It's funny, an exactly converse thread was going on here last patch, before yesterday'sTemplar nerfs.

Ok I'm back. Now I'd like to reference the op and anybody in agreement with op. I'm a mDK, and haven't played this patch. I played extensively last patch and patches prior before the major standardization changes. This argument is directed toward magicka Dragonknight and Templar

Historically, Temp is a tough matchup for DK. Two factors contribute to this, Temp's access to a Extended Ritual, strong purge/hot, and the Honor of the Dead, the strongest burst heal in the game. DK focuses on controlling fights with CC and sustained dps, with no access to an execute, a playstyle that is difficult against a purge and burst heal, respectively. This was only a soft counter in the pre Eleawyr, due to the main DK dot combo, engulfing flames and burning embers, costing a combined 4050 magicka vs ritual's 4860 magicka cost. So a DK traded less magicka, more damage (due to the direct damage portions of the skills), and more GCDs vs a Temp using ritual.

DK is also a tough matchup for Temp. This is due to DKs having easy access to unavoidable stuns, roots, and slows, and being able to heal on the offensive. Temp is inherently an immobile class, which can be partially alleviated by going vampire, which makes the match up vs DK worse, or using the new RAT. Before Eleswyr, Temp also lost more resources in trading purge vs dots, as stated above. DKs can also spend more time, and less resources being on the offensive vs a Temp having to dedicate more time for defense.

These situations have changed due to the changes by the new dev team.

To the benefit of Temps, the DK dot combo now costs 6480 magicka vs ritual's 4860, but deals more direct damage. The new function of living dark adds a hot that allows Temps to have a safer offensive window. Gap closer changes also help melee Temp specs; with range Temps being able up kite better with RAT, sprint changes, and snares. Overall, the magicka Templar kit has had quite a few buffa, QoL upgrades, and meta favorability.

To the benefit of DKs, they now have a burst skill in Molten whip, which adds more damage in a GCD, at the expense of losing offensive healing. This is partially alleviated by cauterize, which is a good long duration hot/ burst heal hybrid. Not much else that plays into the matchup, but burst, on top of dots is nice.

The main issue most people will hit is the change in playstyle needed to kill a good player. I feel that the overall playstyle of PvP has been rather consistent for years. Stack multiple instances of damage in a short period of time. There are two major ways to do this, stacking delayed burst skills, or lining up a burst skill with dots ticking. Both add more damage taken by the target in less time for them to react.

The buff to dots seen in Scalebreaker allowed DKs to forgo a "true" burst combo. Power Lash is only slightly stronger than a normal spammable, but was highly effective with high damage dot ticks. Now, with the nerf to DoTs, one will most likely need to have a true burst combo, alongside dots, to kill skilled players. Be that Molten whip, or a combo of inhale, flame of oblivion, power lash, etc., high damage in a single instance will replace the over reliance on dots.

I think black madra hit the nail on the head. People always just assume magplar has the advantage against magdk because of purge but there's more to it than that. Magplar has been a pressure class same as dk, but magdk with fossilize can really control a fight, it can be tough for a magplar to find the time to go offensive and deal enough significant damage to the magdk before being but on the backbar again.

I think a lot of the times this matchup really just depends on your build. I think both are tough matchups for each other and it really depends on their individual builds. There is skill involved of course, but if you don't have a build that will allow you survive and create and opening there's not much you can do. (speaking from a magplar perspective as I don't have that much experience on magdk)

That being said if you run cheese on magplar with the bubble and toppling among other things you really shouldn't lose, you'd have enough passive healing to go offensive without much risk and have enough damage to really pressure the magdk.