PLD Questions

[archzai]

Hi all,

I'm new to the PLD job board, but i normally hang around the synthesis or DRG board.

A bit of background,

I'm a Lv. 40 DRG / 30 WAR and a few other random jobs
Rank 5 Bastok

I dont consider myself a new player nor do I consider myself a "seasoned" pro. I find myself more in the middle.

With the chance of TP from WS being screwed over with the new update, I am thinking of changing to PLD or RNG, right now PLD being my top choice. Why? Tanking has always been a second love for me. I originally hated tanking since i died so much with WAR, due to bad parties, but as i neared level 30, i sort of began to love the exhilliration associated with tanking, and knowing im protecting my party. =) Finally, Hume Male in PLD AF simply looks the BEST in the WHOLE game. =)

I got my PLD job yesterday and after a short while of playing have gotten to level 10.

I am willing to use foods starting from a low level (i even used mithkabobs from lvl 1 for most of my melee jobs). I am leveling smithing right now to a high level to get a more stable money source for the more expensive foods that i am more than willing to buy for PLD.

Here are where my questions come in. I've read various posts throughout the boards, and like the Dex vs Accuracy topic that i am all the more familiar with since im accustomed to being a damage dealer melee, my question is whether Stamina Rings are better or Leather Rings +1 which give 2 Def each, which some say 1 DEF = 2 VIT. Thus 2 Def on each rings would give me a hypothetical +8 VIT instead, yet i never see people equip Leather Rings +1.

Necklace, Holy Phial or Spiked Necklace?

Weapon, I read the recent post with the poll about Great Sword or S&S. While i solo i currently use Great Sword for higher dmg output and becuase my sword and shield is capped for the lower levels. I plan to still level my Great Sword as i increase my levels but switch to S&S AS SOON as my Great Sword caps for the level. Is this okay? In addition, I know when training Great Sword, that i will DEFINATELY switch to S&S when fighting mobs such as gobs for shield bash.

Another question is foods, I don't mind dishing out the cash for expensive foods, but what is the most useful for a lower level ie. Valkurm Dunes player? I'm more used to using mithkabobs from Lv. 1 for most of my jobs, but I'm not sure how it works for PLD.

Another question is, is PLD's tanking abilities very obvious as compared to a NIN? And do you PLDs have an easy time getting partys? I've heard PLDs die A LOT, but in all the parties that I make, my tanks normally live and NEVER die.

Finally, I'm sure this must be quite stupid for me asking this, since you guys obviously LOVE PLD , but do you find it exciting and fun? The "cookie cutter" choice of HAVING to Sub WAR doesnt really bother me either since for DRG I'd be subbing WAR till 60 nywayz.

I'll probably have a few more questions but I'm tired right now.

Finally, with abilities, how do you guys space the time for shield bash and sentinel? =)

Thanks.

[Zelld]

honestly the best wya to answer most of your questions is to send you to imac2much's theread here: http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/sho...threadid=31637

the paladin guide has most of hte info if not all of it you are looking for...

and i suppose it is all personal opinion, but i have a blast playing pld.

[Silkiv]

To me pld changes for the better after cure3 and again after flash. Time them right and the enemy focuses on you the whole fight.

[Loial]

Necklace, Holy Phial or Spiked Necklace?

I almost picked up the Holy Phial... but the minor MP gain didn't seem worth it to me... and I'm a Galka. The MND-6 really doesn't affect your cures if your healing skill is capped.

Maybe I just got this strange fantasy that the DEX+3 is actually worthwhile...and helps me hit more often.

how do you guys space the time for shield bash and sentinel? =)

As for the timing of Shield Bash and Sentinel.... if you can't get a good feeling of how much hate other members are gaining, you can space them out in 1:45 intervals or so.

So, if you actually wind up using both in one battle, you can be assured that the refresh timer on one will be up mid-battle.

The other sure-fire way is to space them out 2.5 minutes apart...
Read Rugal's PLD guide... its a must. You'll also come to realize that using Provoke + Sentinel together can be overkill for gaining hate. Don't just use Shield Bash and Sentinel when the timers refresh.

But, later on when you have to fend off Sidewinders and other high-damage attacks, you may want to save your "burst hate" abilities to counteract those. Or you could just Cover to buy you some time

[Claritin]

PLD only die alot in certain areas fighting certain monsters.

For instance Exorays for Genkai 1 kicked my butt alot

Sand Spiders in QuickSand Caves caused me way more deaths than I would like to admit to.

The reason is the GIGANTIC weapon skills. When you have 850 HP and stuff is doing weapon skills for 700+ then following up with a 80 point regular hit... well if you were not 100% full HP to begin with (which WHM should not keep you at 100% so you can self-heal to gain hate) then you are dead.

850 (max HP) - 90 (Cure 2 self-heal buffer) = 760 HP left
700 Weapon skill = 60 HP left
80 point regular hit = 20 points past dead.

Now look at what the WHM need to heal you for if you only too a 600 point weapon skill... 680 HP.

680 HP = 2 back2back Cure IV's

What happens if the WHM casts Cure4 2 times in a row at lvl 50? Dead WHM....

So the WHM decided 1 Cure4 will do... but the spider does a double critical attack and....

*POOF* it's magic the PLD transformed from a Hume to a pool of quivering meat before our very eyes!

The the point of the story is... if someone says "Spiders are good EXP" ask them if they would like to tank them..... then suggest something else. EXP will be good for them because they are not the ones eating death EXP loss every 1-2 hours when a spider gets lucky.

[Loial]

"Spiders are good EXP"

Ugh, tell me about it. I went to Boyahda tree at 52 I think and the very first battle... I got critted, then double attacked, then sickled then double attacked...dead.

They raised me and I went AFK for 5 minutes till the rez effects wore off and the puller wanted to get more. I was like....um... don't you guys realize that maybe we shouldn't be fighting these?

However, we went back at 53 and I only died once since. Spiders are not friendly to PLD. I will say that strangely enough, I seem to evade about 50% of Sickle Slashes and about 75% of Robber Crab "Scissor Strike" or whatever it is called.

Mithra, Taru and Hume are not good PLD choices for fighting big time "special attack" using mobs. But Elvaan and Galka are just at as much risk.