Paladins in FFXI are close-range combatants, specializing in swords and hammers. Equipping the right gear is crucial for both offensive and defensive capabilities. This guide provides an overview of gear choices for leveling, mid-game, and end-game content.
Paladin Role and Gear Focus
The Paladin’s primary role in FFXI is that of a tank, absorbing damage and maintaining enmity to protect party members. Gear choices should prioritize defensive stats, such as Vitality, Physical Defense, and Damage Taken Reduction. Accuracy is also vital for generating enmity and landing hits. Paladins excel at mitigating physical damage with high HP and defensive gear. Enmity management is key, and gear should enhance this through abilities and spells. While offense is secondary, a balance of both defensive and offensive stats is crucial for effectiveness. Ultimately, gear should enable the Paladin to hold aggro and survive prolonged engagements while still contributing to the party’s damage output.
Early Leveling Gear
Early leveling gear for Paladins focuses on readily available items. Swords are the primary weapon, with options like the Wax Sword and Xiphos being common starting points.
Recommended Early Swords
For Paladins starting their journey in FFXI, several swords stand out as excellent choices for the early levels. The Wax Sword serves as a basic starting point, followed by the Xiphos at level 7. The Spatha becomes available around level 9, offering a slight upgrade. At level 11, the Bee Spatha is a great option, especially if you can obtain an HQ version. Progressing further, the Fire Sword at level 18 is another good choice, while the Auriga Xiphos at level 19, is a recommended drop and will last you until level 30. Finally, if the Auriga Xiphos is not available, the Gladius at level 27 is a decent alternative. Prioritizing these readily available swords can provide a solid foundation in your early levels.
Subjob Considerations
Choosing the right subjob is critical for maximizing a Paladin’s effectiveness in FFXI. Early on, Warrior (WAR) is highly recommended, providing essential abilities like Provoke, which is crucial for establishing and maintaining hate. Additionally, WAR offers valuable stat boosts to Vitality, defense, and HP, enhancing the Paladin’s tanking capabilities. As you progress through the game, consider subbing Ninja (NIN) at later levels. While the defensive benefits are not as pronounced as WAR, NIN provides utility and potentially some damage mitigation. Ultimately, the best subjob will depend on your specific needs and playstyle. It is important to experiment to find the perfect synergy for your Paladin.
Mid-Level Gear Progression
As Paladins progress, focusing on accuracy becomes vital for consistent hits, which generates hate and increases TP gain for skillchains. Balancing defensive stats with accuracy is key for mid-level gear choices.
Importance of Accuracy and Enmity
In the mid-levels of FFXI, a Paladin’s gear focus shifts towards a critical balance between accuracy and enmity. Accuracy ensures consistent hits, not only dealing damage but also generating crucial hate. Generating hate is important for maintaining aggro and allowing the party to function without fear of being targeted. Missed attacks mean less hate and reduced TP gain, hindering skillchain opportunities. Enmity, a multiplier, increases the effectiveness of actions in maintaining threat. Therefore, gear that provides both accuracy and enmity boosts is essential for a Paladin to effectively tank and protect their party. Prioritizing this dual focus will lead to smoother and more efficient battles.
End-Game Gear and Sets
End-game Paladin gear focuses on maximizing defensive capabilities, often utilizing artifact armor and powerful shields like Ochain and Aegis. These sets enhance damage mitigation and enmity generation for demanding content.
Paladin Artifact Armor
Paladin Artifact (AF) armor is highly regarded, considered among the best in the game, providing a solid foundation for the job from level 60 to 73. This quested gear is readily available and extremely effective, lasting for a significant portion of a Paladin’s career. The full set offers a balanced mix of defensive stats, including vitality, physical defense, and some enmity, making it a great choice for general tanking purposes. While some pieces might be situationally replaced with other gear like Creek RSE in the 60s for specific stats, the core AF set is a cornerstone of any Paladin’s early end-game gear setup, allowing them to reliably perform their role. Remember that these are just recommendations, and you’ll need to find what works best for you as you progress, but this set is a great starting point.
