Meirii replied

536 weeks ago

DRK vs PLD - Mitigation and Self Healing
DRK seems to be a fit somewhere between PLD and WAR. Here, let's take a comparison of their mitigation, then review some strengths and weaknesses.

Stances:
• Shield Oath : -20% Damage Taken / -20% Damage Delt
• Grit : -20% Damage Taken / -20% Damage Delt
• Darkside : +15% Damage Delt (MP Drain)
• Fight or Flight: 30% increased physical damage, 30 sec, 90 sec cooldown

In their tanking stances, DRK will deal more damage, even compared to PLD's 30% cooldown. You can't beat 15% increased damage (magic and physical) 100% of the time - with practice.

Cooldowns
• Rampart : 20% mitigation, 20 sec, 90 sec cooldown
• Shadowskin : 20% mitigation, 20 sec, 90 sec cooldown

• Sentinel : 40% mitigation, 10 sec , 180 sec cooldown
•Shadow Wall:30% mitigation, 10 sec, 180 sec cooldown

Bulwark : 60% increased block rate, 15 sec, 180 sec cooldown
Dark Dance : 30% increased Parry rate, 20 sec, 60 sec cooldown

This one is a little tricky to compare. Parry is now predictable since they removed STR factoring into the equation - parry is a flat 20% reduction. However, since there are many different shields, the amount mitigated will vary as will the rate. So, without comparing the amount mitigated, we can see that Dark Dance has 50% less benefit in terms of rate, but a 300% advantage in the frequency of availability.

Using the Hive shield, we're seeing a 28% mitigation per block. We'll use this for the baseline since it is the highest gear available at this time. Parry is a flat 20% reduction. For this scenario,we're leaving the base rate of parry and block out of the equation and only comparing the rates the cooldowns add. Also, assume that the rate stays true to it's value (20% is 2/10 attacks mitigated). Let's assume we have 10 attacks for 1,000 damage each incoming.

Bulwark : 15 seconds / 180 cooldown = 8.3% uptime for cooldown cost
: 28% on 6 out of 10 hits, 1,000 damage each : (280 x 6)/10,000 = 16.8% Theoretical mitigation
Dark Dance: 20 seconds / 60 second cooldown = 33.3% uptime for cooldown cast
: 20% on 3 out of 10 hits, 1,000 damage each : (200 x 3)/10,000 = 6% Theoretical mitigation
Bulwark:+10.8% Theoretical mitigation vs Dark Dance
Dark Dance : +24% Mitigation uptime vs Bulwark

So, it comes down to a difference in amount mitigated vs length of mitigation. Two different playstyles.

Dark Mind : 15% or 30% MAGIC mitigation, 10 sec, 60 sec cooldown
• ???

Delirium : -10% INT
Rage of Halone : -10% STR

This is a clear cut depends on the enemy comparison. Historically, the majority of the enemies have been physical damage based, but we'll have to wait and see what Alexander holds.

Reprisal : -10% Outgoing damage, needs parry proc, 20 sec, 30 sec cooldown
• ???

It's nice to have when it is available. However, that in itself is the problem - it isn't reliable. You can try and proc it with Dark Dance, but at the end of the day it is still RNG and cannot be kept up 100% of the time. Despite this, I'm still calling this one in favor of the DRK since PLD has no counterpart to match this.

Souleater : 240 or 400 potency 100% Self Cure, number 3 in your rotation
Clemency : 1200 potency cure, 50% to self, 2122 MP

This patch brought some self healing options to PLD aside from the cross classed Bloodbath. This is another apples to oranges situation. With DRK we have long term, sustained healing that acts like Bloodbath. With PLD, you have infrequent, big heals. The MP cost on Clemency is huge, so you are looking at two, maybe 3 of these before you are dry. It is a casted spell, so there is a chance to be interrupted. Its another case of sustained vs burst.

Convalescence : 30% increased incoming heals, 20 sec, 120 sec cooldown
Convalescence (cross) : 20% increased incoming heals, 20 sec, 120 sec cooldown

Sheltron : Block the next incoming attack. 30 sec cooldown
• ???

Seems good, but I imagine it would be a pain if it blocked an auto attack instead of a tank buster.

Living Dead : If HP would go below zero, HP goes to 1. Debuff Walking Dead applied and 10 sec of invulnerability. Must receive heals equal to HP total to remove debuff; otherwise, you die. 300 sec cooldown
Hallowed Ground : 10 seconds of Invulnerability, 420 sec cooldown.

Even though Living Dead has a shorter cooldown, and theoretically accomplishes the same thing, the recovery is a hindrance. there is also speculation that overhealing does not count towards removing the Walking Dead debuff. Hallowed Ground wins this round.

Summary

So, what does all this mean? Each has things the other does not. DRK will have more MT damage, a RNG 10% raidwide damage reduction, and a 15%/30% Magic mitigation cooldown. PLD has Sentinel (a stronger cooldown for the same price), a slightly stronger Convalescence, and Hallowed ground. Taking the cooldowns into consideration, DRK will come out slightly ahead where magic damage is concerned.

PLD has 20% and 40% guaranteed damage reduction cooldowns, with a frequent 10% physical damage reduction cooldown.
DRK has a 20% and 30% guaranteed damage reduction cooldowns, with a 15%/30% Magic damage reduction cooldown.

Where we come out ahead in a magic damage situation is the possibility of a reprisal 10% reduction, our 10% INT reduction, and the post damage self heals.

TL : DR : PLDs have better long term physical mitigation via blocking and a different set of cooldowns and better group synergy from a variety of abilities (some mentioned, others not). DRKs have higher MT damage, better magic mitigation, and better self healing.
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