Dark Knight Change discussion

[Crimsonrock]

To Be honest, I felt very disappoint for the change for Dark knight (DK) in Endwalker(EW). As for what I heard from others, The developer setting the dark knight direction to be more focus to damage mitigation with proper mana regen and less HP regen compare to other tank especially warrior (WAR) and paladin (PLD). WAR of course more focus to self healing with less mitigation, PLD more focus to party utility, self HP/Mana Regen and of course blocking attack, and Gunbreaker (GNB) more focus to dps.
However, for the change that they announced, Other tanks seem to have more mitigation than DK, which makes DK lose its position as one of the four tank available, not to mention all of them have more self healing. Even GNB, a dps tank had more self healing than DK.
Yes people may say DK had "The Blackest Night" (TBN), which is the best damage mitigation compared to other tank. However, this will not be a thing in EW since other tank had their own version of TBN. Even before EW, the only mitigation DK had as a tank that superior than other tank is TBN. Giving other tank their own TBN version will surely make DK loses its advantage.
Yes, people will say "but you can absorb damage equal to 25% of your HP, which makes 100% HP amount since TBN only had 15 second CD, combined with the new ability Oblation will become 35% every 15 second, which make up to 140%." No that's not true. Both are different type of mitigation, one as damage absorb and latter as damage taken reduction.
The reason why we use TBN is because we want it to break so that we could gain a charge of Edge of Darkness/Edge of shadow. Therefore maintaining dps since all the ability mentioned consume 3000MP. We wont pop TBN if we didn't assume the shield will break in time (TBN last 7 sec). Therefore, we only pop TBN when tank buster occur. Most of the dungeon boss normal attack won't break the shield in time (excluding those that had damage increase mechanics and damage taken increase debuff). The awkward situation is when you pop TBN to withstand boss attack, later on boss start performing tank buster and your TBN fade away (TBN still in CD), this became more difficult while fighting trial/raid boss where mechanics changing are harder to read.
DK dps is no quite decent compare to other tank, Most of the time is only on par or lesser than other tank. therefore the only thing tank has that is unique and superior is TBN. But this will not be a thing after EW release.

[Crimsonrock]

Therefore, I decide to give suggestions that DK can be improve to maintain competition with other tanks. The first thing to improve is the most important part of tank, Mitigation.

Firstly, TBN. The change I can think of is simply increase its duration to around 9s or 10s. which allows the shield to break in time more often, which prevent dps loss.

Now for damage mitigation, TBN is definetely not enough. The new oblation only increase 10% damage reduction, which other tank also had but with 3 to 4 additional effects which are pretty decent, also its CD is 1 min (2 charge) while other is 25 sec. Therefore, oblation definitely need also.

The first thing I can think of is add a effect that allows you to regen mana and create a shield that absorb damage equal to the amount you deal while landing a weaponskill. (can set a limit of maximun 300 to 400 potency shield if consider too OP). if these still consider too OP, then set it to only occur for certain weaponskills like bloodspiller and Quietus. since we won't cast these two so frequently outside or Blood Weapon (BW) and Delirium.

The second is add a self regen. Yes dk not suppose to focus on HP regen, but other tank had HP regen for their new mitigation ability and DK will be hard to compete without a HP regen since dk only HP regen is souleater and Abyssal Drain (1 min CD). Therefore, they may add something unique like immediately regen 15% to 20% of your HP when your HP drop below 50% (only occur once per charge of oblation). (reference form removed ability "Sole Survivor"). Maybe also a effect that regen mana while being attacked (reference from "Blood Price").

Another suggestion is simply add a damage absorb effect for bloodspiller and Quietus if didn't add those additional effect mentioned above to oblation. For example, like bloodspiller will regen 200 to 300 mana (since got a word blood) and create a shield that absorb damage equally to damage deal (could set a limit of 300 to 400 potency if consider too op). While Quietus will create a shield that absorb 50 to 80 potency per target hits (since is an aoe). this will be pretty decent when use with Delirium since it allows you to use 3 stack of the ability any time within 30 sec. (attack and defense in the same time sounds cool and I prefer more to it).

[Crimsonrock]

Now for the dps part.
first of all, its OGCD. PLD got spirt within/Expiarcion, GNB got Blasting Zone and WAR have Upheaval/Orogency, There are all 30 second CD. Then why DK Carve and Spit is 1 min CD. Pls change it to 30 sec. if 600 mana regen for every 30 second as an OGCD consider too OP, then decrease the mana regen to 300 just like spirit within.

Abyssal Drain could have a increase in healing potency since is the only two HP regen DK had if no other additional HP regen add in EW. Or make it to 2 charge.

For the Plunge, while not just change the trait to allow if to have 3 charge instead of reduce 5 second cd for every Unmend cast. Not saying that I don't like the the current trait, it just felt wierd.

Furthermore, pls change the categories of aoe GCD attack of DK to Weaponskills. You know the reasons.

For Salted Earth, I don't have problem with it so not gonna say something to it.

