How to complete The Mothercrystal Trial in FFXIV Endwalker: All encounters, bosses, & how to start

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FFXIV screenshot showing the Mothercrystal Trial

FFXIV’s trials will test even veteran players. Here’s how to complete the Mothercrystal Trial in Final Fantasy 14’s Endwalker expansion.

Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker is already here, and as the adventures of the Warrior of Light head towards a conclusion, the game presents the most dangerous zones you must explore yet if you want to stop the Final Days.

With new knowledge of what transpired in Elpis, you meet your old friend Venat, now Hydaelyn. She must test you to see the extent of your powers and the Scion’s abilities, and you have to succeed if your plan is to save the world.

Here’s how to complete the Mothercrystal Trial in Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker.


Contents


FFXIV screenshot showing the Mothercrystal Trial
Can you complete the Mothercrystal Trial?

FFXIV The Mothercrystal: How to unlock

To unlock this dungeon, you must complete the following Main Scenario Quest:

Her Children, One and All

  • Quest Giver: Fourchenault
  • Location: Labyrinthos (13.3, 27.5)
  • Level: 89

FFXIV Mothercrystal Trial Fight – Divine Light: Hydaelyn

FFXIV screenshot showing the Mothercrystal Trial
The Trial features multiple phases.

As a general note, the outer border of the arena will instantly kill you if you step on it, so try to stay as much close to the center as you can.

Phase 1

Hydaelyn will use the following moves in battle:

  • Heroes’ Radiance: A Raid-wide AoE, you can mitigate and heal through it.
  • Dawn Mantle: Hydaelyn will change her weapon and a mechanic will happen depending on what she chooses:
    • Dancer Chakrams (Red icon): A large donut AoE, you must stand inside under Hydaelyn to successfully avoid.
    • Dragoon Lance (Green icon): A large circle AoE under her, you must move far away to successfully avoid.
    • Paladin Sword & Shield (Blue icon): A cross-shaped AoE that always points in cardinal directions. You must position yourself in an intercardinal direction and stay away from melee distance to successfully avoid it.
  • Mousa’s Scorn: This is a Tankbuster attack that must be shared by both tanks, which means it’ll target one Tank of the party and the other Tank will group with him to mitigate damage.
  • Magos’s Radiance: Another raid-wide AoE, you just can mitigate and heal through it.

Right after Hydaelyn says “Crystals of Light, to me!”, the arena will change into a circular area with 6 huge crystals around it, and the Add Phase will begin.

Add Phase

After this phase begins, a bar will begin filling, and you must destroy the six crystals before it does, or players will suffer instant death. The following attacks will be cast while you do this:

  • Hydaelyn’s Ray: An orange line AoE will appear across the center of the platform, you must stand close to the border of the arena as far as you can from the line, to take the least damage when it hits.
  • Crystalline Stone III: One of the party members will receive a stack marker and you must group together to mitigate damage when it drops. 
  • Crystalline Blizzard III: All the party members will receive AoEs, spread out to avoid overlapping. 
  • Exodus: Raid-wide AoE, you just can mitigate and heal through it, after which the phase will end.

Phase 2

FFXIV screenshot showing the Mothercrystal Trial
Be sure to read our list of possible attacks before rushing in.

Once the arena goes back to its normal appearance, Hydaelyn will resume using the Phase 1 attacks, adding the following ones:

  • Crystallize: Will either spawn AoE circles on each player or a stack marker. While Hydaelyn will cast this early, the effects of this attack won’t show up for a bit, usually until the next cast of Dawn Mantle appears. Depending on the type of AoE or marker you get, spread or group together to successfully avoid.
  • Parhelion: Hydaelyn will shoot out three sets of line AoEs originating from her position, which will explode in the order they spawn. Move into the safe zones between each one to successfully avoid. 
  • Subparhelion: Immediately after Parhelion, another set of line AoEs will be shot through the center of the arena. They will also explode in the order they spawn, so you must go to the safe zone after the first one explodes to successfully avoid.
  • Parhelic Circle: This attack will show up as a green symbol on the ground, which will then spawn AoEs at the tip of the lines in the symbol. Do not stand in the middle and position yourself outside the smaller lines, where the safe zones will be.
  • Heroes’ Sundering: This is a cone Tankbuster attack, which means it’ll target the Tank of the party and they must take it alone, as any other Role Class near will likely die.
  • Radiant Halo: A Raid-wide AoE, you can mitigate and heal through it.
  • Lightwave: Hydaelyn spawns four waves of light from the arena borders, and these will move slowly across it. Two waves will move first and then the other two so they will be de-synchronized, and you can use this to move accordingly and successfully avoid the attack. 
  • Echoes: This attack is a stack marker that hits multiple times, you must stay grouped together until it finishes. Hydaelyn usually casts this right after Lightwave.

This article was written by Santi Leguiza.


So that’s how to complete the Mothercrystal Trial in FFXIV. Looking to become the best Warrior of Light Eorzea has ever seen? Be sure to check out our Final Fantasy guides:

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