DRK's Niche as a tank?

[Hierro]

Ha! Looks like my initial prediction about DRK being the safe off-tank was right alllllll along!

and that's their niche.

[Claire_Pendragon]

Ha! Looks like my initial prediction about DRK being the safe off-tank was right alllllll along!

and that's their niche.

PLD is the safer OT. (and better all around)
If anything, DRK is just better at being in the middle of the two tanks, while not being enough in the middle to do anything they are used for. (such as holmgang timings, or cover timings.)
WAR and PLD are the better MTs.
But what makes PLD and WAR good, isnt enough to favor them over DRK.

Despite being inferior, DRK is in a good spot, because it was at least balanced enough that the pros of the better tanks arent deal breakers.
The only "Safer" part about DRK is having a slightly easier rotation, but due to cover being better, its even more "safer" than bringing DRK.

[TheCount]

Ha! Looks like my initial prediction about DRK being the safe off-tank was right alllllll along!

and that's their niche.

Nope, that's wrong. Paladin is a better OT too, simply because of the fact that it still has two abilities that can help mitigate for the main tank (or others if they really desire to) and their big passage of arms will be more easily used in the OT position which benefits the entire group. Paladin also has a slightly easier time doing its maximum DPS compared to DRK in the OT position.

Basically you can put Paladin in either position and they'd outclass the Dark Knight as it stands currently.

[Hierro]

Then why did DRK make world first? Checkmate, naysayers.

[Phoenicia]

Then why did DRK make world first? Checkmate, naysayers.

Simple: People did not want PLD/PLD combs because of Limit Break penalty. And because people did not like WAR as it was broken in Stormblood release so they took DRK. Even if you want to say that WAR was fixed, the damage was already done.

Also in most cases, DRK was the MT as it does have better aggro generation at a lower cost to DPS than PLD. But that's redundant since the world first also had a NIN.

[Felorr]

Then why did DRK make world first? Checkmate, naysayers.

Because the world first group brought a DRK. I'm sure that if that same player had gone in with WAR, they would still be world first.

[Azerhan]

Because the world first group brought a DRK. I'm sure that if that same player had gone in with WAR, they would still be world first.

Best logical answer.

But this is the big issue with the DRK: what reason did we have now to take a DRK instead a WAR?
I don't talk about fun or personal preference, but just about strat/meta/math, call it what you wan.
I wonder if SE will do something about it, I don't want to see the same thing that happened to the Monk during HW happening to the DRK in SB...

[Sarcatica]

Because the world first group brought a DRK. I'm sure that if that same player had gone in with WAR, they would still be world first.

It has something to do with how WAR is inefficient to bring where you don't know the contents well enough. TBN is a huge part because you can effectively pair it with most CDs and it will still be up for other mechanics, compare it to WAR tanking having to consider "what if I use too much CDs and I potentially won't have enough CDs for next busters etc?". The playing safe method is sound especially because they have no issue with lack of DPS as the general cause of switching roles in that situation.

Edit: and most of the top raiders are versatile enough to bring jobs of the same role in. So it is never a problem if they end up having to switch mid way like what Elysium (PLD or DRK mostly) did for the previous expansion on Gordias and Midas.

[Sarcatica]

Best logical answer.

But this is the big issue with the DRK: what reason did we have now to take a DRK instead a WAR?
I don't talk about fun or personal preference, but just about strat/meta/math, call it what you wan.
I wonder if SE will do something about it, I don't want to see the same thing that happened to the Monk during HW happening to the DRK in SB...

I would say that the balance atm is fine. DRK would need to get another round of buffs to stay somewhat competitive but overall is fine.

I am now slowly going for WAR atm as well, coming from maining DRK for this expac.

Right now, DRK WHM MNK and again Casters are unfit for speedkills at top 10 range but that doesn't mean that they significantly worse. People tend to overexaggerate too much. This stuff only matters if you are doing serious speedkills at 95 percentile and above.

Actually it's funny that full 4 physical DPS is meta again, going round and round.

[Sylvina]

DRK is my favorite tank but Darkside and Dark Arts feel like unnecessary busywork. There's no reason not be be in Darkside and for some reason it doesn't get reapplied if you revive. Dark Arts doesn't make you more careful with your MP because half the skills it modifies are too situational to be spamming and/or a waste of the CD without it.

Agreed there, no skill should exist soley for the sake of extra complexity. Kinda like how Enochian is now pointless on black mage and should be built into astral fire/umbral ice.

Also how does DRK have an easier rotation than PLD? DRK rotation so far seems a lot tougher, given my DRK is only level 42 now and that may change at level 70.