A Chinese group cleared A4S in just 4 days after Savage is implemented in the Chinese server (According to details, their equipments are i190)
I can translate their post but there are some slang terms that make it difficult to understand.
EDIT: Apologies for the earlier mistakes. I have corrected them.
打法最大的亮点 自然是三近战+
技机工的菜刀阵容
The most interesting part of our strategy is of course the 3 melee + MCH comp.
忍龙是标配 武僧与黑魔的定位一致所以用dps更高的武僧取代了黑魔 再辅以物理增伤为主的技工从而打出最极限的团伤
NIN and DRG is the standard duo. MNK and BLM have a similar role so we opted for the higher DPS MNK instead of the BLM. This is accompanied by our MCH who focuses on increasing physical damage (Hypercharge), ensuring that we deal the highest party DPS possible.
不过事实上 因为国服版本是大杂烩版本 且开了普通技工6周才开放零式 不得不承认因此很大程度上降低了dps压力
However, the reality is… Due to our national version being a “big hodgepodge”^1 and Alexander Normal was available 6 weeks before the release of Savage, I have to admit that the DPS requirements aren’t as strict.
我们在整个AS的挑战中 A1.2S自不必说 毫无dps压力 A3S只要不出现失误 哪怕不是完美发挥 团伤依然能溢出近200点
Throughout our progression thru Alexander Savage, we felt zero pressure for DPS in A1S and A2S. As for A3S, as long as there are no big mistakes, even if we don’t perform perfectly, our party DPS can still be about 200 more than what is needed.
而对团伤要求苛刻的A4S 我们在这几天的挑战中 依然明显的感觉到 不存在dps不足的现象 有一次在P5第二循环时 我们的团伤有6500+之高 很可惜灭了
In the case of the “DPS-demanding” A4S, during the few days that we’ve been trying, we still felt that there is no lack of DPS. There was one time during the 2nd Mortal Revolution in P5, our party DPS was more than 6500, but it’s too bad that we wiped.
事实上我们不
止只一次地出现团伤达标 但是很可惜灭了的情况 完整的打到狂暴的就三次 第四次便是通关的这一次
Actually, we didn’t just reach the standard party DPS only once but it’s such a shame that we wiped. We managed to perform well and reach the Enrage 3 times. The 4th try was our first clear.
不过哪怕是通关的这一次 我们依然出现了意外减员 不得不吐槽 低装等下 容错率实在太低太低太低了。。。。。
Yet, even though we have cleared it once, we experienced an issue and lost a member(s). Can’t help but feel the urge to rant. Our iLvls are low, our margin for error is really, really, really too small…^2
^2 Translated literally, “error tolerance percentage is really too low, too low, too low…” 
最后还是不得不钦佩队伍的两位治疗(白魔还是一位萌妹子) A4S邪教打法的主要压力就集中在奶妈身上 二位真是辛苦了
That said, we really can’t help but be grateful to our 2 Healers (WHM is still a moe little girl).^3 Most of the burden of the A4S Nisi-sac strat is focused on our “nannies”. Those 2 really have it rough, many thanks to both of them.
^3 I have no idea why OP included this. Is it because the WHM is a Lalafell or is the WHM actually a young girl in real life? o.O
^4 奶妈 = Nanny. Yup, Chinese slang. Used to refer to healing or support roles in games.
A4S主要的难点在于
1.撞球及伴随着的各种其他机制 周三晚上时 我们的奶妈可是无限死于球 →_→ 装备差 导致耐力低 魔防低 治疗量低 在早期 这相当容易死
2.连线及大小怪 需要大量的练习 你要问我有什么诀窍 那我只能告诉你 把所有情况都灭几遍并吸取教训 应该就不会再灭了_(:зゝ∠)_
3.P3的dpscheck及全程的狂暴压力 由于装备实在太差。。。我们采用P1武僧和技工骗LB的方法 在P3用LB2强压(不推荐效仿)
全团的爆发点在起手(全爆发+龙药1)、P3(爆发+LB)、P5开场(全爆发+龙药2)、P5第三循环圆盘前后(全爆发+龙药3)
最大程度的协调好自身的爆发以及战祈、背刺吧^5 这会有效的提高团伤
The main difficult parts of A4S
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Collision with orbs and other following mechanics. On the night of the 3rd week, our “nannies” died repeatedly to the orbs →_→ weak gear meant low survivability, low magic defense and weak heals. In early progression, it is very easy for them to die.
