[Armando]

Since our stickies are so old, and the game has changed so much as of late, I figured it'd be a good idea to make an up-to-date equipment guide. Just remember: guides are just that - guidelines. This is by no means perfect, or set in stone.

Recommended gear (i.e. gear I would wear) is marked with an asterisk (*); equipment for offensive/hybrid/semi-DD tanking is colored red. Equipment that's just for temporary MP boosts are colored blue, and aren't meant to be worn full-time.

Swords

Lv.10-20
[Lv.09] Spatha ...................... | DMG:11 ~ Delay:240 ~ DMG/sec: 2.75 |
[Lv.09] * Spatha +1 ................ | DMG:12 ~ Delay:233 ~ DMG/sec: 3.09 |
[Lv.11] Bee Spatha ............... | DMG:13 ~ Delay:233 ~ DMG/sec: 3.35 |
[Lv.11] * Bee Spatha +1 .......... | DMG:14 ~ Delay:227 ~ DMG/sec: 3.70 | Acc+2
[Lv.18] Fire Sword ................ | DMG:15 ~ Delay:225 ~ DMG/sec: 4.00 | Add'l Effect: Fire damage
[Lv.18] * Flame Sword ............. | DMG:16 ~ Delay:218 ~ DMG/sec: 4.40 | Add'l Effect: Fire damage
[Lv.18] Longsword ................ | DMG:16 ~ Delay:240 ~ DMG/sec: 4.00 |
[Lv.18] * Longsword +1 ........... | DMG:17 ~ Delay:233 ~ DMG/sec: 4.38 |
[Lv.19] Auriga Xiphos (R/E) ... | DMG:17 ~ Delay:224 ~ DMG/sec: 4.55 | Acc+2

If you can't afford HQ swords, the NQs will be fine. There's not much of a difference between Flame Sword and Longsword +1 since the additional effect hardly ever procs on, and when it does, it hardly does damage. While Auriga Xiphos is good, it's not marked because it's an Ex NM drop. Personally, I don't think it's worth the time it takes to get one, but if you want to camp it, or already have it, more power to you.

Lv.21-30
[Lv.25] * Degen ....................... | DMG:14 ~ Delay:224 ~ DMG/sec: 3.75 | Piercing damage
[Lv.25] Degen +1 .................. | DMG:15 ~ Delay:218 ~ DMG/sec: 4.13 | Piercing damage
[Lv.27] Gladius ...................... | DMG:17 ~ Delay:228 ~ DMG/sec: 4.47 |
[Lv.27] * Gladiator ................... | DMG:18 ~ Delay:222 ~ DMG/sec: 4.86 |
[Lv.30] * Centurion's Sword ...... | DMG:19 ~ Delay:225 ~ DMG/sec: 5.07 | Acc+3; Atk+3

Ok, so Degen is actually a Lv.20 sword. I listed it as Lv.25 because it's only useful in the jungles (i.e. Yuhtunga Jungle and Yhoator Jungle) against Mandragoras, since you'll get a 25% piercing damage bonus on your normal hits (WS will still do slashing damage.) The HQ isn't marked because it's relatively rare and very costly for a weapon you're going to get rid of quick. Gladius is hardly an improvement over Flame Sword/Longsword +1, so you can skip it (but Gladiator is good if you fight non-Mandragora mobs.) Centurion's Sword is a no-brainer.

Lv.31-40
[Lv.34] * Republic Sword .......... | DMG:21 ~ Delay:213 ~ DMG/sec: 5.92 | Acc+3; Atk+4; MP+6; Outside of Nation: HP+6
[Lv.34] * Hunting Sword ........... | DMG:27 ~ Delay:264 ~ DMG/sec: 6.14 |
[Lv.34] War Sword ................ | DMG:28 ~ Delay:257 ~ DMG/sec: 6.54 |
[Lv.39] * Grudge Sword ........... | DMG:26 ~ Delay:240 ~ DMG/sec: 6.50 | Enmity+1

War Sword is fantastic, and it looks really bad-ass, but it's somewhat uncommon on the AH, and pretty expensive. If you can't find or afford it, go for a Republic or Hunting Sword. They're both pretty close, so if you're Elvaan or Galka, feel free to pick Republic Sword for the extra MP. On the other hand, Hunting Sword is cheaper and looks cooler. Take your pick.

Lv.41-50
[Lv.42] * Honor Sword (R/E) ..... | DMG:28 ~ Delay:240 ~ DMG/sec: 7.00 | VIT+2; MND+2
[Lv.47] Knight's Sword ........... | DMG:31 ~ Delay:240 ~ DMG/sec: 7.75 |
[Lv.47] * Knight's Sword +1 ...... | DMG:32 ~ Delay:233 ~ DMG/sec: 8.24 |
[Lv.50] * Tct.Mag.Espadon ........ | DMG:38 ~ Delay:257 ~ DMG/sec: 8.87 | Atk+12

Although Grudge Sword is good, I'd prefer the extra damage that Honor Sword has over the Enmity+1. Both Knight's Swords are suitable upgrades to Honor Sword; obviously get the HQ if you can. Tactician Magician's Espadon is absolute ownage, and if you don't have one the second you hit 50, I'll hunt you down and brick you in the face.

