Should Dark Knight get a Rework?

[Oizen]

Carve and Spit always had the problem that it was pointless in most aoe situations. Sure, if you needed the burst of MP it was useful and maybe in Shadowbringers that could contribute to part of a Flood of Shadow, but it wasn't really worth it, especially when trash would die quickly most of the time. It was worth saving for the real enemy, the boss, that you were about to fight.

Meanwhile, Abyssal Drain was pretty useless on a single target. The potency per second wasn't good on a single target and nor was the heal. It made a lot of sense for them to do this, but I admit I found it annoying to get used to and didn't even notice at first until it felt like they were both weaving together too easily.

I haven't, because they still have the standard tools that all tanks have there, such as Shadow Wall, Rampart, Reprisal, Arm's Length and Low Blow. It's even better now that their invuln is useful. One thing that I find helps is to use raid food, because the vitality doesn't sync properly and the health boost helps, so that might make me bias.

It's not like Paladin has it much better. They just have a Sheltron and random blocks, with no self heals at all unless they use Clemency. Even if DRK has it worse below level 70, PLD actually has it worse at level 70 because their abilities do not compete with The Blackest Night.

C&S is a use on cooldown ogcd
Abyssal drain is something you hold until you need healing.

The reason why I have to bring it up is because any time I talk about buffing Abyssal I have to address the fact they pointlessly attached their cooldowns together. Carve is fine as a 60s CD ogcd.
Abyssal honestly could see its heal potency doubled and its cooldown reduced to 30s and it would still be nothing compared to Bloodwhetting.

I get that people get upset if you talk about seperating them because it would make DRK burst even higher, I just don't really care about that. I want DRK to have a decent self heal tool in dungeons again, instead of not even being a job until lv 70.

[Soge01]

I'd just like to see Abyssal Drain restored to what it used to be.
Its not the AOE version of Carve and Spit and SE was stupid for trying to make it that, and honestly I've been finding DRK to be an absolute nightmare to play in lv 60-70 content due to how much its lacking all the defensive tools its lost from that area. There are lv 60 dungeons where DRK honestly cannot do anything except pull a single pack at a time, it feels awful.

If SE ever decides to address this issue (they wont) I hope they focus on lv60 or lower skills and not add traits to Oblation or TBN.
Focus on thngs like Abyssal Drain or even Dark Mind honestly, or god forbid return some of its missing tools that it used to have to get through this content.

It felt so damn good back in HW and StB to use Abyssal Drain on a large pack of enemies and watch your HP almost fill up. Heck, I miss the way we could restore our HP period on DRK! It felt so freaking satisfying!

[Jeeqbit]

They could add a trait that makes The Blackest Night work like Panhaima. For anyone that doesn't know, that gives you a new shield after the first one is used.

[Avatre]

The only change I would love to see - but likely never to happen - is reverting Quietus to how it was(gives MP every enemy it hits), giving us back Dark Arts, reverting Salted Earth to filling the gauge, and removing the cool down from Abyssal Drain. Was on par, if not better than in some situations, with WAR self sustain in big pulls.

[Shurrikhan]

I'd just like to see Abyssal Drain restored to what it used to be.
Its not the AOE version of Carve and Spit and SE was stupid for trying to make it that

Why, though? Its old form didn't heal except during DA; its primary function was to trade enmity for higher damage. Why would that have survived the removing of enmity combos/AoEs?

Given its having lost its original function, it ends up arbitrary as to whether Abyssal Drain ought to be weaker but spammable (redundant with Unleash, Flood, or Soul) or stronger but on a CD. Personally, just like I wouldn't want to see CnS weaker but spammable, I like that the (to me) most visually impressive pre-90 AoE is also on a CD and thereby allowed to be more powerful.

I just want to see it a bit more frequent and flexible, with that budget siphoned from the combos (2 charges, 40s CD).

That said, 100% agreed on where we should focus improvements for the leveling experience.

[Shurrikhan]

So, random thought, but... would anyone like to see more of interest done with Unleash and Stalwart Soul?

Additionally, could Living Shadow be significantly improved by directing it (instead of it being a glorified DoT)? That could be by having it simply imitate your every attack at much-reduced %effect, having your oGCD gaps allow for GCD actions to be made on the oGCD (via your Living Shadow), or whatever else.

Finally, assuming we're allowed to siphon a bit of mitigation budget towards Dark Mind (or towards it and Oblation, with Dark Mind upgrading into Oblation), is there anything... unique, anyone would like to see attempted there? What synergies might it provide?

[Soge01]

So, random thought, but... would anyone like to see more of interest done with Unleash and Stalwart Soul?

Additionally, could Living Shadow be significantly improved by directing it (instead of it being a glorified DoT)? That could be by having it simply imitate your every attack at much-reduced %effect, having your oGCD gaps allow for GCD actions to be made on the oGCD (via your Living Shadow), or whatever else.

Finally, assuming we're allowed to siphon a bit of mitigation budget towards Dark Mind (or towards it and Oblation, with Dark Mind upgrading into Oblation), is there anything... unique, anyone would like to see attempted there? What synergies might it provide?

Living Shadow following what you do would be really great! Would probably make it feel less clunky for most players that main DRK. In addition to that, I'd also like to Living Shadow immediately attack the enemy we're targeting right after we summmon in. No time wasting animations for it to get up from its kneeling position. Just launch at the enemy with a speedy gap closer right out of the gate! I like how Summoner doesn't have this probably with Bahamit and Phoenix, as far as I can tell.

And this may be controversial, but why can't Dark Mind and Oblation just be a lesser damage absorption barrier version of TBN? Dark Mind just feels like an old outdated relic from HW and Oblation just feels like our old Rampart clone mitigation ability from that same timeline. Since DRK is so focused on using the TBN, why not just go all in and make its two mitigation moves lesser barrier abilities, too?

[Midareyukki]

And this may be controversial, but why can't Dark Mind and Oblation just be a lesser damage absorption barrier version of TBN? Dark Mind just feels like an old outdated relic from HW and Oblation just feels like our old Rampart clone mitigation ability from that same timeline. Since DRK is so focused on using the TBN, why not just go all in and make its two mitigation moves lesser barrier abilities, too?

So basically a shield tank?

[Soge01]

So basically a shield tank?

I mean, its already a shield tank with it having so much heavy focus on TBN. So why not go all in? xD