(Don't) Fear The Reaper: A Dark Knight Guide

Had to say it, one of my best friends is a Main Drk and another very good friend also i think he wrote the OP in fact :-)

I think the item most exciting is the dark duration 20/25% on the new feet. If this affects our spikes/drain3/abs then score!

SE has just been genius though,
Some people were arguing scythe dmg were poor and needed a boost, more likely the scythe ws category with their shitty mod ( 60% STR/MND, 85% INT, 60% STR/INT, 20% STR/INT ...)
scythe skill ( acc for scythe only) and WSD+ is awesome, and might bring this weapon category on to the same level of GS now.

for once i actually feel like i leveld the right craft after all, new set is alch based and seems like need ki from the shield quests to make it looks like ill be working hard this month

i actually like the set but then again i am an apoc user and its needed a hand up, i also use a very scary, as in its gotten me killed several times, scarlet delerium set

overall i can see myself using all the pieces at one point or another, the lack of the usual melee stats hurts but i bet lib drk are ok since theyll be more likely to try an keep am3 up

definately not a greatsword set though maybe in some situations , purely wsing etc

(forgive the typing/spelling, its late)

For those needing a drk xml for ashita, dm me and i'll get it to you.

243 ACC/270 ATT. Ignominy +3 is 200 ACC/204 ATT.

Short of DM augments for a few slots, these are most likely BiS for single hit/front loaded WSs.

From the May 2017 update:

Ratri Sallet
DEF:126 HP+410 STR+35 DEX+28 VIT+26 AGI+21 INT+26 MND+23 CHR+22 Magic Accuracy+35 Evasion+52 Magic Evasion+91 Scythe skill +44 Haste+7% "Regain"+4 Weapon skill damage +6% Damage taken +7%

Ratri Sallet +1
DEF:136 HP+510 STR+40 DEX+33 VIT+26 AGI+21 INT+26 MND+23 CHR+22 Magic Accuracy+45 Evasion+62 Magic Evasion+101 Scythe skill +54 Haste+7% "Regain"+5 Weapon skill damage +8% Damage taken +8%


Ratri Breastplate
DEF:156 HP+433 STR+43 DEX+29 VIT+30 AGI+21 INT+25 MND+25 CHR+24 Magic Accuracy+37 Evasion+60 Magic Evasion+107 Scythe skill +46 Haste+3% Weapon skill damage +8% Damage taken +13% Converts damage taken to TP +8

Ratri Breastplate +1
DEF:166 HP+533 STR+48 DEX+34 VIT+30 AGI+21 INT+25 MND+25 CHR+24 Magic Accuracy+47 Evasion+70 Magic Evasion+117 Scythe skill +56 Haste+3% Weapon skill damage +10% Damage taken +14% Converts damage taken to TP +10


Ratri Gadlings
DEF:114 HP+399 STR+23 DEX+43 VIT+34 INT+14 MND+32 CHR+24 Magic Accuracy+34 Evasion+41 Magic Evasion+80 Scythe skill +43 Haste+4% Enmity-7 Weapon skill damage +6% Damage taken +9%

Ratri Gadlings +1
DEF:124 HP+499 STR+28 DEX+48 VIT+34 INT+14 MND+32 CHR+24 Magic Accuracy+44 Evasion+51 Magic Evasion+90 Scythe skill +53 Haste+4% Enmity-10 Weapon skill damage +8% Damage taken +10%


Ratri Cuisses
DEF:138 HP+421 STR+47 VIT+21 AGI+19 INT+37 MND+19 CHR+15 Magic Accuracy+36 Evasion+49 Magic Evasion+129 Scythe skill +45 Haste+5% "Store TP"+7 Weapon skill damage +7% Damage taken +11%

Ratri Cuisses +1
DEF:148 HP+521 STR+52 VIT+21 AGI+19 INT+37 MND+19 CHR+15 Magic Accuracy+46 Evasion+59 Magic Evasion+139 Scythe skill +55 Haste+5% "Store TP"+10 Weapon skill damage +9% Damage taken +12%


Ratri Sollerets
DEF:96 HP+387 STR+24 DEX+21 VIT+17 AGI+32 MND+16 CHR+31 Magic Accuracy+33 Evasion+70 Magic Evasion+129 Scythe skill +42 Haste+3% Weapon skill damage +6% Dark magic duration+20% Damage taken +5%

