Mastering Chance: A Guide by Solzera

Category:Guides
==Author's Note==
This is a Guide to the Corsair's Genkai 5 quest Breaking the Bonds of Fate.
Corsair was my first job to get this level and it was my first job to complete Genkai 5 with so don't base your Maat fight solely on this guide, ask around! I'm writing this because corsair seems to be the only job that does not have a Genkai 5 guide. As this is a guide, everything written reflects MY thoughts, any strategies written here are not guaranteed to work nor is it the only way to go about this battle. I play Solzera on the Carbuncle server, if you have any questions feel free to send me a /tell
==Prerequisites==
You must be level 66-70 and have completed Against All Odds before this quest will unlock.
==Obtaining a Testimony==
The Corsair's Testimony is probably the hardest testimony to get, next only to the Blue Mage's testimony. There are nine(9) monsters in all of Vana'diel that drop the Corsair's Testimony. I don't mean nine types of monsters, I mean nine in total. Keep in mind that the testimony is not a 100% drop rate.
The two monsters that drop the testimony are the Corsair's of the Lamia family.
*Lamia Fatedealer
*Merrow Icedancer
You WILL need help getting these testimonies. All monsters that drop the Corsair's testimony are level 73-75. The monsters can be solo'ed by a level 75SMN with good equipment, but it is still risky. Half of the battle is knowing your enemy, take a moment to read up on these monster's abilities.
*Outside Edit by not the Author- If you have a Red/Nin or a Red/Nin fried, Lamia Fatedealer can be soloed with very little difficulty. Fights will be long though (about 5-10 minutes per kill).
Abilities:
*They both can use:
**Gusting Gouge: Wind Damage and knockback. (be careful or they may knock you into other monsters)
**Tail Slap: Physical damage and stun.
**Dukkeripen: Will either: give itself 10 shadows, restore HP, or AoE paralyze.
*Lamia Fatedealer can also use:
**Hypnotic Sway: Causes amnesia on target. It is a Gaze Attack, avoidable by facing away from the Fatedealer.
*Merrow Icedancer can also use:
**Torrent: Single target, will remove all equipment.
So where are these nasty snakewomen?
Caedarva Mire:
: There are two Lamia Fatedealer that will drop the testimony here. Both spawn (I-7) of Caedarva Mire's first map. Although these have a respawn time of 5 minutes, I do not recommend obtaining your testimony from these Lamia. These Fatedealers are surrounded by Reserve Draugar, Chigoes, Elder Treants and an Orderly Imp. All of these aggro and spawn in close proximity to the lamia and range from levels 62 to 82.
Arrapago Reef:
: There are three(3) Lamia Fatedealers in this area which will drop the Corsair's Testimony, though I have not been able to find any them.
: You're second option in Arrapago Reef are Merrow Icedancers. The only problem with the Icedancers is that their respawn time is 16 minutes, but they seem to be the safest choice; they're the easiest to pull and fight without drawing aggro from other monsters. There are four(4) Merrow Icedancers in Arrapago Reef and I have found three of them. One spawns at (I-7) on the first map. This is probably the safest Icedancer to camp, there is a safe spot just south of it's spawn in (I-8) beside the iron gate. 
: Alternativly two Icedancers spawn at (F-8), one on the small island with a tall rock in the middle and one just across the bridge to the west with two Reserve Draugars near it. There is a safe spot in (H-8) on the island beside the boat if you need to rest for a long time. Since the Merrows have a respawn time of 16 minutes, my party (70COR, 75RDM 75THF) were able to kill the Icedancer on the island, and then pull the Icedancer across the bridge and rest before they respawned. This was my preferred spot to farm the testimony as the Lamia were relatively secluded from other monsters and there was more than one of them to fight.
: If you chose to obtain your testimony in Arrapago Reef, it is advised you take the Ilrusi Atoll Staging Point. There are about 4-5 Heraldic Imps (level 80+ with True Sight) in a small, enclosed area. So watch your step. If you chose to enter through Caedarva Mire you will need to obtain a Lamian Fang Key and look out for Heraldic Imps on the way. If you chose to fight the two near F-8 in Arrapago Reef via Caedarva Mire you will also have to watch out for a Soulflayer. Souldflayers in this area are level 82-83 and are incredibly strong, avoid them at all costs! These guys also have True Hearing, detect by magic and by job abilities. Also note that you can only obtain one Lamian Fang Key per conquest tally per person from the ??? in Caedarva Mire. It is suggested that you get a party member to open the gate with their key so that you can open the gate yourself when you come back to initiate the battle.
==Pre-battle Preparation==
Still in one piece? Well you're not done yet!
Be prepared to spend some gil on this fight, you'll need all the help you can get. I recommend getting to level 70 for this fight, I'm not certain what the battle is like at lower levels. Just be sure your at least level 66 or you won’t be able to start anyway.
