As an avid Final Fantasy fan from the very first NES game, I‘ve eagerly awaited FF16‘s release to dive back into this storied franchise. And after spending over 100 hours exploring its vast world, electrum quickly stood out as one of the rarest and most valuable crafting materials around. Newcomers and veterans alike want to get their hands on electrum, but actually finding it requires battling one of FF16‘s toughest marks that many instead run from.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll leverage my expertise to break down everything there is know about acquiring electrum – no luck needed! You‘ll learn what makes this material so coveted, how to spawn the notorious Severian who guards it, strategies to defeat him, and what electrum enables you to then craft or progress towards. So ready your finest weapons and let‘s get hunting!
What Makes Electrum So Valuable?
While Final Fantasy 16 contains hundreds of unique crafting components to discover, electrum resides firmly near the top of the rarity spectrum. But its value extends far beyond just scarcity in the world. Here‘s a breakdown of what makes electrum a cornerstone material:
Enables the Darkslayer‘s Belt – This mighty accessory can‘t be crafted without using 1 electrum in its recipe. It boosts strength, vitality, elemental attack bonuses, and more making it universally useful for all playstyles.
Extremely Limited Sources – The only confirmed way to get electrum is by defeating the mark Severian who has frustratingly long respawn timers. No merchants sell it either.
Progression Gatekeeper – Obtaining that first electrum lets you craft the Darkslayer‘s Belt which then unlocks access to various weapons, abilities, and high level marks previously unavailable.
Sell Price Over 200,000 Gil – Its innate value means selling just one electrum nets you a small fortune to spend however you‘d like. But using it strategically offers even greater long term gains through crafting and progression.
Simply put, no other material checks as many boxes in terms of importance for min/maxing your build. One electrum can single-handedly accelerate your late game experience goals – if you can manage to get your hands on it.
Where to Hunt Down the Notorious Severian
Severian only emerges in one gloomy corner of Valisthea – the Imperial Province of Rosaria. This snow-capped mountainous region dominated by the Rosaria Dynasty may seem quiet but marks arable land rife with opportunities…if you live long enough to seize them.
After combing the entire province, Severian spawns specifically in North Sorrowise within the northwest reaches of Rosaria. You‘ll find him prowling the woods just northwest past the Martha‘s Rest Obelisk landmark.
Check your in-game map and look for the yellow circle marking his spawn location. Then trek out there, settle in, and wait for the telltale red icon to appear signaling Severian lurks nearby. Bring your A-game because he won‘t go down quietly!
Minimum Progression: You must complete the "After the Storm" main story quest before Severian will spawn. So if wandering North Sorrowise reveals it empty, knock out some more of FF16‘s excellent narrative until that prerequisite gets met.
Respawn Timer: Once felled, Severian takes 168 hours real-time to fully respawn. That‘s an entire real-life week sitting idle before battling him again for another electrum is possible! Make sure to claim the rewards after that first monumental victory.
Severian‘s Deadly Moveset
Before this fight starts, Severian emerges with a full health bar of around 210,000 HP. He‘s classified in-game as a level 31 B-rank notorious monster making him over 10 levels higher than a story boss like Ifrit. Veterans will immediately recognize Severian poses a lethal threat not to be underestimated! Let‘s analyze his moveset:
Lunge Attack
- Severian windmills his massive greatsword overhead before rearing back and then lunging forward suddenly to impale you with immense force.
- Alone deals 18,000-25,000 HP if caught by the brunt of this piercing blow so dodge left/right immediately when you see him prep it.
- High damage attack but easy to react to thanks to the long windup. Punish with counters after dodging this successfully.
Circular AoE
- Severian‘s sword glows red as he drives it down surrounded by a transparent bubble highlighting the impending area of effect.
- Anything within a 8m diameter circle takes roughly 8,000-12,000 magic damage when the damaging wave triggers about 2 seconds later.
- Completely leave the telegraphed danger zone right away to avoid taking any HP loss.
Spinning Sword
- Severian anchors himself in place, sword extended outwards, while he spins for several seconds like a whirlwind of death shredding anyone too close.
- Getting hit removes around 3,000 HP per tick but the main threat comes from…
- …the electrical orbs he shoots out in random directions once this spinning attack ceases. Each orb deals 5,000 lightning damage which adds up fast if multiple strike you.
