Meld question from a casual PLD

[Waeksyn]

PLD was my first job but I now play BRD and BLM as mains. That said, I want to get back into PLD while waiting for the expansion. I don't intend to do any Coil - just dungeons and primals.

Currently I'm Lv 124 and will be getting the Ironworks Magitek Sword and Shield in a couple of weeks once I have the poetics.

I'm full Lucis / 4* on all crafting and gathering jobs so I made myself a set of Wootz gear. I'm wearing the body and feet (hands just glam as I have Demon hands (also Demon head, waist and legs). All accessories are Noct.

So, long winded, I'm looking for recommendations on meld for the Wootz body and feet. I know that normal priority for PLD is parry -> Determination. Because I'm not doing coil, I don't think I need to worry about Acc.

My priorities are Threat #1 and damage mitigation #2 given the content I'll be doing. Outside the box, what about Piety? I think I could get enough for another Flash if I load up.

Suggestions?

[StouterTaru]

Especially for tank, the accessories are the best pieces to have crafted gear. You're giving up def/VIT/STR for crafted left side, secondary stats won't make up for it on body/legs, and the rest is iffy.

Accessories you can give up 6 VIT for up to 18 STR, or 5 STR for up to 21 VIT.

[Bombast]

If your not doing coil, I really don't think your melds are going to matter. So you might as well cheap out and go Parry. Or, if you have gil to burn and don't care, go piety. You get an extra flash, and a good chuckle from your dungeon mates.

[Waeksyn]

Just to make it clear, the Wootz gear will be replaced eventually with Magitek stuff. I've got it now and want to meld onto it. Accessories are another matter for another time when I'm bored and want to do some more crafting.

The Wootz gear has exactly the same Vit, Str and Def as the Noct stuff that it replaced so I've not given up anything. Melding onto the Wootz will make it better than the Noct while I gather poetics to eventually replace it.

So, anyone else (thanks Bombast) have any suggestions for meld onto Wootz body and feet?

[StouterTaru]

If it's good enough/better than what you have then meld what you like, but don't blow your gil on something that will be replaced. Secondary stats are a minor boost to your performance.

For my alts I made ruby accessories (ivl110 STR) and put on a VIT IV an a VIT III. It was a huge boost to the barely 50 warriors, and they are better than any 130 alternative for low difficulty end game content.

Just make sure you fully spiritbond the stuff before you replace it, and if you don't need the gil save them til the expansion. They are adding TV materia, and there's a chance that ilvl110 might have a chance to become TV materia.

[Waeksyn]

Platinum accessories look really good. I might give that a whirl as well. Anyone know of any reference that cites meld caps for this stuff?

[Bombast]

Platinum accessories look really good. I might give that a whirl as well. Anyone know of any reference that cites meld caps for this stuff?

21 VIT, 18 STR

Its actually easier to cap the VIT accessories then the Strength ones, due to how much stat the materia gives. I'm gathering the BCIII for my final piece myself (Second ring).

[StouterTaru]

http://ffxiv.ariyala.com shows the caps, although it's not always correct on new gear.

[SirTaint]

Excluding acc

DET > crit > skill speed > piety = spell speed = parry

[SpookyGhost]

Suggestion: don't bother melding them. They're fine on their own. Maximizing your secondaries isn't really necessary if you're not planning to do raid content with PLD.

Also, you don't need Plat accessories if you're not raiding either (you rarely need them if you do, even). Just get STR accessories with Soldiery/Poetics.