Feelings on the current three tanks

[Hierro]

I didnt say I struggled, I just think it's not as easy as PLD or WAR.

IR is only 10 seconds of super sustainability, on a 90 second cooldown so it can't be used for every trash pull. Infuriate won't even be back up if for about 20 seconds if you do what you described, cause only lowers the timer by 5 seconds for each use. 6x5=30 seconds. Meanwhile, what I described for DRK can be used be used every pull and for far longer sustainability. Is it more complex than using a button? Sure, but what it's miles better than whatever AoE option PLD has and makes a strong case for being on par, if not better, than WAR's trash clearing capabilities.

[kamenkuro]

IR is only 10 seconds of super sustainability, on a 90 second cooldown so it can't be used for every trash pull. Infuriate won't even be back up if for about 20 seconds if you do what you described, cause only lowers the timer by 5 seconds for each use. 6x5=30 seconds. Meanwhile, what I described for DRK can be used be used every pull and for far longer sustainability. Is it more complex than using a button? Sure, but what it's miles better than whatever AoE option PLD has and makes a strong case for being on par, if not better, than WAR's trash clearing capabilities.

Actually, it all depends on how you pull. Pulling wall to wall means most of the time you're up against the fatter chunk of a dungeon where using IR is viable to keep yourself alive. Smaller sections of mobs are laughable. Especially if you consider how much easier it is to heal a WAR. That being said. DRK does better keeping aggro because of Abyssal Drain. The ranged aspect helps a ton. VS Steel Cyclone that needs to be positioned. The pros and cons for both are clear though. The thing is, WAR has a toolkit better suited for long drawn out fights, whilst DRK is better for quick engagements. WAR will be spamming steel cyclone, upping defense with IB, dropping storm's paths for more Beast Gauge. A WAR can live for a long while. DRK will pop off an AD, jump in, more AD, build Blood Gauge. They then drop grit and start tearing into things as long as their cooldowns last. WAR has a slower build up for it's gauge and a big pay off in the form of def boosts and regen. DRK can blow through resources faster because if they don't their limited defensive cooldowns will run out.

[Rasikko]

If you're struggling to AoE as DRK, you're messing up somewhere. As far as dps skills go, unleash is irrelevent. Its purpose was never to be a useful AoE attack, only to gather aggro for the real dps in the form of abyssal drain. The trick to sustaining AoE DPS is to use TBN on cooldown

left stuff because char limit

I'm guessing all you run is expert, because TBN is out of reach below 70. All of DRKs glaring problems shine the brightest(or darkest heh..) below 70 :/. It's also somewhat depressing that TBN is basically all I've been reading when DRK is discussed. How far the mighty has fallen from Heavensward days as we've now been reduced to exactly one skill..

[Deceptus]

If you're struggling to AoE as DRK, you're messing up somewhere. As far as dps skills go, unleash is irrelevent. Its purpose was never to be a useful AoE attack, only to gather aggro for the real dps in the form of abyssal drain. .

You realize leveling content exists right? You can't design a class for endgame only.

[TheCount]

You realize leveling content exists right? You can't design a class for endgame only.

Yes, and i've said it before and i'll say it again. Taking so much away from Dark Knight and then having the entire class so heavily revolve around TBN, which you then only get at absolute max level, was and still is probably the most horrible design decision I have seen in Stormblood.

[Ekimmak]

Yes, and i've said it before and i'll say it again. Taking so much away from Dark Knight and then having the entire class so heavily revolve around TBN, which you then only get at absolute max level, was and still is probably the most horrible design decision I have seen in Stormblood.

I dunno, I think Sigmascape 1.0 savage is a good contender.

[Sylvain]

having the entire class so heavily revolve around TBN, which you then only get at absolute max level, was and still is probably the most horrible design decision I have seen in Stormblood.

It reminds be of BLM in HW with GigaFire, who thought it was a great idea to make your core spell the last one you get. Every BLM basically had to learn how to play upon hitting max level.

[Rasikko]

If you're struggling to AoE as DRK, you're messing up somewhere. As far as dps skills go, unleash is irrelevent. Its purpose was never to be a useful AoE attack, only to gather aggro for the real dps in the form of abyssal drain..

As much as I get a hyped up over using that skill, my mp becomes a buzz kill when I drop below DA+AD mp. :/ I probably could just forgo the DA part...

[Nedkel]

If you're struggling to AoE as DRK, you're messing up somewhere. As far as dps skills go, unleash is irrelevent. Its purpose was never to be a useful AoE attack, only to gather aggro for the real dps in the form of abyssal drain. The trick to sustaining AoE DPS is to use TBN on cooldown, and using your blood on quietus. If you're pulling big, you are sure to generate a lot of blood via blood price and salted earth, ontop of the blood from TBN. When this happens, you are permitted to spam DA-AD. Once you are low on MP, use quietus. If you pulled large enough, you will regenerate enough MP to spam more DA-AD, but don't go below 1/4th of your MP bar when TBN is about to come off CD.

The end result will have you performing constant AoE while maintaining tankiness. To illustrate, I was running skalla and pulled wall to wall the groups before the second boss. My healer died fairly early on in the pull because they reacted slowly to a group of AoEs, but thanks to the number of enemies, I was able to heal so much from DA-AD, and regenerate more than enough MP to continue and delay HP plummeting from TBN until my healer was rezzed back.

I just want to thank you so much for the advice in your post, i actually started to make an actual AOE DPS on my DRK.
Now the job doesnt seem too bad, instead i am amazed on how it actually working. Cant wait to hit lvl 70, with TBN mana and blood management will be much easier, it actually feels fun to play DRK now.
Thanks again.

I just love how DRK is not limited by any cooldowns and could straight forward go into the fight after another. I tried to play warrior, but i couldnt force myself to do it, hate that damage boosting cooldowns.
DRK could be tanky and deal a lot of damage if you know how to manage the resources properly, abyssal drain with DA heals on large pulls for half of hp.
Just need to learn how to combine delirium with blood price so i could make the most of it.

[Delily]

Just need to learn how to combine delirium with blood price so i could make the most of it.

In general, you don't. So long as Salted Earth is down, that blood is better spent on Quietus.