Community Paladin Guide
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General Information
- One of the original six Advanced Jobs, as well as the direct opposite of Dark Knight.
- One of the two standard tank jobs in the game.
- Possesses the highest base Physical Defense rating and the most Physical Defense Traits of any job in the game.
- Is a safe choice for breaking into content.
Roles
- Traditional Tank with emphasis on physical damage mitigation.
- Keeps the monster's attention away from the other front-line and back-line players/characters by maintaining high levels of Enmity.
- Paladin's role has expanded in the healing category with the addition (and expansion) of the job ability Majesty.
- Through the use of the ability Majesty, single-target Cures are expanded to Area of Effect status.
Food and Medicines
Food
Recomended:
- File:Miso Ramen icon.png Miso Ramen
- Stats: HP+100, STR+5, VIT+5, DEF+10% (Max. 170), "Magic Def. Bonus"+5, Magic Evasion +10% (Max. 50),"Resist Slow" +10.
- The best defensive tanking food there is. It couples HP+, Defense, and Magic Evasion+ all into one food.
- Purchased from the Auction House. Crafted only.
- The best defensive tanking food there is. It couples HP+, Defense, and Magic Evasion+ all into one food.
Om. Sandwich- Stats: HP+11% (Max. 150), VIT+7, MND+7, Accuracy+11% (Max. 80), DEF+11% (Max. 120), Enmity+4.
- Introduced in The Voracious Resurgence missionline. Comparable to Miso Ramen in HP and Defense; exchanging Magic Evasion and Magic Defense Bonus for Accuracy and Enmity.
- Purchased from the Auction House. Crafted only.
Alternatives:
Black Curry Bun- Stats: (DEX+2, VIT+4, INT+1, Accuracy+5, Ranged Accuracy+5, Evasion+5, DEF+15% (Max. 180), "Resist Sleep"+3, HP recovered while healing +2, MP recovered while healing +1)
- The next best thing. This food actually has 10 more defense than Miso Ramen, but lacks the other benefits. The silver lining is that they are a fourth to a fifth the price of Miso depending on the market.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 4,000 gil, 48,000 a stack.
- The next best thing. This food actually has 10 more defense than Miso Ramen, but lacks the other benefits. The silver lining is that they are a fourth to a fifth the price of Miso depending on the market.
Tavnazian Taco- Stats: (HP+20, MP+20, DEX+4, VIT+6, AGI+4, CHR+4, DEF+25% (Max. 150), HP and MP recovered while healing +1)
- The once famous food. There is no reason to really use this anymore, but if you are a lower level it will grant more defense than one of these higher level items given its lower cap, but higher percentage increase.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 4,000 gil, 48,000 a stack.
- The once famous food. There is no reason to really use this anymore, but if you are a lower level it will grant more defense than one of these higher level items given its lower cap, but higher percentage increase.
Rabbit Pie- Stats: (STR+5 VIT+5 INT-2 Attack+25% (Max. 100) Ranged Attack+25% (Max. 100) DEF+25% (Max. 100))
- An honorable mention. The attack and defense parameters aren't as high given it's hybrid status but definitely worth looking at.
- Purchased from Curio Moogle for 3,000 gil, 36,000 gil a stack.
- An honorable mention. The attack and defense parameters aren't as high given it's hybrid status but definitely worth looking at.
- File:Fried Popoto icon.png Fried Popoto
- Stats: (HP +30, VIT +2,
+20, Defense +20% (Cap:145), Subtle Blow +8)
- This food is as cheap as it gets, excluding the crystal it costs less than 300 gil to make 6 of these a synth. Making these in bulk to store and use for Ambuscade spam and similar events will cost you next to nothing. Even if you have to shout and pay a level 90+ cook 50-100k to make them for you. It would still only cost you roughly 10-20k a stack of Fried Popotos.
- Purchased from the Auction House, crafted only.
- This food is as cheap as it gets, excluding the crystal it costs less than 300 gil to make 6 of these a synth. Making these in bulk to store and use for Ambuscade spam and similar events will cost you next to nothing. Even if you have to shout and pay a level 90+ cook 50-100k to make them for you. It would still only cost you roughly 10-20k a stack of Fried Popotos.
Medicines
Echo Drops
- Useful for when silenced and no one else can (or is able to) Silena you. Keep these stocked.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 700 Gil.
- Useful for when silenced and no one else can (or is able to) Silena you. Keep these stocked.
Remedy
- Useful for curing most debuffs curable with -na spells (ie: Paralyna). You can receive 12 a month for free from ambuscade. Keep these stocked.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 3,000 Gil.
- Useful for curing most debuffs curable with -na spells (ie: Paralyna). You can receive 12 a month for free from ambuscade. Keep these stocked.
Reraiser / 
Hi-Reraiser
- Nothing wrong with keeping extra sources of Reraise in your pocket. Keep these stocked.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 1,000 and 1,500 Gil.
- Nothing wrong with keeping extra sources of Reraise in your pocket. Keep these stocked.
Holy Water
- Extremely useful to have, especially when spell priority or universal cool downs from back=line supports are bottle necked... Keep them stocked.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 1,000 Gil.
- Extremely useful to have, especially when spell priority or universal cool downs from back=line supports are bottle necked... Keep them stocked.
Panacea
- Sometimes you are overwhelmed with a number of debuffs (like an Impact) that need Erase and this is much faster than waiting on a support to erase them. Keep these stocked.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 20,000 Gil.
