⚔️ Paladin Job Class Suggestions for Improvement (Patch 7.2 and Beyond)

[Nilsandres]

Paladin Job Critique – Final Fantasy XIV (Patch 7.2)

Summary:
Paladin (PLD) remains one of Final Fantasy XIV's iconic tank jobs, embodying the archetypal "holy knight" with a blend of swordplay, magic, and party utility. As of Patch 7.2, PLD boasts strong defensive cooldowns, a smooth physical combo flow, and solid ranged and healing utility through spells like Holy Spirit, Clemency, and Requiescat-powered burst phases. The job excels in party-oriented play and scripted mitigation-heavy encounters but suffers from rigidity, outdated abilities, and an underwhelming magic rotation.

Strengths:

• Excellent defensive toolkit: With Sentinel, Rampart, Hallowed Ground, and Bulwark, Paladin offers consistent personal survivability.
• Team utility: Divine Veil, Intervention, and Clemency provide strong party support, especially in high-damage raid settings.
• Dual-phase rotation: The mix of physical (Royal Authority combo) and magical (Requiescat/Confiteor combo) rotations adds pacing variety.
• High uptime flexibility: Ranged magic options allow sustained DPS in movement-heavy fights.

Weaknesses:

• Magic phase underperformance: The Requiescat-powered magic burst feels dated and is outclassed by other tanks' burst windows.
• Cover is obsolete: In high-end content, Cover is a niche, clunky ability with limited real-world use due to tight positioning and healer expectations.
• Rotational stiffness: Strict timing windows for Requiescat and Fight or Flight limit adaptability.
• Poor AoE identity: Despite Prominence and Holy Circle, AoE still lacks the impact or identity seen in other tanks.

Suggested Improvements:

1. Remove Cover, Reintroduce Flash:

Cover is an outdated skill whose niche function is now better handled by Intervention or healers' toolkits. Replacing it with Flash — once a signature AoE enmity generator — could add a thematic utility tool, perhaps with a reimagined identity:

New Flash (Lv. 66): A cone AoE that blinds enemies (reducing outgoing damage for 10s) and generates enmity. Usable every 20s.

Adds a proactive defensive layer, encouraging PLDs to position skillfully for support.

2. Revamp Magic Phase into Full Combo Rotation:

The Confiteor line (Confiteor → Blade of Faith → Blade of Truth → Blade of Valor) is too linear and lacks depth. Introduce a Holy Combo Chain mirroring the physical rotation:

• Begin with Sanctify (new spell, castable after Requiescat) to start the combo.
• Sanctify → Confiteor → Blade of Radiance → Blade of Deliverance.
• Each hit applies a stacking "Sacred Flame" debuff (DoT + Magic Vulnerability).
• Final hit refreshes Divine Might (guaranteed Holy Spirit proc).

This would turn the magic phase into a more dynamic, satisfying burst window akin to the physical Fight or Flight rotation, encouraging optimization.

3. QoL Enhancements:

• Make Fight or Flight affect magic damage again or create a new trait to empower both physical and magical skills under burst windows.
• Add passive healing on successful magic combo finishers to encourage proactive support and reduce reliance on Clemency spam.
• Visual/audio overhaul of Blade of Valor line to feel more climactic.

Conclusion:
Paladin in 7.2 is a reliable but aging tank whose core kit delivers consistency and party value but lacks the mechanical and visual impact of newer or reworked tanks like Warrior or Gunbreaker. Removing outdated abilities like Cover, reviving nostalgic tools like Flash, and expanding the magic combo phase would rejuvenate its identity as a spell-slinging swordmaster — one that balances holy wrath with knightly defense.

[Mikey_R]

Weaknesses:

• Magic phase underperformance: The Requiescat-powered magic burst feels dated and is outclassed by other tanks' burst windows.
• Rotational stiffness: Strict timing windows for Requiescat and Fight or Flight limit adaptability.
• Poor AoE identity: Despite Prominence and Holy Circle, AoE still lacks the impact or identity seen in other tanks.

How is the blade combo dated and outclassed? Makes no sense why you have said this.
When you can use FoF and Imperator is strict, yes, however, you have so much flexibility in the burst period itself where other tanks do not and this is before mentioning the 5 GCDs of ranged damage you have access to without impacting anything else.
How is the AoE identity poor? The 123 is the strictest of any tank, with PLD being the only one that has to spend their 'gauge' (Divine Might in this case) before they finish a second combo, plus the only tank with ranged AoE capabilities in burst with the exception of Abyssal Drain and to some extent Primal Rend.

1. Remove Cover, Reintroduce Flash:

If it is a GCD, it will not be used, if it is an oGCD, it will be used for the sake of being used. PLD's defensive kit is more than enough that it really isn't needed. Also, enmity generation is not an issue.