Ratri Sollerets +1
DEF:106 HP+487 STR+29 DEX+26 VIT+17 AGI+32 MND+16 CHR+31 Magic Accuracy+43 Evasion+80 Magic Evasion+139 Scythe skill +52 Haste+3% Weapon skill damage +8% Dark magic duration+25% Damage taken +6%


Initial Impression: i119 Plastron set. Huge amounts of versatility. Scythe WS, HP Build for Dread Spikes, HP+ as Ammo for Souleater, DT+% for Scarlet Delirium, Dark Magic Duration. I would definitely use this set's pieces in builds where they are applicable.

In short, AG3 Apoc will let you do a lot of things a DRK normally wouldn't. Your go-to DPS option would still be something like an AG Ragnarok, AG Caladbolg, or Anguta. but for things like off-tanking, tanking adds, soloing, etc., you would essentially be building one of your most versatile tools in your box for those situations. You can even ride Souleater with it after DS-NV Drain 3.

Personally im happy with throwing gil at making a Ratri body so I can focus my limited omen cards to other things like +3AF head, not everyone has the luxury of being drk all the time in omen so this is a welcome alternate gear option. It also makes me more interested in finishing a liberator.

Just remember before you go replacing pieces, this set is only good for SCYTHE ws, not so much for your Reso/Torc sets since there is no native acc/atk at all.

Anguta says hello.

plastron reborn!!!!

also rastri/+1 feet with +20-25% dark magic duration seems really good

Good luck soloing it.

That went without saying with all the talk abou Ratri. actually no i forgot about Anguta but thanks for reminding me

fix'd anyways. o3o;

I am confused greatly by why people are saying this set is good.... I mean it has a few uses, and is worth having the whole set just for dread spikes hp. None is getting a HQ set, just get over that right now, if you can even make it each synth is 10m~ and will be T0 or 1/64 at best. That means these will sell for easily 500m at start and level out around price of HQ abj at 300m. I dont know many drk (myself included) who has that kind of gil/luck/time.


220 skill on NQ set btw, will be 198 acc / 220 attck. the +3 set (including feet which is low acc and you would not use anyhow) is 200 acc / 204 attack, plus you get an extra 18 dex which is 13~14 acc more. Now you include set bonus for +90 acc (regal ring)... then is blindingly obvious which has higher acc. I mean realistically we are talking over 100 ACC difference. Now change the feet for something like flamma+1 and we are talking upwards of 130 acc~


The WSD will be nice for cata, this could easily become a great cata set, and I believe the set as a whole is intended for apoc drks only. You can now technically hit +65% wsd, not bad since in my +50~ on cata atm it pulls decent numbers. Issue is this set has less mods than af+3 for example, or properly augged riesen gear. Which is hurt a bit.

The biggest issue is this though. Are any of us going to fulltime this set really? I mean to have that awesome +2k hp we have to TP/WS/FC/Spells/abilities/ETC all in it. The second you hit you drain3 macro, you will have just lost 2k hp.

Again this is why I think its an Apoc only set at best. You will do stuff and lose that said 2k hp, however using full set on cata will reequip (though empty) the 2k hp, at which point when cata goes off it will refill said 2k hp. However, even though that will work, with this set good luck hhaving a good tp set... your losing out on 100+ acc, then a ton of multihit, and then on your x-hit possibly 2 leveles depending on your other gear.... just to much to give up.

+2AF is 1mil in mats, and +3AF is going to run you another 8Mil in mats for reforging a body, and 60 dark cards.
A Ratri body is going to run you 5.5Mil + whatever its going to cost you to get your hands on 2 macuil plates now.
I personally have 9 macuil plates saved up, getting more or supply -wise they wont inflate beyond 1mil for long because that would make multiboxing putraxia too lucrative. So you're gonna throw somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8mil worst case for a ratri body. Thats not really too out of hand for situational gear.
My moonbeam cape ran me about that much, a pixie+1 hairpin still goes for 6m+ on the AH... I dont really start to flinch on situational gear prices until it starts breaking 10mil+

If you are 500jp into a job that youve been playing and not getting it by leeching then I think its fair to assume youve invested a fair amount of gil into the job spending 5-7mil per gearslot, +have flamma+1 and sulevia +1 and a decent array of dark matter augd ody+valorous to mix and match. With that being said, more options and situational gear is always welcome. I'm really happy that they managed to add some new gear to chase after without throwing anything else under the bus really.

