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Gladiator/Paladin Job Guide

General overview of the PLD job in FFXIV

  1. Fuzz

    [​IMG]


    "For centuries, the elite of the Sultansworn have served as personal bodyguards to the royal family of Ul'dah. Known as paladins, these men and women marry exquisite swordplay with stalwart shieldwork to create a style of combat uncompromising in its defense. Clad in brilliant silver armor, they charge fearlessly into battle, ever ready to lay down their lives for their liege.

    To be a paladin is to protect, and those who choose to walk this path will become the iron foundation upon which the party's defense is built."



    Overview
    Paladin is a job made available on patch 2.0 (A Realm Reborn) in Final Fantasy XIV. Both Paladins and Gladiators are primarily used for tanking and specialize in swords and shields.

    Gladiators specialize in the handling of all manner of one-handed blades, from daggers to longswords, be they single- or double-edged, straight or curved. Tracing their roots to the Coliseum, where the roar of the crowd reigns supreme, these melee combatants have learned to seamlessly flow between attack and defense in a dance that delights the eye. Making use of their skill with the shield, gladiators can also draw the attention and attacks of an enemy upon themselves, thereby protecting their comrades from harm.


    Gladiator
    Gladiator is the class used to obtain the Paladin job. The Gladiator is one of the primary tanking classes in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. They wield a one-hand Sward and an off-hand Shield. A gladiator's main focus in tanking is to mitigate damage through blocking with shield and to use skills like 'Flash' that will hit all enemies within 10 yalms.

    Paladin
    Leveling a GLD to 30 unlock the main job for Gladiators called Paladin (PLD). Paladins are essentially holy gladiators with more magic capabilities to help retain enmity. They will allow higher HP and Defense ratings, among some abilities that will reduce damage. The only real flaw of using PLD over just GLD is that they will deal less damage


    How To Unlock
    [​IMG] Player must complete the following quest: Sylph-management located in The Solar.
    [​IMG] Player must complete the following quest: The Rematch located in the Gladiator's Guild.
    [​IMG] Class Required: Gladiator (Level 30)

    Action Anchor
    Job Actions
    Icon Level Action Type Cost Casting Cooldown Description
    1 [​IMG] 1 Fast Blade Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 200.
    2 [​IMG] 2 Fight or Flight Ability Instant 60s Increases physical damage dealt by 25% for 25s
    3 [​IMG] 4 Riot Blade Ability Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
    4 [​IMG] 6 Total Eclipse Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 120 to all nearby enemies.
    5 [​IMG] 10 Shield Base Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 110. Additional Effect: Stun for 6s
    6 [​IMG] 10 Iron Will Ability Instant 10s Significantly increases enmity generation. Effect ends upon reuse.
    7 [​IMG] 15 Shield Lob Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers a ranged attack with a potency of 120. Additional Effect: Increased enmity
    8 [​IMG] 26 Rage of Halone Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
    9 [​IMG] 30 Spirits Within Ability Instant 30s Delivers an attack with a potency of 100. Potency increases up to 370 as own HP nears maximum. Additional Effect: Restores MP
    10 [​IMG] 35 Sheltron Ability Oath Gauge Cost: 50 Instant 5s Block incoming attacks for 6s
    11 [​IMG] 38 Sentinel Ability Instant 120s Reduces damage taken by 30% for 15s
    12 [​IMG] 40 Prominence Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 to all nearby enemies.
    13 [​IMG] 45 Cover Ability Oath Gauge Cost: 50 Instant 120s Take all damage intended for another party member for 12s. Can only be executed when member is closer than 10 yalms. Does not activate with certain attacks.
    14 [​IMG] 50 Circle of Scorn Ability Instant 25s Delivers an attack with a potency of 120 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Damage over time for 15s
    15 [​IMG] 50 Hallowed Ground Ability Instant 420s Renders you impervious to most attacks for 10s
    16 [​IMG] 54 Goring Blade Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
    17 [​IMG] 56 Divine Veil Ability Instant 90s Upon HP recovery via healing magic cast by self or a party member, a protective barrier is cast on all party members within a radius of 15 yalms for 30s
    18 [​IMG] 58 Clemency Spell 2000 MP 1.5s 2.5s Restores target's HP. Additional Effect: Restores to self 50% of HP restored to target if target is a party member
    19 [​IMG] 60 Royal Authority Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
    20 [​IMG] 62 Intervention Ability Oath Gauge Cost: 50 Instant 10s Reduces target party member's damage taken by 10% for 6s. Additional Effect: Increases damage reduction by another 50% of the effect of Rampart or Sentinel if either are active
    21 [​IMG] 64 Holy Spirit Spell 2000 MP 1.5s 2.5s Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 350.
    22 [​IMG] 68 Requiescat Ability Instant 60s Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 150. Potency increases up to 550 as MP nears maximum.
    23 [​IMG] 70 Passage of Arms Ability Instant 120s Increases block rate to 100% and creates a designated area in a cone behind you in which party members will only suffer 85% of all damage inflicted for 18s
    24 [​IMG] 72 Holy Circle Spell 2000 MP 1.5s 2.5s Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 250 to all nearby enemies.
    25 [​IMG] 74 Intervene Ability Instant 30s Rushes target and delivers an attack with a potency of 200.
    26 [​IMG] 76 Atonement Weaponskill Instant 2.5s Delivers an attack with a potency of 550 and restores MP. Can only be executed while under the effect of Sword Oath.
    27 [​IMG] 80 Confiteor Spell 2000 MP Instant 2.5s Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 800 to target and all enemies nearby it. Can only be executed while under the effect of Requiescat.


