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Class guides are a rough explanation of the class, designed to give you an idea of the class and what you should be aiming for. You should really adapt the guide and follow your own instincts to match your play style!
I highly recommend looking at as many different sources as possible. The class discords are a great place to start, most have their own guides and resources as well as plenty of skilled players willing to help with questions.
The Dark Knight class uses a two-handed Kriegsmesser as their primary weapon and an Ornamental Knot as their secondary weapon (same offhand as Berserker). At level 56, the Dark Knight unlocks their awakening weapon which is a Vediant glove and allows her to use three swords with magic. The Dark Knight class uses melee range to slash at their enemies as well as dark magical mid-ranged spells. She is often compared to the Sorceress class because of her dark magic and playstyle. They have very high mobility and plenty of AoE with fast clear speed, as well as high burst damage once awakened. But they do have low defenses and can be somewhat of a glass cannon. The class relies heavily on on their protected skills (forward guards and Super Armor) and kiting, whilst trading damage at close range.
Awakening VS Succession
Dark Knight Succession and Awakening can be unlocked after level 56 after speaking to the Black Spirit and completing the Awakening and Succession quests under the suggestions tab.
- The Awakening will unlock a completely new skill tree, which will be your primary skills from now on. The skills in the pre-awakening are mostly utility skills, and your main damage dealers will be your Awakening skills.
- The Succession skill kit enhances your Kriegsmesser skills instead and only has a few awakening skills.
Your awakening weapon still affects your succession damage and vice versa. For example, if you are using the Succession kit, then 30% of your Awakening AP is still applied to the damage of Succession skills, as well as the additional item stats on the awakening weapon, such as Human/Species Damage and Accuracy.
Awakening and Succession are both fairly equal in PVE and both have advantages/disadvantages for PVP that makes it hard to say which is better. I recommend playing both and deciding which you prefer.
Skill Builds
Since the skill point update in late 2022, you can obtain all skills for approximately 1,000 skill points. Focus on your main skills first, then level the passives. The Weight Training skill should be leveled last since it only gives you weight limit increase.
[Click to Show/Hide] Dark Knight Awakening Build - 1005 Skill Points
[Click to Show/Hide] Dark Knight Succession Build - 1002 Skill Points
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Protected Skills
It is important to read through your skills to understand which skills have protection and crowd control effects. Read through your skills carefully to get familiar with what each skill does. You can also filter the different effects in the Skill Window (K).
Super armor (SA)
- This means you cannot be crowd controlled while this effect is active (except grab/grapple), but you will still take damage from any attacks
Forward guard (FG)
- This means you will block damage and crowd control effects coming from the front direction of your character. The block can be broken if you take enough damage and you will see a blue shield with a number, indicating the % left of the block.
- Some classes have an “S block”. This means you will automatically use Forward Guard when moving backward with “S”.
Invincible (I-frame)
- This means that you will not take damage and cannot be crowd controlled from any direction for the duration of the effect
PVE Iframe
Evasion,
Dusk,
Chain: Dusk, and
Phantasmal Snare are also “PVE Iframes”, which means these skills have a 1-second invincibility effect against monsters only, even if you spam the skill repeatedly.
Locked Skills
To lock a skill, press the lock icon on the top of each skill icon in the skill window (K).
These are the skills I recommend locking to help prevent messing up combos during PVP.
Evasion
Scarring Slash
Spirit Satiation
Sudden Attack
Darkness Burst (if you have not completed Magnus)
Hidden Strike (optional)
Trap of Vedir (awakening only – put on hotbar instead)
Flow: Spirit Blaze
Hotbar Skills
These are the minimum skills I recommend putting on your hotbar.
You may also want to put more skills on your hotbar and cooldown slots to keep track of them. For more information about how to do this, check out our Edit UI and Settings Guide.
Awakening:
Wheel of Fortune, Lunacy of Vedir, Nocturne, Balanced Strike, Shadow Strike, Trap of Vedir, Flow Spirit Blaze
Succession:
Lunacy of Vedir, Balanced Strike, Spirit Absorption, Spirit Legacy, Nocturne
Core Skills
Core skills are a way of upgrading 1 skill from your awakening skill kit.
Core skills are usually down to preference but most players choose Seed of Catastrophe.
Core: Touch of Exploitation: Bound on last good hit.