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Tethers and other oddities. This requires a lot of practice. You want me to share our tips and tricks? Well, all I can say is to wipe to this in all kinds of situations multiple times, learn from the wipes and you will eventually stop wiping. _(:зゝ∠)_
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The DPS check in P3 and the race against Enrage for the rest of the fight. Due to our pitifully weak gear… We used a method that involves cheesing the use of LB with MNK and MCH in P1, using LB2 in P3 (This is not recommended).
The entire party should start bursting at the very start of the fight (Full burst + Draco Pot 1), P3 (Burst + LB), at the start of P5 (Full Burst + Draco Pot 2), before or after the 3rd Mortal Revolution in P5 (Full burst + Draco Pot 3).
Synchronize your own burst DPS with Battle Litany and Trick Attack as much as possible. This is an effective way of increasing your party’s DPS.
^5 OP uses “战祈” as short form for 战斗祷告, which is DRG’s Battle Litany. 背刺 is NIN’s Trick Attack.
EDIT: Currently trying to translate the whole thing Done! (ˊoˋ;)
They most likely had JP accounts and practiced before savage was released on China servers.
Knowing off the bat that sac strat is easier in every way, due to giving overall higher raid dps and removing the HP check that was Nisi+Mortal Rev, and in general not having to figure out the fight’s mechanics since they’re well documented by the NA/EU/JP playerbase already does make this believeable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s super impressive that they met the dps checks in the gear they had available, but it’s not surprising to see that it was possible given the circumstances.
This is a really good video that I’m glad that exists for the following:
It shows how with the expansion of jobs how powerful party synergy is becoming and party DPS between groups is widening depending on jobs. I’ve done that exact composition before, it is really damn strong and we easily smashed our old clear records.
It shows how broken the fight is. This gear would not have cut it if they did anything more than they did, they were a second from dying to hard enrage and all the critical phasing points they barely made. This video demonstrates that the strats have basically broken the gear tuning.
Lastly there’s no way to wave it off this is really skillful play. Tons of neat little things in that. When someone linked this to me telling me it was a i190 clear i was sure something had to be different but no, this is just a video that combines the best play with the most broken fight.
Edit: just as an aside if there were more gear checks aside from DPS this also would not have been possible. I guess nisi would of been sort of a hp check but seriously megaflare did close to your max hp in damage for a reason.
ITT: People who think that clearing in i188-191 is not that great “they’ve had time to practice!”
If you’ve not cleared A4S, didn’t you have like… months AND better gear?
If you have, why not grab your static, equip same ilvl equips and show us all how easy it is? I mean, since we’ve all had months to practice and ostensibly, clear the instance and all.
Kudos to the CN team, well done!
I guess when you pay by the minute you gotta rush to get these things done!
Triple melee and mch, pretty much only reason they have to dps to do that with that gear.
The salt on this thread… so sad.
I’ll just say this, if you cleared A4S at ilvl 190, that’s still very impressive, whether in NA, JP, EU or any other region.
edit: removed the gratuitous and unnecessary “TODAY”
Can’t wait for Korea.
Their details and screenshot: 贴吧404
Secondary link: 【A4S踏破】紫水A4S国服首杀_ff14吧_百度贴吧
This is some amazing execution of strategy and play. Well done China!
the numbers feel much more like i200 weapon + a few eso/savage pieces across the board, rest i190. still very impressive.
edit: jesus christ the monk is i188, i190 weapons across the board except for 1 eso piece each
pretty sure they are players with both JPN and chinese accounts
they pretty sure know the fights in and out or they wouldnt kill it in 4 days
they struggled with DPS checks it seems or they will clear it day 1
There’s a chinese server?
Does it specify how they survived the pentacle sac without a summoner for the extra raise, since the DPS comp was DRG/NIN/MNK/MCH ? Can’t watch the video right now
It probably didn’t hurt that at least some of them probably had access to the strategies and video posted online by NA and JP groups that had already cleared A4s, giving them peaks at the mechanics before had and the ability to make plans for them. They didn’t have to go in completely blind and actually figure out what everything did from scratch…
they are 2 patches behind us atm, I wonder if china will ever be on par with patches or they will keep a patch or so behind us.
To be fair, they’ve had numerous clear vids to observe + know about the sac method in advance.
Still a very impressive feat. Also kudos for them on experimenting in optimizing a comp.
Is it just me that finds this thread strange? There’s 120 million Japanese in the world, and we have any number of translators for their messages, but with over a billion Chinese people there’s massive debate going on about what the thing even means at all.