I see a red door and I want The Man in Black
In Final Fantasy XVI, notorious hunts can be difficult for two reasons. The first and most obvious source of difficulty comes from the hunt itself. For other encounters, finding the hunt target proves to be the bigger challenge. The Man in Black falls firmly in the latter category.
The Man in Black, also known as the Holy Trumpitour, shouldn’t pose too much of a threat to you. At only level 36, this B-Rank hunt will likely be a few levels below you by the time you find him. Furthermore, while the fight itself packs some surprises, you’ve dealt with enemies similar to the Holy Trumpitour in the past. Let’s go over how to overcome this foe.
Holy Trumpitour, The Man in Black location & directions in Final Fantasy XVI (FF16)
You’ll find The Man in Black in Lostwing. However, simply pointing out its location on the map can be misleading. You need to first find the Cellar Passage, which won’t necessarily be obvious unless you already explored this area a bit. To find the entrance, enter the building at the location in the screenshot below and look for a door in the basement.
Fortunately, you’ll only have to follow a straightforward path after this point. Make your way to the large clearing at the end of the path, which should serve as a self-evident hint that you’ll find a boss battle here. You quite literally can’t miss the Holy Trumpitour once you reach this area.
Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) Holy Trumpitour, The Man in Black tips & tricks
With one look at The Man in Black, you know this guy will prioritize slow, heavy-hitting attacks. Right out the gate, its first notable move is Recoil. When he uses this, he will strike the ground behind him, causing him to leap high into the air and come crashing down on you.
That first “attack” before he flies up is a bit of a fakeout, since it won’t inflict any damage (at least I didn’t get hit from it as I attacked from the front). In short, keep laying on attacks and time your dodging around those ground pounds. It will strike three times in total while it Recoils.
Even its normal attacks tend to come in sets of three. Fortunately, its animations are so long and exaggerated that you shouldn’t have too much trouble spotting the Holy Trumpitour’s movement. Dodge accordingly and use your typical battle strategies to lay on a ton of damage.
Eventually, the Holy Trumpitour will mix the move Rocketeer in the mix. You’ve seen attacks like this before. The enemy will zoom across the arena three times, inflicting some good damage if you’re in his path. I personally had the Trumpitour so weak by this point that I just went for a kill. However, if you aren’t eight seconds from a victory or a stagger, you can try to parry this attack to stop the boss in his tracks.
If you have Titan equipped, use Titan Block for a safe and effective counter. Your usual Precision Dodge also works if you’d prefer that.
You’ll earn a Scarletite and Meteorite for your troubles
While you won’t gain any unique rewards for defeating The Man in Black, the extra items and EXP will help all the same. More challenges await you, but celebrate this victory regardless.
