RDM Tanking Experiment

[Greenjade]

I've jokingly talked to my LS leader about tanking on my RDM a few times and I've decided to give it a shot. I've searched the boards for any info on this but I haven't found any. I'm guessing it isn't a norm discussion but I've heard of a few people that were able to do this. So I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this and is willing to post necessary equips to actually make this work.

Note: I'd like to start out on something small and slowly work my way up to get a feel for it. And I'd love to actually attempt to tank JoL for my LS at one point. So any advice and tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Tan]

Should PM Callisto, I make him tank all sorts of shit for my LS w/ me. Hes done Ultima, Omega, Kirin, Sky Gods, Fortitude, Hope etc. No JoL though.

I think the most important pieces you want to have for your RDM would be:

Enmity Set
Maichault +1's
Mermaid's Ring
Eris Earrings
Warwolf Belt
Resentment Cape

Magic Damage -% Set (25%~ so you are capped w/ Shellra V)
Coral Scale Mail
Coral Leggings
Merman's Earrings
Merman's Rings
Resentment Cape

Haste/Fast Cast
Duelist's Tabard
Swift Belt
Warlock's Chapeau
Dusk Gloves
Dusk Boots
Nashira Pants

Then a decent Stoneskin build, and basically try to keep Stoneskin up full time when you can as thats your best damage mitigation combined with /NIN. And then alternate spells like Dispel, Blind, Sleep etc. to build hate. But the thing I noticed the most when co-tanking as a PLD with a RDM/NIN was that they built hate a lot quicker than me to start, (unless I burned all my JA's quickly) and could often dominate on hate if they don't try to share tanking responsibilities.

Anyways thats a brief overview that I know atleast.

[AzazaelFenrir]

http://belkinator.livejournal.com/829.html

[Callisto]

http://belkinator.livejournal.com/829.html

^

I've done well as RDM tank but learned it all from Belkin, that LJ entry is top-shelf.

[Greenjade]

Other then the chainsaws +1, what other weapons would also work? I'm in line for a Justice Sword soon if I can bribe my LS to actually do JoJ again sometime soon. ^_^;


Add: From looking at the listed gear, I'll have to find a way to work around it, since the only way I'll ever get a Dalma is if I sell the remainder of my soul to Prog. XP

[sleekmotorwurkz]

Youre trying to tank, not dd... chainsaw+1 are the ONLY swords you should be using.

[nekura]

Youre trying to tank, not dd... chainsaw+1 are the ONLY swords you should be using.

Terra's Staff is also acceptable, depending on the amount of enmity gear your cotank has. When you can get hit for upwards of 300 damage by a mob, cutting 60 off of that is pretty damned good.

[LakshmiToralyn]

RDM/NIN is a hate machine on JoL. I can honestly say its the only time I got trumped on hate with my NIN/DRK. sleep2 and dispel are just too nasty. and with you being able to spam the entire time and fastcast.

[Crisco]

For a RDM, DMG is not a reliable source of hate on anything that counts. If you are unable to use dual Mac+1s, Try to at least get one and a Genbu's Shield. Other than that, there isn't anything I can think of that's a useful Main/Sub piece for a RDM tank.

Dalm is completely unnecessary, but helpful with regulating your mp pool. If you aren't going for tanking Ultima, a good mixture of the haste and enmity build should work for just about anything.

[Callisto]

I typically begin the fight in dual Macahuitl +1's, and once hate has been firmly established I switch to Terra's for the remainder of the fight unless I'm hit with some sort of hate reset.

[Greenjade]

Awesome. I already have a Genbu's Shield but I'm most likely going with duel Chainsaws +1 and Terra's/Earth. And we're planning on starting Dynamis up again so I may be able to get Duelist's out of it if we actually manage to get to the Northlands.

I'm kind of worried about adding +emi merits considering my other job is BLM. The last thing I need is end up tanking on BLM when I go to events as one.

[Callisto]

Also meant to post my sets, I basically bring the following aside from my normal buffing gear:

I play on 360 so I just idle in my enmity/fast cast gear and switch to buffing/damage mitigation as needed. To be safe I sometimes bring debuffing gear and Terra's, just because sometimes I don't want to wait for another RDM to lay down a Slow II, especially on something like Ultima.

Maca+1 x2
Lamia Kaman
Warlock's +1
Harmonia's Torque
Eris' Earring
Loq. Earring
Duelist's Tabard
Dusk Gloves
Mermaid Ring
BQ Ring
Resentment Cape
Trance Belt
Crimson Cuisses
Dusk Ledelsens

If kiting like for Kirin I use Duelist's Gloves/Crimson Greaves.

I need better mitigation gear, but atm I have:

Physical:
Terra's
Darksteel Harness
Jelly Ring
Cheviot Cape
Goliard Trews

Magical:
Coral Scale Mail
Merman's Ring x2
Resentment Cape
Coral Cuisses+1

And I typically use Pescatora for food, a large chunk of both Def and HP.

I don't own any 1/tick Refresh gear so I agree it's definitely not necessary, but if you have a Dalmy to idle in it would help for sure.

[Callisto]

And I wouldn't bother with +enm merits, you should be able to get plenty with just gear, the only reason I have them is b/c I'm also leveling PLD and am used to dealing with hate as backline RDM.

[The Stig]

I don't think Justice Sword will work for keeping hate, since you won't be meleeing.

Maybe offhand a Tutelary for the HP. Also, Earth Staff is no question for potential oh shit situations.

EDIT: I replied late, didn't know it expanded so much already. Ignore this. Sorry.

[Callisto]

Just a note on the not meleeing, if you aren't kiting I still always engage for the parry procs, I get a surprising amount of really clutch parries on Ultima/Byakko despite only having 190ish skill.

[Amele]

you know there's a reason that bg-wiki.com/Best_Hate_in_the_Game is set up the way it is.

[Callisto]

Haha the first time I saw that, it took me 2-3 times clicking it and going back to get it, but that was before I had tried RDM tanking.

[Greenjade]

I'm really looking forward to actually attempting this. Now if FFXIAH would actually work for me I can figure out how much it'll cost to get it all together.

*kicks FFXIAH*

[Callisto]

Haha, just a tip: Don't start with Byakko, trust me. Omega is a really good place to start.

[Greenjade]

Another thing I was wondering, how exactly do you establish hate? Just by casting the exact same spells over again? Would it be possible to use the /37 NIN elemental wheel to keep hate better or no?