DK Tank - Advice needed.

Dovel

Hello everyone.

I started a new DK Tank. He is only level 20 currently, so I am nowhere near End Game. Any advice on what lines I should pursue?

Right now I am doing:
1h + Shield
5 Heavy / 2 Light Armor

What abilities should I try to work on, or have on my slot bar for low level dungeons?

Armitas

Without changing your play style I would suggest the following.

1)Puncture for single target threat (I prefer "pierce armor" morph due to armor cap)
2) Dark Talons for aoe management. (I prefer burning talons morph)
3)Dragon blood for emergency heals (I prefer green dragon blood morph for the stamina gain)
4) Defensive posture (mainly for the passives)
5) Degeneration (mage guild skill entropy. This will heal you and also give you a chance to heal yourself with every attack. Also lowers your spell costs if you have the passive)

Try and keep at least two hits worth of burning talons available for add phases. Your job is to lock the adds down with burning talons so that your nukers can nuke them without being hit by them. You won't be doing aoe threat, just aoe CC which acts very similar to aoe threat. Don't freak out too much if your teammates get hit by something, just do your best to manage. This isn't like other mmos where you can lock everything down with threat.

Taunt when the taunt wears off, otherwise spam light attacks with degeneration on. Don't blow your stamina trying to block everything, just block the important stuff and let degeneration take care of healing your light attacks.

monkeymystic

Dovel wrote: »

Hello everyone.

I started a new DK Tank. He is only level 20 currently, so I am nowhere near End Game. Any advice on what lines I should pursue?

Right now I am doing:
1h + Shield
5 Heavy / 2 Light Armor

What abilities should I try to work on, or have on my slot bar for low level dungeons?

You should reroll templar for tanking while you still are low level.

Zos has nerfed DKs very hard, and dk tanks have been weakened a lot.
DK that doesn't use the resto/destro build is pretty weakened.

In the meantime they have buffed templars with an AoE DPS ultimate that gives up to 39% damage reduction for 8 seconds that only cost 75 ultimate, which makes templars on top in terms of tanking.
They also have puncturing sweep buffed with crazy self heals now, so templar tank is a no brainer as of this point.

Ragnar_Lodbrok

Well DK tanks were fun 1-50.

Saltypretzels

You'll have plenty of time and experience to level up all of your skills, so don't really worry about it. By the time you are level 50 you should be close to maximum XP on 4/5 of your basic class skills.

That being said, don't restrict yourself to just S&B. You'll also want some good AOE damage for when soloing stuff so pick up a destro staff or dual wield or two hander.

SBR_QuorTek

Tanking in general require of you to have a good sight on what is going on, personally if possible I prefere tanking having the boss/group of mobs facing away from the group that way you can see if stuff is running to them, save some magicka now and then for a lose add to pull a target to you.

DK is a very very powerfull tank so is templar, but look at it at certain ways.. they both are different from each other but in my opinion just as effective... seen this from the from the DPS point of view and experienced the tanking with my DK tank myself.

In general you can use skills from all 3 sub classes in DK as well, learn as many as possible that would seem to be working well, it is nice to mix match stuff together for certain situations.

Since close range, would suggest training a ranged weapon as well at some point as well but for starters would highly suggest getting your core best in shape to begin with, fun stuff comes later on.

put it like Health > Magicka > stamina, but make sure to have a rather ok pool of stamina as well, usefull for blocking, taunt attacks, and also you can learn the undaunted taunt.

Most of it is getting by learning by doing and doing each one of your dungeons as you level up, to get you used to the general concept of keeping your group alive.

Dovel

Armitas wrote: »

Without changing your play style I would suggest the following.

1)Puncture for single target threat (I prefer "pierce armor" morph due to armor cap)
2) Dark Talons for aoe management. (I prefer burning talons morph)
3)Dragon blood for emergency heals (I prefer green dragon blood morph for the stamina gain)
4) Defensive posture (mainly for the passives)
5) Degeneration (mage guild skill entropy. This will heal you and also give you a chance to heal yourself with every attack. Also lowers your spell costs if you have the passive)

Try and keep at least two hits worth of burning talons available for add phases. Your job is to lock the adds down with burning talons so that your nukers can nuke them without being hit by them. You won't be doing aoe threat, just aoe CC which acts very similar to aoe threat. Don't freak out too much if your teammates get hit by something, just do your best to manage. This isn't like other mmos where you can lock everything down with threat.

