Paladin: Guide to Weapons and Armor

Sword

 * lvl 1 Wax Sword (Wax Sword +1 recommended if have money)
 * lvl 9 Spatha
 * lvl 11 Bee Spatha (I seriously think that PLD should get Bee Spatha +1, this sword is very powerful for its lvl and +2 ACC helps)
 * lvl 18 Iron Sword or
 * Longsword or
 * Fire Sword or Flame Sword (HQ of fire) (Always, always, always get one of these 2 swords. You will be fighting crabs and pugils either in the Dunes or Qufim at this level, and both are weak to fire.)
 * lvl 30 Centurion's Sword
 * lvl 34 Hunting Sword
 * lvl 39 Grudge Sword (+1 Enmity is nice, keep till lvl 50 for emergency situations)
 * lvl 42 Honor Sword (AF1)
 * lvl 50 Tactician Magician's Espadon
 * lvl 55 Wise Wizard's Anelace(Gluttony is not the end all be all. You can use this until 66)
 * lvl 57 Gluttony Sword (This has the highest delay of any sword in the game. May not be your best choice. +7 Vit is a lot, but contrary to popular belief Pld Melee Damage actually matters for hate control)
 * lvl 65 Macuahuitl +1 (Enmity +4 very nice)
 * lvl 66 Espadon (Get the Espadon +1)
 * lvl 70 Joyeuse (Double Attack, Piercing Damage)
 * lvl 70 Company Sword (hidden effect of increased damage for each party member)
 * lvl 71 Durandal (Cheap, better than Gluttony in almost every way. +1 enmity +7vit and lower delay.)

Great Sword
Keep in mind that a paladin's main role is tank. While a great sword paladin can theoretically hold hate better with a higher damage output, the B- rating in great swords leads to more misses and a lower damage-over-time.

That being said, here is a list of approved great swords.


 * lvl 1 Rusty Greatsword (Your only option at this level.)
 * lvl 10 Claymore
 * lvl 13 Flame Claymore (Or Burning Claymore, these will help to kill the fire-weak enemies in the dunes.)
 * lvl 18 Braveheart (Dex+2, Acc+5 is a lot at this level, and will help with a two-handed weapon.)
 * lvl 20 Mercenary's Greatsword (Carry this with your Braveheart. Att+7 will be helpful when you don't need the Acc+5.)
 * lvl 25 Federation Sword (The +2 version of the Mercenary's Greatsword which grants +8 MP. Not bad.)
 * lvl 36 Mythril Claymore
 * lvl 39 Ice Brand (Huge jump in DMG, plus the ice damage is beneficial at this level.)
 * lvl 43 Royal Swordsman's Blade +2 (You're a paladin using a great sword. You need the +3 VIT.)
 * lvl 55 Royal Guard's Sword (A PLD-only great sword, and it's really good. STR+2, MND+3, CHR+1.)
 * lvl 69 Flamberge
 * lvl 71 Nagan
 * lvl 75 Ragnarok (Clearly a pipe dream.)

Staff
There is only one staff a Paladin may use without truly dragging itself down. Even this however is debatable.


 * lvl 51: Earth Staff or Terra's Staff (Terra's is highly recomended if you take this method. Even if the gains are seemingly minimal, it's all you're going to get.)

This staff can be used with HNM's, and often is. However, it has been used in other situations.

This method has been confirmed to be used by at least one and argued by a few Paladin. The concept uses the VIT and -20% damage reduction to lower damage below the levels of a sword/shield Paladin. This method often relies on a Paladin using his/her magic to keep hate levels high, since the damage in conparison to a sword using Paladin will be lower. The Weapon skill of choice is often Spirit Taker in order to restore MP.

To use this method, staff skill must be capped beforehand, or else the Paladin's accuracy and damage will fall to very low levels, due to its A- skill. This also works for things like wyrms and Dynamis mobs that you do not actually engage to avoid giving them unecessary TP. In this situation, the Earth Staff is only being used for its damage reduction making its lower damage inconsequential.

Honestly, Staff Tanking works. If you are in a Party that wants to fight only IT+++ mobs and you find yourself getting hit for 100+ per regular attack an Earth Staff becomes a -very- viable option. If you find you are only taking 30-50 damage per hit on VT and low IT mobs, you can use a staff for approximately the same damage taken as sword and shield. This will help you keep your staff capped without having to go to skillup parties.

