Drk opener as mt

[JackFross]

Most important point to tanking as a Dark Knight and pulling a boss:

If you learn NOTHING else, this is THE single most important tip you'll be getting:

Never. Ever. EVER.
N E V E R pull with Plunge or use Unmend>Plunge under any circumstances ever for any reason unless you're pulling A5N or A5S.
Never.
I can't stress enough how infrequently you should do this and how frequently I see people do this.

Stop.

Do not do it.

Ever.

Please.

"But, why not?"
Multiple reasons:
1. If you have a WAR or NIN in the party, you're wasting potency by using it before SE+DE.
2. If you have a DRG, NIN, or MNK, you're forcing them to lose potency by using gap closers on the pull or because they have to run for an additional 1-2s to get to the boss especially when you then proceed to pull the boss all the way north when they shouldn't be tanked north to start anyway.
3. See: 2. It's the most important reason.
4. Positioning. Every single boss in the entire game right now (aside from Ratfinx) should be tanked in the middle of the arena or near the middle when the fight starts. If you plunge to a boss, you force yourself to then have to run backwards to bring it there, missing autos and potential parries as you turn your back to the boss. If you Unmend and delay your run, you can meet the boss in the middle and have it positioned immediately without having to run around. Melee dps can also just run in and meet it middle with you! It's almost like this is how you're intended to pull bosses!
5. See: 3.
6. Animation delay after Plunge (if not used fast enough after Unmend) can cause you to have dropped GCD time, which is a pretty significant loss in the long run.
7. You should be pulling in Grit. You're taking a hit on damage for Plunge when you can use it later at normal potency.

The way I tend to pull as DRK is:
Unmend>[LB]>HS>SS>PS>[DA+drop Grit]>HS>[BW>CaS]>SS>[DP>DA]>SE>[PL]>S>[SE]>HS>[LB>DA]>SS>SE
Salted can probably be dropped pre-pull, but losing the initial shot of Grit damage for a delayed non-Grit SE feels better to me. After that SE, you can slap Grit back on if you feel you need more hate - it's very unlikely you'll lose hate through those two combos, and I generally will just use a PS either in place of the SE there (usually keeping the DA because BW is up and if I need it, I want the (marginally) bigger lead) or as he next combo not shown.

[Yuni_Queen]

Never. Ever. EVER.
N E V E R pull with Plunge or use Unmend>Plunge under any circumstances ever for any reason unless you're pulling A5N or A5S.
Never.

You literally Hitler'ed my faith, that i was good drk. I will never forgive you.
Not like i don't agree with arguments or something. Your arguments are simply 100% correct >.>

I am certain Scourge (along with Salted) should be applied just after dropping grit to do not waste 6,5 sec (2.5 for HS, 2 sec for rest of combo - cause BW), before starting HS. Aaaaaand i have no idea how are you doing this (i ain't mocking you), but after one PS, dropping grit is almost a death wish for hate hold. Almost always need to use either DA+PS or 2-3 PS until grit drop, otherwise you will have to waste mana to get into grit again too fast, to generate some more enmity. that of course has a cost of 2/3 of one DA+SE so most likely there is a loss of 140 potency after dropping grit once again. DRK is not a best class for stance dancing, so not sure if you woudn't like to make adjustment to that rotation.

Also, Plunge should go before DP, until you are going to have excessive mana, then DP goes first.

What i mean, is that you can loose hate in the meantime, you are DRG by main, you know how vicious DRG opening is. One PS will never hold aggro for around 6.5 sec, until you intentionally drop grit only for Salted, CnS and Scourge . However this is around 6.5 (if you use BW to hasten the time - which will be a total loss of BW duration) sec if you want to use one full SE combo before using grit again and additional 2.5 sec until you will be able to use SS after HS to actually generate some hate. This is together 9 sec.
Not a chance for one normal PS to hold aggro for 9 sec to do not be forced to use 3-4 PSs after entering grit again to lower dps hate to the level at least 50% again.

Honestly, i advise using 3 PS comboses, eventually DA+PS > PS comboses and then dropping grit permamently, there will be loss of 20% for CnS, Scourge and Salted, but counting this up, it is better than wasting a lot of potency on PSs that will have to be used instead of SE later + MP on reserves (i remind you, PS combo grants no mana and BW will be still on cooldown after you drop grit again after those 2 PSs. since you made only 6.5 sec under BW and then entered grit for 17.5 sec [two PSs comboses + one GCD for Grit], BW is still 16 sec on cooldown.) You have probably mana only for 1 SE, not to mention, that you are tank, and some emergency DA for DM should be kept. So dps loss is much greater than using simply 2-3 PS comboses at the beggining.

