Ix'Aern - difficulty?

[Chidorii]

Seeing how you guys seem to be the most experienced with Sea NMs.
I was just wondering how difficult is Ix'Aern?
This guy is the NM that drops an Item we need to trade in to get those +25MP capes with +5 elemental / enfeeble/ etc skill stuff.

The NM i'm interested in is the MNK type NM that drops the +25 MP elemental cape.

I think there are 3 levels of this NM that can be popped depending on how many HQ organs you trade to the ??? at a time.
This NM is just the first level one.
Can he be duo'd with a rdm and brd or rdm and a blm?
Or does the first level NM require an alliance?

Thanks in advance!

[Russta]

We've never fought Ix'Aern on his own simply because our intention is always to get the Deed of Placidity. With two organs we fought a Red Mage alongside him, three Organs brought a duo of Red Mage and White Mage with him. As your aim is only to get the Vice and not the Deed you may be able to take him out a single party if you feel you can withstand fourty-five seconds of non-stop attacking but as a duo? Absolutely not. Also, assuming you do this as a single party, where do you plan to fight him? Lets say it takes you five minutes to kill the Aern's in his room that leaves you about ten minutes to kill him before the repops happen and you start linking. There's no way a single party could clear the path to the Ebon Tower in sixteen minutes so it'd be your only option. My advice to you is to not waste your time, exp and Organ especially as Ix'Aern doesn't like putting out his Vice anyway.

[Nicholas]

I agree...this is a somewhat difficult nm. You have to kill him in about 16 minutes, or deal with repops (no where to pull to fight that is safe). A party of 6 *could* do it...if they were really good players and had someone responsible for sleeping repops. But I think your best bet is to get 2-3 parties and do the 3 organ pop (higher drop rate) if you really want the cape.

[Sekkite]

Its a fun fight, but keep in mind perpetual hundred fists when it two hours is painful.

[Zetah]

All I remember is that I had to tank Ix'Aern for 2-3 minutes with nonstop hundred fists when someone traded 2 or 3 organs, and we have a whm with him. it doesn't hit hard but it was sort of like fighting faust, I could only cure when he readied a ws.

[Chidorii]

Ah ok thanks so much for your help and input.

I though a MNK NM was feasible for a RDM to tank because during one of the later CoP missions an NM monk Aern popped and my RDM buddy pretty much solo'd it (even through the mnk 2hr). MNK mob types are perfect for rdms because mnks do much less dmg per hit but just hit faster. That damage is then greatly reduced by phalanx. The benefit of phalanx is drastically reduced when fighting other harder hitting mobs.

How hard can this guy hit a pld for?
A rdm could tank any mob that normally hits a pld for less than 100 dmg / hit ... especially with brd buffs ?

But the final thing was your comment on:

especially as Ix'Aern doesn't like putting out his Vice anyway

Do you know what the drop rate is like? 1/10?... if for some reason we do get a crazy pt of 6 together... getting 10 HQ organs just for one drop without the intention of getting other NM Pop Items might make it completely unfeasible even if we could kill the Ix'Aern

Are there any zones nearby? If there is a zone nearby, anything is possible! hehehe. But if the only way to get here is through an elevator then
For example, is it possible to sleep the normal Aerns, Pop NM, run to a zone to lose aggro on sleeping mobs while second person kites NM without aggro'ing normal Aerns? I realize we may get links along the way, are all the mobs nearby IT?

Often times anything requiring more than a pt of 6 will take significant time and effort to put together (especially, anything related to sea). I'd rather try and die 10x duo'ing before succeeding than get an alliance of 18 to try and succeed on the first try.
However, if it really is impossible then i dont want to waste my time.

I'm sorry if i sound lazy. I should just go to the area myself and check it out. But I'm always busy at work leaving me very little time at home for ffxi... (I am writing this up at work right now haha)
Anyway.
Thanks for the input! Oh and Btw, (if you're the same person) I think i've seen your live journal before, Russta... your commentary on CoP missions were quite amusing.

[Nagamaki]

The MNK Ix'aern isn't very hard, but there is no way you could duo it like that. It hits like mad even outside Hundred Fists. 1 PT that gets full TP ahead with a good balance can take it, especially with a MNK tank. But 2 people, no way.