A5S – Ratfinx Twinkledinks

Encounter Overview

A5S – Ratfinx Twinkledinks is a mechanics-driven encounter centered around environmental control, transformation management, and layered execution. Unlike earlier Alexander fights, success here is not determined by a single mechanic or DPS check, but by how cleanly the raid handles overlapping systems—particularly the syringe (Goblixer) system, bomb placement, and add control.

The fight opens with a short DPS check before transitioning into Ratfinx’s two-phase encounter. Phase 1 establishes the full mechanical toolkit—Guzzle rotations, bombs, Anti-coagulant management, and movement discipline—while Phase 2 layers in multiple high-threat adds that must be controlled precisely while continuing to execute the same mechanics under pressure.

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For a full breakdown of raid difficulty across all tiers, see the FFXIV Raid Rankings.

Arena Overview

The arena contains four syringes at the cardinal directions and a central Aether Converter. Activating the converter creates puddles at each syringe, granting transformation effects that are required to resolve mechanics throughout the fight.

The key constraint is the Goblixer Overgulp system. Each transformation adds stacks that persist for a long duration. Overusing transformations or allowing the timer to expire results in Goblixer Grumblygut, which applies heavy damage over time and a movement slow. Because of this, puddle usage must be deliberate—players cannot simply transform every time a mechanic appears.

Boss Mechanics

Opening – Faust & Hummelfaust

The encounter begins with a two-part DPS check that determines the pace of the fight going forward.

Faust: Uses repeated frontal cleaves. Tanks face away from the party while DPS burn quickly. Cleaves increase in frequency over time.

Hummelfaust: Lands with a proximity marker and detonates any remaining Faust, gaining Damage Up based on their remaining HP. This makes killing Faust cleanly important.

Hummelfaust uses repeated Kaltstrahl cleaves that stack vulnerability and a raid-wide Panzerschreck. The fourth cast is an enrage. Tanks swap after cleave chains while the raid burns it within ~90 seconds.

Core System – Syringes & Goblixer

The central mechanic of the fight is the syringe system. Activating the converter creates puddles that grant specific tools needed to resolve mechanics.

Green (North): Cleanses Anti-coagulant and provides healing. Required for survival against Cobra mechanics.

Red (East): Gorilla form. Grants Browbeat to knock bombs away. This is mandatory for handling Smartbombs.

Purple (West): Bird form. Grants immunity to Boost damage. Required for survival during slam sequences.

Blue (South): Removes Gobbledygroper tether and forces normal aggro behavior.

The key mistake players make is treating puddles as reactive tools. They are not. They are pre-planned resources, and misuse will create failures later in the fight.

Phase 1 (100% → 60%)

Phase 1 alternates between normal mechanics and Guzzle (giant) rotations. This phase establishes the full mechanical foundation of the fight.

Normal Rotation

Glupgloop: Marks players and creates large puddles. These must be placed away from the center and especially away from the green syringe, which is needed later for cleansing.

Shock Therapy: Repeated raid-wide damage. Healers must stay ahead of this, especially when overlapping with other mechanics.

Bombs Away: Smartbombs spawn and must be knocked away using Gorilla form. These can only be moved once, meaning placement must be correct on the first hit. The safest approach is to knock them into a designated corner and have the raid stack in the opposite corner.

Tetrabombs: Drop in sequence and explode in a + pattern. Safe zones exist diagonally from each bomb. Players must read the order of drops and move accordingly.

Glassy-eyed Cobra: Applies Anti-coagulant stacks that will kill at 8 stacks. Players must use the green puddle to cleanse. Delayed cleansing or missed puddles is one of the most common wipe causes in this phase.

Guzzle Rotation (Giant Form)

Guzzle: Transforms the boss, increasing damage and enabling a new rotation.

Gobjab: Applies Headache stacks. At four stacks, the tank is stunned (Concussion) and will die to the next tankbuster if not swapped.

Tank Swap: Mandatory at 4 stacks before Gobstraight resolves.

Gobstraight / Gobcut: Randomly chosen:

• Gobstraight → frontal tankbuster, must be faced away
• Gobcut → stack marker, requires group stacking

Gobdash: Prey mechanic. Target must run far away while the rest of the party avoids standing in the path. This requires shielding—anyone hit receives Enervation, which heavily weakens them.

Gobhook: Follow-up frontal cone. After Gobdash resolves, players must immediately reposition behind the boss.

Boost: Four consecutive heavy AoE slams. All players must use Bird form to survive.

This entire sequence is repeatable and forms the backbone of the fight. Clean execution here determines whether Phase 2 is manageable.

Phase 2 (60% → 0%)

Phase 2 retains all previous mechanics but introduces multiple lethal adds that must be handled correctly while continuing to execute the base rotation.

Add Control

Gobbledygroper: Tethers to a player and ignores enmity. The tethered player must use the Blue syringe to remove it, allowing the off-tank to pick it up. Failure results in lethal cleaves on random players.

Gobbledygawker: Uses a gaze attack. Failing to look away results in Stone Curse, causing instant death on the next raid damage. If left alive too long, it casts Bomb Toss, reducing max HP across the raid and often leading to a wipe. This is a top-priority kill target.

Yorn Pigs + Minotaur:

• Pigs will be eaten by the Minotaur
• Each consumption grants Damage Up
• Minotaur must NOT be DPSed

The correct solution is to eventually feed a Cobra to the Minotaur, causing it to gain Anti-coagulant and die naturally.

Glassy-eyed Shabti: Deals guaranteed critical hits. Must be tanked and killed immediately with heavy mitigation.

Mechanic Overlap

All Phase 1 mechanics continue while adds are active. This creates the real difficulty of the fight:

• Bomb fakeouts force players to re-evaluate safe zones
• Boost + Tetrabombs require quick safe zone identification
• Double Gobdash overlaps require careful positioning and shielding
• Adds must be handled simultaneously without breaking rotation

There is no point in Phase 2 where the fight “slows down.” It only becomes denser.

Encounter Flow

Faust → Hummelfaust →
Phase 1 (Guzzle cycles + Bomb control) →
Phase 2 (Add layering + full mechanic overlap) →
Final burn before enrage

The fight does not introduce fundamentally new mechanics in Phase 2—it instead tests whether the raid can execute everything from Phase 1 while handling lethal adds at the same time.

Timeline (Simplified)

Opener DPS Check →
Guzzle Rotation → Bomb Phase → Boost →
Repeat Cycle →
Phase 2 Add Spawns → Overlap Execution →
Final Burn

Key Strategy Notes

• Assign syringe roles before pull—do not improvise
• Control Goblixer stacks carefully to avoid debuff failure
• Always cleanse Anti-coagulant immediately
• Gorilla player must consistently control bomb placement
• Shield every Gobdash target
• Kill Gobbledygawkers immediately
• Never DPS the Minotaur directly
• Handle Phase 2 as layered execution, not a new phase