Oh, there is no Blood Price in you rotation, however (if you use it asap after reaching boss - and that's what you should do with BP) effect should wear off exactly after one full SE combo after dropping grit (7.5 sec during first PS combo; 6.5 sec after grit drop), so after getting out of Grit again (after stabilization of aggro with some aditional PS) you are burned out of mana, have no mana granting cooldowns, and can only spam delirium combo, which is highly ineffective.

My rotation is (was for Plunge) almost identical, except Plunge after unmend (;__; now i don't know what to do with my life) except faster Scourge, Salted after dropping grit; and additional PS combo before dropping grit. I believe my rotation is more efficient that this Plunge-Hitler.

PS I will never forgive you.

EDIT: like for opening my eyes for plunge (except those bosses tanked at the edge of course).

[JackFross]

Haha, sorry about Plunge!

And yeah, I guess I should mark that as "I am not a great DRK" since I delay my Scourge there so I can mix it with Plunge (30s cd / 30s dot) without using Plunge during Grit. It's my own shit thing I do.

The reason I do one PS > drop Grit is because that's how I have been playing PLD and it works beautifully. It's more organic on PLD and a bit icky on DRK, though, but that's neither here nor there. Either way, you shouldn't need to turn Grit back on to grab hate back - just use another Power Slash. I tend to use a bunch early on after that initial DA+SE (since mana needs to drop!) and it generally balances out nicely. If you're evenly geared with the dps, you shouldn't need more than 1 Grit PS to hold hate, honestly.

I also ran numbers before - each cast of Blood Weapon (15s - 7 gcds + 6 autos = 13 shots = 3.25 Syphon Strikes) accounts for three Power Slashes in terms of mana regeneration, so meh. It's about half as effective, but also keep in mind that you don't need all the DPS to be 50% or below to hold hate. They can be 70-80% and you've still got a huge lead.

[MagiusNecros]

I'll probably still be a half ass DRK. Unmend > Salted Earth > Plunge just looks so hype in motion. I get such a kick out of 2 energy blasts and a jump attack coming out all at once. I personally enjoy seeing a boom boom bop.

[Yuni_Queen]

Haha, sorry about Plunge! <--- You think i am joking?!

They can be 70-80% and you've still got a huge lead.

Yeah, that's what i can't really get used to. i am all stressed when i see those 70-80% aggro bar full. DRK proves again it's noob-proof.

[LordLucavi]

I love how a lot of these posts are "You're wrong because OMG DAMAGE LOOK I'M A DPS LOLDAMA~GE!" Also, to whomever was complaining about using plunge as a gap closer, Mnk gets Shoulder Tackle, DRG gets both Dragonfire Dive AND Spineshatter Drive. Ninjas run fast. So yeah, feel free to use your gap closer to help up your threat level before the rest of the party gets there.

[HoodRat]

I love how a lot of these posts are "You're wrong because OMG DAMAGE LOOK I'M A DPS LOLDAMA~GE!" Also, to whomever was complaining about using plunge as a gap closer, Mnk gets Shoulder Tackle, DRG gets both Dragonfire Dive AND Spineshatter Drive. Ninjas run fast. So yeah, feel free to use your gap closer to help up your threat level before the rest of the party gets there.

Ikr it's crazy how some people want to go above and beyond by doing their role AND contributing as much dps as possible. How dare they try to be good.

[Ashkendor]

I love how a lot of these posts are "You're wrong because OMG DAMAGE LOOK I'M A DPS LOLDAMA~GE!" Also, to whomever was complaining about using plunge as a gap closer, Mnk gets Shoulder Tackle, DRG gets both Dragonfire Dive AND Spineshatter Drive. Ninjas run fast. So yeah, feel free to use your gap closer to help up your threat level before the rest of the party gets there.

Uh well I mean, if you have two openers that hold hate but one of them does more damage than the other... >_>

Geez, how dare people try to actually optimize and theorycraft and stuff.

[Yuni_Queen]

I love how a lot of these posts are "You're wrong because OMG DAMAGE LOOK I'M A DPS LOLDAMA~GE!" Also, to whomever was complaining about using plunge as a gap closer, Mnk gets Shoulder Tackle, DRG gets both Dragonfire Dive AND Spineshatter Drive. Ninjas run fast. So yeah, feel free to use your gap closer to help up your threat level before the rest of the party gets there.

@Jack Frost, looks like we were noobs all along ;__;

Maybe we should switch to blacksmiths. there is no rotation for blacksmithing!

"There is!" ~crafters

;____; What now Jack? halp.

[MagiusNecros]

@Jack Frost, looks like we were noobs all along ;__;

Maybe we should switch to blacksmiths. there is no rotation for blacksmithing!

"There is!" ~crafters

;____; What now Jack? halp.

Go Gatherer. You don't need rotations for basic materials.