- Sometimes you are overwhelmed with a number of debuffs (like an Impact) that need Erase and this is much faster than waiting on a support to erase them. Keep these stocked.
Vile Elixir / 
Vile Elixir +1
- You never know when these might come in handy. Even for other party members... Great for putting in a bazaar for back-line supports when in a pinch as well! A single Vile Elixir or HQ can save you in those situations. Keep these stocked.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle; 20,000 Gil for NQ. 40.000 Gil for HQ.
- Often cheaper to buy off the Auction House.
- A number of NM's and various content drop these for free as well.
- You never know when these might come in handy. Even for other party members... Great for putting in a bazaar for back-line supports when in a pinch as well! A single Vile Elixir or HQ can save you in those situations. Keep these stocked.
Antacid
- Great for switching food on the fly when the situation calls for it. Keep a few, just in case.
- Purchased from the Curio Moogle for 1.000 Gil.
- Great for switching food on the fly when the situation calls for it. Keep a few, just in case.
Support Jobs
- Support jobs or sub jobs can range and vary. The main two are going to be Warrior and Blue Mage with special mention going to Dark Knight as well as Rune Fencer.
- All have their uses and should be used accordingly. The higher end / more challenging content will most likely lean towards the use of BLU.
- However as Power Creep continues with newer & stronger armor sets (but more specifically Master Level increases), the likelihood is RUN will become the prevalent sub job.
- For the sake of thoroughness, please see below for a variety of support jobs and reasons advocating for their use.
 Warrior
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 Blue Mage
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| File:Bale Burgeonet icon.png Dark Knight |
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| File:Erilaz Galea icon.png Rune Fencer |
Valiance (ML5) Stoneskin (ML5) Magic Defense Bonus III & Accuracy Bonus I (ML5) Foil!!! (ML45) |
| File:Acad. Mortarboard icon.png Scholar |
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Tanking: Mitigation & Enmity
- A Paladin's job of tanking can be split into two [simplified] schools of thought: 1) Mitigating incoming damage and negative status effects through layering defensive measures; and 2) Maintaining a high(er) level of enmity over other party and/or alliance members. Please see below.
Layering Defenses
- Ah Defense. As mentioned above, the key to mitigating damage and negative statuses is through layering defenses against them.
- On the physical side for Paladin, it starts with the most basic of stats of Vitality and Physical Defense. Further enhanced by stats such as Physical Damage Taken -% (PDT-%) gear and its more advanced form Damage Taken -% (DT-%) gear. Paladin also specializes in shield blocking which further reduces damage when facing an attacking monster upon successful block. There are various spells and abilities which augment physical defenses such as Protect, Phalanx, Sentinel and Rampart.
- On the magical side for Paladin, it starts with the the stats of Intelligence, Mind, Magic Defense and Magic Evasion. Further enhanced by magic damage taken -% (MDT-%) gear and its more advanced form Damage Taken -% gear (which covers bother Physical and Magical damage, but also the less often seen Breathe damage). There are various spells and abilities which augment magical defenses such as Shell (which is itself a form of MDT-%) and Fealty for example.
Enmity
- Enmity itself can be divided into two specific measurable types: Cumulative Enmity and Volatile Enmity.
- Cumulative Enmity is largely static and typically builds slower than its counterpart. Cumulative Enmity is reduced by outside actions such as taking damage and getting debuffed (negative status effects).
- Volatile Enmity is more fluid in that it builds quickly--typically (but not always) at a rate of three times that of Cumulative Enmity. Volatile Enmity however, natively reduces overtime. Approximately 60 Volatile Enmity per second.
- Please see Enmity Table section below for the measurable caps on both types of enmity.
- Enmity in general can be split across three categories: Curing, Damage, and Actions. The first two are fairly self-explanatory but here is a direct link for further explanation: Damage and Cure Enmity Gain. Please see below for Actions.
- Virtually every player action in the game generates enmity. Although most don't do much, "enmity actions" would be actions with notable enmity value(s) attached. (Such as Flash or Provoke)
Enmity Table
- As per the Enmity page:
- The cap enmity is 60,000 total (30,000 each of Cumulative (CE) and Volatile Enmity (VE)).
- If multiple players have enmity on a monster (on the hate list), the monster will target the player on the hate list with the highest combined enmity values.
- In the case of multiple players having identical enmity values (being at enmity cap for example), a monster will target the player that acted most recently.
| Enmity Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ability | Cumulative Enmity Value | Volatile Enmity Value |
| Invincible | 1 CE1 | 7,200 VE |
| Shield Bash | 450 CE | 900 VE |
| Sentinel | 0 CE | 900 VE |
| Rampart | 320 CE | 320 VE |
| Palisade | 900 CE | 1,800 VE |
| Majesty | 0 CE | 300 VE |
| Divine Emblem | 0 CE | 300 VE |
| Fealty | 1 CE | 300 VE |
| Chivalry | 1 CE | 300 VE |
| Intervene | ??? CE | ??? VE |
| Spell | Cumulative Enmity Value | Volatile Enmity Value |
| Flash | 180 CE | 1,280 VE |
- The Cumulative Enmity Value for Invincible is 2,001 with 20/20 Job Points invested in the Invincible Category. Please reference the Job Points section below.