- Continuously strafe left or right focusing more on avoiding the residual lightning balls instead of the spinning slashes.
Tactics for a Swift Takedown
Now for the fun part – my best tips on how to quickly smoke Severian using suitable gambits I‘ve honed over the years playing FF games!
First ensure your gear and level provide a fighting chance. I downed him my first attempt at level 28 but wouldn‘t recommend attempting this fight below level 25 due to his sheer power.
For equipment, prioritize whatever accessories boost dodge chance the most alongside armor reducing physical damage taken. Bring health potions and mana potions too – you‘ll need both.
Once the battle starts, here‘s the general flow I followed that led to a smooth first victory:
- Utilize hit-and-run tactics only committing to a couple quick weapon combos when Severian finishes casting longer moves. Don‘t get greedy chasing damage! Surviving takes priority as learning his tells allows you to dodge every single attack with proper timing.
- Anytime he glows red, be ready to dodge immediately. Red means pain incoming!
- Always dodge left or right, rolling backwards too often will pin you against something limiting escape routes. Many attacks also have longer reach than visibility so side dodging proves safer.
- Study when his combo chains end then unload major abilities like Limit Breaks before swiftly creating distance again. You should have enough openings to repeatedly chip away at his health bar little by little.
- If electrified orbs start bouncing around, stop attacking and solely focus on strafing around them while keeping Severian visible. The spin attack itself deals less damage in comparison so train your eyes to track the orbs.
- Use potions whenever your HP dips below 50% so one mistake doesn‘t instantly kill you. Topping off health enables you to survive an unlucky hit giving more chances to recover.
- Believe in the heart of the cards! Don‘t let early mistakes frustrate you into playing recklessly. Severian rewards patience and punishment. You‘ve got this!
Following these tips, Severian fell after a focused 12 minute bout. Now for the real reward rendering all that effort worthwhile…
Prized Severian Spoils
Vanquishing Severian yields some sweet loot including the rare materials many other notorious monsters don‘t. Here‘s everything he dropped after that grueling duel:
| Item | Quantity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Electrum | 1 | Craft Darkslayer‘s Belt or sell for 200,000+ gil |
| Dragon Talon | 1 | Upgrade Dreadwyrm Bracers to +2 |
| Briar Clam Shells | 20 | Ingredient for paralysis immunity meals |
| Sacrletite | 1 | Fetch 200,000 gil from merchants easily |
| Gil | 8,500 | Severian holds the 2nd most gil of all humanoid monsters |
| Renown | 20 | Points for unlocking content; 2nd highest renown payout behind Omega marks |
As you can see, the headliner Electrum delivers immense potential both directly through belt crafting or selling it alternatively. Every other bonus material simply proves gravy on top – very nice, but the Electrum makes this fight supremely worthwhile.
Now let‘s examine why defeating Severian and claiming that sweet Electrum opens up so many subsequent opportunities:
The Gateway to Greater Power
Beyond just profit potential, obtaining your first Electrum functions as a gateway unlocking additional progression opportunities as you continue Clive‘s journey. Here‘s why it accelerates your access to even more power:
- Immediately craft the almighty Darkslayer‘s Belt adding substantial stat boosts suiting nearly any build
- Darkslayer‘s Belt bumps you above the progression threshold enabling activation of higher level marks
- New types of annoying enemies become reasonable to farm once your capabilities grow
- Farm new enemies for materials to craft even better weapons and gear than currently accessible
- Beat down story bosses with greater ease thanks to your newfound power spike
- Accumulating otherwise unattainable materials unlocks additional quests and content
See how one simple drop cascades into so much extended progress? Electrum‘s effects prove far more wide-reaching than newer players may realize. It can single-handedly fast track certain builds into competitive territory earlier than typically expected.
While certainly challenging to claim, I hope this guide gives all fans chasing after electrum confidence that with smart preparation Severian beats as a very surmountable goal. Memorize his moves, fine-tune your loadout, and claim destiny with an S-rank performance during this fateful showdown!
Any FF16 fans still searching for their first electrum or methods to grind out additional ones in the future? Let me know and I‘ll happily provide even more detailed tips to overcome Severian with all playstyles!
