The Definitive Dark Knight Guide

[Rover1983]

The more I tank on my DRK the more I see just how much damage we are taking in comparison to other tanks. I ran Aurum Vale this morning and every single pull I was having to use a couple of my defensive cooldowns just to "feel" like I wasn't getting destroyed. I enjoy the Drk's play style but tanking wise, it feels like we are waaaaaaay behind the other two tanks in terms of survivability and "feeling tanky" I'm having to stare at my HP bar more then my MP bar which it should be the opposite. For my level(54) I have the highest ilvl gear I can currently obtain(minus the weapon, weapon is ilvl115). I'm going to give my other tanks another run tonight after work just to see again the differences. I'm trying to really like the DRK and I know its still new some changes are bound to happen but man do I feel squishy as all hell. Now, it may change when I get a little higher to get Abysal drain's aoe life tap but only time will tell..

[Docfiord_Fowling]

The more I tank on my DRK the more I see just how much damage we are taking in comparison to other tanks.

We are on the same level as PLDs in terms of mitigation. 20% Baseline mitigation from out stances

Shadowskin = Rampart
Shadowwall = almost Sentinel
Dark Dance = Bulwark
Dark Mind = ???
Living Dead = Hallowed Ground
400 potency self cure every 6 GCDs at least

[HidingYoshis]

We are on the same level as PLDs in terms of mitigation. 20% Baseline mitigation from out stances

Shadowskin = Rampart
Shadowwall = almost Sentinel
Dark Dance = Bulwark
Dark Mind = ???
Living Dead = Hallowed Ground
400 potency self cure every 6 GCDs at least

We agree on this at least. I'm taking very similar damage to what I would on my Paladin. The only thing I *do* disagree with is Living Dead = Hallowed Ground. Hallowed Ground is a lot of additional mitigation because you're not losing health for its duration.

I do believe it's better than Holmgang though, and for a longer duration at that.

Don't get any complaints on the damage I'm taking, and actually get a lot of compliments. I think a lot of people are more used to the self healing from Warrior being absolutely ridiculous.

[Faytte]

Snip

1)yes
2)10% is huge (busters)
3)Critical mechanics ignore dodge, 30% chance to lower damage by 20% vs like near 100% (base shield block is quite high) to reduce by 25-35 with current shields.
4)Agreed
5)HG lets the healers focus on the raid, LD puts them under the gun to full heal you. Holmgang is better.
6)Too small to be meaningful when it matters. Paladins can heal themselves back to back with 1200 potency healing when its needed. Warriors can do something similar with cooldowns.
7)Traited Cova/Awarness--we get more out of both skills.
8)Simply having a shield, shield blocks occur very very often and the damage mitigation scales with item level of your shield(block strength).
9)Sheltron: 30 second on demand block on a physical attack (buster
10)10% less damage from rage of halone
11)Easier Blind(if ap)

If mitigation was similar then you would be very over powered with all of your damage capabilities.

[AeresSilverfox]

Haven't read the guide in the first post. Just thought i would share how I play DRK (currently, 58). I think i have a good grasp of how to tank as DRK. Doubt i am one of those squishy DRKs, so my hope is that this will help those still learning how to play DRK :P

To build enmity on pull (assuming single target boss fight), i use:

Blood price + Dark Dance up --> Unmend --> Plunge --> Hard Slash --> Dark Arts --> Spinning Slash --> Power Slash
Weave Reprisal into rotation if it procs. Also, use unbuffed Dark Passenger, Plunge and Salted Earth in between the GCDs of this rotation as they are instants and should be treated just like a PLD using Spirits Within whenever its up. On trash enemy that is about to die, place Sole Survivor on them. Blood price always up whenever its ready.

[AeresSilverfox]

After above rotation, i use a self-regen rotation:
Dark Arts (whenever MP is above 2000) --> Hard Slash --> Syphon Strike --> Soul Eater.
Weave Reprisal into rotation if it procs. Also, use unbuffed Dark Passenger, Plunge and Salted Earth in between the GCDs of this rotation as they are instants and should be treated just like a PLD using Spirits Within whenever its up. On trash enemy that is about to die, place Sole Survivor on them. Blood price always up whenever its ready. Do use Scourge whenever (just like a WAR using fracture).

You should hardly need to use the enmity building Power Slash rotation anymore. But, you should still use it if you see another party member getting close to you in terms of enmity.

I won't go into defensive buff usage but I generally think that DRK has a competent enough suite of mitigation cooldowns. Besides DRK abilities, i cross-class Foresight, Convalescence, Awareness as well as Provoke and Blood Bath.

Haven't really found a use for Abyssal Drain yet. MP cost is higher than Unmend.
Delirium Blade is also not very useful currently. Hardly use it.

Haven't gotten Carve and Spit yet but i imagine i would treat it similarly to any other instant.

[MaskDeMasque]

Thank you for your contribution.

[AnyTricks]

I'm thinking about tanking for the first time with this class. Do you think it will be too much starting at 30 and not having the early levels to get the mechanics down?

[Hundred]

I'm thinking about tanking for the first time with this class. Do you think it will be too much starting at 30 and not having the early levels to get the mechanics down?

Doesn't matter the majority of the game is ezpz lemon squeeze. The minority of the game will require much of you.
You can jump into tanking right away if you check out a few pointers to keep in mind and you'll get better as you go through Haukke/Brayflox/Cutters/Vigil anyways. Those lower level dungeons are all to learn anyways. Just remember stuff like returning to position after aoes in general, holding aggro, cycling targets, face enemies away from party and grow from there.

The early dungeons give you your tank stance which Plds don't even have to 40, you don't technically need it to tank anything there but it'll make things easier for a new player to hold aggro anyways. Can basically spam Unleash and run a siphon strike chain for aggro the majority of the game...you could but you shouldn't build up that habit.

[armandojc3]

The more I tank on my DRK the more I see just how much damage we are taking in comparison to other tanks. I ran Aurum Vale this morning and every single pull I was having to use a couple ....

this.

The first thing i did when i hit 50, and geared my DRK with all my WAR items + 115 sword, was to run Lake.

My war would faceroll the whole dungeon and only use cooldowns on final boss yet with my DRK i had to use 1 or 2 cooldowns on regular mobs and frikin all of them on bosses only to stay alive. Also recieved the obligatory complaints from the healer because he was working too hard to keep me alive.

Not to mention i miss overpower for super easy crowd control but i wont complain about that, its a different job and should feel like it.

I love the DRK and will continue to play as him just as i had to go through 2.0 WAR but it sucks to be the underdog again two years later.