2. Revamp Magic Phase into Full Combo Rotation:

The Confiteor line (Confiteor → Blade of Faith → Blade of Truth → Blade of Valor) is too linear and lacks depth. Introduce a Holy Combo Chain mirroring the physical rotation:

• Begin with Sanctify (new spell, castable after Requiescat) to start the combo.
• Sanctify → Confiteor → Blade of Radiance → Blade of Deliverance.
• Each hit applies a stacking "Sacred Flame" debuff (DoT + Magic Vulnerability).
• Final hit refreshes Divine Might (guaranteed Holy Spirit proc).

This would turn the magic phase into a more dynamic, satisfying burst window akin to the physical Fight or Flight rotation, encouraging optimization.

Add the DoT, magic Vuln and Divine Might to the current Blade combo and you have the exact same thing. I fail to see the point here in naming things differently.

3. QoL Enhancements:

• Make Fight or Flight affect magic damage again or create a new trait to empower both physical and magical skills under burst windows.
• Add passive healing on successful magic combo finishers to encourage proactive support and reduce reliance on Clemency spam.
• Visual/audio overhaul of Blade of Valor line to feel more climactic.

It has increased magic damage since the rework in 6.2. This comment alone makes me think you do not know how to play Paladin.
All Magic has inbuilt healing from level 84. Again, I do not think you know how Paladin works.
I love the Blade combo, what is wrong with it?

Conclusion:
Paladin in 7.2 is a reliable but aging tank whose core kit delivers consistency and party value but lacks the mechanical and visual impact of newer or reworked tanks like Warrior or Gunbreaker. Removing outdated abilities like Cover, reviving nostalgic tools like Flash, and expanding the magic combo phase would rejuvenate its identity as a spell-slinging swordmaster — one that balances holy wrath with knightly defense.

Conclusion, pretty sure you do not know how to play Paladin and that has influenced your 'suggestions'. Paladin does have some mechanical things to consider with setting yourself up for the burst window and also making use of Divine Might Holy Spirit (or just unboosted Holy Spirit) when at range to avoid using Shield Lob where other tanks have to rely on their ranged attacks. Paladin's visuals are fine, no idea what problems you have with them. Cover I am indifferent on, Flash was dumb and at what point did you expand the magic phase? You just added some effects for some reason and called it a day.

Considering what problems you had with Paladin, you attempted to fix none of them. In my eyes, some things Paladin does need are, a visual update to Circle of Scorn and an AoE component to Goring Blade. For lower levels, give a lower tier for Holy Spirit which upgrades at level 64. Something that would also be nice to have is an update to Royal Authority visuals to get away from the silly twirl, but this is lower on my list compared to the other things.

[Atreus]

I'm sure PLD could use updates, but nothing you put forth is really it, man.

Flash as a blind is going to be pointless for anything that isn't dungeon trash, and even then anything that's down to RNG to get use out of has slowly been weeded out for good reasons. I don't want any form of Flash back.

Cover, if anything, needs its cooldown reduced or to just be reworked into something that can be used more frequently and won't cheese too many mechanics.

[Carighan]

Ahahahaha, true, you forgot to remove the AI-telltale-sign em-dashes!

0/10, try trolling harder next time. Blocked.

[Nilsandres]

1. The Blade Combo is dated because it is physical and not magical. PLD already has enough physical attacks.
2. The end of the rotation needs to be GCD. OGCD leads to button bloat and takes a spot from a future skill that may be more relevant.
3. Adding my suggestion to the Confiteor combo is completely different than what I am suggesting. The existing issue is the lack of a magical equivalent to the Confiteor combo which is physical in nature.
4. I main Paladin. I know it far better than most players; ergo the targeted suggestions that I am making. Please read. I did not say anything was wrong with the Blade combo. I said that PLD lacks a magical equivalent to the blade combo. The entirely identity of the PLD class revolves around its ability to cast (magical) and to hit (physical). This is literally what makes it different from the other three tanks. Leaning into this identity is what FFXIV should be doing with every class.

Thanks for your input.

[Nilsandres]

The original Flash for PLD was a small damage spell that could inflict blind. That's what I am suggesting is put back into the game when removing Cover. Cover is absolutely useless.

[Nilsandres]

I'm not going to stoop to insulting you. These are just my own obeservations from playing PLD for the last 9 years. I've seen almost every interation of the job post 1.0. As a Paladin main, I don't want a mindless job that spams physical attacks when its the only tank that can cast. Variety would be a nice addition. Homogeneity must go. Every job should "feel" like it has its own identity.

[Nilsandres]

Same comment as the prior responder. I didn't use AI to draft my thoughts. And it does not seem as though you have anything to add to this thread.

[ThurinTurambar]

Well not to draft, the whole damn thing is.

[Carighan]

Technically correct, you had AI write the whole thing, not just a draft.