Experienced Tank Needs help learning to DPS!

amasuriel

So I have been player a long time, done most of the content. The entire game, I have always been a tank for PvE (even my PvP builds were tank builds)!

I'm an excellent tank, so excellent that I'm pretty bored tanking stuff like vet dungeons and want to try something different

I'm a DK (v14 of course). Stamina based. I have some excellent DPS gear (3 piece Dreugh King, 2 Shadow Walker rings, 5 Hundings Rage. All Purple with purple enchants).

My stats aren't perfect for a DPS (I have too much health compared to stamina), because I still tank a lot, but my champ passives are pretty good (I have the crit passive). I'm running Warrior Mundus. I'm an Imperial.

The issue is my DPS is only Meh. Single target I'm getting 6-8k on non-undead.

My Main bar is usually
2 Handed Sword:
Executioner or Unstable Flame depending. Also tried Molten Weapons here.
Wrecking Blow
Brawler
Forward Momentum
Flames of Oblivion
Flawless Dawnbreaker

My Second bar is
Volatile Armor
Executioner or Unstable Flame depending
Green Dragon Blood
Burning Breath
Flames of Oblivion
Flawless Dawnbreaker

My single target rotation is usually a canceled (or try to) light attack, Wrecking Blow, Heavy attack, swap to apply Burning Breath (sometimes), repeat. When they get below 25%, its light attack, Wrecking Blow, Executioner, Heavy attack, repeat. I don't always both with Burning Breath here either.

How do I get to 10-12k DPS and a 2 handed (or any other stam build) DK? It almost certainly my skill rotation / choices, so what am I missing?

Any help would be appreciated, I would like very much to melt faces as well as I tank.

Valymer

Because the damage bonus buff from Wrecking Blow can apply to itself, wouldn't it be better to forgo weaving and just spam it over and over?

Also, are you using Rally or something that gives the same buff? (not sure of what DKs have as far as self-buffs)

sebban

Here's my usual setup. I have the Valkyn Skoria set, else I would probably change Cinder Storm to something else, like Burning Breath or Caltrops if you have access (I rarely PvP):

Main bar 2H:
Wrecking Blow, Unstable Flame, Executioner, Forward Momentum, Flames of Oblivion/Evil Hunter - Flawless Dawnbreaker

Offbar 2H:
Brawler, Cinder Storm, Molten Armaments, Green Dragon Blood, Flames of Oblivion/Evil Hunter - Standard of Might

Single Target:
Use Green Dragon Blood -> Momentum -> Evil Hunter -> Cinder Storm while running towards enemy. Then pop Standard of Might -> Unstable Flame. Spam Wrecking Blow and Light Attacks, refresh Evil Hunter, Momentum, Cinder Storm och Unstable Flame when needed. Use potions when you get below 80% stamina and then on cooldown. When target gets below ~20% Spam Executioner -> Light Attack. If I get low on Stamina and potion is on cooldown I use Molten Armaments and do WB -> Heavy Attack for 6 seconds.

I think WB -> LA is higher DPS than just spamming WB.

My AOE DPS is really low, I will probably change OffBar to Dualwield soonish.

amasuriel

sebban wrote: »

Here's my usual setup. I have the Valkyn Skoria set, else I would probably change Cinder Storm to something else, like Burning Breath or Caltrops if you have access (I rarely PvP):

Main bar 2H:
Wrecking Blow, Unstable Flame, Executioner, Forward Momentum, Flames of Oblivion/Evil Hunter - Flawless Dawnbreaker

Offbar 2H:
Brawler, Cinder Storm, Molten Armaments, Green Dragon Blood, Flames of Oblivion/Evil Hunter - Standard of Might

Single Target:
Use Green Dragon Blood -> Momentum -> Evil Hunter -> Cinder Storm while running towards enemy. Then pop Standard of Might -> Unstable Flame. Spam Wrecking Blow and Light Attacks, refresh Evil Hunter, Momentum, Cinder Storm och Unstable Flame when needed. Use potions when you get below 80% stamina and then on cooldown. When target gets below ~20% Spam Executioner -> Light Attack. If I get low on Stamina and potion is on cooldown I use Molten Armaments and do WB -> Heavy Attack for 6 seconds.