Core: Spirit Hunt: Stiffness on good hits.
Core: Spirit Blaze: Forward Guard while using skill
Core: Shattering Darkness: Stiffness on good hits.
Core: Seed of Catastrophe: Super Armor during the skill.
Core: Spirit Legacy: Stun on good hits
Skill Enhancement (Rabam) Skills
Skill Enhancement skills can be obtained in the Skill Window (K) under the “Skill Enhancement” tab at the top. At levels 56, 57, and 58, you will have 2 different options to choose between. These skills have no skill points cost, but you have to have other skills leveled up to be able to take them.
Level 56 – [SHIFT + X]
Shadow Strike – Requires [Luncay of Vedir] and [Shadow Bullet II]
- (Preferred Choice)
Wrath of Vedir – Requires [Luncay of Vedir] and [Corrupt Ground V]
I would recommend trying out both of these skills and testing which you prefer. Shadow Strike is a quick skill with ranged DPS and also has the edge over Wrath of Vedir due to it being cancellable.
Level 57 – [SHIFT + Z]
Obsidian Blaze – Requires [Wheel of Fortune V] and [Obsidian Ashes V]
- (Preferred Choice)
Unveiled Fate – Requires [Wheel of Fortune V] and [Unveiled Dagger III]
Both of these skills are quite lackluster but Obsidian Blaze is a slightly better choice out of the two skills because of it’s super armor. Unveiled Fate can leave you vulnerable and it’s much safer and faster to just use the combo: Unveiled Dagger into Wheel of Fortune
Level 58 – [Quickslot Only]
Balanced Strike – Requires [Slanted Balance III] and [Airstrike III]
- (Preferred Choice)
Slanted Slash – Requires [Slanted Balance III] and [Kamasylvia Slash IV]
The recommended choice is Balanced Strike because it is basically an extra Airstrike and can be canceled with Dusk. You can also cast it from Awakening. Although Slanted Slash has a forward guard, it is only on the first hit, while the CC of the skill is on the 2nd hit, so it is unprotected and vulnerable if you want to use it fully.
Skill Add-ons
Below are some examples of PVE skill add-ons you can take.
If you would like example skill add-ons for other scenarios, please refer to the Class Discord and its resources.
I recommend experimenting with your add-ons and figuring out what is best for you because it really depends on your personal preference and how you play your class. If you’re simply not sure what to take then you can blindly follow the examples below and they will still be effective.
You can also check our Skill Add-on guide for a complete list of Skill Add-ons.
Awakening PVE Add-ons (Credit: Sieg) | |
---|---|
Air Strike I | Extra AP Against Monsters +20 for 7 sec |
Attack/Casting Speed +7% for 7 sec | |
Spirit Legacy I | All DP -15 for 10 sec for target |
Critical Hit Rate +20% for 7 sec | |
Shattering Darkness I | Back Attack Damage +3% for 5 sec |
Critical Hit Damage +3% for 5 sec | |
Seed of Catastrophe I | Back Attack Damage +3% for 5 sec |
Critical Hit Damage +3% for 5 sec | |
Cluster of Despair | Extra AP Against Monsters +30 for 7 sec |
Critical Hit Rate +30% for 7 sec | |
Trap of Vedir | Extra AP Against Monsters +20 for 7 sec |
All DP -15 for 20 sec for target |
Succession PVE Add-ons: (Credit: Emi) | |
---|---|
Air Strike I | Extra AP Against Monsters +20 for 7 sec |
Attack/Casting Speed +7% for 7 sec | |
Prime: Twilight Dash | Attack/Casting Speed +7% for 7 sec |
Critical Hit Damage +3% for 5 sec | |
Wheel of Forturne I | Crital Hit Rate +20% for 7 sec |
All DP -15 for 10 sec for target | |
Ravage Rake I | Extra AP Against Monsters +20 for 7 sec |
Crital Hit Rate +20% for 7 sec | |
Enforcement I | Back Attack Damage +3% for 5 sec |
Critical Hit Damage +3% for 5 sec | |
Lunacy of Vedir | Extra AP Against Monsters +20 for 7 sec |
Attack/Casting Speed +7% for 7 sec |
Weapons
Mainhand Weapon | Details |
---|---|
