Puppetmaster Blues

Category:QuestsCategory:Aht Urhgan QuestsCategory:Artifact Quests
{|border="0" width="70%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="3"	Start NPC: 	Iruki-Waraki - Aht Urhgan Whitegate (K-9)
Requirements: 	Puppetmaster 50+ 	
Items Needed: 	 	
Title: 	Paragon of Puppetmaster Excellence	
Repeatable: 	 	
Reward: 	Puppetry Taj 	
 	 	
Previous Quest:	Operation Teatime 	
Next Quest: 	Achieving True Power 	
----
=== Walkthrough ===
*You do not have to wait until after midnight in Japan after completing "Operation Teatime" to start this quest.
Speak to Iruki-Waraki. He is feeling blue, and trying to decide the best way to have Ellie return to him. He wonders why Shamarhaan picked him to be a Puppetmaster and what advice he would give about the situation. 
Go to Bastok Markets, and speak with Shamarhaan. When speaking with Shamarhaan, a cutscene will play. During the cutscene, he'll give a Key Item which is apparently a memory chip from his own puppet. Next, he will speak of a Key Item in Mount Zhayolm, which must be obtained to continue the quest.
There are two easy ways to get to this item: either by traveling to the Halvung Staging Point via the Runic Portal or by running to Halvung itself and escaping to Mount Zhayolm.
Inside Mount Zhayolm, head to L-8. The ??? is near the cliff edge on a round manhole cover and gives the message "There is a detached part here..." to those who do not have this quest active.
When the Toggle Switch has been obtained, go to Talacca Cove. Talacca Cove can be reached by either going through the Alzadaal Undersea Ruins or by taking the ship to Nashmau and then taking the western exit out of Nashmau
Caedarva Mire is relatively safe area other than the Imps. Make sure to have Sneak and Invisible for chigoes, as well. Zone into Talacca Cove at E-9.
Talacca Cove lacks mobs so feel free to run around it freely. The BCNM is at the Rock Slab at F-6, in the northwest corner of the map. The fight is called Puppetmaster Blues has a maximum of 6 people and the time limit is 30 minutes.
When entering the BCNM, a cutscene will play. After the cutscene, an Automaton named Valkeng will appear in the middle of the BCNM. It will start out as Harlequin mode for the first 30 seconds when the puppet is attacked.
Harlequin
:* Weak to all types of damage.
:* It will only cast Dia.
:After 30 seconds, Valkeng will change into one of the three forms, depending on the type of damage it has received.
:* If the majority of the damage is melee, it will change into Valoredge.
:* If the majority of the damage is ranged, it will change into Sharpshot.
:* If the majority of the damage is magic, it will change into Stormwaker.
:After the change, every 1:30 in the battle, it will re-evaluate the type of damage it has received, and change accordingly.
Valoredge
:* The Valoredge model has a high accuracy rating.
:* The automaton's string clipper goes through two shadows, chimera ripper goes through one.
:* Has high defense and physical damage reduction.
:* Has low weapon delay.
Stormwaker
:* Will cast all Black Mage spells, including Burst, Flood, -ga magic, and IV spells.
:* Has a resistance against magic. 
:* Casts a spell every 10 seconds.
:* Takes normal damage from melee and ranged attacks.
Sharpshot
:* Will use ranged attacks, has high accuracy.
:* Has rather high evasion.
:* Has lower than average defense.
:* Will fire a shot every 4-5 seconds, its ratio of melee attacks to ranged attacks is roughly 3:2.
After the fight is over, the unit will self-destruct after asking a question (doesn't matter which answer is chosen). Return to Bastok to talk to Shamarhaan again.
A cutscene will play in which he'll ask the same question as in the previous cutscene. As before, it doesn't matter which answer is chosen. 
After the cutscene, go see Iruki-Waraki in Aht Urhgan Whitegate again.
A cutscene will play. After the cutscene, go to the Nashmau. 
Speak with Sajhra located at the exit port of Nashmau, and a cutscene will begin. Return to Aht Urhgan Whitegate and speak with Iruki-Waraki.
Speak with Iruki-Waraki to begin another cutscene. After the cutscene, the Puppetry Taj is received.
----
===Strategy===
*The trick is to force it to change modes and capitalize off of each mode's weakness.
*A PLD tank is recommended for this fight rather than NIN because of how fast it can go through shadows.
*BLU and SMN are both especially effective damage dealers in this battle because of how they can change the type of damage they deal in order to match the form of damage that each frame is weak to and force it to change forms accordingly.
*A traditional party with physical damage dealers and magical damage dealers can work fine using the same principles. If it's in Stormwaker mode, pound on it. If it's in Valoredge form, nuke.
*Can be won with a RDM and NIN or DD/NIN duo. Spam melee damage onto it until it switches to the Valoredge model, then Gravity it and have the melee kite around the outside edge of the arena. While kiting, the RDM should toss tier III elemental magic onto the automaton until it switches to the Stormwaker frame and the melee can resume autoattacking. Repeat this process until the automaton is defeated.
Note:
*When Valkeng changes forms there seems to be a glitch where you may lose your target lock on it and so will have to do something to get it back like hitting tab or switching targets.
----
===Game Description===
Client: Iruki-Waraki (Way of the Devout, Aht Urhgan Whitegate)
Summary:
:Iruki-Waraki has lost all faith in himself. Meet with his teacher and try to find a way to get Elisabeth to come around.