Zalera Server Need Help Please!!!!!

I Just started playing FFXIV I came over from WOW, I have gotten my paladin up to level 50. I have ran a few dungeons and I have a very small FC I made with some friends and Family. But the last three story line Dungeons are Raids that are on Farm with the bigger FC's, I have done ok solo tanking but dual tanking was tough in WOW with out talking. I know to get the mobs attention and I got to 50 which just means I am good at grinding xp. I know FC's like EVIL and THOR have great tanks and I notice we have a shortage on this server. But I need some advice and some help. If a few tanks could give me some pointers on rotations and such that would be great. I want to learn how it's done here and the best way is to ask?
Any advice from Zalera tanks would be helpful?
Signed Sainted Blade

Welcome fellow free-PLD! :D

The three duties you're referring to are actually your first taste of an 8-player 'full party' which naturally require a slightly different paradigm - usually duties with 8-player parties require two tanks instead of one, one delegate 'main tank' who is exactly what it says on the tin, and one an 'off tank' who is more a back-up in case the main tank incapacitated and will usually pick up adds that may appear while the main tank holds the main target, and also acts more as an extra melee DPS - accordingly when you're off-tanking if you're a PLD putting yourself into Sword Oath can be very useful as that way you're less likely to pull hate from the main tank which you might not be strong enough to handle.

Who is delegated main and off tank is usually decided at the start of the battle, but normally it's whoever has the highest HP and the highest ilevel gear who goes main tank, but there can be exceptions. Off-tanking is thus less stressful than main-tanking, as you're acting like a pseudo-melee fighter and just normally let the main tank direct the battle, and this can be helpful for those still learning the ropes so to speak.

As for rotations, just do what you've been doing for tanking up til that point in your career as a GLA/PLD - your weaponskill combo (Fast Blade/Savage Blade/Rage of Halone) with Spirits Within and Circle of Scorn, popping Fight or Flight when available. Basically, just spam damage on the enemy, making sure to keep an eye on your enmity levels that they are below the main tank - if you're delegated off-tank don't bother Flashing or using Provoke unless the main tank dies or they're not fast enough pulling hate off the healers/DDs - naturally if additional enemies appear ('adds') use Shield Lob and Flash in those situations to get their hate onto you so that the main tank can hold the attention of the main target, quickly switching to Shield Oath to help (just don't forget to pop back into Sword Oath once the adds are dead ;)). If you find yourself taking damage, use Rampart or the MRD's Foresight crossclassed. Depending on the fight you might also be asked to stun with Shield Bash in order to interrupt an attack, but most likely you shouldn't have to bother with this.

Really, the only adjustment to tanking in the last three dungeons is just the changed circumstances to party dynamics with the larger party and the second tank - your rotations don't need to change that much from what you've been using (or should have been using) through the whole game up to that point. :) And it should go without saying to make sure you avoid ground AoE fields - a lot of AoE attacks by that point hit hard, even more so if you're off-tanking and don't have the extra defense of Shield Oath up.

Hopefully this hasn't been too confusing - I'm sure there are other fellow meat shields tanks out there who can add further to this or point out any mistakes I've made.

its not just ur server, sainted. Its MOST servers. most of what enkidoh said is perfect. Only thing I would tweak is that off-tanking is a lil more stressful as you are focusing on the battle as a whole, not just the boss. Flipping between your oaths (shield when u want more aggro/damage redux; sword when you are helping to dps the boss in your \\'down time\\'), checking for add spawn, etc. Little stuff like saving circle of scorn until you need to pick up adds, using cover on the main tank and then popping hallowed ground to mitigate ALL physical damage for both of you (right before the table flip titan does, for example) are just fun things you can do to make healers\\' lives easier.
all in all, as long as the healer only has to heal YOU ur keeping aggro. If youre keeping enemies facing away from the party they dont have to dodge as much. And if you sidestep aoes, your healer wont have a stroke. At that point you are ok, and everything else is finesse. good luck to you!