Lv.51-60
[Lv.51] * Dark Staff | hMP+10 (That's the only thing that matters about it.)
[Lv.52] Tct.Mag.Espadon +1 ... | DMG:38 ~ Delay:249 ~ DMG/sec: 9.16 | Atk+12; *Outside of Nation:* MP+18
[Lv.52] * Tct.Mag.Espadon +2 ... | DMG:39 ~ Delay:241 ~ DMG/sec: 9.71 | Atk+12; *Outside of Nation:* MP+20

Tactician Magician's Espadon +2 obsoletes pretty much every weapon in the 51-60 range, and it's not terribly expensive. Get it. Also, Dark Staff is insanely useful, you definitely want one too.

Shields

Shields are divided into numbered sizes, from 1 through 4. Size 1 shields are bucklers, targes, aspii, and shell shields. Size 2 shields are large, round, flat shields. Size 3 shields are kite shields and ornate shields. Size 4 shields are tower shields. The size of a shield determines both how often you block with it, and by how much damage is reduced on a successful block. Size 3 shields are by far the best for reducing damage; Size 1 are by far the worst. Since the first Size 3 shield comes at Lv.28, from 10-27, Size 2 shields are the next best thing.

Shields such as Lantern Shield, Balance Buckler, Strike Shield, etc. are omitted because they shouldn't be used for tanking due to their lower damage reduction.

[Lv.08] * Maple Shield (+1) | Size: 2 ~ Def: 2 (3)
[Lv.13] * Elm Shield (+1) | Size: 2 ~ Def: 3 (4)
[Lv.14] Fish Scale Shield | Size: 2 ~ Def: 3 | Fire Resist+2; Ice Resist+2; Lightning Resist-2
[Lv.17] Tropical Shield | Size: 2 ~ Def: 3 | Wind Resist +3; Earth Resist+3
[Lv.20] * Mahogany Shield (+1) | Size: 2 ~ Def: 4 (5)
[Lv.28] * Kite Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 8
[Lv.38] * Jennet Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 10 | VIT+1
[Lv.43] * Heater Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 12
[Lv.50] * R.K. Army Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 14 | STR+2; MND+1
[Lv.50] T.K. Army Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 14 | STR+1; MND+2
[Lv.50] Sentinel Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 10 | STR+3; Haste+1%
[Lv.52] * R.K. Army Shield +1 | Size: 3 ~ Def: 15 | STR+2; MND+1; *Outside of Nation:* STR+3
[Lv.52] T.K. Army Shield +1 | Size: 3 ~ Def: 15 | STR+1; MND+2; Outside of Nation: VIT+3
[Lv.55] Royal Guard's Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 15 | MND+3; CHR+3; Dark Resist+12
[Lv.58] Wivre Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 13 | Enmity+5
[Lv.60] * Iron Ram Shield | Size: 3 ~ Def: 15 | STR+3; VIT+3; Atk+3; Eva+3

Though I marked R.K. Army Shield, T.K. Army Shield is practically the same thing. You can use it if you like its design better. Sentinel Shield is good but you need Lance Coroporal mercenary rank and 8000 IS to get one. Wivre Shield is fantastic but rare and very expensive. Iron Ram Shield is great and cheap, though. No excuse for not getting it.

Ranged & Ammo

[Lv.01] Happy Egg (R/E) | HP+1%; VIT+1
[Lv.01] Fortune Egg (R/E) | MP+1%; VIT+1
[Lv.01] Orphic Egg (R/E) | Singing Skill+1; Latent Effect: Acc+1, Atk+1, Eva+1
[Lv.25] Morion Tathlum | MP+3; INT+1
[Lv.30] RSE Sachet | Depends on Race and Gender
[Lv.55] * Lightning Bow +1 | DEX+3; Lightning Resist+7; R.Acc+3
[Lv.58] Tiphia Sting | HP-25; Acc+2; Atk+2; Eva-4
[Lv.60] * Bibiki Seashell | VIT+4; Water Resist+3; Aquan Killer

The eggs are from holiday events, but it's no big deal if you don't have them. Morion Tathlum and the RSE satchets are mentioned for lack of better options.

Lightning Bow+1 is the poor man's Tiphia Sting. On the other hand, while Tiphia Sting has good stats for a gear slot that generally offers next to nothing, for its price, it's one of the last DD pieces you should buy. Bibiki Seashell is a no-brainer though. It's free, and the quest isn't hard, so there's no excuse not to have one.

