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

Bash > Vorpal Scythe > Transfixion > Spiral Hell > Darkness > Entropy/Anguta > Umbra/Darkness

Bash > Power Slash > Transfixion > Resolution > Grav > Ground Strike/Torcleaver > Darkness

Fixed the GS one.

No, I meant I'm 90% sure it always procs, with the other 10% chance being SE doing one of their weird backwards decisions on how it works.

Added them to the list on the previous page. I can already see myself trying some of these.


Ah yes, the SE factor. I'm sure we'll find out in a few days. I suggest anyone who has +2/+3 hands try some of these skillchains, and let us know if it fails. It shouldn't fail, but it'd be nice to know if it's a guaranteed skillchain every three minutes.

Another neat trick is when you're doing something tough solo, you can build 3000 TP with Great Axe beforehand, and then on pop do:

Sekkanoki > Weapon Bash > Upheaval > MB NV/DS Drain III > 2000-3000 TP Armor Break, then switch to Scythe or GSD. Lets you start the battle with 3000-6000+ extra HP and mob defense -25%.

I frequently run with a Mythic Warrior so I can set him up while I get my HP Boost. We will have fun with this.

This is a meta I could get behind.
Gosh dang it, I skipped a step in that Scythe one too. My brain is out of it today.
Transfixion > Spiral (Scission) = Disto > Entropy (Gravitation) = Darkness > Entropy/Quietus (Umbra/Darkness) = Umbra/Darkness

Sorry about that...

Edit: I'm losing credibility with every post. Fixed it once more... I'm gonna just link this page. This is what I use for coming up with SCs. Learn the elements and combine them lol.

No worries Gobbo. Updated the post, and also updated the gear post on page 134 as I finally got Kishar Ring tonight. We had fun with Weapon Bash as well.

Bash > Power Slash > Transfixtion > Resolution leads to a Distortion skillchain not Gravitation.

Great Swords are missing weaponskills with key properties to make Darkness related skillchains. You can do Bash > Power Slash > Transfixion > Resolution > Distortion > Scourge > Fusion > Resolution > Light > Torcleaver/Scourge > Double Light instead.

your wish has been granted, allow us time to make pretty little tables for it real quick.

Yeah I was having a stroke yesterday. Remember! May is Stroke Awareness month '-')


Make a note this is only doable with Ragnarok. Caladbolg users are kind SOL in this regard since Impaction takes a back seat to the other elements for GS.

Unrelated to this lovely gem, Raumoko and I would like confirmation on if heathen legs +1 need to be on for just activation of the ja(my belief) or if they need to be on for the spell itself (his belief). I cannot check myself and would like a third party to follow up. I do believe I asked this question long ago however but pls confirm.

I haven't checked that specifically, but every other similar JA enhancement requires that the related item be on for the spell's midcast.

Went surfing through old posts on this thread, page 118 please have a look, have we been wrong this whole time?

The pants only need to be on when using the JA.

I asked this same question and got the answer that it needs to be on midcast, but you can change at the very last second to something else. Seen as I didn't have the means to do that, I decided to keep the Dark Seal head and Nether Void legs in for Drain 3 to ensure it works.

If we don't need to have them on for the cast (which is what I originally assumed), then I can change my Drain 3 macro to have something else in the head and legs slot. Would love it if someone can confirm this with stone cold facts (lots of numbers, screenshots etc), because the answer is different depending on who you ask.

Artifact head needs to be on for a) the fast cast effect and b) the duration bonus. I use it in the full pre/mid when using ds otherwise pin×1 or af+3 (drain/aspir or abs)

Heathens +1 I use purely in the activation of nethervoid only, the actual casting is precast-odyssean fast cast=>> eschite(dark skill 20 macc23 +path D for fc and lolmab lolconserve mp).

I don't use gearswap or ashita. Purely vanilla (egads! Gasps!) and as such I constantly tweak my sets to ensure everything fires properly (I have 68% fast cast currently, every time I add or lose some I need to readjust everything...). Things like runes inspiration or mobs cast slow (things that effect cast speeds) really *** me up though and I don't/can't use quick cast stuff since it screws the swaps.