The biggest negative for staff use might be the loss of Shield Skillups. These are hard to come by and the chance of Shield Skill up is of course reduced to 0% when using a staff.


 * Also get
 * Lvl 51 Light Staff & Dark Staff
 * Light Staff you can use it when PL
 * Dark Staff is good when fight is over and when PL
 * -Do not attempt to tank in an EXP PT with either of these however.


 * lvl 60: Battle Staff (DMG:49 Delay:402 Accuracy+3 Attack+10, Battle Staff +1 if you can find one for a reasonable price)
 * lvl 73: Kinkobo/Primate Staff (Kinkobo is almost always cheaper due to woodworkers skilling up on them and trying to mitigate a bit of loss.)

Club
While club is not a viable weapon to use in an experience party due to its generally poor damage/delay, Paladins should be mindful of some of the uses of clubs.
 * In end-game situations, tanking with a club adds more to a Paladin's repertoire than most swords.
 * Buzdygan (level 71) has some MP and VIT and is the most comparable club to Durandal.
 * Jadagna (level 69) is a new club with the ToAU expansion, and has +29HP -29MP VIT+5.
 * Starlight and Moonlight weapon skills to restore your party's MP.
 * Club damage on bone-type mobs is generally greater than swords due to bones weakness to blunt weapons. Note that using Banish on skeletons allows swords and daggers to do more damage.

Ranged

 * lvl 55: Lightning Bow or Lightning Bow +1
 * lvl 70: Rosenbogen or Rosenbogen +1

Ammo

 * lvl 1: Happy Egg
 * lvl 1: Fortune Egg
 * lvl 30: RSE Ammo (If you cannot get the above)
 * lvl 60: Bibiki Seashell

Armor
* Bone or Lizard set may be used, Lizard is generally cheaper.

** There is debate over the Silver set's higher DEF and the Eisenschaller set's overall higher VIT and AGI as a better set of armor. Kampfschaller is typically considered superior to Silver set.

*** Instead of loading up on MP armor, focus on VIT, AGI, and HP. You can get MP from RDM casting Refresh, BRD casting Mages Ballad, or drinks - recomended - Cooking (30)

*** At lvl 35 you get: Auto Refresh.

Shield
There are several different size and styles of shields to choose from, and you may find that you want to have more than one on hand and use whichever best fits a given situation. The effectiveness of your shield-blocking is based upon your Shield Skill. When the Shield Skill activates it reduces the amount of damage taken from a melee hit. The higher your shield skill, the more often it will kick in. The Job Trait Shield Mastery also influences how often shield blocks will occur, and gives you TP for every shield block.

There are 5 distinct shield types. These are, in increasing size: Buckler, Round, Kite, Tower, and "size 5", which is currently restricted to the Relic shield, Aegis. The smaller shields will block more frequently, but will reduce the damage by a smaller amount than the larger shields (except for the Aegis, which is in a league of its own, being a fully upgraded Relic item). See the category listing for Shields for the types of all shields.


 * lvl 1 Lauan Shield or
 * Marine Shield
 * lvl 7 Shell Shield can work well, but some don't like the AGI loss
 * lvl 9 Aspis or
 * Clipeus (better than Aspis, but a NM drop)
 * lvl 20 Decurion's Shield
 * lvl 25 Bastokan Targe or
 * Republic Targe (often preferred over the Kite Shield)
 * lvl 28 Kite Shield, reward for completing A Knight's Test
 * lvl 38 Jennet Shield (recommended until lvl49)
 * lvl 43 Heater Shield
 * lvl 50 Royal Knight Army Shield DEF:14 STR+2 MND+1
 * or Temple Knight Army Shield DEF:14 STR+1 MND+2
 * lvl 52 Master Shield, lower DEF, but +10 Shield Skill can be very helpful
 * lvl 55 Royal Guard's Shield
 * lvl 55 Musketeer Commander's Shield, small shield, but with AGI+3
 * lvl 69 General's Shield
 * lvl 72 Tatami Shield
 * lvl 73 Koenig Shield
 * lvl 73 Januwiyah size 4 Tower shield with HP+25

