(Don't) Fear The Reaper: A Dark Knight Guide

That's insane, I guess the cruor nerf is hurting my server bad. There is almost always shout VW going on.

I can say with 0 doubt that my server had the greatest amount of gil created via cruor, for what that's worth. Furthermore, one of the major shells just transferred away(because they couldn't compete with marrow market) so we should have significantly less buying power than most.

I think it might be a population thing, since a 20% population difference wouldn't necessarily correlate to a 20% drop in voidwatch. If that 20% makes a significant amount of PUGs unable to get the quantity they need, it'd drastically reduce it.

Nitpick: If you aren't 5-hitting any 480 delay, most particularly Fulgurante, you're doing it wrong.

Enif+Mala is nice, but hello opportunity cost.

Ah, so I suppose Houyi Gorget is pretty much right up there for it then. Making that edit. From what I remember though, you said that legs were your choice from the OAT 5-hit you had posted, correct? I could've mistaken that for another gearset, though.

/WAR, eat pizza, doesn't hurt to WS in Ogier hands. Best non-Rag setup I've put through a spreadsheet.

Thanks, I'll be adding that to the high-end section.

Fixed the Apoc AM 5-hit with Phorcys gear.

This is the 'first step' /WAR 6-hit for OAT or pretty much any 480 delay. Somewhere between this and the 5-hit /WAR set above can be found a 5-hit /SAM set as well, but that gets really nebulous and sometimes involves tactical mantle.



bale cuirass +2 works too, probably better when you don't need to offset Calmecac/Ace's -Accuracy. Much easier starting point than to figure someone who can't get Phorcys would have access to Enif either.

Yeah I was considering adding that, I'll add that as an alternative set along with the /SAM build I put up.


If I understand this right, you mean MAcc+ sets and INT+ sets? If so, I'll also be taking note of that.


Yeah I noticed that too. As far as observations served me, usually it's that we're wearing similar gear as is. Rag is more likely to 6-hit than to 5-hit compared to fulgurante or apoc, yes. perhaps I've missed some sets that would detail sTP values. To be honest, all I've thrown together at the first posting of this guide was for a starting point to expand upon it, as soon as everyone gives their input.

Rag and Calad don't 5-hit, delay is too low. They 6-hit at roughly the same values as 480 5-hit though, so the sets are usually rather close.

528 delay Scythes are actually on the verge of 4-hit with a full-bored STP set, and it's a rather nice cycle rate reduction. Too bad there just isn't a scythe worth using it on. Liberator almost, but with AM3 you're then far too WS saturated for it to be worthwhile. Apoc comes up short on multiple counts, both delay and having to Catastrophe, meanwhile aftermath means practically nothing because all the best STP gear puts you at 25% haste anyway (you get to swap Murzim to a STP Adaberk, that's about it).

Probably better to just have a section with paired STP targets, with miss-tolerance noted on each. 480 5-hit with one miss tolerance on Reso is 57/17 or 56/20 for example.

What I meant was having different pieces depending on spells too. For example Absorb-TP would be using empyrean hands+2 and, unless I've been doing it wrong, you could also use HP gear in dread spikes as well as +2 body too boost the HP absorbed in cases where you wouldn't need the extra skill. There is also the option of carrying some "Enhances effect of "Absorb" spells" for non Absorb-TP spells to boost the duration, but then we are going into territories where you have infinite inventory space.

If something hits you hard enough to max out your Dread Spikes mitigation that +HP becomes viable, you'll be wanting +skill instead anyway. Something like strendu mantle where you aren't trading skill for it can be good though, inventory permitting.

Thus the "where you wouldn't need skill". There are situations where you are getting hit by several lulz mobs where that extra bit wouldn't hurt. I personally have different sets set up for it.

Ah, I mentioned the Absorb-TP thing in the description for the Dark Magic list, at the very bottom:



I'll add that as a reminder anyways for the sake of clarity, especially with Dread Spikes. Speaking of sections, Still having trouble with the links at the OP, wanting to make it so that clicking them takes you right to the section. There's something I'm doing wrong but I'm not seeing it. @_@

Also, you could mention Diabolos's ring on Darksdays if you want to push it. In a lot of cases the -15% MP wouldn't really matter.

sure thing, lol

also, here's something I threw together on a whim for Dreadspikes:

Empy+2 hands are a must for ATP because it was underhandedly nerfed at the 90 cap. You have to wear them just to get the original performance out of the spell. Not too relevant anymore though; you just don't see that consistent situation where you WSed one mob and can cast it to grab the TP feed early on the next mob (or at least not in a situation where the mob won't 'LOL, RESISTED' you). Things like Yurin, Auspice, and the AGI change have all played against this too. Shame, because it used to be my favorite spell.

