DRK the least chunkiest or is it just me?

[Nedkel]

That's not true, sub level 70 have way more sustain with Abyssal drain spam, have tank stance 20% damage mitigation so there was the same considering how nerfed the tank damage is now, higher MP economy, better dark mind when magic adds are present like sprites and dark passenger blind effect so it's not worse only bad ppl don't using his tools properly.

Now it's more simplified and DRK only have rampart, shadow wall, a nerfed dark mind and a buffed reprisal witch I consider it's worse compared to the level of self sustain/mitigation and passive options (blind) use to have witch has been overcompensated with even more dependency on TBN instead of design properly dark mind thanks to they obsession to keep it magical only.

You only had AD at levels between 56-70 and quietus at lvl 64, which was essential for AD spam due to the MP regen. TBN was also a big part of DRK in that time, because it allowed to transfer MP used into blood that gave you quietus which generated more MP than you have used on TBN. To make things worse AD only healed you if you had dark arts activated, but it did not increased its damage, you had only enough MP to use it three times to heal yourself out, and using it that way without TBN and quietus was completely off.
For anything under 56 lvl drk was nearly unplayable, it had basically no AOE damage and the only aoe that it had was unleash with low potency and cost MP on top of it, Dark passage was useless up until late in the expansion.
You look at this job with rose painted glasses i guess, there was a reason why DRK was barely played by tanks, it had its own problems multiple times worse than DRK has today.

[shao32]

You only had AD at levels between 56-70 and quietus at lvl 64, which was essential for AD spam due to the MP regen. TBN was also a big part of DRK in that time, because it allowed to transfer MP used into blood that gave you quietus which generated more MP than you have used on TBN. To make things worse AD only healed you if you had dark arts activated, but it did not increased its damage, you had only enough MP to use it three times to heal yourself out, and using it that way without TBN and quietus was completely off.
For anything under 56 lvl drk was nearly unplayable, it had basically no AOE damage and the only aoe that it had was unleash with low potency and cost MP on top of it, Dark passage was useless up until late in the expansion.
You look at this job with rose painted glasses i guess, there was a reason why DRK was barely played by tanks, it had its own problems multiple times worse than DRK has today.

Before TBN DRK didn't need save MP so they could spend all his resources on AD, of course more limited before you get Quietus and TBN but his usage rate was way superior that current version and they self healing even on those levels infinitely better, DRK did have way better economy even at lower levels compared to now, it have blood price to recover a fair amount of MP under aoe situations on lower level until bloodweapon-quietus meta, the job was limited until TBN yes but is the same right now but slightly worse, leveling DRK is a pain until lvl 70 and that didn't change at all.
No aoe damage? DRK have the best aoe damage on basically every level tier, PLD was worse or we forgeth about flash? Unleash and dark passenger was more that enough for a lvl 50 tier compared to what WAR and PLD have at those levels.
DRK was barely played thanks to ppl parroting it was the worst tank by a mile (and that was true until 4.3) at max level and that stigma stay all the expansion thanks to SE take over a year buff the job with highly necessary buffs on the defensive and offensive department, DRK aoe rotation was the best feeling of the job and the best one between the tanks, the job was used on ultimate both times not BCS was strong but BCS it was fun.

more like it's ypu looking at past DRK with black painted glasses, you even recognize you never try to play DRK optimaly in the past so no offense but i think you over-exagerating his old state based on you own unoptimal experience just to prove now is better when in the reality it still have the same problem with little variance.

[Nedkel]

Before TBN DRK didn't need save MP so they could spend all his resources on AD, of course more limited before you get Quietus and TBN but his usage rate was way superior that current version and they self healing even on those levels infinitely better, DRK did have way better economy even at lower levels compared to now, it have blood price to recover a fair amount of MP under aoe situations on lower level until bloodweapon-quietus meta, the job was limited until TBN yes but is the same right now but slightly worse, leveling DRK is a pain until lvl 70 and that didn't change at all.
No aoe damage? DRK have the best aoe damage on basically every level tier, PLD was worse or we forgeth about flash? Unleash and dark passenger was more that enough for a lvl 50 tier compared to what WAR and PLD have at those levels.
DRK was barely played thanks to ppl parroting it was the worst tank by a mile (and that was true until 4.3) at max level and that stigma stay all the expansion thanks to SE take over a year buff the job with highly necessary buffs on the defensive and offensive department, DRK aoe rotation was the best feeling of the job and the best one between the tanks, the job was used on ultimate both times not BCS was strong but BCS it was fun.

more like it's ypu looking at past DRK with black painted glasses, you even recognize you never try to play DRK optimaly in the past so no offense but i think you over-exagerating his old state based on you own unoptimal experience just to prove now is better when in the reality it still have the same problem with little variance.