Head

 * Lvl 1 Bronze Cap
 * Lvl 1 Cache-Nez (Enmity +2)
 * Lvl 7 Leather Bandana
 * Lvl 10 Faceguard or Royal Footman's Bandana
 * Lvl 16 Bone Mask or 
 * Lvl 17 Lizard Helm *
 * Lvl 21 Beetle Mask
 * Lvl 24 Iron Mask
 * Lvl 29 Eisenschaller or Kampfschaller
 * Lvl 36 Silver Mask **
 * Lvl 40 Iron Musketeer's Armet
 * Lvl 56 Gallant Coronet (AF)
 * Lvl 70 Aegishjalmr
 * Lvl 73 Adaman Barbuta
 * Lvl 73 Valor Coronet (AFv2)
 * Lvl 73 Koenig Schaller (Abjuration Gear (Martial Abjuration: Head from Seiryu)

Body
*** This is debatable, AGI plays a useful role in shield use. and Kampfbrust has 3 AGI over Centurions 1 VIT


 * Lvl 1 Bronze Harness or RSE
 * Lvl 7 Leather Vest
 * Lvl 10 Scale Mail
 * Lvl 16 Bone Harness or
 * Lvl 17 Lizard Jerkin *
 * Lvl 21 Beetle Harness
 * Lvl 24 Chainmail
 * Lvl 29 Eisenbrust or Kampfbrust Recomended: use this armour til lvl(39)
 * Lvl 30 Centurion's Scale Mail ***
 * Lvl 36 Silver Mail **
 * Lvl 40 Royal Squire's Chainmail
 * Lvl 45 Brigandine Armor
 * Lvl 42 Earth Doublet
 * Lvl 50 Iron Musketeer's Cuirass
 * Lvl 50 Parade Cuirass
 * Lvl 52 Gaia Doublet
 * Lvl 58 Beak Jerkin +1, yes, it looks like a Lizard Jerkin, but remember, stats >> looks
 * Lvl 60 Gallant Surcoat (AF)
 * Lvl 73 Adaman Cuirass
 * Lvl 73 Koenig Cuirass (Abjuration Gear) or Kaiser Cuirass (HQ verision)
 * Lvl 75 Valor Surcoat (Rare AFv2 Drop from Dynamis - Xarcabard)

Hands

 * Lvl 1 Bronze Mittens or RSE
 * Lvl 7 Leather Gloves *
 * Lvl 10 Legionnaire's Mittens or Royal Footman's Gloves
 * Lvl 16 Bone Mittens or
 * Lvl 17 Lizard Gloves *
 * Lvl 21 Beetle Mittens
 * Lvl 24 Chain Mittens
 * Lvl 29 Eisenhentzes or Kampfhentzes (Tank)
 * Lvl 40 Iron Musketeer's Gauntlets (Don't Bother with these, they are useless for PLD. Kamphhentzes work wonderfully until AF)
 * Lvl 50 Rush Gloves (the +4 Vit is wicked and useful until AF is available, also the added agi may come in handy)
 * Lvl 54 Gallant Gauntlets (AF)
 * Lvl 70 Lord's Guantlets/King's Gauntlets (Level 70 Pld JSE good stuff if you can find it. Not necessary)
 * Lvl 72 Valor Gauntlets (AFv2)
 * Lvl 73 Adaman Gauntlets
 * Lvl 73 Koenig Handschuhs (Abjuration Gear (Martial Abjuration: Hands from Genbu))

Legs

 * Lvl 1 Bronze Subligar or RSE
 * Lvl 7 Leather Trousers
 * Lvl 10 Scale Cuisses
 * Lvl 16 Bone Subligar or
 * Lvl 17 Lizard Trousers *
 * lvl 20 Royal Footman's Trousers
 * Lvl 21 Beetle Subligar
 * Lvl 24 Chain Hose
 * Lvl 29 Eisendiechlings or Kampfdiechlings
 * Lvl 40 Royal Squire's Breeches (debatable if Kampfdiechlings are better, I think the DEF at this point outweighs the VIT and AGI bonuses/I on the other hand, think that the +2 VIT and +1 AGI is worth the 3 DEF loss)
 * Lvl 50 Iron Musketeer's Cuisses
 * Lvl 58 Gallant Breeches (AF)
 * Lvl 73 Adaman Cuisses
 * Lvl 73 Crimson Cuisses (Abjuration Gear with movement speed increase)
 * Lvl 73 Koenig Cuisses (Abjuration Gear)
 * Lvl 74 Valor Breeches (AFv2)