Dont need to fulltime ratri pieces to make me feel like im getting my gil's worth, in the spectrum of seriously gearing drk, i still feel pretty frugal since my only hq aburation ive ever dropped gil on is carmine+1 legs.

Except it isn't a TP set. Its exclusively a WS set for the likes of Catastrophe and Cross Reaper. Which have an innate Acc+100 to the initial and important hit.

Lack of multiattack is irrelevant in this regard. Argosy +1 already exists for Entropy and Insurgency.

No one is saying these pieces will be purchased easily. It will take a while for the supply of materials to start rolling in.


Accuracy Bonus (+100)from Single Hit WS makes up for the loss of extra dex, especially in places where low accuracy is acceptable. If you can cap accuracy without Regal bonus, Ratri can win out for scythe WS.


No one is saying we're going to be fulltiming this set, either. The set is simply a collection to take into account for other builds to work off of.


When did anyone say this was going to be used for a TP Set, though? In fact, when did anyone ever use Plastron pre-abyssea for TP? I think you might be looking a little bit too much into what the excitement over this set is really about (such as a Cata set, which you've mentioned, as an example), among other utility options such as dark magic/idle/scarlet delirium/etc. There really aren't any pieces in the Ratri set that will replace any of the standard tp sets we currently have.

and Insurgency for Mythic users :)

I think the set as a whole has lots of uses and maybe some pieces may sneak their way into tp sets for -dt builds if they come out with more gear with higher -dt values. I'm kinda curious now ~

I guess your not on asura... shouts, ls, party chat etc has all been about using it. Seeing I have a good presence in the drk world I get daily tells on gear advice, now its exponentially growing due to the new set and many people reading on forums that its "great". Not directly here, but I am addressing it here. Though only 10 may post, 100's will read.

Its already been shown by Geriod on another forum, that you would not use this set for Sacrlet as you will receive a lower % due to increased HP being more detrimental and black/onyx still being king. So no, its not new scarlet gear. Plus if you change over for scarlet in a fight, which is when you would use this, you will be at 2500/4500 hp, or better said you could never take more than half your hp or you would die. Or another way to think about it, a mob hits you for 2k (good asumption if your trying for scarlet dmg) you would get like a 20% increase with this new set, while if you had taken that same 2k with onyx gear would be be around 80%, or 40% increase. Literally your halving at best your scarlet dmg.... screw that lol :D might as well not even use the gear for it IMO.

you would never idle in this, you would only ever have it do pre fight dread spikes in terms of casting stuff. SE screwed up by not making it affect abs duration like the lv70 JSE did on each. That should be enough to be upset about seeing the other sets are crazy nice for other jobs. the set had alot of potential but in the end became lacking. I find it comical that SE didnt adjust the int/mnd (if this set is really the end all, be all for scythe ws) on the HQ gear compared to NQ.

As I already said though of the whole set the feet have potential to be amazing depending on how the 20% duration is applied. I am excited for those by far. The macc too will be nice since my duration set is very low on macc. If it works like af+3 head for example, that I would get as a HQ for sure.

You need to get all Y'all muhfuckas on asura to look here then

That is indeed correct that you would use SD AFTER DS-NV Drain 3. Of we take into account that Omen Caturae are the common top-end bosses, DRK gets an advantage against them with Arcane Killer/Circle/Crest. I didn't even have Drain3 at one time and managed to attain 5K-ish HP. I can only imagine how much I'll get with Drain 3. That's definitely when you would want to take advantage of Scarlet, right before aoe TP Moves.

I wouldn't recommend using 5/5 Ratri purely for SD, though. Probably the Bodypiece for the extra TP. There's literally no reason to use Onyx anymore for it though, the lack of iLevel stats would slaughter you much faster than with.

you would actually want to take the aoe with low hp and nearly kill yourself... thats a bigger boost than high hp. The bonus is based off % hp lost, not # lost.

