PLD Gear Discussion

[Mojo]

I know that there are a few other threads floating around about this, but they're old threads and people's ideas about what's good changes as more gear is released and more knowledge becomes available. I'm curious as to what gear people think is worth having on PLD, what you use it for, and why. Maybe do a slot by slot comparison on different items. For instance, some of the people I've been speaking with use Terror Shield over Koenig shield. That's clearly not an easy one to answer (because block rate functions are still unknown) although I'm somewhat confused by this. Second choices are good too (for those who won't end up getting items like Defending Ring) and certainly worth discussing.

[thetruepandagod]

You know it will end up as a shit's situational thread and people will then start arguing over gear depending on the situation its being used, and people assuming they are blanket statements covering all situations and turn into a shit fest.

Although, i really would like to see some peoples pld/rdm sets that they use for ixion ;x

[Mojo]

Well, yeah, of course stuff is situational. That's what I'm looking for, which pieces for which situations and why.

[Therin]

Obviously this can get extremely tedious if you're min/maxing for every single situation. But, if you're asking "what should a PLD have if he wants to have gear which is considered 'good'", I'd suggest the following sets:

Idle (blocking, not meleeing): http://www.ffxiah.com/item_sets.php?id=141217

This should be used primarily for face-tanking melee attacks, whether /WAR, /RDM, or /NIN with shadows down. Obviously this isn't what I'd consider "excellent" gear, but you can perform most of your functions rather well with this. Improvements would include Hauteclaire, Koenig Diechlings, Shadow Mantle, Shadow Ring, Defending Ring, Sattva Ring, and obvious HQs where applicable (Kaiser Schaller, Valor Gauntlets +1, etc.).

Shadow-casting: http://www.ffxiah.com/item_sets.php?id=141219

This should be used for casting Ni and Ichi (Coselete will likely have Fast Cast and Enmity options). Obviously if you have the right support you can drop some of your Haste gear since there's a cap on recast, and in that case, it is best to substitute Shield gear in the feet and/or head slot in case you need to block an attack. This set can also be used for Flash, but with more Enmity gear substituted in for the shield gear in the place of the Boxer's Mantle (Cerberus Mantle, Toreador's Cape, Valor Cape), Buckler Earring (Hades Earring +1), and Shield Torque (Ritter Gorget).

Meleeing: http://www.ffxiah.com/item_sets.php?id=141220

Improvements here should be obvious. Homam Corazza is better than Haubergeon, but harder to get so I didn't include it - HQ Haubergeon is better than NQ, obviously, Toreador's is better than Sniper's, Cuchulain's Mantle, blah blah. Should be self-explanatory, but this setup would be a good setup for Atonement spam.

MDB: http://www.ffxiah.com/item_sets.php?id=141223

Not the cheapest set around but compared to what melee and mages have to buy, it's not bad. Improvements for this are mostly difficult to get - Defending Ring, Aegis (obviously), Minerva's Ring. But this set is good and will hold up for most situations, short of PW or AV I would guess.

These sets are by no means "the best" PLD sets obviously, but if a PLD had all of these sets and used them correctly he would be able to do almost anything that was necessary of him.

[vagus]

Most paladin gear is generally the same. Most have homam, shield gear, HP gear for rings and earrings. Weapon is usually chainsaw or joyeuse. Shield wise koenig seems to be most common unless you're taru then terror shield is the way to go.

But one thing that isn't discussed enough is a cure IV macro. Drop your HP to self cure IV yourself for 375HP. Cure IV curing is great hate and many paladin's don't do it. Depending on cures onto other people works, but can waste mp if u have fast mages in your LS. Self cures insures max hate when dropping cures IV's.

I'm at work, so can't remember what pieces of gear i use to drop HP. I'll repost later with the macro.

[Kidnoftle]

I know that there are a few other threads floating around about this, but they're old threads and people's ideas about what's good changes as more gear is released and more knowledge becomes available. I'm curious as to what gear people think is worth having on PLD, what you use it for, and why. Maybe do a slot by slot comparison on different items. For instance, some of the people I've been speaking with use Terror Shield over Koenig shield. That's clearly not an easy one to answer (because block rate functions are still unknown) although I'm somewhat confused by this. Second choices are good too (for those who won't end up getting items like Defending Ring) and certainly worth discussing.

