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A guide to the Dohn Mheg Dungeon in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

How to survive the scary depths of the Dhon Mheg dungeon in FFXIV: Shadowbringers

Dohn Mheg is the second dungeon you’ll come across in your Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers adventure. If you happened to watch the preview livestreams leading up to launch, you’ve probably seen it a lot already. This underwater paradise isn’t as wonderfully magical as it first seems. Being the domain of another of the fae folk found in Il Mheg, it’s borderline horror disguised as whimsy.

As with the rest of our Shadowbringers dungeon guides, we’re focusing wholly on boss strategies and tactics. The trash mods, although quite powerful, aren’t all too important here. Just force your way through them and beat up some bosses.

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Aenc Thon, Lord of the Lingering Gaze

This frog friend gives a little something away in its name. Things start off pretty same with the same toy hammer bonk we saw cripple tanks in The Antitower back in Heavensward. Chop away at it’s health, however, and things will soon go south.

Aenc Thon’s main attack comes after his first Hydrofall and Laughing Leap, in which he hops to the middle of the arena to cast Landsblood. The ripple sent out from this move creates puddles of water that erupt after enduring two smacks of Aenc Thon’s staff. These eruptions are bigger than they seem and spawn more puddles with each, so steer clear and reposition after each to avoid getting comboed. Then it’s rinse and repeat – pun intended.

Griaule

Pokemon fans might recognize this bushy beast. Griaule tricks a little with Fodder, a spell which spawns things that will tether to Griaule and cause it to grow in size and power. These can be intercepted by breaking the tether between the boss, but you won’t be able to intercept them all. During this, Griaule will be casting Tiimbeeer to cause AOE damage to the team. If you want to try for some kind of challenge mode, let Griaule juice up. “Healers adjust”, as they say.

Between these Fodder phases, Griaule will attempt to cleave players with its conal Swinge attack by rooting you all in place with Coiling Ivy. You can break yourself out of these with attacks, but a single White Mage’s Assize or a similar spell will typically clear the field.

Aenc Thon, Lord of the Lengthsome Gait

After venturing through the magical castle floating on the lake, Aenc Thon will return for round two. Now a lanky frog we fully expect to land on NSFW art sites in time, he’s swapped the candy cane for a violin bow. Virtuosic Capriccio deals AOE damage, Imp Choir requires to look away, and Toad Choir is a wide conal attack you’ll want to avoid unless you want to join its froggy ranks.

After hopping back to the rear of the area, Aenc Thon executes Funambulist’s Fantasia, creating a massive gap in the center. Carefully follow the thin path back to the boss, step into its shield, and gun it down before he has a chance to cast Finale.

Succeed and Aenc Thon will take on a new form. One veterans will have seen before. Avoid this new foe’s telegraphed strikes, non-telegraphed tentacle slams, and some vomit, and it’ll reform into Aenc Thon for you to finish off.

Josh Brown
Josh Brown is a UK-based freelancer with devoted interests in video games, tech, film, and anime/manga. Just don't talk to…
Final Fantasy 16 Renown explained: what is Renown and how to earn it
Final Fantasy 16's cover showcasing its protagonist infront of two demon summons.

Every JRPG, and even games with RPG elements, likes to introduce new systems into the mix for you to learn and interact with. Most of the mechanics in Final Fantasy 16 will be familiar, like sidequests, upgrading gear, and unlocking abilities. However, later on, the game will introduce you to the Renown system once you take control of the Cursebreakers. This occurs once you reach the main hub of the game called Cid's Hideaway after going through the main story until you reach A Chance Encounter. While you might be feeling content ignoring this new mechanic and just pushing on with the main story, there are plenty of reasons to learn it. Here's a simple explanation of how the Renown system works in Final Fantasy 16.
What is Renown and how to earn it

Without spoiling much, after Clive takes on a certain mantle and is in charge of Cid's Hideaway, the Renown system will automatically be put into effect. This is meant to represent how much inspiration and support Clive has earned from the people of Valisthea in his cause and fight against the Blight. You can see how much Renown you currently have by visiting the Patron's Whisper and talking to Desiree.

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Final Fantasy 16 Timely Accessories: what they are and how to equip them
Screenshot of the main character from Final Fantasy 16 fighting an enemy.

Traditionally, Final Fantasy titles don't come with difficulty options. As the series has grown leading up to Final Fantasy 16, Square Enix has started to add some options to make the game more accessible to players. Considering this latest entry is more action-heavy than any that has come before, with advanced moves like perfect dodges and parries, these tools are more necessary than ever for longtime fans who prefer a more traditional JRPG experience. While the Timely Accessories can't turn this action game into a turn-based one like older entries, it can at least give you enough of an edge to feel comfortable getting through combat so you can enjoy the deep and complex story. Let's go over what these Timely Accessories are and how to equip them in Final Fantasy 16.
What are Timely Accessories?

Timely Accessories in Final Fantasy 16 are basically your difficulty modifiers, but instead of being menu options, they're items. These types of items have become a bit more common in the last few years and include the Chicken Hat from Metal Gear Solid V. This time, there are five different accessories that you can pick from, each of which modifies the game in different ways to give you an edge in combat. Here are all five of the Timely Accessories and what they do:
Ring of Timely Evasion
When equipped, Clive will automatically evade attacks, as long as the attacks can be evaded.
Ring of Timely Focus
When equipped, time slows before an evadable enemy attack strikes Clive. There's no effect when equipped with the Ring of Timely evasion.
Ring of Timely Strikes
When equipped, complex ability combinations can be executed by simply pressing the Square button.
Ring of Timely Assistance
When equipped, pet commands will be executed automatically based on Clive's actions.
Ring of Timely Healing
When equipped, healing potions will automatically be used when Clive's HP falls below a certain threshold. More common healing items like potions will be used before rarer ones like high potions.
How to equip Timely Accessories
When you first begin Final Fantasy 16 you will need to choose between Story and Action Focused modes. These technically also serve as your difficulty selection, but it's really just a simplified way of enabling the Timely Accessories. Regardless of which difficulty you choose, you will always have access to all these accessories and can switch at any time while playing (as long as you are not currently in combat).

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JRPGs are notorious for being heavy time investments. Some, such as Persona 5 and other Final Fantasy entries, can easily go on for over 100 hours without adding in side content. On the other hand, there are some Final Fantasy games that lean on the shorter side. With Final Fantasy 16 taking a far more action-focused approach to combat, some might expect this to be a shorter entry, but that isn't necessarily the case. There are plenty of factors that will impact how many hours you spend in the world of Valisthea, so we'll give you a good idea of how long it will take you to complete Final Fantasy 16.
How long is Final Fantasy 16?

Just like any good JRPG, Final Fantasy 16 has a substantial main quest, as well as other optional activities you can take on if you want to get the most out of your experience. The main optional components are the sub-quests and board bounties to increase Renown. If you're just here for the story and ignore all the extras, you can expect around a 35-hour adventure with Clive all told. This isn't all pure gameplay, as about 11 of those hours are dedicated to cutscenes sprinkled throughout the adventure. Because there are quite a lot of sub-quests and bounties available, plus fully leveling up and unlocking all your skills, going for a full 100% completion run of the game will likely double your playtime to somewhere around 70 to 80 hours.

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