[KupoTime]

So Ive just come back to FFXI recently and I see more and more DD Paladins does that mean the VIT/defense stacking paladins are extinct and they focus more on a mix of damage and defense now?

[Knight Of Apocalypse]

Everything is situational, check out the PLD/NIN thread if you endgame. PLD/WAR has its useses and "DD" Paladin can come into play in lolmerits if someone actually invites you to merits.

[KupoTime]

So based on what I read Pld/War is good pre-75 in a turtle outlook but PLD/NIN with Enmity gear/DD gear in a merit/HNM situation is practically crucial?

[Knight Of Apocalypse]

EXP 1-75 is going to be standard PLD/WAR, aspects of the party are still the same, you are main tank and voke etc for each pull.

At 75 dont expect to get meripo invites on PLD use another job or seek but get level sync parties with your mode set on merit.

75 Endgame calls for the PLD/NIN setup which basically entails building enmity with your JA and spells and keeping your shadows up. "DD" gear would be your idle set which you need to build tp for Atonement spam which also keeps hate. You shouldnt have a "DD" set in the sense that the gearset is for you to be a damage dealer because you wont ever parse what other jobs will parse, with the exception for Excalibur wielders.


Hope that helps



ninja edit; PLD/RDM is situational too like JoL etc

[Wolf~Knight]

So based on what I read Pld/War is good pre-75 in a turtle outlook but PLD/NIN with Enmity gear/DD gear in a merit/HNM situation is practically crucial?

I've done pld/war "hydrid" trying to focus on offensive w/o giving up defense completely I found to work better than "turtle" set unless you're overcamping bad. And Also from all plds I've talked I can't find why anyone would use pld/war for anything besides maybe dynamis at 75, /nin, /rdm, /drk, /blu, or /dnc I can all see some uses[blu or dnc for super tank w/Phalanx II, rdm for hate/phalanx, drk for uber hate tools, /nin for standard use].

[KupoTime]

EXP 1-75 is going to be standard PLD/WAR, aspects of the party are still the same, you are main tank and voke etc for each pull.

At 75 dont expect to get meripo invites on PLD use another job or seek but get level sync parties with your mode set on merit.

75 Endgame calls for the PLD/NIN setup which basically entails building enmity with your JA and spells and keeping your shadows up. "DD" gear would be your idle set which you need to build tp for Atonement spam which also keeps hate. You shouldnt have a "DD" set in the sense that the gearset is for you to be a damage dealer because you wont ever parse what other jobs will parse, with the exception for Excalibur wielders.


Hope that helps



ninja edit; PLD/RDM is situational too like JoL etc

That clears up a ton and will help me as I begin my career as a PLD, Thanks a ton.

[JackalTheManCat]

If dancer was out when i was leveling paladin i would have wanted to play with that in exp party

[Kobushi]

I haven't played in um.. about a year or whenever WotG was released and been hearing PLDs now DD tank in XP and def + vit = lol?

I've been thinking of returning and wanting to level a PLD to endgame but am kinda unsure about this whole DD tank deal with PLDs hmm.. should I keep a DD set and a traditional VIT/DEF set for different pt setups or just go full DD from the word go? (my PLD if I remember correctly is only Lv10)

[Prothescar]

Mix it up, use DD armour in the slots you can equip it and supplement it with defensive stats.

[Wolf~Knight]

Mix it up, use DD armour in the slots you can equip it and supplement it with defensive stats.

this, with good gear depending on camp with DD gear you can hold hate and parse 30~60% of the dmg of a real DD depending on level. buffs, and mobs. Obviously don't give up stuff like parade gorget, AF feet, or such.

[Kobushi]

So basically look for the best in-slot and if it happens to be a DD piece just stick with that otherwise go with typical tank gear? Sounds good to me!

I don't have parade gorget yet but that's at L50 anyway so I'll go rock that goblin's face a little later.

Just logged in yesterday and had to get use to the controls again LOL!! been far too long since I played ffxi... then hit up the AH to gear out my PLD only to find out that most low level players no longer xp pt!?!? they do this training manual thing and skill ep-em mobs solo instead... wow! very different to what I remember it as. My old LS buddies filled me in on changes.

Now regarding the mid-high level gear if i recall correctly most PLDs use full AF -> 75? which AF pieces or vital tank pieces should I use over DD gear at the higher levels? AF feet was mentioned, I assume body is no use once I hit 59 for Hauby?

Gear wise I'm following a DD PLD guide written on the ffxi alla forums seems pretty good so sticking with that at the moment.

[AsDraBael]

AF feet is the only piece of pld af thats really needed and only when you expect to be hit (blood tanking and while recasting shadows /nin). The rest of it is situational enmity swaps until you get better situational enmity swaps.

[FurionStormRage]

AF feet is the only piece of pld af thats really needed and only when you expect to be hit (blood tanking and while recasting shadows /nin). The rest of it is situational enmity swaps until you get better situational enmity swaps.

Or you could be extremely anal like me and use the AF head in a Cover macro (Yeah I know, I think I've used Cover twice this year but I still have it macroed in) and the legs aren't a bad SS piece for PLD/RDM. (I think Jets might outperform them in some situations but you'd have to ask someone who knows more about Enhancing Magic/MND than I do).

I tossed my hands and body, but I still keep the head and HQ Feet on me at all times, and use legs for SS.

[wigglestyx]

...legs aren't a bad SS piece for PLD/RDM. (I think Jets might outperform them in some situations but you'd have to ask someone who knows more about Enhancing Magic/MND than I do)....

If I remember right, if you're comparing equal parts, mnd will be better.

[Wolf~Knight]

Or you could be extremely anal like me and use the AF head in a Cover macro (Yeah I know, I think I've used Cover twice this year but I still have it macroed in) and the legs aren't a bad SS piece for PLD/RDM. (I think Jets might outperform them in some situations but you'd have to ask someone who knows more about Enhancing Magic/MND than I do).

I tossed my hands and body, but I still keep the head and HQ Feet on me at all times, and use legs for SS.

legs could also move you up a phalanx tier I think since it's like every 10 skill or something.

[FurionStormRage]

legs could also move you up a phalanx tier I think since it's like every 10 skill or something.

Yeah I have them macroed into Phalanx, and totally forgot, thank you for mentioning it. The older I get, the worse my memory is.

[Jacker]

Phalanx: (Enhancing Skill/10) - 2 = Damage Absorbed.

Stoneskin: Given pld enhancing capped at 210, the formula is 3 x ((Enhancing skill/3) + MND) - 190. Damage absorbed is capped at 350. Stone Gorget and Stone Mufflers add 30 more absorbed HP each resulting in a maximum cap of 410hp.

Gear for what you have weaknesses in, be in MND or Skill for your buffs.

And I do kinda miss the old turtle days, but that's what level sync and dynamis is for anyway!

[Kaparu]

There's no reason to 'turtle' under level sync, and in most Dynamis zones, you're infinitely better off acting as a DD or coming as another job.

[Jacker]

meh, I like to help the ls with tanking in dynamis, especially on mnk mobs, or covering dd's for mp return on valor.

dynamis tanking is mostly mob choosing anyway, so long as you fulfill that role everything else you do is merely for your own enjoyment.

[Kaparu]

meh, I like to help the ls with tanking in dynamis, especially on mnk mobs, or covering dd's for mp return on valor.

dynamis tanking is mostly mob choosing anyway, so long as you fulfill that role everything else you do is merely for your own enjoyment.

Exactly, which is why any warrior, dark knight, monk, samurai, or what have you could do so, without you attempting to perform an unnecessary role.