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

Hey guys, need some advice/suggestions. Returning player, I haven't really played hardcore since the beginning of Adoulin (I hated the new gear and item levels, but I'm happy it's stabilized at 119 now).

Before I left, I had gotten a Ragnarok, I have it up to 119 now, no AG, not sure if it's worth AGing at all. I also started an Apoc, and need the 61 or 62 jade shells stage.

I'm not a high end player, I haven't done Dynamis D yet, I'm pretty much just playing solo or duo with a blu/dnc/sch/rdm friend. I'm about to finish my mythic for PUP (my other serious job, I started this back in 2012) this week and other than a few pieces of gear for it, I plan on then focusing on finishing Apoc for Drk.

How important is it for Calad? Not gonna lie, I don't really want to do an empy weapon (I have a Ukon and a Vereth at 85 from years ago) and I did get Torcleaver unlocked as a WS. I've thought about maybe working on this as a side thing but not sure if it's really worth the time investment for what I have already. Is it worth it to AG the Ragnarok or just forget Rag altogether now (I got it back in the day when spamming Resolution was the way to go), and eventually go for Caladbolg. I do have a Redemption I started back in like 2010, but well, I don't have intentions on finishing it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks everyone.

Forget rag altogether, it's not good even among free weapons. Depending what you want to do montente and apoc are pretty good but apoc doesn't get really good until you rp it. Top endgame weapons for drk currently are calad or lib, if your goal is to be a top drk I would make either of those, anguta can be pretty strong as well.

Like Cross said, forget Ragnarok. Montentte+1 shits all over it and we're about to get updates for augmentations on unity gear. if you're a solo/duo player, Apocalypse is going to be amazing for you. Rank 15 is quite exceptional but even at just Afterglow it is a great weapon to do most content in the game as you progress. After you get into more higher level content (Dyna-D, Master Trials, 145+Unity, ect) and want a weapon for amazing numbers output, finish that Caladbolg.

Thanks guys, I'll consider a Caladbolg, just not sure about going full force on it yet.

>:[ ***kinda hurt my feelings also.

Hey curious to what other Drk's entropy sets look like these days. I am trying to update the other thread sets since new gear since I became active again, but there is enough its posing an issue since I dont have it to test with and don't know some thats out there! Lot has been added to ffxi this last yr.

Also if anyone would like to test fotia vs aug seilfi belt that would be great too. I have a feeling it might be BiS for multi hit ws now.

Silly Question, using a Rag (eventually a Calad, but not for a couple months) and Apoc, what's the best set up for a back piece jse? Haven't been able to fin da good answer. I'm assuming the +Dex and acc/attack, but do you go with the +10 Store TP or +10% DA?

I made both. It's nice to have options. But if you have to pick one then the 10% DA imo

I also have a haste one. I use it when I’m in a mix of Ratri+1 and -DT to offset the lost haste when I’m in oshit mode with Apoc.

Yea, just been wondering on a good starting one for now. Thanks!

First cape, DA is probably best bet. STP is nice, but only if you have a specific build that this will help reduce your number of swings.

Can anyone post a couple BiS sets? I found scythe ws sets in the last few pages, but im looking for a torc ws set as well as tp low/mid acc, hybrid and turtle sets. the main guide looks a bit outdated.

https://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/50426/high-end-sets-advicesuggestionsideaslua

check here. there's a few item sets on the first page that are decent and others scattered about on other pages

This page is pretty current.

https://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/50426/high-end-sets-advicesuggestionsideaslua/

I was checking that, but couldn't really find anything mentioned for the jse augments. I did finally get a cessance earring last night. Need to find a good 2nd ring now.

Since I know you're also into PUP, I'd suggest doing anything you can to get your hands on a Niqmaddu Ring from Omen (Fu) ASAP. One of the best bang for your buck items for your personal situation, since it's a fantastic piece for all things TP or WS on both jobs.

On DRK, I tend to use Moonlight Ring as my other TP ring most of the time. The DT-5%/HP+110 is generally worth it for me over the very minor difference in DPS versus something like Petrov or Chirich +1. But any of those are viable options without a huge dropoff DPS-wise: could even grab two NQ Chirich Rings from the AH to be up and running on a budget in no time, and upgrade as you get R/E drops or the more expensive HQ rings.

