If

If I really go back to FFXI after this semester, there's one thing I was extremely interested and wanted to try in FFXI, that's BLU tanking build.

Last year before lv 85 update, I've been planning to play with BLU tanking build already. But apparently it doesn't work in Abyssea too much, since Abyssea favors DD tank like NIN MNK etc to duo.

Because of the duoing friendly nature of Abyssea, it's near impossible for me to tank NMs in Abyssea and duo with another WHM when there are no other DDs, it's gonna take 1hr to kill the NM while MNK NIN kill in 5 min D;

The best bet of BLU tanking in Abyssea is really just DD tank like a NIN MNK with an Almace, which is still inferior to NIN MNK in terms of dmg output and just NIN MNK -1, and not really using this job's specialty.

Plus the fact that I don't have an Almace, making my dmg gimp as fk on anything higher lv when I duo stuff.

After this update BLU gets a bit more survive-ability tool such as DT- 15% spell, def+100% spell etc. Pair with old survive-ability spell it may be decent. It's probably still not going to have higher survive-ability than Ochain/Aegis PLD, but certainly higher than most other jobs. Ochain/Aegis PLD is hard to come by anyways.

I don't know that much about PLD, but I think BLU actually has more hate generating tool than PLD, which should be useful for anything that has physical shield sorts of ability that you can't really generate much enmity with dmg output.(Pretty funny that after Abyssea era, a lot of player has that kind of mindset that dealing dmg is the only way to generate enmity and only been thinking about dealing more dmg to generate enmity, and have no idea how to deal with mobs that can't deal dmg on.)

The SJ is probably /WAR or /NIN. /WAR is pure blood tank SJ with defender, better for enmity generation with provoke, and doesn't require much time to do defensive moves so more time to cast spell to generate enmity. And probably better than NIN on any NM that wipe shadows a lot.

/NIN is probably better on NMs with nasty en- effect. But casting shadows takes time, makes it a bit harder to generate enmity.

BLU tank certainly requires more refresh support than PLD to be able to generate enmity continuously, so RDM BRD is required in the pt for this setup to work.

I have a lot to work on for this tanking build, spell wise I need at least Harden shell and Barrier tusk. Gear wise need a PDT- set and MDT- set.

This is the PDT- set I want to aim for that doesn't involve hard to obtain stuff like D-ring:





Depending on how much PDT- I can get from dark ring, this set should be able to reach 50% PDT- cap, or at least close. Feet is either refresh feet or haste feet depending on the day. Sword is of course PDT- sword. Earring is Ethereal earring + Colossus's(I heard there's another earring with PDT- augment, too lazy to look atm, anyways PDT-, you got the idea) earring. Belt is new godly Flume belt. Legs is darksteel.....the best piece for leg slot is ASA legs with PDT- 4% and enmity+ augment. But I already augmented my ASA leg for my COR. I'm a bit tempted to change it, since I want to semi-retire the job and no point to keep it, but I know that someday someone will ask me to play it, and I will feel guilty for saying no after using everyone's resource on Empy/mythic, so better keep it for now XD. Impatiens is nice to have but not really needed considering how expensive it is.

I also need to redo Apoc Nigh fight for an Ethereal earring, I picked Hollow at 75 for my COR, since it was best racc earring. Now it's nothing but acc piece for Evi/Heavy strike, since it's subpar in terms of ranged attack.

Overall this set probably won't cost more than 1.5M if Impatiens not included. Still affordable for a broke ass like me, kinda.

MDT-



Buyable stuff, nothing special. Can't hit 50% cap though, unless I have D ring or sacrifice TP and use MDT- staff/grip. Ring can be dark ring with good augment too.