How to optimize DPS as a MT in HW (PLD)?

[Ippiki]

Paladins should be opening with the Goring Blade combo now and be trying to get two Gorings in with the opener FoF.

If your DPS are any good (tip: MNK has slow rampup and 900 DPS is quite poor for single target) you will never be safe with Goring for threat.

If you have an enmity multiplier on Shield Swipe, please share it. Otherwise, the math looks like this.

1. Delaying Goring with Shield Swipe is a potency loss. Goring ticks for 40 potency every 3s, averaging 33 potency per GCD(this decreases as GCD decreases). Doing Halone instead of Goring to open is a massive threat lead, at the cost of 100 potency.

2. Delaying Goring with Shield Swipe will not let you apply Goring a second time under FoF. Unless your GCD is 2.0s or less for 24+ seconds, you are not able to Shield Swipe at all, during FoF, AND apply Goring a second time, ESPECIALLY if you have FoF up for the Shield Lob.

Cont.

[Ippiki]

3. Royal Authority is a better DPS option than risking Goring Blade\\'s lack of threat. The loss of not having Goring Blade up is 100 potency for the 3 GCDs it takes to apply Halone instead. The potency increase from Halone to Royal is 80. The potency per GCD of a Royal combo is 230, a 20 potency increase from Shield Swipe, adding up to the 100 discrepancy.

In conclusion:
Opening with Goring is less threat, a DPS loss if you have to Shield Swipe even once, and delays Halone\\'s Str Down.

The optimal PLD pull is Halone, Goring, Royal, at which point, you might even have enough threat for a second Royal(under FoF).