Alpha Bahamut, the Volcanic Dragon

Alpha Bahamut, the Volcanic King can be summoned on the Alchemy Summons page if you have two of each (,, , and ).

You have 168 hours to complete the battle before it flees.

= Basic Information = Alpha Bahamut has roughly 600 million health. Up to 150 people total may participate in the battle. Of these participants, only a set number can participate based on that player's level at the time of joining the battle.
 * 60 people levels 150+
 * 30 people levels 100-149
 * 30 people levels 50-99
 * 30 people levels 1-49


 * Approximate HP: ~600,000,000
 * This is at 55.5802% damage -- 332,332,845 HP
 * Formula I used: ($TD*2)-10%=Approx HP, where $TD = current Total Damage including sieges. This is not a perfect formula, but should get it close.

Activity
Unlike other battles, the effort of each level group is measured. The reason for this is unknown. However, there are two excerpts from the Bahamut help section from Castle Age give us an idea of why they do this:

"The bonus reward bars will fill up as the different level ranges perform damage during the battle. If a bonus reward bar is successfully completed, it will give the entire party a greater chance to receive the bonus reward associated with that level range. Collect all the bonus rewards to create powerful items through Alchemy!"

and

"You have chances (depending on activity) to receive one of each crystal each time you slay a Volcanic Dragon. Additionally your chances are increased when other players of different level ranges participate more. "

From these two paragraphs, we have assumed (but not yet proven) the following:
 * There is an activity threshold that you must pass to qualify for the Volcanic Gems to drop. This number may be different for each level group.
 * There is a base chance for receiving each gem drop
 * Level group 1-49 affect the Volcanic Emerald gem
 * Level group 50-99 affect the Volcanic Sapphire gem
 * Level group 100-149 affect the Volcanic Topaz gem
 * Level group 150+ affect the Volcanic Ruby gem
 * This also affects the 4 Epic drops that you can get from Bahamut
 * Filling up the activity bar to full may double or triple the chance of getting the gem to drop, but it does not guarantee it.
 * It is possible to get multiple gem drops, and possible to get multiple gems of the same kind to drop

= Attacking Alpha Bahamut = Strategy for this dragon requires watching, waiting, and performing the correct action at the correct time to minimize damage to your party and maximize damage to the dragon. The power of primary attacks is affected by the health of the party. Attacks at minimal health appear to be approximately 40-50% as powerful as attacks at full health, making it important for the party not to overwhelm its healers through self-damaging, but ineffectual, repeated attacks when health is low. If you continue to strike the dragon when the party health is low, you will do relatively more damage to the party than you will to the dragon, so it is a good idea to have a patient team that works together.

If you are looking for a "whenever" class and are willing to expend energy throughout the fight, you are best to choose Cleric to heal, or Warrior to strengthen, as both can use their secondary abilities throughout the fight. (Even after the party reaches maximum strength, Warrior strengthening continues to provide its healing side-effect.) If you choose Mage or Rogue, you will have to wait to use your secondary ability until your character's class role is called for in the status window. These classes are good choices for those who would prefer to expend less energy during a fight. The class focus changes randomly during the course of battle after each 3-8 hour open window expires. If the status bar is already full for the current class function (e.g. cripple or deflect), or the current status pertains to a different class, secondary attacks for Mages or Rogues will have no effect and simply return (0) effect.

Class
The class you choose will last for the entire duration of this particular monster. You will have different abilities depending on the class you chose. Using a special non-attack ability will cost 10 energy.

When entering the battle, the player must choose to enter as a Warrior, Cleric, Mage, or Rogue. Your contribution to defeating Bahamut will contribute to your progress at leveling up in your chosen class. Though the equation is not yet known, a very rough estimate of first level progress is 7% per million activity points.

When a class levels up, they will do more damage against all "Next Generation" monsters, which is presumably any monster with the class system. If you have 2 levels in a class, you will have +5 attack against these monsters. If you have 3 levels in a class, you will have +10 attack against these monsters. It is currently unknown, but is assumed that you only get these + attack bonuses if you are playing a class that you got the bonus from. If you have 2 levels in warrior, and you decide to be a mage, you will probably not get the +5 attack bonus.

You do not gain Class experience in the middle of battle. The amount of experience that you get is calculated (either when the monster is slain, or you collect the reward for a monster, if you know which one, please let us know. If you can gain Class experience when the monster does not die, it is calculated when the monster is slain. If not, then it's only when you collect the reward for this monster. Other monster mechanics suggest that it is calculated when you collect the reward for a monster). The amount of Class experience you get is based on your overall activity on that monster. If does not matter how much of your activity was stamina based or energy based, all that matters is your final activity score against the monster.

