"Dark Knight: Tanking On The Edge"

[Galgarion]

This lead to me getting the load screen (getting kicked from the group) because I chose to keep Grit up. Since that happened a lot (even as PLD I get booted due to Shield Oath), I'm TRYING to mix things up a bit. Sadly, this is why DF takes so long for tanks now, probably, because many of use just rather go/stay DPS.

Who kicks a tank in the middle of a 4 man run? If true, those are some dumb randoms.

[Syzygian]

Who kicks a tank in the middle of a 4 man run? If true, those are some dumb randoms.

I've never encountered or heard of in-game, anyone getting kicked from a DF run simply for having their tank stance on. Unless it was 8-24 man and they were the OT.

No Darkside, that might be another issue, but easily fixed without kicking.

I think people that choose to main DRK should really explore the AoE tanking possibilities and expand outside of their comfort zone when it comes to pulling bigger in 4-mans. The job is built for it in so many ways (AoE Blind and Evasion boost, high damage AoEs in general, MP per target hitting you and HP per target you hit). I think people do have this expectation of DRKs in the duty finder. I feel that as far as aggressive DRK tanking goes, you should be pulling enough that nobody else in your group wants to risk you dropping Grit.

[Kotemon]

Just some stuff that has been lingering in the back of my mind for a while. Aside from reducing magical damage, are there any other traits that get affected by a lowered Int effect from Delirium. Also what stats or abilities can affect Abyssal Drain. Would Convalescence add 20% to the Hp recovery or is it capped by the damage it does. If Abyssal Drain, Dark Passenger, Unleash and Unmend are all magical. Are they still affected by +Str in the same manner as physical damage. Paladin and war don't need Int for any Mp ability (flash) and it seems odd if Darks main agro pull and aoe potencies to be tied to a stat that's not needed for the majority of combat damage and enmity . Skill and Spell speed affects their Dot in a way similar to Determination. Is Salted Earth's dot affected by Skill Speed or Spell Speed? Or is that one of those things whose effect is so unnoticeable that most would say it doesn't matter?

The only thing I still am NOT comfortable with is Grit.

While I'm no stranger to dropping it, I see a LOT of DRKs keep it off for a long time. I'm hesitant to leave it off for more than 2 combos with a pack of 4+ mobs.

Yeah I'm like that also, but that might be since I'm not full +Str (+14 Vit). I only turn it off near the end when its just 1 or the boss is 20% or in kill the add mode and I tend use more enmity combos and boosted C&S than Delirium when Blood Weapon is up

[Syzygian]

Just some stuff that has been lingering in the back of my mind for a while. Aside from reducing magical damage, are there any other traits that get affected by a lowered Int effect from Delirium. Also what stats or abilities can affect Abyssal Drain. Would Convalescence add 20% to the Hp recovery or is it capped by the damage it does. If Abyssal Drain, Dark Passenger, Unleash and Unmend are all magical. Are they still affected by +Str in the same manner as physical damage. Paladin and war don't need Int for any Mp ability (flash) and it seems odd if Darks main agro pull and aoe potencies to be tied to a stat that's not needed for the majority of combat damage and enmity . Skill and Spell speed affects their Dot in a way similar to Determination. Is Salted Earth's dot affected by Skill Speed or Spell Speed? Or is that one of those things whose effect is so unnoticeable that most would say it doesn't matter?

Delirium reduces all of the boss's outgoing magic damage. All of our spells are scaled off strength but deal magical damage. This means their damage is boosted by things like Foe's Requiem and Bishop Hypercharge. This is all stuff that I mentioned in the guide btw

Basically everything we do (for now anyway, 3.2 may change this) scales from Strength. But our ranged/aoe abilities DEAL magic damage, USING our STR, and thus are checked against the targets magic defense. Convalescence is only healing received, not self-heals. I'm not 100% sure about SkS and Salted Earth, I know Scourge benefits, but placed AoE DoTs tick on a different timer than DoTs applied to a target (put down SaE and SC at the same time and you'll see that they tick separately, this isn't the case with single-target DoTs stacked together like Bio/Miasma/Bio II with SMN, which when applied all tick as one big collective tick.