Head

[Lv.10] Faceguard | Def: 5
[Lv.10] * Royal Footman's Bandana | Def: 5; AGI+1
[Lv.10] Legionnaire's Cap | Def: 5; INT+1
[Lv.16] * Bone Mask | Def: 7
[Lv.17] * Lizard Helm | Def: 7
[Lv.21] * Beetle Mask | Def: 9
[Lv.24] Empress/Emperor Hairpin | Def: 0; HP-15; DEX+3; AGI+3; Evasion+10
[Lv.24] * Iron Mask | Def: 11
[Lv.29] * Eisenschaller | Def: 13; AGI+1
[Lv.40] * Iron Musketeer's Armet | Def: 17; VIT+2
[Lv.43] * Valkyrie's Mask | Def: 16; MP+10; Atk+7
[Lv.50] Rival Ribbon | Def: 15; MP+16; Enmity+2
[Lv.56] * Gallant Coronet | Def: 24; HP+12; MND+3; Enmity+2; Enhances Cover

I highly recommend Valkyrie's Mask, you sacrifice very little and gain a whole lot. For DD tanking, you could even use it over Gallant Coronet if you're not getting walloped too hard. If not, it's still good for Vorpal and Swift Blade. Gallant Coronet is still useful for swapping into Cover, and/or for JAs and Flash as well.

Neck

[Lv.07] * Justice Badge | Def: 1; MND+3
[Lv.14] Van Pendant | Def: 3; Enemy crit rate -1%
[Lv.21] * Spike Necklace | Def: 0; STR+3; DEX+3; MND-6
[Lv.24] * Tiger Stole | Def: 2; Atk+5
[Lv.26] Holy Phial | Def: 2; MP+9; MND+3
[Lv.50] * Parade Gorget | Def: 5; MP+10; Latent Effect: Refresh (1 MP/tick)
[Lv.55] * Royal Guard's Collar | Def: 6; Acc+4; Atk+4

Justice Badge is cheap and questable, and even worth hanging on to later for swapping into Cure spells (1 MND = 1 HP 'til you hit the soft cap.) It's especially useful if you choose Spike Necklace over Tiger Stole; you don't want -6 MND gimping your uncapped cures, so might as well macro in Justice Badge since you'd be removing Spike Necklace anyways. You can also macro it in for Seraph Blade. Speaking of Spike Necklace vs Tiger Stole, either one is fine.

Van Pendant is there for lack of options, but you can skip it. Holy Phial is ok if you really need an extra 9 MP in your gear swaps. Don't wear full-time. Parade Gorget is a must-have item. Use it for soloing and in between fights. Don't wear it full-time either, though.

R.G. Collar is cheaper than Chivalrous Chain and does pretty much the same thing 5 levels sooner. Chivalrous Chain is only worth mentioning if you happen to own a Rajas Ring too, and that extra point of Store TP gets you to 100 TP in one hit less.

Earrings

[Lv.10] * Energy Earring | Def: 0; MP+3; Dark Resist+3
[Lv.16] * Bone Earring (+1) | Def: 0; Atk+1(2); Eva-1
[Lv.21] * Beetle Earring (+1) | Def: 0; Atk+2(3); Eva-2
[Lv.30] Mercenary's Earring | Def: 0; Latent Effect: VIT+2 when sub job = /WAR
[Lv.35] Buckler Earring | Def: 0; Shield Skill+3
[Lv.42] Curaga Earring | Enchantment: Curaga <50/50 | Equip: 0:30 | Recast: 0:20>
[Lv.47] Moldavite Earring | FOR TEH HOLY!!1 Just kidding.
[Lv.50] Insomnia Earring | Def: 0; HP+15; MP+15; Enhances Resist Sleep
[Lv.50] Antivenom Earring | Def: 0; MP+15; hMP+1; Enhances Resist Poison
[Lv.54] * Hospitaler Earring | Def: 3; Cure Potency +5%
[Lv.55] * Fang (Spike) Earring | Def: 0; Atk+4(5); Eva-4(5)
[Lv.58] * Assault Earring | Def: -3; Acc+2; Atk+5; Eva-2

Mercenary's Earring is just there 'cuz if I don't put it, someone'll either mention it or ask about it eventually. It's a waste of money compared to Attack earrings. Buckler Earring...eh, well, on paper it's good, but the truth of the matter is no one knows how much of an impact such a small amount of Shield Skill will actually have, or if it even makes a difference vs EXP mobs in the first place. And it's pretty damned expensive. That's gil better spent on Woodsman Rings and Haubergeon.

Curaga Earring is only handy if you fight mobs with AoE damage, which isn't very likely. Still, it's pretty unique, so I mentioned it; it could come in handy for certain missions or BCNMs. The benefits of Hospitaler's Earring are obvious, but don't wear it full time.

