Re-started Gladiator, so lost.

[Basttrax]

Hey all,

I just subscribed to the game after a long absence. Everything has changed! I'm trying to get a hold of what abilities to use and what buffs to use before I go to battle.

I have a level 33 Gladiator and would love some advice on combo's i should use and any advice you might have.

Thanks!

Basttrax

[Forerunner]

All combos.

You'll get four.

Fast Blade (Frontal) -> Savage Blade -> Goring Blade (Behind for DoT effect)

Fast Blade (Frontal) -> Flat Blade (Gives enmity+)

Riot Blade (Behind) -> Rage of Halone

Blocked an attack? -> Phalanx -> Spirits Within (Gives enmity+ effect, PLD only)

More tips -> Shield bash is godly. Provoke from Marauder is mandatory.

Have fun with GLD/PLD!

Buffs - where to use them.

Aegis Boon -> Cures for about 703 (Max) and blocks a hit for the full amount of damage, even at Ifrit/Garuda/etc. Opens up Phalanx and Wardrum.

Divine Veil (PLD only) - Gives you 20 seconds of 100% blockrate, and cure/cura gives a secondary regen effect to everyone around you but you.

Cover (PLD only) - Gives 15 seconds of redirected hits from a party member to you, within 8 yalms (in-game 'yards') Useful for when someone grabs hate and you need to continue being hit isntead of them while you get hate back.

Stoneskin - Grants a defensive shield equivalant to having bonus invisible HP. Cycle this out with your CNJ/WHMs so you don't accidentally overwrite theirs, and they don't overwrite yours.

Bloodbath (maybe, there can be better things to slot in) Buff it before Riot Blade, Goring Blade or Spirits Within for a tasty HP regain on your heavy hitting weapon skills.

Sentinel - Reduces damage dealt to you by a %, useful for Primals 'Astral Flow/"2 hour"/Potential OHKO!' move. Grants enmity+ effect to certain actions.

Rampart - Grants a Defense+ to you, and party members within a short distance. Has an small enmity boost.

Outmaneuver - Gives BlockRate+ and TP gain for blocked hits, and later on you get a MP regain for blocked hits too.

[Denmo]

Find a light party and get practice being the tank while leve linking. Seriously. Soloing GLA/PLD is the pits.

Try your hardest to keep mob hate off of your fellow party members. It will take every ability the GLA/PLD has at his disposal, especially at your level, but if you get good at it now before 50, it'll become a rhythm to you. In most endgame situations, you don't have time to think about what move you should be doing next. It should just come naturally/instinctively.

I always start off a group with a Provoke, and then flash the other mob (unless you have AoE Flash, which comes later). Then I pop Sentinel and Aegis Boon. With Aegis Boon, it will allow me to immediately do War Drum afterwards which is your best AoE hate move for the time being. By now, unless your party's BLM is being overzealous, you should have hate locked in on you. Pop Rampart after your fellow members have done their weapon skills/combos/casts. Cure anyone who needs it. Cure yourself especially, so that CON/WHMs don't have to proc as much hate trying to keep you healed. Second Wind comes in handy if you're GLA. Use Fast Blade -> Flat Blade on the mob you're on to help keep hate up. You should have Flash, Provoke, Sentinel, and Rampart on cooldown at all times during a fight while tanking.

Really, if you're focused on keeping hate, you're doing your job well. GLA/PLD make only decent DDers unless you're equipped out the wazoo with attack+ STR+ and acc+, which you shouldn't need to be.

Tanking stat-wise, the stats you should prioritize are Emnity + -> Mind -> HP+ -> Vitality in that order (this is arguable, but there's other guides stating why and I find this effective for me).