![]() Tuvala Kriegsmesser | Tuvala Weapons are obtained through Season Servers and are the best starting weapons. If you are a new or returning player, I would recommend creating a Season Character. |
![]() Kzarka Kriegsmesser | Kzarka is a boss weapon that you will upgrade your Tuvala weapon into. It is a great weapon for PVX. |
![]() Offin Tett Kriegsmesser | Offin Tett is a boss weapon alternative. Most players tend to pick Kzarka. The difference is that Offin has slightly more AP which can help you reach the higher AP brackets more easily, in return, you lose accuracy, which can be fine on certain classes that don’t rely on accuracy too much. If you are unsure of which weapon to go for, just go with Kzarka. |
![]() Blackstar Kriegsmesser | Blackstar is the best in slot PVE weapon. Godr-Ayed weapons are an alternative to Blackstar weapons, with the same stats but a different enhancing method. You can swap from a PEN Kzarka to a TET Blackstar and it will still perform better in PVE due to the additional monster damage. The monster damage applies to both your pre-awakening and awakening skills, even though it is a main-hand weapon. Unlike boss weapons, you cannot put caphras into this weapon, but it has a higher base AP. PEN Blackstars are also the hardest weapons to enhance. |
Awakening Weapon | Details |
---|---|
Tuvala Vediant | Tuvala Weapons are obtained through Season Servers and are the best starting weapons. If you are a new or returning player, I would recommend creating a Season Character. |
Dandelion Vediant | Dandelion is a boss weapon which you will upgrade your Tuvala weapon into. It is a great weapon for PVX. You can also enhance this weapon with a Garmoth’s Heart to make it a Fiery weapon and unlock extra Crystal slots. |
Blackstar Vediant | Blackstar is the best in slot PVE weapon. Godr-Ayed weapons are an alternative to Blackstar weapons, with the same stats but a different enhancing method. Like the main-hand Blackstar weapon, the awakening Blackstar has additional monster damage. However, it has less monster damage than the main-hand, so usually players prioritize getting the main-hand one first, or may choose to only use the main-hand Blackstar weapon. |
Offhand Weapon | Details |
---|---|
Tuvala Ornamental Knot | Tuvala Weapons are obtained through Season Servers and are the best starting weapons. If you are a new or returning player, I would recommend creating a Season Character. |
Kutum Ornamental Knot | Kutum is the offhand weapon you should get first and should swap your Tuvala offhand for. The Kutum weapons have a mixture of AP and DP with additional monster damage. This makes them great for PVE and they are also good in PVP when running hybrid evasion builds on certain classes. You can also enhance this weapon with a Garmoth’s Heart to make it a Fiery weapon with extra stats. |
Nouver Ornamental Knot | Nouver is your PVP offhand. It is considered the best in slot for PVP in most classes due to its high AP. You can also enhance this weapon with a Garmoth’s Heart to make it a Fiery weapon with extra stats. |
Blackstar Ornamental Knot | Blackstar offhands are another choice for PVE. Godr-Ayed weapons are an alternative to Blackstar weapons, with the same stats but a different enhancing method. However, when you compare a PEN Blackstar offhand with a PEN Kutum (Caphras 20), there is very little difference between the two. Blackstars are known to be the hardest weapons in the game to enhance, and obtaining a PEN Kutum with caphras level 20 is much more obtainable, for this reason, it is not recommended to go with a Blackstar offhand at the moment and would be an endgame goal for very few players. |
Armor
For your armor, you will make a choice between Damage Reduction or Evasion gear. I recommend reading our guide about the two different DP stats if you want to learn what the two different stats do.
Generally, you are recommended to build Damage Reduction on Dark Knight.
