Any pro SK's around?

[Uttumu]

<div>Im a new shadowknight who would like some tips on.....everything about the class. currently i am level 15, any tips would be appreciated</div><div> </div>

[Ajo]

<div></div><p>I also got a lvl 15 Shadowknight. Realy enjoyed it so far. My first Freeport char so lots of new stuff to see.</p><p>I'd listen to any ideas as well.</p>

[Ceruline]

<div></div><p>Wouldn't really consider myself a pro, but can hopefully offer some advice...</p><p> </p><p>General -</p><p> </p><p>Shadowknights are a very well rounded class.  As plate tanks, we obviously have extremely good defensive capability.  We combine that with a number of lifetap abilities to be able to mitigate a very large amount of damage while solo.  We also have the capability to be quite effective dpsers, when we equip ourselves to maximize Int. (Oftened referred to on these boards as a Battlemage configuration - one hander + symbol, wearing robes or other good int gear)  Combined with our spell crit Achievement, we can do a lot of damage when we go all out in this fashion.</p><p> </p><p>Tanking -</p><p>Responsibilities here are aggro management, first and foremost.  The biggest thing to remember as a SK is that we will often need to augment our pure taunts with our DPS to hold aggro.  Depending on the situation, you may want to tank in offensive stance to improve your aggro generation capability.  Generally speaking, you'll want to go back to defensive for the tougher mobs though.</p><p>For tanking multiple encounters at once, our blue (ie. non encounter restricted) AEs are vital.  They're our only means of generating aggro outside of the encounter (along with our taunt reactive buff) as our targeted taunts are either single target or encounter specific.</p><p>Our lifetaps lose some degree of effectiveness in a group situation, as they're simply not capable of keeping up with the damage we'll be taking against a heroic encounter.  That said, when you have time to cast them, do - in a pinch, everything which might keep you alive is good, and they help to generate aggro.</p><p> </p><p>Soloing-</p><p>Use your taunts!  While we don't need to hold aggro while soloing, our single target taunt is a very power efficient damage source, and our group taunt is a big disease resist debuff.  Keep the group taunt landed to help out your dps.</p><p>In solo combat, our lifetaps become a much more significant source of healing.  We have a bunch of skills which lifetap - become familiar with what they are and their casting times.  You may need to use a stun before casting our lifetap shield if you're having trouble with interrupts (Our shield slam stuns longer than the kick, so it works better)</p><p> </p><p>Skills to prioritize upgrades for:</p><p>Group:  Taunts get upgraded ASAP, then defensive stance, then offensive stance.  From there, it's some degree of personal preference (Once you hit your 50s, Tap Veins becomes a very high priority upgrade - with a lot of mobs nearby, this can heal half of your health bar or more.  Even against heroics, this is a very noticeable heal!)  Debuffs are also great skills to upgrade.</p><p>Solo:  IMO, lifetaps are the most important solo tools, starting with the lifetap shield.  From there, I'd go with dps.</p><p> </p><p>Power Consumption:  As a class, we have huge power consumption issues.  These get lessened later on as you start getting some Flowing Thought items, but being aware of your power usage is vital.  It's hard to reconcile using our dps to hold aggro with managing power usage, but we rarely want to go all out on dps for a full fight.  If we're tanking, it's better to go all out a bit at first to build the aggro, then go easier and just use your taunts once you're pretty sure you've got the mobs locked on.  (The feel for that is probably something you'll have to build, and is also dependant upon your group, skills, and equipment)</p><p>These are pretty basic tips, but I'm sure others can chime in with some more advanced tips.</p>

[KosS]

<div>I got a few tips that should help you find your style.</div><div> </div><div>At low levels, use Heroic Opportunities as much as possible.  This will teach you to cycle in your nukes/taps with taunts.  Remember each taunt serves a purpose.  One deals dmg with the hate it gives you, another debuffs the mobs disease which makes you do more dmg, and the other is your longer duration stun.  The shield bash will not work with the HO's, but it will save your life, so use it.</div><div> </div><div>Pay close attention to what every spell does for you.  Leading off with your debuffs will help you.  Over the course of time you will recieve a wis debuff, a str debuff, miti debuff, and disease debuff.  Debuffing wis and disease before harmtouching can have awesome results.  Debuffing str at the beginning of the fight can help you live by making the mob hit you less.</div><div> </div><div>Use your lifetaps whenever you are injured.  You will have 2 direct lifetaps, a reactive ward, and 2 melee procs which can heal you, but only if you use them.</div><div> </div><div>Use you pet, it is probably your best source of DPS from any given spell.</div><div> </div><div>Practice a lot with your area effect spells.  These are a double edged sword.  Not only will they dmg the mobs you pulled, but anything else in the vicinity, including guards.</div><div> </div><div>Good luck!</div>

[Ceruline]

<div></div>Also, remember that our wisdom debuff fulfills the first part of a solo HO, and the disease debuff the second part... It's the perfect prelude to spike damage.