    Role Actions
    Icon Level Action Type Cost Casting Cooldown Description
    1 [​IMG] 8 Rampart Ability Instant 90s Reduces damage taken by 20% for 20s
    2 [​IMG] 12 Low Blow Ability Instant 25s Stuns target for 5s
    3 [​IMG] 15 Provoke Ability Instant 30s Gesture threateningly, placing yourself at the top of a target's enmity list while gaining additional enmity.
    4 [​IMG] 18 Interject Ability Instant 30s Interrupts the use of a target's action.
    5 [​IMG] 22 Reprisal Ability Instant 60s Reduces damage dealt by nearby enemies by 10% for 10s
    6 [​IMG] 32 Arm's Length Ability Instant 120s Creates a barrier nullifying most knockback and draw-in effects for 6s. Additional Effect: Slow +20% when barrier is struck
    7 [​IMG] 48 Shirk Ability Instant 120s Diverts 25% of enmity to target party member.


    Traits Anchor
    Traits
    Icon Level Action Description
    1 [​IMG] 1 Tank Mastery Reduces damage taken by 20%. Furthermore, grants a bonus to maximum HP based on your vitality attribute, and a bonus to damage dealt based on your strength attribute.
    2 [​IMG] 35 Oath Mastery Increases Oath Gauge by 5 each time an auto-attack lands.
    3 [​IMG] 58 Chivalry Restores MP when using Riot Blade or Spirits Within.
    4 [​IMG] 60 Rage of Halone Mastery Upgrades Rage of Halone to Royal Authority.
    5 [​IMG] 64 Divine Magic Mastery Halves MP cost for all spells while preventing casting interruptions via damage taken.
    6 [​IMG] 66 Enhanced Prominence Restores MP when using Prominence.
    7 [​IMG] 74 Enhanced Sheltron Extends the duration of Sheltron to 6 seconds.
    8 [​IMG] 76 Sword Oath Grants three stacks of Sword Oath after successfully completing a combo with Royal Authority.
    9 [​IMG] 78 Enhanced Requiescat Spells require no cast time while under the effect of Requiescat.


    Quests Anchor
    Job Quests
    Quest Name Level Quest Giver Location Coordinates Unlocks
    1 Paladin's Pledge 30 Lulutsu Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x9,y11 Spirits Within
    2 Honor Lost 35 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x10,y11 Sheltron, Oath Mastery
    3 Power Struggles 40 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x10,y11 Prominence
    4 Posioned Hearts 45 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x10,y11
    5 Parley in the Sagolii 45 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x10,y11 Cover
    6 Keeping the Oath 50 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x10,y11 Hallowed Ground
    7 An Exemplary Example 50 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x10,y11 Hallowed Ground
    8 The Paladin Who Cried Wolf 52 Papashan Central Thanalan x23,y27
    9 Big Sollerets to Fill 54 Constaint Coerthas Western Highlands x32,y36 Goring Blade
    10 Hey Soul Crystal 56 Constaint Coerthas Western Highlands x32,y36 Divine Veil
    11 All According to Plan 58 Constaint Coerthas Western Highlands x23,y26 Clemency
    12 This Little Sword of Mine 60 Constaint Coerthas Western Highlands x32,y36 Royal Authority, Rage of Halone Mastery
    13 Tournament of the Century 60 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x11,y11
    14 In Thal's Name 63 Mylla Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x9,y12
    15 In Nald's Name 65 Mylla Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x9,y12
    16 Fade to Black Lotus 68 Mylla Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x9,y12
    17 Raising the Sword 70 Mylla Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x9,y12 Passage of Arms
    18 Worth Fighting For 80 Jenlyns Ul'dah - Steps of Thal x11,y11


