DRK - Teach me when/how/where/why to use The Blackest Night

[Mithron]

So everyone says use it, it's a DPS gain, etc. but I'm not sure exactly when or how to use it. I typically reserve it for tank busters like Susano's or Lakshmi's only, and never really tend to use it otherwise. When else should I be using it? When does its MP cost take priority over Dark Arts?

[Ebonwings]

TBN is the shortest tank cooldown you use it in order to gain 50 Blackblood which give us a chance to Delirium, Queitus, and Bloodspiller. Basically you pop it at the start so you can Blood Price + Delirium ( or use it on MT so you can Blood Weapon + Delirium). I use it on tankbuster a too in addition to pair up with my other cooldowns.

[SyzzleSpark]

Its MP cost is a gain over Dark Arts if it pops, and its also the only cooldown you have available in between Rampart casts, so unless you want to take 70s-worth of completely unmitigated auto attacks/cleaves/raid aoes, use it more or less on cooldown. Line it up with any cast the boss does, time it so it catches two AAs, etc.

When casting it on your co-tank, its much weaker and pops very easily, so it should be cake to time properly.

[Mithron]

So, do you only use Dark Arts with Bloodspiller if you're in Grit? What about when out of Grit?

[SyzzleSpark]

So, do you only use Dark Arts with Bloodspiller if you're in Grit? What about when out of Grit?

You're overthinking it. Use Dark Arts on everything, just as long as you have enough to use it on Carve and Spit.

Bloodspiller has priority, especially in Grit, but that doesn't mean you "only" DA Bloodspiller and never anything else. You'll just end up overflowing if you do that, Grit or not.

[Mekhana]

Abyssal Drain in 9/10 times without Dark Arts is a waste except for very rare ocasions.

Basically you want to Dark Arts everything except Syphon Strike unless your MP is full and your MP should be never full, ever unless you haven't pulled yet.

As for Carve and Spit, DAing or not is situational. The DPS is nice but the instant MP gain is too good to pass up. Generally only mandatory in burn phases or when OTing.

As for TBN, you generally want to use it all the time whenever its up as long you are actively taking damage. Unless there's a buster or any other heavy dmg incoming or if your blood gauge is full.

Sometimes things will die too quickly or get stunned, meaning you might not proc the blood gauge increase. Comes with the job really, taking less dmg and allowing the healer to dps more/have less to do is always appreciated and makes you look good.

[SyzzleSpark]

As for Carve and Spit, DAing or not is situational. The DPS is nice but the instant MP gain is too good to pass up. Generally only mandatory in burn phases or when OTing.

The mana return on unboosted C&S is a safety net or an AoE supplement and something you should never ever do in single target unless you screw up badly. This has been the case since the job launched 2 years ago.

[Mithron]

So basically, spam TBN all the time as long as it can get broken... which isn't very fun at all and not what I imagined DRK to play like. I miss 3.0 DRK so much.

Also, why not Dark Arts Siphon Strike? That's one of my priorities for Dark Arts, since it almost fully refunds MP allowing you to get an extra Dark Arts value in whereas otherwise you wouldn't.

[Nabian]

So basically, spam TBN all the time as long as it can get broken... which isn't very fun at all and not what I imagined DRK to play like. I miss 3.0 DRK so much.

Also, why not Dark Arts Siphon Strike? That's one of my priorities for Dark Arts, since it almost fully refunds MP allowing you to get an extra Dark Arts value in whereas otherwise you wouldn't.

DA doesn't effect MP return on SS. There is nothing wrong with DA+SS, in fact many people do it during burn phase. The reason people more often DA+SE is because of the extra HP. There are many cases where you will want to use DA on both.

[Mekhana]

So basically, spam TBN all the time as long as it can get broken... which isn't very fun at all and not what I imagined DRK to play like. I miss 3.0 DRK so much.

Also, why not Dark Arts Siphon Strike? That's one of my priorities for Dark Arts, since it almost fully refunds MP allowing you to get an extra Dark Arts value in whereas otherwise you wouldn't.

When you are low on MP and BW or BP isn't up, you might need the MP generated from Syphon for something else. Such as the aforementioned TBN here or to DA something else instead.