Added the reminders for Dark Magic sets.

I hated it when they nerfed Asborb-TP too, and just when they put out the Bale Hands and Body. WE WON'T FORGET, SE! :|

Ganesha's mask, Cassie earring, bomb queen ring, llwyd's clogs, Savanna/thicket gages (if you are a taru/elvaan respectively) all have more HP off the top of my head.

***! I completely forgot about the Bomb Queen Ring and Cassie Earring! /wrist! fixed lol

Yeah I was reluctant to consider RSE gear into the mix. Again, thinking on an overall level lol

dread spike set? what the *** lol

lol, it's not at all necessary but some players might as well have one for lowmanning purposes I guess. =P

added your Fulgurante 6-hit /WAR build, Rae!

I forgot DRK can wear Merciful Cape, so you pretty much are trading Skill for decent HP pieces no matter what...

I'm glad you decided to post this guide :)

I question this aftermath set:


Is it really worth losing 6% haste(Phorcys) for 2% DA and 2sTP(Ker's)?

For embrava, perhaps. Let me change that.

edit: fixed.

swap in ogiers hand, duplus grip, and huginn feet and you spot on.

maybe its just non relic weapons, but diabolic eye seems meh to me, esp if you're using souleater you are losing out on dmg from conversion.
i have 5 merits into dark seal, and it is for the macc as well as the 50% casting time down, also if you augment the relic head, will give you 50% duration to absorb spells.

Loads of nice info here ^^.

Some things you might want to add...

In abyssea

/MNK Low manning

Atma of the winged gloom is -25-30% DMG taken making it easier to cap out dt while stacking haste/hp gear for survivabilty (this reduces chances at being one shot) and also works well for times u can't counter tank (IG/aoe spammers)
(i even had a pdt scythe back in the day lol (80+))

For brewing Atma of the griffon claw is what i use w/ Ultimate/Beyond.

In Limbus

For arch omega he only has 2 forms
100-75% = -75%~ physical dmg
74-0% = -75% magical dmg
So we'd DRKx4(dt sets, Twilight scythes and relics) w/ BRD WHM SCH then w/e extra we had was WHM COR w/e but weren't needed for win.
(i know it's more to do with the group ur with. I'm just adding my experience)
also acc a issue even w/ relic

Merits.

I use dark seal 4-5/5 over diabolic eye mostly.

Basically for me, when Diabolic eye is worth using it's too risky because of the hp loss so i never really use it.

That said i only use it to extend the duration of Endark or get Dread spikes asap when lowmanning in abyssea. Meaning, I use it a ton more than I did diabolic eye which is in 1-2 VWs if Souleater isn't up. (using af2+2 head)

w/ group 1

I switch between Souleater recast(VW /WAR) and Last resort effect(Legion) as needs be taking advantage of 30 merit cap but ofc this is prolly a little OCD.

May want to mention the 40% WS boost on cata at 99 (also you should write more on how much Apoc adds to DRK ^^)

P.S. it's a great guide so much detail and clear :)

Can you add /SCH to the list of subjobs? It is an extremely useful subjob in PVP. Urteil uses it to perfection. You should ask him for some of his sets (or just check his bounty thread) for those DRKs who want to be unstoppable.

Back to reading the rest of this. Have been a DRK since 2004, and liking this guide so far.

Edit: Ain't all 2 hour abilities only 1 hour now? I still can't get used to that.
Edit2: Never realized Scarlet Delirium was so bad. I guess I shall take it out of my macros. :(
Edit3: Absorb-TP is awesome on certain monsters who don't use TP moves, like Elementals.
Edit4: Missed out Abyssal Earring on Dark Magic set. Urteil has better magic sets here.

Dark Magic 503 with Merits


Drain/Aspir


Edit5: No Strigoi Ring in any of the Reso sets?