Defensive ability, WAR VS DRK

[Xariann]

Hi All,

EDIT: Check my calculations in this post.

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First of all let me premise that I have not been tanking seriously since Bravura was the best weapon you could get. So I might be a little out of date when writing this.

I levelled my DRK up to 46, I started reading about it more and people said it was squishy and went back to Warrior. When I look at their skillset though, I am unclear as to what is causing it. Warrior doesn't have Shadow Wall. Also the Warrior doesn't spam IB like the DRK spams Souleater (with Soul Devourer).

If I am using IB, I am dropping my 10% parry buff, while DRK gets Dark Dance every minute and can have 20%.

Then there is the controllable Storm Path VS RNG Reprisal.

Warrior does get more healing on them, but a hit on a warrior should the same amount of a hit on a DRK. I guess Shadow Wall doesn't compensate for that being on a 180 secs CD and all...

If you hit level 60 with the DRK, do you/your healers still think you are hard to heal once you have everything?

[Violette]

You really feel the lack of a shield or bonus healing. That's all I can put it down too now.

[Jamez82]

I have yet to be told that it's hard to heal me at 57. In fact some say it's comparable to PLD.

There's just a lot of DRK at the moment that don't have enough tanking experience. Give it time.

[Xenosan]

Defiance = Grit
Shadowskin = Inner Beast
Shadow Wall = Vengeance
Storm's Path = ???/SoulEater/Abyssal Drain/Reprisal/Darkdance
Dark Passenger > Steel Cyclone

WAR Blood Bath > DRK Blood Bath (longer duration)
WAR Convalescence = DRK Convalescence
WAR Foresight > DRK Foresight (Shorter CD)

No experience for me yet have had groups grumble about DRK tank. And never have I died or party wiped that afterwards we thought, "Ugh, if only Reprisal had proc'd, we would have survived!"

[Reynhart]

Defiance = Grit

Not exactly, but the difference is slim. For them to be exactly on par, Defiance should buff healing received by 25%

Storm's Path = ???/SoulEater/Abyssal Drain/Reprisal/Darkdance

Souleater heals way more than Storm's Path, do to the far higher potency under Dark Arts. And Abysall Drain doesn't require a combo, can be enhanced every two hits (As long as you have MP), and hits all targets nearby thus giving you massive HP back. With Blood Price up, I think DRK can be king of speedruns
I think DRK will benefit more than other Tank from a Parry build, to help put Reprisal every 30s.

DRK also has another cooldown to reduce magic damage.

[Zordrage]

i was not once in a group with a DRK at 50 and i can say they bassicaly facerolling stuff. they feel like moving walls that barely loose HP lol

lets not talk about their CRAZY AOE aggro Spam they have its bassicaly imposible to steal aggro from them.

[Launched]

For dungeons, it doesn't really matter. All 3 tanks have enough for any trash or boss.

For trials/raids, WAR has much more mitigation. Inner Beast will be up for every tankbuster. On top of that they'll also have one of Vengeance, Thrill of Battle, or Raw Intuition. WAR can also use stuff like Foresight, Convalescence and Awareness just with Inner Beast, which PLD and DRK can't do because their effects are pretty weak by themselves.

DRK only has Shadowskin (equal to IB in mitigation), Shadow Wall (Vengeance with a longer cooldown and shorter duration), Dark Mind (which is limited to magic) and Dark Dance (low % to dodge/parry which will be completely unreliable in any raid). Foresight, Convalescence/Awareness would need to be paired with another cooldown.

[Reynhart]

For trials/raids, WAR has much more mitigation. Inner Beast will be up for every tankbuster.

I've not experienced Heavensward content, but for older one, this is only true in theory.
Tankbuster aren't frequent enough so that PLD don't have any cooldown ready for it.
And at level 52, they gain Sheltron, which is up every 30 second, far enough for every tankbuster too.

On top of that they'll also have one of Vengeance, Thrill of Battle, or Raw Intuition. WAR can also use stuff like Foresight, Convalescence and Awareness just with Inner Beast, which PLD and DRK can't do because their effects are pretty weak by themselves

How come you took into account new skills for WAR but not for PLD ? PLD can use a better Convalescence with Clemency for several really high heals when needed.
I'm not sure if Divine Veil works if the PLD heals himself, but if it does, you also gain a very high barrier for each of these boosted Clemency.

As for Foresight, the effect is exactly the same for PLD and WAR, except the cooldown is longer, which is, again, not a problem as long as tankbusters don't come more often. And you can pair it with Bulwark too.


EDIT : Oook, little off-topic since PLD is not really part of the initial topic. Sorry for derailing

[RiisWolf]

I haven't gotten my DRK past 40 yet, but already I'm not liking it as far as taking on mobs is concerned. They might be a super late bloomer, but I can say for sure from a defensive standpoint that WAR can take on a mob better than DRKs can.

[AniCelestine]

sipziphowever

I remember death sentences with no available CD in T5 when I had to replace our healer for a while. And that was with a PLD tank.

Also the 30s block. Most if not every tank buster is MAGICAL and you can't block magical attacks.

And what do you do with big selfheals (the 1200 cure potency+convalescent) if you get one shot due to no dmg reduction CD'S up

As for warrior vs drk. Don't grit give same effect as shield oath? Which means you don't get the same feeling of squishyness on drk as on warrior when you get bigger hits coming in while trashpulls(but yes,you also get healed for more), but for tank busters imo warriors has currently the best arsenal, especially with Holmgang being on a relatively short CD.