The Bottom Feeders: Moves You Never Use and Why.

[Februs]

DA Power Slash is incredibly weak for the MP it costs. It only adds 1 to the enmity multiplier.

I figured that it was a low addition, but I didn't think it would be that low. Why did SE even bother to give Power Slash a DA effect in the first place if it was going to be so pitiful?

In any case, I always knew it was a small increase, but given that it's an introductory combo used with a full MP bar, and I literally never use the combo again for the entire fight in most cases, I don't think the Mp cost is substantial in any way. This is especially because the immediate follow up combo's (Delirium and Soul Eater) both employ Mp regen along with Carve and Spit, which I typically use to fuel additional uses of DA-Soul Eater. By the time you hit your first DA-SE, you've pretty well replenished your Mp bar anyway, so no worries.

One thing this tells me for certain though is that it is never advised and is a 100% waste of Mp to ever rotate a DA-PS combo after the initial pull, including if any adds show up. I've never done this myself, but I might have made this mistake if I didn't learn how utterly pathetic DA is for PS. Thanks for the info.

[Freyyy]

This is especially because the immediate follow up combo's (Delirium and Soul Eater) both employ Mp regen along with Carve and Spit, which I typically use to fuel additional uses of DA-Soul Eater.

You should never use C&S without DA unless AoEing on 4+ mobs. In fact, C&S should be your first priority to DA. This is the most mana efficient DA because you gain 350 potency for doing it while you gain 140 potency for a DA SE, and 100 potency per mob hit for a DA DP. You should never start with a full MP bar since you should DA before you Unmend + Plunge and spend this DA on C&S right after your first GCD (which should be Scourge).

[Februs]

You should never use C&S without DA unless AoEing on 4+ mobs. In fact, C&S should be your first priority to DA. This is the most mana efficient DA because you gain 350 potency for doing it while you gain 140 potency for a DA SE, and 100 potency per mob hit for a DA DP. You should never start with a full MP bar since you should DA before you Unmend + Plunge and spend this DA on C&S right after your first GCD (which should be Scourge).

I'm aware... but, more often than not, I prioritized DA-SE rather than DA-C&S because I'm just paranoid about mitigation.

I'm still far more accustomed to Pld tanking, so my biggest concern when switching over to Drk was ensuring that I was mitigating dmg effectively. For one, I'm not as accustomed to the CD's of Drk, and, whereas it was relatively simple to theorycraft which CD's work well together, I'm still not 100% comfortable with them in combat. I've been assured by my FC healer that I'm being overly paranoid, and that I tend to make healing dungeons "boring" by mitigating too much, but I can't help but feel a little squishier on Drk compared to my Pld... and, to be frank, I've seen enough selfish Dps-oriented tanks when leveling my Whm and Drg to know that I didn't want to be "that guy," so I have a bad habit of overcompensating by using as many Self-healing opportunities as possible (a habit I picked up from War).

You're definitely right about the most efficient uses for DA's though, and your starter rotation is solid. Given that I am starting to get more comfortable with Drk tanking, and I usually have more than enough MP to spare, its time I start taking my Drk out of the safety box and pushing its limits. Your responses have given me quite a few ideas for how to go about it. I'm still not 100% comfortable with my hotbar set up, but I'll definitely be giving this a try.