Mithra PLD Gear

[Materia Hunter]

First, hiya all... I've found a lot of great info on these boards, but this is the first time I've posted. ^^ Second, I had a couple of questions when it comes to gear.

I'm currently wearing Mithra RSE boots (5 DEF, +16 HP, +3 STR, +2 CHA). However, I'm a little concerned that I'm missing out by not getting the pure-DEF boots. The HP is nice (particularly as a Mithra), the STR is okay, and the CHA is nice if the rumors about Provoke being based off CHA are true... but I'm just curious if that all overcomes an extra 3 or 4 DEF.

Second, as a Mithra, I rarely have issues with MP (only during emergencies) and Pineapple Juice usually takes care of that if it's crunch time. Would you suggest a Medieval Collar over a Holy Phial? The Phial basically gives me +30 HP with it's +8 MP... and the +3 MND is nice. But I see so many people suggesting the collar. o_O Is +2 VIT really that useful that it surpasses an extra 30 HP and the hate it brings, plus the MND?

Also, just curious... is it worth keeping up Great Sword? I've been working it up to this point, but as I level up more and more, it becomes harder and harder to warrant my personal caveat of keeping GSword maxed each level, as monsters hit harder and harder and that extra mitigation and avoidance from having a shield is more and more welcome.

Of course, on the same token, it's becoming harder and harder to keep my weapon skills up by soloing monsters for +skill gains... so sooner or later I'll have to use a weapon in a PT if I want to raise the skill at all.

In short, should I even care about keeping my Great Sword skill up in a PT?

[neelon]

Switch to sword/shield ASAP. That's the only viable weapon for an XP party. MP is not that big a problem, try to keep up to date with DEF and VIT.

[Materia Hunter]

No offense, but I don't think you understood what I was asking. I know Sword / Shield is the best. But XP PTs aren't all there is to the game. I'm asking if folks at the 60-75 game use Great Swords for other situations... like if they aren't the main tank on an alliance raid or something, since one handed swords might as well be whiffle bats for the damage they do.

And not keeping a skill up early is a horrifying pain in the ass if you need to raise it late-game. As for the VIT and DEF, I know they're important, but is +2 VIT really worth effectively losing 30 HP, the hate that brings, and +3 MND?

[natibzzzako]

being a mithra pld, and this is for all plds your main stat is vit, as you said being mithra you already get decent mp. mnd really isnt important(unless you plan on being a main healer than a tank pld) GS is also not so important. during full alliances you either wear sword/shield as a tank or maybe an earth staff when your sort of a decoy. GS is purely eye-candy for pld. even as a dmg dealer ppl would ask to use your sword since Spirits within only works well with pld with having high HP and that this WS ignores defense.

besides skilling GS is cake once you do coffer key skill up parties so dont bother to skill it up earlier on

[JP_Ikari]

The higher you go, the more VIT becomes important. As for GS, i think Nathra already covered that :D.

Ikari

[Nilinia]

You ask if VIT is really that important, I can tell you that it is. two days ago I was in the best party I have had as pld this far (lvl 36). I lvld from 32-36 in a few hours in garlaige citadel. When we started, the bats and beetles were hitting me for 40-60 dmg, and critting for 100+ sometimes. when we left at lvl 36, I had gained about 4 VIT, and they were then hitting me for 30-40 and critting for 80-90. Of course being higher lvl somehow reduces the dmg I take. I didn't get any new gear during that period.