Feet

 * Lvl 1 Bronze Leggings or RSE
 * Lvl 7 Leather Highboots or Leaping Boots (if bought, these can be used as footgear until lvl 29
 * Lvl 10 Scale Greaves
 * Lvl 16 Bone Leggings or
 * Lvl 17 Lizard Ledelsens *
 * lvl 18 Power Sandals(can be hard to obtain, but can be used till 29)
 * Lvl 21 Beetle Leggings
 * Lvl 24 Greaves
 * Lvl 29 Eisenschuhs or Kampfschuhs (this is Kampf sets best piece for a PLD)
 * Lvl 40 Iron Musketeer's Sabatons (Don't bother with these. They are useless for PLD stick with the Kampfschuhs)
 * Lvl 52 Gallant Leggings (AF)
 * Lvl 67 Rutter Sabatons
 * Lvl 71 Valor Leggings (AFv2)
 * Lvl 73 Adaman Sabatons
 * Lvl 73 Crimson Greaves (Abjuration Gear)
 * Lvl 73 Koenig Schuhs (Abjuration Gear)

Waist

 * Lvl 1 Dash Sash (Enmity +2)
 * Lvl 7 Leather Belt
 * Lvl 15 Warrior's Belt or Warrior's Belt +1 (seriously, get the +1 as a PLD.... the longevity is amazing)
 * Lvl 48 Life Belt (Never get rid of your Warrior's Belt +1. Life Belt is great if you have problem hitting. If you are hitting fine, stick with the Warrior's Belt +1.
 * Lvl 50 Royal Knight's Belt (RK belt is -not- useful for a pld. no vit, no accuracy. stick with warriors +1 or life belt.)
 * Lvl 71 Warwolf Belt

Back

 * Lvl 4 Rabbit Mantle
 * Lvl 17 Lizard Mantle or
 * Lvl 18 Dhalmel Mantle
 * Lvl 28 Wolf Mantle or Wolf Mantle +1 (+1 suggested)
 * Lvl 36 High Breath Mantle (Possibly use until AF, +enmity is useful at lower levels.)
 * Lvl 40 Earth Mantle
 * Lvl 51 Gaia Mantle
 * Lvl 58 Beak Mantle
 * Lvl 60 Knightly Mantle
 * Lvl 70 Gigant Mantle (Use for +HP gear setup)
 * Lvl 70 Valor Cape
 * Lvl 70 Boxer's Mantle (Excellent for any situation, well worth the 75 Ancient Beastcoins)
 * Lvl 75 Shadow Mantle (Dropped only from the Dynamis Lord. Good Luck.)

Neck

 * Lvl 7 Justice Badge
 * lvl 18 Scale Gorget (This piece is skippable. It is only 1 more DEF than the Justice Badge and is not worth the money/hassle to only use for 3 levels.
 * Lvl 21 Fang Necklace or Spike Necklace (Spike is the +1 version of Fang)
 * (Although Spike has -6 MND, I feel the +STR and +DEX will help through damage to aid PLD Enmity, however, you may keep the Scale Gorget for DEF)
 * lvl 24 Tiger Stole With DEF 2 and Attack +5, this is a nice option until level 35 for races less concerned with MP
 * lvl 26 Holy Phial This is the most recomended for a Paladin
 * lvl 35 Medieval Collar
 * lvl 55 Iron Musketeer's Gorget
 * lvl 55 Royal Guard's Collar
 * lvl 65 Shield Torque (+7 shield skill very nice. Combine this with Gallant Leggings +10 skill and Koenig Schaller +5 skill and you have +22 shield. You wouldn't believe how much this helps with skillups.)

Rings

 * lvl 14 Amber Ring or Stamina Ring (HQ1 version) or Stamina Ring +1 (HQ2 version)
 * lvl 30 Sattva Ring
 * lvl 36 Sphene Ring or Verve Ring (HQ1 version) or Verve Ring +1 (HQ2 version)
 * lvl 43 Mermaid Ring for Enmity +2
 * lvl 50 Phalanx Ring
 * lvl 54 Chrysoberyl Ring or Vigor Ring (HQ1 version) or Vigor Ring +1 (HQ2 version)
 * lvl 57 Bomb Queen Ring
 * lvl 63 Jelly Ring
 * lvl 66 Hercules' Ring
 * lvl 70 Defending Ring
 * lvl 72 Topaz Ring or Robust Ring (HQ1 version) or Robust Ring +1 (HQ2 version)
 * lvl 74 Soil Ring or Terra's Ring (HQ version)