Taunt when the taunt wears off, otherwise spam light attacks with degeneration on. Don't blow your stamina trying to block everything, just block the important stuff and let degeneration take care of healing your light attacks.

Thanks, that was very useful and I slotted as you suggested. I can say after playing a V1 Templar, DK Tanking is a lot smoother and easier to manage.

Sandmanninja

I'm a VR3 DK Tank. Good tips, Artimis.

As a Prot Pally with 8 years experience in WoW, tanking in ESO took a lot of getting use to. I just wasn't use to not having 100% aggro on everything in the room.

Tanking here seems to be more about CC (which I've always used) than threat.
I use Talons for AoE CC and never forget to block (right-click). Vendor buff food is 'good enough' for general purposes. Vendor enchants are better than none.

Wifeaggro13

Light armor Dont even consider heavy till its fixed. Volcanic rune is a must the only releiable CC with the talons nerf . burning embers for the choke point pulls. and run spike armor youll be fine

p_tsakirisb16_ESO

After couple of posts at the start, I believe we just confused the OP.

One said roll Templar. The other use Volcanic Rune.

Has any of you above played a DK, other than Armitas & utzpretzels?
DK doesn't need Volcanic Rune (which rarely use even myself which is VR9 melee Templar)

Actually doesn't need a single spell from undaunted or Mages. Silver bolts from Fighters only.


@‌Dovel

Listen to Armitas & utzpretzels.

Open all the 3 DK class lines. Is not that difficult. When you hand over a quest, make sure you have 1 ability per each line on the qbar (qbar 2?). Rotate the abilities to level them also, along with morphs.

Put 1 light (belt), 1 medium (gloves) armour parts along with the other 5 heavy (or what ever you want to wear). So you earn xp with those armour types also. (on my alt I have 2 HA -2 MA -3 LA)

on Qbar 2, put a destro staff ability, a resto staff ability, and equip 2H or 2 swords,
When one levels to 50, switch the item.

That way every time you had over a quest, you will earn experience on Light, Medium & Heavy armour. All 3 DK skill lines. And three different weapon types.

H&S will level by just exploring and killing stuff.

On qbar one consider to have the whip. Is cheap and cheerful and get the Flame Lash for damage & healing. Also experiment with Stone Giant. Great CC, does damage, and ads protection.

While in VR content armour sucks, because the mobs have 95% armour & spell penetration, 1-50 is a great to have. And especially against bosses that can be CC, you can rotate Puncture (with the spell penetration morph), Stone Giant and if needed Flame lash.

@‌monkeymystic
You haven't played a Templar in VR content it seems.

And better to nullify the enemy from doing damage, something the DKs are good that, than rely on one trick pony abilities the Templar have to lower the damage, along with many conditions at the end.

And yes my main is a Templar.

Wifeaggro13

p_tsakirisb16_ESO wrote: »

After couple of posts at the start, I believe we just confused the OP.

One said roll Templar. The other use Volcanic Rune.

Has any of you above played a DK, other than Armitas & utzpretzels?
DK doesn't need Volcanic Rune (which rarely use even myself which is VR9 melee Templar)

Actually doesn't need a single spell from undaunted or Mages. Silver bolts from Fighters only.


@‌Dovel

Listen to Armitas & utzpretzels.

Open all the 3 DK class lines. Is not that difficult. When you hand over a quest, make sure you have 1 ability per each line on the qbar (qbar 2?). Rotate the abilities to level them also, along with morphs.

Put 1 light (belt), 1 medium (gloves) armour parts along with the other 5 heavy (or what ever you want to wear). So you earn xp with those armour types also. (on my alt I have 2 HA -2 MA -3 LA)

on Qbar 2, put a destro staff ability, a resto staff ability, and equip 2H or 2 swords,
When one levels to 50, switch the item.

That way every time you had over a quest, you will earn experience on Light, Medium & Heavy armour. All 3 DK skill lines. And three different weapon types.

H&S will level by just exploring and killing stuff.

