An FM is a powerful, coordinated group attack. FMs can be triggered by certain classes, most often Burglars or Guardians, but many times they occur by random chance. When an FM starts, a "wheel" with four colors pops up on your screen. To participate in the FM, you click a color on the wheel.
But simply clicking a color at random won't help your group: the color and order of each group member's contribution affects the outcome of the attack. There are a limited number of valid patterns, each of which can do extra damage to enemies, restore morale or power to group members, clear debuffs - even summon temporary allies. No single FM does all of this, however, so your group leader may ask the group to perform specific FMs depending on what your group needs most.
It's essential to get your contribution right: failing to contribute, or just tossing a random color will often cause the FM to fail completely.
The FM User Interface
The user interface for FMs can be confusing, and it doesn’t help that you usually see it for just a few seconds during combat. Here’s a quick tour so you know what to expect:| Change Target |  | The change target button appears when an FM has started on a mob that isn’t your current target. Click it to target the correct mob, and get the Wheel. |
|---|---|---|
| The Wheel |  | The FM “Wheel” pops up on your screen when an FM is triggered. Click a color on the wheel to make your contribution. |
| The Wheel: Out of Range |  | Each color has a different maximum distance to the mob, and this varies depending on your class. If you are too far away for certain colors, you’ll be unable to click those in the wheel. |
| The Wheel: After You Click |  | After you’ve contributed your color to the FM, the wheel greys out. Want to change your contribution? Jump or move to cancel your color and get the clickable wheel back. |
| Preset Pattern |  The pattern pops up briefly when the fellowship leader chooses it. Unfortunately it looks a lot like an FM just started, except that you won’t have a Wheel or Change Target button. | |
| FM Attempt |  When you are in combat and an FM starts, the pattern pops up again. Try to contribute a color that matches the pattern. Your contribution will have a yellow arc beneath it. | |
| FM Immune |  After successfully executing an FM on a mob, it will be immune to another FM for one minute and you'll see a "red shield" buff icon on the mob. The mob also gains stun immunity for a short time, shown by the "fuzzy pink bullseye" buff icon. | |
Your Contribution to the FM
The right FM at the right time can greatly speed up an instance run, and even prevent a wipe. It will take some practice to become skilled at executing FMs, but your groups will be happy you did.Here are some tips:
- Need to cancel or change your color? Just move or jump to cancel. If you are quick you'll be able to add another color at the end of the FM.
- Waiting for someone else to contribute their color first? You can start to click the color, but hold down the mouse button. Release the mouse button to when it's time to add your color.
If you prefer to use the keyboard, key mappings (Options > Key Mappings) can make adding your color at the right time much easier. I like to map colors to my arrow keys.
- You can also control where the FM user interface appears on your screen. Press ctrl-\ to enter layout mode, and position the "Fellowship Manoeuvre Attempt Display" and "Fellowship Manoeuvre Display" elements as desired.
Popular FMs
Pure of Heart (GGGBB), which restores health and power to the fellowship, is a very popular FM. Noble Blood (BBBGG) produces a similar effect, with an emphasis on power. Noble Lineage (GGBB or BBGG) has a similar, smaller effect but it can be executed by just four group members.Some groups prefer the "Red Kicker", where everyone clicks the red icon except the last person (the kicker), usually the healer. The kicker chooses the last color based on what the fellowship needs most.
- Break the Door (5 reds + yellow) is a powerful area of effect attack.
- Roll of Drum (5 reds + green) gives the group a large heal over time (HoT) and cures fear and wound debuffs.
- Hew the Stone (5 reds + blue) gives the group power and summons an oathbreaker to protect the kicker for a few minutes.
Another great approach is "Around the Wheel". Following the wheel around in either direction for at least 3 colors will always produce an FM - often an exceptionally good one - no matter which color you start with.
There are many more FM patterns. Please see the links at the end of this article for listings.
Other things to know about FMs
- You must face the target to contribute to an FM
- FMs only work in groups; you’ll never see one while soloing
- You must be level 12 or higher to participate in an FM
- After successfully executing an FM on a mob, it will be immune to another FM for one minute
- Mobs that have recently been stunned are immune to FMs
14 comments:
FMs only happen on Signature or higher difficulty monsters.
You can only perform an FM on a monster every minute. FM immunity is shown as a red shield buff on the monster.
FM's do not only happen on Sig++ mobs, can happen on any mob so long as your 12+ and in a fellowship.
Very useful.
great guide, as always. can i just suggest that this line:
"Need to cancel or change your color? Just move or jump to cancel. If you are quick you'll be able to add another color at the end of the FM."
be put in bold, and maybe in larger font? i meet ppl who have been playing this game for a long, long time who don't know this.
Seanas, I laughed when I read your post. I've met some of those people too. I've bolded that sentence -- great suggestion!
@Robert - you are wrong about the signature requirement, FMs trigger randomly even on normals these days (if you are in a group). The tip about the two immunity buff icons on the mob is a really good one - thanks. I'll see if I can get a screenshot of these to add to the user interface tour in the article.
The FM immunity lasts longer than the stun immunity. The reason this matters is this: if you trigger an FM on a mob that no longer has the stun immunity but DOES have the FM immunity, the stun component will still affect it and that can be extremely useful since it will interrupt the mob and stop its damage for a few seconds. Burglars, with multiple ways to trigger FMs, can make this especially useful.
If you are in a fellowship, but essentially solo'ing on your own, you can trigger the fellowship maneuver still. Of course, you won't be able to contribute and complete it, but it is a nice stun!
As for FMs being random, I tend to agree. However, some skills, at least from what I noticed with my champ, may have a higher chance of triggering them. "Swift Strike" is one of those skills I believe. This could just be my imagination though.
May want to mention in detail how the fellowship leader sets a desired fellowship maneuver.
Good article!
Perhaps an illustration of how 'Around the wheel' works. I find myself explaining it to a lot of players (vets included!).
This is a great guide for new players! You guys really have some great content here!
Very in depth, nicely done!
There's also this interactive Flash fellowship maneuver game-thingy where you can actually practice doing fellowship maneuvers: http://navsplace.net/cj/
Cool idea for a tool, Cithryth. I sent you a feedback on it, but bottom line I think the the extreme animation of the menus hurts the usability of your tool quite a lot.
How does one start an FM?
FMs can start randomly when a group member gets a crit attack on a mob.
Certain classes have a chance to start an FM with a skill: Burglars have the best skills for starting FMs, and Guardians are pretty good at it at higher levels. Situationally other classes can enable FM starter skills, although sometimes at the cost of their preferred grouping build. A couple Lore-master pets have FM starter skills, and Captains have a small chance to start an FM with Kick (at higher levels) using a buffing class trait build.
I have noticed that if you assign someone a specific color early on and they aren't getting in on FMs, change it up. I am usually the first to get as Captains have low inductions and short attack durations. If you Roll the Drum or Break the Door, they get off at a higher rate due to the fact that there is less thinking involved.
There is no substitute for actually performing FMs by grouping. A lot of times people miss out due paying too close attention to their skills. I like keyboard macros (Logitech G11) for this reason. It lets me push a button and get off a mark and 7 attacks (or simply 7 attacks if target is already marked). This lets you do the things you do over and over again. Plus it allows you to look more at the middle of your screen and not your skills at the bottom. Macros also allow you to Purge Poison, Muster Courage, or get In Harms Way/Last Stand easier.
I hope this helps. It allows me to get in on just about every FM initiated.
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