Notes on Tanking /BLU
Blue Mage as a sub (or support job) has been a main stay for PLD for a quite some time now. "/BLU" provides a number of benefits both directly and indirectly to help bolster the player's defenses and Enmity gain & retention. Those familiar with setting their Blue Magic spell list may already know this but it's worth mentioning that you only are able to set 14 spells or a total of 30 points (whichever comes first) as a Level 49 /BLU. With Master Levels allowing access to Blue Magic spells from Levels 50~59, at Master level 10, those caps increase to 16 spells and 35 set points, respectively.
See below for a list of spells to think about setting:
- Non-Mastered
- Direct Uses
- Cocoon: Increases Physical Defense rating by 50%.
- Bomb Toss and Cursed Sphere are both Medium Range (13.5 Yalm distance) spells for multi-target Area of Effect pulls (7 Yalm Radius).
- An example of where this is useful would be for Dynamis Divergence Wave 3 fetter pulls.
- Blank Gaze: Single-target Enmity spell.
- Jettatura: Front conal Enmity Spell (9 Yalm range, 30~45° cone).
- Caster-Focused Area of Effect Enmity Spells: As the bullet point indicates, /BLU has a variety of AoE spells focused around the caster which can be used to either tag a group of mobs or bolster the Enmity already established on a group of enemies.
- Sheep Song, Stinking Gas, Soporific, and Geist Wall.
- Please Note: There is a 15 target maximum initial Enmity establishing limit. So for example, if there is a group of 20 monsters and you cast an AoE Enmity spell covering all 20, only 15 will add you to their Enmity List. Anything past that limit has to be either tagged individually one at a time or AoE'd outside of that initial 15 targets.
- Direct Uses
- Job Traits
- Healing Breeze + Sheep Song provides Auto Regen
- Healing Breeze + Sheep Song provides Auto Regen
- Job Traits
- Stat Gains
Yes, stat gains. Even with the amount of stats given by Item Level equipment, you still will have some spell slots left over to add additional stats according to your own personal preferences. In this case, listing spells which add a few extra points of HP as it's objectively the most reasonable gain one can get out of the list and may push you over a HP threshold:- Wild Oats HP+10, Feather Storm HP+5, Screwdriver HP+10, Healing Breeze HP+10, Sheep Song HP+5, Helldive HP+5, Wild Carrot HP+5
- Wild Oats HP+10, Feather Storm HP+5, Screwdriver HP+10, Healing Breeze HP+10, Sheep Song HP+5, Helldive HP+5, Wild Carrot HP+5
- Stat Gains
- Master Level 5+:
- Direct Uses
- Caster-Focused Area of Effect Enmity Spells:
- Cold Wave: Becomes an additional option in your rotation after ML 15 and even has a minor added benefit of applying a Frost DoT.
- Caster-Focused Area of Effect Enmity Spells:
- Job Traits
- Ice Break (ML5) + Magnetite Cloud provides Magic Defense Bonus
- Stat Gains
- Radiant Breath HP+5
- Direct Uses
/BLU Enmity Table
| Enmity Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spell | Cumulative Enmity Value | Volatile Enmity Value |
| Blank Gaze | 320 CE | 320 VE |
| Jettatura | 180 CE | 1,020 VE |
| Sheep Song | 320 CE | 320 VE |
| Stinking Gas | 320 CE | 320 VE |
| Geist Wall | 320 CE | 320 VE |
| Soporific | 320 CE | 320 VE |
| Cold Wave ML15 |
320 CE | 320 VE |
Picking your Spells
Brahmsz (talk): This is more of a personal notation, but your set list of spells while limited in capacity by sub is a still a matter of personal preference. All the spells listed here should have their respective links but in an abundance of caution for those who will likely skip over these sorts of things here's some tips:
- MP Cost, Casting time, Casting & AoE Range, and Stat Gains (HP) are all considerations for what spells you choose.
- Personally, I lean more into a spell set that favors HP gains to push my HP cap over a given threshold, for example.
- As such, I avoid Soporific & Geist Wall as they both have HP-10, for example.
- Of the 4 non-Master Level AoE spells available, Sheep Song has the lowest MP Cost (22MP), followed in order by Soporific (24MP), Stinking Gas (44MP), and Geist Wall (46MP).
- Stinking Gas has the longest casting time at 4 seconds compared to 3 seconds for the others.
- Geist Wall has the shortest recast time (30 sec), followed by Stinking Gas (37s), Sheep Song (60s), and Soporific (90s).
- Stinking Gas has the longest casting time at 4 seconds compared to 3 seconds for the others.
- Cursed Sphere has a lower MP Cost (32v42), Cast Time (3v4), and Recast (20v25) over Bomb Toss while having the same Casting & AoE Range.
- Personally, I lean more into a spell set that favors HP gains to push my HP cap over a given threshold, for example.
- MP Cost, Casting time, Casting & AoE Range, and Stat Gains (HP) are all considerations for what spells you choose.
