Shadow Knights and their overall

[INSANEPOOK]

<div>Hi.</div><div> </div><div> So now I am in this section inquiring about Shadow Knights. My friend is venturing towards a Beserker. That may be mine as well but regardless of the negative comments about SKs in here asking still seemed required by me.</div><div> </div><div>Some one stated that SKs lack enough taunts. Well, that really doesn't concern me.</div><div> </div><div>Someone stated that SKs do decent DPS vs a single target (vs being a AOE damager). Is that true in your opinions?</div><div> </div><div>What the heck do SKs normally do, in parties as a general rule (their uses).</div><div> </div><div>Do any of you who are a SK regret it?</div><div> </div><div>What do you find fun about being the dreaded SK?</div><div> </div><div>Thanks of course.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div>

[Hark]

<div><span><blockquote><hr>INSANEPOOKIE wrote:<div>Hi.</div><div> </div><div> So now I am in this section inquiring about Shadow Knights. My friend is venturing towards a Beserker. That may be mine as well but regardless of the negative comments about SKs in here asking still seemed required by me.</div><div>Some one stated that SKs lack enough taunts. Well, that really doesn't concern me.<font color="#ff0000">Yeah, I don't raid tank and rarely do group stuff anymore.  For groups we were ok as long as people knew how to manage stuff.</font></div><div> </div><div>Someone stated that SKs do decent DPS vs a single target (vs being a AOE damager). Is that true in your opinions?<font color="#ff0000">At higher lvls (and I mean 60) we do good dps but it's a very strong combination between AE and single.  Enough to be almost conisdered decent dps, for a fighter, don't expect brig or ranger numbers here.  Take away the AE part (like add enchanters) eh, it's like whatever.  </font></div><div> </div><div>What the heck do SKs normally do, in parties as a general rule (their uses).<font color="#ff0000">Tank, I guess you could perform a decent dps/buff role if fighting the right stuff.  Like AE encounters for a group.  But you can do that while tanking too /shrug</font></div><div> </div><div>Do any of you who are a SK regret it?<font color="#ff0000">Yes and no, I find myself only semi useful at raids at best (I would be so happy if my group reaped benifits of DM from anyone's kill in the raid I would be 100x happier).  Groups it's just like anything else it's fine.  We just own solo or duo and that's where we shine currently.  Of course duo doesn't help you kill raid stuff.  </font></div><div> </div><div>What do you find fun about being the dreaded SK?<font color="#ff0000">Dreaded SK aspect? umm we are only people who's pets talk? haha</font></div><div> </div><div>Thanks of course.<font color="#ff0000">That being said I like being a SK for the most part.  Oh there are lots of times I wish I was a different class, mostly at raids.  But I enjoy the fact that there are only like oh... 6 active high lvl SKs anymore on my server lol.  Makes ya kinda unique and you get first and only dibs on all SK masters from the guild <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></font></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><hr></blockquote></span></div>

[Mathe]

<div>Shadowknights don't rely on taunting for generating hate. Guardians are the only class that relys on taunting for hate. Berserkers and Paladins use it to a lesser extent, though they both have other methods of hate generation. It isn't that the taunts are worthless, but Shadowknight's other skills generate more hate. The most valuable thing about Shadowknights taunts is that the AoE one is a disease debuff. Keep in mind that 1 threat = 1 damage = 1 heal, well approximately, and there are some differences with certain skills, hate transfers, hate gain increases or decreases, debuffs, buffs, etc, but still it isn't like threat is in someway magically better.</div><div> </div><div>Also in the right situations, Shadowknight hate generation can be pumped up quite a bit. Most of their hate will come from disease damage, as it happens, quite a lot of classes can debuff that a lot more severely than it is possible to debuff physical mitigation or divine resistance (granted Paladins don't rely on damage for hate, but they can do quite a bit of divine damage).</div><div> </div><div>Graven Embrace is an amazing emergency skill. If the Wizard gains hate and you taunt and that doesn't work, and Rescue isn't up. The other tanks are pretty much stuck spamming skills until they get hate. SK can just hit Graven Embrace, and assuming you upgrade it, more likely than not the Wizard will successfully feign death. Not a bad emergency skill. Along with Escape, Rescue (well all fighters have it), and Harm Touch line (a whole lot of damage that generates a whole lot of hate).</div><div> </div><div>Shadowknight can do very nice damage, even from the defensive stance, a lot of their damage is in spells, which aren't hurt by loss of accuracy from crushing, piercing, and slashing skills being decreased by the stance. Not to mention Harm Touch line is amazing damage, no casting time, and no power cost (15 minute recast though). The Tainted Sacrement does a lot of damage, too. I'm not sure, but I almost get the impression it transfers hate to the Shadowknight, too. Mainly because if I use it to pull, as soon as it hits the mob, the mob runs straight for me. If I Graven Embrace though, the pet will gain hate, but only if I use that skill to lose all hate.</div>

