Well, so far, so great.

[X Launcher]

I started my Ninja around a month ago and now I'm Lv 28. I really love what I do and I'm having great success tanking with just Ichi. I thought I could check in here and get some feedback on my technique development. You know, see if I'm on the right track to having people "only dare whisper my name." ...All right, so I have delusions of grandeur. Sue me.

First, my equipment.

Main: Fukuro
Sub: Archer's Knife
Ranged: None
Ammo: Shurikens (looking to upgrade to Juji when I get some gil)
Head: Emperor's Hairpin
Neck: Spike Necklace
Ears: Mythril Earrings
Body: Chainmail (I keep the body slot for sheer vanity. A Windurstian Gi would be better I realize, but Chainmail just looks so cool)
Hands: Windurstian Tekko
Rings: Reflex and Courage
Back: Traveler's Mantle
Waist: Warrior's Belt
Legs: Bastokan Subligar
Feet: Leaping Boots

Being a Mithra, I figured I shouldn't splurge too much on Agi and should put something into Str. Yet, I did anyway. Go figure. I heard that my feet should be upgraded to Fuma Kyahans when I hit Lv 39. Is Haste +3% really that good?

Anyway, on to what I actually do in battle. I usually pull so I throw the enemy a voke a few feet before I hit camp to get things rolling. Then I engage and begin casting Kurayami. Then I'll throw a shuriken. If it misses, I'll throw another. Whether that one hits or not, I'll start casting Hojo if the WHM hasn't already cast Slow. From there on in, it's pretty simple. Throw more shurikens, cast Utsusemi when my last image is about to get eaten and kindly remind the BLM that hate is really hard to keep if he chaincasts.

My problem is that sometimes, it just doesn't seem like there's enough time to do everything I need to do. This usually happens at the beginning of battle when the enemy gets a double attack off or something and I have to start casting Utsusemi right off the bat. Then I have to forgo Hojo, which compromises my ability to recast Utsusemi when all my images get eaten...geh. I usually manage by spamming shurikens until the thing dies. But that just seems sloppy.

And lastly, my weapon skills. I'm content using Blade: Retsu to paralyze. Because Teki and Rin just suck if you ask me. Still, should I use WSes when they become available or when I have 300% TP?

Well, make with the feedback if you'll please. How do I size up?

[Alexzander]

Grats, You must be pretty good at the Ninja class to have made it that far under a month.

It took me like 3 months to get that far with my Palidan and look where I'm at now.

What type of Jutsus have you collected so far Xaelis? You should have already collected Flame Berage or something already?

[Omni]

looks pretty good so far.

at 29 you should really think about investing in dodge earrings. do anything that will give you evasion. it helps a whole lot when casting ichi.

once you get the Ni ninjutsu, it will buy you more time to do stuff with the decreased cast time.

you should be able to get off a ws each fight. no point in saving till 300 since u should be included in a renkei. you will be getting blade: To soon, its a pretty decent ws and youll be using it for the next 17 lvls ^^.

as far as raw stats go, i feel stacking str or dex is in your best interest. if you can stack stats such as atk, accruacy and evasion, go for those first, then str and dex. try not to spread it out too thin over everything, i prefer to overload on evasion and str/atk. when it comes to landing hits, i have a brd that gives madigral and a rdm that slaps gravity onto the mob.

hope that helps

[Navia]

-Yes 3% haste boots are good for level 39+, if you look at your recast timers on ninjitsu you will see they are reduced by a few seconds wearing fuma khyahan and with haste cast on you, when you get to that level.

On the pull:
As the tank you really shouldnt be pulling, you will lose a shadow or two getting the monster back to the party, drawing your weapons, a more solid way to get a head start on hate is:

-Have someone else pull, move ahead of the party about 15feet or so, and watch the puller. The point in moving slightly ahead is that it allows you to watch the puller's path of return for any possible links (and announce anything that spawns between the puller and the party that could be a threat), or provoke off the puller if the monster they pull catches up to them and gives them a beating on their run back.
When the pull is initiated, draw your weapons on the target as soon as it gets close enough. Immediately after that, start casting your blind ninjitsu, since you are ahead of the intended pull spot slightly, the puller should continue running *past* you to the fight spot.
With proper timing your blind will land on the target, you run a few steps back towards the designated fighting spot with your weapons hitting the monster in the process dragging it into the proper spot for other melees to encircle, then provoking almost simultaneously.

It doesn't appear to be that much better at first glance, but if done properly you will have your target blinded, hit twice with your weapons, provoked and casting your next ninjitsu before other party members have moved into position or done anything to build hate.

-Weaponskills
Participate in the skillchain to help you build hate, but a good idea when not part of the skillchain is to reserve 100%tp and use blade:retsu as part of your opener on the pull (blind,2katana hits,voke,blade:retsu) to get a large hate lead if you have 2 other pt members starting a skillchain very early. You should have faster tp gain than other pt members so you can 'reserve' a weaponskill to help you get hate back should it shift to someone else.