FFXIV - General Purpose Chocobo Builds

---- CHOCOBO COMPANION GENERAL PURPOSE BUILDS ----
* Note:   You will not get Rank 10 barding with any of these builds.
* Thanks: Womble O'flaherty of Ragnarok Server
* Link:   http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/73443-Chocobo-Companion-Question?p=1724578&viewfull=1#post1724578

Build #1 - "Balanced Tank/DD/Healer"
4x Healer (10 SP), 6x Attacker (21 SP), 6x Defender (21 SP) = 52 SP Total
= Four good Weaponskills, one HoT, one Heal. Has a Slow, a DoT, and an +enmity ability.
+20% HP, +10% Acc, +10% Str, +30% Crit Rate, +10% MND

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Build #2: Min/maxed Hybrid General Purpose Build
+ Rank #3 Defender, Rank #6 Attacker, Rank #7 Healer (55 SP total)

Only having one weapon skill available in Defender stance (an +enmity attack) should mean that you can switch your Chicken into that stance whenever you want to force him to pull maximum hate on something. Healing Stance will prevent him from auto-attacking or using any weapon skills, and will make him start cure-bombing you whenever you drop below ~75% HP (in Free Stance he waits until ~50% HP). Free Stance would be used for the majority of situations, letting the Chocobo auto-attack and cycle his heals and other damaging abilities as needed.

A note about Healing Stance: I could see it being useful for a Non-Melee Damage Dealer - someone who doesn't need any extra damage output and instead wants maximum survivability, but as a Paladin I REALLY don't like using it. Aside from the DPS loss, my Chocobo has far too much of a tendency to stand right beside me and get hit with cone attacks, which means he now has to heal himself as well as me. Whilst tanking things I find leaving the Chicken in Free Stance makes me last longer, even with the lowered Cure trigger threshold... and the additional DPS doesn't hurt either!

Suggested Chocobo Progression:
+ Level 1 (1 SP) - Rank 1 Healer (HoT) [0 SP remaining]

+ Level 2 (2 SP) - Rank 1 Defender (Enmity WS)
                 - Rank 1 Attacker (WS) [0 SP remaining]

+ Level 3 (3 SP) - Rank 2 Healer (MND Trait) [1 SP remaining]

+ Level 4 (4 SP) - Rank 3 Healer (HP Trait)
                 - Rank 2 Attacker [STR Trait] [0 SP remaining]

+ Level 5 (5 SP) - Rank 4 Healer (Cure) [1 SP Remaining]

+ Level 6 (6 SP) - Rank 3 Attacker (+HP Trait)
                 - Rank 4 Attacker (DoT WS) [0 SP remaining]

+ Level 7 (7 SP) - Rank 5 Healer (Acc Trait)
                 - Rank 2 Defender (STR Trait) [0 SP remaining]

+ Level 8 (8 SP) - Rank 6 Healer (Crit Rate Trait) [2 SP remaining]

+ Level 9 (9 SP) - Rank 7 Healer (+Potency Buff)
                 - Rank 3 Defender (HP Trait) [1 SP remaining]

+ Level 10 (10 SP) - Rank 5 Attacker (Acc Trait)
                   - Rank 6 Attacker (Crit Trait) [0 SP remaining]