Dark Arts Adjustment

[Shurrikhan]

That's also just a drop in the bucket to the mass amounts of other changes being implemented. You can read the rest here, if you're interested.

Oh wow, that's... some serious buffing. I definitely prefer the shorter, snappier Carnal Chill for one. For some reason I thought people were still talking about the last set of DRK PvP buffs; I missed this set completely. Agreed that the DA change component is purely QoL. It's nice that it'll no longer ever stick out past the 2nd GCD, even if that change isn't exactly significant either.

I really don't think they're changing anything else (I figure they would have said something by now if they were), but that's not to say they never will (a man can hope).

I'll just stand by my hopes for a significant Grit mana cost reduction and a slightly Dark Arts cost reduction. That and maybe some small buff to DD, DM, and SS (preferably in a way that eases access to otherwise MT-locked skills from OT position or from afar, perhaps with an ally-targetable support element).

Side-note though: That Aetherflow buff seems overkill, just like the SMN overall damage nerf before (as deserved as the burst nerf may have been when combined with their very nice general output). Would really rather it be reduced to 1 stack lost per hit, but One-Ilm Punch able to strip two debuffs on crit, making it a bit more useful on average, even if no longer THE arcanist hard-counter. If ammo is currently removable, then it should get the same treatment.

[Grux]

The changes doesn't seem like it'll help you kill faster.
The 40% reduction is a nice defensive utility to the team I guess.

I still don't see DRKs being preferred over WARs/PLDs tbh as the amount they bring to the table is just not as much as the other two.

It's a slight improvement.

I was expecting more on the utility side of things.

For PvE - I don't think it's a buff as your rotation is limited by the cds - particularly CnS. Changes close to nothing imo.

[Februs]

Oh wow, that's... some serious buffing. I definitely prefer the shorter, snappier Carnal Chill for one. For some reason I thought people were still talking about the last set of DRK PvP buffs; I missed this set completely. Agreed that the DA change component is purely QoL. It's nice that it'll no longer ever stick out past the 2nd GCD, even if that change isn't exactly significant either.

I'm not surprised you missed it. It was only posted yesterday morning. I caught it because I frequent the PvP forums. I actually made that thread, so I feel like I should check up on it from time to time, especially now that Feast is out. Back in the day, SE ignored PvP so hard that it might as well not have existed, but since Feast's release they've (seemingly) taken a much stronger interest in listening to the PvP community and acting on the feedback we've been giving them. It's not often that I see a PvE related change, though; so, I figured that I should share it here for the sake of awareness.

Side-note though: That Aetherflow buff seems overkill, just like the SMN overall damage nerf before (as deserved as the burst nerf may have been when combined with their very nice general output). Would really rather it be reduced to 1 stack lost per hit, but One-Ilm Punch able to strip two debuffs on crit, making it a bit more useful on average, even if no longer THE arcanist hard-counter. If ammo is currently removable, then it should get the same treatment.

I'm not 100% positive about this, since I don't play Sch or Mnk, but I think the primary issue with Aetherflow was that the CD on One-Ilm Punch is too fast for a Sch's to counter, should the Mnk know what they're doing. The timing ensures that a Mnk can easily dis-spell a Sch's aetherflow stacks and have a second One-Ilm punch at the ready as soon as that the Sch builds those stacks back up. In casual 8 vs 8, this is not such a big problem. There's another healer, and the fights are so cluttered that tactics tend to go right out the window. In ranked solo-queue and 4 vs 4, however, it made sch almost unplayable.

Before the changes to the casting interruption threshold, seeing a Sch in your team was almost synonymous with an automatic loss. After they changed the interruption threshold Sch became viable again, but they can still be decimated by an experienced Mnk. They also lack the CC utility to defend themselves against such an attack, unlike Whm's or Astro's who can paper tank or halt enemy advances (hence the nerfs to sleep's duration). A coordinated team can effectively neutralize and eliminate a Sch in under a minute flat. I've actually been in a match recently where I saw it first hand. We had an experienced Mnk in the party who pretty much solo'd the Sch the entire time while the rest of us mopped up the dps. Between that and me throwing up a stun on their pet, the Sch was next to helpless to defend themselves, and their team hardly got any heals at all. It was one of the fastest fights I've ever been in, including the original WD, and it kinda felt dirty ... But a win's a win, right?

[CoolCat]

I enjoy this small buff, dark arts into Abyssal Drain is faster now in a big pull if I want to just recover alot of hp. Before I would be sitting there for there couple of sec waiting on the DA cd.

[Jhett_Magnum]

I think this was a step in the right direction. It made DA DD and DA DP an easier combo, but all that mp for a few sec of dodges.....

Also I think getting more mp back from Syphon Blade, Blood Price and Blood Weapon is a good idea.

[MagiusNecros]

I think this was a step in the right direction. It made DA DD and DA DP an easier combo, but all that mp for a few sec of dodges.....

Also I think getting more mp back from Syphon Blade, Blood Price and Blood Weapon is a good idea.

I believe the MP returns are a preset value though.

[Jhett_Magnum]

I believe the MP returns are a preset value though.

haha whoops forgot about how it goes based on max mp. Nvm then.

[Mirch]

Now that DA has 3 secs CD my deeps went soha PvP or PvE it doesn't matter great change for DRKs.
My deeps is so high it smells weed