AD had only 120 potency, and unleash had 50, both costed MP and you were not using them all the time at below 64 lvl.
Dark passager also costed MP and for the majority of the expansion was 100 potency for 1/4 mp.
The heal from abyssal drain was not worth spending MP on dark arts, you would be oom in a few seconds.

Today DRK has free from cost unleash that deals 150 potency and flood of darknes that does 250 aoe potency.

DRK in stormblood was horrible at below 64 lvl, simple as that. Also blood weapon was available only in offensive stance, which made you a lot softer comparing to DRK today.

[Seku]

AD had only 120 potency, and unleash had 50, both costed MP and you were not using them all the time at below 64 lvl.
Dark passager also costed MP and for the majority of the expansion was 100 potency for 1/4 mp.
The heal from abyssal drain was not worth spending MP on dark arts, you would be oom in a few seconds.

Dark Knight under 56 was far from useless. If having a sucky AoE is your reasoning, I suppose Paladin was unplayable too.

Abyssal drain was only bad during the stormblood re-work and up until quetis due to the nerf to healing potency, other than that it functioned how it did in heavensward which was basically self sustain without giving up damage with bloodprice being the method of getting mp back. They forced quteis to take Blood prices place in mp regeneration which is also apart of why abyssal drain became so bad for a short amount of time during the 60-70 leveling.

As for the best aoe damage dealer for stormsblood? I think that probably would have been Warrior, though Dark Knight was probably close behind because PLD didn't really have a AoE.

This expansion it's aoe damage seems to be better among the three expansions, but feel that it's probably the weakest among the four tanks for group damage since a choice of saving mp is there for TBN to reduce damage.

It would be nice if DRK got an earlier level ability that's "TBN, but self-targeted and weaker" to help with early levels.
But apparently, early levels are meaningless because they aren't cutting edge, current raids.

And my question is why? There are enough tools to over mitigate dungeon trash and previous boss fights by a mile. You literately have Rampart, Shadowskin, Arm's Length, and reprisal at your disposal. If you're dying still with all of those it more than likely means one of the following.

A. You're not using cool downs correctly
B. You're not up to date on your gear.
C. Your healer is letting you die (A and B applies to them as well)
D. You're missing a game mechanic from one of the monsters.

Assuming your character some how doesn't have a built in weakness.

[shao32]

AD had only 120 potency, and unleash had 50, both costed MP and you were not using them all the time at below 64 lvl.
Dark passager also costed MP and for the majority of the expansion was 100 potency for 1/4 mp.
The heal from abyssal drain was not worth spending MP on dark arts, you would be oom in a few seconds.

Today DRK has free from cost unleash that deals 150 potency and flood of darknes that does 250 aoe potency.

DRK in stormblood was horrible at below 64 lvl, simple as that. Also blood weapon was available only in offensive stance, which made you a lot softer comparing to DRK today.

whats your problem with the MP? i mean it's a resource that DRK use to gain in mase and spend it in mass only bad players run out of MP and still was easy to recover. are you literally forgething that dark passenger was a oGCD of 280P with DA? you can't seriously say DRK have lower dps when having that combo since dark arts at level 45. and you actually arguing about AD self heal? it literally makes you inmortal, it was worthy to use it every single time as long as you need some heals since it allow for further healer dps (if they are not only heal healers of course) and you can't really compare today potency standars with SB potency standars since all jobs get based potencys buffed thats why many dungeons today go even faster and DRK have one of the best aoes of the game those days and was literally the best betwen the tanks by far with WAR being side to side.

you literally didn't know how to play DRK at all at lowers leves there was no reason to turn off tank stance since blood weapon didn't affect anything until quietus so was better use bloodprice instead and enjoy those juicy MP gains to get sweet selfheals and blinds on your targets when was off with dark passenger, it's called management of your tools and resources, DRK only was terrible if you didn't even bother to learn to use the job properly and it wasn't even hard at all.