BiS Shield

[LevyLilium]

It's true, I don't use it on Ravensbeak.

Try it on bahamut claw, on 5 hit it work perfectly.

[SirTaint]

Never need bulwark during phase 4. Claw isn't dangerous since nothing else is going on.

1st rampart
2nd sent
3rd rampart
4th HG

But again if you did need Bulwark noct is not a damage decrease.

2000 damage per claw.
Noct 80%
4 of the 5 will be 6640 damage.

HA 90%
4 of the 5 will be 7520
5 of the 5 will be 6624

Neither scenario will kill a t9 PLD.
And again you would never be in a position of only using Bulwark.

(jealous of your HA luck btw....16 weeks now and still missing 4 pieces)

[LevyLilium]

It's not needed, neither than any other skill. It's just a good help to have a Bulwark as good as a sentinel.

I do the same exept for the 4th where I use Bulwark, and use my HG on P3 since i'm solo-tanking.

And it's not luck, i'm stilling missing the ring T_T

[SirTaint]

It's not needed, neither than any other skill. It's just a good help to have a Bulwark as good as a sentinel.

I do the same exept for the 4th where I use Bulwark, and use my HG on P3 since i'm solo-tanking.

And it's not luck, i'm stilling missing the ring T_T

I solo tank as well but I don't use any big CDs during phase3. As long as the caster LB goes off fast there is only a single spike in damage.

I find it ironic that during coil1 endgame tanks were justifying bucklers for twintania and now for Nael it's towers.

[LevyLilium]

Well on COIL1 it didn't mattered that much since both were i90, and not i110-i115.

And I wouldn't consider taking it for Twintania, as you said to tank one big hit the HA one is better.

[givemeraptors]

Beak hits for 7638
HA block would hit for 5270
Noct Block would hit for 4430

Neither will make any difference for your mages and that's the hardest hitting single attack in the game.

>.> I would definitely notice that difference...

[SirTaint]

>.> I would definitely notice that difference...

That's the extreme since you'll more then likely have additional buffs up. SS/Aldo/another CD.

Mages will be precasting cures which typically lead to over cures. Mages have to plan for the unblocked or parried attack. (Esp if the rate is lower)

A good healer team won't notice 800hp difference the fairy alone will take care of that.

[saeedaisspecial]

Tower shields actually tend to be the best in terms of total damage reduced over a period of time.
Parry rate is inversely proportional to block rate, so if you have a high block rate, your parry rate is lower.
Take a look at this JP test on parry/block rates with various shield types.
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/commen...ment_japanese/

[YuriRamona]

HA blocks for 31-32%, Noct blocks for 42% (referenced from above)
Beak hits for 7638
HA block would hit for 5270
Noct Block would hit for 4430

Neither will make any difference for your mages and that's the hardest hitting single attack in the game.

It's not the Ravensbeak that kills you. It's the auto-attack/cleave afterwards (with possible crits) that drops you. Having 800 additional HP could definitely be the difference between life and death. Not to mention if healers derp and fail to top you before Ascent and Dive, both of which can take half of your health.

2000 damage per claw.
Noct 80%
4 of the 5 will be 6640 damage.

HA 90%
4 of the 5 will be 7520
5 of the 5 will be 6624

Neither scenario will kill a t9 PLD.
And again you would never be in a position of only using Bulwark.

I'm not sure where you're pulling the 2000 figure from, but it's certainly a greater range above 2 stacks. Bigger blocks (though rare) can mean that you could live.

[SirTaint]

Snip

No the 800 HP is not needed. PLDs are dropping their VIT in t9 in favor of STR. And your point about the cleave/auto favors a shield with a higher block rate since it happens more then once.

Only my first t9 kill did Nael get more than 2 stacks. But again your point is moot. HA will block more often with and without bulwark. The more swings directed at you the more it will pull ahead. Rampart (that you don't need in phase4) will be up a maximum of one time at on average block 4 of the 5 attacks. (~80% block rate)

Put Noct on retainer. (unless the RNG gods have been unkind with HA)