Copperbell Mines Dungeon Guide – FFXIV A Realm Reborn

Common Failure Points

• Forgetting to collect Firesand and stalling dungeon progression at blasting doors.
• Getting clipped by Kottos during Lumbering Leap because of late movement.
• Running away from Gyges the Great during Gigantic Swing instead of moving into the boss hitbox.

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Dungeon Overview

Copperbell Mines sends adventurers into an abandoned Ul’dahn mining complex deep beneath Western Thanalan. The tunnels are now overrun by hostile creatures and remnants of the Hecatoncheir giants once forced to work the shafts.

Unlike the earlier A Realm Reborn dungeons, Copperbell Mines leans more heavily on environmental progression. Players must gather Firesand, load Powder Chambers, and use Blasting Devices to clear rubble and advance through the mine.

Its boss mechanics remain simple, but the dungeon begins teaching players to pay attention to movement, positioning, and basic add management while navigating a more interactive layout.

Dungeon Objectives

• Clear Shaft B4 of rubble
• Clear Shaft E1 of rubble
• Arrive in Shaft E2
• Defeat Gyges the Great

Walkthrough Highlights

Firesand and Blasting Devices

Throughout the dungeon, players must collect six-onze pinches of Firesand, which serve as explosive ammunition.

These are loaded into Powder Chambers and detonated with Blasting Devices to clear rubble blocking the way forward.

Opening Section

1. Defeat the enemies in the first room.
2. Pick up the Tiny Key.
3. Use it to open the Sealed Blasting Door.
4. Pull the Lift Lever and ride the elevator down.

Corridor Pull Strategy

The next corridor contains two branches and has one unusual rule: enemies will lose aggro if pulled too far from their spawn location.

Because of that, experienced groups can sometimes pull the entire corridor forward with limited risk. That said, this route should be communicated beforehand and is not ideal for inexperienced tanks or healers.

Preparing the First Blast

Before the first boss room, collect two Firesands:

• One between the torches
• One on top of the mound

Place both into the Powder Chamber and activate the Blasting Device to open the path.

Mining Intersection

Later in the dungeon, two side rooms contain Blasting Cap enemies that drop Firesand needed to open the next passage.

These enemies should be fought inside their rooms, since they will reset if dragged too far away.

Final Passage

1. Pick up the Firesand in the hallway after the second boss.
2. Place it into the Powder Chamber.
3. Use the Blasting Device to clear the final obstruction.

From there, continue through the last section and confront Gyges the Great.

Need the unlock path? See All FFXIV Dungeon Unlock Requirements.

Boss Encounters

Kottos

Key Mechanics

Grand Slam — Tankbuster that should be mitigated.

Lumbering Leap — Kottos jumps to three areas in sequence, creating large circle AoEs at each landing point.

Colossal Slam — Large cone AoE aimed at a random player.

Catapult — Throws a rock at a random player for moderate damage.

Failure Points

Most mistakes here happen during Lumbering Leap, when players move too late and get caught by the landing AoEs.

Ichorous Ire

Key Mechanics

Fluid Spread — Tankbuster on the main target.

Syrup — Circle AoEs appear beneath all players, requiring the group to spread.

Divide — At roughly 50% HP, the boss splits into several Ichorous Drips.

Burst — Each Ichorous Drip casts a circle AoE centered on itself.

Failure Points

If the adds remain alive too long, multiple Burst casts can overlap and overwhelm slower groups.

Gyges the Great

Key Mechanics

Grand Slam — Heavy tankbuster.

Gigantic Swing — Large donut AoE centered on the boss. The safe zone is inside the boss hitbox.

Gigantic Smash — Several circle AoEs appear across the arena, leaving safe gaps between them.

Colossal Slam — Frontal cone AoE targeted at a random player.

Failure Points

The most common error is misreading Gigantic Swing. Players unfamiliar with donut mechanics often run away from the boss instead of stepping in close.

Notable Enemies

• Copperbell Coblyn
• Spriggan Copper Copper
• Hecatoncheir Stonehauler
• Lightning Sprite
• Spriggan Copper Carrier
• Blasting Cap
• Errant Soul
• Ichorous Drip
• Living Fossil
• Pit Hippocerf
• Hecatoncheir Stonebreaker

Difficulty Assessment

Copperbell Mines is a low-to-moderate difficulty dungeon that introduces players to environmental progression mechanics such as explosives, blasting doors, and debris clearing.

Most combat mechanics remain straightforward, but the dungeon starts rewarding better movement and cleaner add handling than the first two ARR duties.

It works well as an early lesson in dungeon pacing, objective interaction, and basic positional awareness.

Previous Dungeon: The Tam-Tara Deepcroft | Next Dungeon: Halatali

Guildmaster Notes

Long ago, the Hecatoncheir giants carved these tunnels for Ul’dah’s mining operations.

Now the shafts echo with abandoned machinery, unstable blasting powder, and creatures drawn to the darkness below.

Adventurers who descend into Copperbell quickly learn that some passages were sealed for good reason.