Well that depends. The 7 VIT follows the relation between your total VIT vs the mobs STR. At higher lvls (and you already know this) VIT is far more important than DEF on exp parties. EStaves are great on certain situations if you feel you're taking too much damage. But even 20% isn't that great considering your lost hate tool "Shield Bash" and especially now with the newly revamp boost on shield (besides the fact that you're getting interrupted) and having PLD's AF boots +10 Shield skill, you're practically taking 20% off damage anyway. But again like the poster before you said, "To each his own".
On Titan, Hairpins are almost constantly camped by Gilsellers. I checked the Jueno AH and the same person sold 6 out of 10 hairpins in a period of 2 days. Our LS tried the 7 skulls didn't get any decent drops. Hairpins, sell for I think about 1.4 mil, leeping boots about the same. I have seen the gluttony swords going for like 450K
This sword is up to 700k on bismarck,I really do want it but i dont think I'll be spending that much on a sword.I have the gil but I just can't justify spending that much.I think I'll hang onto my tactician Magician Espadon +1 for little bit longer.
I really wish I could pay 300k for this sword. It'd be a dream. Really it would. I could have saved myself 450k. Thats when I bought it. About 2 weeks ago. It's now rising above 1mil.
I'm a 58 PLD on Ramuh server, and I bought mine for about 450k. Its a good sword, and in my eyes its much better than Earth Staff. Added DEF due to the VIT boost, parrying capability, and the added def and blocking abilities of the shield.
i was outside Boyahda Tree waiting for my party. I saw a goobbue there and attacked it. i was hitting for normal hits and then i hit and it did an additional effect of Ice Damage. I did not have Enblizzard or anything like it. I swear to god. I saw the addition effect and was like O.O i asked my other pld friend with the gluttony and he never seen the additional effect. but somehow i got an additional affect of Ice Damage and i did not have any thing like enblizzard cast upon me.
I had put off getting a Gluttony Sword for quite some time, but once I started heading to Onzozo and the upper floor of Boyahada Tree I was getting my butt royally kicked (100+ damage on average per hit, including Defender and Boiled Crab). I had been using my TM Espadon up to lvl 60 and then switched over to the ******* Sword - which not only looking awesome has the best sword name in the game :~D
So I bit the bullet today and plunked down 150k (which was 30k over the regular price on Bahamaut, I bought the last one on the AH) for my new Gluttony Sword. Personally, I think it looks like *** compared to my old ******* Sword, but it works wonders in exp parties.
Oh, and one last note. Just to clear things up. EXP Party: Sword and Shield HNM Tanking: Earth Staff. This is the only instance when you should be using an Earth Staff while you're tanking unless you're in a skillup party.
Sure many PLDs might be tempted w/ the glory that an earth staff has to offer, but It does not in any way compare to a PLD w/ Gluttony and Shield, no matter what u say to backup your comment, at least in my server PLDs have more sense than xping w/ an earth staff~
I am only level 50, but I plan to get Earth and dark staff (maybe a light and water just for the hell of it.)
I don't think you guys realize how to properly use it. What you do is save up 300% on your sword, unload a Spirit's Within on the mob. This should be around chain 3 or 4, depending on your accuracy, then switch to Dark staff to heal between battles. Earth staff to save the white mages MP, and then if you get in the read, switch to light staff and cure 4, macro back to earth, then if there is light SC on chain 5, macro to water staff and MB with holy... Or if no light SC, macro to water and holy on chain 5 anyway. Then after that macro to dark staff and heal full MP.
Garuda price of this sword: 500-700k Earth staff use: HNM Gluttony/shield use: Experience etc...
Just want to toss in that HNM are hitting for huge numbers, even when you are fully equipped... the damage reduction is very, very, very nice...
Also... The elemental staves have a hidden effect that add 10% to that elements damage...
Just wanted to throw that in^^ any paladins going to Lab. Of Onzozo, if you have a cheap dark or sam, or a dragoon... get an earth staff.. odds are you will be tanking Ose, and he hits hard! o.o;; It helps!
EDIT: No offense to those who can't afford Haubergeon!