The Definitive Dark Knight Guide

[Docfiord_Fowling]

@2.42s GCD, cost is 1.4762% MP per GCD.
3 GCDs @ 2.42s = 4.4286%

Yeah, I should have divided it down to a per-second unit.

1 Tick (3sec) = 127 MP
(127/3) x 7.26 = 307.34 MP per 3 GCDs (-4.4375%)

Dark Arts Souleater : (-1768 + 884) - 307.34 = -1191.34 MP (-17.201%)
3 Hit Syphon Combo : 884 - 307.34 = +576.66 MP (+8.32%)
2 Hit Syphon Combo : 884 - 84.66 = +799.34 MP (+11.541%)
Power Slash Combo = -307.34 MP (-4.4375%)

[Docfiord_Fowling]

As for Skill Speed I was not suggesting it was a useful stat. I was simply saying that every tick you are losing MP, so the slower you swing the worse the overall MP drain is. Obviously if you optimize MP regen via Skill Speed you run into worse TP drain issues.

I see what you are saying. Your argument for Skill Speed is to increase the ratio of GCDs to ticks so that it appears your time is used fitting in as many GCDs in as few MP ticks as possible. It is still a placebo effect. Until we know more about the DPS increase from the changes made to Skills Speed, it should only be used in two scenarios.

1. If you have a hard cap to meet to fit in an extra GCD (Berserk, Blood for Blood, Trick Attack).
2. If TP is not a concern.

SS results in a direct DPS increase; more moves, more damage. By my calculations, DRK is the worst job for TP management at the moment.

[Falgern]

I seem to be doing something wrong. My mp management isn't as good as other tanks of the same lvl/gear i've seen.

I'll try to have blood price up whenever it's available, but other than this, the only other mana option i can see is hard slash / syphon strike. Also tried switching out of grit, into blood weapon, but then the majority of what i gain back in mp is used reapplying grit.

Any advice please folks?

Use less dark arts and mp abilities and more non da souleater/delirium. You don't need to do that many power slashes to hold aggro. I generally do one at the boss pull and just use souleater or delirium for the rest of the fight.

[elemental10]

It seems that DA + Dark Passanger only blinds the first enemy hit.

Is this supposed to be as it is or a bug? The tooltip doesn't help either.

Otherwise, when do you recommend doing this? Its a huge mana drain and I usually have to switch off Darkside for a moment (2 SyS) before going back up again. Is this a huge DPS loss?

[Marveth]

It seems that DA + Dark Passanger only blinds the first enemy hit.

Is this supposed to be as it is or a bug? The tooltip doesn't help either.

Otherwise, when do you recommend doing this? Its a huge mana drain and I usually have to switch off Darkside for a moment (2 SyS) before going back up again. Is this a huge DPS loss?

It's a bug that should be addressed by the next patch. And yes that is not my wishful thinking, it's been confirmed :-)

[Docfiord_Fowling]

I seem to be doing something wrong. My mp management isn't as good as other tanks of the same lvl/gear i've seen.
I'll try to have blood price up whenever it's available, but other than this, the only other mana option i can see is hard slash / syphon strike. Also tried switching out of grit, into blood weapon, but then the majority of what i gain back in mp is used reapplying grit.
Any advice please folks?

Switching out of Grit is not recommended as the cost to go back in is tremendous. The basic rotation of DRK should go something like Power Slash combo > Dark Art Soul Eater > Delirium. If you are sub lvl 60, then keep rotating your Soul Eater combos. DRKs don't need to do their enmity rotation as often as a PLD or WAR traditionally did. You should be able to hold aggro for 4-5 rotations at least.

[Allyrion]

Where do you put all your bonus stats? Strength?

Nice guide btw.
Would be nice if it had Cross class in the OP, but I found it within the thread anyway.

Still looking for an answer for above.
There was a thread about the attributes on the front page, but it had mixed replies.

[Falgern]

Still looking for an answer for above.
There was a thread about the attributes on the front page, but it had mixed replies.

Strength is the only way to go until bosses hit you harder than your healers can heal you for, and at that point you're just lacking defense. VIT is usually covered by the left side of your gear, if you want to be a bit more tank you can get a few tanking accessories. Most seem to go for 1 or 2 items. One out of them usually being a ring since you can't stack two strength rings anyway. (Without doing the 180+170 thing)

[Rbstr]

Still looking for an answer for above.
There was a thread about the attributes on the front page, but it had mixed replies.

Bonus is the first place to add strength since it's a 1:1 exchange with vit. Accessories give more vit than strength so swapping those isn't as "strong".

The idea, since vit doesn't actually reduce damage taken, is that you want enough HP to take the hardest hit you'll encounter. Once you're at that level strength is more useful since it always give you more damage extra vit is just extra.

This is true for any tank class.

[Allyrion]

Strength is the only way to go until bosses hit you harder than your healers can heal you for, and at that point you're just lacking defense. VIT is usually covered by the left side of your gear, if you want to be a bit more tank you can get a few tanking accessories. Most seem to go for 1 or 2 items. One out of them usually being a ring since you can't stack two strength rings anyway. (Without doing the 180+170 thing)

Bonus is the first place to add strength since it's a 1:1 exchange with vit. Accessories give more vit than strength so swapping those isn't as "strong".

The idea, since vit doesn't actually reduce damage taken, is that you want enough HP to take the hardest hit you'll encounter. Once you're at that level strength is more useful since it always give you more damage extra vit is just extra.

This is true for any tank class.

Thanks!
That makes sense. I've just seen a lot of DRKs health ping pong and wondered if added vit would be better for DRK in particular.
But yea, new to tank meta in this game in general too so I guess I have to catch up on basic knowledge.