[Uttumu]

Thanks for all the tips, when do i get my first pet? at this moment when i solo i usually find some orcs or something and cast my sickening circle spell (am i mistaken in the name?) then i use...........pain aura? i forget the name but it does something like 30 damage every x seconds. then i cast infernal pact or something. any better tactics? <div></div>

[Kaedi]

<DIV>Best tip would be to spend some time and read this section of the forums.  Plenty of other tip-requesting threads and other threads with valuable information.</DIV>

[Mistmoore-Milaga]

I have one more tip that wasn't included.Your DoT is your best friend.  Your coil line.  Upgrade it when you can (although you might consider your taunts or reactive lifetap higher priority).  It is the single most power-efficient method of attack we have by a wide margin.  Put it on a hotkey that is easy to hit.  If it is ever up, use it.  Especially when tanking, since you need to conserve your power for hate generation.And I second the tip to know your AOEs well.  Look at their different damages, cast timers and ranges.  They are critical for keeping group aggro or for killing groups of mobs while soloing.  Knowing their range limits is key.Enjoy!<div></div>

[Margen]

<DIV>Some good points here, one I didn't see though is learn how to postion the mobs.  Your scouts and if you group with them summoners will really appricate it if you turn the mob and give them a clean shot at its back.  Also at higher levels a lot of the mobs have some nasty frontal aoe's, squishies like to avoid those ).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This isn't a Shadow Knight only thing, its a tank thing.  If you learn to do it consitantly, it will improve your reputation as a tank greatly.  Unfortuantly alot of tanks don't think of it and it hurts their reputation, many dps types in my guild complain about tanks that don't turn the mob (always out of guild, all our tanks know there craft).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you already know this, don't mean to sound condisending, its just many tanks don't understand it for some reason.</DIV>

[Jebaris]

always mt, if you have someone in the group who thinks they are MT then FD them

[Blade45]

<P> Jebaris, I will have to disaggree with you on that point. </P> <P> If you as a SK are the MT in a group situation and some fool, IE a scout or caster (anyone other than the main healer) is pulling aggro and you have been tuanting and doing everything in your power pool to hold aggro... STOP taunting , DO NOT waste FD on them, politely send healer a tell not to heal em and stop tuanting, when they die you will once again have aggro. A few times of dieing will either get them to realize hey I need to stop being dumb or they will leave.</P> <P>     Just IMO, but anyways, </P> <P>  Jarrett-AKA-IRL- Jarrett</P>

[Wargod1968]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Margen wrote:<BR> <DIV>Some good points here, one I didn't see though is learn how to postion the mobs.  Your scouts and if you group with them summoners will really appricate it if you turn the mob and give them a clean shot at its back.  Also at higher levels a lot of the mobs have some nasty frontal aoe's, squishies like to avoid those ).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This isn't a Shadow Knight only thing, its a tank thing.  If you learn to do it consitantly, it will improve your reputation as a tank greatly.  Unfortuantly alot of tanks don't think of it and it hurts their reputation, many dps types in my guild complain about tanks that don't turn the mob (always out of guild, all our tanks know there craft).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you already know this, don't mean to sound condisending, its just many tanks don't understand it for some reason.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Thank you for mentioning this - I am playing a lot with my Swashbuckler atm (my new 'main'), and those tanks who know how to turn and position a mob are on my list of 'must-group' tanks, compared to those who don't. Additionally, tanks who get adds, halfway in a fight and parade them to reposition them so they are not surrounding them (often by putting a back against a wall, or walking backwards a bit) help scouts tremendously, so as mobs die we don't have to skip back and forth for those positionals. Great advice again, thanks!

[Jebaris]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Blade45 wrote:<BR> <P> If you as a SK are the MT in a group situation and some fool, IE a scout or caster is pulling aggro ... STOP taunting , DO NOT waste FD on them,<BR> <HR> <P></P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P>I agree with you on that. </P> <P>I was saying that if you are in a group and someone else thinks they are MT (zerker, pally) then FD them (when they pull)</P>

[Jaysun DeArg]

<DIV>Nice information here, I plan on roling my first Freeport toon and SK seems like the choice!</DIV>