Thread: Gladiator at low to mid level is lacking a balance post patch 1.19

Ok so I recently decided to start a new character with a friend who wanted to play with me. I chose to play Gladiator. I am currently up to level 30. I have most other classes to 20 and mrd and pug up to 30 as well. And even with a good mix of cross-classable skills, there seems to be something wrong. After the patch 1.19, things are more challenging, and I dont mind that. However, the fact is that Gladiator has been nerfed all around the board. I dont think there is much wrong with any other class except for possibly archer, compared to the challenge mobs now present (obviously I'm not including PL). The proper ballance I expect to see is low damage but high survivability for a tank type class. But instead it seems more like low damage and low survivability. Here are a few things Ive picked out: Really low MPs (lack of cures on self), Shield skills dont seem very effective, Most WSs (even cross classed ones) are doing as much as my regular attacks if not buffed (reg attack does about 25 damage with a decent sword). Only a few choice WSs do any significant damage like Red lotus 2, does about 75-95 damage. Maybe after the patch Im doing something wrong (I dont think I am), but feel free to give me any pointers.

The long and the short of it is that if the damage Gladiator can do at low levels is greatly reduced, then there should be enough defensive/curative abilities to ballance that out. Keep in mind Im not expecting to go out and fight super high level mobs and kick thier ass. Im talking about setting a guild leve to mob levels at an even match and me seriously having to worry about my survival. Compare that to other classes that might not have as good defense but can deal out better damage or have plenty of MPs etc , etc. So either Gladiators should have more MPs, or they should have shield skills that really work, or they need more damage output, or better yet some combination of the last three. Am I the only one having these problems with a lower level Gladiator? My other Gladiator at level 50 doesnt seem to suffer this kind of problem (although high or low level shiled skills do seem to be worthless).

I do think it needs to be examined. My GLA at the moment is level 10 and my damage (with a level appropriate weapon) is simply atrocious.

Originally Posted by Dreamer

I do think it needs to be examined. My GLA at the moment is level 10 and my damage (with a level appropriate weapon) is simply atrocious.

you're a tank.. not a melee/dps..

sigh, but they receive same damage that dps

Hmm, I would have liked to get more feedback on this. Well here is more info. I tried the same type of leve at even match on Conjurer and Maruader as was used for Gladiator and Pugilist (for the record, all were find the 2 pairs of devlit types). At even match none of them gave me any real trouble aside from Gladiator, and in fact Marauder was pretty awesome. Am I to think that Glad is a non-soloable, Glass pelit gun, that can do some additional damage and maybe do some quasi decent tanking? Because at this point, its looking like I might want to abandon Gladiator and instead make a Marauder tank with cross-classed abilities, massive damage and good tanking skills, and load him up with +parry materia and some +MP matera? WTF is that about?

Gladiator = Glass Pelit Gun vs. Marauder = Adamantium Cannon...... this is kind of unfair to people like me that really like the playstyle/image of Gladiator.

I'm trying to level GLA but I'm having a hard time of it. Soloing is horrendously slower in comparison to other jobs (CON/THM can just AoE nuke links, and the other DD's kill quicker).

I figured I'd be more useful in a party, so I tried it out. But I wasn't doing near enough damage or healing enough to be able to hold hate whatsoever. Provoke was not near enough to keep a monster on me. The only other enmity generating abilities available to me are Phalanx/Haymaker type moves. If the mob isn't attacking me, they're useless. In the end, I was a weak sword with a cure, chasing after enemies while the part members cleaned them up.

I'm open to suggestions.

I don't know about lower levels, but my r50 gla is wrecking things like never before, post-patch.

Well holding hate wasnt really my point with the OP. But anything that can help others is always welcome. I also use accomplice a lot too as well as featherfoot and defender.

My point really had to do more with the lack of survivability to damage dealt ratio while soloing even matched enemies. And how seemingly mage classes and most DDs have zero problem. When I have backup, I dont have much of a problem surviving or keeping hate, doesnt change the fact that most of my WSs hit for the same damage as my auto-attack though.....