Endeavoring To Awaken --A Guide To Rune Fencer

No moonbeam/moonlight rings? :D

This is what I'm working towards. Meg+2 gloves to circumvent the RNG of getting perfect DT Herc with Acc. PDT 47% so capped in Escha

ItemSet 349255

There's almost nothing you need all that accuracy for, though.

ItemSet 349566

ItemSet 349567

Ashera set is PDT-45%, second set is -40% iirc.

I prefer 25%-30% dt in hybrid set.

Assuming augments of DT-4 on each of the Herc pieces, both of Nightfyre's sets are in that threshold. 30% DT in the 1st, and 28% 2nd

This is the set I use, once I get Meghanada Chausses +2 it'll be PDT50/MDT50 with Shell5 up and it has something like 1220 acc before food.

ItemSet 300347

Herc hands have DT-3 DEX+8 Acc+28. I hadn't noticed the PDT path on Adhemar Bonnet either though, I may have to re-examine that.

the full dt/mdt sets for hybrid just seem to give up to much DPS, I would assume if you have to have THAT much -dt you probably should be focusing on just tanking and turtle up since your dps wont be stellar, that way the other DD's could go full out and probably produce better overall alliance dps. Just saying... I like the idea of a 35%~ set as you dont really sacrifice to much in terms of dps to obtain it, and it should be rare dying in that even :D

Nights first set looks pretty spot on, -37 pdt, capped -mdt with shell and runs a 5 hit. That doesnt include herc augs which I would say go for all out DD anyhow on those. Or you can go for another -8dt and be pretty close to cap with vorseals. Not bad.

Anyone have a requiescat set?

This is FFXI and ***is situational. There are no right nor wrong amount of dt- in hybrid set. Just make multiple tiers of pdt-, if you feel safe go ahead with something like 20% or lower, if not then push dt- higher to 35% or even 50%.

The set that I usually use only has 43% because I don't have vocane and I don't want to sacrifice more DPS in other slots. Although it's safe enough most of the time sometimes it really isn't enough. There is also massive dps difference between a 50% hybrid and 50% full turtle tanking, especially if your hybrid set has good hybrid pieces with pdt, strong multi attack or stp like Omen harness, QA+3 herc, or adhemar +1 head.

In case anyone has not done Ou yet or tanked it on RUN for that matter I recorded a video of me tanking it. I've provided a commentary going over the strategy for Ou.

But how does he use Resolution with a Great Axe?

DressUp addon probably. Ruaumoko must had unlocked everyone's looks with it then Saevel changed weapons.

I know. Was just a joke.

Would I be accurate in saying that RUN is one of those jobs where every piece (or at least a lot of pieces) of reforged A/R/E is useful?

From the gear sets and some discussion I've seen in this thread going back some pages, it seems like a good mix to shoot for to start and for long term would be :

Runeist: Body/Legs +1 (or +2/3 eventually)
Futhark: Body/Head +1
Erilaz: pretty much entire set.

Yeah pretty much. The pieces you listed are good for first priority.

I would also target Runeist's hands (Gambit duration and enhancing skill), feet (for Pflug), and Futhark legs (for enhancing duration and inspiration bonus) and boots (for Rayke).

You really do need damn near all of it. I'd probably include futhark legs in the high-priority grouping too, because I love me some enhancing duration. RUN has too many buffs to cast, increasing duration helps you focus on the things that are important.

As long as someone dispels is ok, just dont feed him am3. I keep all buffs up but phalanx, light runes help with absorb, other thing to watch after is quadractic but should be ok in pdt set and not critical hp.

You can use runes, he absorbs them but I think they vanish immediately because they don't give him enspell damage. I generally just use runes, Crusade, Flash, Foil, and BLU spells for hate. I've wondered whether Foil is detrimental to melee DD but who knows, I'm too much of a pansy not to use it.

If we're doing Kei we'll often have a pure manaburn setup so I'll keep Protect up and sometimes even use Cocoon. Otherwise we're usually almost entirely physical damage, in which case I sometimes leave Shell up. Usually I cancel them both though just to give less things for people to Dispel when trying to get rid of his defense boost.

Do NOT use Gambit/Rayke, even if you're in a manaburn setup. Any debuffs you give him reduce his damage taken, no Slow/Para/etc so this goes along with that. We don't even use Dia.

Spirit Absorption can hit hard without buffs, but if you tank backwards he won't use it in my experience.

Yeah, depends how good your team is at keep everything dispelled. You still don't wanna take too many risks w/ Blessing Sync tho... your entire front-line could get one-shot before you know it (think Fu). Just use the minimum you need for protection, and don't use any of your JA buffs/debuffs.

To be fair, you can give him mythic AM3, but I'd avoid giving him empy AM3. Most of the time, if you're spamming foil, Quadratic also usually misses, which makes Spirit Absorption the only attack it does that can do any damage really.

Edit: Forgot a word.

Aeonic aftermath is also not a concern.

Yes empy am3 is bad, i gave him twice almace am and pld droped both times.

After it being requested by people in-game, through PM's on this site, and in the comment section of some of my other videos I'm in the final stages of editing and narrating a video companion to the RUN guide I put on BG Wiki.

The video guide I'm making is intended to help out players new to the job, explaining the ins-and-outs of some abilities (like Embolden's in-game text being deceptively inaccurate) as well as explaining some concepts like 'funneling' targets so you can parry them all and rapidly gaining enmity though SJ spells. Essentially, the video is giving visual/recorded context to the written word on some threads including this one.

Beyond having the right equipment, which I'm directing viewers to this thread's OP for, is there anything you can think of that a new player to the job, especially if this is their first time taking up a tanking job, absolutely needs to know? I want to make sure I've not missed anything screamingly obvious.

Cheers all.

First off thanks for doing that :) Really awesome.

As someone who just picked up RUN and having never played a tank job before in FFXI, the thing I am most trying to really grasp is figuring out when to use what abilities. RUN has a ton of abilities and someone brand new to 99 looking through that JA list is probably gonna be a little overwhelmed...I know I was >.>

Questions like: When do I use Vallation instead of Valiance? Obviously AoE situations would call for Valiance and not Vallation but that might not be super obvious to someone new. Or should I use Liement even if it is AoE damage? I am pretty sure you can only have 1 of those 3 active at a time. I'm not even 100% sure - exactly my point!


For example, in this month's Vol 1 Ambuscade (the Gigas for future reference) I just run in and pop Unda x3, Valliance, Battuta, One For All, cast Foil, and pray I don't die and the healers keep me alive. is this the right thing to do? I hope and think it is and have had varied success, but maybe a simple "situations like x calls for using a, b, and c. Once you do all that, make sure you blah blah blah..." would be helpful.


I am looking forward to the funneling enemies bit!

Apologies in advance as I'm sure it has been answered before but a topic search did nothing. Do we know if tenebrae + pflug works for Familiar like it would for other light-based charms? I'm not sure if 1hrs have elements?

That's all about your strategy. Since you are a new RUN, the best use I think on Vallation/Valiance is rotating them to keep you 100% of time protected and buffed with Inspiration FC. Also, don't use OFA and Valiance together if your intention is to protect your party, alternate them. Liement works more like a panic button unless you have an Epeolatry, then you can use it on Valiance/OFA rotations. By the way, Vallation overwrites Valiance and Liement overwrites both.

For blocking Charm SP's from BST NM's?

Yes, it does counter it. Easy test is from this month's ambuscade, stack three Tenebrae runes and hit Pflug before the Bozetto Trainer is engaged. Chances are you'll resist it's effects.