Body

[Lv.10] Legionnaire's Harness | Def: 10; Fire Resist+5
[Lv.10] Royal Footman's Vest | Def: 10; Ice Resist+5
[Lv.10] * Scale Mail | Def: 11
[Lv.16] * Bone Harness | Def: 14
[Lv.17] * Lizard Jerkin | Def: 15
[Lv.21] * Beetle Harness | Def: 17
[Lv.24] * Chainmail (Bannaret Mail) | Def: 21; (Enchantment: HP+15, Enmity+2)
[Lv.29] * Eisenbrust | Def: 24; AGI+2
[Lv.36] * Silver Mail | Def: 28
[Lv.37] * Iron Scale Mail | Def: 28
[Lv.40] Breastplate | Def: 32
[Lv.40] * Royal Squire's Chainmail | Def: 31; DEX+1
[Lv.42] Earth Doublet | Def: 27; VIT+4; Earth Resist+5
[Lv.43] * Ryl.Sqr's. Chainmail +1 | Def: 32; DEX+1; In nation: Atk+6, R.Atk+6
[Lv.45] * Iron Ram Chainmail: | Def: 32; DEX+2; Set: Atk+1 and Acc+1 per piece
[Lv.45] Brigandine | Def: 32; HP+10; VIT+2; DEX+2
[Lv.46] Banded/Steel Scale Mail | Def: 36
[Lv.49] Mythril Breastplate | Def: 39
[Lv.50] * Iron Musketeer's Cuirass | Def: 40; VIT+1
[Lv.50] Parade Cuirass | Def: 38; HP+28; Enmity+2
[Lv.55] * Jaridah Peti | Def: 42; HP-25; Acc+5; Atk+5
[Lv.59] * Haubergeon | Def: 45; STR+5; DEX+5; AGI-5; Acc+10; Atk+10; Eva-20
[Lv.60] Gallant Surcoat | Def: 47(+2); HP+20; Divine Magic Skill+5; Enmity+2

Not much variety in the way of stats before the 50's, so you mostly end up going for Defense, though in many cases it's more than ok to sacrifice a trival 1-2 Defense if you can get some other useful stat (e.g. Iron Ram Chainmail vs Steel Scale Mail.)

Breastplate and Royal Squire's Chainmail are pretty much the same thing, get whichever. Same with Mythril vs Iron Musketeer's. Parade Cuirass is a bitch to get and Jaridah is better at 55. If you have it, great, otherwise, you can skip it.

Jaridah Peti will totally ruin your look, but the stats are too good to pass up. Grit your teeth and bear it. And yes, it IS in your best interests to get a Haubergeon ASAP. It may be expensive, but it's not THAT hard to raise the money (BCNMs got me the gil I needed for all my DD gear) and hardly anything compares with its stats. Once you have a Haub, there's not much reason to use Gallant Surcoat beyond the extra Enmity for JAs and Flash (and the extra Divine Magic Skill will help your Flash not get resisted, too.)

Hands

[Lv.10] * Royal Footman's Gloves | Def: 3; Atk+3
[Lv.10] * Legionnaire's Mittens | Def: 3; Atk+3
[Lv.14] * Battle Gloves | Def: 4; Acc+3; Eva+3
[Lv.15] San d'Orian (Kingdom) Gloves | Def: 4(5); Atk+3
[Lv.15] Bastokan (Republic) Gloves | Def: 4(5); Atk+3
[Lv.24] Chain Mittens | Def: 7
[Lv.29] * Eisenhentzes (Kampfhentzes) | Def: 9(10); VIT+1(2)
[Lv.34] Windurstian Gloves | Def: 7; AGI+1; In nation: Atk+5, R.Atk+5
[Lv.40] * Combat Caster's Mitts | Def: 8; Atk+5
[Lv.40] Iron Musketeer's Gauntlets | Def: 12; R.Acc+5
[Lv.45] * Iron Ram Mufflers | Def: 9; Acc+3; Set: Atk+1 and Acc+1 per piece
[Lv.50] Royal Knight's Mufflers | Def: 13; Acc+3
[Lv.54] Gallant Gauntlets | Def: 16; HP+11; DEX+3; Enmity+2; Light Resist+10
[Lv.55] * Fourth Division Gauntlets | Def: 13; Acc+5; Set: Increases HP

Ryl.Ftm. Gloves and Legionnaire's Mitts are the same thing, get whichever. Between those and Battle Gloves, it's pretty close. Battle Gloves probably wins by a slight margin. Pretty ugly though. Windurstian Gloves are situational but they're very nice when they work, and C.C. Mitts are always nice.

Gallant Gauntlets will serve you well for a full level, but after that, you're better off using Fourth Division Gauntlets. Same as Gallant Surcoat and any other AF piece with enmity, though, you can still swap it in for JAs and Flash.

