DRK Changes last update..thoughts

[Sidanoir]

Is pretty hot...
I was able to outparse a NIN by 3% and a WAR (not uber geared war >.>) by 6% as DRK/WAR...

2 second cast on absorbs is cool...can keep STR and DEX up without suffering a dot loss >.> and thereby make ur WS own more which is where I did really well in the parse compared to a WAR and NIN...

DRK/WAR in thickets is made of mp sink though...but I only died once in 3 hours <3 my WHM and RDM

And 2 second absorb TP is pure win...the 4 second cast failed when the mob would use tp 3 seconds into your cast thereby netting you 0..
Has anyone tried any kind of dark magic/INT build for absorb-TP does it net you more tp at all? I got like 70-80 tops..usually around 40 ..and the mob always WSed shortly after that

Discuss <.<...anyone actually merit on DRK/NIN? Or on DRK at all?
BTW I wasn't meriting i had 1400 exp into 75 from being a Souleater kraken club whore for a few months...but I had so much fun, I might consider taking DRK out to merit some, it being my first job and all I will always <3 it!

[Xavier]

This will not end well.

To be serious, I've merited on drk/nin before, but only a few times, since war/nin outparses it.

2 second absorbs makes the spells worth casting though, I agree.

[Sidanoir]

This will not end well.

No one is posting anything and I am bored at work ='(...work is a ghost town being day after Christmas ; ;

[mastergara]

No one is posting anything and I am bored at work ='(...work is a ghost town being day after Christmas ; ;

Heya Sid. Tis pretty dead here as well. Seems that people here are taking the day off, as well as customers. I can see tumbleweeds rolling past the hallways, which is kinda creepy, as it has been raining here for days.

Random questions for you on your DRK exp session:

1. You have any of the DRK-specific merits?
2. How much exp you manage after deleveling while we were farming Nightmare Silk in D-Bubu?
3. You have W.Hands for your Absorb casting? Dont know if there is a better Hand item for such spellcasting.
4. What kind of Pie were you eating IRL while exping?
5. When you gonna exp your DRK next? I could stand some merits on RDM, since I have much to get still for BLM.

~nyow~

[Alleya]

This will not end well.

To be serious, I've merited on drk/nin before, but only a few times, since war/nin outparses it.

2 second absorbs makes the spells worth casting though, I agree.

WELL, that depends on your definition of "meriting", as I recall.

[Sidanoir]

No one is posting anything and I am bored at work ='(...work is a ghost town being day after Christmas ; ;

Heya Sid. Tis pretty dead here as well. Seems that people here are taking the day off, as well as customers. I can see tumbleweeds rolling past the hallways, which is kinda creepy, as it has been raining here for days.

Random questions for you on your DRK exp session:

1. You have any of the DRK-specific merits?
2. How much exp you manage after deleveling while we were farming Nightmare Silk in D-Bubu?
3. You have W.Hands for your Absorb casting? Dont know if there is a better Hand item for such spellcasting.
4. What kind of Pie were you eating IRL while exping?
5. When you gonna exp your DRK next? I could stand some merits on RDM, since I have much to get still for BLM.

~nyow~

1.) I no longer have any dark specific merits, de-leveled em long time ago.
2.) I am 38k into 75 now
3.) Sure do!, But im wondering if clogging my inventory space even more would be worth it based on what others have done.
4.) Applie Pie +1.
5.) After another 4 months of souleater kraken when i de-level again, hrm IDK! Whenever

[Xavier]

Why would you delvl job specific merits?

[Sidanoir]

Why would you delvl job specific merits?

Never had any job specific dark..

Let me clarify I had scythe and great sword merits I de-leveled.

[Therin]

DRK/WAR can definitely outparse an average WAR/NIN and a NIN over a shorter period of time, simply because a DRK/WAR's damage output is only limited by his survivability.

Sure, you can do more damage, but then you're going to pull hate and either die, or waste all of your mages' MP keeping you alive, which means it'll be harder to pull a chain in the long run.

How much EXP/hour were you making?

I've pulled decently high chains (80-120) with a DRK/WAR in the party but he wasn't able to go all out on damage, because he'd burn through the MP pool too fast. You can see this on the parser, the key to meritting on DRK is knowing when to go balls out and knowing when to stay safe.

Oh, and to answer your question - I merit on DRK/NIN a lot. It's really fun, especially Souleater + Vorpal (can anyone say 1600 Vorpal Blade?). But because I don't have a Ridill or Kraken, my PLD/NIN still outparses it by a very large margin simply due to the skill/accuracy difference (I can eat meat on PLD yet have to eat sushi on DRK) and lack of haste gear since I have to stack on accuracy. And this is with Sword merits and a Suppanomimi (this is the reason why I don't use Axes on DRK, my Axe skill is 240 whereas Sword is 257).

[Sidanoir]

DRK/WAR can definitely outparse an average WAR/NIN and a NIN over a shorter period of time, simply because a DRK/WAR's damage output is only limited by his survivability.

