PLD feels underwhelming lately

[Kyana]

Compared to WAR, PLD feels kinda *meh* to me lately.
Even though PLD is my main and got better equipment, WAR just blows in dungeons.

I was fine with that.
I though, yes, WAR is more about AoE tanking and speedrunning dungeons, but PLD is still better for the hard content.
Then I tried some primal fights with WAR (only Titan Axe) and didn't feel any difference besides dealing more dmg and not having to spam hate combo.


So, I'm trying to improve my PLD and would like to get the opinion of other tanks.

Did you put your 30 stat points into STR, VIT or even DEX or split them up?
Do you go for max parry or forget about it and aim for high Det/Crit?
Use some DD acessories instead of tank stuff?


The only thing I know for sure is that PLD skills require some tweaks.

Some things I'd like to see would be:
a. Shield Bash off GCD, increases enmity and be on a longer cooldown.
b. Enhanced Flash trait should also increase enmity.
c. Shield Swipe should increse enmity and have a small cone.
c. Blocking with your shield while using Shield Oath should build a buff similar to Wrath for WAR. Every stack increases your chance to block an attack.
At max stacks you can use Sentinel or Awareness.
d. Awareness gives an additional chance to dodge attacks.
e. Spirits Within ignores target defense.
f. Riot Blade should also reduce the opponents accuracy and be a crit when hitting a mob from behind.


What are your thoughts regarding PLD in general and its skills?

[Alphras]

Well i'm all for making the Paladin more diverse and fun to play, but there shouldn't be any changes that make the Paladin more survivable.

The two tank classes are very close in terms of balancing at the moment and it should stay that way.

Edit: I think i would give them a follow up attack for Riot Blade, that applies a buff that deals additional magic dmg with each attack or something.

[Symbiant]

I would only change a couple things on PLD. Flash; it needs to cover a larger area say 8-10y instead of 5. The enmity increase would be nice but, not needed.

Circle of Scorn should produce more threat then it currently does. I would like shield bash to be off GCD but, I feel it would be taking away from what the War currently has.

I personally would not like any stack type buffs on pld. We don't want the tanks to be totally homogenized.

[Codek]

I never get the sense that they are underwhelming, just that they lack options. I would love for them to get a way where we can sacrifice enmity generation for an increase of DPS or shield block.

I personally would like to see them remove block rate all together and turn cover into "next attack is a block" on global cooldown and applies 0 damage/enmity.

I would also like to see a damage ability added that uses mp so that we can move to a riot blade combo for bonus damage when enmity is not an issue. Maybe add it to something like tempered will or awareness since those are rarely thought of as is.

This would at least give us options to make on the go for those fights where there really isn't much for us to think about.

[Kyana]

Well i'm all for making the Paladin more diverse and fun to play, but there shouldn't be any changes that make the Paladin more survivable.

The two tank classes are very close in terms of balancing at the moment and it should stay that way.

Well, I find it a bit hard to compare, for example, Overpower and Flash+CoS.
Or that I have no problems holding hate if using Storms Path/Storms Eye combos compared to Riot Blade spam.

I agree that survivability of both is about the same, but WAR does bring a bit more to the table in my opinion.

[Kitfox]

e. Spirits Within ignores target defense.

Mobs in this game have no defence. Everything gets hit the same.

[kukurumei]

Well, I find it a bit hard to compare, for example, Overpower and Flash+CoS.
Or that I have no problems holding hate if using Storms Path/Storms Eye combos compared to Riot Blade spam.

I agree that survivability of both is about the same, but WAR does bring a bit more to the table in my opinion.

Absolutely false. If anything War is the crappier one.

In terms of content you have a 80/20 split of "need" for a PLD vs War. Aka. "we need a pld" vs " we want a war".

There are content that the strategy hinges on a PLD. There will alway be a spot for 1 PLD, Where a 2nd PLD doesn't hurt.

Abilities include:
Hollow ground <---- 1st and foremost "we need this for the content" T4 even with echo is still stupidly annoying without it. Can be done with a war now, but much easier with a pld.

Shield bash <---- chain stunning is still a staple of "we need a pld"

Cover <---- a distant 3rd but some content are much easier with this.

Basically
PLD/War <--- yes
PLD/PLD <--- It works
War/War <----ewwwwwwwwwww

[Coth_X]

Well i'm all for making the Paladin more diverse and fun to play, but there shouldn't be any changes that make the Paladin more survivable.

The two tank classes are very close in terms of balancing at the moment and it should stay that way.

Edit: I think i would give them a follow up attack for Riot Blade, that applies a buff that deals additional magic dmg with each attack or something.

Hmmmm, perhaps 2 more attacks, to follow riot blade, enlight (ffxi) hits the enemy and gives the pld a small dps boost for like 10/15 secs, and the other attack could burn 2 to 3 times the mp riot blade restores to do a critical or something.

As long as the numbers don't end up making pld do crazy dps or something.

[Codek]

Absolutely false. If anything War is the crappier one.

In terms of content you have a 80/20 split of "need" for a PLD vs War. Aka. "we need a pld" vs " we want a war".

There are content that the strategy hinges on a PLD. There will alway be a spot for 1 PLD, Where a 2nd PLD doesn't hurt.

Abilities include:
Hollow ground <---- 1st and foremost "we need this for the content" T4 even with echo is still stupidly annoying without it. Can be done with a war now, but much easier with a pld.

Shield bash <---- chain stunning is still a staple of "we need a pld"

Cover <---- a distant 3rd but some content are much easier with this.

Basically
PLD/War <--- yes
PLD/PLD <--- It works
War/War <----ewwwwwwwwwww

Meh, that kinda was the case but I haven't seen anything in the Second Coil has yet to scream "PAL needed!" (Please correct me if I'm wrong, haven't looked at t8 or t9 yet). Plus, as the echo buff keeps increasing in the first Coil, you can do basically what ever you want for kills there. Might as well go Drg/War or Drg/Pal just to clear the fights quickly.

I can't imagine a group turning down a Warrior in hopes of finding a Paladin to start a fight. It's hard enough to find tanks as is. The idea that any fight hinges on the Paladin toolkit is archaic at this stage of the game.

[sylent09]

I leveled pld to 50. Ran plenty of dungeons in 2.1. Got extremely bored. Made warrior. It was so refreshing I now main war. Pld has one combo, is very bland, and deals worse dmg then white mage. But it's extremely easy to play, it's hard to mess up tanking as pld even if you try

Warrior on the other hand requires skill to maintain correct rotations to keep debuffs up on enimies along with hate