70ish PLD Help

[Murphie]

I am not a 70ish PLD, obviously (though I'm leveling PLD, so maybe in a few months).

Anyway, I'm reading through the guides here and elsewhere, but it's been so long since I've played a Paladin in the 70s that I can't really remember everything. I have a friend who is a 73 Paladin. I'll be the first to admit that he's not the best player, and thus his gear is not idea, nor are his food choices. But he is starting to recognize this as well, and would like to improve. He asked me for advice, but I'm not really the best person to make suggestions.

So, pretty much, what gear should he be wearing (no access to abjuration gear, or really any endgame gear that isn't AH buyable). What food should he be eating? Any other tips or hints?

Thanks in advance.

[Raitox]

Sword: Company Sword
Shield: Iron Ram/koenig
Ranged: Tiphia Sting
Head: Walkure Mask/Gallant
Neck: Parade Gorget/shield torque
Earrings: Corral
Body: Haubergeon
Hands: Fourth Division Gauntlets/Dusk
Rings: Woodsmans
Back: Amemat
Waist: Trance/Potent
legs: sipahi/rk
feet: Dusk/Gallant

That right now is the PLD build of choice, til he gets better stuff. This is just about the only way he'll get into meripo, because VIT PLD for merits = No

[Sevv]

Sword: Company (Damage) Malc+1 (enmity)
Shield: Koenig
Ranged: Lamian (Tank) Tiphia Sting (Damage)
Head: Gallant. W Turban (@75)
Neck: Parade Gorget (Mp down time) Harmonia's Torque (Enmity) Peacock Charm (DD)
Earrings: Cassie Earring, Shield
Body: Haubergeon (DD) Gallant (tanking)
Hands: I.R. Dastanas (Tanking) Dusk (DD)
Rings: Woodsmans (dd) Herc, Mermaid (tanking)
Back: Amemat +1 (DO NOT NQ THIS)
Waist: Trance (tanking) Potent (dd)
Legs: Sipahi (DD) adaman (tanking)
Feet: Gallant (tanking) Dusk (DD as /Nin only)

[Armando]

Earrings: Corral

Assault is fine too, if affordable.

Waist: Trance/Potent

Wastes of money in my opinion. Trance is useless altogether for EXP, and Lifebelt will do the same thing as Potent for an insanely small fraction of the cost.

Neck: Parade Gorget/shield torque

R.G. Collar is fine too if you're not getting walloped too hard.

Rings: Woodsmans

Jelly Ring is a fine addition.

legs: sipahi/rk

Both Sipahi and RK do so little that I would just not bother and take the +2 Enmity from AF. (EDIT: Disregard, your friend is 73 - he can do meleeburn parties at that level, right?) But this one is just purely personal preference. Also, why didn't you list Dusk here? It's about the best PLD pants money can buy.

Hands: Fourth Division Gauntlets/Dusk

Don't forget Tarasque Mitts.

Also, I disagree with Sevv. HQ Amemet is one of the last things you should upgrade.

[Sevv]

Also, I disagree with Sevv. HQ Amemet is one of the last things you should upgrade.

Common event really, You should just get the hq if you serious about putting a set together you shouldn't have nq.

[IfritnoItazura]

What gears and food really depend on what he is doing with PLD currently and what he plans to do in the future. >_>;

If leveling, DD gear and sushi, since he's already Lv.73. (If leveling in Campaign Battle, use whatever.) I'd bring defensive gear anyway, just in case, and macro to those if needed.

If looking to tank normal quest/mission critters as PLD/WAR, some mixture of Adaman and Artifact gear will do fine, and Shallops Tropicale is about as good as Tavnasian Taco for much lower price.

If looking to tank harder stuff, HP gear/food, plus enmity gear, with magic damage reduction and MDB gear when appropriate.

If /NIN, Haste gear would be beneficial for both tanking and merit/exp'ing. (See the PLD/NIN gear thread for specific suggestions.)
______________________________

Common event really, You should just get the hq if you serious about putting a set together you shouldn't have nq.

"Common event"? Huh?

Anyway, on Ifrit, Amemet Mantle is 2k, +1 is 200k, for difference of Atk+5 and STR+1 over NQ? Tarasque Mitts +1 is Atk+12, for 180k? If attack is what's needed, spend the gil on Mitts +1 instead; even after getting Dusk gloves, it'd still be good for the WS set.

It'd be silly to prioritize Amemet Mantle +1; as Armando indicated, it's the last thing to worry over. Even saving up for Dusk gear would make more sense than to blowing money on that item prematurely.

[Sevv]

Yes you can go for the Nq if you are exping/working thru equipping. When asked for what he should be using, he should be using Hq back because it is easy to afford.

[Murphie]

Thanks for the help so far. He's really just looking to use PLD for meripo, besieged, campaign, assault, and maybe some missions. He has a 75 WHM already that he uses for most things (the gear for it sucks too), but he's really trying to focus more on PLD, I guess.

I don't see him joining an endgame shell anytime soon. He doesn't have the personality for it.

[Raitox]

I didn't think dusk was worth 750k.

[Sevv]

I didn't think dusk was worth 750k.

It really is if you don't do limbus, well as a pld. The Parse results are huge.

[Celeal]

Basically above posters covers the gear set, like using Haubergeon and build on top of it (one of the ways to do it).

