Pld/blu Or Pld/rdm For Supertanking, Which Is Better?

I'm leveling pld for the first time and I'm curious as to what makes a better supertanking sub. I know /blu has access to cocoon and Metallic Body, but /rdm has Phalanx, SS, and Blink. So, from your experiences, which will handle a beat-down for longer?

Like all thinks FFXI, it depends on the target. PLD/NIN is also a very strong choice as well.

Go foot kick!

Pld/Blu with Rdm support doing Phalanx II.

Now as for being solo, /rdm will probably outlast /blu.

Another thing, Metallic Body is garb.

It depends on your Enhancing skill (if you skilled it). If your Enhancing is capped, you can get decent numbers from SS and phalanx, but /BLU skills up while you level it to the highest its gonna get (sub 37 skill) unless you Astral burn it, or sync all the time. I haven't tried either, but my Enhancing isnt capped, as I havent taken the time to go ahead and skill it, not for real at least. I would probably try /BLU but I'm not sure which is better per say, but I know it most likely depends on what you're tanking, as phalanx will help vs mobs that do magic damage, or additional effect of magic damage. Though that is obviously common sense >.>

Metallic Body relies on Blue Magic Skill mostly therefore it won't come close to Stoneskin. Subbing Blu provides the highest Def in the game for a Pld but Cocoon and a few other spells are pretty much the onlu use you get out of it. Even though Blu is fun to mess with, /Rdm will outlast a foe simply because of Blink, Stoneskin, Phalanx, Blaze Spikes, Dispel, Regen, etc.

Generally /rdm will win if you got enhancing skill... especially if you don't have the support all those spells are win for you. Also the MDB is often good too

for supertanking /blu wins

equip coccoon and any vit+ hp+ modifier spells
all high def gear and eat tav tacos or something better

combined with a rdm giving phalanxII ive hit def850+

Honestly it depends... Are the mobs you're fighting primarily dealing damage that's physical based or magic based...

When it's physical (like Divine Might)... /BLU wins... when it's magical /RDM (like Jailer of Love)...

Like all things it's situational...

thanks for all the input :D It looks like I'll just be stuck leveling both ; ;

Well the OP specifically said supertanking, so /blu hands down. Unless you're talking about Nation mission 5-1, there's no time you'll be super-tanking with out proper support, so you'll have phalanx from sch or rdm anyway, while a blu can only give you cocoon for 2 minutes every 10 at best.

Solo play and most HNM tanking situations, /nin or /rdm will be much better. There's really not much use for super tanking I think, so you can definitely do without /blu, but any serious pld should have /rdm

Actually you can find yourself in super tank situations without proper support. For example right when it came out we couldn't find people to do the fei'yin fight for ACP so we 3 manned it. Couldn't really afford to go with only 1 DD so pld/rdm it was. Alot of people play with limited personel and having an outside phalanx... especially since alot of rdms don't merit it especially fully isn't always an option

In 5 years of being PLD i've been asked to go /BLU once.
My BLU is 10, I went RDM and did almost as well as /BLU would have.

Great to have, not even remotely a nessecity.

Level /NIN and /RDM.

I think /WAR (if done right) is ABOUT the same as /BLU. Someone earlier posted having 850~ DEF with /BLU. I'm in Namis - Beauc and am PLD/WAR with taco + defender and pro V have about 720 DEF... Not sure if 130 DEF is that much of a difference, but I agree with above poster. /WAR /NIN and /RDM are more then enough. Also like /DNC but thats solo and if you invest the time into getting a joyeuse.

I wouldn't even have /BLU if it werent for how awesome DRG/BLU does.

/BLU has Auto-Regen, /WAR does not.

As a career PLD, the subs I've leveled so far are /WAR, /RDM, /NIN, and /DNC. All have their unique advantages and such--/WAR helps with enmity and damage, /RDM for damage mitigation, /NIN for shadows, and /DNC for survivability. I plan on leveling BLU and SAM in the near future, but at the moment, I don't feel as if they are entirely necessary after the 1st 4 subs I've leveled so far.

Yeah /DNC is awesome for a lot of things, Not really for tanking in a group situation though. I wouldn't take any other sub for Campaign.

/DNC is awesome for Campaign--Waltzes for curing self, and then cure others with your MP with Aspir Samba up. If I'm in a bad spot, I alternate Cure III/IV and Curing Waltz II, it's really quite awesome. Healing Waltz is also extremely useful.... I only use Steps/Fluorishes if I get the chance, but otherwise I like to save my TP.

from my experience in endgame/HNM i have only been /WAR /NIN /RDM only, and /WAR with tav taco + defender + ProtectV and the right gear, you can easily hit 800+ DEF. i can hit 819 max if i really needed it on /WAR add BRD and double Minne (+108 capped) will take ya 900+

but for subjobs i'd suggest leveling WAR NIN and RDM to 37 before BLU, and agree'd PLD/DNC is awsome in campaign, although i have PLD/SAM with GS(capped skill) in campaign just for lols, its fun :)

PLD/BLU only works better than other subs in a few situations, most of them below where you would get Phalanx from your sub. For instance, BSNM20s.

PLD/BLU for Supertanking, especially if you have outside Phalanx support.

Supertank party I had for Divine Might was:

PLD/BLU
RDM/WHM x2
WHM/BLM x2
BRD/WHM

This was pre-Scholar.

The PLD had over 900 Defense (can set up some of your other /BLU spells to give Killer effects that might help in a given situation, too, such as Undead Killer for Divine Might).

PLD/RDM is overall more useful (less situational), but for Supertanking, /BLU wins almost every time. It's also very useful for the Ashu Talif fight.

PLD/RDM vs PLD/BLU for supertanking..

Generally speaking when you are supertanking, you are holding several targets to kiss stoneskin/metallic body goodbye except for the initial cast. The casting times are incredibly too long to reasonably expect 3-6 targets constantly swinging to NOT hit and interrupt.

So it boils down to Phalanx vs Cocoon. Imho, Pld/Rdm is better for supertanking multiple weaker targets whereas Plb/Blu can help curb high damage moves. Depending on the length of the fight and whether or not you anticipate being able to put up Phalanx/Cocoon again, you may want to consider supertanking on /War sub. Granted, it's not nearly as good as /Blu or /Rdm but you don't need to concern yourself with constant interrupts because Defender is a Job Ability and not a casted spell.

All three subs are situational really. And the more "Fast Cast" gear you have available, the more likely you are able to pull off /Rdm and /Blu supertanking more efficiently.