Abilities, Traits, Merits, and Job Points
Abilities and Traits
Merits
| Group 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Description | Level | Notes |
| Shield Bash Recast | Shorten recast time by 2 seconds. | 0/5 | Shield Bash timer has been significantly reduced to 60 seconds. The additional seconds off are not worth it. |
| Holy Circle Recast | Shorten recast time by 10 seconds. | 0/5 | Artifact feet already boost the duration to 4:30 with a recast of 5:00. |
| Sentinel Recast | Shorten recast time by 10 seconds. | 5/5 | You want to reduce the downtime of this ability. 5/5 takes off 50 seconds from the recast. High value investment. |
| Cover effect length | Lengthen time of effect by 4 seconds. | 0/5 | Cover has fallen out of use and extending duration will not help in most situations. |
| Rampart Recast | Shorten recast time by 4 seconds. | 5/5 | You want to reduce the downtime on Rampart as well. High value investment. |
| Group 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Description | Level | Notes |
| Fealty | Grants a powerful resistance to enfeebling magic. Recast: 10min. Increase duration by 5 seconds. |
1/5 to 4/5 | Invest at least one point While the description simply says enfeebling magic, Fealty also has clutch uses against certain non-spell / TP-based status effects and even some elemental damaging spells. The augmented relic body will increase the duration of Fealty by 4 seconds per merit level. This is still a 10 minute ability and comes down to person preference. |
| Chivalry | Converts TP to MP. Recast: 10min. Increase amount of MP granted by 5%. |
1/5 to 4/5 | Invest at least one pointThe bare minimum return on Chivalry with 1,000 TP should be mid 600's. The augmented relic hands will increase the TP-based portion of the MP restoration by 10%. This is still a 10 minute ability and comes down to person preference. |
| Iron Will | Adds a spell interruption down effect to Rampart. Increase effect by 19%. |
0/5 | Shield Mastery gives 100% Spell Interruption Rate down upon a successful block, making Iron Will largely antiquated and unnecessary. |
| Guardian | Reduces enmity loss while using Sentinel. Increase effect by 19 percent. |
5/5 | Highly Desirable. The enmity loss reduction on this trait is hefty and should be embraced wholeheartedly. |
Job Points
| Job Points | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Description | Notes on Effects |
| Invincible Effect | Increases the amount of static enmity accrued from activating Invincible. | Increases static enmity under Invincible by 100 per point for a total of 2,000. |
| Intervene Effect | Increases damage dealt when using Intervene. | Increase damage dealt by Intervene by 2% per point for a total of 40%. |
| Holy Circle Effect | Reduces the amount of damage taken from Undead while under the effects of Holy Circle. | Reduces the amount of damage taken from Undead while Holy Circle is active by 1% per point for a total of 10%. |
| Sentinel Effect. | Increases enmity while under the effects of Sentinel. | Increases enmity while Sentinel is active by 1 per point for a total of 20 enmity. |
| Shield Bash Effect | Increases damage dealt with Shield Bash. | Increases damage dealt by Shield Bash by 10 per point for a total of 200 damage. |
| Cover Duration | Increases the effect duration of Cover. | Increase effect duration of Cover by 1 second per point for a total of 20 seconds. |
| Divine Emblem Effect | Increases divine magic damage while under the effects of Divine Emblem. | Increases magic damage dealt by the Banish and Holy spells by 2 per point for a total of 40 damage. |
| Sepulcher Duration | Increases the effect duration of Sepulcher. | Increases effect duration of Sepulcher by 1 second per point for a point of 20 seconds. |
| Palisade Effect | Increases the effect duration of Palisade. | Increases the effect duration of Palisade by 1 second per point for a total of 20 seconds. |
| Enlight Effect | Increases additional light damage and physical accuracy while under the effects of Enlight. | Increases Enlight's en-spell damage and physical accuracy by 1 per point for a total of 20 in each category. |
Weapons
Swords & Shields
Taking a moment to touch upon sword and shield choices for Paladin. There is a variety of sword choices to choose from. And while your mileage may vary depending on which sword you choose to wield, there are only a handful of shields for use in endgame scenarios.
Swords
- Eminent Scimitar: Quite possibly the earliest and easiest iLvl sword you can obtain (since there is no Homestead/Bayld swords for Paladins).
- Cost: 7,000 Sparks.
- Voluspa Sword: Honorable mention. If you started collecting Domain Points from Domain Invasion, an extremely easy iLvl 119 sword. An added bonus is Volupsa Sword gains large stat increases during Domain Invasion.
- Cost: 80 Domain Points from Zurim.
- Kaja Sword / Naegling: Highly recommended Offensive benchmark target. Granting access to Savage Blade weapon skill AND granting an additional 15% damage bonus to all hits of Savage Blade.
- Cost: 16,250 Hallmarks to upgrade from a base Tokko Sword to Kaja Sword. 26,250 Hallmarks and one Pulse Weapon‡ to fully upgrade to Naegling.
- Nixxer: Recommended Defensive benchmark target. Standard physical damage tanking sword. Featuring Physical Damage Taken -6% and Shield Blockrate +3%. Pairs nicely with a Priwen or Ochain.
- Brilliance: Honorable mention. Featuring a base Enmity +7, an additional +15 damage to Enlight (as well as enspell duration +15 seconds), and Damage Taken -3%. Max augment provides an additional Enmity +7 for a total of 14, +10 shield skill, as well as +15 to Divine Magic skill and base DMG, respectively. Pairs nicely with a Priwen or Srivatsa.
- How to obtain:
- Randomized prize from successfully defeating Sajj'aka in Wave 3 of Sinister Reign. Randomized augments upon presentation of prize choice...
- Good luck!
- Randomized prize from successfully defeating Sajj'aka in Wave 3 of Sinister Reign. Randomized augments upon presentation of prize choice...
- How to obtain:
- Malignance Sword: Honorable mention. Magic Defense Bonus +8, Fast Cast +8%, Refresh +1, and Resist All Status Ailments +10. This is definitely a "nice to have in your repertoire" sword.
