The Problem with Paladin

[ChickNorris]

Play the PLD like you never heard of GLD. Find solutions and ways to fight that are new for you. That is the fun of the thing.

[Gold_Lion]

A problem I find also is casting heals get interrupted in crowd control situations with mobs hitting you...blocks atleast should negate this

[Raagnar]

I thought this same problem with PLD while tanking final fights for mnk drg and brd. I was having a hard time controlling the situations so I changed back to gladiator and tanked them all just fine, I felt like GLA could hold hate as well but i also had access to invigorate, second wind, sanguine rite, and featherfoot which made it so much easier to recover, kite, and hold hate in general.

I thought to myself this is just because PLD is new and I dont have enough practice with it, but I see Im not the only one who felt PLD was lackluster.

[Endemerrin]

I feel squisher on my Paladin than I do on my Warrior. In fact, I tanked the entirety of Darkhold on my Warrior without breaking a sweat. Fastest speed run I've done to date, too. Didn't even so much as drop into yellow tanking Batraal.

Since then, and even before then, I've started tanking everything on Warrior. Having played Paladin for the first few days after unlocking on day 1 of the patch, I honestly enjoy Warrior more. I feel safer tanking as a Warrior than I do as a Paladin. My groups have been far more successful with me on Warrior, too.

[FraenirVolsung]

I know some may disagree, but I feel like this is the simplest way to put how PLD has been introduced. I think you lose more going from Gladiator to Paladin than you gain going from Gladiator to Paladin. I just don't hear the same concerns from other classes/jobs. WHM is obviously optimized for party play. BRD is obviously optimized for party play. WAR, DRG, MNK, and BLM all seem to have huge advantages over their class counterparts in most party situations (BLM not having access to Cure is one negative). It seems the more PLDs I talk to the more I find that feel like GLA is just as good if not better in both solo and party play. To me, that's the problem with Paladin as the title of the thread suggests. Paladin has some very nice skills and brings a few new wrinkles to tanking, but I can't see how Paladin is any more optimized for party play than Gladiator is.

[SpringLeaf]

How do I keep this topic on the hot topic pages? I couldn't agree more. PLD just doesn't add up to warrior like it should.

[Jenday]

yes i agree, the AF is sub par, has 0 HP on it, and is all around an average job compared to the other jobs, needs an overhaul next patch.

Biggest gripe is the lackluster AF compared to others tho, get 2 or 3 vit here and there, like that does anything, the same def as cobalt, 10-20 mp or so, when spells cost 150+, this doesn't make a difference, the enmity is nice but thats all it really has going for it besides looks.. my 2 cents.

[HoolieWho]

I would like to see Outmaneuver give better MP returns and I also like the idea of Spirit's Within returning MP instead of doing extra damage. This is because I actually have a good use for MP on PLD, unlike on GLA. I would tank Ifrit and barely touch my MP on GLA because of Second Wind and the weakness of Cure.

It seems clear to me that Holy Succor is to be cast primarily on other party members and I welcome it for that. If a party member has hate and I don't have Flash or Provoke up, now I have a good tool to help them where GLA has nothing. Two tools if you add in Cover. I haven't checked to see what kind of regen Divine Veil gives, but it seems designed so melee can stand near the tank where AOEs happen and get some relief (ex. MNK/PUG against Ifrit's Sear).

So far since the patch I have done mostly AF fights and a few tries against the Princess in Cutter's Cry. For these short fights you don't have MP issues. I can see in a long fight like Ifrit that some kind of MP recovery tool even on a 15 min timer would be welcome. Something like PLD had in FFXI where PLD could swap TP for MP.

I have not done a kited fight on PLD yet, but I can see GLA being superior there.

[Xylotrupes]

I'd like to see Paldins getting MP from Covering other People. The more damage you take for them the more MP you get in return. Sure it won't work without a Party and without others being hit but I think it would be fun ;D

[Peptaru]

I'm so very glad to have seen a couple people mention the gear instead of the abilities. The Pld JSE stuff is awful! same defense as cobalt, yes except the cuirass, but... that's only NQ COBALT. If you have a +1 set, which is now fairly easy to do, even single melded it is going to destroy Pld JSE in terms of damage mitigation. The Cobalt also offering a decent HP boost just from the boots with one HP materia in them alone. The new accessories do help Pld, what with the cure potency and mag crit jewelry, but that means you have to sacrifice some HP or +30 (say for tanking sake) Vit on your rings.... I like Pld, I can manage mp well enough i suppose... If it had a bit more damage mitigation then MP management would be much more, well.... managable. I do NOT think MP should be easy to keep up and i like needing support jobs to tank well with Pld, but for all my love of Pld, Gladiator is still the better tank. That said.... Warrior > Gladiator now.