[No Longer Updated] Into Darkness - Dark Knight Guide

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Last Updated: April 24, 2019, Update#60​

Intro
Dark Knight is cool, challenging and helpful to his friends. Hyper Body makes Dark Knight quite popular and wanted in Boss runs, while Berserk requires Dark Knight to be 100% concentrated on his/her fight. Dragon Roar gives Dark Knight incredibly ability on farming, which is also the 1st full screen AOE skill in MapleStory. Spear Crusher from 3rd job is the main skill that will be using till end-game, thanks to Berserk that allows this attack skill to continue shining in 4th job; Before choosing his 4th job, Dragon Knight is one of the strongest jobs, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Beholder is Dark Knight's loyal friend who is always helping in the battle fields. Both Sharp Eyes and Speed Infusion boost Dark Knight most significantly among all warriors.
To master Berserk, you have to be calm, fearless, and preserving, it won't be easy in the beginning, but once it's mixed into the knight's blood, the ultimate strength and power of a Dark Knight will be revealed.

Welcome, into Darkness.

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Table of Contents
1) HP Wash
2) AP Build
3) SP Build
4) What Weapon Should Dark Knight Use
5) What Spear Should Dark Knight Use
6) Hot to Berserk

• Zak/Krex/Pap body1/BF/Shaolin/CWKPQ
• Pap body2/HT/Toad body1/Lyka
• Toad body2
• Bodygurad A
• Anego

7) Leveling Method
8) Useful Links
9) Credits

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1) HP Wash
Dark Knight can easily finish HP Wash without any base int.
HP Washing to 18,750 HP is mandatory for Dark Knight due to the 4th job skill Berserk.
(the skill HB of Spearman will increase the character's max HP/MP by 60%, 18,750*160%=30,000)

After Update#54, Warrior will gain:

• 1000-1050 HP from 3rd job advancement;
• 1800-1850HP from 4th job advancement.

From Quest Water from the Spring of Youth:

• 1000 HP for Warrior.

From 4th Job Medal:

• 200 HP

According to:

Minimun HP Before lvl 13​	(24*level)+172​
Minimum HP After lvl 13(HP Increased max'ed)​	(64*level)+172​
Minimum MP​	(4*level)+156​
MP Lost per Wash​	4​
HP Gained per Wash​	50~54​

natural HP at level 135 would be around:​

(13*24)+[64*(135-13)]+156+1000+1800+1000+200=12,276 HP


Natural MP at lvl 135 is 854;
Min MP at lvl 135 is 696MP;
There's already 154 extra MP without any int at lvl 135 for HP washing.

Leveling up with every 10 total INT will give the character 1 point of washable MP.

With 30 total INT from level 30~135, the extra MP at level 135 would be:
154+3*(135-30)=469 MP

With all extra MP reset into HP, you would have:
12276+469*(52/4)=18,373 HP at level 135, which is 29,396HP with HB

Spoiler: INT Gear Recommended

• 6 INT Wand
• 14 INT Robe
• 4 INT Earring
• 4 INT Glove
  
• 8 INT Cape
• Zakum Helmet (clean stats: 13~22 int)

Higher INT will give you more extra MP which can give you more chance to survive in HT.

Spoiler: How can more MP help me in HT

Most chances for a warrior in HT are to be the seducer target. When being seduced, manual and pet potion will be unavailable for 10 seconds, the skill Hero's Will can cancel seduction which need 30 MP to use it, while HT can deal Mana Drain to you, causing you to lose 1 HP and around 2k~3k MP. It will make you unable to use Hero's Will if your MP is low.

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2) AP Build
Due to the facts that:

• Dark Knight's damage is highly decided on STR;
• None of the equipment requires DEX.

It is not recommended for a Dark Knight to add DEX before base STR reaches the 999 gap.
lvl 200 Dark Knight should have 999 base STR and 23 base DEX.

For accuracy's concern, serval items can solve it before the 4th job:

• Zakum Helmet
• Maple Weapons:
  • Maple Impalerhttps://i.filehostingsite/xKZVvSS/01432012.png
  • Maple Soul Spearhttps://i.filehostingsite/xCM1hxh/01432040.png
  • Maple Pyrope Spearhttps://i.filehostingsite/HxFFYmR/01432075.png (Obtainable only from Anniversary Event)
• DEX/Accuracy-scrolled gear scrolled gear
• Sniper Pill (+10 accuracy, purchasable in Ludibrium)

And in high lvls there won't be such a problem to warry about.
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3) SP Build

