On this page you can find all the details needed to defeat Arch-Lambda, the second boss in the Level 90 Dungeon, The Stigma Dreamscape in Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker (FFXIV). Details on the mechanics along with how to tank and heal.

Mechanics¶

Wheel¶

This is a Tankbuster that deals heavy damage only, Shield up and use defensive cooldowns to mitigate it.

Auto-mobile Assault Cannon¶

Arch-Lambda will move to the center of the arena and then briefly show its path it will drive through the arena four times. Be sure to avoid any of its paths and ensure that you end up close to its final position.

Wave Cannon¶

Once Arch-Lambda comes to a stop after Auto-mobile Assault Cannon, it will turn around and cleave the arena in front of itself. You don’t have long to get behind it so you must preempt this by already being close to it at the end of Auto-mobile Assault Cannon.

Atomic Flame¶

This is a group-wide attack that deals moderate damage to all party members. Simply heal up and use Shields to mitigate.

Auto-mobile Sniper Cannon¶

Arch-Lambda will drive to the north of the arena and prepare a line-AoE with numbers in it. Every player will also receive a number above their head, this matches up with the numbers in the center and will be the order in which Arch-Lambda fires off a line-AoE at that player as it drives through the arena. Players must spread out to avoid stacking damage, easiest done by standing in line with their respective number.

Strategy¶

Arch-Lambda is a boss battle all about ensuring your positioning is spot on, especially when it comes to Auto-mobile Assault Cannon as you can wipe fairly quickly if you don’t position yourself close to where it stops. To begin with, Arch-Lambda will start with Wheel, its Tankbuster that you may have seen the lesser Lambdas use outside of this battle.

Following this, it will use Auto-mobile Assault Cannon for the first time, indicated by driving to the center of the arena. Carefully watch the path that it briefly shows you and remember where it will end, all players will then need to make sure that they avoid crossing its path and end up close to that final location. As soon as it stops, it will turn around and use Wave Cannon, this is a cleave from the front with little time to react, with the only safe spot being to the sides of its wheel or behind. If you’re not near to the final location, you will get struck by this and if you were hit during the previous attack and have Vulnerability, this could kill you, especially Healers.

To make matters more complicated, Arch-Lambda will use Atomic Flame as its next attack, this is a group-wide attack that will deal more damage if you’re carrying Vulnerability stacks so Healers should be ready for a large heal in situations like that.

Arch-Lambda will then move to the north of the arena and turn to the face the south, preparing a line-AoE down the center of the arena that has numbers in it (from one orb to four). At the same time, all four players will receive one of these numbers, indicating when they will be struck with a line-AoE from Arch-Lambda when it drives through the corresponding number. You must split up here to avoid stacking lasers, and this is easiest done by standing in line with your number from the center.

From this point on, Arch-Lambda will repeat the same mechanics as above, there are no new variations to them so once you’ve avoided them once, you’ll be able to do so again the next time. This is a battle that’s all about ensuring you get your positioning right during Auto-mobile Assault Cannon, which will be the difference between victory and failure.

How to Tank¶

This is very much a battle where there’s not too much to worry about in terms of tanking. There’s a Tankbuster, Wheel, to worry about and then your duty remains the same as the rest of the party, ensuring that you perform the mechanics correctly to limit the healing the Healer needs to do.

How to Heal¶

Moreso than any other role, you have to ensure you get your positioning right for Auto-mobile Assault Cannon, if you’re hit while it’s driving past and then out of position, Wave Cannon will kill you and thus, cause a wipe. Outside of this, prepare for the Tankbuster, Wheel, and group-wide attacks in Auto-mobile Sniper Cannon and Atomic Flame. There’s a lot of emphasis on the Healer in this battle because there’s little room for error in failing the first mechanic.