2k hp and you take 1500 = 75% lost or 37.5% dmg boost
5k hp and you take 2500 = 50% lost or 25.0% dmg boost

your literally losing 12.5% decrease by using drain before hand. in this fairly common omen scenario. Not to mention you mages have to now cure for an extra 1k hp, thus more hate for them, etc. Onyx is still BiS scarlet gear, not only does it lower your hp, but it drastically increases your dmg taken due to ilv stat, and the +dmg taken.

Oh, gross. I could've sworn ftp transferred on Insurgency. The ***, SE.

Insurgency would be the most broken WS in the game if fTP transferred. With Liberator, it'd be a 33.6 fTP WS 2750 TP, with 8.4 FTP more for every double attack.

Comparing the Ratri set to what I have. I will not be using any of 'em for TP or WS due to a severe lack of accuracy even when using Scythe. Catastrophe is the exception, but I don't have Apoc so it doesn't matter. Firstly, I'll be looking at the Magic Accuracy values for Drain/Aspir & Absorb sets.

Sallet +1: Has 45 MACC, but means using over Relic Head (with Dark Seal) or Pixie Hairpin. AF+3 (I got +2 and saving cards) is miles better for Absorbs. - Will not use.

Breastplate +1: While it has slightly more magic accuracy than Carmine Scale Mail, it does not have any skill for extra duration. +1 Carmine easily beats it .. if you can get hold of it. - NQ is acceptable if you cannot defeat Duke Vepar for the abjuration, or do not have Flamma Body +1.

Gadlings +1: DRK lacks magic accuracy options here. You can use Flamma Hands +1 for +37, or a dark matter augmented Ody/Valor. The +1 has 44 MACC so is worth using for Drains (although some players may prefer Relic +1 for the Drain/Aspir Potency) and Absorbs. However .. if/when SE introduces +2/+3 Relic Hands they will lose appeal. - Would use for casting spells til something better comes along.

Cuisses +1: Again, DRK lacks magic accuracy options in this slot. You'd be using Empy Legs for the Nether Void boost, otherwise you're looking at Flamma Legs for MACC or Black/Onyx Cuisses for Absorb Duration. You will gain 7 MACC using the HQ over Flamma. - For when you feel the target is resistant, it will help land Drain or Absorb better without the need for Dark Seal. I could use 'em but they wouldn't see as much use as the hands.

Sollerets +1: Wow .. amazing. Ok, so the +1 gives 1 less MACC than +2 Artifact feet, but it has Dark Magic Duration +25% which is unique. Likely to work for Absorbs and Drain 3's HP boost, making it deliciously sought after for anyone serious about casting. EDIT: It might increase Endark's duration .. which we can get away with as we don't get Dark Magic Skill+ options in this slot. - Must have piece .. even the NQ is worthy. Will get it first.

And now on to other uses .. like the HP stats.

Body (+533): Firstly, I cannot figure out whether +533 HP beats Dread Spikes Potency +35%. I'm guessing the more HP you have on cast .. the less likely it will. I'd stick with the Empyrean Body +1 for now .. you never know when SE will introduce Empy +2 and +3s.

Head (510): We have Ganesha's Mask which gives 4% HP .. so the more we have the better it gets. We only get +200 for every 5000 HP, so even at 9999 it's only worth +400. The NQ head beats it with 410 HP so is worth getting to replace the mask.

Hands (+499), Legs (+521), Feet (+487): I'm using Acro Gauntlets (with high HP augment), Gorney Legs +1, and Amm Greaves with HP augment. Even the NQ pieces destroy what I have, so I'll get those at least.

And we have to talk about the other use ..

Souleater: Can't use the head as Artifact has Souleater+. Could use the rest .. but (if using +1s) +42 Damage Taken is excessive considering you'll be losing HP each swing as well.

I'd only use during Souleater + Blood Weapon combination (for the fun.. not on anything dangerous) with Dacnomania or Apoc. The bottom line is .. they are so good for Souleater but you have to be careful. Stick a health warning sticker on .. and tell the WHM if you die it's not their fault.

Last thing I'm going to say .. don't TP in Ratri. For the love of all that is emo .. do not put strain on your healer unless you have a death wish or they are the kinda person who deserves the abuse. Thanks.

I had its ftp mixed up with Entropy.

I'm unsure why soloing would be included in the usefulness of a weapon or its DPS output.

He has the Aspergers, and is reflecting his own limitations onto you.