As with most Genkai 5 fights, the plan is to hit Maat (or in this case, Qultada) with everything you’ve got all at once, and when the dust settles, hope that you're still standing and he isn't. Prepare for a quick battle, you won’t have the time or the defence to tank too many hits from Qultada. Keep in mind you will have no subjob for this fight, so theres no need to stock up on Shihei or anything like that. Below is a list of the absolute essentials you need for this fight, without these it will be an extremely difficult battle.
Essentials
*Icarus Wing
*4 Sleeping Potions
*Opo-opo Necklace
*200 Marksmanship skill (you might be able to get away with less, but it is imperative that you do not miss with Slugshot)
*Seafood (preferably Sole Sushi +1)
*Elemental cards for Quick Draw (other than Light and Dark cards as they deal no damage)
*Steel Bullet
*A gun (preferably a good one)
*Corsair's Testimony (just in case anyone forgot!)
Don't worry, I'm not trying to burn a hole in your wallet, Square Enix does enough of that already. I suggested Sole Sushi +1 because of the high dexterity bonus, high ranged accuracy bonus, but most importantly the resist sleep that it gives. Cptn. Qultada has access to Quick Draw and may attempt to put you to sleep with a Light Shot. A lot of nice buffs from a little piece of sushi.
Below are two setups, the "ideal setup" for those with a lot of money or free time and "my setup" showing what I completed this quest with.
My Setup	Ideal Setup
Corsair level 70
Equipment
*Main Archer's Knife
*Sub ---
*Ranged Matchlock Gun
*Ammo Steel Bullet
*Head Corsair's Tricorne
***Blink Band
*Neck Spike Necklace
***Opo-opo Necklace
*Earring Shield Earring
***Protect Earring
*Earring Shield Earring
*Body Corsair's Frac
*Gloves Corsair's Gants
*Ring Marksman's Ring
*Ring Carapace Ring
*Back Amemet Mantle +1
*Waist Warrior's Belt +1
*Legs Corsair's Culottes
*Feet Corsair's Bottes
Items
*12 Sleeping Potions
*Icarus Wing
*Sole Sushi +1
*99 Light Cards
*99 Fire Cards
Skills
*200 Marksmanship
*171 Evasion
You may notice I have no healing items. Although it would have been a smart idea, I personally found that the fight went too fast for me to even worry about my health. If you would feel safer with healing items, then by all means bring them. For slots where you see two items, it means I used the second item (Blink Band for example) to buff, then switched back to the first item (Corsair's Tricorne) for the actual fight.
: Note: Fire cards, Staff and Grip can be exchanged for any element other then dark and light.	
Corsair level 70
Equipment
*Main Fire Staff
*Sub Fire Grip
*Ranged Murderer (with Supremacy Earring)
*Ammo Steel Bullet
*Head Corsair's Tricorne (or Diana Corona if you can wait for a full moon) 
***Blink Band
*Neck Uggalepih Pendant
***Opo-opo Necklace
*Earring Supremacy Earring (with Murderer)
*Earring Moldavite Earring
*Body Blue Cotehardie +1
*Gloves Mage's Cuffs
*Ring Jadeite Ring
*Ring Celerity Ring
*Back Bullseye Cape
*Waist Royal Knight's Belt
*Legs War Brais +1
*Feet Corsair's Bottes
Items
*12 Sleeping Potions
*Icarus Wing
*Sole Sushi +1
*99 Light Cards
*99 Fire Cards
*Hi-Potions (As many as you're ok with)
Skills
*228 Marksmanship (cap at level 70)
*201 Evasion (cap at level 70)
As well as any other buffing gear (such as Protect earring) that you can get your hands on that you can swap out after use.
: Note: Fire cards, Staff and Grip can be exchanged for any element other then dark and light.
Last but not least, I advise you to set up some macros. Just one page should do. Order them however you’d like, I’ve given you my macro list below (I’m a PC user)
Macros
Alt-keys: Buffing macros
*Alt+1: Double-Up
*Alt+2: Chaos Roll
*Alt+3: Hunter's Roll
*Alt+4: Icarus Wing
*Alt+5: Protect then equip my other ring
*Alt+6: Blink then equip my Corsair's Tricorne
*Alt+7: Swap Opo-opo Necklace for Spike Necklace
*Alt+0: Sleeping Potion
Ctrl-keys: Battle macros
*Ctrl+1: Slug Shot
*Ctrl+2: Fire Shot
*Ctrl+3: Light Shot (which I never ended up using)
*Ctrl+4: Random Deal
*Ctrl+0: Wild Card
Before you set your macros, I suggest reading ahead to the ‘battle’ section below to get a taste of what you’re in for.
==Battle==
This battle is a BCNM fight, all buffs except Signet, Sigil, Sanction, and food will wear. This battle has a 10 minute time limit, you will be restricted to level 70 (if your above that level) and you will have no subjob for this fight. Now that you're ready and you've psyched up, head to Arrapago Reef. Don't worry about what subjob you have, just take one that allows you to use sneak and invisible if possible. 
Go to the ??? at H-10 of the first map in Arrapago Reef, this is the same ??? you’ve used for the Corsair Flag Quest and Artifact Equipment quests.
