Tips for a new PLD

[Hierro]

1. map out your cooldowns for raids. Encounters will go through the same sequence of mechanics and raid busters every time, on the dime. So you should plan when you'll be using rampart, sentinel, hallowed ground, and so on. You can go the extra mile and map out cooldowns for your co-tank, so then you can plan ahead and see when is the best time to switch for getting the most out of cooldowns for everyone.

2. str VI materia on accessories, and direct hit for your left-side equipment.

3. If you're OTing, you should be in sword oath the entire time unless adds are involved. When LEARNING encounters, it's acceptable to be in shield oath for extended durations, but once you have an encountered learned, you shouldn't be using shield oath for much, except maybe momentarily to grab adds and use a single RoH combo.

[Akamukai]

1. map out your cooldowns for raids. Encounters will go through the same sequence of mechanics and raid busters every time, on the dime. So you should plan when you'll be using rampart, sentinel, hallowed ground, and so on. You can go the extra mile and map out cooldowns for your co-tank, so then you can plan ahead and see when is the best time to switch for getting the most out of cooldowns for everyone.

2. str VI materia on accessories, and direct hit for your left-side equipment.

3. If you're OTing, you should be in sword oath the entire time unless adds are involved. When LEARNING encounters, it's acceptable to be in shield oath for extended durations, but once you have an encountered learned, you shouldn't be using shield oath for much, except maybe momentarily to grab adds and use a single RoH combo.

For #2, why STR/DH over like, Crit and Tenacity?

Guide

Don't forgert to Shirk your Co-Tank.
Shield-Oath isn't necessary in any Savage-Fight, unless you're doing it with minimum iLvl.

Thanks for that guide. I've started checking it out in my free time.

A question for the both of you: Do tanks just grab the highest iLvl gear there is, without paying attention to its substats? If so, why?

[KaldeaSahaline]

For #2, why STR/DH over like, Crit and Tenacity?

A question for the both of you: Do tanks just grab the highest iLvl gear there is, without paying attention to its substats? If so, why?

Not to me - but I will offer my insight.

To answer #2 STR in accessories (aka right side) because it is a main stat and most important to your DPS and tanks accessories aren't STR capped. Gear (aka Left side) being DH is because tanks have no inherent DH and such it's an easy slot because you're not capped on substats. Crit is viable, but can't put in any pieces of gear that have crit already. Tenacity offers a mix of offense and defense, but because defense is superfluous in the games combat system, you're already have more than enough defensive stats just by being a tank.

For the ilvl question: Barring accessories yes. Crafted and pentamelded (very expensive) is better than the 370 counterparts. There are other things to pay attention too as well. Skill Speed is generally your least useful stat. Tenacity doesn't provide much offense or defense, and Crit and DH are pretty close to even. DH is especially useful because it scales very linearly for tanks (not on WAR).

Certain pieces are better than others. Chest and Legs are very powerful on Paladin, and typically more valuable than your weapon pending substats. For instance, your first buy as a PLD starting raiding should have been your Mendacity Chest piece.

Hope this helps.

[Campi]

For #2, why STR/DH over like, Crit and Tenacity?



Thanks for that guide. I've started checking it out in my free time.

A question for the both of you: Do tanks just grab the highest iLvl gear there is, without paying attention to its substats? If so, why?

STR is your Mainstat
It gains more Dmg and Aggro

2nd Stats like DH,Crit,Det,SkS,Ten aren't that high in SB.
So it's better to push your iLvl to get higher Def,MDef,HP and STR
until you get your BiS-Items

2nd Stats are most important for your BiS and Speedruns after you cleared the content