Sure, you can do more damage, but then you're going to pull hate and either die, or waste all of your mages' MP keeping you alive, which means it'll be harder to pull a chain in the long run.

How much EXP/hour were you making?

I've pulled decently high chains (80-120) with a DRK/WAR in the party but he wasn't able to go all out on damage, because he'd burn through the MP pool too fast. You can see this on the parser, the key to meritting on DRK is knowing when to go balls out and knowing when to stay safe.

Nothing spectacular, I think 15k an hour...Infiltrators and Lurker were often the chain busters...we camped by the Jade Sepulcher (my fav spot <3)

Highest chain was over 50.

[Therin]

That's pretty good, still. :D

[Cephius]

I guess DRK is an optimal job to go /war with because you can more or less control your hate. I know as MNK I hate going /nin because its such a reduction in damage, but I can't justify doing more damage at the cost of all the MP wasted curing me. A smart DRK knows when pulling hate is ok and when its not (whereas mnk is just gonna pull hate no matter what) so I don't doubt this is possible. Still, I think if your party was a RDM only healer, you would have died a lot more often and the party would be inefficient.

[Beckwin]

I'd suggest drk/sam. I tried it as a 68 drk a few nights ago and it was really fun. Just cancel Hasso, cast abs-TP, and put up hasso again. Seigan was badass on SAM when I levelled the sub so at 70+ drk/sam has that going for it as well. The store TP and meditate are nice, and you definitely have a lot more defensive capabilities (and you aren't gonna catch a weaponskill to the face with berserk up).

I find it hard to justify casting anything but AbsTP, Drain, Aspir, and Stun. Just not enough mp in my experience.

I'm still waiting for the scythe update. If they give some sort of 2handed weapon mastery thing that reduces delay/gives haste... *splooge*

[Dezzimal]

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9496
Meat vs. Sushi / War vs. Mnk vs. Nin / CoP vs ToAU / DRK

[Sidanoir]

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9496
Meat vs. Sushi / War vs. Mnk vs. Nin / CoP vs ToAU / DRK

I believe this is FFXI Discussion not WOW
If there is a problem with making this thread..my apologies...feel free to remove it...just trying to generate a discussion about DRK after these changes...

I believe that thread was made due to threads being derailed by the topics of DRK COP vs Toau etc...correct me if im wrong..

So anyone try any DRK magic or INT gear for Absorb TP does it help at all? Im so crushed for inventory space so kind of hard for me to test this out.

[Judah]

xavier i like ur avatar.

wanna fuck?

[Kirschy]

I go with 8 Dark Magic Skill Merits and AF1+1 Helm, Dark Torque, AF2 Legs, W Hands, Abyssal Earring. (317 skill if I recall) As for how much INT helps... I notice W Hands > AF2 Hands... which is 5 Dark Magic Skill > 8 INT. The faster cast time allows us to accurately land the spell now... but it's still lacking compared to it's original potency :/.

In merit party situations DRK/WAR just takes hate way too easily and doesnt have the ability to take TP damage from mobs like Mamools or Wyverns. DRK/NIN you lose the ability to Berserk, and some Double Attack... but at least youre able to go all out. (not to mention it makes using Souleater on WS or Normal hits a ton easier to pull off.) The other big advantage to DRK/NIN is dual wielding an offhand Kraken or Ridill, which stupidy enoughly can outpower the best Scythe builds.

[JoOeetheplatypuS]

DRK/WAR is used if you have an EXTREMELY good knowledge of enmity and are paying full attention. In that case, it wrecks house and played right is quite safe, you only take a few hits when you pull hate and stun to stop a few extra hits and drain back the lost HP. It also thusly works quite well on mobs where you use NIN/BRD or good PLD/NIN or NIN/DRK tanks. When I merit and feel lazy I go DRK/NIN. It works well as long as the RDM remembers to refresh me and/or I can land some aspirs. I get to spam abs-tp, which is quite nice. Havent tried DRK/SAM, but it seems to be promising.

This is not threadworthy IMO, but whatever.

[Sidanoir]

This is not threadworthy IMO, but whatever.

No other posts going on and bored so >

DRK/WAR is fine for exp as you said if smart...like hay guyz souleater guillotine at 100% mob hp isn't very bright >.>...but with stun and other stuff and considering how fast merit pts kill mobs its definitely doable..

[Mysterio]

DRK/WAR is used if you have an EXTREMELY good knowledge of enmity and are paying full attention. In that case, it wrecks house and played right is quite safe, you only take a few hits when you pull hate and stun to stop a few extra hits and drain back the lost HP. It also thusly works quite well on mobs where you use NIN/BRD or good PLD/NIN or NIN/DRK tanks. When I merit and feel lazy I go DRK/NIN. It works well as long as the RDM remembers to refresh me and/or I can land some aspirs. I get to spam abs-tp, which is quite nice. Havent tried DRK/SAM, but it seems to be promising.

This is not threadworthy IMO, but whatever.

I was gonna say...

WHERES THE PENGUIN when you need him? lol