Quote Originally Posted by TouchandFeel View Post
I think there was a misunderstanding on what I was saying I do; I don't precast it, I prep it. Because Salted Earth is a targeted ground AoE it takes two clicks to place it unless you are using a macro. So when I am getting close to where I am stopping my pull, I press Salted Earth to bring up the ground target and basically just have it moving along in front of me as I go. Then when I am going to stop I actually drop it right as I hit the point where I am stopping, basically dropping it right in front of me as I run through it to the far edge of its area. Within the slight delay of it registering and being placed, I should already be through it and all the trailing mobs should be just entering it. No ticks wasted, no GCDs or spaces for OGCDs wasted and it makes it very apparent when and where I am stopping.
That's not quite what I am misunderstanding. What I am misunderstanding is if you are using sprint to create distance between you and the mobs to avoid auto attacks and it takes them a couple of seconds to catch up to you, how are you not wasting ticks from it by placing it at your stopping point instead of weaving? I could possibly see this if you are not using sprint, but then we're back at using Anticipation to reduce some damage during the pull. Which again, it is on such a short cooldown, and you have no other strong mitigative CDs to combine it with as a DRK. It's also a preference to ask your group to sprint with you. You are the only tank I've ever heard of doing this, as I have never had a tank ask this of any group I was a part of. They either use it, or don't and the same applies to the group following him.

We'll probably just have to agree to disagree or chalk it up to our preferences on large pulls.

What exactly isn't true?
That TBN and Quietist are necessary to take on large groups. That is what you stated before changing your statement to effectively. That I will not argue with because there is no question that TBN+Quietist makes pulling large groups a lot easier to handle for the DRK and the healer.

Sure, it can be a drag being synced below 70, but prior to getting there you don't really know what you're missing from your toolkit because you have yet to obtain it. This is true for just about all jobs in the game, not just DRK. It's why so many players dislike having to re-run lower content because they can feel less effective without their entire kit. It makes sense. No doubt there, and I feel the same way. However my initial statements to the OP was to address the 'squishiness" of DRK. And I would much rather advise him on how to make it feel less squishy than to simply say, "suck it up until level 70 when you get TBN."