[Guide] Paladin Tanking Compendium (Last update 11/13/13)

[Tiernin]

Valor head and CT gloves would be good. As far as coil goes. I don't know if this is a know glitch or just something wrong with my copy. Apparently coil doesn't drop tank items anymore. Tested multiple times and having seen anything. Thinking I should make a post to SE about it...... FML

Second question. What is min HP for T5?

[Ratatapa]

Valor head and CT gloves would be good. As far as coil goes. I don't know if this is a know glitch or just something wrong with my copy. Apparently coil doesn't drop tank items anymore. Tested multiple times and having seen anything. Thinking I should make a post to SE about it...... FML

Second question. What is min HP for T5?

Not true, got allagan legs and Bracelet this week

[Avarice]

Second question. What is min HP for T5?

6000HP is a healthy number for Death Sentence, though it can still be close at times depending on how well you manage your cooldowns.

Not true, got allagan legs and Bracelet this week

I think he was being sarcastic and just complaining about RNG.

[Tiernin]

I think he was being sarcastic and just complaining about RNG.

Yup

[Sylvrdragon]

So sad tonight...

I got into a T1 PUG because my schedule sucks and I miss my FC runs. I end up tanking on my full DL+Zenith PLD, which means that I need absolutely anything that could drop except for the Shield. It took a few attempts to finally down it simply because every group does it slightly different, and a lot of people aren't on the same page right at the start. Eventually get it down though, and tank body AND wrists drop. One of the healers was from my FC, and when the drops hit the pool, I was very excited because the other tank had Valor Body. I roll need on the Allagan body and begin to discuss whether I should pass the bracelet to the other guy since it appeared that PLD was his main (mine is WHM). Mid-sentence, the body roll resolves... and it goes to the other tank.... That's right, he rolled on the Allagan body despite already having Valor, which is the better piece, while I was in Darklight. Dumbfounded, I roll on the Bracelet... and lose it, because he rolled Need on that too. To add insult to injury, I had higher HP than he did despite his better gear because he spec'd 30 STR instead of VIT.

Thankfully, I switched to WHM for T2 to cheese through it with the enrage strat, and ended up winning Caster Hands for my BLM on a greed roll.

Oh, and on the way to ADS, the tank (same one from the T1) died about 4 times, twice from Repelling Cannons with 8 stacks, and twice to double Firestorm on the 3rd node. He also managed to die on ADS himself during the 1 click that we actually had to fight.

While there was certainly some amount of mad involved, I was mostly just dumbfounded, and somewhat depressed at the state of humanity.

[Tiernin]

So sad tonight...

I got into a T1 PUG because my schedule sucks and I miss my FC runs. I end up tanking on my full DL+Zenith PLD, which means that I need absolutely anything that could drop except for the Shield. It took a few attempts to finally down it simply because every group does it slightly different, and a lot of people aren't on the same page right at the start. Eventually get it down though, and tank body AND wrists drop. One of the healers was from my FC, and when the drops hit the pool, I was very excited because the other tank had Valor Body. I roll need on the Allagan body and begin to discuss whether I should pass the bracelet to the other guy since it appeared that PLD was his main (mine is WHM). Mid-sentence, the body roll resolves... and it goes to the other tank.... That's right, he rolled on the Allagan body despite already having Valor, which is the better piece, while I was in Darklight. Dumbfounded, I roll on the Bracelet... and lose it, because he rolled Need on that too. To add insult to injury, I had higher HP than he did despite his better gear because he spec'd 30 STR instead of VIT.

Thankfully, I switched to WHM for T2 to cheese through it with the enrage strat, and ended up winning Caster Hands for my BLM on a greed roll.

Oh, and on the way to ADS, the tank (same one from the T1) died about 4 times, twice from Repelling Cannons with 8 stacks, and twice to double Firestorm on the 3rd node. He also managed to die on ADS himself during the 1 click that we actually had to fight.

While there was certainly some amount of mad involved, I was mostly just dumbfounded, and somewhat depressed at the state of humanity.

Yeah that is pretty bad luck on the rolls. But I can't say i wouldn't do the same thing in a pug group. If drops were not discussed before hand then i would assume it would be free NEED on everything. Always best to discuss drops before opening chest. Then at least you would know what to expect.

