and explain what concerns you might have. If you invite someone who is not familiar with CP PTs and may not have the correct set up, explain to them what they should know.

Moh Gates

Moh Gates Levels 125-127 Recommended Entrance Morimar Basalt Fields (K-11) Frontier Station Bivouac Monsters Monsters Job Spawns Aggro Detects 95% Hit Rate Apex Eft WAR 17 1,029 Apex Eruca WAR 10 1,029 Apex Matamata WAR 9 1,029 Apex Raptor WAR 10 1,029

Map ← Eruca x5 Eruca ↓x5 ← Eft x17 }} ← Raptor x10 ← Matamata x9 }} }}

Sih Gates

Sih Gates Levels 125-127 Recommended Entrance Foret de Hennetiel (I/J-6) Frontier Station Bivouac Monsters Monsters Job Spawns Aggro Detects 95% Hit Rate Apex Chapuli WAR 14 1,029 Apex Jagil WAR 10 1,029 Apex Leech WAR 19 1,029 Apex Mandragora MNK 16 1,049

Map ← Mandragora x8 ← Leech x6 Chapuli x6 Jagil x10 ← Leech x5 Leech x8 ↓ Chapuli x8 Mandragora ↑ x8

Dho Gates

Dho Gates Levels 128-130 Recommended Entrance Foret de Hennetiel (E-10) Homepoint #1 -or- Bivouac #4 Monsters Monsters Job Spawns Aggro Detects 95% Hit Rate Apex Bats WAR 27 1113 Apex Crab PLD 25 1113 Apex Craklaw WAR 14 1113 Apex Jagil WAR 15 1113

Map ← All Mobs x1

Woh Gates

Woh Gates Levels 131-133 Recommended Entrance Marjami Ravine (B-5) Bivouac #4 Monsters Monsters Job Spawns Aggro Detects 95% Hit Rate Apex Jagil WAR 29 1,203 Apex Toad WAR 18 1,203 Velkk Abyssal DRK 6 1,203 Velkk Junglemancer BLM 6 1,192 Velkk Mindmelter RDM 2 1,192 Velkk Tearlicker WAR 4 1,203

Map G-1

Outer Ra'Kaznar

Outer Ra'Kaznar Levels 134-136 Recommended Entrance Enigmatic Waypoint Outer Ra'Kaznar Monsters Monsters Job Spawns Aggro Detects 95% Hit Rate Apex Bat WAR 16 1,294 Apex Twitherym WAR 16 1,282 Apex Ironclad WAR 4 1,294

Maps

• Twitheryms at E12 (2nd floor).
• Bats (single) at D5 (2nd floor).
• Ironclads: 2 at each of the camps above.
  • Neither the Bats nor Twitherym aggro or link at all.
  • Ironclads aggro from 10' sound/7.5' sight, but the room is huge and they're typically tucked in a corner, so you'll have more than enough space to avoid them.

Ra'Kaznar Inner Court

Ra'Kaznar Inner Court Levels 137-139 Recommended Entrance Ra'Kaznar Inner Court Home Point #1 Moh Gates tele-crystal Monsters Monsters Job Spawns Aggro Detects 95% Hit Rate Apex Bats WAR 6 1,384 Apex Bhoot BLM 18 1,384 Apex Cyhiraeth BLM 13 1,359 Apex Draugar BLM DRK THF 18 1,359 1,384 1,524 Apex Poxhound WAR 10 1,384 Apex Umbril WAR 22 1,384 Apex Vodoriga WAR 12 1,384 (Ground) 1,454 (Flying) Disheveled Naraka WAR 2 1,384 Enigmatic Vampyr WAR 1 1,384 Inimical Corse BLM 2 1,384 Powercrazed Dvergr BLM 2 1,359

Maps

• All the Apexes are located at the northern parts of both map 1 and 2.
  • The fastest, most direct route is via the Moh Gates teleportation crystal. Enter Moh Gates from Morimar Basalt Fields north of Bivouac #5.
  • Alternatively, use porter B and/or C to get to them coming from the Ra'Kaznar Inner Court Home Point.
• Apex Poxhound can be found at (J-3) of Map 1.
• Apex Draugar can be found at (K-2) of Map 1.

References

• Monster Evasion, Braden FFXIAH