I can’t remember who said “The best part of a vacation is coming home,” but it certainly seems appropriate.  I took 3 weeks off Paladin to level subjobs waiting for one of my static mates to catch up.

My Warrior job sits at 39, and I doubt I’ll ever go back to level it on purpose.  Instead I concentrated on Ninja as a sub for when my Paladin approaches merit level parties.

Ninja was a vacation of sorts.  Not the lay on your backside and sip tropical drinks type.  Although this isn’t my first go-’round with Ninja, this time taking Ninja from 18 to almost 37  has left me with a better appreciation [and a whole lot less gil] for both jobs. I found Ninja an all-together worthwhile experience.  [I also managed to get Ninja all the way back to 35 after a string of disasterous choices]

In fact, I think everyone should experience taking Ninja to 37.  The job is complex and rife with tactical elements.  To boot, unlocking Ninja also as an engaging storyline. Most of that time would, or course, be spent blink tanking, but some should be spent being a full on DD’er with a more traditional tank (Warrior or Paladin).

Blink tanking before Utsusemi: Ni pretty much dictates that you have a back-up, or you duo tank.  Controlling (versus dominating) hate so that a back-up/second tank can provoke and allow you to put up Shadows is a valuable art to have under your belt, and will serve you well in any job, be it Mage or Melee.

Playing Ninja as a DD’er opens your eyes to the utility the job offers.  Subbing Red Mage, Black Mage, or Monk the Ninja can play damage support and high damage roles (at least in the early levels).  [I'm sure other subs work very well too, but those are the ones I got to play with] Likewise, Ninja with their job-provided stealth make excellent pullers.  I was amazed to find other players have never seen Ninja sub anything but Warrior as I cruised into a party as NIN/mnk.

However, last night marked my returned to Paladin.  It was rough getting back into the groove. None-the-less, after having played Ninja I thoroughly appreciated returning to the job.  Paladin is meant to tank in the most romantic notion.  Your job is to stand toe-to-toe with a monster and take a beating for your softer [but more potent] counterparts.   It’s a gritty and brutish performance compared to the delicate dance a Ninja must perform.  That vision resonates with me.