I think WB -> LA is higher DPS than just spamming WB.

My AOE DPS is really low, I will probably change OffBar to Dualwield soonish.

Thanks for the feedback. Mind if I ask you what DPS this usually gives you single target?

Zheg

You'll want to use igneous weapons and weave in partial heavy attacks. Using igneous will give you minor brutality buff for another 5% wep dmg, and the +40% to heavy attacks will start applying if you partially (or fully) charge your attacks instead of just animation cancelling light attacks.

You should also drop flawless on your non-main bar and use standard/meteor so you have a good damaging ult to use.

Not sure what your points/race is like, but you might be HP heavy instead of stam heavy, and that might hinder your dps as well.

If you have 2H on both bars, rally should be on your off bar. It's a long buff, you don't need it taking up a critical spot on your main bar. You should move it to off-bar so you can have executioner and unstable flame always on your main bar.

Also, depending on your stats, regen, and race, you might have more luck with DW and using rapid strikes than 2H. Everyone toots the horn about wrecking blow, but it's almost becoming a bandwagon thing at this point. On my NB, spamming rapid strikes alone gives me about 9k dps. It's also a bit easier on resources imo. I find my dps is higher on DW than 2H, but that might just be because of my race/class. It's at least worth experimenting with for you.

For both pvp and pve dps, I run DW/2H, and pretty much only use 2H for buffs like rally. For those boss fights where you can't be in melee range, DW also lets you use flying blade, whereas your 2H/2H means you're up a creek.

sebban

amasuriel wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback. Mind if I ask you what DPS this usually gives you single target?

It depends very much on the fight. On short fights in VR Dungeons I can hit 15-16K, longer fights and against trial bosses where there is lots of movement, 11-13K. On Mezeluth in crypt of hearts I did 20K dps in the 10 seconds it took us to kill her

xaraan

I think you've already gotten some good advice, I'll just echo or add a couple thoughts here:

I tank a alot and have alternate builds, so I understand the "not min-maxed" DPS fun when you have stuff like more health than needed - So, make sure you are using green food to help your main DPS stat since you won't need the health (or blue if you really want both stam and magicka), the V10 green food will give you over a 4K bump to your stat (blue a little lower). Can also consider drink if your regen is an issue.

Though you can't respec every time you change rolls, you can change your mundus stone, so make sure you are doing that before runs to fit your role best.

Usually it's good to run Evil Hunter on your bar when you are stam DPS as it gives a buff just for being on your bar (unless you already get the buffs elsewhere).

And, I think as a DK you should always run the fire breath as it's the only class in the game that gets a stamina DoT - so use it.

Other than that, it's mostly wrecking blow spam to get your dps up or whirlwind from DW if you are in trash pulls.

amasuriel

Zheg wrote: »

You'll want to use igneous weapons and weave in partial heavy attacks. Using igneous will give you minor brutality buff for another 5% wep dmg, and the +40% to heavy attacks will start applying if you partially (or fully) charge your attacks instead of just animation cancelling light attacks.

You should also drop flawless on your non-main bar and use standard/meteor so you have a good damaging ult to use.

Not sure what your points/race is like, but you might be HP heavy instead of stam heavy, and that might hinder your dps as well.

If you have 2H on both bars, rally should be on your off bar. It's a long buff, you don't need it taking up a critical spot on your main bar. You should move it to off-bar so you can have executioner and unstable flame always on your main bar.

Also, depending on your stats, regen, and race, you might have more luck with DW and using rapid strikes than 2H. Everyone toots the horn about wrecking blow, but it's almost becoming a bandwagon thing at this point. On my NB, spamming rapid strikes alone gives me about 9k dps. It's also a bit easier on resources imo. I find my dps is higher on DW than 2H, but that might just be because of my race/class. It's at least worth experimenting with for you.

For both pvp and pve dps, I run DW/2H, and pretty much only use 2H for buffs like rally. For those boss fights where you can't be in melee range, DW also lets you use flying blade, whereas your 2H/2H means you're up a creek.

Good point about moving Rally to the secondary bar. igneous doesn't seem to give minor brutality on either morph sadly, though the heavy attack damage may well make it worth while anyway.