    Stats Anchor
    Attributes/Statistics
    Character statistics mean different things depending on what class you are. Below is the general stat priority to follow for Paladins. Keep in mind that when leveling getting a higher iLevel is usually better in most cases.

    Strength > Critical Hit > Direct Hit > Determination > Tenacity = Skill Speed

    • Strength: Affects your physical damage output
    • Critical Hit: Affects the amount of physical and magical damage, as well as HP restored
    • Direct Hit: Affects the rate of your attacks landing direct hits
    • Determination: Affects the amount of damage dealt as well as HP restored
    • Tenacity: Affects the amount of damage dealt and received
    • Skill Speed: Affects bot casting and recast timers as well as auto-attacks


    Quests Anchor
    Rotations
    First off, performing actions in a specific order increases potency and applies combo bonuses which will help greatly. Below you will see the very basic approach to get combo bonuses and then a more advanced list which includes casting your oGCDs.

    Single Target

    Simple:
    [​IMG] Fast Blade => [​IMG] Riot Blade => [​IMG] Royal Authority -OR- [​IMG] Goring Blade

    Advanced:
    A more complete rotation or priority list is the following. Unbolded actions are oGCDs that should be hit sometime before moving to the next part of the rotation:
    1. Shield Lob > Fast Blade > Intervene > Spirits Within
    2. Riot Blade > Circle of Scorn
    3. Goring Blade > Requiescat
    4. Holy Spirit x4 > Confiteor > Fast Blade > Riot Blade > Fight or Flight
    5. Goring Blade > Fast Blade > Riot Blade > Spirits Within
    6. Royal Authority > Intervene > Circle of Scorn
    7. Atonement x3 > Fast Blade > Riot Blade > Goring Blade

    Multiple Targets

    Simple:
    [​IMG] Total Eclipse => [​IMG] Prominence

    Advanced:
    1. Total Eclipse > Circle of Scorn
    2. Prominence > Requiescat
    3. Holy Circle x4 > Confiteor > Fight or Flight
    4. Total Eclipse > Prominence > Total Eclipse > Prominence > Circle of Scorn
    5. Total Eclipse > Prominence

    Tips
    Be sure to have 'Iron Will' on to help increase enmity.

    Use defensive cool downs as needed and ones that are most suited for the situation. Use Defensive booster's right before adds come out or before a huge hit from the boss to help the healer.

    Other actions such as Shield Bash can be used to interrupt spells and Spirits Within to help Silence casters.

    You can tab throughout targets to help distribute enmity. Switch to your 2nd target a little before the 1st one is dead to quickly start building enmity before DPS gets it.


    Oath Gauge
    Upon learning the action Iron Will (at level 10), a symbol will appear on the screen indicating when it is in effect. Iron Will increases enmity gained from using other actions.
    [​IMG]


    Upon learning the trait Oath Mastery (at Level 35), the symbol which indicates the use of Iron Will will change to also display the Oath Gauge.

    Your oath grows stronger each time an auto-attack lands, and can be used (at a cost) to execute several actions such as Sheltron (acquired at level 35), Cover (acquired at level 45), and Intervention (acquired at level 62).
    [​IMG]


    Consumables Anchor
    Consumables
    • Potion - Grade 3 Tincture of Strength
    • Meals - Sausage and Sauerkraut, Farmer's Breakfast, Silkie Pudding

    Gear Anchor
    Gear


    Submit Anchor
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    Have a guide, tips, boss strategy? Have some cool FFXIV fanart you want to showcase? Submit your resource and we'll get it posted. Depending on the complexity, length or validity of the resource, you will also earn Gil. Gil can be used to cash out for real money or later purchase items from the store! Learn more.


    Images

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Recent Updates

  1. Updated for Patch 5.3
  2. Added Additional Actions

Recent Reviews

  1. lamont68
    lamont68
    5/5,
    This guide was pretty helpful. I was trying to figure out a good rotation to keep hate on me.