Ways to tank without provoke? (lvl 1-10)

[Voyager]

I'm just wondering if anyone knows of good way to hold hate when you don't have Provoke avaliable.

With the distinct shortage of mages, I've been making a point of tanking for them from lvl 5-10 (War), but I don't know of any good way to tank there for when I go back to lvl Paladin, and other melee jobs later.

Any ideas?

Harry Voyager

[AtraposBLM]

Solo.

[METDeath]

yeah, just solo to 10, easy as crap with /whm till you get cure, then /blm for more mp, hit 10, go /war and pt

[Voyager]

Yes, I understand that from lvl 1-10 I can solo faster than I could with a party, however, the problem is most mages can't. By lvl 6 most of them are only able to gain 15-20 exp a fight. The frustration is enough that a noticable number of them end up quitting, or changing to different jobs before the break lvl 10 and start getting into real exp parties.

That is actually a very significant problem. The fewer red and white mages that make it past the lower levels, the fewer red and white mages avaliable at higher levels. I think everyone who has played a melee character, of any sort, has felt the lack of white mages in the game. White mages have become the primary limiting factor in late game. It is primarily because there are so few White mages avaliable in the game that most melee characters can spend hours waitig to find a party. Because most melee characters can wait so long for parties at higher lvls, a significant number of people end up quiting. This cuts down the number of higher level players in the game, which in turn cuts down the incentive to Square to add in high level content, etc. etc. etc.

In short, the difficulty that Red and White Mages have getting past lvl 10, has significant and far reaching impact on the game. Thus there are real benefits to putting out an effort to reducing that difficulty.

That, and from the purely selfish standpoint, it really helps to have a dozen or so White Mages on your friends list by the time you hit lvl 10. In Quiffim, or even the Valkrum Dunes, the competition for White Mages is fierce. Being a known tank, and being a known *good* tank, will get you quite far.

Harry Voyager

[Tulen]

Yes, I understand that from lvl 1-10 I can solo faster than I could with a party, however, the problem is most mages can't. By lvl 6 most of them are only able to gain 15-20 exp a fight. The frustration is enough that a noticable number of them end up quitting, or changing to different jobs before the break lvl 10 and start getting into real exp parties. My first job was a RDM and I had no problem soloing those levels without a subjob. I wasn't fighting easy prey either, mostly 50-100 xp per kill. Had no prob with my BLM either. Haven't really played WHM much yet, but I could see them having problems solo. If they team with a war should go faster for both of em.
White mages have become the primary limiting factor in late game. It is primarily because there are so few White mages avaliable in the game that most melee characters can spend hours waitig to find a party. I've had white mages in less than a half or third of my partys lately and it hasn't been a problem. It is nice to have em around for raise II and ports, but they haven't really been required.

[greysenn]

I guess level another character to 5 for warrior if thats the case. It shouldn't take all that long, and it's not like you can't sell the goods you make for some cash.

[LordBiGGs]

my suggestion is you stop worrying about the mages. they'll be ok on their own. just solo til lvl 10.

redmages should do fine on their own and rdm's not whm's are the limiting factor in parties at higher lvl's. lately i've been getting invited into parties or making parties and we'll be sitting there like..."ok pld, whm, drk, mnk, blm....theres a whm seeking...but then we wont have dispel or refresh...no rdm's.....still no rdm's...rdm in windurst, but he's not seeking...WHO CARES NAB HIM!"

i dont really think its that hard to find healers or that there is any shortage. whm's or rdm's work fine for that. but against ants, beetles and crabs (which is what i'm fighting at this point) you need dispel badly. also rdm's have refresh and can use the same curing spells as a whm. plus convert to decrease downtime. the fact is no rdm means more downtime and longer lasting battles, and after lvl 41, they become the key member of a party (along with the tank) not the whm's. 2 rdm's gooood, 2 whm's...please please someone dispel this stupid crab

[raexn]

One word for those whm's having trouble lvling.

'Hammer'

[Erasmus]

Even if you can kill stuff for 50-100 exp its best to stick with easys. You do actually get more xp per hour solo on them ( at least between 5-10), you get 3-4x more $$$, and it feels good to plow thru enemys :) Some jobs are the exception to this... monk is one of em. I initially lvled blm. Was a pain to lvl. Then i got a high dmg staff and started wailing on easies. Got to 10 in no time.

[navpops]

I found it easier to Solo for my Mage then it was for my Warrior with Food.

[Rhayn]

I found soloing whm to level 10 was fairly painless actually. One has to take into consideration the fact that I'm Elvaan (higher STR, MND, VIT, and HP), I was using a hammer and shield (with shield maxed from main jobs), I was eating meat mithkabobs, and I was subbing paladin. Had I been willing to spend more gil, I could have brought drinks along for MP and HP regen. ;)

I could see how soloing WHM without a subjob or gil to spend on food would be very difficult though.

Tanking as a pld under level 10 would be tough. I guess the best way would be to make sure that you are puller for the bit of bonus hate, perhaps use some mithkabobs for better damage, and if you're really serious about this buy drinks so you can do a good deal more casting.

Short of this, I'd just convince a warrior to join you and the mage.
At least this way you can help two upcoming players and not worry too much about tanking without provoke. ^^;

[Ungerpurr]

I'd think whm sub wouldn't be half-bad, Dia at level 1, Paralyze at level 8 add at least a bit more aggro.