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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[kukurumei]

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.

Levi doesn't leave town without a pld for chain stunning that's 2.2
T6 even then you want a cover for bees unless you have a really veteran group. And hollow ground for super slug if I remember right in worse case.

And most single tank runs are still with a pld in old coil. A war is amazingly above and beyond for single tank runs for most groups. No one wants that, just go with a pld.

There's just almost never a time you don't want a PLD in end game. Can't say that with a war.

[Feylie]

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".

^

[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.

[Giantbane]

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.

Maybe a few small changes. I think they need better AoE damage and threat, they're really behind the warrior in that regard now. I also think they should swap shield oath and sword oath at 30 due to threat imbalances between the two classes at the 30-40 level dungeons (or better yet, make sword oath a GLD skill, shield oath the level 30 PLD skill and make sentinel or bulwark the level 40 PLD skill in order to better prepare GLD to get a 2nd DPS job! ... i know, wishful thinking)

But I would caution against making them much more complex. I think it's a good idea to have a tank class that's more straightforward where the rotation is pretty easy. The tank class can be intimidating for some, and would prefer to concentrate on the fight mechanics instead of worrying about their rotation, extra resources (wrath) or using abilities in combination to maximize effectiveness. Because of the tank shortage, it's nice to have an option that's less complex for those people.

[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.