Armor | Details |
---|---|
Tuvala Set
| Tuvala Armors are obtained through Season Servers and are the best starting armors. If you are a new or returning player, I would recommend creating a Season Character. |
Boss Set (Damage Reduction)
| This boss set is the most popular boss set to go for after graduating from Season. This set is focuses on Damage Reduction, which is viable on all classes. Classes which should always pick damage reduction:
This is because these classes either have bad base evasion or have shields that scale well with Damage Reduction. ** Choosing the Red Nose Armor is recommended instead of Dim Tree to save you silver later on, since it requires far fewer caphras to get to caphras level 10. |
Boss Set (Evasion)
| This boss set is the evasion build boss set. If you are unsure of which to pick, the general answer is to just go with the Damage Reduction set. Evasion is only considered good on certain classes:
and can be considered viable on other classes in return for less damage:
** Choosing the Red Nose Armor is recommended instead of Dim Tree to save you silver later on, since it requires far fewer caphras to get to caphras level 10. |
Fallen God Armor | Fallen God Armor is the best in slot armor piece. It will eventually replace your Red Nose armor. To make the Fallen God Armor, you will need a Flame of Despair and a PEN Red Nose or Dim Tree Armor with level 10 caphras. This is why it is recommended to go with Red Nose, since it costs fewer caphras to get to caphras level 10. |
Labreska Helmet | Labreska Helmet is the best in slot helmet piece. It will eventually replace your Giath/Griffon helmet. To make the Labreska helmet you will need a Flame of Frost and a PEN Giath or Griffon Helmet with level 10 caphras. Both of these helmets require the same amount of caphras to get to level 10. |
Accessories
There are various different accessories in the game. At first, just focus on using the accessories that give you the highest AP in each slot.
There are also “free” accessories that all new players should get:
Accessory | How to obtain |
---|---|
![]() | Tuvala accessories are starter accessories obtained from the Season Server. Try to push up your accessories to PEN if possible, but if you don’t have much time to play Season, then focus on your Weapons and Armor first. |
![]() | You can obtain a FREE PEN Capotia Accessory from the Season Servers Special Reward. For your first season, it is recommended to get the PEN Capotia Necklace because it gives the most AP. You then want to create another Season character in the next season to get the PEN Capotia Belt, and finally the PEN Capotia Ring or Earring. |
![]() | You can obtain a PEN Ring of Crescent Guardian by completing Jetina’s PEN Accessory quests. These are daily quests that take a minimum of 45 days to complete. Every new and returning player should complete these as early as possible for a highly discounted PEN accessory. |
Common Starter PVE accessories:
- TET Black Distortion Earrings
- TET Basilisk’s Belt (or PEN Capotia Belt)
- TET Ring of Crescent Guardian
- TET Ogre Ring/Laytenn’s Necklace (or PEN Capotia Necklace).
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Crystals
Below is an example starter Crystal build for PVE. Some of the crystals are expensive. You can obtain the Rebellious Crystal by completing the main story questline. For more example crystal builds, including an end-game PVE crystal build, and PVP Crystal builds, check our Crystal Preset Guide.
Ah’krad Crystal x2
Rebellious Spirit Crystal x2
Red Battlefield Crystal: Adamantine x2
Ancient Magic Crystal of Crimson Flame – Power x2
Dark Red Fang Crystal – Valor x2
Corrupted Magic Crystal x2
- Max HP +350
- All AP +34
- All Accuracy +6
- Extra Damage to Monsters +20
- Hidden Damage Reduction -4
- Knockdown/Bound Resistance +50%
- Stun/Stiffness/Freezing Resistance +10%
- Critical Hit Level +4
- Critical Hit Damage +22%
- Skill EXP +10%
This is an example PVP Build for Dark Knights using Damage Reduction Armors and going full Human Damage (glass cannon). For more example crystal builds, check our Crystal Preset Guide or the Class Discord.
Glorious Crystal of Gallantry – Olucas x2
Red Spirit Crystal x2
Crystal of Elkarr x2
Corrupted Magic Crystal x2
JIN: Magic Crystal – Viper x2
Red Battlefield Crystal: Viper x2
Red Battlefield Crystal: Carmae x2
Ancient Spirit’s Crystal – Swiftness x1
- All accuracy +70
- Ignore All Resistance +20%
- Max HP +200
- All AP +14
- Extra Damage to Humans +56
- All Damage Reduction -4
- Critical Hit Damage +22%
- Attack, Casting Speed +2%
- Attack Speed +6
- Casting Speed +4
- Critical Hit +2
- Movement Speed +2
Artifacts and Lightstones
There are few different viable choices for both Artifacts and Lightstone combos. Dark Knight is the “Magic Damage” type so you want to go for Magic Accuracy and Magic Damage for offensive artifacts.
For PVE Lighstones there are a few different options to min-max. For certain spots, you may want to use Species damage combos (eg. The Wild: Demihumans, The Wild: Kamaslyvia, The Wild: Humans). Species damage combos perform better if you are reaching the monster AP caps at a certain zone.
