WARs and DRKs

[Vatom]

Technically both WAR and DRK are a far cry from what they used to be though DRK got the worst of it, having the most removed skills out of any tank. It's literally a one trick pony with TBN, which is a great cd but if you compare DRK in 3.0 to 5.0 its literally night and day.

At least WAR has stayed consistent though it was constantly nerfed so the other tanks can catch up to it. DRK used to be on par with WAR for self sustain heals but that's gone. Though I think the crux of the argument goes to Delirium. In 3.0 it was combo ender lowering INT. In 4.0 it extended Blood Weapon or Blood Price timers. In 5.0 it acts like Inner Release but without the benefits of 100% DHC, negating knockbacks or status immunes.

Honestly this expansion for tanks has been a half step compared to the significant changes that previous expansions had. It's a lot of reworking skills rather than adding new ones for these two tanks. WAR got nothing new if you played in 4.0 since its tool kit just to reworked and recycled. DRK finally got an aoe combo, but at lvl 72. Though personally I knew something was wrong with all the tanks when the only new defensive cd from 70-80, between PLD, DRK, GNB and WAR was Dark Missionary.

Spitting Facts there, but I honestly think all the tanks need love not just fix the kits but the leveling experience too. Though I don't see much hope since I saw the benchmark but it can change we still have time. Unique gameplay is all I ask from the jobs, it helps with leveling, choosing what to play etc. For me that is

[MagiusNecros]

Warrior and Paladin I think are fine. Dark Knight remains a problem. It's a discount Warrior with TBN.

GNB suffers from button bloat. At least for gamepad players.

[Absimiliard]

To me, DRK very much still feels like WAR-lite in terms of actual gameplay. Functionally they are quite different, being as one brings extreme mitigation while the other has extreme self-healing, but that doesn't do much to differentiate when they feel so similar. It just boils down to identity, of which DRK currently has very little.

[WhyAmIHere]

If anything, I think WAR should have fewer directly damaging oGCD abilities than it does now, replaced by more oGCD effects that charge up your next attack to get you bigger numbers. Same result, different playstyles and aesthetics.

WAR doesn't deserve to steal Dark Arts.

[Aluja89]

WAR doesn't deserve to steal Dark Arts.

"Deserve" lol. It already has it, it's called infuriate.

[Kalaam]

This is infuriating.

More seriously though, Dark Arts was not at all like infuriate, I don't see why making this connexion.

[Aluja89]

This is infuriating.

More seriously though, Dark Arts was not at all like infuriate, I don't see why making this connexion.

Obviously poking fun.

[Derio]

DRK needs the rework.... again. LD, Dark Mind, etc.

Not to mention that DRK is the only tank where its own AOE combo is not based of its skill speed but spell speed. You cannot AOE properly in dungeons with blood weapon, which blood weapon in itself needs a rework.

DRK having the least amount of utility and being the lowest dps tank is also questionable.

But lets be honest here. WAR needs some work too. I see them updating all tank gap closers to match WAR range and remove the gauge cost for WAR gap closer.

[Lyth]

The range isn't even the biggest advantage of Onslaught. It's the 10 second recast. Can you imagine removing the gauge cost on an ability like that? You'd be forced to use it every third GCD. It would be Stormblood Dark Arts, but even worse.

There are three types of gap closers at present.
1) Standard design: Use on recast/potency gain, charges. (Plunge/Intervene/Rough Divide/Shoulder Tackle/etc.)
2) Use on demand: Costs resources, short recast. (Onslaught/Gyoten)
3) No damage dealt: Use when you need. (Shukuchi/En Avant)

There are tradeoffs for each. Personally, I like the last category the best because they're the most versatile. But I don't see why people insist on trying to merge the advantages of all of these. Oh yes, I want a 5 second recast gap closer that costs nothing and can teleport me across the length of the arena at will. Let's not.

[Vyrerus]

Technically

DRK has lost since 3.0:

Original Delirium
Power Slash
Spinning Slash
Shadowskin
Sole Survivor
Dark Dance
Dart Arts
Scourge
Darkside(animation)
Dark Passenger
Convalescence (GLA cross class)
Awareness (GLA cross class)
Foresight( MRD cross class)
Mercy Stroke (MRD cross class)
Bloodbath ( MRD cross class)

Warrior has lost since 3.0:
Butcher's Block
Skull Sunder
Fracture
Mercy Stroke
Bloodbath
Maim's ATK buff (actually reduced and swapped onto Eye)
Storm's Eye's slashing debuff
Brutal Swing
Foresight
Unchained
True Berserk (It has been rolled into being a less effective IR)
Internal Release(PGL cross class)
Second Wind (PGL cross class)
Featherfoot (PGL cross class)
Awareness (GLA cross class)
Convalescence (GLA Cross class)

DRK has gained since 4.0/5.0:

The Blood Gauge
New Delirium
Edge of Shadow(darkness)
Flood of Shadow(darkness)
Dark Missionary
The Blackest Night
Quietus
Bloodspiller
Living Shadow
Stalwart Soul
Arm's Length (Role -> first time in history DRK has anti-knockback 5.0)

WAR has gained since 4.0/5.0
Onslaught
Inner Release
Upheaval
Convalescence effect lumped onto Thrill of Battle
Rampart (Role)
Nascent Flash

This is off the top of my head, but basically, they've lost similar amounts of things, while gaining other things. WAR has gained far less in new attacks than DRK, while losing big in terms of % damage increasing effects that used to justify its low amount of oGCDs. That's kind of what you're driving at anyway, but I think it's important to note that WAR possibly lost more, while only really gaining things that partially made up for stuff it lost instead of entirely new toys for the job. DRK feels immensely more fresh when I play it, whereas WAR feels old, almost outdated even.

You'll notice I didn't count Inner Chaos or Chaotic Cyclone into the things gained, and that's because they're literally Steel Cyclone and Inner Beast with slightly larger animations and slightly different sound effects. I can't confirm it, but any time I am synced below having Fell Cleave and Decimate, I swear that Inner Beast and Steel Cyclone were also nerfed in animation/sound effect to feel dimmer too. That's probably a psychological thing at play, but quite literally to me it's like they purposely threw something on WAR to make the paint peel, then painted over it with the exact same old paint but labeled the colors as something new.