For BW, can change it to like have duration of 15 sec instead of 10 second. is a dps lose when you pop it accidently and the boss immediately go to other phase that you can't do melee dps. Or can change it to like stacks just like Delirium. Or change it back to what it likes in HW, where it has 15 sec duration, increase your skill speed by 10% and regen mana. The current BW just felt not nice compared to other tanks.

Now for additional part I want a change is shadowbringer, its animation. The current one seems like a 3x/4x Floor of Shadow stacking together. I would like to have a cool animation, something like......."Getsuga tensoh" (Bleach reference).

[Crimsonrock]

Some people complain about the Dark Arts mechanics. I actually started in shadowbringer so I not sure what they were complained initially. But after I take a look for how dark arts work in previous expansion. I get their reasons. The original dark arts works something like ninja Kassatsu where yo can augmented your ability. DK can augmented one of their their offensive as well as defensive OGCD every time after poping dark arts. But now, dark arts can other pop by TBN and only effect Edge of shadow and Flood of Shadow. which make DK felt less unique compared to other tank.

The first change I think of is make it to like how Ninja Kassatsu works. but that will be what just like previous expansion does. which people complain about how their fingers broke while continuous clicking dark arts ability.

So, I thinking about maybe make the dark arts able to stack up to 3 stacks. But after i monitor myself. These design will give rise to another problem.
Take a scenario as an example. while fighting boss, I have 2 stack of dark arts, and my mana is about to over leak. I choose to cast Edge of shadow/Flood of Shadow since it consume mana. However, due to how dark arts, my dark arts consumed instead of mana. which lead to my mana still over leak and no dark arts to empower my defensive OGCD to withstand tank buster and other boss mechanics.
Another example, I choose to wait for boss tank buster and mechanic so that I have dark arts to empower my Defensive OGCD. However, this will lead to decrease in dps due to the affect of darkside and Mana overleak.

Change of Dark Arts I could think of
So, after thinking, I suggest maybe the developer can make categories for dark arts. An offensive Dark Art, Defensive Dark Arts, and Omnipotent Dark Art (could use as both offensive and defensive dark Arts if none of these are stacked). Dark Arts can stll be stack up to 3 but each stack for different types of Dark Arts.

Offensive Dark Arts are use to empower offensive OGCD such as Carve and Spit and both Edge of shadow/Flood of Shadow(gain from doing combo such as Souleater and Stalwart Soul), Defensive Darts are use to empower defensive OGCD such as Shadow Wall (gain from TBN).

Omnipotent gained by poping a ability call "Dark Arts". (Dark Arts originally gain by just clicking "Dark Arts"). And it will provide defensive Dark Arts instead if Omnipotent had stacked. Provide Offensive if other two had stacked.


These way, if could make it more covenience for DK to pop both offensive and defensive abilities without colliding with others.

[Bacent]

This is more of a discussion for the actual tank forum -> https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...657-Tank-Roles

It'll probably get moved there by forum staff ekwehntually.

[_Pigzig]

Furthermore, pls change the categories of aoe GCD attack of DK to Weaponskills. You know the reasons.

I don't.

[ItMe]

Another suggestion is simply add a damage absorb effect for bloodspiller and Quietus if didn't add those additional effect mentioned above to oblation. For example, like bloodspiller will regen 200 to 300 mana (since got a word blood) and create a shield that absorb damage equally to damage deal (could set a limit of 300 to 400 potency if consider too op). While Quietus will create a shield that absorb 50 to 80 potency per target hits (since is an aoe). this will be pretty decent when use with Delirium since it allows you to use 3 stack of the ability any time within 30 sec. (attack and defense in the same time sounds cool and I prefer more to it).

Why attach mitigation to your burst window?
Maybe it's just me, but I'd like to be more in control of my mitigation, and not just become arbitrarily tankier during a certain part of my rotation.

Abyssal Drain could have a increase in healing potency since is the only two HP regen DK had if no other additional HP regen add in EW. Or make it to 2 charge

It's so weak... I don't understand.
It feels like a holdover from the Dark Arts days and I'm surprised when we lost the ability to buff it that it wasn't replaced with a buffed version.
I totally agree. An upgrade would be good.

[Hanayumi]

If Pld gets a combo with big flashy swords, Drk could do for a Dark magical counterpart...

[Steelbreaker25]

I don't.

Unleash, Stalwart Soul, and Unmend are classified as spells, which means they aren't affected by skill speed, so you get less out of them when using Blood Weapon.

[Jeeqbit]

I disagree with your points on TBN. It works now so it will work in EW. In ShB you use TBN if it will break. If it's not breaking, you aren't taking enough damage, so you can use % mitigation instead like Shadow Wall.

Giving DRK a regen (beyond Souleater) would not be balanced because TBN is very powerful and makes some content soloable the way self-heals allow on other tanks.

For OGCD aoe, DRK already has Flood of Shadow and many other aoe abilities, so it doesn't need the OGCD aoe the other tanks got.

Abyssal Drain is supposed to take health from each enemy, so it can heal you to full if there are lots of enemies.