The misery of starting out with GLA

[Scorp6]

Only thing I see missing with your pulls is shield lob. It's the 15 class quest. Start with that as it is a 3x enmity modifier. Then use a couple flashes and savage combo. Split your combo between mobs if multiple. For example, shield lob > flash all a couple times > savage combo Mark 1 > fast blade 1 > savage 2 > fast 1 > savage 3. Keep your eye on the enmity list when you switch targets to see which enemy needs more love. Remember flash doesn't interrupt your combo so you can fast blade > flash > savage blade without losing combo.

[IndigoHawk]

Gladiators are miserable low level tanks, so there's not much you can do except wait it out. And you're right that Flash is one of your better threat generators in that level range but it's not practical even with Riot blade. Flash a couple times, then try to keep something on you.

When paladins are level synced in that range they're pretty bad, too, so it's not like you escape fully. Threat isn't balanced for that level range, and FFXIV doesn't care, been that way forever.

[Rbstr]

The boost we get to DPS from STR isn't much until the later levels, so ATM, IMO, VIT would be more beneficial to you.

No, compared to high-level gear each strength point he gets now is worth substantially more, proportionally. 15 bonus strength is a huge percentage of the strength you have in the level-20/30s. Think about that, 15 strength is a free ilvl 100 accessory worth. The things he can equip now give him 2/3 points each.

[Risvertasashi]

Lots of stuff!

First, thanks for the big response, and thanks to other posters as well. There are a few ideas I can try from all these posts.

In response to Synestr's post in particular, at the time I was too low level to have Rage of Halone. Last night I leveled a bit and now I have RoH, but I didn't get a chance to test it out in a dungeon yet.

[chidarake]

the one thing you have to remember most, is that those low level dungeons are training dungeons.

they are designed for everyone to learn their skills and how to play their classes, this includes tanks.

if you can go in to an instance and hold all the hate in those dungeons (very much doable even against level synced players) then you are getting better / good at your tanking ability. if this is your first time tanking ever and your first class you shouldn't worry to much and just keep practicing and of course asking in the forums for advice.

I found a big part of tanking was knowing how other classes approach different pack sizes, that knowledge came from watching other classes but mainly from levelling them myself.

for instance I actually main blm and so if I get one in a group I don't care because I know exactly how that blm is gonna play even more so at high level, 2-3-4-7 blm bring them on because I only have to hold hate against the highest hate gainer to keep the mobs.

2 melee on dif targets is the harder challenge if you ask me at low level. but in general double flash and a combo on each attacked target is enough to keep those little buggers facing me. then you just do as stated flash and weave combo.

personally I never mark unless something really has to die. I could mark but if you don't then it makes it more unpredictable (assuming dps attacks marked anyways) and the unpredictable part is what will make you a better tank in my opinion.

seriously though don't stress over losing a random enemy or two in those places, it probs wont kill the dps / healer anyways. just do what you can to either get it back or shield bash stun it to give them the time to kill it, and as time goes by you'll find that you will stop having the issues in dungeons because your ability to read the situation at hand increases.

ok enough typing....

[Scorp6]

Rage of Halone definitely helps. It is a 5x damage enmity ability. It keeps that trait combod or not. Combod is of course preferred because of the increased damage though. For example, I have a provoke macro that provokes and tries to halone because it's the highest enmity generating attack regardless of combo. If not in melee range, macro tries shield lob next. This is done this way because provoke matches highest enmity +1 so it will put you on top of the list, but won't keep you there long if you don't build some more threat. It is rough at low levels but you'll get the hang of it. Keep trying and don't be afraid to tell people it's your first time tanking a dungeon or asking them to lay off a second so you can build enmity. The vast majority of people will oblige.

[Caraway]

For the first three dungeons there's honestly nothing you can do here if someone's sync'd down. The trouble is that while the numbers are sync'd to appropriate levels they still have other stat bonuses on their gear that aren't even available on other gear at the dungeon's level.

For example, as a Ninja sync'ing down to do low level dungeons for my books, even if I stay on the same target as the tank if I'm playing with a brand new tank doing their best to keep hate I will always steal hate by keeping my DoT up and working through my combo.

I actually had to DoT and then just auto-attack.

Enmity management is just as much the DPS' job as it is the tank's. People need to remember this.

[Nyalia]

Like others have said, keeping your weapon up to date is extremely important. Also, wear STR accessories. At level 28-29, you can wear Sunstone items, and at 38-39, you can wear Garnet. If you really want VIT accessories, either take the STR ones and put a couple VIT materia in each, or take the VIT accessories and put a couple STR materia in each. Just keep in mind that an item has to be i30 before it can hold grade II Materia (and i45 for grade III, i55 for grade IV).

[Galgarion]

Mark your targets. Flash until your bar is empty, then alternate between flash and riot blade combo. Use riot blade exclusively on the last target standing. That'll cover it for most dps. If you're still getting yanked off of, then screw trying to hold threat, it isn't worth the hassle. There are these nifty white bars and color coded dots that show how close someone is to getting threat, and if some idiot is too thick to understand that red means STOP, then that's just Darwinism taking care of itself.

[Synestr]

No, compared to high-level gear each strength point he gets now is worth substantially more, proportionally. 15 bonus strength is a huge percentage of the strength you have in the level-20/30s. Think about that, 15 strength is a free ilvl 100 accessory worth. The things he can equip now give him 2/3 points each.

Robin, I see what you're saying; but I disagree. He want's to tank and hold threat, not provide miniscule DPS. These are base stats and not bonus stats. the I100 acc you refer to is a bonus stack of said stat. The small amount of DPS he would get from the 15 points of base STR, to me, is unwarranted. Again this is just my opinion.

For the lower levels, from a heals and DPS standpoint, I'd prefer my tank to have a more solid HP pool and know his rotations and CD's than to be focused on trying to "deeps" hard.

Take it as you will.