The Bottom Feeders: Moves You Never Use and Why.

[Jpec07]

WTF. When you DA C&S you gain 350 potency (from 100 to 450), when you DA SE you gain 140 potency (from 260 to 400). C&S is oGCD. And honestly, you shouldn't have to choose between DA SE and DA C&S if you're playing properly. You should have enough MP to DA every time C&S is available while rotating DA SE and Delirium and using Dark Passenger on CD. C&S without DA becomes more efficient only during huge AoE pulls; when the extra 884MP you get + the 1768MP you didn't spend makes you able to use Abyssal Drain 2-3 more times.

If DPS is the only thing you're worried about, sure, but in practice and survival/turtle tanking, I've found that C&S is more valuable for its mana restoration than the mitigation-less 450-potency damage you get out of it. Then again, I main a PLD, so perhaps I just need more practice at mana management on DRK (I usually try to keep ~50% MP at all times in case of emergency).

*switches to PLD and pops Hallowed Ground to weather the incoming storm of "UR A BAD DRK"*

[Freyyy]

If DPS is the only thing you're worried about, sure, but in practice and survival/turtle tanking,

Survival/turtle tanking isn't a thing in FFXIV. And even so, while the self-healing from a DA SE is very nice, it's only available while in Grit and you ANYWAY shouldn't have to choose between DA C&S and DA SE. And it has nothing to do with only worrying about DPS. When you gotta be turtle, you have plenty of defensive cooldowns and a tanking stance to use, it doesn't interfere with the usage of DA C&S at any time. I'll also add that with a good amount of STR, a DA C&S can restore a pretty good amount of HP when coupled with Bloodbath, especially if you get a crit. Dealing more damage doesn't prevent you from being tanky, and doesn't makes you a "tank who only worries about DPS" either. Dealing more damage brings a lot of benefits other than moar deeps as a tank.