: Note: If you obtained a Lamian Fang Key from the ??? in Caedarva Mire at (H/I-7) to farm the testimony or for any other reason, you will not be able to obtain another until the next conquest tally. If you can’t wait, ask a friend to get the key and open the door for you.
Examine the ??? as your level 66+ Corsair to trigger a cutscene of Captain Qultada asking you to obtain a Corsair's Testimony.
You do not have to zone to receive the next cutscene. If you have the testimony, trade it to the ??? for a second cutscene. You will be warped immediately after the cutscene to Talacca Cove if you have not already defeated Captain Qultada.
When you are ready to fight, trade your Corsair's Testimony to the Rock Slab at (F-6).
Let's Play.
Captain Qultada didn't become captain of the Seagull Phratrie crew by having a neat name, he is a Corsair and has access to all of the abilities you do. He will use Wild Card when he reaches roughly 50% of his health. He will use Phantom Roll and Quick Draw on you, so watch out! He wears full Corsair artifact equipment, uses the Trump Gun in one hand and has what looks like a Bloody Rapier in the other. (It just looks like the Bloody Rapier, it doesn’t have any special enhancements like the Bloody Rapier.)
Captain Qultada will not engage you until you either engage him first or get close to him. This gives you time to buff and build your first 100 TP with the Sleeping Potions and Opo-opo Necklace combination. The general strategy is to fire as many Slug Shots as you can. Then fire as many Quick Draw shots as you can using Random Deal to try to get more Quick Draw shots, then Wild Card to repeat this process. You may get a free Slug Shot if you roll a 3 or 4 as well. Captain Qultada's sword and parrying skills are second to none, DO NOT get close to him! Even with maxed evasion skill. parrying skill and decent defence, he will probably be doing 200-300 damage per swing without missing. This is a Corsair’s duel, stick to ranged combat. Once you engage Qultada you will not have time for any more buffs, please don't try to use Phantom Roll mid-fight, it will just end in tears.
Here is the step-by-step strategy I used for my fight.
: Note: Fire shot can be replaced by any element other then Light or Dark.
Battle Plan
: Use any buffs that last 10+ minutes such as food
: Chaos roll
: Sleep
: Sleep
: Sleep
: Hunter's Roll (if it has reset yet)
: Sleep
: Short-term buffs such as Blink
: CHAAAAAAAAARGE!
: Slugshot
: Icaris Wing
: Slugshot (Skillchained with the previous Slugshot for reverberation, any extra damage helps)
: Fire Shot
: Fire Shot
: Random Deal
: Fire Shot (if Random Deal reset the timer)
: Fire Shot (if Random Deal reset the timer)
: Wild Card
: Slugshot (if Wild Card rolled a 3 or 4)
: Fire Shot
: Fire Shot
: Random Deal
: Fire Shot (if Random Deal reset the timer)
: Fire Shot (if Random Deal reset the timer)
After this, the dust settles, if Qultada is still standing, you're in trouble. You can try a Ranged Attack and pray for Rapid Shot to kick in or try to swing whatever weapon you're holding, but survival at this point is doubtful.
If you like backup plans or if you panic, you can try putting him with Light Shot, then sleeping yourself with additional Sleeping Potions for TP. However, I am not sure if Captain Qultada is immune to sleep. This was my backup if I saw Qultada's hp was still high after all this but I managed to bring him down quickly, luckily I never had to use this backup plan.
You do not have to kill Qultada, you bring him down to about 10-20% health before he’ll stop you.
You will have to deal roughly 1550 damage to get Qultada to submit.
==Post-Battle==
If you have defeated Captain Qultada, Congratulations! You will be given a Scroll of Instant Warp for fast travel back to your Home Point, you will have "Master of Chance" as your title and you will be able to level up to 75 if you couldn't already.
If you did not defeat Qultada don't get discouraged! It may not have even been your fault. Besides a good chunk of this battle is luck; luck that your Random Deal doesn’t fail, luck that you get a good number on Wild Card, luck that Qultada doesn’t dispel anything too important using Dark Shot. I failed my first attempt for two reasons. I got too close to that nasty sword of his, and he rolled a 4 on Wild Card, from there he decided to use his weapon skill with 300% TP. If you don't have chat filters on, scroll up and read your chat log, see exactly what happened. Take what you've learned from the fight and use it to prepare for your next attempt. 
It is possible to defeat Qultada with two Slug Shots and one or two Quick Draws, if you fired any more than 4 Quick Draw shots and managed to get your third Slug Shot in, start looking for equipment with Magic Attack Bonus or Agility bonuses to help with your Quick Draw. If you missed any(and I mean any) of your Slug Shots, you should skill-up your Marksmanship skill and look for equipment with Ranged Accuracy bonuses. If you were below level 70, I suggest leveling up before trying again.
One last thing, don't let this be your only guide on the Corsair's Genkai 5 quest, ask around! There are pleanty of helpful people on FFXI. Ask friends, Linkshell members or even strangers, look up some 70+ Corsairs with "/sea all corsair" and ask questions.