PLD, Suggest a gear upgrade path please

Just did Turn 4 last night, which completely changed my opinion.

If higher weapon damage increases Flash aggro, which I believe it does and Valk's pre-release data pointed towards, then Curtana +1 1st upgrade. Save the myths for it even if you haven't downed Titan yet.

That fight is literally you flashing 75% of the fight and riot blading the other 25% for mana. Not to mention the Soldiers that are immune to physical attacks so the only way to build aggro on them is with Flash. It's also a constant dps race, so there is no dps slowing down so that you can build a lead. I don't care if the +1 was only a small increase, I want every increase on that fight that I can get to help with aggro management and mana efficiency.

It's also a blast!

I am almost positive you still get the threat from Halone combo on Soldiers even though they don't take damage from it. When we do T4, I grab a knight/solider combo with a double flash between them, and then start halone combo on the Soldier. Depending on the healers threat, I may use the 2nd Savage Blade on the Knight.

Interestingly enough, I noticed on last nights run that Flash gets reflected by the Soldiers, and you actually take damage from it. I didn't think to get a screenshot of it, but I will definitely get one on next weeks run. Took ~500 and ~700 dmg from Flash 1 and 2 respectively.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lucavern

I am almost positive you still get the threat from Halone combo on Soldiers even though they don't take damage from it.

---

I wonder about that... Unless there's some weird behind-the-scenes enmity calculation that happens despite doing no damage (like you would've done X damage, which would've generated Y enmity points, so have Y enmity points anyway), enmity generation should be strictly based on damage dealt (or points of healing) & enmity modifiers. I've seen on other bosses that when they do something that gives them temporary "invuln" then everything I do that isn't flash has no affect on the enmity bars because all my damage is reduced to 1. I haven't done T4 yet, so I don't know if it's the same kind of invuln as the soldiers (like can you do 1 damage to them or you get that bounce-off invuln message like when mobs outside of dungeons move out of leash range and start running back?).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lucavern

I am almost positive you still get the threat from Halone combo on Soldiers even though they don't take damage from it. When we do T4, I grab a knight/solider combo with a double flash between them, and then start halone combo on the Soldier. Depending on the healers threat, I may use the 2nd Savage Blade on the Knight.

Interestingly enough, I noticed on last nights run that Flash gets reflected by the Soldiers, and you actually take damage from it. I didn't think to get a screenshot of it, but I will definitely get one on next weeks run. Took ~500 and ~700 dmg from Flash 1 and 2 respectively.

---

Cool, I'll try that out next time. I was primarily trying to figure out where stuff spawned and get the waves memorized, so when I saw 0 damage I assumed I wasn't building any threat. It was working holding him with flash though, I was just mana starved most of the time and then trying to build up enough mana for the next wave where I got to spam flash again.

It would kind of help also if the soldier/knight buffs were actually translated from what I assume is Japanese. That kept weirding me out when I moused over them.

You still generate enmity on the Soldiers as if you are doing damage.

I am not positive but I've always assumed it was because their shield is similar to the effect of Stoneskin in that you are still doing damage, just not to the mobs HP.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dark494

I wonder about that... Unless there's some weird behind-the-scenes enmity calculation that happens despite doing no damage (like you would've done X damage, which would've generated Y enmity points, so have Y enmity points anyway), enmity generation should be strictly based on damage dealt (or points of healing) & enmity modifiers. I've seen on other bosses that when they do something that gives them temporary "invuln" then everything I do that isn't flash has no affect on the enmity bars because all my damage is reduced to 1. I haven't done T4 yet, so I don't know if it's the same kind of invuln as the soldiers (like can you do 1 damage to them or you get that bounce-off invuln message like when mobs outside of dungeons move out of leash range and start running back?).

---

Thinking back on it I believe it's actually a damage absorbtion shield, like stoneskin, which would make sense that you would still build enmity. As opposed to a damage reduction like the 2nd to last boss in CM or the Eye boss in Darkhold? I'll try it out, if I hit it with a full RoH combo I should be able to tell, I think the over all chaos of the fight may have been sticking me on Flash tunnel vision. Flash works though! Lots and lots of Flash!

While I have not down t4 yet I have no problem holding threat as a warrior on the knight/soldier with one flash and doing reg threat combo. So flash spam does not matter at that part of the fight

That was my thought as well Jahaudant. I know we've seen their shield effect drop before and melee were able to assist in finishing burning. This happened on our first few attempts while still learning positioning. Not sure if that was from dmg dealt, or time.

Seems they have already accepted the Flash dmg bug. See: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...flecting-Flash for combat log showing dmg being taken from flash.

You want to get the Hero ring & +1 your Curtana and Shield first. Valor Surcoat is a huge waste. Allagan body drops in T1. Get the Coronet next as it drops from T5.

My path was full DL and myth used for relic +1 (sword and shield). You don't "need" it right away but if you are doing coil it helps a ton on turn 4. Also once your dps starts to get decked out as mine are you wouldn't hold their threat without it. Then I went to AF2 gloves and Hero's ring while saving up myth to see what drop's first in coil, body or boots. Either one of those drop and I will get the af2 off piece.