Warriors
Castle Age Description
 * Warriors are juggernauts able to withstand the brute force of most attacks while being able to defend their teammates. Warriors are great defensive additions to any party but are still able to dish out bone-crushing attacks.

What Warriors do in Battle
 * The Warrior Special Ability Strengthen increases the max Party Health amount, as well as slightly increases the current Party Health amount. The more Defense you have, the more effective your strengthening will be. If the monster's status says, "STATUS: Bahamut is snapping its large jaws at your party!" your strengthening will be the most effective at this time.

Clerics
Castle Age Description
 * It would be wise not to take a Cleric for granted. Although most well known for their healing and restorative powers, Clerics are also able to summon Holy energies to smite and banish their opponents.

What Clerics do in Battle
 * The Cleric Special Ability Heal increases the current party health more than Strengthen, but it does not increase the max Party Health amount. The more Defense you have, the more you will Heal. If the monster's status says "STATUS: The mana channels are aligned!" your healing will be the most effective at that time.

Rogues
Castle Age Description
 * Rogues are masters at pinpointing their enemies weaknesses and striking with deadly precision. Rogues are powerful teammates able to deal damage and lockdown the opponent with their debilitating strikes.

What Rogues do in Battle
 * The Rogue Special Ability Cripple prevents Bahamut from healing himself. Please note, this skill will only be effective if the monster's Status says, "STATUS: Bahamut is attempting to heal itself!"
 * If the CRIPPLE status bar is not filled when the timer runs out then Bahamut will heal itself for 1,115,000.

Mages
Castle Age Description
 * Able to bend magical forces to their will, Mages are able to channel magical energies not only to cause destruction to their foes but are also able to create magical barriers to protect allied forces from harm

What Mages do in Battle
 * The Mage Special Ability Deflect prevents Bahamut from using his Lava Breath on the Party. Please note, he is not always preparing to use his Lava Breath, he is only preparing to use this attack if his status is, "STATUS: Bahamut is readying its Lava Breath".
 * If the DEFLECT status bar is not filled when the timer runs out then Bahamut will inflict 670,000 damage to the party's health.

Alpha Bahamut Power Attack Damage Formula
???

Siege Weapons
While fighting Bahamut, there are at least 6 different siege weapons that can be launched to deal extra damage.

Catapults
 * Needs 30 people to launch
 * Does 28,000,000 damage

Ballista
 * Needs 60 people to launch
 * Does 32,500,000 damage

Fire Catapult
 * Needs 90 people to launch
 * Does 40,000,000 damage

Silverlight Angels
 * Needs 120 people to launch
 * Does 45,000,000 damage

Phoenixes
 * Needs 200 people to launch
 * Does 47,500,000 damage

Blizzard
 * Needs 200 people to launch
 * Does 52,500,000 damage

Total Damage: 245,500,000

Approx - 40% of required damage

= Battle Lore =

= Rewards =

Rewards on Every Attack
When attacking, you will earn...
 * 4-32 experience per hit
 * 0-400,000 gold per hit (Depends on level) (Sometimes 800,000)
 * 0-2 Demi-points per hit

When using your energy, you will earn...
 * 10-18 experience per energy use
 * 0-400,000 gold per energy use (Depends on level)
 * 0-2 Demi-points per energy use

Rare Chance Drops

 * Lavareign Axe
 * Inferno Shield
 * Burning Blade
 * Blazerune Ring
 * Blazerune Necklace
 * Gladiator
 * Arcanist
 * Hellkite Minion
 * Hellslayer Knight

Epic Chance Drops

 * Skullfire
 * Volcanic Helm
 * Hellforge Gauntlets
 * Hellforge Plate

Legendary Chance Drops

 * Alpha Emerald Sea Serpent
 * Alpha Sapphire Sea Serpent
 * Alpha Amethyst Sea Serpent
 * Alpha Ancient Sea Serpent
 * Alpha Bahamut Artifact

Crystal Drops
Depending on activity, there is a chance to receive one of each crystal each time you slay a Volcanic Dragon. Chances are increased when other players of different level ranges participate more. These are epic drops.
 * Volcanic Topaz
 * Volcanic Ruby
 * Volcanic Emerald
 * Volcanic Sapphire

= Notes =
 * Introduced May 14, 2010
 * There is a minimum personal activity threshold before any loot is rewarded (?? above 130,000) there also seems to be a minimum threshold for receiving a gem.
 * Approximate HP: ~600,000,000
 * This is at 55.5802% damage -- 332,332,845 HP
 * Formula I used: ($TD*2)-10%=Approx HP, where $TD = current total damage including sieges. This is not a perfect formula, but should get it close.

= See Also =
 * Alpha Bahamut Loot Data
 * Alpha Bahamut Attack Formula