Sortie Release - Info

What is your current route? I've found the most efficient route for my group is: F Boss > H Boss > Upstairs Objectives > DCBA Bosses > Aminon > E Boss > G Boss.

This requires you to "fix" your KI with a prep run, but it really helps with consistently having time leftover to do NMs/Nakuuls/Misc chests.

For the Upstairs Objectives, we split the group up and all meet at D Boss once done. BRD and GEO do A Objectives (use the Acuex headed towards D). COR solos B Objectives. RDM solos C Objectives. PLD and DNC do D Objectives. Once objectives are done, we start with killing D Boss and run around the zone counter-clockwise to finish up Bosses C, B, and A before heading to Aminon. After that, E Boss then over to G Boss.

Even with terrible bitzers, we still have a minute or 2 leftover. With good bitzers, we have time to go back and kill all upstairs NMs and zone back into H for the Blue Chest. With GREAT bitzers, you can fit in F Zone Nakuuls as well.

I would start with modifying your route, then based of your observations, make changes to shave off time with each run.

We do lots of fill-in/subs with our group so we stick to the same route.

KI Farm > D > H > CBA > F > G > E > Aminon

This route lines up 3 of the 4 mini NMs so getting Aurum adds only a couple minutes depending on DDs path.

For Downstairs Bitzers the PLD goes to the off path/wing in F and H so the party can be buffing while they wait.

It sounds like your 8 boss is dialed in, Adding Aminon really just takes the right jobs and you'll probably find it easier than melee 8 boss.

Haven’t run sortie in a while (thx limbus) but we used to do in order, KI, ABCD FGH E Aminon. So I do not think the order matter much. Most important thing is the tiny things, pre roll so you can double up at NM/gather and roll second roll right away, touching up buff in a timely manner, bolted asap, are you done with all initial buff/KI and back at the original blitzed with 55-56 left on the clock? Are you done e with upstairs by 40 on the clock? …. Tiny efficiency will also add up tremendously over time. Just keep doing what you doing, it will suddenly come in place.

Good suggestion Buukki and Dodik, I'll see about having our WHM start doing that in F & H basements to help process of elimination.

I am currently shamelessly emulating Sterk's route he shared. Sticking together the whole time, DCBA -> FHEG, with the idea that if we could find more ways to clean up our runs E & G would swap so could theoretically end on E and go directly to Aminon. We do currently aggro 3 acuexs to bring into D so we simultaneously do D & A's shard objectives, but currently for C and B we are doing those separately in the room just before boss ramp. Would certainly be open to changeups to cut down time.

Group composition for the record is MNK, BRD, COR, GEO, DRG, WHM. BRD is my manual dualbox and GEO is the COR's manual dualbox. DRG previously was RDM but swapped to DRG for a fun trial run after getting stage 3 polearm and they've been doing surprisingly well, so they've stuck on it for now.

If you find yourself standing in boss rooms waiting for buffs for extended periods, find ways to cut that down. We aren't standing around waiting for buffs when arriving at any boss aside from H, but it's not time wasted since we're rebuffing while our GEO is making his way back from checking the side room for the bitzer since our GEO doesn't melee and thus doesn't need buffs.
D/C bosses: Songs are already up from T/N at start of run while doing A/D objectives.
B boss: Songs are already up from me reapplying 5 minute songs while we're fighting Umbrils for B objective.
A boss: No buffs are up at arrival. I sing SV songs while people are fighting boss, not before. It's an extremely easy boss and is dead by the time I finish singing my 6 songs (DD songs + Ballad on RDM).
F boss: Songs still up from singing at A boss.
H boss: I reapply T/N songs at boss while GEO makes his way back from bitzer scouting.
G boss: Songs still up from H boss.
E boss: Songs are up from me singing 5 minute songs while we're doing the 30 second stare at G's Bitzer

It cannot be overstated how important it is to avoid downtime waiting for people to catch up. I think that's a huge benefit to multi-boxing (assuming the rest of multi-boxing is efficient). Having multiple characters being controlled by one person means they're all going to be arriving to objectives/bosses at the same time. Being able to just send it as soon as all 6 members are in the room is such a big time saver.

I think a lot of people overestimate how much time is going to be saved by improving gear or gaining MLs past 30. They absolutely do help, but the biggest area of improvement groups will benefit from is coordination. Don't fall into the trap thinking that MLs (ML30 is super reasonable to attain) or Bumba v20/v25 clears are required to 9-boss.

For C/B objectives:

* Port everyone to C bitzer
* One half of the party goes to ele room - with cor
* Other half of the party goes to corse room - with big balls and brd for lullabies
* Do objectives at same time
* Meet up and head to <next upstairs boss>

Our party did C/B objectives together right after coming up after D/H. After porting up from H, go to C, objectives, head to C-B then acuex and A. Back downstairs for EFG in whatever order.

Either ele room path to C or corse room path to C take roughly same time.

Order will vary if you do 9-boss, but C-B objectives together stays the same.

There's a lot of places you lose time that adds up over the course of a run. The difference between very good groups and middling groups is they minimize things that waste time, and it makes a massive difference.

- IMO Rolling anything besides Samurai on upstairs bosses is a waste of time, specifically if the COR doesn't have Bolters ready (because he rolled mid-fight) when the boss is dead. This extra 10+ seconds per boss "i'll bolters at the bitzer/downstairs" adds up. This is why I always suggest basement rolling for groups, to make your second roll that much easier.

- If you don't have a DNC and you've lost 5 songs somehow (either to 8B B/F wind hands, someone dying, or BRD missing the resing window), throw up a Mazurka to compensate for Haunt, if you're not getting C/G metal. You get to maintain close to or max movement speed.

--Having the 2% Jumbotender cheer can help you keep up, but just making sure everyone has 18% move speed is essential. At this point in the game, it's kind of a requirement for things. I would rather a person have Shneddick ring and always be able to keep up, vs Karieyh ring for a couple Regain ticks.

- If G Bitzer is along the way in boss square, the mage can do stare, since the group can start buffing without him and the fight can begin once he enters the boss room

- Speaking of C/G, a single Leg Sweep from DRG or PLD can stun Triboulex or Skomora a good 10+ seconds. Helpful to avoid TP resets on the group if you use it here and there (speeds up boss kill time).

- Everyone needs to carry Panaceas, especially for H. Waiting for the mage to remove your slow just slows down how fast the RDM can reapply Haste II on you, which is already hard to do mid-fight if he's trying to move out of fetter range and proc elements at the same time, in addition to removing his own enfeebles.

Come be my brd mule.