- How to obtain:
- Chance drop from Maiden of the Dusk High Tier Mission Battle.
- Cost: 10 Merit Points and <ahem> proper access requirement: Complete Wings of the Goddess mission line.
- Good luck!
- How to obtain:
- Sakpata's Sword: Honorable mention. HP+100, MP+40, Fast Cast +10%, Damage Taken -10%, and Potency of "Phalanx" effects received +5.
- How to obtain: Purchasable from the Pilgrim Moogle in Rabao after successfully defeating the Atonement 3 NM Kalunga in Sheol: Gaol of Odyssey.
DAMPER Swords
Shortened for Divergence, Aeonic, Mythic, Prime, Empyrean, & Relic weapons. Descriptions herein assume 119 (III).
- (D) File:Cabal. Sword icon.png Cabal. Sword / File:Moralltach icon.png Moralltach: Paladin's Divergence weapon, the former being the HQ1 and the latter being the HQ2. On paper, these are decent hybrid melee weapons sporting Accuracy / Attack +40 to +50, HP +120 to 130, MP +60 to 70, and converting 2% to 3% of Maximum HP to Defense. However, the real benefit of these swords are their Path C augments: an additional HP +200 to 250, Cure Potency +20% to 25% and Refresh +3 to 4 respectively. Pairs very nicely with the job ability Majesty.
- Requirements:
- To equip Caballarius Sword, the player requires "Superior 4" status: 1,200 Job Points spent/invested.
- To equip Moralltach, the player requires "Superior 5" status: Job Mastery; 2,100 Job Points spent/invested.
- Requirements:
- (A)
Sequence: The one of the two Aeonic pieces Paladin has access to (the other being the shield Srivatsa). Aeonics are the only ultimate weapon category to boast TP Bonus +500. Sequence's aftermath effect unlocks Level 4 skillchain properties Radiance and/or Umbra, respectively. Fair warning though, Sequence's associated weaponskill Requiescat is mainly a utility weaponskill and as such should not be depended upon for damage.
- (M) File:Burtgang icon.png Burtgang: Paladin's ultimate job-specific Mythic weapon. One of the few in-game weapons that breaks the physical damage taken cap (PDT II -18%), raising it to a maximum of PDT -68%. Has a massive Enmity +23 as well as Enmity reduction upon taking damage of approximately -20%. Burtgang's associated weaponskill Atonement has a finite damage cap, but in exchange gives a massive enmity boost upon use, which can go a long way in higher end content.
- (P) File:Caliburnus (Level 119) icon.png Caliburnus (Level 119): Paladin's Prime One-Handed Sword. Relatively speaking, there isn't much to say about it other than it is an ultimate weapon.
- (E) File:Almace icon.png Almace: One of two Empyrean weapons Paladin has access to (The other being the greatsword Caladbolg). Almace comes with an additional DEX+50, which helps to further boost it's associated weaponskill Chant du Cygne as well as an attached Aftermath effect of Occasionally Triples Damage.
- (R) File:Excalibur icon.png Excalibur: Paladin's original ultimate [Relic] weapon. Also, one of two Relic weapons Paladin has access to (the other being the greatsword Ragnarok). Allowing the use of the weaponskill Knights of Round with an attached Aftermath effect of Regen +30 & Refresh +3 on the user.
- Notes:
- Has a hidden effect of dealing triple damage on the first swing of an attack round 13% of the time.
- Deals slashing damage damage equal to 25% of the wielder's current HP. This displays as an "Additional Effect" line in the in-game chat log.
- At Rank 15 Augmentation, the wielder also gains an additional Shield Blockrate +10%.
- Notes:
Shields
- File:Priwen icon.png PriwenFile:Priwen description.png: Recommended benchmark target for new or returning players to the job. It comes with Damage Taken -6%, Phalanx reduction received +2, and triples blockrate under Reprisal(!!!). If you don't mind losing TP switching this in for phalanx is not a bad idea.
- Priwen can be further enhanced through augmentation.
- At rank 15, Priwen gains HP +50, Magic Evasion +50, and an additional Damage Taken -3%.
- Requirements:
- Meet minimum requirements to be "recognized" by Oboro.
- Trade him a Cehuetzi Pelt, Januwiyah, Darksteel Shield, and 150 of either Pluton, Beitetsu, or Riftborn Boulder.
- For augmentation, trade Oboro your Priwen and one of above mentioned currency to start. Then trade 299 more after initial augment to complete the process.
- Meet minimum requirements to be "recognized" by Oboro.
- Priwen can be further enhanced through augmentation.
- File:Blurred Shield icon.png Blurred ShieldFile:Blurred Shield description.png / Blurred Shield +1File:Blurred Shield +1 description.png: Most likely one of the first shield investments into a dd or hybrid build. Accuracy/Attack +15 to 20, Shield Blockrate +5 to 10%, Weaponskill Damage +5 to 7%, and the HQ version's Fencer bonus +1 make these an excellent choice for content where you can afford to melee and tank.
- Requirements:
- To equip Blurred Shield/ +1, the player requires "Superior 2" status: 100 Job Points spent/invested.