[The Stig]

My gripe with rolls is I don't mind if I lose, but if I roll a 97 and someone beats me with 99, then I'd be depressed. [and also on all spectrums, if I roll 53 and someone beats me with 56]

I prefer my losses to be curbstomped (at least 20)

[Sylvrdragon]

Yeah that is pretty bad luck on the rolls. But I can't say i wouldn't do the same thing in a pug group. If drops were not discussed before hand then i would assume it would be free NEED on everything. Always best to discuss drops before opening chest. Then at least you would know what to expect.

If he'd actually needed the piece, then I wouldn't have given it a second thought. The only problem I have is that he already had Valor body, which is the better piece. He rolled Need on a downgrade that he is probably going to throw away, or put on a retainer and forget about when the other tank (in this case me, but I would probably feel the same even if the other tank had been a complete stranger) could have legitimately used it. You're saying you would take something you absolutely didn't need just because the Need button is lit up, and just because it's a PUG? That's a pretty scumbag move. I don't hate the guy that did it, because his comments afterward suggest that he hadn't thought it through, and his performance in T2 raise the possibility that he might have just been an idiot, but if you would do something like that knowingly, then you're a fucking asshole.

[gaogaostegosaurus]

If he'd actually needed the piece, then I wouldn't have given it a second thought. The only problem I have is that he already had Valor body, which is the better piece. He rolled Need on a downgrade that he is probably going to throw away, or put on a retainer and forget about when the other tank (in this case me, but I would probably feel the same even if the other tank had been a complete stranger) could have legitimately used it. You're saying you would take something you absolutely didn't need just because the Need button is lit up, and just because it's a PUG? That's a pretty scumbag move. I don't hate the guy that did it, because his comments afterward suggest that he hadn't thought it through, and his performance in T2 raise the possibility that he might have just been an idiot, but if you would do something like that knowingly, then you're a fucking asshole.

I'd roll on it just to have more options for reaching accuracy thresholds.

ESPECIALLY if my other tank is some random person who feels that they are more entitled to gear because they have spent less Mythology on the job than I have.

[Eurlin]

8 Stacks is your fault because you should be spamming SS to help avoid that happening. Your main isn't even PLD so I probably would've rolled NEED on that too for a few reasons. I could use it on my WAR, I could possibly need the Acc for T5 or just in general if his HP is lower than your DL set than that tells me he's still around looking for quite a few upgrades. You're a complete stranger in a PUG group, so why would I let some guy who didn't invest much Myth and has a difference main take something I -might- need or could use because he's lower geared

[Eanae]

Stacks from the adds on the way to ADS literally don't matter. Could probably have 20 stacks and not die with competent healers.

[Raldo]

8 Stacks is your fault because you should be spamming SS to help avoid that happening.

You can't avoid stacks by taking zero damage anymore, if that's what you're implying.
Apparently, you can. I guess that's what I get for spouting second-hand info.

[Avarice]

You can't avoid stacks by taking zero damage anymore, if that's what you're implying.

You never could; it wasn't a global thing, it was a mob-specific thing.

Being in front of ADS (standing by or near whoever is tanking) got you stacks of Vulnerability Up, even if it never hit you. Likewise, on Titan EX, when you get hit by Mountain Buster, even if it does 0 damage, your stacks will increase. However, on Ifrit, if Incinerate hits for 0, stacks do not increase.

[layoneil]

If he'd actually needed the piece, then I wouldn't have given it a second thought. The only problem I have is that he already had Valor body, which is the better piece. He rolled Need on a downgrade that he is probably going to throw away, or put on a retainer and forget about when the other tank (in this case me, but I would probably feel the same even if the other tank had been a complete stranger) could have legitimately used it. You're saying you would take something you absolutely didn't need just because the Need button is lit up, and just because it's a PUG? That's a pretty scumbag move. I don't hate the guy that did it, because his comments afterward suggest that he hadn't thought it through, and his performance in T2 raise the possibility that he might have just been an idiot, but if you would do something like that knowingly, then you're a fucking asshole.

it's a PUG and Allagan can be used on Warrior. don't see a problem.

