User:Sorako

Samurai Tank Equipment Guide by Sodako
As a result of some relatively recent changes to the Samurai job, Samurai have become able to tank, though most people don't really accept them as potential tanks because not many people have tried it, and even less people have tried it with appropriate equipment. Currently, Samurai still aren't accepted as potential tanks, however this guide is part of an effort to encourage people to try them as tanks and to allow them to prove themselves in party situations as a capable alternative to Paladins.

For the moment, this guide will only address equipment selection. In the future I may expand it to discuss different tactics as a Samurai tank, however at the moment it is too new of a concept to really have any advanced ideas considered for it.

This guide is meant exclusively for players who are already familiar with the way that most things work in the game, and it likely will not be written in a way that will be easy for newer players who aren't as familiar with game dynamics to understand and utilize.

Levels 1-10
During these levels, pretty much everyone solos, so tanking gear has no real purpose or meaning, and gear in general doesn't really change much about the way you fight, so just equip what you normally would for a DD in this range.

Levels 10-20
Level 10 -
 * Scale Mail Set - This set is the first real basic defense set of armor. For tanking from 10-16, this is pretty much the best you can get besides the HQ version.  The NQ set offers +29 defense, while the HQ offers +34.

Level 13 -
 * Power Gi - While this guide is about tanking as a Samurai, your primary method of holding hate revolves around your damage dealing ability, at least later on in the game, so while your primary objective should be to minimize the amount of damage you take, your ability to cut things to shreds is also important and should not be neglected. As a result, the Power Gi is a good piece to wear as long as you are still taking an acceptably low amount of damage with it equipped.

Level 14 -
 * Stamina Ring - Ideally, it would be good to pick up a pair of Stamina Rings to TP in so that you take less damage per hit from enemies, however you could probably get away with just wearing strength rings for the time being.
 * Courage Ring - If you don't wear these 100% of the time, they should be macro'd in for weapon skills.
 * Balance Ring - Due to the update on August 27, 2007, when using 2 handed weapons, one dexterity now translates to 1 accuracy, and as a result you can easily get +4 accuracy overall from rings, and at this level, that is quite impressive. If you want to get fancy, you would carry all three pairs of rings, using STR for weapons skills, VIT for tanking, and DEX for everything else and when Third Eye is up.

Level 16 -
 * Bone Harness Set / Bone Harness Plus 1 Set - The NQ Bone Harness set is the next logical step in armor after the Scale Mail set, and its NQ offers a solid +38 defense. However, the HQ version is relatively affordable and offers not only +44 defense, but +5 evasion.  With most armor, it is not reccomended to buy the HQ versions, however the Bone Harness set is definitely an exception, and is worth the extra gil it will cost you.

Level 17 -
 * Lizard Jerkin Set - Only one level later, you will gain access to the Lizard Jerkin set, which is somewhere between the NQ and HQ Bone Harness sets in effectiveness. It offers +41 defense, so if you held out and didn't buy either Bone Harness set, its your best bet, but if you have the money for the HQ Bone Harness set you should stick to that, and if you already purchased the NQ Bone Harness set at 16 theres not much of a point in switching a level later for just +3 defense.

Level 20-30
Level 21 -
 * Beetle Harness Set / Beetle Harness Plus 1 Set - This set is pretty much the same deal as the Bone Harness set except 5 levels higher. The NQ offers +49 defense, 8 more than the Lizard Jerkin set, while the HQ offers +54 defense and the same +5 evasion as the Bone Harness Plus 1 set.  Again, much like the Bone Harness set, if you have the money, it is highly reccomended to purchase the HQ set.

Level 24 -
 * Iron Chainmail Set - Chainmail is the next major step forward in tanking gear available to you as a Samurai, offering +61 defense, putting it 7 defense higher than the Beetle Harness Plus 1 set. It is debatable how useful 7 defense is, but 5 evasion isn't that big of a deal either, so depending on what you think about the way things work in FFXI, you may or may not hesitate to upgrade so that you could keep the +5 evasion gained from the HQ Beetle Harness set.

Level 25 -
 * Windurstian Gi Set / Federation Gi Set - While primarily a damage dealer's set, some pieces in the Windurstian/Federation Gear set are quite close to the Chainmail set in defense, but also offer other bonuses. Depending on how you feel about your ability to take damage at this level, you may or may not want to swap out different pieces of Chainmail for their Windurstian/Federation counterparts.
 * Bastokan Harness Set / Republic Harness Set - The Bastokan/Republic set is pretty much the same as the Windurstian/Federation sets as far as swapping out with the Chainmail set goes. The most notorious piece of this set by far is the subligar, which while pretty much the best piece of leg gear you can get for a long time as a DD, is. . . well, a subligar.