Shield Choices⁚ Ochain and Aegis
For Paladins, shield selection is crucial, with Ochain and Aegis often cited as top choices. Ochain, a readily obtainable shield, is excellent for crowd control due to its high defense, HP, accuracy, enmity, and damage reduction, also having a chance of damage annulment. It is particularly effective against multiple enemies, making it a great pick for tanking groups. Aegis, on the other hand, is more focused on single-target mitigation and is considered a top-tier defensive option against powerful bosses due to its high physical defense. While Ochain might be easier to acquire and is great for general use, Aegis represents the pinnacle of Paladin shield choices. The choice of which shield to use depends heavily on the specific encounter, but both are valuable assets for any Paladin.
Weapon Selection
Paladins primarily use swords and clubs, with each having specific benefits. Swords are generally preferred for skillchains, while clubs offer unique stats and can be useful in certain situations. Two-handed weapons are generally not recommended.
Sword vs. Club
The debate between swords and clubs for Paladins in FFXI revolves around their distinct strengths. Swords are typically favored for their higher damage output and their ability to contribute effectively to skillchains, a crucial aspect of combat in FFXI. Clubs, on the other hand, often provide stat benefits such as HP, STR, and VIT, making them a viable option for enhancing survivability. Some clubs also offer unique effects that can be beneficial in specific situations. Paladins are advised to carry both types of weapons and switch based on encounter needs. Consider a club for increased survivability and a sword for damage and skillchains. Some clubs like Morgenstern and Brise-os have specific benefits that help your Paladin.
Two-Handed Weapon Viability
While Paladins are primarily known for their sword and shield combination, the viability of two-handed weapons is a topic of discussion. Generally, two-handed weapons are not the optimal choice for Paladins due to their focus on tanking and defensive capabilities. However, in specific situations, such as when fighting lower-level enemies or when aiming for maximum damage output, two-handed weapons can be considered. The lack of a shield reduces defensive potential, making it a situational choice. It is important to note that some situations do not lend to using a two-hander. It’s not advisable to use a two-hander against goblins. Using food and having up to date gear will change this. In general, a sword and shield combination is better for tanking.
Defensive Gear Priorities
Paladin defensive gear should focus on Vitality, Physical Defense, and damage reduction. Prioritize gear with Physical Damage Taken- (PDT-) and Damage Taken- (DT-) stats to minimize incoming damage. Shield blocking also plays a key role.
Vitality, Physical Defense, and Damage Taken Reduction
For Paladins, building a strong defense starts with core stats like Vitality and Physical Defense. These reduce the base damage taken from physical attacks. However, it’s crucial to enhance this further with gear that provides Physical Damage Taken (PDT-) and Damage Taken (DT-) reduction. PDT- gear subtracts a flat amount of damage from physical hits, while DT- gear reduces the damage by a percentage. Combining these stats is essential for a Paladin to become a truly effective tank. High HP, boosted by Vitality, also increases survivability. Prioritizing these defensive stats allows Paladins to withstand significant damage and maintain threat effectively. Furthermore, the Paladin’s shield block ability is enhanced by these defenses.
Best in Slot (BiS) Gear Options
BiS gear for Paladins includes items like Burtgang, which can break the PDT cap, and high-end pieces such as Aegis, Ares body, D.ring, and Homam set pieces, maximizing defensive stats.
Specific Item Recommendations
For Paladins aiming for best-in-slot gear, several key items stand out. The shield Ochain is a priority for its high defense and enmity, particularly useful in crowd control situations. Aegis is favored for single boss encounters, boasting damage mitigation. The sword Soulsaber is a great general tanking option, offering a balanced combination of damage and defense. For the body slot, Ares armor is recommended, providing significant defensive enhancements. In addition, consider Homam pieces for their overall stat boosts. The weapon Burtgang is a great choice, with the capability to break the physical damage taken cap. Always focus on accuracy where possible and supplement with attack and strength where needed, ensuring an optimal Paladin build. Lastly, for trinkets, consider items like the Rajas ring for its stats.