Aegis > RUN

[Yinnyth]

If you're talking about Aegis PLD's ability to withstand more damage, then you're correct. But I think what RUN brings to the table is the unique ability to both withstand a certain amount of magical damage, as well as dish out it's fair share. RUN (imo) has many more tricks to generate enmity than PLD. I think RUN isn't meant to be the sort of 18-person tank that PLD can be, but I think in 6-person content, RUN is a suitable tank that can also deal a fair share of damage.

Perhaps some day, that will be the case, but RUN's damage is sadly as lack-luster as their ability to tank. True, it does slightly better damage than PLD, but RUN's biggest calling right now is abyssea where a large number of the NMs use only 1 element of damage. RUN still lacks barlight and bardark for a number of these enemies, and even with over 300 resist to an element, these enemies still seem to have no difficulty landing status effects on a RUN. And RUN currently has nothing to gain from abyssea.

So yeah, RUN has a long ways to go.

[SpankWustler]

At the moment, Rune Fencer is basically another job in FFXI's utility melee pile. Rune Fencer has a bunch of a magic damage mitigation abilities, but the job still can't tank anything that any other competent melee with competent support couldn't tank.

Merits and JSE will definitely help a trait and ability dependent job like Rune Fencer climb over a few Puppetmasters or Dancers in that pile, but I'll be shocked if those are all the job needs to climb out entirely.

Of course, nearly the same thing could be said about a Paladin without an Aegis or Ochain. If Paladin's progression is the standard for a job meant to tank from day one, there's a very real possibility that the lion's share of Rune Fencer's defensive ability will come from the job's Mythic weapon.

Doesn't rambling on and on about what job is useless get old...

Yes. That's one of the many reasons it be nice if nearly useless jobs were made a bit more useful.

[Yinnyth]

Of course, nearly the same thing could be said about a Paladin without an Aegis or Ochain. If Paladin's progression is the standard for a job meant to tank from day one, there's a very real possibility that the lion's share of Rune Fencer's defensive ability will come from the job's Mythic weapon.

I do hope you're wrong about that. Not only are the mythics substantially more difficult to obtain than relics or empyreans, but a RUN's damage potential and ability to hold hate are tied directly to the base damage of their weapon. Since the game is going into vertical progression and it has been mentioned that this coming RME update will be the last, it won't be long before RUN's mythic would hurt them more than help them.

[Calamity]

I do hope you're wrong about that. Not only are the mythics substantially more difficult to obtain than relics or empyreans, but a RUN's damage potential and ability to hold hate are tied directly to the base damage of their weapon. Since the game is going into vertical progression and it has been mentioned that this coming RME update will be the last, it won't be long before RUN's mythic would hurt them more than help them.

Well, it may not be as hard as a current mythic. Just because they dubbed it a "mythic" doesn't mean it will be made in exactly the same fashion as previous mythics. In fact, I would bet it has an entirely new quest based in adoulin, very likely requiring large ammounts of bayld and plasm and nakuul kills and so forth. I think the term "mythic" was just used to imply that it would be a job specific weapon custom tailored for run (or geo).

I really don't believe that they'll manage to fix run up to be a tank, even when all's said and done. I feel like in the end, it will likely be adjusted to be what it is now, a support DD. Just a better and effective support DD. It is really hard to tell where run will be when all is said and done. They are still such a new and very unfinished job. I just know I'll be watching closely. One day it might be one of those jobs you find at least one of in each alliance.