Mithra Paladin

[VDeity]

I am a Mithra 36WHM/18BLM and I just recently finished the Paladin quest and levelled my Warrior job to 20 (for now). My LS is planning on starting up a set party (none of the jobs are yet levelled) consisting of a BRD/WHM, DRK/WAR, PLD/WAR (we need 3 more). I volunteered to be the main tank, and I was wondering if it were at all effective to focus more on Evasion+ and Agility+ as a Paladin rather than go for Vitality+ and Defense+ like most Paladins. Of course as a Paladin I am keeping up to date on armor at all times, but instead of VIT rings I could get AGL rings etc.. What do you think...? Being a Mithra.. I believe it could be a very strong setup. Monsters would have a hard time hitting a Paladin like that.

[Ouch!]

I've never grouped with a Mithra paladin so I wouldn't know how effective the better evasion and agility could do for you. Theoretically it sounds like it'd be an effective combo, but you won't really know until you tried. Paladins are usually meat shields, and I would think that if you wanted to tank as a mithra, a NIN/WAR would be much more practical.

[Lionx]

Well believe it or not the only job that needs +Evasion is the NIN job where it has naturally high evasion to help out its Utusemi skill.

The higher lvl you go, the more Evasion doesnt really give. Incredibly Tough monsters will still hit you regardless of how high your AGI or Evasion is, so in the end its all about VIT and DEF. Evasion doesnt work out. The higher you go the more painfully aware it seems that its like as if the Evasion Gear isnt there at all.

The best setup is to get a Sword, dont go on power but try to find a Sword that have good accuracy up or Enmity plus or a VIT bonus. The more you hit the more enimity you will get. The Shield as a PLD will be much more powerful as they get an A in that category. A reasonably lvled shield skill, will block 10% of the monsters hit most of the time. Fill the neck with VIT gear, maybe at first get MND to help your healing skills(your Cures are there to gather hate, so remember to get hit a few and cast Cure to build enimity). But later on you will want to get Gorgets to maximize VIT as they will only hit harder and harder. A good high lvl equip would be an I.M. Gorget.

Rings will be Phalanx Rings at lower lvls that give you a whopping 10 DEF each. After a while, if you use Sentinel for hate and it doesnt seem your dmg is taking less, switch to VIT rings. AGI rings will not help you at any way. Evasion is almost non-exisitant at higher lvls cept for NINs who have godly Evasion.

The only part where i feel AGI is warranted is earrings, Drone Earrings that is. But i rather replace one with the Merc Earring. Then fill up your VIT with Behemoth's Mantle or something like that.

Basically the bottomline is...AGI and Evasion does nothing to help you especially when you lvl up more. VIT and DEF(until it soft caps) works alot more better. So forget the evasion mithra PLD...wont work.

EDIT in response to Zaphier: Mithras are good PLDs too, they just up their VIT more. Mithras can hit a little bit more on the enemy and build up hate that way.

Hitting helps alot, just playing WHM shows me that...when helping friends kill weaker enemies that might slaughter them for items, a Flash will bring its attention to me, but if i do not whack it and they do, it will turn right back to them. Therefore hitting is very important in Hate-Holding. PLDs are more than meat-shields, they are major hate controllers.