A more generic PVE combo is listed below that is recommended for your class and will work at any spot.
You can also find more information about Artifacts and Lightstones, and how to obtain them, in our guide. We also have a list of Best in slot Artifacts and Lightstones.
Artifacts for PVE:
Marsh’s Artifact – Extra AP Against Monsters
- (Extra Damage to Monsters +6)
Lesha’s Artifact – Monster Damage Reduction
- (Monster Damage Reduction +9)
Artifacts for PVP:
Marsh’s Artifact – Magic AP
- (Magic AP +4)
Marsh’s Artifact – Magic Accuracy
- (Magic Accuracy +8)
PVE Lightstone Combo | |
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[Deathblow]![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Total Combo Effects: Monster AP +16 Critical Hit Chance +14% |
PVP Lightstone Combo | |
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[Target Openings]![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Total Combo Effects: All AP +10 All Accuracy +16 Maximum Stamina +100 Critical Damage +6% |
Useful Links/Credits
I highly recommend checking out theDark Knight Class Discord for resources about your class. The class discords always have the most up-to-date information and tons of experienced players that can help with questions or gearing advice. I would like to give a shoutout to the Staff and Experienced players in the Dark Knight discord for all their hard work gathering resources. You can find some of their own guides below. I honestly cannot recommend enough to join the discord.
Useful links to check out:
- Official Dark Knight Forums
- Awakening DK Movement Guide by JStep
- DK Combos Guide by Harshsin
- Dark Knight Beginner Guide by Jonlaw98
- Succession DK Guide by NotTheWorst
- Awakening DK Guide by NotTheWorst
- Succession DK Addons and Combos by TEST
PVP Montage Videos:
Credits Disclaimer: Since there are now 26 BDO classes, it is impossible for me to keep class guides fully maintained. My main class is Ranger and I don’t claim to be the best in any class. Therefore, I use resources and recommendations from the Class discords since (as all other players would agree) this is the best source. I also ask for advice from friends who are more experienced in the class. Where possible, I credit specific players for information such as Add-ons, and combos. However, sometimes there is no player mentioned as the original sharer. If there are any issues with credit or you would like certain information removed/changed, please reach out to me!
Sure thing! Here's a breakdown of the concepts discussed in the article:
-
Introduction: General overview and recommendation to adapt the guide to suit individual playstyles.
-
Awakening vs. Succession:
- Explanation of how these unlock at level 56 and their impact on skill sets.
- Different effects and abilities each path offers in both PvE and PvP scenarios.
-
Skill Builds:
- The update allowing acquisition of all skills with approximately 1,000 skill points.
- Prioritization of main skills over passives and utility skills.
-
Protected Skills:
- Explanations and effects of protections like super armor (SA), forward guard (FG), and invincibility (I-frame) in various situations.
- Skills categorized as PvE invincibility frames.
-
Locked Skills:
- Importance and method of locking specific skills to avoid disrupting combos in PvP.
-
Hotbar Skills:
- Minimum recommended skills to place on the hotbar for ease of access and cooldown tracking.
-
Core Skills:
- Upgrading a specific skill from the awakening skill kit, with various preferences among players.
-
Skill Enhancement (Rabam) Skills:
- Level-specific options for skill enhancement, providing insights into preferred choices and their advantages.
-
Skill Add-ons:
- Examples of PvE skill add-ons and the importance of personal preference in selecting these enhancements.
-
Weapons:
- Details about different weapons for mainhand, awakening, and offhand slots, including their functionalities and optimal choices.
-
Armor:
- Discussion of Damage Reduction vs. Evasion gear and specific recommendations for different sets based on playstyle.
-
Accessories:
- Guidance on obtaining various accessories and their progression, along with recommendations for optimal setups.
-
Crystals:
- Example starter crystal builds for PvE and PvP, with detailed effects and bonuses for different situations.
-
Artifacts and Lightstones:
- Suggestions on artifacts and lightstone combos for PvE and PvP, focusing on maximizing damage output or survivability.
-
Useful Links/Credits:
- Links to resources, class discords, guides, PvP montage videos, and credits to contributors and sources.
This comprehensive guide covers every aspect of Dark Knight gameplay, from skills and enhancements to gear progression and accessory choices, aiming to assist players in maximizing their effectiveness in both PvE and PvP scenarios.