- Requirements:
- File:Ajax +1 icon.png Ajax +1
: A very niche shield that provides Enhancing Magic Received Duration +10% when augmented to Rank 15, making it quite interesting for longer buffs if you don't mind losing TP. The Enhancing Magic Duration effect is an augment and is quite strong. Enhancing Magic Duration effect and the equipment augment version of the effect are added at separate steps in the formula to further multiply the duration of Enhancing spells.
- See Enhancing_Magic#Equipment_Bonuses for more info.
- How to Obtain:
- Coca UNM.
- Chance drop from Coca's Coffer item.
- Coca UNM.
Sacro Bulwark
: Another fascinating entry deserving of honorable mention. Has Damage Taken -10%, Shield Blockrate +15%, spell interruption rate -7%, and the Cure Potency +5%. It's a bit niche, but makes for an excellent "support tank" shield. Pairs nicely with the job ability Majesty for an increase in cure power.
- How to Obtain:
- Chance drop from Divine Interference High-Tier Mission Battlefield.
- Cost: 10 Merit Points and <ahem> proper access requirement: Complete Treasures of Aht Urhgan mission line.
- Good luck!
- How to Obtain:
- File:Adamas icon.png AdamasFile:Adamas description.png: Another very niche shield. still deserving of honorable mention. The predecessor to Priwen during the 99-Cap era of the game, Adamas is the only other shield in the game with the "Enhances Reprisal" effect (triples blockrate under Reprisal). Adamas also provides a significant boost to Resist All Status Ailments of 20%. Pairs nicedly with a Malignance Sword.
- How to Obtain:
- Chance drop from Provenance Watcher.
- Progress up the Voidwatch questline until you gain Provenance access.
- How to Obtain:
REAP Shields
- File:Aegis icon.png AegisFile:Aegis (Level 99 II) description.png: Paladin's long held, original, tried and true shield. One of three Relics Paladin has access to. The first piece of equipment in game to break a particular damage taken cap (MDT II -50%) for a maximum of magic damage taken -87.5%. Makes magic damage received barely noticeable, even on the highest content. It also augments Shield Bash by adding an additional 250 damage. Aegis' biggest downside is that as a non-iLevel shield, its blockrate will be floored to the bare minimum 5%.
- File:Ochain icon.png OchainFile:Ochain (Level 99 II) description.png: Paladin's original physical damage answer to Aegis. Ochain is one of three Empyreans Paladin has access to. It's also one of two shields with the Size 6 designation. While Ochain is also a non-iLevel shield, it has a hidden effect of a starting blockrate at "~108%".1 The size 6 shield designation of Ochain comes with a small caveat: despite Ochain's size 6 designation, it actually has a reduced physical damage reduction upon successful block.2 All that said, Ochain's blockrate is still monstrous (even with the widened gap between player skill and mob level in higher end content) and provides one of the best layers of physical defenses in the game.
- The 108% is reflective of a player character at level 99 player, so long as their Shield Skill is equivalent to mob combat skill/level. At level 99, Shield Blockrate begins to uncap at mob level 107.
- Physical damage reduction upon successful block is determined by shield size. Each size up gains an increase in physical damage reduction upon successful block up to size 5. see chart below
SrivatsaFile:Srivatsa description.png: Srivatsa is one of two Aeonics Paladin has access to. Arguably the best hybrid build shield a Paladin can equip. Sporting the highest defense stat at 150 defense, HP +150, Accuracy/Attack +35, enmity +15, Damage Taken -8%, and a 5% chance of damage annulment. The downside is that prior to Master Levels the player has to build around it to make it truly effective. Pairs nicely with Caballarius Sword / Moralltach for a massive HP boost. With enough master levels (20+) and enough +block rate (at least +8) against high level enemies this shield can rival Ochain. This does not mean it is always better, but in some situations it might overtake other options and is worth making.
- File:Duban (Level 119) icon.png Duban (Level 119)File:Duban (Level 119) description.png: And a new challenger enters the ring. Duban is a part of the Prime Weapon line. Duban was given a Size 6 designation, meaning it has the benefit of Ochain's enhanced blockrate, but with the advantage of item level status.
Shield Size Chart
See Shield Skill for information about block rate and damage reduction.
Standard Shields
| Shield Size | Base Damage Reduction | Base Block Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -20% | 55% |
| 2 | -40% | 40% |
| 3 | -50% | 45% |
| 4 | -65% | 30% |
Ultimate Shields
| Shield | Total Damage Reduction | Base Block Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Aegis
|
-75% | 50% |
| Ochain Duban | -60% | ~108% |
Notes Concerning Priwen, Ochain, Duban, & Srivatsa
--Brahmsz (talk) After a series of conversations, questions, and misunderstandings, adding this set of notes to hopefully clear up and give a better understanding of how these three shields compare and can be used in content. 01:44, 26 October 2022 (EDT)
How They Compare
- So let's start with some basic comparisons:
- Priwen is Size 3; Srivatsa is Size 5; and Ochain is Size 6. Please review above chart for physical damage reduction on successful block and unadjusted starting blockrates.
- Priwen is the only non-ultimate shield of the three.
- Priwen is also the only shield of the three that has the rare "Enhances Reprisal" stat attached.
- Ochain is the only non-item level (iLVL) shield of the four.
- Ochain has a hidden unnamed status effect (likely tied to its Size 6 classification) that grants it an extraordinarily high blockrate.
- As of the November 2022 Update, Duban is now officially the second Size 6 shield in the game.
- Of the three item level shields (Priwen, Dubann, & Srivatsa), Srivatsa has the highest Shield Skill+ attached (More on this later).