In no way does DRK utilize its own INT, Spell Speed, or Piety. Everything is STR/VIT/CRIT/SkS/DET/Parry.

[KaitlanKela]

I used to play healer, now I wanna play DRK?

[Syzygian]

I used to play healer, now I wanna play DRK?

Healing is the role that I have the least experience on. I believe the most accomplished thing I've done on a healer is solo-heal Titan HM on SCH in 2.2 lol. Even now I don't have one at 60, with closest being my SCH(read: SMN) at 54.

I took the liberty of checking your lodestone and seeing that DRK is the first tank you are leveling, or at least the one you have the highest.

My biggest recommendation to you is to level GLA/MRD at least to level 34/26 respectively to get all of your cross-class abilities and also get a feel for tanking on the two less punishing tanks. DRK is definitely more advanced in more ways than one.

As for experience brought from healing over to DRK, its not too dissimilar from that which would help you level any tank: "Did you hate seeing tanks do it on your healer? Then don't do it."

Additionally, I see SCH is your 60, I dunno if you toyed around with SMN at all, but it has a similar skill cap and some familiar aspects to it (priority system to the rotation, placed AoE, etc.)

But the TLDR of it is I would get your crash course in tanking by leveling GLA/MRD a bit first, as you'll want to do that anyway eventually. Doesn't have to be all the way to 60, but definitely to 34/26 respectively, to make sure you can handle tanking efficiently before you start messing with all the bells and whistles of DRK.

Best of luck!

[KaitlanKela]

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

I really haven't played SMN at all. I really want to give the rotation the time it deserves instead of just jumping in and being a fail DPS and I haven't really made time for that. I'm leveling the tank because I've had a bunch of IRL friends join recently: help with low-level stuff + them always needing a tank = I'm leveling a tank now.

I am really enjoying tanking and DRK in particular. I do have to stay in grit a lot right now, but if I do I don't have any issues with enmity. I can use provoke effectively. All this to say that I'm prolly not the best at tanking, and I could use some more practice, but I would say that I am proficient in the necessities of the role (relative to my level, of course).

I have GLD 23 + MRD 26, and I did that before I touched DRK; it was the last one I picked up. I still need awareness. At what point would you say that it's critical I go back for it?

"Did you hate seeing tanks do it on your healer? Then don't do it."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Thank you!

ETA: Also, with the new changes coming in 3.2, you might want to mention under the Job Synergy section how much living dead is gonna suck for SCH. I'm still not sure how I'm going to deal with it. Sorry in advance if I kill you.

[AlexiIvaniskavich]

snip...

Having all 3 tanks at 60, I would recommend that you get awareness right around the time you are starting to enter the "Qarn" part of the dungeon grind. It isn't that this dungeon needs this skill in particular, but I have always grouped dungeons in difficulty as Pre- Brayflox, Brayflox to Cutter's Cry, Stone Vigil to Aurum Vale. The more tanking experience you have up to this point, the stronger your foundation will be.

Of course, If you are very confident in your abilities presently, I can't think of a very needed use on awareness until 50.

I'm guessing that Living Dead will have some sort of adjustment - otherwise you may wanna clench up....

[Syzygian]

I'll be the first to say that enmity generation with or without Grit is obscenely easy on DRK. But everyone starts somewhere and 6 months ago I was keeping Grit on plenty. But having it off, baring any adjustments we may see in 3.2 (honestly the whole vit/str ratio to AP is making it sound like it'll be even easier to forgo tank stance due to increased HP pools, unless they ramp up the mitigation checks in A5-9S considerably) is the final evolution so to speak, of being good at DRK. Its not something you can just do, it takes practice and a flawless knowledge of the rest of your tools and how to actively and constantly mitigate damage in Grit's absence while outputting maximum enmity with your spells.