StamBlade Main out of water, rate my StamDK?

ArchMikem · February 2023

90% of my PvP experience is with my Nightblade, and I've dabbled with MagSorc, but playing a DK for me is outta left field, so here's my attempt at somewhat of a brawler, with CP into Thaumaturge for the poison and Dawnbreaker DoTs. Can I at least get a Chernobyl not great/not terrible?

Brrrofski · February 2023

While dot damage is nice, bust is king.

So I wouldn't use two sets that buff claw and breath, personally.

DK definitely benefits from being more hybrid, using whip and flames of oblivion. None of your sets buff these, nor your healing.

Leap is too good of an ult to use DB instead, imo.

Also, I personally wouldn't use chudan. DK armour buff is one of the best. Firstly, having it active increases your healing due to the passives from the skill line. Secondly,city brings NBs out of stealth.

OBJnoob · February 2023

Not great, sorry.

Like others have/will say, don't focus on DoT or Poison damage. DO it, if that's what you want, but get gear with more universal bonuses.

Necrotech_Master · February 2023

swamp raider is OK, and actually probably works better on a NB bow ganker, but like the others suggest i would rely on dots in pvp so deadly would not be the best option

if you wanted bursty that still fit with this poison theme, you could do swamp raider + scavenging demise (so when poison dmg crits, it does the big burst, and will hit harder because of swamp raider)

FirmamentOfStars · February 2023

Those sets are pretty bad imo for a dk and this is nothing like a brawler. This build would be more like glass cannon or cannon fodder.
If you want to play some brawler spec, use sets like daedric trickery or maras balm and bloodspawn as monsterset. then let your damage being carried by sea-serpents coil.

Thecompton73 · February 2023

Are you dead set on the character being so stamina focused? Because if you really want to experience how strong DK can be in PvP going Hybrid is the way to go. No matter what else you decide to do though you've got to somehow get more crit resist. Otherwise meta NB's stacking crit damage are going to be a big problem.

I actually like the trade off of using Mighty Chudan to free up a slot on the bar and save the magic it costs to cast every 20 seconds, plus you're not going to suddenly turn into a squishy in the middle of a fight because you forget to buff in time. As for the 12% healing passive casting Coag every 20 seconds keeps that up.

I think you could get away with running Deadly Strike but definitely ditch the Swamp Raider. As others have said your poison damage, even buffed, just isn't going to do enough to warrant using 5 piece set to do so.

I'm using Rally cry+3 pieces Witch-Knight, 1 monster piece for penetration, and Bloodlords embrace. I'm using Vatestran Ice staff back bar for blocking and to get Major breach, all elemental status effects and the channeled Dot from a free cast. Hitting someone with the BloodLord curse gives me infinite block on my bb while they attack me. Then I'm running Master DW daggers front and using Rending Slashes as a spammable that also applies a strong dot and hemorrhage. I really like the setup, I'm not the unbeatable monster some players are on a DK but I'm pretty new to the class as well. So even though I know I can improve quite a bit just from experience I still feel like it's a great balance of defense, regen and damage. I just have to make sure I keep all my defensive buffs up otherwise I turn into a squishy.

Lastly I highly highly recommend making Corrosive your go to ulti. It gives you great survivability and your direct damage attacks ignore armor resistances completely. Having someone dotted up while you've got 3 stacks of seething going then popping corrosive and using your unblockable stun so you can land the fully charged whip is just a brutal combo. If they survive the whip corrosive is still up and FoO spam is like auto target direct damage heat seeking missiles that hit hard enough to finish usually.