How They Work
- I would strongly encourage people read the Shield Skill page to get a better understanding of how shield blocking works.
- The extremely simplified explanation is thus: there are four components to shield blocking; (1) Player Shield Skill; (2) Mob Combat Skill; (3) Unadjusted starting blockrate based on the Shield Size; and (4) blockrate adjustment based on level adjustment.
- So how do these shields function in combat situations?
- Let's break this down into two (three) situations: Reprisal active; Palisade active; Reprisal AND Palisade on cooldown (or dispelled).
- Reprisal increases blockrate by 50% (current blockrate x1.50) and increases Shield Skill by 15% (skill x 1.15).
- Priwen enhances Reprisal's effect, doubling it to a 3.0 multiplier, and gains a moderate increase in its Shield Skill.
- Ochain's & Duban's blockrates simply gets better with a 1.5 multiplier.
- Srivatsa sees gains from the 1.5 Reprisal effect, but gains ground via the 1.15 skill multiplier as it has the highest item level Shield Skill+.
- Reprisal increases blockrate by 50% (current blockrate x1.50) and increases Shield Skill by 15% (skill x 1.15).
- Palisade is a flat percentage-based increase to blockrate. Base Palisade grants +30% blockrate. With 20/20 Job Points invested in Palisade, the increase is +50% blockrate.
- The blockrate percentage Palisade grants is applied regardless of player Shield skill or floored (5%) blockrate.
- What this means is… Palisade can be utilized to close the gap on blockrate when say… Reprisal is on cooldown/dispelled or the fourth component of blockrate adjustment based on level adjustment warrants it.
- Please be advised that Palisade has a secondary and more prudent purpose for tanking besides increasing blockrate.
- Palisade is a flat percentage-based increase to blockrate. Base Palisade grants +30% blockrate. With 20/20 Job Points invested in Palisade, the increase is +50% blockrate.
- This leaves the third situation of Reprisal AND Palisade on cooldown (or dispelled).
- Priwen falls behind in such a situation. Due in part to not only its status as a "normal" Size 3 shield, but the higher level the Mob or Content the player is facing, the dramatically lower Priwen's blockrate becomes in this situation.
- Ochain's and Duban's blockrates remain high regardless. Due in large part to their special Size 6 shield classifications and the significant blockrate that provides.
- Srivatsa falls somewhere in the middle between the previous two. As stated, Srivatsa is not only equivalent to ILVL 122, it offers the highest Shield skill of any shield PLD can wear. As a size 5 shield (not to mention classification as an ultimate armament), Srivatsa enjoys higher thresholds of physical damage reduction on successful block and unadjusted starting blockrate.
- This leaves the third situation of Reprisal AND Palisade on cooldown (or dispelled).
TL;DR
- Without diving into my personal view, here is how it breaks down:
- Priwen works perfectly fine as long as Reprisal is active.
- Ochain simply works, but Duban effectively replaces it if you have one.
- Srivatsa takes some work to build around at first but gains significant ground as your gear improves.
- Ultimately, it is your choice to use whichever shield you feel more comfortable with for physical defense scenarios. This guide exists to provide you with information, in order to make informed choices.
- Without diving into my personal view, here is how it breaks down:
Great Sword Options
REMA Great Swords
Club Options
Spear Options
Equipment
Job Specific Equipment
Artifact Armor
| Reverence Armor Set | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Upgrade? | Notes |
| File:Rev. Coronet +3 icon.png Rev. Coronet +3366px link= |
No | Middling HP+ & Enmity+. Cover has lost a lot of use so the duration effect isn't likely to change anything. Fully upgraded +3 isn't worth the cost outside of completionist circles. |
| File:Rev. Surcoat +3 icon.png Rev. Surcoat +3366px link= |
Yes | Major piece with high upgrade value. Massive HP+ swap piece with a significant amount of Fast Cast and Damage Taken-% attached. |
| File:Rev. Gauntlets +3 icon.png Rev. Gauntlets +3366px link= |
Yes | Moderately high HP+ and middling Enmity+. Shield Mastery +2 effect won't move the needle much. Fully upgraded +3 isn't worth the cost outside of completionist circles. |
| File:Rev. Breeches +3 icon.png Rev. Breeches +3366px link= |
Yes | Still a major HP+ swap piece with the highest HP for this slot. Physical Damage Taken -% is still fairly high and helps balance out sets when swapping in accessories or gear with HP+ augments is a pain on the higher end of the spectrum. |
| File:Rev. Leggings +3 icon.png Rev. Leggings +3366px link= |
Yes | Provides one of the largest chunks of shield skill for a shield block build; significant Damage Taken to MP conversion (Your Mileage May Vary); as well as extending Holy circle's duration to four and half minutes and augmenting its damage reduction & damage multiplier effects. Niche but still significant. |
Relic Armor
| Caballarius Armor Set | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Upgrade? | Notes |
 Cab. Coronet +3366px link=  {{#replace:Enhances "Iron Will" effect|,| }} |
Yes | Worth it just for the Rampart duration alone. HP+ and Enmity+ are bonuses. Iron Will augment is only active while worn. |
 Cab. Surcoat +3366px link= {{#replace:Enhances "Fealty" effect|,| }} |
