I'll bite. 
10. Wanderer's Palace, Hard Mode: Despite the fact that some of the fights get overly long, this dungeon has great music, and you get to save tonberries. Those alone put it on this list.
9. Steps of Faith: I realize people are going to think I'm insane for this, but I like Steps of Faith. I liked it before the nerfs. It's an instance that's deceptive in its simplicity; people tend to overcomplicate it or lose their heads when they see that giant dragon and all those adds. If you can get the group to think through the fight, though, it's a fun, dramatic battle -- especially with the music changes. Also, I'm Annie Oakley with a cannon.
8. Syrcus Tower: ST has a nasty reputation for trolls these days, but the fights are relatively interesting from a mechanics standpoint, and the cliffhanger cutscene at the end left me wanting more. Plus, retelling the story of III in the XIV universe was something I personally found rather interesting.
7. The Navel, Hard Mode: Like Steps of Faith, many people probably think I'm crazy for liking Titan HM, but a multi-phase boss fight with different music for each phase, lots of moving, and a pitched DPS check in the middle (well, less so nowadays, but still )? What's not to like, other than trying to clear it with a PUG?
6. Sunken Temple of Qarn, Normal Mode: This dungeon's got some fun mechanics, a reasonably challenging set of fights if you're at level for them, and you're exploring an ancient ruin with traps and death bees. It's just an all-around good time.
5. Binding Coil of Bahamut, Turn 5: Twintania is hard. She remains hard even now, just before the expansion, between divebombs and twisters. Sure, T5 doesn't have a lot of story, but you feel like you've accomplished something when you take her down.
4. Praetorium: What more can you say about raiding a Garlean castrum, riding a magitek reaper, and then surviving Ultima? Sure, the last boss is rather anti-climactic, but the dungeon is a fitting, dramatic end to the release storyline. I do wish the fights were harder or some item level sync were employed, though.
3. Snowcloak: Snowcloak's music reminds me a lot of Secret of Mana, so that's an automatic big plus in my book. It ties nicely into the overall story and the boss fights have fun mechanics ("you done brought a voidsent to a snowball fight"). Also, I enjoy healing the Fenrir fight as a Black Mage.
2. Tam-Tara Deepcroft, Hard Mode: This is one creepy dungeon. The ambiance is excellent, from the eerie music to the trapped coffins, from the disturbing notes to the final cutscenes. I'd rank it higher but, honestly, I feel the boss fights are lackluster.
1. Sunken Temple of Qarn, Hard Mode: This is my favorite dungeon in XIV -- for now. It sounds like it was scored by Danny Elfman, its boss fights are somewhat tricky tests of DPS awareness, and you're raiding an ancient tomb. It's like Indiana Jones and the Eorzean Crusade, and I just adore that.
10. Wanderer's Palace, Hard Mode: Despite the fact that some of the fights get overly long, this dungeon has great music, and you get to save tonberries. Those alone put it on this list.
9. Steps of Faith: I realize people are going to think I'm insane for this, but I like Steps of Faith. I liked it before the nerfs. It's an instance that's deceptive in its simplicity; people tend to overcomplicate it or lose their heads when they see that giant dragon and all those adds. If you can get the group to think through the fight, though, it's a fun, dramatic battle -- especially with the music changes. Also, I'm Annie Oakley with a cannon.
8. Syrcus Tower: ST has a nasty reputation for trolls these days, but the fights are relatively interesting from a mechanics standpoint, and the cliffhanger cutscene at the end left me wanting more. Plus, retelling the story of III in the XIV universe was something I personally found rather interesting.
7. The Navel, Hard Mode: Like Steps of Faith, many people probably think I'm crazy for liking Titan HM, but a multi-phase boss fight with different music for each phase, lots of moving, and a pitched DPS check in the middle (well, less so nowadays, but still
)? What's not to like, other than trying to clear it with a PUG?6. Sunken Temple of Qarn, Normal Mode: This dungeon's got some fun mechanics, a reasonably challenging set of fights if you're at level for them, and you're exploring an ancient ruin with traps and death bees. It's just an all-around good time.
5. Binding Coil of Bahamut, Turn 5: Twintania is hard. She remains hard even now, just before the expansion, between divebombs and twisters. Sure, T5 doesn't have a lot of story, but you feel like you've accomplished something when you take her down.
4. Praetorium: What more can you say about raiding a Garlean castrum, riding a magitek reaper, and then surviving Ultima? Sure, the last boss is rather anti-climactic, but the dungeon is a fitting, dramatic end to the release storyline. I do wish the fights were harder or some item level sync were employed, though.
3. Snowcloak: Snowcloak's music reminds me a lot of Secret of Mana, so that's an automatic big plus in my book. It ties nicely into the overall story and the boss fights have fun mechanics ("you done brought a voidsent to a snowball fight"). Also, I enjoy healing the Fenrir fight as a Black Mage.
2. Tam-Tara Deepcroft, Hard Mode: This is one creepy dungeon. The ambiance is excellent, from the eerie music to the trapped coffins, from the disturbing notes to the final cutscenes. I'd rank it higher but, honestly, I feel the boss fights are lackluster.
1. Sunken Temple of Qarn, Hard Mode: This is my favorite dungeon in XIV -- for now. It sounds like it was scored by Danny Elfman, its boss fights are somewhat tricky tests of DPS awareness, and you're raiding an ancient tomb. It's like Indiana Jones and the Eorzean Crusade, and I just adore that.
The Freelance Wizard
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
