Pulling a boss as PLD: How I do it and why

[Deus_ex_Machina]

I feel much more comfortable opening up with a Rage of Halone, so here is my opener

- Pre-cast Holy Spirit
- Shield Lob > Spirit Within (since potency is scaled with HP)
- Fast Blade > Circle of Scorn (extra Enmity cause RDM Dual Cast)
- Savage Blade
- Rage of Halone
- Fast Blade > Riot Blade > Goring Blade (getting dot up ASAP, Chain Stratagem/Trick Attack should be up at this point)
- Requescat > Holy > Holy > Holy + Shelltron > Holy > Holy
- Fast Blade
- Riot Blade (getting MP back to switch oath)
- Sword Oath > Fight or Flight (the reason is you can get 2 Goring Blade within 1 Fight or Flight)
- Goring Blade (by this time, Circle of Scorn / Spirit Within are off CD, weave them though)
- Royal Authority Combo x 2
- Goring Blade combo (getting the second one in your Fight or Flight)

[Shinkyo]

Personally, I open with 2 HS (slidecast the second one for positioning) as it's more aggro and DPS than a shield lob and you get to full MP by the time you start your Requiescat burst.
Then 1 RoH combo before switching to Sword Oath and starting your standard rotation with FoF goring.
Haven't had aggro issues even from RDM.

[Deus_ex_Machina]

Personally, I open with 2 HS (slidecast the second one for positioning) as it's more aggro and DPS than a shield lob....

More DPS, agreed, but correct me if i'm wrong, the aggro generation wise, Holy Spirit generates 400 potency of enmity, while shield lob have a 7x modifier (equates to 840 potency of enmity generated). (source: https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/wiki/enmity)

Also, are you doing 2 Rages of Halone? One at the pull, and one more after your holy spam?

Edit: my group RDM usually pre-cast a VerThunder/VerAero at -5 second and follows it up with a VerFire/verStone. So on pull, at 0 second, that guy is generating 600 potency of damage/enmity. Without diversion up, there is no way i could get that much over him. That's why i opted out for a Shield Lob there. I hope that clears it up... (also, my WHM pre cast an Aero 3, follows up with an Assize... which heals the party AND deals damage)

[Shinkyo]

More DPS, agreed, but correct me if i'm wrong, the aggro generation wise, Holy Spirit generates 400 potency of enmity, while shield lob have a 7x modifier (equates to 840 potency of enmity generated). (source: https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/wiki/enmity

My bad, i had very old outdated values for the aggro multiplier on Shield Lob.
Well with RDM using their aggro mitigation skill, 2 HS + one RoH on the opener is still enough for me to keep aggro. You're still generating 1080 aggro potency on each HS so that's enough unless the RDM direct crits their first cast :-)
In Susano, I do need a shirk from the OT during the first phase or I'll have to do a halone combo early in the second phase as Healers/SAM would be very close (that's assuming Hallowed the first Stormsplitter and I keep the boss).