[Manako]

When I do Turn 2 on whm I spam stoneskin -- it does prevent the stacks from going up. Someone said they fixed it a few weeks ago but I tried and was still able to do it, although it feels a bit harder to manage. I'd rather spam stoneskin on whm than worry about cure II spam not hitting the tank in time, so thats why I do it -- I switch to heal mode if he gets 4 stacks. Problem typically is that the bards aren't using ballad when I run low on mp, so either I run out and can't cast stoneskin or popping SoS messes with the rhythm and the tank gains too many.

[Seravi Edalborez]

Yeah I've definitely stopped trash nodes in Turn 2 from building stacks with Stoneskin. Post-2.1

[Wulfgang]

Sounds stupid, but is there any set general strategy for buff usage / spacing? My PLD is steadily climbing the iLVL ranks and I'll eventually be venturing into coil / X Primals. Thus far, I've just done CT and other easy runs; I generally just try to stagger so I have either something up or something about to come up as much as possible, but it's not exactly a precise science (not sure it needs to be either).

[Jem]

it's a PUG and Allagan can be used on Warrior. don't see a problem.

Really the only issue is that they didn't agree to take 1 item each but PUGs are always going to be full of people like that. I had a PUG run a few weeks back where I passed Tank body for someone on T1 because they were using HDL (I only wanted it for WAR which isn't 50, I have Valor for PLD). The same person then turns around and lots BRD neck over me 30 mins later on Turn 4 for the BRD they admitted they never use when my is semi-decently geared (i79) and I use it all the time.

Basically it doesn't pay to be a nice guy in PUGs so people won't be. It's a shitty cycle where a few people act selfishly so other people do the same because they don't know/trust how the rest of the PUGs will act.

[Eurlin]

Sounds stupid, but is there any set general strategy for buff usage / spacing? My PLD is steadily climbing the iLVL ranks and I'll eventually be venturing into coil / X Primals. Thus far, I've just done CT and other easy runs; I generally just try to stagger so I have either something up or something about to come up as much as possible, but it's not exactly a precise science (not sure it needs to be either).

For T1 Coil I generally just save my buffs for 3 stacks and higher, you'll usually get hit with Eye for an Eye at 3 stacks and you can just start with Foresight > Rampart > Sentinel > Bulwark and/or Convalescence > Awareness+Bloodbath > Hallowed Ground. IF you spread them out a few seconds or not is up to you. Honestly you shouldn't even get past Bulwark before one of the snakes will die so you'll be fine by then.

T2 I just pop a CD as I tank saving HG and Sentinel for oh shit moments, you'll be able to pop Foresight, or Rampart when it's your turn, feel free to pop Convalescence at high stacks. even if you're not tanking it'll help when you swap and forget to hop out of repelling cannon.

T4 is a process pending on gear, most people save everything for the 2 naughts section. you can use rampart and foresight early in the fight if you need something for the first dreadnaught and stuff.

Garuda X, IF you're Main tanking, Garuda and Suprana will hit you with a double wicked wheel. this can one shot you so you'll need a buff there. Strong DPS groups will cause Garuda and Suprana to jump before they use Wicked wheel, so you can just pop one when they land. other than that phase of the fight you don't need to buff. Rampart/Foresight will always be up, you can use Sentinel if you're worried or a healers low.

Titan X - IF you have 5 strong, and I mean STRONG DPS players you can solo tank Titan X up to 7 stacks with a little luck and well timed Flash/buffs. usually I just flash the 3rd buster and eat the first 3 unbuffed. you should hit maybe 4 stacks preheart, so only pop Rampart/foreisght for the 4th buster.after that you'll enter heart phase you'll get your buffs back and be at 0. my general process is Rampart/Foresight again because Adds and buster coming, DPS kill adds rotate Titan and start the buffs after 3. Eye for an eye for the 4th Bulwark > 5th Foresight+Awareness+Rampart > Sentinel(should be with the Adds) > Hallowed Ground > you'll probably die for the insane amount of damage you'll be taking per hit now too. With all that said the extra DPS -shouldn't- take you to a second rotation, hell you should barely be finishing one rotation.

IF you double tank, it's a simple pop of cooldowns during busters thing. whatevers up.

Edit: Also Tempered will for Adds because bad luck can put you in a pickle with all those landslides lol

[Avarice]

with a little luck and well timed Flash/buffs.

I've never seen Blind/Flash make Mountain Buster miss in Extreme (see it all the time in Hard though); maybe I'm just getting shitty RNG though.