Dark Knight: How I'd Do It

[MBTL90]

DK's in wow were either 2h or dual wield frost, never sword/shield.

[Bloodclaw]

I just can't see Dark knight as anything else but a Damage Dealer, and that makes them unable to use a shield. While shield use would work in other games, especially tactics where shields actually gave you HP, not so much in FFXIV. I would have to say the base class would be MRD or a new one like soldier to where they can use a Two handed sword from the start.

P.S. Interesting enough:
Leon the first dark knight from FFII used axes, but his best weapon was a spear. He could use a shield, but it was one of his lowest proficiencies 2nd only to unarmed.

[Exstal]

I'm personally hoping Samurai or Dark Knight is a tank so there is a reason to play tank full time. Let's face it, Paladin tanking is boring and Warrior takes hits like a child (even after 2.1 this will probably be true).

[Bloodclaw]

I'm personally hoping Samurai or Dark Knight is a tank so there is a reason to play tank full time. Let's face it, Paladin tanking is boring and Warrior takes hits like a child (even after 2.1 this will probably be true).

My bet would be SAM. I see them as a possible tank, but don't know them too well to make a proper judgement.

[Maxin_Rudy]

i'm guessing DK will be a dps class, mainly because DK (at least from tactics) can absorve HP, and 2 tanks that try to tank leeching life from mobs is stupid... that said, i can see DK coming from MRD, with a dps stance (reduce emminity and raises damage, since MRD traits boost HP not STR) and some moves that consume his HP to deal damage and his main combo would be Heavy Swing, Main Storm Path...

[Kitru]

2 tanks that try to tank leeching life from mobs is stupid

WAR is neither a life-steal tank nor self-healing tank and never was either of those. The self-healing that WAR got accounted for a *tiny* portion of its total mitigation and only got a lot of attention because Inner Beast flashed a big, attention grabbing number when it was used (and, even then, it was only really impressive when you got a crit *and* it was buffed). DRK could easily be brought in as a tank, assuming they fix the issue with self-healing scaling with incoming damage and provide it with enough eHP and tank CDs to weather the spikes and high damage phases.

[Lucavern]

One other thing to think of is that they could change the class-skills around when you switch to a different job. Take a look at the ACN trio. Based on which Job you are in, their summons change accordingly but still use the same ability slot. Whose to say that they couldn't change multiple abilities for different jobs?

I.e.
Fast Blade for GLA/PLD stays same.

for DRK: remove enmity bonus, increase potency.

[Giantbane]

WAR is neither a life-steal tank nor self-healing tank and never was either of those. The self-healing that WAR got accounted for a *tiny* portion of its total mitigation and only got a lot of attention because Inner Beast flashed a big, attention grabbing number when it was used (and, even then, it was only really impressive when you got a crit *and* it was buffed). DRK could easily be brought in as a tank, assuming they fix the issue with self-healing scaling with incoming damage and provide it with enough eHP and tank CDs to weather the spikes and high damage phases.

If they want to stick with the more universal DRK theme of sacrificing health to gain strength, perhaps a DRK tank could sacrifice their health to boost defenses in some way.

A simple, but effective way is to sacrifice health to create an absorption shield that absorbs 2x the amount sacrificed (or something to that effect). Or they could have it such that it sacrifices X% health lost (could be either total hp or current hp) for X% damage reduction for a period of time. Pair that with some health leeching effect (easier to balance as their health leech only needs to be balanced against their own abilities, not incoming dmg) and some status debuffs/absorbs and it could be an effective but unique tank.

[Viridiana]

the problem i see is if Drk is a DD itll be a nightmare for Healers to have to heal its so much unless it has its own health drain moves, cause for the most part i see Whm have to have 90% of their focus on tanks for hard fights if they focus to much on a DD like Drk tank might die.

I think it would actually be interesting to see them do it BLM-style. Drop your HP as low as you can handle using XYZ attacks, then absorb it back using ABC attacks. It'd require pretty good knowledge of the encounter and skill to not get yourself killed/overtax your healer. . .

That said, I do hope that DRK winds up being a DPS class. Sword and board or 2H, doesn't matter. Let's face it, there're currently zero options for sword DPS in the game right now.

[Cabalabob]

Fairly sure they already said somewhere that drk is gonna come off of gladiator as a DD and they're gonna add greatswords for GLA/DRK and change the enmity bonus effects on GLA skills to something damage dealing when drk is equipped, similar to how SMN and SCH change arcanist's summon. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure I remember reading it somewhere.