The Definitive Dark Knight Guide

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Originally Posted by Disc

I'm not a fan of using Shadow Wall on the first & third Plasmas. I prefer using Shadow Wall right after the first set of adds die & before the Gunnery Pod & Royal Fount go off.(to keep Grit off until second set of adds spawn) You should never take more than about 11k damage, so any VIT gear or shielding from the healers will keep you safe. I usually go 2STR/3VIT/Full STR attributes until content is on farm, I don't ever put on more VIT than that unless healers are noticeably struggling or ask.

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In progression and learning though, it's safer to use shadow wall for first/third because if timed right it'll absorb the royal font beforehand as well. Variations afterwards are good, but when learning you should always aim to mitigate the biggest hits as well as possible.


As for Grit timing, I usually wait until I have a good enmity lead (so about 3 dark arts power slashes) before I swap.

You can use dark dance and awareness at the same time you've said and it'll massively help with auto-attack damage, which is your main threat until the next set of adds.

Dark Mind will reduce Royal Fount by just as much if you don't delay it for Dark Wall instead. If you use Dark Wall a few seconds after the first adds die you mitigate 30% of heavy damage(>12k ignoring autos) directed at you during an AoE phase that will save your solo healer a major headache.(Gunnery Podx2 + Royal Fount + Auto-attacks) You still get to use it again on the second Plasma. You're just seeing roughly 3k more damage on one tank-buster to make an AoE phase mid DPS check easier. Either will work fine, I just wanted to point out this method because I consider it better.

I typically use dark dance when preys go out, this will lead to a reprisal proc 99% of the time for the tank buster. Shadow wall + DA/Dark Mind 1st and third plasma, shadow skin + DA/Dark mind the second plasma. This should put all the tank busters in the 9k-7k range fairly easily. If you are worried about crits awareness can help but honestly if your healer is pre-casting the tank buster cure like they should be it's really a non issue as the heal will come literally fractions of a second after the hit. Currently running 3 pentameld str acc and 2 str rings with all points in str and coming out around 17.5 ish hp with all of the party buffs and such.

Stance dancing I go raw until post split preys > grit until a few seconds after tank buster recovery > back to just darkside.

Curious if this topic (specifically the OP) is still relevant in non savage content? Is there a new preferred updated guide or is this still the way to go.

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Originally Posted by ElasmoFan

Curious if this topic (specifically the OP) is still relevant in non savage content? Is there a new preferred updated guide or is this still the way to go.

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Hey, OP here. Sorry, things have been busy for a while. raid static changing and such. I'll try and update the guide soon with some tips specific to savage content. Otherwise, the basics of the guide are still relevant.

When it comes to Scourge, which is better, reapplying it before it falls off and clipping it, or waiting until it JUST falls off and then reapplying it? I found that the DoT seems to have awkward timing because of blood weapon changing it. I'll either have to use it again when it's at around 5 seconds left, or let it fall off before reapplying...

I know that the timing will change depending on how much skillspeed one has, so i'd like to know whether clipping it or not is better.

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Originally Posted by Praesul

When it comes to Scourge, which is better, reapplying it before it falls off and clipping it, or waiting until it JUST falls off and then reapplying it? I found that the DoT seems to have awkward timing because of blood weapon changing it. I'll either have to use it again when it's at around 5 seconds left, or let it fall off before reapplying...

I know that the timing will change depending on how much skillspeed one has, so i'd like to know whether clipping it or not is better.

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Using Blood Weapon makes the timer perfect for me. It's at 1-0 sec left when I reapply it. If full-time Grit tho, it could happen that I have to clip it at 4-3sec. Clipping is always the best option for every DoTs (as long as it's not too early like at 7-8sec).

Excuse the necro thread.

I feel like this thread needs reviving though. There's an inexcusable shortage of information/surplus of misinformation out there about how to maximize this job's performance both in DPS and cooldown usage. OP should update or pass the torch to someone.

I threw together some helpful tidbits as an example that I've studied, Dark Arts and MP-to-DPS priority lists both for single target and AoE, and some sample single target and AoE bursts (not necessarily openers however).

Single Target oGCD DPS Priority - Dark Arts is treated as an oGCD for the purpose of Souleater

1. Salted Earth - 525
2. Dark Arts Carve and Spit - 450
3. Reprisal - 210
4. Plunge - 200
5. Dark Passenger - 150
6. Pre-Souleater Dark Arts - 140
7. Low Blow - 100

AoE oGCD DPS Priority (4 targets assumed) - Dark Arts is treated as an oGCD for the purpose of Souleater

1. Salted Earth - 525x4= 2100
2. Dark Arts Dark Passenger - 250x4= 1000
3. Dark Passenger - 150x4= 600
4. Dark Arts Carve and Spit - 450
5. Reprisal - 210
6. Plunge - 200
7. Pre-Souleater Dark Arts - 140
8. Low Blow - 100

Single Target Dark Arts Priority - potency gained from Dark Arts alone

1. Carve and Spit - +350
2. Souleater - +140
3. Dark Passenger - +100

AoE Dark Arts Priority (4 targets assumed) - potency gained from Dark Arts alone

1. Dark Passenger - +400
2. Carve and Spit - +350
3. Souleater - +140

MP Priority

1. Dark Passenger 4 target 884/600 - ~1.5 MP per potency
2. Dark Arts Dark Passenger 4 target 2652/1000 - ~2.6 MP per potency
3. Dark Arts Carve and Spit 1768/350 - ~5.0 MP per potency
4. Dark Passenger single target 884/150 - ~5.9 MP per potency
5. Pre-Souleater Dark Arts 884/140 - ~6.3 MP per potency
6. Dark Arts Dark Passenger single target 2652/250 - ~10.6 MP per potency

Basic safe rotation: Scourge - DASE/DE x4 - repeat

Time remaining on Scourge<Time remaining on Delirium + Blood Weapon coming off Recast -
Scourge - HS - SS - DE (BW) - HS - SS (DA) SE - HS - SS (DA) SE - HS - SS - DE - Scourge
-Allows two DA Souleaters without losing Delirium or Scourge.
http://ffxivrotations.com/1mo

BW on cooldown + Delirium not needed -
Scourge - HS - SS - DE (DA) HS - SS - SE (DA) HS (C&S) SS (DA) SE
-Allows two back-to-back DA Souleaters without losing Scourge, weaves a DA C&S in with no interruption. Delirium falls for just under 2 seconds.
http://ffxivrotations.com/1mp

Sample AoE Burst/Mitigation
(ShSk/Wall) AD (BP) AD (SaEa) AD (DA) AD (C&S) AD (DA) AD (LB) AD - HS (DA) SS (DD) DE - HS (DA) SS (DP) DE - HS - SS - DE - Scourge x #targets (BP) - repeat
-Proper use of Dark Arts Abyssal Drain/Dark Passenger/Dark Dance in conjunction with Blood Price + multidotting.
http://ffxivrotations.com/1mq

Reminds me I have a half written DRK guide somewhere in my documents.


Whelp I got a free afternoon. Will post here when I'm mostly done, so people can fact check.

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Originally Posted by Syzygian

Excuse the necro thread.

I feel like this thread needs reviving though. There's an inexcusable shortage of information/surplus of misinformation out there about how to maximize this job's performance both in DPS and cooldown usage. OP should update or pass the torch to someone......

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Casting my vote for a "Syz's guide to the Darkside"..... (immediately regretting saying that)