Thread: How would they fix PLD 4.0?

Originally Posted by Jpec07

Right now, there is no difference in playstyle between PLD's two stances, and that doesn't feel great (it honestly makes it feel pretty bland).

More like there is very little decision making in PLD's rotation. The only decision making for PLD to do is FoF activation. WAR has to decide if he needs to hold off stacks for optimal FC lining up, Berserk lining up with IR and the DPS rotation etc. Eye into BB/Eye/Path depending on situation. DRK for mana consumption, enough mana = Go DASE, not enough mana = Delirium. Holding mana generation skills instead of using on CDs, whether to use DA earlier for CnS then DA again for SE or he can afford DA right before anything, holding Plunge for certain phases or pull etc. There are just more priority/decision making that WAR and DRK have to do. PLD is just this GB>RA>RA repeat for the most part with a little bit of variances. 4.0 should introduce PLD more skills with priority lists rather than a static GB>RA>RA.

Three changes I'd want to see:

1. Give paladin a second AoE high threat attack on the GCD that uses MP since Pld largely has tons of MP to spare and another attack utilizing MP makes sense in my opinion.

2. Some kind of TP restore ability. Not like Invigorate or or Equilibrium though. Maybe 50% reduced TP costs during Fight or Flight? Each Shield Swipe restores TP? Remove the TP cost on Shield Bash and have it give a chunk of TP? I don't know. I'd rather have it be a part of our current toolkit than get an ability later.

3. Do something to make Sword Oath more interesting. This I'm not sure about and I'd rather not see the TP restore mechanic tacked on to Sword Oath personally. However, I do think the current iteration of sword oath is fairly uninteresting right now, I'd like to see it be "spiced up" some more. I'm not sure how, but I know that I don't like it at the moment.

PLD & DRK synergy is what needs fixing. These two jobs are so conflicted when paired together, say nothing of WAR's productivity, the problem is how badly PLD/DRK step on each other's toes - regardless of which tanks and off tanks.

Actually hope PLD gets some aggro utility to replace Provoke. Like a buff they can give to themselves or to another member that increases their threat gen temporarily. This would have help PLD personally, but also MT DRK who have to avoid PS like the plague (and DAPS even moreso btw). Something to challenge WAR OT pull opener.

Rethink the HP modifier on Spirits Within. Either update it from it's 1.0 roots or simply remove it. If updated, it could provide 300 potency damage guaranteed, with bonus damage inflicted based on PLD's HP %. Give that bonus to other skills like DV barrier and you may have the start of a passive PLD OT mechanic.

Either give PLD a magical attack, and DRK a magical damage up utility, or vice versa: PLD magic damage up utility, which DRK would benefit from due to the magical attacks in their kit, but WAR would not benefit (an alternate to Storm Eye).

PLD's TP woes I akin to WHM MP woes. Mostly outdated meta, I'm confident they'll tune both.

Originally Posted by Sarcatica

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I think that DRG/NIN have more powerful abilities(Battle Litany, Disembowel for DRG; Trick Attack and Enmity Utilities for NIN) that contribute to the raid. For BRD/MCH they've only gotten buffed up in numbers, so that's why they're up there before MNK and SMN mainly outside of BRD's Song Utility and MCH's Hypercharge that stacks with TA. MNK is offset due to it not bringing any utility to the raid except for Mantra(which by itself is a Heal CD that healers can utilize, but won't really need if they're healing the right amounts and managing it properly).

As for BLM...we all know that Savage screwed them over heavily in terms of Enochian. A11S is a ***** to pull off as BLM and keep Enochian due to the mechanics forcing movement all the time. SMN has it more lax, but they only bring Supervirus(SCH has this) and Raise Utility(which shouldn't happen if you're clearing without issue).

With SCH monopolizing the healing industry and AST being heavily fluffed to the point they'd heal exactly like a WHM, it makes WHM way less desirable in favor of card buffs. WHM has more survivability, but having the minimum healing needed is usually what hardcores really want on top of maximum DPS across the entire raid. WHM is also the only healer with MP Issues, given the fact that they're punished for DPSing in Cleric and if they don't have SoS or Assize available, they may not be able to regenerate enough MP without help from the BRD/MCH.

You can always actually buff the crap out of Paladin in terms of mitigation and turn it into the lul tank you take because it always survives. What I mean by that is...
Shelltron -> Guaranteed proc of block on the next hit, regardless of whether magical or physical
Block -> Base block % upped to 30, tower shield varients to 40.
Bulwark -> 100% Block on all incoming physical damage for the next 20s. CD reduced to 120s.
Rampart -> 30% reduced damage taken for 25s.
Sentinel -> 60% reduced damage taken for 20s.

So on, so forth. Issue is, the only reason why it would be better to take a PLD would be if the fight wasn't actually conceivable to beat without it, or somesuch. And if the fight was that over-tuned on the tank side, the other tanks would be pushed out of MTing (unless DRK got similarly broken buffs). But all the same I welcome turning PLD into a hilarious mitigation machine. The memes will be good.