Anyone else feel like DRK is a bit lacking in PvP?

[Synestra]

PLD can not do this.

Yes we can!! if you go full crit/det with full slaying PLD can do insane burst with oGCD abilities(Full Swing even adds 20% damage taken on target+DoT)combined with stunlock, also shield swipe is direct melee counter that you can force with bulwark/shelltron. Its not uncommon to see 3k spirits and 4k RA crits in FL, but i agree WAR and DRK propably do even more burst but saying PLD cant solo DPS classes is incorrect(casters are most of the time free kill, specially those FotM smn that relies on their i win deathflare combo).

[Februs]

Yes we can!!

Alright, alright. My wording was a bit strong. It's not that PLD's can't solo targets, it's that PLD's have more difficulty solo dps'ing targets. DRK has dmg advantage.
Dark Arts on Siphon blade combo or carve and spit out dmg royal authority and spirits within. Not by much, granted, but it does. Drk's can also use Full swing, so that 20% dmg boost is also usable. Blood weapon boosts skill speed, so your target is less likely to book it out of there before the combo is done, and, as much as I love shield swipe, it's on the GCD, so it's not a immediate dmg increase over low blow or plunge which can both be used simultaneously as a combo.
I also get more node utility out of DRK, since I can block node caps with unleash spam. PLD has great def, but far less utility when it comes to objectives in seize.
You still do have to aim for the squishy targets though. SMN's and NIN have been the ones I tend to hunt among the pack.

[Synestra]

as much as I love shield swipe, it's on the GCD, so it's not a immediate dmg increase over low blow or plunge which can both be used simultaneously as a combo.

Well its not the SS damage that counters melee its the 6sec+ pacification that wrecks them, also i just got DRK lvl60 few days ago and tested it in FL sure it has some nice burst and all but i still kinda prefer PLD as it has more utility and Glory Slash is just too good compared to DRK pvp skills imo also being mana starved when not even in combat due FL combat "bug" sucks(nin's and their hide suffer same problem).

[Februs]

Well its not the SS damage that counters melee its the 6sec+ pacification that wrecks them

Oh, I have no doubts about PLD's ability to completely cock block enemies. Though, Pacification doesn't always work in your benefit, since targets can still move and can sometimes just run the heck away when they realize they're locked. It's too bad that move is (basically) random, because being able to time it would be obscene... though I'm sure people would complain about it.

In terms of utility, I find Pld's to be more useful at def and lures. Covers/stuns/and pacification are very useful at stopping enemies and allowing your dps to murder pretty much anything you touch. Drk, on the other hand, is much more useful at keeping enemies from capping nodes, and pushing the dps over the edge, setting up area blocks with salt of the earth, and acting as a snare for enemies who are trying to flee the scene.

Personally, though, I find Drk's abilities to be much more useful than a combo dot, and I'm not sure what you mean by Mana problem. I've been running around as DRK for weeks and I have never once had an issue with mp management, unless it was my own fault and I just wasn't paying attention. Blood weapon and Blood price cap me every time, and it's not like it's a big deal to drop darkside when there's a lull in the fighting, if you really have to.

[Beckett]

Yes we can!! if you go full crit/det with full slaying PLD can do insane burst with oGCD abilities(Full Swing even adds 20% damage taken on target+DoT)combined with stunlock, also shield swipe is direct melee counter that you can force with bulwark/shelltron. Its not uncommon to see 3k spirits and 4k RA crits in FL, but i agree WAR and DRK propably do even more burst but saying PLD cant solo DPS classes is incorrect(casters are most of the time free kill, specially those FotM smn that relies on their i win deathflare combo).

Neat! I spend most of my matches stun locking folks and defending points, so when I get into one-on-one encounters I'm usually at a bit of a loss. I'll definitely be using these tips, thanks!