Turning DRK into a tank was a huge mistake.

[iMark521]

VIT doesn't really help out your healers. The mobs dying faster does. Especially in low level dungeons, I would rather one mob die faster then my tank having a slightly bigger HP pool. Then again, I am rather vigilant as a healer. I don't sit and wait until they are almost dead.

Honestly, I think it is better for them in the end.

I'm not disagreeing with you about killing things faster (I use strength in certain dungeons as well, more so on bosses when I'm not tanking 15 mobs at once), but when I see a tank with the same hp as a dragoon or monk in a synced LOW LEVEL DUNGEON, such as sastasha or brayflox, then there is a problem. Sure, it's healable for players such as you or myself (meaning we're awesome), but how do you expect someone with a sprout beside their name who is still getting used to the game to heal a tank with the same, or lower hp than a melee dps?

[Catwho]

A DRK in a proper build can be an amazing tank, especially against some mobs that would spit up and chew out other tanks. I had a DRK tank Chrysalis, and his HP barely dipped on Triple.

That said, I know what the OP is talking about. A lot of people wanted to be Dark Knights, without considering that meant being a tank. Tanking is work. Tanking is not glory and big DPS numbers. Tanking is the least popular role in XIV because tanks are under a lot of pressure - to lead, to survive, to control the flow of the fight. Nobody wants that kind of responsibility - it takes a certain mind set to be willing to deal with it. I'm a relic WAR and I even don't feel like dealing with it most of the time!

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I'm not disagreeing with you about killing things faster (I use strength in certain dungeons as well, more so on bosses when I'm not tanking 15 mobs at once), but when I see a tank with the same hp as a dragoon or monk in a synced LOW LEVEL DUNGEON, such as sastasha or brayflox, then there is a problem. Sure, it's healable for players such as you or myself (meaning we're awesome), but how do you expect someone with a sprout beside their name who is still getting used to the game to heal a tank with the same, or lower hp than a melee dps?

And i've healed it low level (Brayflox!) with a "BLACK MAGE" tanking. Who cares? Its low level, the healer shouldn't have a problem with it if they are keeping up with heals. Only lazy healers have issues.

[Giantbane]

I'm not disagreeing with you about killing things faster (I use strength in certain dungeons as well, more so on bosses when I'm not tanking 15 mobs at once), but when I see a tank with the same hp as a dragoon or monk in a synced LOW LEVEL DUNGEON, such as sastasha or brayflox, then there is a problem. Sure, it's healable for players such as you or myself (meaning we're awesome), but how do you expect someone with a sprout beside their name who is still getting used to the game to heal a tank with the same, or lower hp than a melee dps?

Gear when you sync is now stronger than it used to be in 2.0. Low level content was already easy on the healers (SCH fairy can heal almost everything below brayflox), and now it's even easier. It shouldn't be a problem for anyone that can find their cure button and target the right person.

[RedAntares]

I had a dark knight not using living dead when every1 on the party was K.O. and boss had only 1%HP left <.,<

Maybe he used the skill before the party wiped and it was on CD? It happened to me before where I would pop my Living Death when I though I would die but didn't and later I would need to use it but can't beacuse it's on cooldown, the thing about that skill is that it's not even instant cast, it has a delay of like 1 sec, so you can't cast it just when you are about to die, you kinda have to predict in advance if the boss is going to kill you or not, which sometimes makes you waste the skill.

As for DRKs using STR stuff, I don't know how they survive dungeons like that, I use all VIT gear and sometimes feel kinda squishy. D:

[Aeyis]

traditional DPS class

I'm pretty sure I used cecil as a tank all game long.

Low level content was already easy on the healers (SCH fairy can heal almost everything below brayflox), and now it's even easier. It shouldn't be a problem for anyone that can find their cure button and target the right person.

Please dont compare Fairy he...I'm sorry ''scholar'' healing to WHM healing in low level dungeons.

[Khyan]

FFIV Cecil is the best "tank" in the game, even as DRK. I don't see why DRK shouldn't be a tank.

[Ayrie]

Bring those inflated HP bars into my static's groups. We'll fix your opinion on str vs vit accessories real fast.

STR brings more aggro, more than anything. HP bloat is just wasted stats after a point. Even on large trash pools, HP bloat is worthless if incoming damage is higher than a healer's output.

Vit accessories aren't worthless, they have a place, but good tanks know the value of that extra strength, and healers know that hit points isn't how you measure a tank's worth.

[Noxifer]

To begin with, I continued into HW by favouring STR accessories. (Attribute points in VIT, STR accessories was what I went by at level 50, plus Det/Crit over Parry, since I was usually the OT for 8-man stuff.) After a friend commented about how she hated healing STR-happy tanks, I actually thought about it for a few moments and then decided to switch. Because it's one thing to go over to favouring STR over VIT when you're outgearing most of the content, but when you're still levelling, it's a good idea to have that larger HP pool so you don't have to worry about dipping too low after heavy hits.

Once our ilvls go up a bit more and there's a "consensus" on how much HP you need to survive (like 8-9k or however much it was for coil), I'll gradually pick up more STR-gear. Though I'll admit (due to OT-ing more often than not) that I've already picked up ring and choker as dps accessories. (And even when most other things are switched to STR, I'm likely to keep one VIT ring due to "unique" status on most of them...)


But sure, things dying faster means you take less damage over-all. But if you die in four hits due to foregoing defensive cooldowns or tank stance, things won't really die any faster, will they? Other than your fellow party members, of course =D So even if you yourself favour STR accessories/specs, consider the rest of the party makeup and especially the gear on your healer.

Bring those inflated HP bars into my static's groups. We'll fix your opinion on str vs vit accessories real fast.

A Static is one thing. In there, you have your role, you know the people, you know how much you can push them. In solo DF (like low-level roulette), you don't know who you're going to end up with. And for that reason, it's a good idea to carry around some VIT accessories just in case.

[Musashidon]

dark knight is based around cecil, which in ff4 was a tank (kain was the squishy one of the two)

second arguably str is the best stat to go with for tanks as vit is only hp, str is damage (use to be other stuff till nerf), having more hp only gives you as a healer more wiggle room.

i will say it's only arguably best in situations where you meet hp requirements. (need 15k hp? well 20k will give you wiggle room but is unneeded)