How to beat Angra Mainyu in Final Fantasy XVI Echoes of the Fallen

Final Fantasy XVI‘s first DLC, Echoes of the Fallen, is more a series of tough boss fights interspersed with your standard mobs than anything narratively substantial. The second boss, Angra Mainyu, will give even veteran players a run for their money.

This beefy Ahriman launches a bevy of AoE attacks and is very reminiscent of Final Fantasy XIV boss encounters. Ultimately, it breaks down to being constantly aware of your positioning and not over-extending attacks. Here’s how to beat Angra Mainyu.

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General tips

• Angra Mainyu is a fan of taunting Clive, which can open it up to several hits. Odin’s Dancing Steel or Gungir attacks work well here as you can usually get a full Lv. 5 charge of Zantetsuken.
• Avoid using charged attacks or those that lock you into an animation as Angra Mainyu teleports frequently and will punish these.
• Phoenix Shift is a great tool for closing the gap as Angra Mainyu loves to play Keep Away from Clive.

Angra Mainyu attacks

General attacks

Angra Mainyu will begin spinning in place before casting a large explosion centered on itself. Beyond that, I didn’t really encounter anything that wasn’t a named attack.

All Eyes ver. 1

Angra Mainyu will teleport to Clive, create numerous copies of itself around the hero, and then trigger AoE explosions around each clone. Note that there are two versions of this attack and there isn’t any difference in the name. Try to be ready for either variant and dodge accordingly.

After casting Roulette the first time, this attack spawns more clones with larger explosions.

All Eyes ver. 2

The second version of this attack still has Angra Mainyu teleporting to Clive and creating multiple copies. Instead of AoE explosions, the flapping eyeball and its clones fire plasma beams centered on the middle. You can target the real Angra Mainyu during this attack and land a few shots after dodging the attack.

After casting Roulette, this attack triggers more clones which now rotate instead of firing on a fixed point. The real Angra Mainyu will also throw more explosive orbs, making it easier to target.

Quakeja

Angra Mainyu creates multiple circles in a straight path alongside it. These circles spawn gigantic crystals. In addition to those, there are also multiple energy balls floating around like massive explosive snowflakes. Angra Mainyu is fond of channeling this into the spinning explosion.

Roulette

This attack looks a lot worse than it actually is. A large wheel, which spans the arena, will begin spinning. There are a few clear spots but don’t worry about lining those up yet as you’ll have a few beats to get to one once the spinning stops.

On subsequent casts of Roulette, Angra Mainyu will spawn clones that fire blasts akin to All Eyes ver. 2 while more explosive orbs fall from above. As with the first iteration of this attack, don’t worry about avoiding the large AoE until the wheel stops spinning. Dodge the active effects and then rush to a safe zone.

Eyes on Me

A three-tiered pyramid of Angra Mainyu will appear on one side of the arena and begin charging attacks. Alternating columns will shoot fireballs that are reasonably easy to dodge if you’re far enough away. If you’re close, try to wedge yourself into the pyramid to avoid the attacks.

Aka Manah

Clones of Angra Mainyu appear high in the sky on one end of the arena before flying to the other end while carpet-bombing everything below them. When the orbs make contact, there will be an electrified circle that will persist until the end of the attack. At the end of the attack, the original Angra Mainyu will hurl a large energy bomb at Clive that can instantly wipe out half of his health.