PLD Enmity Fix: Enmity on Block?

[Kosmos992k]

EDIT: Wait, why does it say Gladiator next to me and Paladin next to others?

You can change it in your profile.

Open the Edit Profile screen, and choose Edit Character. You can choose 3 of your jobs/classes. The first one you choose (going left to right) is what is used to indicate your "main class". You'll get a drop down list with the job/class icons and what level you are at each.

[Jandor]

Oh cool, thank you.

[Jpec07]

PLD really doesn't have aoe enmity problems. Flash and Circle of Scorn are more than enough. After a couple of Flashes you can apply Circle of Scorn with FoF, then rotate Goring on multiple enemies (unless you're undergeared and in full VIT for some reason). You want to use Flash later again anyway for the blind.

My 162 DRK can hold aggro off 200+ BLM-SMN DPS in Fractal Continuum and Neverreap with no problems, just through normal play. My 198 PLD cannot, through normal play. Even weaving flashes in, even FoFing my CoS, even rotating enmity combos onto different mobs, even in full slaying, PLD still fails to hold aggro. PLD enmity generation is the lowest of the three anyway, and might as well not be a tank for how little AoE we can put out. Point being, yes, PLD absolutely does need an enmity boost.

[Callidus]

My 162 DRK can hold aggro off 200+ BLM-SMN DPS in Fractal Continuum and Neverreap with no problems, just through normal play. My 198 PLD cannot, through normal play. Even weaving flashes in, even FoFing my CoS, even rotating enmity combos onto different mobs, even in full slaying, PLD still fails to hold aggro. PLD enmity generation is the lowest of the three anyway, and might as well not be a tank for how little AoE we can put out. Point being, yes, PLD absolutely does need an enmity boost.

Sounds like something is wrong there then. I only ever use Halone on trash if something has gone pretty significantly wrong or I reaaally want that debuff for some reason. Spam a bit of Flash, FoF CoS if you have it, and then apply Goring on everything while keeping your first 2 steps of the combo plus Spirits and now Swipe on whatever mobs are taking the most damage.

Sure you might lose a mob here or there on different pulls if you anticipate poorly where the most threat will be, but I find that happens to me most when I'm spreading the enmity out for a good SNM and have neglected enough single target threat on whatever the geared out MNK or DRG is hitting. I don't think I've been just outright unable to keep a pack off of a SNM or BLM without there being a good 30+ iLVL gap or some other extenuating circumstances (death/rez and no MP, etc). Admittedly, you have to sit there like a goof spamming flash more than you'd like whereas your WAR or DRK will actually be putting down some nice DPS *and* pulling more threat, but it's not that hard to keep trash off of a DPS in my experience.

Our AoE DPS and MT DPS are where our biggest problems are at this point, IMO. Our AoE enmity isn't anything to write home about, but is sufficient to keep ahead of DPS even if doing so guts our already inferior damage output. For that matter, our single target enmity is in the same boat.

[vedanforlife]

Here's how I would fix PLD's emnity/dps issues:

1) Move Royal Authority to a 4th combo on both RoH and Goring Blade. Lower damage but gain emnity in Shield Oath and more DPS in Sword Oath. It makes zero sense that their last skill learned at 60 is not based off of both of their combo effects.
2) Change Goring Blade to a frontal AOE cone and remove the DoT effect. Hell, change the name to Goring Blades if you need to, but PLD desperately needs something to help with their AOE threat. Flash and CoS aren't cutting it. Or: change the effect to an AOE in Shield Oath, and a DoT in Sword Oath.
3) Reduce TP costs while in Sword Oath. If PLD isn't going to have anything but an auto-attack then reduce it since the other two tanks have vastly easier times managing their TP than PLD does.

Paladin isn't a bad class, and their TP issues still suck, but as long as damage is king in higher end raids, the other two tanks will always leave them behind until gear can catch up.