Things ive learned as a dark elf sk
 

Hey guys just thought I would share some tips on low level shadowknights that work for me. I'm going to break them up by broad topics so here goes.

SOCIAL:
1. Group up early and often it is much faster, safer, and and you can make friends this way.
2. When you go the EC to peddle your wares dont just pay attention to the people buying what you're selling or selling what you're buying. Watch for the alchemists, jewelcrafters, and tailors who are advertising. Add them to your friends list so you can hit them up when your ready to buy 10 dose sow, or 5ac/55hp rings, or weight reduction bags. Or if you come across some loot you know they need as a mat so you can make some money (HQ bear skins come to mind here).
3. If you happen to be in a group with another sk inspect him and watch how he plays so you can ask for advice or offer your own tips.
4. Befriend your healers. Self explanatory.

HOTKEYS
1. Make them!
2. At the very least make these ones, /assist, /g Incoming giant rat!, /shout Train to zoneline from (insert current camp here), /pet backoff and /pet attack together on one. and quick item change buttons, for example i have a runed bone fork normally in my range slot but sometimes i wanna pop off a few arrows, so i have a key with my range slot and one with the inventory slot that contains my bow so i can switch them out without ever opening my inventory.

COMBAT
1. You wont always be the main tank, deal with it.
2. Your pet will piss off the enchanter sometimes. (thats where that pet hotkey comes into effect)
3. Dont spam taunt. It's tempting i know but if you do you will run into the situation where you need it to be ready and its still on cooldown.
4. Dont underestimate disease cloud, I know this has been said before but this you aggro generator.
5. Use siphon strength, it is a buff for you and a debuff for the mob! You will hit a bit harder and it will hit a bit softer.
6. Dont forget to cast vampiric embrace, its free health for you and damage to your target.
7. If you are pulling put you pet on guard at the spot youre pulling too and try to not get hit by the mob on the way back your pet is going to go sacrifice himself in your name.
8. Let the other melees take a few hits sometimes, you are the healers focus if you can end a fight at 50% when you soak up all the damage you might be able to end it above 65% if you let the warrior and ranger take a few, so what if they drop to 80% before you peel, the healer will be able to save some mana because they wont have to heal you for as much. The others will be ok so long as you do your job.
9. Sit down! If you arent pulling, sit down an gain some health and mana between pulls, if you are standing the whole time you are slowing down the experience for youre whole group because the healer will have to med longer due to you needing more heals.
10. Postion your mobs so that everyone else sees its back. Not only will this allow them to hit harder but it will put you between the rest of the group and any occasional wanderers.

GENERAL
1. When you leave town make sure you have food/drink and bandages.
2. Buy weight reduction bags especially if you arent an ogre or troll.
3. Buy a couple invis potions while youre in town too because there isnt always a caster around to do it for you.
4. Dont neglect any of your weapon skills (even archery), try to keep them all maxed.
5. When you're just passing through zones switch to a one hander and shield to give you the extra ac just in case you aggro that shadowed man on your way to mistmoore.

Thats all I have for now maybe I'll update this or make another one day, but if you guys have anything else to help out new shadowknights add them. Hope I helped someone.

I think this would be a good post in the new to server section of the forums. Sounds like you are doing well!

/doability forage
/autoinv


also:

taunt mechanics dont work like that

Taunt is not supposed to be spammed, so he is correct.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I will probably add more when I hit 40 or 45 because im sure i will learn some more by then.

I have a DE SK also that I've avoided playing because I can never seem to find a group. I'm only level 11 right now, trying to find groups in Ro and Oasis for either dervs or crocs or whatever basically. A few questions though:

People above are talking about Taunt and how the mechanics work, etc. How is it supposed to be used optimally? I've just hit it as soon as I can because I thought it was like Hide (either it works or it doesn't), is that incorrect?

How do you make hotkeys to switch weapons? For instance, I want to switch from my sword and shield to my big ol' two-handed axe? How do I do that without opening my inventory screen, clicking through bags, unequipping both sword and shield, then finally dragging my axe to my Primary slot? I just want to press a button or two and be holding an axe instead of a sword, especially in combat.

If anybody wants to group up, please please get in touch with me. I'd love to play my SK more, but I don't want to do it solo. Don't be shy!

Toon's name is Ryskim.

Taunt, if successful, moves you to the top of the hate list. If you're already at the top of the hate list, it does nothing. Therefore you shouldn't spam the ability when you already have aggro unless you're attempting to get skill-ups.

Danth

i could be mistaken, but i believe taunt has diminishing returns per mob.. meaning that if you use it enough times on one npc, it will become less successful. ive been told its limited to 2 successful taunts, but i would double check that

also, be sure to coordinate with your groups crowdcontroller.. as your DoTs will break their mez/stuns (disease cloud has a crazy long duration).. and most of the cc spells also carry a small chance for a mem-blur, which will wipe the aggro table from the mob.. meaning that when your DoT ticks, the blurred mob will go straight for the nearest (sitting) player

ALWAYS TAUNT BEFORE BREAKING MEZ

2. and quick item change buttons, for example i have a runed bone fork normally in my range slot but sometimes i wanna pop off a few arrows, so i have a key with my range slot and one with the inventory slot that contains my bow so i can switch them out without ever opening my inventory.

This is what I need to do. I have a shrunken goblin skull earring and jboots I would love to switch out with a push of a button, someone explain to this dumb ass veteran of EQ how this is done or perhaps point me to a site that explains it. I do macros for spells, but not sure on hotkey or inventory macros.

Thanks!

Just hold down the left mouse button on the slot you want to make a hotkey of and put them on a hotbar next to each other.