Rings

[Lv.10] Astral Ring | HP -> MP +25
[Lv.10] Safeguard Ring | Def:2
[Lv.14] * Mighty Ring | STR+1; Fire Resist+3; Enchantment: Atk+5, R.Atk+5
[Lv.14] * Stamina Ring | VIT+2
[Lv.15] Fasting Ring | HP-20; MP+10; STR+1
[Lv.30] Rajas Ring | STR+2~5; DEX+2~5; Store TP+5; Subtle Blow+5
[Lv.30] Sattva Ring | HP+15~30; VIT+2~5; AGI+2~5; Enmity+3
[Lv.34] * Venerer Ring | Acc+3
[Lv.35] Jaeger Ring | Acc+4; R.Acc+4[/u]
[Lv.36] * Verve Ring | VIT+3
[Lv.40] Electrum Ring | HP-20; MP+20
[Lv.40] Ether Ring | HP -> MP +25
[Lv.40] Mana Ring | MP+15
[Lv.40] * Woodsman Ring | Acc+5; Eva-5
[Lv.42] Mermaid's Ring | Enmity+2
[Lv.50] Phalanx Ring | Def:10
[Lv.50] Unyielding Ring | Def:7; VIT+3; DEX+3; Resist Charm
[Lv.50] Ebullient Ring | HP+15; MP+15; Resist Paralyze
[Lv.50] Guardian Ring | Latent Effect: Shield Bash+10

The ring slot is one of those slots that customize your character rather than define it, and there's a bunch of variations of the same types of rings, available at different levels, prices, and acquisition methods. Because of this, I only marked the most important ones. Rings that are hard to get aren't marked since most people don't have access to them immediately; rings that are hard to get and aren't that useful have been omitted.

Regarding MP rings: These are useful for Elvaan and Galka. However, once you use up the extra MP they provide, you should switch them with something else until it's time to fill up your MP again.

Regarding Defense rings: They're listed as "offensive" rings for one reason only. By 50, when eating Defense food, the extra Defense won't help you much. However, when eating sushi, that extra 20 Defense could be the difference between taking too much damage and having the right amount of Defense to not have to eat Defense food. They're not essential, but they could come in handy. Safeguard Ring's just there for lack of options, though.

Regarding Damage Dealing rings: Mighty Rings are fantastic. +11 Attack is great at any level, but at Lv.14 it's absolutely ridiculous, especially when you consider that the only other thing worth equipping at that level are Stamina Rings, which will only lower the mob's DMG by 1. I'd wear these babies 'til Lv.40, at which point the DD rings of choice would be Woodsman + Venerer or Woodsman x2 depending on your budget. Do be warned, though: you can't remove Mighty Rings or you'll lose the enchantment. You'll also lose the enchantment if you die or zone.

Regarding VIT rings: I know a lot of veteran Paladins will disagree with me, but I don't see them as very useful any more. At low levels Mighty Rings provide an Attack boost that's just too big to ignore; by level 40, VIT isn't as useful as the Accuracy+8 that Woodsman+Venerer give either. Regardless, you can lose Mighty Ring's enchantment in various ways so you should still carry Stamina/Verve Rings until at the very least Lv.40. If you plan on using Accuracy rings at 40+, it's up to you to decide if Verve Rings are worth the inventory space.

Regarding Guardian Ring: the latent effect is activated by having 75% HP or less, and under 100 TP. It adds 10 more damage to your Shield Bash. Maybe it does something else in addition to that (more enmity or stun?) but no one can say for sure. Dirt cheap though so if you want to buy it, go ahead.

Back

[Lv.18] * Breath Mantle | Def: 3; Enchantment: HP+18, Enmity+3
[Lv.36] * High Breath Mantle | Def: 5; Ice Resist+5; Enchantment: HP+38, Enmity+5
[Lv.61] * Amemet Mantle | Def: 7; STR+1; Atk+10; R.Atk+10
[Lv.61] * Amemet Mantle +1 | Def: 8; STR+2; Atk+15; R.Atk+15

These are the only mantles you’ll need to touch from 10-60. Ok, Amemet Mantle is 61, but it deserves the mention. The HQ is expensive but the NQ is cheap and dirt and still gives you 10 Attack. Breath/High Breath Mantles have 50 charges that last 30 minutes each, which means each mantle is good for 25 hours of partying. The only catch is that, like Mighty Rings, you’ll lose the enchantment if you switch it out or die. Pre-18? Just get whatever has the most Defense and is also affordable.

High Breath Mantle will serve you from 36 to 60. If making money is a problem for you, I suppose you could get by without using Breath Mantle 'til 35, but not getting High Breath Mantle is downright unforgivable. From 61 onwards, Amemet is preferable in most situations, but High Breath Mantle is still useful in situations where your party is stupid and is over hunting so much, you can’t hit the mob at all, and when you do, you don’t do damage.

Waist

[Lv.14] Friar's Rope | Def: 2; MP+5; MND+1; Light and Dark Resist+2
[Lv.15] * Warrior’s Belt +1 | Def: 2; HP+4; VIT+3
[Lv.18] * Brave Belt | Def: 3; STR+2; DEX-1; VIT+2; AGI-1
[Lv.20] Mohbwa Sash (+1) | Def: 2 (3); MP+10(12); hMP+1(2)
[Lv.40] Qiqirn Sash (+1) | Def: 4(5); MP+12(14); hMP+2(3)
[Lv.40] * Tilt Belt | Def: 3; Acc+5; Eva-5
[Lv.43] * Swordbelt +1 | Def: 5; Atk+12
[Lv.48] * Life Belt | Def: 0; Acc+10
[Lv.60] Potent Belt | Def: 5; STR+3; Acc+8

Pretty straightforward. Each new belt is better than the last. It’s worth pointing out that Potent Belt is only marginally better offensively than Life Belt. However, it does have 5 Defense for keeping your Defense high while eating Sushi. On the other hand, it costs a pretty penny, so if your budget is tight, upgrading to Potent Belt should be a much lower priority than saving up for Woodsman Rings and Haubergeon.