[Margen]

<div></div><p>we do descent damage for a tank, would place us 4th out 6, and I still feel aggro is our biggest weakness.  Group wise, it the group is built right, for example having assains or a bard we can tank fairly well, I've pretty much started avoiding some of the other dps types though like warlocks and rangers cause they bring on major frustatrion.</p><p>Raid wise, its unlikely you will tank much if ever.  If a guild has good guardians and beserkers they will get the job 99pct of the time.  It seems our main job is buffing the MT with POA, and debuffing with dispoiling mist.  I really wish we had more to offer, cause there is many raids I don't seem to prodce much except those two abilities.  Unfortantly we are going to the relm we had in EQ1 where warrior classes are the MT and the other fighters are kind of there in the raid enviroment, and my guess its not going to improve.</p>

[Lord Hackenslash]

<div><div>Hi.</div><div> </div><div> So now I am in this section inquiring about Shadow Knights. My friend is venturing towards a Beserker. That may be mine as well but regardless of the negative comments about SKs in here asking still seemed required by me.</div><div> </div><div>Some one stated that SKs lack enough taunts. Well, that really doesn't concern me.</div><div><font color="#cc0099">lack of taunts are not the issue, the issue is "snap aggro" ie. when you loose aggro getting it back instantly. as our taunts are over time you may regain aggro however it takes longer than other classes unless we use harm touch or rescue. personally i only use harm touch as a taunt in groups. I rarely have issues with aggro after about 10 seconds into a fight the problem is those first 10 seconds are crucial to hate control.</font></div><div><font color="#cc0099"></font> </div><div>Someone stated that SKs do decent DPS vs a single target (vs being a AOE damager). Is that true in your opinions?</div><div><font color="#cc0099">dps of an sk is highly underrated, vs groups i outdamage most other tank classes usually placing top among tank classes. vs single mobs our dps drops considerably as 3 of our best dps spells are AOE. i would place us above guards and paladins vs single mobs. </font></div><div> </div><div>What the heck do SKs normally do, in parties as a general rule (their uses).</div><div><font color="#cc3399">in groups we are a tank plain and simple. we are decent support as well buffing the tank and taking our offensive stance. in a raid we often are in the main group buffing the Main tank  or acting as main assist. Yes we can main tank and i have tanked many epic encounters easily but we are a hard class to play right so alot of players who dont understand aggro management have given us a bad rep. additionally we do have an isue vs mobs with large individual hits as our lower hp can cause issues with damage spikes, on the plus side mobs who hit for less but very fast or do a majorityt of damage through spells we excell at tanking.</font></div><div> </div><div>Do any of you who are a SK regret it?</div><div><font color="#cc3399">i never regret it it can be hard at times to let people give you a chance to prove yourself as a tank because of the bad press but after grouping I get many comments similar to"i didn't know SK could do that... ect..."</font></div><div> </div><div>What do you find fun about being the dreaded SK?</div><div><font color="#cc3399">i like being one of the few the proud and the malevlolent.</font></div><div> </div><div>Thanks of course.</div><div> </div><div><font color="#cc3399">good luck with your choice, FYI, I am a lvl 60 sk and alot of what i posted is in regards to the long term endgame at lower levels class choice is alot less critical as most tanks don't really develop into dynamic classes till late 30 and our DPS really grows in late 40s to mid 50s.</font></div></div>

[JoarAddam]

