Wanted to know where you guys put your merit points?

Sorry I left your name off Tino, but you cant stay 75 if your life depended on it :P

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San d'Oria: Rank 10 ~ Bastok: Rank 10 ~ Windurst: Rank 10
Rise of Zilart: Ark Angels / Chains of Promathia: Completed / Treasures of Aht Urghan: TBA

As a Hume, all of my Merits so far have gone purely into HP.

As of now, I have HP+40 from Merits, which is 100,000 exp. I also have an extra 5 merits (50,000 exp) ready to buy HP+50. Although I haven't bought it yet because I was stocking those merits incase the patch added something really good.

So, i've poured 150,000 exp into HP+50, and I intend to get to HP+70 (the new limit after patch) which is only another 130,000 exp to go, lol.

My plans for Merits, at the moment anyway, are as follows. This isn't entirely correct because there are some "hidden" limits placed upon some of these. For example, you might only be able to raise VIT to +3 before being forced to raise something else instead with the last merit.

HP/MP: HP+70 (28 Merits)
Attributes: VIT+4 (27 Merits)
Combat Skills: Sword+4 (Take it to 280) Shield+14 (31 Merits)
Magic Skills: This isn't even worth bothering, lol.
Others: Enmity+6 (21 Merits)
Paladin: Sentinel Recast-50 (15 Merits)

Total: 122 Merits, or 1,220,000 exp.

Hmm. lol. That's a lot... Isn't it only 900k exp to go from Level 1 -> 75? haha.

I never had a buff and hardly experience on PLD now so I haven't invested a single point into merits till recently. Hit Points all the way though for now, if I cap Shield I'm seriously considering putting merits there IF the changes prove to be good near the cap while tanking stuff like Fafnir and other HNM's that we can't kite. For this stage in the game though its Hit Points all the way.

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75PLD 66RDM 50WAR
Rank 10 Bastok | Rank 10 Windurst | Rank 10 San d'Oria

Are you guys pouring merits into HP based on HNMs only? Are you considering levelling any other jobs to 75 that will be effected (both negative and positive i.e. Enmity +6 but you want to level RNG later on ) by your merits?

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San d'Oria: Rank 10 ~ Bastok: Rank 10 ~ Windurst: Rank 10
Rise of Zilart: Ark Angels / Chains of Promathia: Completed / Treasures of Aht Urghan: TBA

Yeah, HP is the sole focus of HNM tanking. When a mob hits you for 100-200 damage a hit, an extra 3 VIT isn't going to reduce that by enough to save you. However, an extra 100HP could! Of course, HP merits don't unbalance other jobs either.

As I remember reading somewhere quite a long time ago: "That Cure is always heading your way, you just need to survive long enough to recieve it."

I've been weighing my options with this as well. I think that I might go with some MP and some HP because I'm Galka. I have examined gear to figure out which is easier (more options, not necessarily gil wise) to compensate for, and I'm thinking HP wins this battle in most slots except maybe rings. But as the others said, HP is the focus for HNMS.

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Compusmack [75 PLD][75 SAM]
Realpoor [75 WHM][75 RDM]
FFXI Ifrit RETIRED

I wouldnt waste merits on MP as a PLD. Thats what Refresh and Ballad are for on HNMs.

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San d'Oria: Rank 10 ~ Bastok: Rank 10 ~ Windurst: Rank 10
Rise of Zilart: Ark Angels / Chains of Promathia: Completed / Treasures of Aht Urghan: TBA