I guess I should also point out there’s a couple of belts with MP out there that you can use pre-40, if you’re really THAT desperate. As with other MP accessories, don’t wear them full-time. Swap them out when you use the excess MP. But in my opinion, screw that. Oh, and one more thing. If I catch you wearing any variation of the Royal Knight’s Belt, I WILL kill you.

P.S. The latent on the Lv.30 skill belts is only active when your sub corresponds to the belt’s job. So don’t bother getting Rapier Belt (/RDM), and you obviously won’t get any use out of Axe Belt (/WAR.)

Legs

[Lv.10] * Scale Cuisses | Def: 7
[Lv.16] * Bone Subligar | Def: 9
[Lv.17] * Lizard Trousers | Def: 10
[Lv.20] * Royal Footman's Trousers | Def: 12; VIT+1
[Lv.24] * Chain Hose | Def: 16
[Lv.25] * Bastokan (Republic) Subligar | Def: 12(13); VIT+1; Atk+3(5); R.Atk+3(5)
[Lv.29] * Eisendiechlings (Kampfdiechlings) | Def: 17(18); VIT+1(2); AGI+1(2)
[Lv.34] * Bastokan (Republic) Cuisses | Def: 17(18); AGI+1(2); In nation: Atk+5(7), R.Atk+5(7)
[Lv.40] Cuisses | Def: 23
[Lv.40] * Royal Squire's Breeches | Def: 22; DEX+1; AGI+1
[Lv.45] * Iron Ram Breeches | Def: 23; DEX+2; AGI+2; Set: Atk+1 and Acc+1 per piece
[Lv.49] Mythril Cuisses | Def: 28
[Lv.50] * Iron Musketeer's Cuisses | Def: 29; AGI+2
[Lv.55] * Royal Knight's Breeches | Def: 30; STR+2; DEX+2; Atk+3
[Lv.58] * Gallant Breeches | Def: 34; HP+15; AGI+3; Enmity+2; Enhancing Magic Skill+5

Between R.K. Breeches and Gallant Breeches, it's pretty close. Not much else to say for this slot.

Feet

[Lv.07] Bounding/Leaping Boots | Def: 3; DEX+3; AGI+3
[Lv.10] * Scale Greaves | Def: 3
[Lv.13] * Light Soleas | Def: 4; Eva+3
[Lv.15] Bastokan (Republic) Leggings | Def: 3(4); HP+2(3); MP+2(3); Wind Resist+3; Earth Resist+3
[Lv.15] San d'Orian (Kingdom) Boots | Def: 4(5); HP4(6); Fire Resist+3; Ice Resist+3
[Lv.16] Bone Leggings | Def: 4
[Lv.17] Lizard Ledelsens | Def: 4
[Lv.18] Power Sandals | Def: 3; VIT+3; Fire Resist+7
[Lv.20] * Mage's Sandals | Def: 5; MP+3; AGI+1
[Lv.21] Beetle Leggings | Def: 5
[Lv.24] Greaves | Def: 5
[Lv.29] * Eisenschuhs (Kampfschuhs) | Def: 8(9); VIT+2(3)
[Lv.34] * Bastokan (Republic) Greaves | Def: 8(9); AGI+1(2); In nation: Acc+3(4), R.Acc+3(4)
[Lv.34] Windurstian (Federation) Gaiters | Def: 6(7); AGI+1; In nation: Atk+5(7), R.Atk+5(7)
[Lv.40] Iron Musketeer's Sabatons | Def: 10; R.Acc+5
[Lv.45] Iron Ram Sollerets | Def: 8; AGI+2; Set: Atk+1 and Acc+1 per piece
[Lv.52] Gallant Leggings | Def: 14; HP+15; CHR+5; Shield Skill+10; Enhances Holy Circle

Not much to say, Gallant Leggings rock. To obtain Power Sandals, do the quest Test My Mettle but don't give them to the quest starter.

[Jarre]

I would go for the republican or (lesser Bastoken) sword at lvl 34. As a tank the +acc and +ATT and lower delay are much more usefull to make sure you get hits on a mob to keep hate and the +HP and +MP, especially the Mp will be more usuefull in my experience than just the +7 (max) dmg of the Hunter sword.

[Murphie]

Looks like you're off to a great start. And thank you for creating something new for players who may be confused or misled by some of the older stickies in the forum.^^

I know as a new player of any job, even as an older player, I like to get the opinions of other people who have been there, done that, and done the math on what works and what doesn't. So this should be a huge help for people.

[Armando]

Filled in the Swords section with the missing stats, and added the (rather inconsequential) Ranged & Ammo section.

