How to hold hate as 34 Elvann NIN?

[evanos]

Hello all, I'm currently a level 34 NIN and I have been having a problem holding hate. My highest character is a PLD and by 55 on PLD its really easy to hold hate with all of the spells, emnity, and abilities. However, with my NIN at level 34 I have essentially nothing.
I start fight by getting SATA and using provoke. Followed by Paralyze and Blind Ninjitsu spells and then use my Juji Shuriken for damage (usually does 60-70 which is more than both physical attacks combined). This is pretty much my entire arsenal at the time, any tips as to how to hold hate?

One problem that I have been having is that first vokers have been in both cases DRK (so their HP drops fast and WHM cures a ton). Also, only having Utsusemi:Ichi makes keeping blinks up pretty hard on bats. I am wearing all of the gear that I should be wearing (Empress Hairpin, Dodge Earrings, Bounding Boots, Federation Gi, Federation Slacks, pretty much everything that I can have at this level) and blinks are still hard to keep up.

Should I just pass off main tank to a WAR or PLD until 37 and then start main tanking? Or what should I do? Should I PT with WAR/NIN and voke off each other? Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[Legomyeggo]

I never had a problem with holding hate while leveling Nin as long as there was a Thf. The biggest problem I had was the debuffs that bats and crawlers used, the ones that only erase(or a higher level spell) can remove and it's not very likely you'll see a Whm with erase at that level.

Just keep tracks of shadows, and get the timing down, shouldn't be very hard once you hit the 40's.

 

[evanos]

I never had a problem with holding hate while leveling Nin as long as there was a Thf. The biggest problem I had was the debuffs that bats and crawlers used, the ones that only erase(or a higher level spell) can remove and it's not very likely you'll see a Whm with erase at that level.

Just keep tracks of shadows, and get the timing down, shouldn't be very hard once you hit the 40's.

Yeah, I usually dont have a problem getting blinks up (as far as getting interrupted). I'm used to casting between hits from PLD. But even with THF I'm having really hard time holding hate. In one PT BLM was nuking non-stop and I couldnt even begin to competer. And when hate went back to DD's it always went to the DRK.

 

[Passions]

In one PT BLM was nuking non-stop and I couldnt even begin to competer.

let them DIE!! seriously, its the only way they will learn to control there nuking. as far as holding hate, lol well i'm only 29 nin atm but i'm not having issues with hate. blink is a lil tricky because tanking gobs and mandies that have double attack with only ichi SUCKS!! hehe but i manage some how. i've became quite fond of the vt-it range mobs when xping. they die faster and when i only have ichi i evade a lot more PSS i dont wear a godly amount of -evasion either i wear attack and str gear as taru with a few extra evasion items.

but yeah i'd suggest only grab 5 members and fight along the line of vt-it till you get Ni at least.
maybe a whm/rdm, Thf, war/nin, DRG, YOU!! you can mix it up a bit but that's a pretty decent setup. i start with blind, voke, slow, and if i have tp (insert wind spell weaken to ice) retsu, blink, voke again and by then i've usually got so much hate it takes a couple vokes to get off me and then i will attack and inbetween attacks work the elemental wheel (good practice even if it isn't stellar damage yet).
hope that helps and good blinking to ya ^^

 

[CmdrFly]

While I was levelling NIN for a sub, I found it easier to hold hate with a str/atk build than +eva. I still piled on the eva where I could, but if it was less than +3 eva I'd replace the slot with something that'll do you more dmg.

Also, don't waste your time with the elemental wheel. Jubaku, Hojo, and... that... other enfeeble one are all you should need. The shurikens are a nice touch. A co-tank is also helpful, but I never found them to be necessary.

 

[Lavi]

I find it best to do all NIN debuffs and ignore elemental spells until you Ni spells at 40. Kurayami(very important to land, you will see a huge improvement in evasion), hojo and jubaku are the main three to use and dokumori, but I am not sure if you have that spell yet. Try to get these spells off before the thief gets SATA off. Now since you have a DRK and THF, you should be doing a distortion skillchain which will give you the added hate from SATA/Viper Bite and the SC which should be more than enough to hold hate for the rest of the fight even with an over nuking BLM or atleast should be. Using shurikens is a great idea, they do a lot more damage than a normal melee attack and also add a bit more hate, but this requres you to cap throwing(most people don't) and shurikens can be very costly. Another alternative is getting +enmity gear. I had the +2enmity belt from the Summer event which I used until a better belt piece came along. At your level, there is little choices for +enmity gear and you might prefer to have +evasion or +att/str gear in those slots instead. In that case, you can macros the enmity gear for when you use provoke and enfeebles to get added hate then switch back to +str/att or evasion. A last choice is using dorado sushi. At level 34, you can start using sushi as a food choice to boost accuracy and dorado gives +5 or 6 dex, +3 enmity and +accuracy. I find this is usually sufficient to hold hate in most parties especially with a thief.

 

[Osse]

Sounds like your gear is fine. I used the Beetle gear+1 hands and feet for some time, I found the +1 evasion better than the +agi and +dex from boots. However it doesn't sound like getting hit is your problem.

You didn't mention Hojo or Dokumora, I used those on every mob and they pull lots of hate. Don't be afraid to use Berserk when you have shadows waiting for the recast. Personally, I didn't find the elemental wheel got me alot of hate until the Ni versions, but then again I don't have a Taru's base Int. As for over-nuking BLM's, that's not your fault. Have a pld use every hate tactic possible and then {Invincible}, then have an equal level BLM cut loose. The BLM will have hate before {Invincible} runs out. No tank can keep hate from a dumb BLM.

Finally, Passions is absolutely correct. Try to make your own party. You don't always have to fight VT mobs, but you will certainly have an easier time when you are at the upper limits to get good xp off a given mob. This means choosing the camp based on your level and building a party around what you will be fighting.

 

[evanos]

Thanks guys, suggestions sound great! Is Dorado sushi expensive?

 

[Stouter]

Hojo is huge, Kurayami help you evade a lot more, but the DD's with -500 evasion won't see any difference. They will see a difference in slower mob attack speed if they pull hate. I never had trouble with hate before 37, but I rarely used a thf. Most thieves are terrible at that level, and if your initial voker doesn't have utsusemi, then hate will be everywhere. If you do go thf, get lined up asap and start enfeebling before they land sata.

 

[Lavi]

Dorado is 40k a stack. Not that expensive as far as Sushies go.

 

[Passions]

I got to xp with my first thf with SATA last night wOOt hehehe damn warriors and there sturmwind are hard to keep hate off of. This is how i ran each battle so that i didn't lose hate, and even with only itch wOOt wOOt my blinks stay up ^^ (warning this is with competent thf and warrior, if they weren't i probably could tell them both how to do it because its not really that hard)

1)Thf pull 2)blind spell while mob is still running back (don't remember name) 3) have mob autotargeted while its running back, when done casting i run behind it and start casting paralyze while war first vokes 4) thf tasa's me does there thing i voke asap engage and start hojo
that's my hate builder and it worked nice for me. i will have to try that dorado suchi though sounds yummy and i'm loviing ninja more and more everytime i play it (even if it gives me a head ace staying so concentrated for so long )