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FFXIV Dawntrail: AAC Light-heavyweight M2 Guide — Normal and Savage

AAC Light-heavyweight M2 pits an eight-player party against Honey B. Lovely. Here are the normal and Savage differences, Savage entry rules, key mechanics and later reward changes.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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AAC Light-heavyweight M2 is the second fight in Dawntrail’s Arcadion Light-heavyweight tier, and its boss is Honey B. Lovely. Normal mode centers on managing her Heart Gauge; Savage layers tighter combinations of combo attacks, tower soaks and stack mechanics on top. The two modes share the encounter’s theme, but have different entry requirements and goals.

What is AAC Light-heavyweight M2?

AAC Light-heavyweight M2 is an eight-player raid encounter in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, following M1 in the Arcadion Light-heavyweight tier. Honey B. Lovely is the opponent. Guides describe the Heart Gauge as a central motif in both versions, with Savage adding more demanding mechanic combinations. Icy Veins’ normal guide and Savage guide provide encounter-specific explanations.

Normal or Savage: which version should you enter?

Mode What to expect Entry and time details Best fit
Normal Core Honey B. Lovely encounter and Heart Gauge mechanic; certain hits add hearts, and reaching three hearts can enthrall a player, according to the normal-mode guide. Not stated in the cited patch notes for this comparison. Players seeking the normal raid encounter and its story progression.
Savage More demanding combinations of Heart Gauge management, Centerstage Combo and Outerstage Combo, Fracture tower soaks, and stack resolution, as described in the Savage guide. Patch 7.05 set level 100, average item level 705, eight players and a 90-minute duty limit. Square Enix’s Patch 7.05 notes list these requirements. Players intentionally progressing the harder version and prepared for coordinated mechanics.

For Savage, the 705 average item level and level-100 requirement are the official Patch 7.05 entry rules. That patch originally placed the duty in Raid Finder; Patch 7.2 moved Light-heavyweight Savage duties to Duty Finder. Use the current Duty Finder listing rather than relying on the original placement. Square Enix Patch 7.2 notes document the change. Patch 7.05 also said a pre-formed full party did not need to meet the usual item-level or role requirements when registering. Patch 7.05 notes.

How does Honey B. Lovely’s Heart Gauge work?

In normal mode, certain attacks add hearts to a player’s gauge; three hearts can enthrall that player. Watch the tells for attacks that build the gauge and avoid taking unnecessary hits. The normal-mode guide explains the mechanic and its encounter context.

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Savage keeps the Heart Gauge in play while asking the group to handle mechanics in more demanding combinations. The Savage guide identifies Centerstage Combo and Outerstage Combo, Fracture tower soaks and stack resolution as key categories. Exact positions and assignments depend on the group’s strategy, so consult a current visual guide for the particular approach your party is using rather than assuming one universal layout. Icy Veins’ Savage guide.

How to unlock and queue for M2 Savage

  1. Meet the Savage entry rules. Square Enix’s Patch 7.05 notes specify level 100, an average item level of 705, an eight-player party and a 90-minute time limit for AAC Light-heavyweight M2 Savage. The notes describe the original registration requirements; a full pre-formed party was exempt from the item-level and role requirements.
  2. Open Duty Finder. Since Patch 7.2, Light-heavyweight Savage duties are listed through Duty Finder rather than Raid Finder. Select AAC Light-heavyweight M2 (Savage) from the applicable raid duty list.
  3. Plan around the duty’s mechanics. Review the Heart Gauge, combo attacks, tower soaks and stack resolution with your party. Use a current visual guide to agree on positional assignments; strategies can differ.

These details distinguish Savage queueing from normal mode; consult the in-game duty list for the currently available normal-mode unlock path.

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What changed for Savage entry and rewards?

Weekly limitations changed after the tier launched. Patch 7.18 removed the weekly entrance restriction for Light-heavyweight Savage and removed the weekly restriction on coffer rewards. It also made treasure coffers appear without reward reduction based on prior clears and allowed players to proceed directly to any area. These are later changes than the original Patch 7.05 rules. Square Enix Patch 7.18 notes.

Square Enix’s Patch 7.05 notes document AAC Illustrated: LHW Edition tokens, which can be exchanged for rewards in Solution Nine. These are in-game raid rewards, not physical products. Patch 7.05 notes.

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Patch note on the Savage combo actions

Square Enix later noted a correction to an erroneous sound effect associated with the named Savage actions Centerstage Combo and Outerstage Combo. That update confirms the action names but is not a mechanic guide. Square Enix’s Aug. 27 update.

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