Dark Knight Guide/Heavensward
This Dark Knight guide is aimed at players that understand the basics of tanking, but need help understanding the basics of how this particular tank works. The information within this guide covers how abilities work with each other and some basic tips for playing the Dark Knight.
Rotations
Enmity Generation
It is best practice to activate Grit and Darkside while generating enmity.
Single Target Enmity
Unmend -> Hard Slash -> Spinning Slash -> Dark Arts -> Power Slash -> Hard Slash -> Spinning Slash -> Power Slash
This rotation assumes that you have Grit and Darkside already active. Additionally this rotation may not be optimal for all encounters, but is given as a basic entry-level opener.
Multi-Target Enmity
Unmend -> Unleash -> Abyssal Drain -> Switch Target -> Hard Slash -> Spinning Slash -> Switch Target -> Power Slash -> Unleash -> Switch Target -> Hard Slash -> Spinning Slash -> Switch Target -> Power Slash
This rotation assumes that you have Grit and Darkside already active. Additionally this rotation may not be optimal for all encounters, but is given as a basic entry-level opener.
Damage Output
It is best practice to activate Darkside while dealing damage. Grit should be active if you are tanking adds as OT (Off Tank) or if you are MT (Main Tank). If you are OT and there are no adds you can deactivate Grit to increase your damage.
Basic Damage
Hard Slash -> Syphon Strike -> Delirium or Souleater
The Delirium combo is a higher damage combo than the basic Souleater combo, and reduces the target's INT by 10% for 20 seconds (does not stack with MNK's Dragon Kick. The basic Souleater combo is great if you have Grit active though as it restores your health equal to the damage done by Souleater. If Grit is not active and you are low on MP then use the Delirium combo, but if you have plenty of mana see the high damage Souleater combo below.
High Damage
Hard Slash -> Syphon Strike -> Dark Arts -> Souleater
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If you have mana to use Dark Arts then this combo is your highest damage combo, and if Grit is active you will restore a huge amount of health with this combo. Additionally if you have the MP you can use Dark Arts with Carve and Spit for a single very high damage attack. The Carve and Spit combo can only be done once every 60 seconds due to the ability's cooldown.
MP Regen
Basic Regen
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The Syphon Strike combo is part of the Dark Knight's damage combo's but Syphon Strike will generate MP in the combo. Carve and Spit restores MP when used, but only when Dark Arts is not active. Blood Price restores MP as you take damage so it is only effective when tanking an enemy. Blood Weapon restores MP based on your physical damage output (Delirium/Souleater Combos, Low Blow, Plunge, and Carve and Spit), but only when Grit is not active.
HP Regen
Basic Regen
Using the Souleater combo with Grit active is the Dark Knight's primary means of health regeneration. The Warrior/Marauder ability Bloodbath can regenerate your health base on your physical damage output (Delirium/Souleater Combos, Low Blow, Plunge, and Carve and Spit) regardless of Grit being active.
Advanced AoE Regen
Combining Dark Arts with Abyssal Drain is a great way to restore health if you are able to hit multiple enemies with it. The big downside is the amount of MP used to preform the combo since both abilities use that resource.
Tips and Tricks
- Resource management is a big part of the skill required to be a good Dark Knight. Your best abilities typically require a ton of MP since you will want to use Dark Arts with them. Pay attention to both your MP and TP since you need both to do your job with ease.
- When trying to establish enmity Dark Arts is a great use of MP. After enmity is established your goal is to maintain it, but your Power Slash combo is enough to do that without enhancing it.
- Keeping enough MP to maintain Darkside is a huge boost to both your damage output and threat generation.