The Definitive Dark Knight Guide

[AIex]

Copied from my other post:
My strongest opener right now is as follows*:

Plunge > Scourge > Dark Arts > Hard Slash > Carve and Spit > Syphon Strike > Dark Arts > Soul Eater > Salted Earth.

I agree with this opener for the most part! Might I suggest shifting Dark Arts at the start if you're not already in combat to regen a little bit of mp back before the pull? It would look like this:

Dark Arts [5-6 seconds for 2 mp tics]> Plunge > Scourge > Carve and Spit > Hard Slash > Low Blow (+Dark Passenger if you can avoid clipping GCD) > Syphon Strike > Dark Arts > Souleater > Salted Earth

This would get out your oGCD's on cooldown a little faster. I'd hold off on unmend and save that MP for more DA'd Soul Eater's tbh. If opener aggro is an issue with your DPS, maybe swap some fending for slaying accessories? I run full slaying to make my "main combo" (souleater) give me back more HP.

Also small pet peeve, the skill is Souleater.... Soul Eater is an anime

[HidingYoshis]

I agree with this opener for the most part! Might I suggest shifting Dark Arts at the start if you're not already in combat

After sleeping on it a bit, I do see the value in using Dark Arts before initiation, it allows me another off GCD for even better threat generation. I'm not really sure about waiting for MP ticks necessarily because I'm not sure it's an issue.

I don't like Unmend except for ranged pulling -- The animation is long, and even with good ping by the time it hits the boss and you can Plunge, it will start moving toward me, which is not optimal.

I'm running Fending until I get full Law, at which point I'll switch over to Slaying and Maiming accessories (will have one set of each strength and vitality, of course) for the extra threat generation.

As for the Souleater thing: Was on phone when typing that out, I do much of my forum going on my phone during downtime / not being at my computer.