I would go for the republican or (lesser Bastoken) sword at lvl 34. As a tank the +acc and +ATT and lower delay are much more usefull to make sure you get hits on a mob to keep hate and the +HP and +MP, especially the Mp will be more usuefull in my experience than just the +7 (max) dmg of the Hunter sword.

Delay doesn't really matter on its own; it's the damage that you do for any period of time that matters. In other words, swinging faster doesn't make more hate if you end up doing less damage as a result.

It's also worth keeping in mind that while +3 Accuracy looks like a decent boost at that level when you compare it to the few other pieces of gear that give Accuracy, 3 Acc always translates into +1.5% hit rate. The increase in hit rate isn't very big. So it's a matter of DMG vs Attack for the most part, and the Hunting/War swords have an edge there.

After looking up the price for War Sword, though, I think I'll de-underline it and underline Republic Sword instead.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'll try not to take too long to finish this.

[IfritnoItazura]

IMO, Low delay and high accuracy works well with enmity+ gears/food. Though, that's based on the largely unverified assumption that enmity+ gear/food does its magic on every action, so more frequent action, the better enmity+ is put to use. Or, 1.5% better hit rate is better than 1.5% more enmity.

I would argue that Republic Sword is better than Hunting Sword for a Def/VIT/Enmity build PLD, while Hunting Sword is better for a hybrid PLD who already have bunch of Accuracy gears in other slots. The advantage of War Sword is pretty strong, so it's a bit of toss up on defensive PLD, but definitely good for the hybrid/DD PLDs.

(Disclaimer: I used Republic Sword until Grudge Sword mostly due to lack of Gil and short supply of War Sword at the time.)

* * *

Random thought

Size 1 shield is a strong choice for a tanking PLD/NIN, thanks to Shield Mastery, and can make putting up Utsusemi a lot easier. Of course, PLD/NIN doesn't really have a place in party before Lv.50 as DD (better at Lv.60 for Vorpal Blade), and no place as tank until endgame. So, pretty irrelevant to this thread...

* * *

Edit:
Anyone else noticed that once we were given Bibiki Seashell with its wonderful "Aquan Killer" effect, parties stopped killing crabs? I mean, what the heck... It's like being given a wonderful new toy but everyone moved to the new playground where you cannot use it except to hold it in your hands... -_-#

The game needs higher level crabs and bunch of Blue Mages willing and able to use Frightful Roar.

[Raydeus]

Derail (Itazura quote inside)

Originally Posted by IfritnoItazura

Anyone else noticed that once we were given Bibiki Seashell with its wonderful "Aquan Killer" effect, parties stopped killing crabs? I mean, what the heck... It's like being given a wonderful new toy but everyone moved to the new playground where you cannot use it except to hold it in your hands... -_-#

The game needs higher level crabs and bunch of Blue Mages willing and able to use Frightful Roar.

This has to be the first time I agree with something you post in a really long time. But as a bitter retired PLD all I can say is that's just another example of why I quit the job.

I still love being a PLD tank, and proof of it is how much freaking fun I had being able to actually tank something after so much time while fighting Alexander. I loved it, no DD crap, no Utsusemi nonsense, just good old PLD tanking for the win.

If only I was able to do it much more often.

[Armando]

Since I have some spare time, let's run some numbers on the Republic/Bastokan Swords vs War/Hunting Swords. Since the benefit of the Accuracy and Attack is greater the lower your hit rate and Attack/Defense ratio is, I'm going to go ahead and reproduce a worst-case scenario. Lv.34 Hume PLD in Garlaige Citadel vs the highest level Borer Beetle (Lv.44.) That's a whopping 10 level difference, which is massive at this level (hell, it still is at 68.) I'm going to go ahead and assume a purely defensive tanking setup, in which the only DD piece is Spike Necklace for lack of another neck piece that actually does something (well, there's Tiger Stole, but I'm going with the worst case scenario.) No Attack/Accuracy food, no songs, no rolls.

Lv.44 Borer Beetle (PLD/PLD)
VIT: 62
AGI: 33
Defense: 186
Evasion: 141

Lv.34 Hume PLD/WAR
STR: 38+3
DEX: 31+3
Attack: 133
Accuracy: 122

fSTR with Hunting/Bastokan/Republic Sword: -1
fSTR with War sword: -2

Average pDIF with War/Hunting Sword: 0.325
Average pDIF with Bastokan/Republic Sword: 0.34

Hit rate with with Hunting/War Sword: 45.5%
Hit rate with Bastokan/Republic Sword: 47%

War Sword Damage/Sec: 0.898
Hunting Sword Damage/Sec: 0.874
Republic Sword Damage/Sec: 0.900
Bastokan Sword Damage/Sec: 0.832

Again, this was a worst-case scenario. The PLD in question had absolutely no +Attack or +Acc other than the 3 STR and DEX from Spike Necklace, against a PLD mob 10 levels higher, without the use of Dia/Dia II or Gravity, and even under those conditions, Republic Sword barely broke even with War Sword, and Hunting Sword still beat Bastokan Sword. In a realistic party you'd have Dia or Dia II, you wouldn't hunt Beetles exclusively (which means some of the mobs would be WARs) and not every mob would be 10 levels higher than you. Under better circumstances, Bastokan Sword would lose its edge over War Sword and Hunting Sword.

