PLD Basics?

[kainzero]

I'm a level 26-27 something PLD, and I feel like I'm not playing my class to what it should be.

For one, I sometimes struggle to hold hate, with constant provoke. I want to cure, but I don't know what or who to cure, since WHM assures me to be at near MAX HP most of the time. I think WARs actually might make better tanks at this level, because they do more damage and take just as many hits. Plus, provoke is natural on WARs so it's more effective, multiple weapons for skillchain links, counter, more HP, even defender at 25... I definitely feel outclassed.

Concerning curing and resting, I never know. Sometimes I ask to be taken out of skillchains to regain MP, but I don't know who/when to heal. I try to heal myself when I'm really low in emergencies, but I'm assuming that healing draws aggro and I don't know how to heal and draw aggro at max potential, esp. when the WHM cures me and I'm at max hp and my cure goes for 0. Since the WHM cures me so much, I usually don't rest and I actually do participate in skillchains.

Shield Bash: 5min downtime means I use this skill sparingly. In the event that the enemy does not have an interruptable damaging attack, I use it to draw aggro on certain monsters. Should I do that?

And lastly, what will I be looking at in the future, equipment-wise and tactics-wise? Currently, I plan on completing my Centurion Set of Armor(leftover from the WAR days), buying Cure III, massive farming so I can buy 2 VIT+2 rings and selling my 2 VIT+1's, and waiting for good earrings to come around. Once 40 comes along, I'm going to organize BCNM40 raids with my LS to earn money and invest in cooking so that I don't have to spend 6k on fish mithkabobs (for the good PTs ^^)... is there anything else in my plan to consider? Is there any armor between 30-40 besides the Chicken Armor that I should start saving for? What about RSE?

Thanks in advance.

[Susano]

In the past I have asked WHM to leave me some hp to heal myself. This is how I can usually keep hate on me easily, I use Provoke, then cure2 twice, usually by then Provoke is back up. From what I hear, for heals to create hate, they need to actually heal HP, so if you are full, look for another person to heal. In an ideal leveling PT, you should be figting mobs that can hit you for about 40~50hp each round, and you can cast about every two rounds, so that is perfect for cure 2, since maxxed, it cures 90hp.

As for TP and WS, I always abstain from Renkei as I will always have to med after a fight. I use my WS as soon as I have 100tp unless I need to save it for a stun, I try to use it before end of fight simply to not rest it away. If I can add to the end of a renkei, I will, but that is rare.

[Elwen]

pld

I can give you advice on most of your questions.

Agro. And what it takes to keep it.

1.) Provoke. Your first means of maintaining agro is to chain provoke. That is, you provoke when you first see the mob, and you keep provoking every 30 seconds until its dead. Provoking adds hate. A mob that has been provoked twice in 60 seconds will keep agro longer than a mob that has been provoked once in 60 seconds.

-> Provoking is a PREVENTATIVE measure, not a REACTIONARY measure. <- By chain provoking you will be adding as much hate as possible using that skill. The idea is to never lose agro, not even for a second.

2.) Your Mana Bar. Most people don't understand why its there. They falsly believe its there to heal you. Thats not completely correct.

Your mana bar is there for one purpose, to keep agro. This is what seperates a Paladin from a Warrior. More on that later.

The most efficient means to keep agro is to -> Heal the person that currently has agro <-. Healing someone in the party that no longer has agro is a waste of your mana, because it generates almost no agro. Healing that monk that just got agro will usually snap the mobs attention right back at you.

Set up a macro that cures you automatically, and create a macro that lets you select who to cure. Do not use cure 3 until your healing magic skill is well over 100. In your early 30's Cure 2 uses 28 mana for 90 HP. Cure 3 uses almost twice the mana, for only 160ish HP.

There will be times when it will be near impossible to get agro from someone. This someone is usually a dark night using soul eater, or a thf using trick attack on another poor soul. Just do your best. it may take up to 3 heals on the person with agro, but nevertheless its your job to get agro back.

3.) An important rule on mana. Without mana you can no longer do your job as a tank. Remember that your provoke is only at half the level of your PLD level. That means that any warrior in your group has a provoke twice as powerful as yours. Also remember that even at level 70 a Red Mage can out melee you. That being said, the -only- way for you to maintain agro is to have mana to heal whoever is getting attacked.

If your party wants you to pull, you say fine, but its your right and responsibility to rest to full before the next battle. They dont understand why you need mana, because they just think that as long as the whm has mana he can do the healing. They don't understand that you need mana to do your job of holding agro. Once they understand that you need to rest after fights, they will make someone else pull.

4.) Renkei's. As far as Renkei's go, I always ask my party to put me on the end of the Renkei. Because paladins spend time healing instead of swinging, and because they swing and miss alot, they build TP slower than any other melee job.

If the party is fighting lots of goblins, save your TP for flat blade to interupt bomb tosses. Also uses shield bash to interupt bomb tosses. Shield bash rarely will interupt an even or higher gob, but its worth a shot. Flat blade is a guaranteed bet.

If your party has a Renkei nazi that demands you take part, you say fine, but they will slowly realize that some fights you may not be 100% until the very end, if at all; thus being on the end of the renkei lets you take part IF you happen to have the TP when they go.

IN SUMMARY

-chain provoke

-make sure you have 70% or better mana for every fight. If you can chain mobs and keep agro, just go with whatever it takes to do your job. If you don't have mana, you are not a tank, because you won't be taking the hits.

-Only heal people that currently have agro. This includes yourself. You may only need to heal at the beggining of the fight, or you may need to chain heal. All depends on the mob and your group. 80% of the time I cure II myself as soon as I lose 100 hp at the beginning of a fight. maybe i drop 1 or 2 more heals during the fight, I always try to make sure I never lose agro, but use as few mana points as I need. Its a fine line and what seperates the good paladins, from the ones doing -just- whats needed.

-Renkei's: let them know you should be on the end. if they refuse, do your best. if you are holding back the renkei's suggest again that you be moved to the end, or completely out of the renkei.