Final Fantasy 16 appeared to be providing something of a breather for Clive, at long last but then sets the gears in motion once again with news of a Dominant of Fire being sighted in the Greatwood. Clive, desiring revenge more than anything else in the world, immediately sets off in pursuit.
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Thankfully, he is aided by Cid and Torgal, who accompany him through the perilous forest. What ensues is a tricky stage filled with enemies to best and new characters for Clive to meet for the first time. Let us walk you through these threats.
As with most other stages in FF16, the initial path you have in the Greatwood is quite linear. Move ahead until you reach a cliff to drop down, meeting back up with Cid.
You'll be attacked by a pack of Worgen here, wolf-type enemies that shouldn't pose too much of a threat. After killing the initial bunch, you'll be assailed by three more from behind, so be wary of that.
Head forward, under the large tree trunk barring your way, and a cutscene will play in which you spy an inevitable future boss. Press on after the scene.
After dropping down the next cliff, you'll be attacked by Vampire Thorns. These plantlike enemies are also not that threatening, but they have ranged attacks, so be careful and look out for the yellow ranged attack indicators that pop up when an enemy charges one up off-screen.
Squeeze through the gap ahead of you and follow Cid until you're attacked by a dragon - this is a Dragon Aevis, one of Final Fantasy 16's regular large enemies. As with other large beasts, the Dragon Aevis has a Stagger meter and should be taken seriously.
Dragon Aevis Tips:
After beating the Dragon Aevis, continue on further down the narrow path, picking up the shiny items as you go. When you reach a dead end, Torgal will lead you to the way forward. Hold L3 to make the camera follow him for a few moments if you lose sight of him.
On the other end of the narrow gap, you'll find a group of Worgen and Vampire Thorns to take out. Deal with them. Once they're dealt with, press on, using Torgal's animal sense if you need to, and you'll eventually be confronted with a drop into a large arena with curved walls.
When you drop down into the arena, you'll be thrust into a boss fight against Fafnir. For help with this spiny annoyance, check out our full boss guide here.
After the boss fight, the way forward will be clear. Press on through the narrow gap and then follow the path ahead. In the next area, you'll face Hornets for the first time.
Flying enemies can be annoying before you have very good ranged attacks. To deal with them quite easily, though, use Phoenix Shift.
This will teleport you to their level, where you can hit them a few times. This will send them to the ground until they recover.
You can also use Torgal's Ravage attack to take down flying enemies - it's great at bringing them down to earth.
This area is quite large and easy to get lost in - Cid will give you the best advice, though. Follow the river upstream, and you'll eventually reach your destination. At the top of the stream, you'll fight some Worgen and a Dragon Aevis - apart from the usual rewards for beating these enemies, there's also a chest here to loot that contains a Meteorite.
The next area will pit you against a new type of enemy: a dual-wielding ninja. This particular variety is called the Midnight Raven, and while they aren't as powerful as later ninjas, they can be tricky. This encounter also serves as a tutorial for Cinematic Clashes, which are similar to Cinematic Strikes.
For a complete guide to fighting ninja-type enemies, check out this guide.
For beating the Midnight Raven, you'll be awarded some experience, ability points, gil, a Badge of Might, 30 Steelsilk, and a Meteorite.
It's a good idea to equip the Badge of Might immediately, as it improves your Attack. It's not like you have any other accessories to equip at the moment, unless you're using any of the Story Mode accessories.
This ends the Greatwood. To complete the quest Fanning Embers, enter the Orabelle Downs via the newly-unlocked Obelisk symbol. This will begin the next quest in the storyline automatically, Louder than Words.
NEXT: Final Fantasy 16: FAQ Guide