<div>When you worry about taunting as an SK, what you're really worried about is Tier 6.  or, rather, the even tiers.  Tier 6 had none of our big-direct taunts.  We fell in between upgrades this tier.  We did get  small, mechanically different taunts.  In tier 6, our 2 taunts are Catastrophic Slam (Shield bash with Stun and Taunt component) and Infernal caress (Damage shield with proc for essence and taunt per being hit component).  In tier 7 we should get upgrades to Insidious Whisper and Blasphemy that should but us back on top of our Taunting Game...  As long as the dev's haven't mis-tuned the hate on DPS classes.  If you go to <a href="http://www.drychnath.com" target="_blank">www.drychnath.com</a> I have posted a rumor at the bottom of the page that I heard about a new T7, lich style taunt mechanic.  Life for power and taunt on every spell or ca...  It would be nice.</div>

[Peace]

<span><blockquote><hr>JoarAddam wrote:<div>When you worry about taunting as an SK, what you're really worried about is Tier 6.  or, rather, the even tiers.  Tier 6 had none of our big-direct taunts.  We fell in between upgrades this tier.  We did get  small, mechanically different taunts.  In tier 6, <b><font color="#ff0033">our 2 taunts</font></b> are Catastrophic Slam (Shield bash with Stun and Taunt component) and Infernal caress (Damage shield with proc for essence and taunt per being hit component).  <b><font color="#ff0033">In tier 7 we should get upgrades to Insidious Whisper</font></b> and Blasphemy that should but us back on top of our Taunting Game...  As long as the dev's haven't mis-tuned the hate on DPS classes.  If you go to <a href="http://www.drychnath.com" target="_blank">www.drychnath.com</a> I have posted a rumor at the bottom of the page that I heard about a new T7, lich style taunt mechanic.  Life for power and taunt on every spell or ca...  It would be nice.</div><hr></blockquote>Just a small correction, at level 59 we get an upgrade to Insidious Whisper, called Insidious Promise.  No need to wait until T7 (unless you're overly sadistic towards your groupmates) <span>:smileywink:</span></span><div></div>

[Skydawg]

<div></div><div><span><blockquote><hr>INSANEPOOKIE wrote:<div>Hi.</div><div> </div><div> So now I am in this section inquiring about Shadow Knights. My friend is venturing towards a Beserker. That may be mine as well but regardless of the negative comments about SKs in here asking still seemed required by me.</div><div> </div><div>Some one stated that SKs lack enough taunts. Well, that really doesn't concern me.<font color="#ff9900">I have to disagree with a lot of posters, and we have argued this over and over.  Yes, our taunts are not as upfront as other tanks, but we have other ways to gain agro, disease, debuffing, etc.  I don't have a major prob with maintaing agro, as some will say.</font></div><div> </div><div>Someone stated that SKs do decent DPS vs a single target (vs being a AOE damager). Is that true in your opinions?<font color="#ff9900">With my AOE life tap, I do 800+ on all mobs, then I use three others, one does 400+, the other two are the DoTs, each infliciting 100+ then the DoT, so at one shot I can do around 1400 dmg, but don't forget, there are LONG recast timers on these.</font></div><div> </div><div>What the heck do SKs normally do, in parties as a general rule (their uses).<font color="#ff9900">I tank.  End of story.  If there is a berserker in group, or guardian and he has less Mit/Avoid, I will tank.  I hold agro, no probs.  Raid groups, if I am not MT, I go offensive and do what I can for DPS.</font></div><div> </div><div>Do any of you who are a SK regret it?<font color="#ff9900">I love my SK and do not in the least regret being one.</font></div><div> </div><div>What do you find fun about being the dreaded SK?<font color="#ff9900">The challenge, people say we suck, that we aren't as good as a berserker or guardian, and I prove them wrong every time I tank for them and get told that a lot as well.  I also like that soloing is way easy, life taps, mana sieve, it's almost non-stop on writs, and blue ^^^ mobs are doable in defensive mode.  That is a great plus as my dice in group lottos suck hehe.</font></div><div> </div><div>Thanks of course. </div><hr></blockquote></span><span>I will say one thing to some of you who will read this, and know who I am and what I have said in the past.  I apologize, whole heartedly, if I have ever offended you.  IT was never my intent to do so.  I said, if I was wrong I would admit it.  SKs are tanks, they do need tweaking, I agree, but I think we are great as we are too.  GL all, and have a good one!</span></div><p>Message Edited by Skydawg on <span class="date_text">02-01-2006</span><span class="time_text">07:36 AM</span></p>