The idea is spread the timing of the Job Abilities and Magic (Flash/Cures), instead of stack the them in one battle and have nothing for the next. For example, level 70+ PLD/WAR (w/o merit) the recast timer for:

• Shield Bash - 5 min
• Sentinel - 5 min
• Rampart - 5 min
• Warcry - 5 min

If the PLD/WAR spread the above set of JA in 1 minute each, like:

1. Shield Bash
2. after 1 min -> Rampart
3. after 1 min -> Warcry
4. after 1 min -> Sentinel
5. after 1 min -> Shield Bash (is ready again)
6. after 1 min -> Rampart (is ready again)
7. ...
8. continue the cycle...

It is consistent in terms of frequency. Even though the hate of each one of those is not identical, but each contributes a spike of hate for the PLD/WAR to build up for, in terms of frequency and timing.

Ideally, PLD would want to manage a Sentinel when PLD-or-healer MP is low, or reserving healer's + PLD's MP; Rampart for mob that uses AoE magic-base attack; Warcry when WS (PLD or DDs) is ready.

On top of above Job Abilities, toss in Provoke (30 second timer), like:

1. Provoke + Shield Bash
2. after 30 sec -> Provoke
3. after 30 sec -> Provoke + Rampart
4. after 30 sec -> Provoke
5. after 30 sec -> Provoke + Warcry
6. after 30 sec -> Provoke
7. after 30 sec -> Provoke + Sentinel
8. after 30 sec -> Provoke
9. after 30 sec -> Provoke + Shield Bash (is ready again)
10. after 30 sec -> Provoke
11. after 30 sec -> Provoke + Rampart (is ready again)
12. ...
13. continue the cycle...

Note: the above timing is just a guideline, PLD should adjust the timing according to the parties.

Next, toss in Flash on top of above cycle. Because Flash usage is affected by Haste and MP, the PLD should use his/her own judgment on when to use it.

However, the above tactic may not work all the time. Here comes the PLD/WAR's DoT and WS to bridge the gap. This is what the Hybrid PLD Tank is about.

For Cures and MP of PLD in TP burn parties, make sure the Cures go to anyone who needs it in the party (not only the PLD). Not only looking at the PLD's own MP%, but also the healer's MP%. Balance the workload in order to keep the chain flowing.

At last, know when to let the hate go. I know it sound very weird, but in TP burn parties, there will be time which PLD's tools timer is out of sync and need time to recover. Make use of DD/NIN's shadows, Cover, PLD/WAR's Berserk when mob is facing others, etc.

P.S: For Campaign Battles, I strongly suggest PLD/DNC.

[IfritnoItazura]

Thanks for the help so far. He's really just looking to use PLD for meripo, besieged, campaign, assault, and maybe some missions. He has a 75 WHM already that he uses for most things (the gear for it sucks too), but he's really trying to focus more on PLD, I guess.

I don't even bother to look for meripo on PLD; even WHM would probably have better invite rate than PLD. ._. The only time I'd try to bring out PLD for merit is with LS party. For WS Spam merit party, basically a PLD should go with a DD set up, and count on everyone up front having some sort of damage mitigation capability (and able to peel critters off of the PLD with WS consistently).

PLD/WAR: One Provoke per fight, Flash if it's up, and maybe one WS or JA. Then, people are on their own. DD or maybe hybrid gear here.

PLD/NIN: One Flash per fight, and hopefully one WS, then people are on their own. Use JA if Flash is down or if not enough TP to WS. Full out DD gear here.

I recommend saving TP for WS at beginning of fights, even if that lowers one's total damage output over time.

Besieged is a lot of fun when tanking on PLD/WAR, but need heavy support; without that, pile on acc gear and hope you can hit stuff and don't try to tank. Campaign Battle is doable on PLD/WHM, but I've heard PLD/DNC is better. Assaults, I use PLD a lot, but not always to tank.

[Murphie]

Yeah, it's nice of you to offer some fighting techniques, but seriously, it's amazing enough that this guy has asked me what gear is better for him at this point. I dont' know that I'll be able to communicate the finer aspects of battle to him. I had a hard enough time convincing him about the joy of gear swaps last night. I still don't think I succeeded.

[Tuatha]

I don't know what you guys are talking about not being able to get the last few levels on PLD without a DD setup, I myself do not own a haubergeon, and I refuse to be a weak DD on pld. I leveled PLD to do what it was meant to do, tank. I hit 75 just fine a few months ago.

If I wanted to DD, I'd level a job that was meant to, you know, actually DD. >_>

But hey, that's just me.

But I don't think I'd be much help on the gear selection for your friend, I play tarutaru pld, and a lot of my gear is HP gear, like my earring, backpiece (Gigant mantle), etc. I also use 3 af2 pieces, which I doubt your friend would have access to... but at 73 a really good thing for him to have would be some of the adaman gear. Maybe try for a gigant mantle if he's really suffering for HP, or a kinghtly cape for the +4 vit. But I think pretty much everything has already been covered, anyway.

[Armando]

If I wanted to DD, I'd level a job that was meant to, you know, actually DD. >_>

But hey, that's just me.

No offense, but that's like a WAR saying "If I wanted to tank, I would've leveled a job that was meant to, you know, actually tank!"