Drk opener as mt

[TomShane]

I rarely play dark knight so I have been wondering if this is a bad idea. But on a single target where a drk is main tanking. After the pull we follow with our aggro combo. I usually like to pop dark arts prepull then dark passenger ogcd's before it gets wasted on power slash which only gives an aggro bonus no potency. Assuming mp permits dark arts dark passenger should be in our opener rite?
Mine looks like :
Dark arts
Unmend (plunge)
Hard slash (dark passenger)
Spinning slash (dark dance/blood price)
Power slash (low blow/dark arts)
Drop grit (Blood weapon/carve and split)
Scourge
Hard slash
Syphon strike
Delirium
Hard slash (dark arts)
Syphon strike
Souleater
Also salted earth pre pull if I don't forget.
Obviously depending on mechanics I would use defensive cd's accordingly like dark mind and shadow skin among other but they vary from fight to fight.
Would like to hear others openers and wat not

[Yuni_Queen]

Don't use Dark Arts on Dark Passenger on single-target.

DRK boss opener should look like that:
Dark Arts > Unmend > Plunge > HS > CnS + Blood Price > SS > Salted Earth > PS > Dark Passenger + Low Blows > Scourge

Weave defensive cooldowns between those if needed. I don't use Salted Earth before pull - since those dmg will be reduced by 20% Grit penalty, there is no need to oversweat over 7.5 sec.

One power slash is not enough to hold aggro. I am using 2-3 power slashes, then drop Grit. Once you drop Grit use Blood Weapon, then use Dark Arts + Soul Eater as often as possible.
Also, don't use Souleater without DA, until you are in Grit and need some extra shitty healing.

Once you start to loose control, wait for Blood Weapon effect to wear off and then use Grit for some additional power slashes. also, before you enter Grit, don't use Dark Arts unless buffed Dark Mind is needed. But if DADM is needed, you should be in Grit already.

[Gildarts]

.

you should never use CnS this early, it will miss SE/trick>.>

[Yuni_Queen]

CnS is used this early to additionally buff aggro with raw damage.

BLM will be casting fire IV at the time you use hard slash, so this CnS raw 450 potency dmg is still valuable hate increase, even if it's not a enmity increased skill. Sacrificing 20% dmg (from Grit) and other 20% (trick, slash debuff) will be returned once you drop grit 7.5 seconds faster than if you had to use one more power slash just for BLM.

[Gildarts]

you don't need it to hold agro, you are fine without it. personally i do buffed PS then drop grit for dps, should be able to fit scourge/CnS/buffed SE into trick if you on the mt.

[KyroeFelix]

Current opener

Unmend > Plunge (Enhanced Unleash if proc'd) > Scourge > DA + PS combo > Salted Earth > DA + PS combo

At this point I can usually drop Grit and then do BW > Low Blow > Plunge (if off CD) > Scourge > DA + CnS > DA + SE combo (until BW wears off) > Dark Passenger > Delirium combo; work in PS combo as you see fit to keep a hold on your hate.

Um, on topic though(?) I don't see the benefit of using DA + DP since most bosses are immune to Blind and the 250 potency is meh compared to a DA +PS combo (150, 220, 300) or DA + SE combo (150, 250, 400).

[Sarcatica]

Current opener

Unmend > Plunge (Enhanced Unleash if proc'd) > Scourge > DA + PS combo > Salted Earth > DA + PS combo

At this point I can usually drop Grit and then do BW > Low Blow > Plunge (if off CD) > Scourge > DA + CnS > DA + SE combo (until BW wears off) > Dark Passenger > Delirium combo; work in PS combo as you see fit to keep a hold on your hate.

Um, on topic though(?) I don't see the benefit of using DA + DP since most bosses are immune to Blind and the 250 potency is meh compared to a DA +PS combo (150, 220, 300) or DA + SE combo (150, 250, 400).

Strictly speaking, if you are doing boss fights, your rotation means that you are losing a lot of damage from using Plunge, Scourge, Salted Earth early (-20% from Grit). Not to mention, you are animation locked when you use Plunge that early, delaying damage spikes.

Largely it will depend if you need to put Grit up for longer time, but if you are just talking about general bosses that don't hit for that much, You want to drop Grit as soon as possible into using oGCDs as you drop Grit to get the most damage.

Due to the changes for DA from my experience, it makes it easier to fit 2 DAs in between tight spaces, expanding from the sentence above: Unmend > HS > LB + DP > DA > SS > PS > Drop Grit > DA > Scourge > CnS > proceed to use all OGCDs (Salted Earth + Scourge being the best to weave in) in between normal rotations. Use DA+PS if you are lacking some more enmity.

DA + DP is just for trash pulling (100pot difference every mob hit), Blind is just whatever to be honest.

[Tranquil]

DRK MT opener? Have a WAR pull-slave and Provoke into cruising later. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[KristianFortNox]

How I main tank as a Dark Knight so far it been working well with me is.



Unmend-Plunge-Unleash (If Unmend Prox awesome)-Bloodprice - Low Blow- Power Slash X2 with Dark Arts- (Then Use Souleater combo through the whole time.) (Depend on boss and not having a Monk Delirium Combo) If you you think if you losing arrgo Power Slash combo

[Disc]

Changes a little with every fight. Assuming I'm running through or pulling center it will start out

[:04 to pull]Dark Arts > [:02 to pull]Salted Earth > Unmend+Carve & Spit >Hard Slash+Low Blow > Spinning Slash+Dark Arts > Power Slash+Plunge > Scourge

What I do after Scourge depends entirely on the fight. Basically how much upfront enmity do you want, how much mitigation do you need, & can you afford to blow Reprisal/Blood Price on the opener.

I pull with Unmend because it has an enmity modifier & allows enemies to move into precast ground AoEs. I follow with Carve & Spit because my BLM is good enough that I need to or I still won't hold hate long enough to Power Slash. I don't use Plunge because it just screws up initial positioning on something I want centered, like A6S Swindler, and because it's the prime culprit for jerking/zigzagging when DRG/MNK are trying to land Flank openers.