The Definitive Dark Knight Guide

[Zyph]

I disagree with opening with a Souleater combo, as the people I run with will often start unloading their max DPS in their openers and not having that Power Slash could spell disaster.

Very often I find that doing Unmend + Plunge results in the leap from Plunge happening but the skill not actually going off. I don't know what the issue is. But if it's currently unreliable like that then I'd say don't use them in tandem.

I do think that Dark Arts should be popped first before engaging, because even if you only get one out of combat MP regen tick that still helps, and running out of time to use up Dark Arts isn't an issue since Carve and Spit is used so early.

So ideally my opener would be:

Dark Arts -> Plunge -> Scourge -> Low Blow -> Hard Slash -> Carve and Spit -> Spinning Slash -> Dark Arts -> Power Slash -> Salted Earth


Now a couple questions:

Dark Passenger. When should I use this? Should I incorporate it into my oGCD rotation only when I have high MP? Should I only use on groups? It seems like a skill I would NEVER want to augment, since as an MT it reduces parry procs and Blood Price hits and as an OT that Dark Arts MP should be used on better things.

Carve and Spit. I haven't reached 60 yet (damn dayjob) so I haven't played with it, but to me it seems like for main tanking it would almost be better to not use it with Dark Arts outside of the opener and rather save it until you need emergency MP? It does okay damage for being oGCD but on a 60 sec cooldown it would really suck to be out of MP for whatever reason and lamenting that you squandered an MP regen move in order to push that deeps brah. I dunno, maybe as people get more comfortable with MP management and start to really know fights and who they're running with, etc, then sure go ahead and incorporate it into your oGCD rotation, but I feel like in content pushing/PUG scenarios it might be better served as an emergency fallback? Obviously augmenting it would be something you'd probably only want to do as an OT, since augmented Souleater is probably more useful for MTs.

[HidingYoshis]

I agree with this opener for the most part! Might I suggest shifting Dark Arts at the start if you're not already in combat

After sleeping on it a bit, I do see the value in using Dark Arts before initiation, it allows me another off GCD for even better threat generation. I'm not really sure about waiting for MP ticks necessarily because I'm not sure it's an issue.

I don't like Unmend except for ranged pulling -- The animation is long, and even with good ping by the time it hits the boss and you can Plunge, it will start moving toward me, which is not optimal.

I'm running Fending until I get full Law, at which point I'll switch over to Slaying and Maiming accessories (will have one set of each strength and vitality, of course) for the extra threat generation.

As for the Souleater thing: Was on phone when typing that out, I do much of my forum going on my phone during downtime / not being at my computer.

[HidingYoshis]

Now a couple questions:

Dark Passenger.

Carve and Spit.

For Dark Passenger: I'd say outside of opener, in single target, use it when you have enough MP that it isn't going to disrupt anything. If it causes your Darkside to fall off, it wasn't worth it. But the damage it deals is pretty good.

In mass pulling situations, I do suggest using Dark Arts on it for the blind and burst damage/threat. The blind on that many targets will increase your survivability far more than parrying will, and it also leaves Dark Dance up for afterwards.

For Carve and Spit: Never use it for MP. Always use Dark Arts. Its mana generation is.. Less than phenomenal, and at 100 base potency it's not really doing much for you. It's your highest potency skill in the game, and will hit the hardest. I'm hitting nearly 2k crits with it, and my gear (as you can see on my profile) is less than stellar at the moment.

[Zyph]

In mass pulling situations, I do suggest using Dark Arts on it for the blind and burst damage/threat. The blind on that many targets will increase your survivability far more than parrying will, and it also leaves Dark Dance up for afterwards.

Yeah, I dunno, maybe in between Blood Price cooldowns if I still have leftover MP. I kinda thrive off Blood Price though in large pulls, wouldn't want to waste it.

For Carve and Spit: Never use it for MP. Always use Dark Arts. ... It's your highest potency skill in the game, and will hit the hardest.

Gotcha. I see I was totally off base with my assumption on how to use it. I suppose that on a minute cooldown if you don't have the MP for a Dark Arts by the time it's up again then you should just go home.

[HidingYoshis]

Keep in mind that Sole Survivor is a good skill. Now that the tooltip is fixed, there are no misconceptions.

It reduces downtime and helps in those big pulls. A massive chunk of your MP returns and would really help facilitate using Dark Passenger.

A 20% return to your HP and MP is huge, and it's very reliable unlike Mercy Stroke. Certainly turned from one of my least favorite skills (when we initially saw the effect) into one of my favorites (when we learned the real effect)

It's meh at raiding, but not everything has to be great for raiding. Wish they would replace Abyssal Drain with another cooldown or make Reprisal reliable.

[Zyph]

A 20% return to your HP and MP is huge, and it's very reliable unlike Mercy Stroke. Certainly turned into one of my least favorite skills (when we initially saw the effect) into one of my favorites (when we learned the real effect)

I'm still salty that we can't also put it on party members.

Would have had so much fun trolling.

[Ipkonfig]

Has anyone done definitive testing with Storm's Path and Reprisal stacking? I know that the de-buff icons do stack on the same mob but I haven't had time to see if the damage is actually reduced by 20% instead of 10%.

Typically when things don't stack like Delirium Blade and Dragon Kick, my Delirium Blade will say "Has no Effect" because the Dragon Kick de-buff is better with the blunt vulnerability. Or the abilities say specifically that they do not stack with each other, but Storm's Path and Reprisal don't say that.

[Shadow12000]

[*]If you have Blood Price up, don't use a Dark Arts + Dark Passenger or a Dark arts + Dark Dance combo. You rely on taking damage to get that precious MP.[/LIST][/INDENT]

Salted Earth in front of pack > plunge into pack > UNLEASH > blood price > DARK ARTS + DARK PASSENGER > ABYSSAL DRAIN SPAM

But you just said not to use Dark Arts + Dark Passanger if you have Blood Price up...

[Docfiord_Fowling]

The more I tank on my DRK the more I see just how much damage we are taking in comparison to other tanks.

We are on the same level as PLDs in terms of mitigation. 20% Baseline mitigation from out stances

Shadowskin = Rampart
Shadowwall = almost Sentinel
Dark Dance = Bulwark
Dark Mind = ???
Living Dead = Hallowed Ground
400 potency self cure every 6 GCDs at least

[armandojc3]

The more I tank on my DRK the more I see just how much damage we are taking in comparison to other tanks. I ran Aurum Vale this morning and every single pull I was having to use a couple ....

this.

The first thing i did when i hit 50, and geared my DRK with all my WAR items + 115 sword, was to run Lake.

My war would faceroll the whole dungeon and only use cooldowns on final boss yet with my DRK i had to use 1 or 2 cooldowns on regular mobs and frikin all of them on bosses only to stay alive. Also recieved the obligatory complaints from the healer because he was working too hard to keep me alive.

Not to mention i miss overpower for super easy crowd control but i wont complain about that, its a different job and should feel like it.

I love the DRK and will continue to play as him just as i had to go through 2.0 WAR but it sucks to be the underdog again two years later.