Healing a Paladin Tank, in my experience

[Klive]

I have WHM and Paladin, but mostly play WHM. Ifrit isn't a reall good gauge of how good a tank is. Ifrit is his own special kind of fight. Lots of Ifrit's damage is magical and you blocks/armor do nothing for. Few tanks, if any, stack fire resist to make the fight easier either.

The paladin's strength requires him to have melee around him. Divine Veil and Cover are a million times more useful if you have other melee around the paladin. Most fights, plays avoid using melee like it is the plague. Divine Veil makes keeping the melee of the party up so much easier and cover has tons of applications... when you have someone to use it on.

The reason, I feel, that the warrior is more popular is the warrior is easier to tank with. To tank with a warrior, you really just play like you are DPSing while throwing a few tank abilities into your rotation. The extra Hp makes a large buffer for error on both the whms and warriors parts. Paladins on the other hand, take more effort and planning, and understanding of your abilities. When with well played paladin, I generally do not have to heal; regen and stoneskin keeps them up. Warirors, on the other hand, I normally need to send more cures.

On Ifrit, I like a paladin can free up my time as a WHM. During jumps, the paladin can heal the party, heal himself, and raise someone. These little things free me up for more mana regen, raising party members, and rebuffing. Very handy.

Just hint about stoneskin, it makes Aegis Boon heals for zero. Lots of paladins and whms don't realize this, so good comms with your paladin is a good thing.