It's not hard to see the difference with absorbs.

Pants for JA and cast = 49 stat absorb
Pants for JA, but not cast = 49 stat absorb

I'm guessing this is sarcasm? It reads like it .. but I've been wrong before. If it's not .. apologies! The tone of a comment isn't always so easy to translate.


Yeah so from this I'm definitely changing my Drain 3 set. Don't think I can pre cast the Dark Seal head and change it to a Hairpin midcast, but at least I can change the legs to something more useful. Probably Eschite legs for me.

In light of this I changed my Drain 3 set on page 134.

Ty kind sir.

ItemSet 351950


This what I use after having activated nv with heathens. Don't bother with fast cast swap since the ds merits/fallen head+1 give enough cast speed alone and eschite has some

Dude you really need to get Ratri Feet, it extends the duration of Drain 3 to the point you'll always have Dark Seal/Nether Void ready by the time the HP boost drops.

Also I was wondering about Excelsis vs. Archon. I have to admit, I've never gone out and tried to beat Arch DL (oh the blasphemy!) although I do have a pop for it. So it comes down to Drain/Aspir potency +5% vs. Dark Elemental Magic Accuracy+5 Dark Elemental "Magic Atk. Bonus"+5. If Archon is easily better I may have to go visit Arch with a Summoner friend, otherwise I'm happy with what I got.

Lol I know I know I'm just finishing up the shield quest myself and making my own is all. :) wanna sign em lol ls and I already farmed up all my mats but I was having a real lack of playtime this month with work and then when I was on I was farming vwatch/htb for caladbolg. Ill make em all fairly soon. Life is a marathon after all lol

Edit: archon is because its a different part of the equation (dark affinity +5, use it for infernal scythe and leaden salute as well)

Archon is definitely better. Drain/Aspir Potency only increases the range, so it really only wins if you roll in the upper or lower bounds of the range where you'll see a boost where Dark Potency+5% will always increase your damage.

Also Ratri DOES has a downside, if your Drain set is weak, you'll have a harder time getting past your max HP increase for the permanent buff. It mostly doesn't matter, but it's something to consider. Like maybe we would want to use HP down to counter that 380 HP deficit in the ear or waist slot.

Also when Magic Bursting, Mujin Band + Static Earring will beat Abyssal Earring and Evanescence Ring.

Nah, Drain/Aspir Potency is a straight percentage increase, just like Dark Elemental Magic Attack Bonus.

Archon Ring is still better, because the stat of the two that you have lower of is stronger in equal amounts, and you'll almost always have more total Drain/Aspir potency than Dark Elemental MAB (especially when using Relic head for the Dark Seal augment instead of Pixie Hairpin +1).

Static Earring will beat either of your two earrings on Magic Burst, but Evanescence Ring will beat Mujin Band regardless.

Yeah this is what I thought, which is why I kept my Arch DL pop for so long. I have Corsair too, so I really should have one for that .. but I keep forgetting. I'm going to have to ask a friend to come solo it though, as I can't be arsed to gear my BST. Unless it's easily soloed on a job master THF with trusts? I don't know.

Using my Drain 3 set on page 134, would there be any other pieces you'd switch for a MB situation? With this Weapon Bash update, I'm going to be MBing Drain 3 way more frequently, so I should have that ready.

If you're willing to spend the gil, Austerity Belt +1 is a minor upgrade for Drains over Casso Sash.

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/348470

This is my set for MBing. I got super lucky with Dark Matter augments and got MB Dmg+15% on Valorous Greaves. Anguta AM is pretty sweet too since that adds 10% MB Dmg at 3k TP, when MBing I could easily hit around 6-7k and max out my HP. It's so fun.

Do you generally have Voidstorm for this set?

Swapping Mujin Band out for Evanescence Ring will give you higher numbers, and Eschite Cuisses (Path D) would be a minor magic accuracy and fast cast upgrade.