On qbar one consider to have the whip. Is cheap and cheerful and get the Flame Lash for damage & healing. Also experiment with Stone Giant. Great CC, does damage, and ads protection.

While in VR content armour sucks, because the mobs have 95% armour & spell penetration, 1-50 is a great to have. And especially against bosses that can be CC, you can rotate Puncture (with the spell penetration morph), Stone Giant and if needed Flame lash.

@‌monkeymystic
You haven't played a Templar in VR content it seems.

And better to nullify the enemy from doing damage, something the DKs are good that, than rely on one trick pony abilities the Templar have to lower the damage, along with many conditions at the end.

And yes my main is a Templar.

Everything pre vet is simple you can wear what ever armor you want and use 2h swords . I was under the impression the OP was asking for advice on VR dungeons when he gets there. none of the tings you have just suggested will make him successful there

Ive tanked all of them on both my VR DK 12 and my Src VR 5 as a so called tank . in all honesty i dont know why you would say he should not be using VR in his rotation it baffles me its the best trash management in game.

I tank in light Armor on both CHR's now SNS . I dont know why he would not want the ranged taunt either the chain is highly un relieable in my opinion and there are times you want those POB caster AOE's on the outside not in the Management area.

And why would you use stone giant ? its a single target CC. Most trash pulls in VR dungeons will grow to 8 to 12 mobs in a matter of three seconds. and any AOE damage will break it. its great for VR solo content as well.

None of the advice you have given him will get him through the gully pull in FG ,or the caster pull prior to the 4th keeper in BC let alone all the ADDS that spawn of her bubbles.

As far as the black portals in DSC caverns come on now every party member will be using Volcanic rune for the waves. As far as the penetration from puncture id save the Stam for blocking just my opinion , tested the pen bonus on several bosses and the juice just aint worth the squeeze. And there are zero Bosses that can be CC'd in VR dungeons.

Unless we have vastly different Style of tanking and your a pure DPS taunt with no AOE CC ... i dont know. but Volcanic rune with mage guild passives cost less then any CC the DK has in its arsenal and works far better if used properly. i dont even use Talons after the nerf its ridiculously expensive and does not work half the time with its new limitations. Burning embers on the other hand is quite nice.

For pre vet dungeons just worry about blocking and staying out of circles.if your having trouble soloing get some light armor and resto destro staff swap. I jumped the gun the previous advice given is suffcient for leveling but i suggest you level volcanic rune asap you will use it quite a bit.

Fleymark

Glad I ran into this tread. Been playing with some alts recently and decided to make a DK tank, also.

Going to keep this thread handy.

Thinking of going Dark Elf or Nord (but leaning towards Dark Elf) and going Heavy armor (with light as secondary) 1h/s, and destro staff. Maybe going vampire.

thoughts on that?

Wifeaggro13

Fleymark wrote: »

Glad I ran into this tread. Been playing with some alts recently and decided to make a DK tank, also.

Going to keep this thread handy.

Thinking of going Dark Elf or Nord (but leaning towards Dark Elf) and going Heavy armor (with light as secondary) 1h/s, and destro staff. Maybe going vampire.

thoughts on that?

Dark elf is Awesome for DK. increased fire damage, Magica and stam

Heavy armor is negligible. the armor system is completely busted in this game. you can wear heavy if you wish but it will only be asthetic and you will have more magica , spell resist and Crit value in light. while having the same mitigation s if you were wearing heavy armor.

1h/s is still very desirable for tanking end game since blocking is primarily needed for large attacks that fire as a hit even if you run out of range. Blocking works better as well as blocking spell projectiles from bosses. . And destro Staff you can never go wrong with.

Vampire is great for leveling horrible for End game tanking. everything spits fire and i mean everything its ridiculous. Even dunnmer with max fire resist .the most you will ever mitigate is 25% of that fire damage . your racial will not mitigate any extra damage. and glyphing one piece of jewelry will get you the max fire resist that will matter.

Fleymark

Good to know, thank you.

I'm not set on going vamp...I just would like to check it out with a toon and haven't found a good one to do it with yet.

Very helpful thread, thank you.

Stratti

Hi I'll add my two cents in.

I'm v10 tank build. I know people are suggesting destro staff, I personally went with bow which I enjoy and gives me some cool options for initial pull .