Earring

 * lvl 10 Onyx Earring or Energy Earring +1 recomended
 * Lvl 21 Beetle Earring(+1 recomended. Pld doesn't Evade anyway XD)
 * Lvl 29 Dodge Earring
 * Lvl 30 Mercenary's Earring (Situational, can be nice, but depends on what it is replacing)
 * Lvl 32 Bloodbead Earring (endgame, +25HP)
 * Lvl 33 Pigeon Earring (Really only useful for endgame where +HP matters much much more)
 * Lvl 35 Wing Earring or Drone Earring (cheaper than dodge, Drone recomended, very good Longevity)
 * Lvl 54 Hospitaler earring (Macro in for Cures, don't replace Drone fulltime though)
 * Lvl 72 Knight's Earring
 * Lvl 72 Ethereal Earring (Converts 3% damage to MP)

MP/HP Swap
Galka Paladins are a special case where they can benefit greatly from swapping MP gear for HP gear as they expend their MP. This allows Galka to maximize the gear available to them, increasing their survivability while impacting minimally on their attributes.

Dune Bracers (-35 HP +65 MP) can be swapped with Koenig Handschuhs. Hierarch Belt (+48 MP) can be swapped with Warwolf Belt or Desert Sash.

Gear for MP Recovered While Healing
Paladins don't get a lot of time to rest for MP between pulls, so every bit recovered can make a big difference. At higher levels, there are several pieces of gear that can be swapped in with a macro for healing.
 * Level 50 Antivenom Earring, MP Recovered While Healing +1
 * Level 51 Dark Staff, MP Recovered While Healing +10
 * Level 65 Relaxing Earring, MP Recovered While Healing +2
 * Level 70 Lord's Sabatons, MP Recovered While Healing +4
 * Level 71 Hierarch Belt, MP Recovered While Healing +2

And for those times you might have RDM subbed:
 * Level 30 Warlock's Earring, MP Recovered While Healing +1 with /RDM

Notes for the Tarutaru Paladins
The tiny tanks of Vana'diel, reknowned for their magnificient mana pool, are frequently (needlessly) scorned for their low HP, VIT, and defense. Much of this can be made up for by being more careful with your gear selection than other races might be. Try to avoid using gear that converts MP to HP if you can, your MP is what sets you apart from the other races. However, there are times you could find that little bit of extra HP comforting.

As far as our RSE goes, for general exp purposes, there are often better options. The Kampfplatte Armor Set is the best investment you can make at level 29, but you may want to have your Wonder Armor on hand for its HP boosts for special occasions (it can save you from being one-shotted by Flood in Steamed Sprouts).

Paladin Artifact Armor is arguably the best set of AF in the game, but you may want to replace the hands and feets with our Creek RSE in the 60s, at least situationally.

Remember, these are the recommendations from one Tarudin's experience, and you will need to find what works for you. Some flexibility is important, so do your gobbie bag quests and bring a variety of gear for different situations. Keep in mind, just because a piece of gear is higher level doesn't mean it's better. My preferences for stats were always VIT > DEF > AGI > HP. Tarutaru have good natural agility, but the more you have, the more you will shield block and parry, which means less damage done to you. Follow the above recommendations, but keep in mind the following Taru-only items, and the ones that benefit Tarus more than other races.


 * Level 1 Cassie Earring (end-game gear, and the price reflects that)
 * Level 10 Physical Earring (25MP->25HP if you go this route, replace one at 30 with a Mercenary's Earring, the other at 35 with a Drone Earring)
 * Level 20 Bloodbead Amulet (+15HP)
 * Level 50 Steppe Belt (can be quite expensive, but it's a wonderful replacement for your Warrior's Belt+1)
 * Level 55 Morukaka's Earring (+35HP for when you need it)
 * Level 62 Creek F Clomps or Creek M Clomps
 * Level 62 Creek F Mitts or Creek M Mitts
 * Level 70 Steppe Sash (another end-game piece)
 * Level 70 Lord's Armet (+2VIT, +2Enmity, 15MP->15HP)
 * Level 70 Lord's Cuisses (+2VIT, +2Enmity, 12MP->12HP)

Closing Note
Guide created by User:Andres Follow up User:Leviat Follow up2 User:Nesomir Follow up3 User:Loial Follow ups User:Tsakiki