Yes | High HP+, Damage Taken-%, and Enmity+. While Cover may not see as much use, the damage conversion is still noticeable. Fealty Duration is also a significant gain when it is available. |
 Cab. Gauntlets +3366px link= {{#replace:Enhances "Chivalry" effect|,| }} |
Yes | Significant HP+ and matching Enmity+ with other sources. Augment increases TP to MP conversion of Chivalry. Worth it just for transforming Shield Bash into a highly accurate non-elemental dispel. |
 Cab. Breeches +3  {{#replace:Enhances "Invincible" effect|,| }} |
YMMV | A middle of the road all-round piece. Upgrade discretion up to the player, but keep it around and upgrade at your leisure. Augment extends Invincible by 10 seconds. |
 Cab. Leggings +3366px link= {{#replace:Enhances "Guardian" effect|,| }} |
Yes | Low to average HP+ and Enmity+ compared to other sources. Worth upgrading just for augmenting and extending Sentinel window. Make it and embrace it. |
| Divergence Weapon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Upgrade? | Notes |
| File:Cabal. Sword icon.png Cabal. Sword366px link= {{#replace:Path C|,| }} |
Great sword when you are needing to be the main healer. | |
| File:Moralltach icon.png Moralltach366px link= {{#replace:Path C|,| }} |
Step up from the su4, but for the additional benefits of HP+50, +5% cure, and +1 refresh. Not worth the price tag, unless you're a HQ collector. | |
| Divergence Neck Accessory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Upgrade? | Notes |
| File:Kgt. Beads +2 icon.png Kgt. Beads +2366px link= {{#replace:R15/20/25: HP+30/45/60 VIT&MND+10/12/15 DT-5/6/7%|,| }} |
N/A | The HQ1 and HQ2 have use cases from the HP+ & DT-% stats. Beneficial for general tanking purposes and is a useful swap for Savage Blade due to the MND+. Don't bother with the NQ... |
Empyrean Armor
| Chevalier Armor Set | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Upgrade? | Notes |
| File:Chev. Armet +3 icon.png Chev. Armet +3366px link= |
Yes! | Moderate HP+, Fast Cast+%, Shield Skill+, and Converts Physical Damage to MP with significant Damage Taken-%. |
| File:Chev. Cuirass +3 icon.png Chev. Cuirass +3366px link= |
Yes | Moderately high HP+ and significant Spell Interruption Rate Down+%. Tying the damage taken-% stat to the player's enmity is both a gift and a curse. |
| File:Chev. Gauntlets +3 icon.png Chev. Gauntlets +3366px link= |
Maybe | Low HP+. Lacks Enmity but significant damage taken-%. Rare stat of Shield Defense Bonus+. |
| File:Chev. Cuisses +3 icon.png Chev. Cuisses +3366px link= |
Yes! | Moderate HP+ and high damage taken-%. Adds rare stat of Enmity Retention +12. |
 Chev. Sabatons +3 
|
Yes | Low HP+ but moderately high Enmity+ as well as Fast Cast compared to other sources. Worth it just for Divine Emblem+ enhancement. |
| Empyrean Armor Accessories | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item | Upgrade? | Notes |
| File:Creed Collar icon.png Creed Collar366px link= |
N/A | Rare stat of enmity retention. Your May Mileage Vary, but still recommended. |
 Creed Baudrier 
|
N/A | High use piece. Moderate Defense & Magic Defense Bonus , High HP & Enmity. Highly recommended!! |
| File:Chev. Earring +2 icon.png Chev. Earring +2  {{#replace:Acc/MAcc+16~20, DT-6%, STR/VIT+7~15|,| }} |
N/A | High physical defense, moderate Shield Skill+, and Cure Potency+ for its slot. Augment offers high amount of damage taken -%, all of which is helpful for building future sets around. |
New and/or Returning Players Sets
- One of the biggest challenges a Paladin will ever face isn't a NM or content event, but balancing their HP pool across various sets.
- All sets herein should be regarded as benchmark targets to gauge gear progression.
- For more advanced sets, please scroll down to Advanced Section (10.3).
Tanking Sets
- Generalized Tanking sets for those new to PLD or returning after a long period of time.
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A Note on Shield Block Tank Sets
-- Brahmsz (talk) -- Been giving this a fair amount of thought and decided Shield Block builds deserved a mention here in the New/Returning section. 16:35, 8 June 2021 (EDT)
- There are currently two approaches to a Paladin Shield Block build: 1) Shield Skill+. 2)Shield Block+. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
- The idea behind a Shield Skill+ build is to close the gap between you the player's Shield skill and the target enemy's combat skill (specifically under Reprisal).
- Please see the Shield Skill page for the most up-to-date formula on how shield skill works and effects blockrate.
- The idea behind a Shield Block+ build is to raise the "floor" of a given shield size's Blockrate (and further augment Reprisal).
- The idea behind a Shield Skill+ build is to close the gap between you the player's Shield skill and the target enemy's combat skill (specifically under Reprisal).
- Will focus on Skill+ suggestions in this section. For Block+ suggestions, please refer to 7.3.1 below.
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Enmity (General) Sets
Flash (Magic Enmity) Sets
Phalanx Sets
Reprisal Sets
Enlight Sets
Fast Cast Sets
"Spell Interruption Rate Down"
Advanced Section
Sets by Brahmsz
Tanking Sets
Situational Sets
Enmity Sets
Hybrid Sets
Weaponskill Sets
Magic Evasion Sets
Magic Casting Sets
Sets by Galkapryme
Tanking Sets
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