My Dragonknight

ericsparrow · January 2018

Hi there chaps and chapettes.

( Preamble ) The first character I ever created for this game was an Imperial Dragonknight. If I'm honest it never really gelled with me and since that time I made a Templar, NightBlade, Sorceror and another Templar with, now,500 champion points. The Dragonknight ( now a khajiit cos for reasons ) is languishing in the mid to late 40s and I have recently tried finishing off the levelling but I'm still not enjoying it.

I would just delete the dam character but for two things. It was my first one, so sentimentals and also the horse levelling.. major timesink.

( Point) I think the problem is I just don't get it with DK, I just seem to have hit some impasse mentally on how the class is supposed to function. The others I understand what the class is supposed to do so I can find builds and see how they compare to how I like to play, its all good. So I'm posting here for a bit of real basic advice hopefully from those who know what they are doing. Perhaps its just that the relevant skills aren't levelled yet or I chose the wrong morphs, i don't know. But we aren't happy and are heading for divorce!

Cheers

Tasear · January 2018

http://tamrielfoundry.com/topic/alanarres-invincible-dk-shieldtank/

VaranisArano · January 2018

Are you wanting to DPS with that DK or tank with that DK? (Or maybe even heal with that DK, if can be done.)

DKs play very differently as DPS and as tanks. I can give plenty of advice on tanking, but only a little advice on DK DPS.

First off, with a race like Imperial, I'm assuming this is a Stamina-based DK. MagDK would be fine on an Imperial as well, but I'm guessing you went stamina.

Second, I'm going with a really basic gear/skills layout here. This isn't everything you'll want to have equipped as much as it is the basics of what you'll need.
Basic DPS: equip a bow and dual wield. Use your DOTs like Endless Hail, Poison Injection, Rending Slashes and Venomous Claw, heavy attacking as needed before you reapply your DOTs. Use healing, Igneous shields and/or Volatile Armor to stay alive. Caltrops/Vigor is darned useful.
Basic tank: Equip a one-handed weapon and shield with whatever back bar weapon you want. A bow works great. Use a taunt regularly, like Pierce Armor every 15 seconds. Block, bash, and interrupt as needed, heavy attack as needed for sustain. Have enough magicka to use handy skills like chains for ranged pulls and talons for a CC. Vigor/Caltrops is darned useful.

In the event that you want a MagDK, I can really only advise you on a tank. There, its the same as a StamDK, except you've got the magicka to make full use of Chains and CCs like tlons, so do so. Burning Embers is a great spammable and self heal, so spam the heck out of it. Volatile Armor is good protection, Igneous Weapons and Igneous Shields are great group support.

ericsparrow · January 2018

So if I'm reading you right - the key thing with Dragonknight is dotting the s**t out of everything. At a the very core basic level.
More so perhaps than other classes.

Ragnarock41 · January 2018

For pve it is a strong class.
For PvP Its having an identity crisis atm.

Integral1900 · January 2018

I’m assuming your talking generally, I’m allergic to pvp so bear that in mind

I have a stam dk, by far my favourite charecter, kind of a tank dps hybrid, sword and sheild and two handed. Mostly does normal level content but she carries a full set of tanking gear for those rare occasions my guild I does vet content (tried using group finder but unless your on normal that road leads only to madness)

Basicaly as a nord of the tankiest class in the game she is set up as a realy rugged dps in five heavy armour, one medium and one light. Nearly thirty k resistance fully buffed but will still sit at fifteen to twenty thousand dps, plenty to chew through solo content, although reverse slice and a big pack of trash with shove that through the roof. Averaged over a dungeon, gold gear, maxed for weapon damage and assuming skoria is feeling cooperative, I can get her just over thirty thousand in full try hard mode.

So cinematic with the great sword, leap, fire effects everywhere, gorgeous, love it. Also the heavy attacks have some seriouse teeth

VaranisArano · January 2018

ericsparrow wrote: »

So if I'm reading you right - the key thing with Dragonknight is dotting the s**t out of everything. At a the very core basic level.
More so perhaps than other classes.

Yes, that's exactly it. The Dragonknight's strengths are powerful DOTs and its innate tankiness and generally superior crowd control compared to other classes. SO if you go DPS, DOT the s**t out of everything.

ericsparrow · January 2018

Awesome - thanks everyone

Kel · January 2018

I have a fun, viable build for you that hits like a truck in PvE, and can work in PvP if that interests you...

https://youtu.be/hYIrPTepQ-g

Cybercore_Death · January 2018

Apologies for the mass of text that follows. I’ve used DK since I started playing. I’ve tried various roles with it (cos it’s been both male and female and is currently male again). I started as an Imp (back when I didn’t know what I was doing). Changed to Dunmer, changed rob Altmer (and regretted it cos the small recovery increase and 1% max mag weren’t that much different), changed back to Dunmer. Changed to Redguard and then Khajiit when I tried as a stam DK (hated the play style as heavy attacking just isn’t my thing really) so I changed to an Arginian and tried tanking. Found out that tanking wasn’t for me (more practise required) so I changed back to a Dunmer and settled on that as my final change. Worked my ass off to get a decent DPS build and rotation and now I’m happy with where I am.