I would very much like to do the omen bosses, sadly, on Quetzalcoatl, it's hard to find groups for such events. Had to pup OD zerg 4 out of 5 my of Vagary clears. I did find a group for Dynamis D, but mainly we've just been doing mid boss clears because of so few people, so Fu may be a ways of for me.

Damn, that's too bad... Good luck, at least keep that in mind as a pretty high value piece for you.

FWIW, while we're on DRK and PUP relevant content: you may be able to pull off solo/lowman Odin high tier wins (maybe on N or so) with PUP OD method. Automaton can tank that fight very well, and do good damage with OD (especially with COR buffs). If you can get support from SMNs (damage) or a RDM (silence/dispel/enfeebles), that's great too. I've done most of my Odin fights on D~VD with PUP SMN RDM core team, and based on who is available to come I'll fill party with some mix of COR, GEO, additional SMN, and often a backup tank to hold Odin if the puppet gets one-shotted by Zantetsuken Kai (just a convenience really, but it's a nice luxury to have someone who can jump in and hold Odin while giving me time to re-activate and get back to work with less risk from kiting/holding).

Odin fight drops some nice stuff for both DRK (helm, body, and great sword) and PUP (Gere Ring). Drop rate is pretty crap, but at least that fight is probably a decent use of your time considering your jobs. Non-RMEA DRK here, and I actually use the Zantetsuken X GS as my typical weapon (also have Montante +1 available) - it's obviously no Caladbolg, but still a solid weapon that makes me feel legitimately useful on my semi-novice DRK in the interim while I debate taking my close to 1500HMP and 60 Dross that I was gonna use for a different weapon, and shifting them to Caladbolg.

just looking at the set on your page you can use the odin helm, floestone or aurgblahblah/+1, and keep in mind fotia gorget for when you're not benefiting from the PDL fully.

Thanks for the suggestions the head with all the DA is a great upgrade. I completely overlooked Floestone too as an option.

Just need some verification here, and it's going to be really noobish,but I come from a pre adoluin area when the name of the game was make rag and spam resolution.

I have finished my apoc, and doing trials atm (half way through birds). What's the main weaponskills I should be looking at for damage? Ive discovered that cata > cata makes dark. From searching the thread it seems like Cross Reaper would be the main damage WS, insurgency only seems worth it with Lib and entropy has so much of an int modifier. Just trying to plain forward what gear sets to get first and WS cape to make for Drk.

Sorry for a somewhat noobish question, but trying to expand my knowledge, thanks everyone.

Cata for damage at 1000TP, Cross Reaper when you have TP overflow above 1500 (not including moonshade). Cross > Cata > Cata or Cata > Cross > Cata makes double darkness.

So
So then is it worth it to build a set around entropy then or just use it for MP restoration?

sets around everything so everything does damage+/potency+/survival etc~ >:D

I'm prepared to pick up gobbiebag 3 for just Drk in about a month. lol

Also, going through the history here, does +WSD still affect all hits on a WS? Trying to build WS ambu cape and not sure if WSD or da is better

That was a very short lived bug, unfortunately it got patched. WSD or DA depends on which ws

You would still use WSD for Torcleaver/Catastrophe/Insurgency if using Liberator/Cross Reaper. DA for Resolution is the only time you’d use a DA cape for WS (I think?).

You would use DA/INT cape for entropy to, but yes after the big ws a DA cape is just used on some niche stuff.

Since there was some doubt if Drained HP count as maxHP for enmity loss calculation when taking damage, I made some test.

I did 2x Stun on SCH
I did 1x Stun on DRK

Waited 60sec to for sure let all VE enmity decay. Checked with Libra and always had 2x more enmity on SCH.

Then I got hit with 1000 needle (by doing melee hits from 3rd char). DRK always got hit with 183 damage and SCH got hit with 203 damage. After 1000 needle I slept cactuar and I zoned 3rd char, so only DRK and SCH stayed in zone. Then I used Libra

With 3257 HP on DRK the results were SCH 100% and DRK 55% and 56% (two tests).

With 6666-7200 HP on DRK the results were SCH 100% and DRK 77% (both times in two tests)

The conclusion is that drained HP works for sure, but it looks like something is off. Either formula for enmity loss changed a little and/or there is some cap for max HP in that formula and/or Stun's CE value is wrong on BG wiki.