Granted, this is based on the old formulas for one-handed damage, but the new ones don't seem to be too different.

Originally Posted by Itazura

Anyone else noticed that once we were given Bibiki Seashell with its wonderful "Aquan Killer" effect, parties stopped killing crabs? I mean, what the heck... It's like being given a wonderful new toy but everyone moved to the new playground where you cannot use it except to hold it in your hands... -_-#

The game needs higher level crabs and bunch of Blue Mages willing and able to use Frightful Roar.

I know exactly what you mean.

[Losrase]

[Lv.19] Auriga Xiphos (R/E) ... | DMG:17 ~ Delay:224 ~ DMG/sec: 4.55 | Acc+2

I just got this sword about 3 days ago. The NM is uncamped and in Fort Ghelsha. To spawn the NM that drops the sword, you need to slay an NM call Panzer (Warmachine). The Panzer will spawn every 60-70 minutes and when the Panzer dies, you have a chance to spawn the NM (Cant remember his name) that drops the sword. Either the NM that drops the sword will spawn or a Orcish Fighter will spawn. The NM that drops the sword does use the 2-hour ability Mighty Strikes.

1/4 on spawning the NM that drops the sword.
1/1 on the sword drop.

[IfritnoItazura]

Originally Posted by Losrase

[Lv.19] Auriga Xiphos (R/E) ... | DMG:17 ~ Delay:224 ~ DMG/sec: 4.55 | Acc+2

I just got this sword about 3 days ago. The NM is uncamped and in Fort Ghelsha.

The reason it's not often camped is because the spawn rate for Chariotbuster Byakzak is horrible; took 32 or 33 tries for me. (Saner people probably would give up after about 4-8 tries.)

Edit:

Since the Paladin forum doesn't have an "Index" to point out useful information, shouldn't this thread be sticked? I think many new Paladins would greatly appreciate it.

[Armando]

Bump/Minor update.Sorry this is taking so long, college is trying to rape me!

Since the Paladin forum doesn't have an "Index" to point out useful information, shouldn't this thread be sticked? I think many new Paladins would greatly appreciate it.

I'm going to request sticky-age (along with a title change, since I screwed it up) after it's done, don't worry.

[Armando]

MEGA BUMP.

The bulk of the guide is now there. I'll add notes and underlines and highlight in red as appropriate soon.

[Celeal]

Very nice and detail *thumbs up* ^^b

I noticed there is a Wivre Shield: DEF:12 Enmity+5, LV 58 PLD DRK.
It looks like a size 3. It is expensive at this moment, but highest Enmity+ so far compare to other shields.

[IfritnoItazura]

Lv.50 Jungle Belt (Mithra only): Def:4 HP+30 STR+3 VIT+2 INT-5
I used this for certain BC battles (hi Ouryu, how have you been?), and liked it (the belt, not Ouryu). Also not a bad choice when over-camping and fighting high ITs...


Lv.27 Savage Gauntlets (Mithra only): Def:6 MP+16 VIT+4 MND+2
Worn it until Gallant Gauntlets, though not always full-time. Nice and cheap alternative to make sure you have a little extra VIT somewhere, and the MP boost is good to have, especially at lower levels.

[Tisaragi]

Iron Ram mufflers
(Hands) All Races
DEF: 9 Accuracy +3
Set: Increases Attack and Accuracy
Lv. 45 WAR / PLD / DRK / BST / SAM / NIN

Iron Ram Sollerets
[Feet] All Races
DEF: 8 AGI +2
Set: Increases attack and accuracy
Lv. 45 WAR / PLD / DRK / BST / SAM / NIN

Iron Ram Helm
[Head] All Races
DEF: 13 AGI +2
Set: Increases attack and accuracy
Lv. 45 WAR / PLD / DRK / BST / SAM / NIN

Iron Ram Breeches
[Legs] All Races
DEF: 23 AGI +2 DEX +2
Set: Increases attack and accuracy
Lv. 45 WAR / PLD / DRK / BST / SAM / NIN

Iron Ram Chainmail
[Body] All Races
DEF: 32 DEX +2
Set: Increases attack and accuracy
Lv. 45 WAR / PLD / DRK / BST / SAM / NIN

Thought this looked like a decent looking set if you going for more of a ddish build inplace of full vit.

[IfritnoItazura]

Lv.60 Iron Ram Shield (3000 Allied Notes): DEF:15 STR+3 VIT+3 Atk+3 Eva+3.
Terrific upgrade from Royal Knight Army Shield, with more STR and VIT. Attack and Evasion aren't bad bonuses either. Free, too, for those who can access San d'Orian Campaign items.