My CP is a credit to @Masel92 and his valiant efforts to keep the Mag DK relevant and the gear and rotation 1 are my own doing (with a little confirmation from others that it’s the right way to go). Rotation 2 I owe to @pizzaow as this dude has nailed it big time. I would also recommend asking @Asardes for advise around Stam DK as this dude has helped me a lot on learning the game and DK’s in general (sorry for pulling you guys into the thread but I can’t steal all the credit).

I hope it’s if some use to you in your quest to find your DK’s true calling.

First things first, CP's (based on 690):

Tower - 2 Warlord
Lover - 11 Mooncalf / 75 Arcanist / 65 Tenacity
Shadow - 37 Tumbling / 40 Shadow Ward
Apprentice - 37 Elfborn / 34 Spell Erosion / 49 Elemental Expert
Attronach - 35 Staff Expert
Ritual - 75 Thaumaturge
Steed - 34 Ironclad / 54 Spell Shield
Lady - 23 Light Armour Focus / 27 Hardy / 23 Thick Skinned / 49 Elemental Defender
Lord - 20 Bastion

Once you see the skills and rotations a little later they'll make sense.

Now, with the gear i use a 5-0-2 setup as i find it more beneficial overall for stats (5-1-1 will still be fine but the extra health and resist are too good to pass up)

Front bar - Shock staff of Martial Knowledge - Charged (for more off balance) - Shock or Fire enchant (i use shock)
Back bar - Shock staff of Martial Knowledge - Nirnhoned (for that massive spell damage increase) - Weapon damage enchant

Head and Shoulder - Ilambris - Divines - Both heavy - Max mag enchant

Chest, Legs, Feet - Martial Knowledge (Only comes in light, and the 4 piece offers a good spell damage increase) - Divines - Max mag enchants

Hands, Belt - BSW (Only comes in light and its pretty much up straight back up on cool down) - Divines - Max mag enchants

Neck, Rings - BSW (Arcane, though i've never seen them drop in anything else anyway) - Spell damage enchants

With skills there are 2 setups i use (though the second one i haven't practiced the rotation much so i dont always nail it quite right).

Skills and rotation 1 (my main)

Bar 1:

Flame Lash
Engulfing Flames
Burning Embers
Inner Light (passives only)
Elemental Blockade
Ult - Shooting Star (purely for passives, though i do swap out for warhorn sometimes if its needed in trials etc)

Bar 2:

Harness Magicka (sometimes swapped for Elemental Drain or Volatile Armour depending)
Eruption
Flames of Oblivion (swapped out for Draw Essence for trash mobs)
Inner Light (passives only)
Molten Armaments
Ult - Elemental Rage

Start on back bar - Molten Arms > LA > Eruption > LA > Flames > Bar Swap
Engulfing > LA > Embers > LA > Blockade > Lash then LA (x 5/6) > LA > Engulfing > LA > Embers > LA > Blockade > LA then Lash (x3) > Bar Swap and repeat

I usually drop Rage as soon as BSW procs (on Eruption or Flames). Molten i re apply every second full rotation.

Skills and rotation 2 (massive AoE damage, easier rotation but bar swapping more often)

Bar 1:

Elemental Drain (could be swapped for Harness Magicka or Flame Lash depending)
Engulfing Flames
Burning Embers
Inner Light
Rearming Trap
Ult - Shooting Star (passives, could be swapped for Warhorn as before)

Bar 2:

Elemental Blockade
Eruption
Flames of Oblivion
Inner Light
Molten Armemants
Ult - Elemental Rage

The rotation is a little of a pain cos of the bar swaps but it does make sense once its going.

Here’s a link to @pizzaow to see the rotation in action for yourself :-)

https://youtu.be/bQd1cguJV1w

Molten Arms > Bar Swap > Drain > Bar Swap > Flames > Bar Swap > Trap > Bar Swap > Rage > Blockade > LA > Eruption > Bar Swap > HA > Embers > HA > Engulfing > Bar Swap > Blockade > LA > Flames > Bar Swap > HA > Embers > HA > Engulfing > LA > Trap > Repeat

Melts the mind to read but it makes sense once you’ve done it a few times.

Lastly, my race is Dunmer (cos i have a thing for Dunmer lol) and i'm a Vamp stage 4 (cos i'm too lazy to keep it managed at stage 3).

I think I’ve managed to get everything in. If you made it to the end I salute you as there’s a lot to get through. Also apologies for any typos. Done this on mobile.

WatchYourSixx · January 2018

@Cybercore_Death and i thought my rotation was complicated... Holy crap lol.

Cybercore_Death · January 2018

WatchYourSixx wrote: »

@Cybercore_Death and i thought my rotation was complicated... Holy crap lol.

Curiously what do your bars and rotation look like? Assuming you’re talking about a DK as well? I mainly use rotation 1 as it’s quick and flows nicely but 2 has a lot of potential as well.