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FFXIV Dawntrail: The Arcadion M4S Guide to Wicked Thunder

A practical M4S guide to Wicked Thunder: unlock requirements, two-phase mechanics, party setup, and assignments to confirm before the pull.
Length5 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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M4S is the fourth fight in Dawntrail’s AAC Light-heavyweight Savage tier, where an eight-player party faces Wicked Thunder across two arenas. The most useful preparation is agreeing on partner priorities, positions, and mechanic conventions before the pull: several Party Finder assignments vary between groups. This guide uses a declared orientation and a consistent party framework; confirm the specific callouts with your group.

Unlocking AAC Light-heavyweight M4 Savage

Square Enix’s Patch 7.05 notes list M4 Savage for level 100 Disciples of War or Magic, with eight players and an average item-level requirement of 710. Registering with a full party waives the item-level and role restrictions. The stated unlock path is to complete “The Neoteric Witch,” then speak to Gabbro in Solution Nine as a level 100 combat job. Icy Veins also says to complete the Normal-difficulty encounter before Savage unlocks.

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Patch 7.05 listed a 120-minute duty time limit. That is the original patch-note figure, not a guarantee about current duty settings.

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Party setup and orientation

Build two light parties

Split the eight players into two light parties, each with one tank, one healer, and two DPS. Agree on partner priorities before entering mechanics that pair players or assign partner positions. Some groups pair a support with a DPS; uptime-focused arrangements can alter those pairings.

Use a shared map language

For callouts in this guide, treat the top of the arena as north and the bottom as south, as seen from the normal raid-camera view. Call the arena’s visible sides east and west. Establish the same orientation with your group before the pull, especially if players use rotated diagrams or different camera references.

The first arena is a floating platform divided into a 4-by-4 grid, with electrical attacks using larger grid patterns as well. Later the party moves to a smaller, 12-square platform. Falling from either platform is lethal, and failed mechanics can also inflict Damage Down. Leave room to move rather than standing on an edge while resolving a mechanic.

Phase one: read the arena and resolve the opening sequences

Wicked Thunder’s first phase combines grid-based electrical patterns, targeted attacks, and movement checks. Watch the cast and the arena tell together; do not assume a safe square from a previous mechanic remains safe for the next one.

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Witch Hunt

Witch Hunt selects players using proximity- or role-based targeting, with variants that can apply debuffs affecting subsequent movement. The selected players need to identify the targeting pattern quickly, while everyone else leaves the path and landing space clear. Follow your group’s agreed priority for resolving the targeted players; the exact positioning convention is not universal.

Bewitching Flight

Wicked Thunder fires line attacks from its wings, leaving lines that explode later. At the same time, attacks can cross the arena from the east. Resolve the initial line tells, then reposition before the delayed explosions; avoid treating the first safe lane as permanently safe. Keep the group’s callouts oriented to the boss and arena, since overlapping lines are difficult to interpret if players disagree about direction.

Electrope Edge

Electrope Edge uses the arena grid and can require players to identify safe squares as the electrical pattern develops. In the second Electrope Edge set, groups may use different Four Star stack locations. Confirm your stack spot and movement order before the pull rather than relying on a diagram from a different Party Finder.

Ion Cluster

Ion Cluster combines assigned positions with movement around electrical attacks. For Ion Cluster 1, support and DPS positions differ between some strategies. Confirm who takes each location and which partner priority your group follows; then move decisively to the assigned space while preserving room for the other light party.

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Phase two: Sabbath sequences and Sword Quiver

A transition brings the fight to a smaller arena. The phase-two sequences ask players to interpret clone tells and move through repeated attacks without walking off the platform. Keep north, east, south, and west callouts consistent with the orientation established at the start.

Twilight Sabbath

Twilight Sabbath uses clone tells and quadrant movement. Identify the relevant clone or attack direction, then move into the safe quadrant your group calls. Avoid crossing through the other party’s route if a short move to the same safe area is available.

Midnight Sabbath

Midnight Sabbath requires partner-aware positioning and movement. Party Finder strategies can differ in partner priorities and rotation direction. Before the pull, agree whether your group rotates clockwise or counterclockwise and which partner takes each relative position. Changing direction mid-sequence is a common source of collisions and missed movement.

Sunrise Sabbath

Sunrise Sabbath includes cannon baits. Groups do not all use the same baiting method, so establish who baits each cannon and where the remaining players stand before starting. Follow the assigned bait positions rather than improvising based on another group’s diagram.

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Sword Quiver

Sword Quiver combines role- or partner-based positioning with repeated dodges. Take the position assigned to your role and partner, then move with the attack pattern as it resolves. Watch the next tell while finishing the current dodge; moving too early can put players into a later hit or off the platform.

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Party Finder differences to settle before the pull

Mechanic names are shared across guides, but names alone do not define a single universal strategy. Icy Veins’ M4 Savage guide, last updated August 3, 2024, describes several Party Finder variations. Hector Hectorson’s M4S guide video, published August 9, 2024, identifies its approach as a commonly used North American Party Finder reference; it is a community convention, not an official ruling.

  • Electrope Edge 2: Confirm the Four Star stack spot.
  • Ion Cluster 1: Confirm support and DPS positions.
  • Mustard Bomb: Confirm who replaces the tank tether and in what order.
  • Midnight Sabbath: Confirm partner priorities and rotation direction.
  • Sunrise Sabbath: Confirm the group’s cannon-bait method.

These are reported examples of variation, not a claim that every region or group uses different assignments. A short role-and-position check before the first pull is more reliable than assuming that a video or guide matches your party.

Rewards and figures that may have changed

Square Enix’s Patch 7.05 notes listed an item-level 735 Dark Horse Champion’s Weapon Coffer among the tier’s rewards and described M4 Savage coffers as yielding weapons. Those notes also set out weekly eligibility and exchange-token rules at the time. They are historical 2024 patch-note details, not confirmation of the 2026 live reward pool or lockout state; check the current in-game duty and reward information before farming.

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Icy Veins’ August 3, 2024 guide reports a 13:30 enrage and an estimated cumulative raid DPS requirement. Those are guide-authored figures rather than official patch-note values, and their present relevance is not established here.

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