We have a great guide here for the story version of Garuda.
However, I was wondering if any of you have had any success with HM Garuda and would like to contribute? Out of the 12 or so runs I've done (with 4 different groups), none of them have gotten past the 2nd wave of clones. Actually, most groups I was in were lucky if they could get past her breaking the rocks with her special ability.
I don't know other classes well enough but I'd like to compile some useful hints/tips from you all for each individual class for this. This is actually the first duty finder I have not been able to do in a PUG. I do have some advice for the other classes but I am not able to draw from your own knowledge of the class (such as abilities) to clearly define what you should be doing.
Here's my advice for BLMs attempting this:
We are not too involved but there are certain things that make a 'good' BLM on this fight, IMO.
First, her randomly targeted AoE called Friction may be negated entirely through use of manawall which, oddly enough, seems to be physical damage. If you can pick up the pattern on when she uses it, you will save your healer a lot of headdache. WHM AoE healing pulls a tremendous amount of aggro on this fight. In fact, a third of my attempts that failed were because a WHM pulled aggro onto the rest of us and got us killed with medica spam. Being able to negate a friction will save some AoE healing and cause threat reduction.
Remember, you have a neat ability that enhances elemental resistances to fire, earth, and wind for 12 seconds to a targeted PT member. Make use of this! I have not found the optimal time to use it but generally when I see a tank dip below 50% HP, I will toss this on them. You might even want to cast it on them during the initial pull.
She summons plumes in a very predictable manner with the same amount of time. Not only this, but she summons the plumes ON her for a majority of the fight (until she is about to use her ultimate where she teleports to the middle).
Flare has a small radius. If you can plan around plumes, that means you'll have 3 astral fires up from a fire 3 cast (or fire 1 spam) during the plumes phase. Since flare doesn't care how much MP you have when it's cast, you can easily swiftcast a flare onto Garuda which will hit all of the plumes around her before they seek out their individual rocks. This isn't really a game breaker but it does help the other DPS kill the plumes a little faster.
I'm not sure if manaward works against her ultimate ability but it most likely works against the clones' whirlwind attacks in phase 2 so I suggest using it then.
One other important ability we bring to the table is lethargy. Use this during times when things look like they're out of control. Remember it slows down weapon skill speed which will help mitigate damage a bit.
Other than that, we just need to nuke and be aware of our surroundings. I haven't figured out the best use of the astral flow. None of my groups have made use of it.
Healers
AoE healing spells generate an enormous amount of enmity in this fight for some reason. I know it's hard to target the monster and heal at the same time to check your enmity, but be very careful! If you pull it onto the casters, you'll most likely cause a wipe. I realize this is hard to ask because she deals a massive amount of AoE damage!
Also, i think there might be a bug in which Garuda begins to generate enmity on players that are buffing. Check your enmity gauge on Garuda before engaging to confirm you have zero enmity before the fight begins.
Don't cast any HoTs on the tank as they engage. As mentioned, threat is very fickle on this fight.
Tanks
Eventually, she'll summons clones. During the clone phase, you'll be surrounded by vortices with little ability to move anywhere. There is a little corner right on the edge of the 3 vortices that enables you to tank the red tethered Garuda away from the main tank and DPS so that each group is only taking one wicked wind. Positioning and pick up of this red Garuda is absolutely critical to success.
Given this, it is possible that your initial provoke or equivalent skill will either miss or land but have little effect because of healer AoE spam. Be aware of this.
General advice
Garuda should be engaged from the left. Her first attack, if you engage her from the center, will hit the two rocks behind you.
Ranged should be positioned to the left. When she goes to use a special, hide behind a rock. As soon as that special ends, get far away from the rock as she'll cast a targeted AoE on a random PT member. If you're not far enough away, it will do damage to the rock itself.
Plumes need to die quickly, of course. Like I mentioned with the flare strategy for BLMs, other classes have AoE abilities they may employ during the initial summoning of the plumes that can take advantage of the temporary grouping on Garuda.
When Garuda goes to the middle to unleash her ultimate, don't hide behind a rock: it won't save you. The damage she deals is based on how many rocks you have left.
The green tethered Garuda needs to die first. If you stand behind her, you will not be cleaved which reduces stress on healers. When you switch to the red Garuda, the same applies.
Eventually, you'll need to move in a clockwise circle around the arena to avoid the 2nd wave of vortices. I recommend marking someone who knows where to stand so that new players can follow them.
If you have any other hints, please share! I would really like to beat this sometime soon. :X
Edited, Sep 8th 2013 6:12am by HitomeOfBismarck