Dawntrail offers players a gentle introduction to the Yok Tural region before throwing a particularly difficult Dungeon into the mix. If you’re struggling, let me help with our Ihuykatumu Dungeon FFXIV Dawntrail guide which includes how to start it, how to beat each encounter, and much more.
Table of contents
How to start the Ihuykatumu Dungeon in FFXIV Dawntrail
Without diving too deep into spoilers, the Ihuykatumu Dungeon is a mandatory part of the Dawntrail Main Story Quests. I unlocked the area roughly 7 hours into the Expansion. Once it’s unlocked, you can repeat it at your leisure.
The Dungeon is pretty tough, so I’ll explain each notable encounter. Naturally, I can’t write a guide like this without spoiling a few things, so consider yourself warned.
If you’re soldiering through Dawntrail spoiler-free, make sure to take advantage of the new settings that can hide players.
River Chase
I may have hyped up the difficulty a little, but the introduction to the Dungeon is pretty tame. Your boat will be swarmed with several waves of smaller enemies, so use your AOE attacks to defeat them.
Once you catch up to Bakool Ja Ja’s raft, he’ll send a pair of larger Ihuykatumu Wivre’s onto your boat. These enemies are also pretty easy to beat. Remember, as there are only two enemies, you should use single-target attacks to beat them. When you hit dry land, follow the path to your first real challenge in the Dungeon.
How to beat Prime Punutiy in FFXIV Dawntrail
The Prime Punutiy may look cute and cuddly, but this beast hits like a train. Fortunately, its attacks are well-telegraphed in advance, so here’s what to look out for:
Punutiy Press
Punutiy Press is a dungeon-wide attack that hits every party member. You can’t avoid it, so if you’re a Healer, this is your time to shine.
Hydrowave
Hydrowave is a simple AOE attack that hits a small cone in front of the Prime Punutiy. You have ample time to get out of the way if you’re a healer or DPS.
Resurface
Resurface is Prime Punitiy’s trump card and is a two-stage attack. First, you must avoid a large cone AOE right in front of the boss. Shortly after, the arena will flood with numerous AOE markers (pictured above). There’s a lot to avoid, but these markers will trigger in the order they appear on the ground.
You have more wiggle room than you think, so pay attention and watch for the purple flower that spawns afterward. As the arena becomes so badly flooded, the area around the purple flower becomes the only safe zone, so head toward it for protection.
Song of Punutiy
When the Prime Punutiy is below 50% health, it will summon a pod of smaller Punutiy to its aid. Every party member will be given a Spread Marker, so stay away from your squad mates. After the cast bar is full, a Punitiy will belly-flop on each team member.
It’s unavoidable, but it will hurt much more if you get hit by more than one.
Shore Shaker
Shore Shaker isn’t as bad as it looks. The entire arena will fill with three AOE rings resonating from the boss. These rings deal damage in sequence, so you can wait for the one nearest you to explode, then quickly move to it.
The Richleaf Tunnels
The Richleaf Tunnels are crawling with small enemies, so your progress depends on how brave your tank feels. My tank was particularly bold when I completed the Ihuykatumu Dungeon for the first time and comfortably pulled groups of five enemies or more.
Once you’ve battled through the Tunnels, you’ll reach the second prime encounter of the Dungeon.
How to beat Drowsie in FFXIV Dawntrail
Like the Prime Putiniy, Drowsie hits exceptionally hard but is balanced by its well-telegraphed attacks. Don’t take that luxury for granted, as you won’t have it for the final boss of the Dungeon! Here’s what you must look out for:
Uppercut
Uppercut is a simple cone-AOE that your Tank will have to deal with. There’s not much to say about this attack, but your Healer should be ready to aid your Tank.
Sow and Drowsy Dance
These two abilities go hand in hand. Drowsie will cast Sow, which throws seeds across the arena. When Drowsie dances, those seeds instantly grow into dangerous vines you must avoid.
The Vines periodically swipe at the ground before them, and AOE markers accompany this attack. Drowsie can also dance to “invigorate” the Vines, increasing their swipes’ size.
The battle can get pretty chaotic while this ability is live, so try to move to safe spots when you can.
Sneeze
Drowsy Dance is typically followed up by Sneeze, a massive cone AOE, which hits a gigantic area in front of the boss. Try your best to avoid this one, as it’s well-telegraphed.
Drowsie doesn’t have many attacks but can summon a group of enemies for help. If it does, dispatch them quickly so you can focus on avoiding attacks.
Into Kozaligaka
Much like the Richleaf Tunnels, this area is crawling with regular enemies. Ultimately, there are only a few encounters here before you reach the final boss.
How to beat Apex Predator Apollyon in FFXIV Dawntrail
This terrifying bug creature is as dangerous as it is intimidating and is a rude awakening if you’ve not played FFXIV in a while. There’s a lot to worry about on top of Apollyon’s sizeable health pool, so let’s break down the encounter:
Razor Zephyr and Blade
Apollyon likes to open the fight with Razor Zephyr. The attack is easy to avoid and hits a large area in front of the boss. Similarly, Blade is another attack that hits before the boss. The Tank must deal with these abilities, as DPS players should stand clear.
High Wind
High Wind is an unavoidable raid-wide attack that hits every player. Trust in your healer, and save your self-healing abilities for later in the encounter.
Feeding on the Beasts
Apollyon will infrequently summon enemies. When they inevitably die, the boss can eat them for temporary buffs. I’m unsure if these events are scripted or avoidable, but the fight gets noticeably harder after Apollyon has eaten.
Blades of Famine
Blades of Famine is dangerous as it has such a quick cast bar. Quickly get to safety between the AOEs, as I have in the image above, to avoid damage.
Levinsickle
Levinsickle is a deadly 3-stage attack that will likely clip you the first time you face Apollyon. A few small AOE circles will appear when Levinsickle is cast. The circles will stay in place and deal damage if you stand in them.
While the circles are active, two large purple AOEs will overlap on the ground and explode in the order they appear. The timing is tight, but you do have enough room to avoid taking damage. Finally, all party members will receive a spread marker, so keep your distance as best you can.
Razor Storm
I’m not ashamed to admit this attack got me pretty bad the first time. Run into the safe circle AOE, then immediately charge toward Apollyon to avoid the second part of the attack.
Timing is strict here if you lack mobility tools, so be ready to run from the circle when the time is right.
Windwhistle
Windwhistle is a brutal attack because it’s hard to keep track of while you’re fighting the boss. The Windwhistle is like a tornado that roams the arena. Watch the arrows around it as they periodically throw out massive AOE beams that are tough to dodge.
To make matters worse, Apollyon continues to battle as usual while Windwhistle is active. You have a lot to think about while the Windwhistle is active, but at this point, you have the boss on the ropes. Focus on avoiding attacks, and you’ll end this vicious encounter as the victor.
It may be worth checking your Graphics settings if you’re struggling to keep up with the busy battles. Dawntrail brings a massive visual overhaul to the game, so make sure you’ve tuned everything properly.