I've been a tank in WoW at the highest level for close to 10 years and will never return this style of tanking is awesome and I genuinely love it.

Let me break it down for what you need to do in terms of various pulls and roles and these are not exhaustive I may have missed some.

This applies to vet dungeons.

Situation #1 Large Packs - ranged and melee including healers .

This is probably the hardest to wrap your head around doing at first. It is not unusual to have a pack of 12 with ranged and melee.

For these I equip both volcanic rune and choking talons (15% damage reduction on all mobs)

The benefit is you can open with volcanic rune on one part of the pack . Once it blows apply a second and then talons to grab the melee. That should give enough to allow the dps to burn that mother down .

I use reverberating bash in the 1h line for the stun which is very helpful for healers and casters .

I use igneous shield and do not slot GBD but have it on my bow for a quick switch

And of course the puncture taunt .

I came to this set up after much experimentation but in a large pull two forms of AoE cc one centred on you and the other at range is very useful.

Situation #2 Large Pack of ranged casters.

This took some learning ...

I use immovable from heavy with reflective scales, volcanic rune, puncture and green dragon blood for the burst healing. Also the ultimate comes in handy that reduces all damage to a capped level (name escapes me)

Main issue is that you can get close to 1k damage taken per second here but by using these abilities drop it to a manageable 300 or so

You go from being destroyed in three seconds to win

Situation#3 Magic casting boss that needs range.

For this inner fire for the taunt, igneous shield, green dragon blood , reflective scales and if the boss doesn't hit hard immovable if it does razor armor. I will switch to bow for range dps .

Situation #4 hard hitting melee boss.

Dragon knights excel at this

Usual set up is

1h line defensive posture , razor armor, green dragon blood, puncture, igneous shield.

In these fights stamina is everything so you must have stamina overcharged and regen it through igneous shield. Using this you can manage incoming damage and save your ultimate for when your pools are low - especially on boss that drains it.

The above is my current style and I switch it up. There is enough skill points to get every active you can. There is only one rule get volcanic rune the rest you can do your own thing.

My advice is get hold of An addon that tracks damage taken per second and learn to reduce it . After all a tanks job is to reduce damage while absorbing maximum aggro.

Haewk

Stratti wrote: »

Hi I'll add my two cents in.
Situation #1 Large Packs - ranged and melee including healers .

This is probably the hardest to wrap your head around doing at first. It is not unusual to have a pack of 12 with ranged and melee.

For these I equip both volcanic rune and choking talons (15% damage reduction on all mobs)

The benefit is you can open with volcanic rune on one part of the pack . Once it blows apply a second and then talons to grab the melee. That should give enough to allow the dps to burn that mother down .

I use reverberating bash in the 1h line for the stun which is very helpful for healers and casters .

I use igneous shield and do not slot GBD but have it on my bow for a quick switch

And of course the puncture taunt .

I came to this set up after much experimentation but in a large pull two forms of AoE cc one centred on you and the other at range is very useful.

I am only VR4 at the moment and I have done a VR dungeon only once, back when I was VR1, and it was mostly a disaster (dying almost every pull) although we did finish it.

Do you use Light Armor? Which armor sets do you use?

Isn't the small radius and short duration of Talons a problem? Do the dps focus the melee first? I assume you move away from the melee after Talons?

What about Cinderstorm? Just for normal questing I find it increases my survivability dramatically while doing decent damage as well. Also has low cost and long duration.

Dovel

Thanks everyone. I am 35 now and doing well. A question though. Do you recommend all points into Health, and just Glyph for Magic?

Tobiz

Haewk wrote: »

What about Cinderstorm? Just for normal questing I find it increases my survivability dramatically while doing decent damage as well. Also has low cost and long duration.

I find eruption the better choice, but either is very good imo.
Combine with Inner Fire (beast morph) and Puncture (whatever morph) and you really can tank all the trash.
Dragon blood, Spiked armour, Defensive posture, Immovable are good options for the other slots.
When you get good at tanking, start weapon swapping between enemy attacks in order to get an additional 5 slots of goodness.

Dovel

V1 now.

Do you think I should shed the Heavy armor and just go all Light now for Tanking?

Nala_

resto staff with healing ward offhand for when below 30%