Can you elaborate on this? Afaik Terror and Koenig have the same proc rate but the dmg mitigation is slightly different due to differing def values which is already pretty small. It's generally accepted that unless the killer effect will play a large role in the fight that terror is the better shield.

As to your other questions I'll just respond w/ this; I had a friend ingame tell me the other day, "I quit pld... because no matter what I do it can never be perfect." Everything on the job is so situational that, as you said, it becomes very tedious to maximize for every scenario. The frustrating part is that for most things a sam or war or even drk can do all the same shit w/ far less gear specialization.

I personally use pld because I don't have a heavy dd class that's also capable of tanking. Pld does come in handy when shit hits the fan in a fight due to it's abilities to bring dmg taken down to nil or temporarily cover a pt member amongst other things.

[Therin]

But one thing that isn't discussed enough is a cure IV macro. Drop your HP to self cure IV yourself for 375HP. Cure IV curing is great hate and many paladin's don't do it. Depending on cures onto other people works, but can waste mp if u have fast mages in your LS. Self cures insures max hate when dropping cures IV's.

The reason why this is rarely discussed is because it's normally only beneficial in a handful of situations. Yes, in a low-manning HNM situation, or any HNM situation where you're using the best possible strategy (i.e., limiting TP and/or using proper support in each party) Cure-swaps is the best way to get hate. Unfortunately, for 99% of end-game PLDs, Cure-swaps are entirely unnecessary because they're doing events in which min/maxing isn't required. For example, the average PLD is going to be doing Limbus, Dynamis, ZNMs, Einherjar (but probably on a DD job, unless it's Odin), sky/sea, and so on. There will always be people to cure in those situations, so cheating damage on yourself is rarely the most efficient decision. Very few PLDs, picked at random, are going to be fighting Sandworm bosses, Tiamat, Khimaira and the like.

Yes, if you're in an end-game linkshell that often does HNM content (especially with lower numbers), you should invest in a Cure-cheat gearset and macro. It is extremely helpful in those situations.

[Yarko]

if you're looking for best efficiency

use PLD for Cerb and Faf (if you don't DD tank it) with haste/acc gear during tp phase, enmity for aton/sent/ramp, haste/enmity for flash, MDT or fire+ for GoH, phys/shield skill+ for oshit etc...

for everything else, use RDM/NIN

[Tulun]

Wouldn't PDT be better in the idle set? (At least Darksteel+1 hands and Subligar). Both aren't too expensive at least on my server, and 5-6% dmg reduction should do way more than Valor hands + IR legs, no?

[Mojo]

About the idle set - Would it be best to not idle in any enmity+ at all? If I'm wrong maybe someone can correct me, but doesn't the enmity you lose from taking damage go up with Enmity+ gear?

In regards to Koenig vs Terror, I thought Terror Shield was a tower shield. According to wiki, it's a a kite shield (which would explain why some people use it.)

[Raen Ryong]

Enmity +/- only affects actions you take; nothing else. There's no harm in idling it... it just does nothing for you (a tiny bit if you melee).

[Tsuko_Asura]

if you're looking for best efficiency

use PLD for Cerb and Faf (if you don't DD tank it) with haste/acc gear during tp phase, enmity for aton/sent/ramp, haste/enmity for flash, MDT or fire+ for GoH, phys/shield skill+ for oshit etc...

for everything else, use RDM/NIN

Not that I really think this is the thread for it(given that its specifically about optimizing paladin), but neither of the two really belong on most targets. RDM/NIN for things that simply can't be effectively damaged(DI, etc.), DRK/NIN for moderately dangerous things that can be damaged(Tiamat, etc.), WAR or SAM for shit so stupidly easy that an EXP party could kill it(Faf, etc.)

[thetruepandagod]

for everything else, use RDM/NIN

Just curious ive seen the ss's of you tanking cerb/di and was impressed, do you have any from tanking khim with something other then smn onry dd?

