I mean, I understand why they made PUP use mage gear.....We mainly use the mage automations and our stats conenside with overload, but why do we have to pick our automations over melee?

The general feel I've read is gear based for most jobs and timers...Especially with the melee type jobs like PUP. I've been trying to get Verethragna for my pup, but my automation dies in a few minutes, and now I got 15+ minutes kitting that stupid Heceyes until I can call out again that will not cast only Drain and Aspar if I use the Deus Ex Automata and dies with in seconds when I do. I can solo Shoggoth on RDM and BLM, but the limitations of timers, range of Deploy (You gotta get really super close to use it, and can hardly run out of rage of the spells to save the automation let alone yourself), and the stopping in mid stride to put a maneuver up for the nuke (Though in my macros I put gear changes so I would blink to keep my stride going instead of stopping for the animation of putting up a maneuver), causes me nothing but problems. Even with Atmas, I go into Abyssea to solo, using White head to keep me alive, and take 10+ minutes per mob even though I have great Atmas on (Atma of the Razed Ruins, Atma of the Voracious Violetm and Atma of Cloak and Dagger) I'm still hitting under 100 per swing, if I even manage to make contact...And I'm using Sole Sushi on top of it. I use Enkidu's Harness, Usukane Hizayoroi, Cirque Necklace, Pantin Taj +1, and so on, and I still cant do much damage when I'm trying to melee...Yet I've seen more damage come from my WHM using a club then I can from the Afflictors. Though H2H caps only 20 skill levels below MNK, our Acc, Attack, and defence stinks, and have no choice but to be dependent on enhancements from gear and foods to solve this problem....Yet we are stuck in Mage gear that does not provide enough to off set what we lack...And the AF3 is an improvement, but my WHM can still out damage my PUP. You give WHM Reverend Mail, but PUP does not get anything really decent to even melee in. So yes, I think gear really needs to be looked at. I think Timers should be adjusted for these higher levels we are now at as well. Though we can merit down Activate down to 16 minutes 40 seconds, that is still forever for a pup to stand around swinging at air and cussing up a storm because they cant do anything or damage. Then we use Deus Ex Automata, and if it's Black head, all it does is Aspair and Drain, White head, no MP to even cure it self, and melee frames so close to dead that 1 AOE and it's gone again. If you even pop an Oil +2 you end up with no choice but to sit out and wait for your automation to heal up because the first maneuver you put up after using Deus Ex Automata overloads it. Plus most PUPs want the spells from the Black head that there is no merits left to bring down Activation time to the 16 minutes and 40 seconds, and in my opinion 3 minutes 20 seconds is not worth the 15 merits it takes to even get it there. So yes, I have to agree with everyone that timers and gear, especially with PUP needs to be reworked.

Ok, now really shutting up....I hope.