The Definitive Dark Knight Guide

[Kuinu]

New DRK here:
I'm learning both the class and how to properly tank in behalf of raid content. Recently hit level 50, so I do not have access to Carve & Spit yet.

The use of Dark Arts; It's tempting to really go at it while you regain a bit of MP back with Blood Price (Which recovers only a fixed ammount of MP per hit, if I'm not mistaken? Or so I've seen...), but you get depleted of MP quite hastly if you use many times (And even with Delirium combos between each DASE, it doesn't mean the MP lasts long): Which point on your MP pool do you decide to stop using Dark Arts until you recover enough MP?

Besides that, I would like to know if Carve & Spit is an offgcd ability, working as a free Ether every minute, or as a huge hit.

Also, I would like to know what am I going up for if I'm looking for a raid group; what kind of stuff is the people looking for a tank going to ask of me, besides tanking their stuff, being resilent, and all the givens of the task. Thank you very much.

[ColdestHeaven]

Besides that, I would like to know if Carve & Spit is an offgcd ability, working as a free Ether every minute, or as a huge hit.

It's an off-GCD ability once per minute restoring the same amount of MP as Syphon. The first impression I got was that C&S was supposed to be an MP tool for main tanking and a DPS tool in Dark Arts while off-tanking/soloing, however reading some of the posts here seemed to suggest a more relevant use on the MP regeneration in order to use Soul Eater more. I'm not good on math, but it makes sense I guess.

I have a question too: how do people manage frequent (less than one minute between each) tank busters with DRK?

[Xenosan]

Ignore MP cost. For comparison you should assume both rotations are using the same amount of Syphons, Blood Weapons, and Blood Prices. \

All that matters is the differential. Which is sacrificing +350 potency for +0.5 the cost of a Dark Arts.

Souleater is 260 potency, DA'd Souleater is 400 (+140) - not sure where you're getting 150 and 160.

C&S is 100 potency, DA'd C&S is 450 (+350) - not sure where you're getting 150+300.

Like Malusion said last page - you can't compare 400 (DA'd Souleater) to 450 (DA'd C&S) - because C&S is oGCD and doesn't disrupt combos, it's benefiting from unbuffed Souleater - if the rotations are identical:

C&S buffed is 450 + 260 (Souleater) = 710

Souleater buffed is 400 + 100 (C&S) = 500

It'll take 2 C&S before a 'free' +140 is available to the unbuffed C&S combo, which is not as good as +210 from constant C&S buffing.

The ratio is constant. It doesn't matter how long the encounter - not buffing C&S will never amount to higher DPS unless it's an AoE situation.

[Gardes]

Ignore MP cost. For comparison you should assume both rotations are using the same amount of Syphons, Blood Weapons, and Blood Prices. \

All that matters is the differential. Which is sacrificing +350 potency for +0.5 the cost of a Dark Arts.

Souleater is 260 potency, DA'd Souleater is 400 (+140) - not sure where you're getting 150 and 160.

C&S is 100 potency, DA'd C&S is 450 (+350) - not sure where you're getting 150+300.

I'm getting 160 from the potency you gain by using the mp you gain from 2cns on a soul eater. I went to double check the non DA potency on xivd but read the non combo DA potency instead.

As for the 150+300 one, I didnt check and just pulled from my head, which gave me 150 instead of 100 so assumed to gain was 300.

... it's past midnight where I am. That must be it. So uh, 340 vs 900. Yeah. damage to time, DA CnS is superior I guess.

Wait, that means an mp cns that is used for unleash would only amount to 400, not 450. Your DP example at 100 + (150x3) is better.

[Teleste]

Excellent work. Thank you for sharing.

[Decrith]

Nice write-up. I'd like to point out though, some abbreviations doesn't seem consistent.

In the Abbreviations, you mention Delirium as (DL).

But in the Single target rotation, you refer to it as DE. That's all, thanks for your hard work.

[Fatshine]

If I don't have the mp for a DA + SE combo should I just stick with the DL combo? It's 20 more potency than a regular SE combo. So far that's what I have been doing.

DA + PS (establish amazing hate lead) > DA + SE > DL combo spam (when mp is low) > DA + SE > Non DA PS combo (including oGCD's between everything of course).

[Allyrion]

What are people using in A1S for the Plasma buster? What do you save for it?
I don't know if it's cause we have an AST or just me, but the boss hits pretty hard outside of the buster.
You can use anything at the start of the fight and it'll be up by the first Plasma, but what have you guys been using to survive it?

If I don't have the mp for a DA + SE combo should I just stick with the DL combo? It's 20 more potency than a regular SE combo. So far that's what I have been doing.

DA + PS (establish amazing hate lead) > DA + SE > DL combo spam (when mp is low) > DA + SE > Non DA PS combo (including oGCD's between everything of course).

I think that's right, but I don't mind using SE without DA if I think the heal wouldn't be wasted.
For most content, going for potency is usually fine because the healers are gonna top you off anyway.
I've found that in Savage, every bit counts when it comes to helping the healers because I'm usually not topped off.

[Fatshine]

What are people using in A1S for the Plasma buster? What do you save for it?
I don't know if it's cause we have an AST or just me, but the boss hits pretty hard outside of the buster.
You can use anything at the start of the fight and it'll be up by the first Plasma, but what have you guys been using to survive it?



I think that's right, but I don't mind using SE without DA if I think the heal wouldn't be wasted.
For most content, going for potency is usually fine because the healers are gonna top you off anyway.
I've found that in Savage, every bit counts when it comes to helping the healers because I'm usually not topped off.

Yep yep, I had the same thought.

[Giantbane]

I'm not sure how people are using DA + SE all that often when tanking unless they're dropping Grit and Using Blood Weapon. Since DA + SE is such a low priority, I rarely find I have enough mana to use it more than 1x per minute (maybe) in a single target fight.

This is with only using 1-2 power slash combos to start the fight and doing siphon combos (SE / DL) from that point on.

I think that's right, but I don't mind using SE without DA if I think the heal wouldn't be wasted.
For most content, going for potency is usually fine because the healers are gonna top you off anyway.
I've found that in Savage, every bit counts when it comes to helping the healers because I'm usually not topped off.

On lower level content like EX: DR, I find the extra SE's allow healers to stay in cleric longer.