[Eanae]

Shadow-casting: http://www.ffxiah.com/item_sets.php?id=141219

This should be used for casting Ni and Ichi (Coselete will likely have Fast Cast and Enmity options). Obviously if you have the right support you can drop some of your Haste gear since there's a cap on recast, and in that case, it is best to substitute Shield gear in the feet and/or head slot in case you need to block an attack. This set can also be used for Flash, but with more Enmity gear substituted in for the shield gear in the place of the Boxer's Mantle (Cerberus Mantle, Toreador's Cape, Valor Cape), Buckler Earring (Hades Earring +1), and Shield Torque (Ritter Gorget).

Why bomb queen ring over blitz ring?

[Dramafinderftw]

PLD Cure4 cheat
It costs like 150k.
I get 390HP back which takes me all the back to 100%

<set name="CureCheat">
<head>remove</head>
<neck>Morgana's Choker</neck>
<body>remove</body>
<hands>remove</hands>
<lring>Ether Ring</lring>
<rring>Astral Ring</rring>
<back>Settler's Cape</back>
<waist>remove</waist>
<legs>remove</legs>
<feet>remove</feet>
<lear>Ethereal Earring</lear>
<rear>Loquac. Earring</rear>
</set>

After gear has swapped ( the cureing macro itself )

<set name="Cure">
<neck>Ritter Gorget</neck>
<lear>Hospitaler Earring</lear>
<rear>Cassie Earring</rear>
<lring>Bomb Queen Ring</lring>
<rring>Hercules' Ring</rring>
<back>Cerberus Mantle</back>
<waist>Warwolf Belt</waist>
<body>Nuevo Coselete</body>
<feet>Homam Gambieras</feet>
<head>Aegishjalmr</head>
<hands>Homam Manopolas</hands>
<legs>Homam Cosciales</legs>
<waist>Swift Belt</waist>
</set>

[Raen Ryong]

<set name="Cure">
<neck>Ritter Gorget</neck>
<lear>Hospitaler Earring</lear>
<rear>Cassie Earring</rear>
<lring>Bomb Queen Ring</lring>
<rring>Hercules' Ring</rring>
<back>Cerberus Mantle</back>
<waist>Warwolf Belt</waist>
<body>Nuevo Coselete</body>
<feet>Homam Gambieras</feet>
<head>Aegishjalmr</head>
<hands>Homam Manopolas</hands>
<legs>Homam Cosciales</legs>
<waist>Swift Belt</waist>
</set>

Is it just me or do you accidentally have two belts in there?

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e5...self-cure4.png

Mine!

[Eanae]

Astral Rope is pretty cheep for some extra -hp. I also wouldn't use Aegishjalmr on Cure IV. The loss of hp cured pretty much negates it's effects. It only takes out 1hp of cure III, but 6-7 out of cure IV.

Mine:

exec pldnin_tank.txt
input /ma "Cure IV" <me>;
pause 0.5;
input /equip head "Valor Coronet";
input /equip neck "Morgana's Choker";
input /equip back "Settler's Cape";
input /equip waist "Astral Rope";
input /equip ear1 ;
input /equip ear2 "Astral Earring";
input /equip ring2 "Serket Ring";
input /equip ring1 "Ether Ring";
pause 1.5;
input /equip body "Iron Ram Hauberk";
input /equip neck "Ritter Gorget";
input /equip legs "Iron Ram Hose";
input /equip waist "Trance Belt";
input /equip ring2 "Bomb queen Ring";
input /equip ring1 "Hercules' Ring";
input /equip back "Gigant Mantle";
input /equip ear1 "Cassie Earring";
input /equip ear2 "Hospitaler Earring";
input /echo === Paladin Cure IV HP gear (395 Cured) ===;
pause 4;
exec pldnin_tank.txt;

I might be able to swap some gear around to be able to use Valor Cape instead of Gigant Mantle, but I'm pretty content with it. 395 hp cured.

[Dramafinderftw]

Is it just me or do you accidentally have two belts in there?

hah, thanks never noticed that lol

[Callisto]

Guess I'll toss this here instead of What's Better since I was going to ask anyways, I currently use Buckler/Loq for Ichi, would Knightly be worth picking up over the Buckler?

edit: to clarify, I mean the SIR-9%/Bash+whatever one, not the DM reward

[Nameless]

If you invest more, stuff like serket ring, astral earring etc, you can actually replace homam hand, leg, and feet for more enmity, but that's really hardcore stuff.