• Swordman
  • https://i.filehostingsite/ccx7PNB/warrior002.gif" data-load="full Improved MaxHP Increase: [10/10] This skill is one of the important reason that washing a warrior is that easy, the sooner you max it, the more HP you will gain.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/RCZ5pvW/slash-blast.png Slash Blast: [20/20]This is the main attack skill used during 1st and 2nd jobs.
• Spearman
  • https://i.filehostingsite/2NcdT1r/spearman001.gif" data-load="full Spear Mastery: [20/20] This skill will increase your Min damage and Accuracy.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/fpwDGSz/spearman003.gif" data-load="full Spear Booster: [20/20] This skill will boost your attack speed by 2 levels.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/yBFbLY9/spearman006.gif" data-load="full Hyper Body: [30/30] This skill will increase your party members' Max HP and MP by 60%. One of the reason that Dark Knight is desired in end game Boss runs.
• Dragon Knight:
  • https://i.filehostingsite/q0hDp9S/dknight002.gif" data-load="full Spear Crusher: [30/30] This is the main attack skill used during 3rd and 4th jobs.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/QkRxp6Y/wizard023.gif" data-load="full Elemental Resistance: [20/20] This skill will make Berserk in 4th job easier.(40% damage off on Fire, Cold, Lightning & Poision Magic Attacks)
  • https://i.filehostingsite/XtY9ypQ/dknight008.gif" data-load="full Power Crash: [20/20] This skill is extremely powerful in Boss runs for it can dispel the Boss's Defense Buff which will reduce player's damage significantly, use it when you see the little shield icon on a Boss.(After Update#58, this skill will no longer cause client crashed due to too many targets around)
  • https://i.filehostingsite/vcdDHdj/dknight007.gif" data-load="full Dragon Roar: [30/30] This skill can help you control your HP under 50% in 4th job.
• Dark Knight: For 4th job skills quests please refer: 4th Job Skill/Mastery Book Guild
  • https://i.filehostingsite/PMRPSXQ/Berserk.png Berserk: [30/30] No Zerk, no Drk.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/5vDXjT3/Power-Stance.png Power Stance: [30/30] This skill will make sure your DPS to be constant.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/vc34PdM/darkknight007.gif" data-load="full Beholder: [10/10] This skill will increase your Min damage. Don't have to summon Beholder to activate this passive effect.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/6YhBZ0Q/Achilles.png Achilles: [30/30] This skill will make Berserk easier. Magic & Weapon Damage taken 15% off from all mobs/bosses.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/hHz6JyF/Rush.png Rush: [1/30] This skill could be a bit helpful on Dark Knight's movement.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/ZJgCbyF/Hero-s-Will.png Hero's Will: [5/5] Mandatory for the seducer in HT.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/Thpp284/darkknight009.gif" data-load="full Hex of the Beholder[?/25]: The Hex of the Beholder will keep buffing Dark Knight for one of the options randomly every 10 seconds, when Beholder is summoned. Each buff lasts 80 seconds, but beholder will rebuff Dark Knight before that runs out. The buff cannot stack with other Attack buffing skills/potions, and won't cancel the higher effect buffs from skills/potions(maxed effects):
    • 15 Weapon Attack
    • 100 Weapon Defense
    • 100 Magic Defense
    • 25 Accuracy
    • 50 Avoidability
    Beholder's buffs cannot be dispelled by Monsters/Bosses.
  • https://i.filehostingsite/y09DKKr/Aura-of-the-Beholder.png Aura of the Beholder[?/25]: The Aura of the Beholder will keep healing Dark Knight by 500 HP every 4 seconds, when Beholder is summoned, will stop healing if HP is around 14,500~15,000 (Beholder doesn't want to stop Dark Knight's Berserk) and when Dark Knight is dead. (Beholder doesn't revive you now.)

The extra SP can be used on the unmentioned skills according to personal preference.
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4) What Weapon Should Dark Knight Use
To start with, there are 2 types of skill in 3rd job that are:

• Crusher：Attack 3 targets at most 3 times with a given action (SwingPFhttps://i.filehostingsite/rfd2QXq/WingPF.png );
• Dragon Fury: Attack 6 targets at most once with a given action (SwingP2https://i.filehostingsite/FwZ1Bmx/SwingP2.png ).

Not hard to tell that Crusher can deal more DPS for its multi times' attacking.

There are also 2 types of weapon for Dark Knight:

• Spear: Deals more damage with the action SwingPF;
• Polearm: Deals more damage with the action SwingP2.

For Crusher > Dragon Fury in Boss runs, and the action of Crusher,
Hence with the Spear, the damage of a Dark Knight will be maxed.

Spoiler: Hybrid

For Dragon Fury's damage, the attacking action decided that polearm is better for this skill, and the long attacking range, as well as shorter post-delay, can make training more efficient than using Spear Crusher, that shall be the only reason for Dark Knight to use a polearm during 3rd job. And when it comes to Boss in 4th job, only Spear Crusher is the best choice to do more DPS.

For None-End-Game Weapons:

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5) What Spear Should Dark Knight Use
As already been well explained in an old guide (What Spear should I use?), end-game spear for a Dark Knight is Sky Ski.

In Summary:
If you gonna use Heartstopper or Onyx Apple in boss runs, with or without SI, Sky Ski > Pinaka, Dragon Faltizan or any slow-speed spear weapons.
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6) How to Berserk
Maxed Berserk will increase a Dark Knight's damage by 200% when HP is under 50% of the Max HP.
Popular potions and HP Alert settings used by Dark Knights are:

• Melting Cheese(+4000HP), HP Alert as 35% (when your HP falls to less 10,500, pet will consume 1 Cheese before next time you get hit and HP still under the 10,500), your HP will be 4,000(no manual potion at all)~12,000(if pet potion works, 2 times of manual potion after got 1/1 attack; if pet potion bugged, 3 times of manual potion), when HP above 11,000, to keep zerking, you shall not manual potion; for any boss dealing less 4k damage besides 1/1 attack, merely pet potion is enough to survive;
• Reindeer Milk(+5000HP), HP Alert as 30% (when your HP falls to less 9,000, pet will consume 1 Milk before next time you get hit and HP still under the 9,000), you HP will be 5000(no manual potion at all)~10,000(if pet potion works, 1 time of manual potion after got 1/1 attack; if pet potion bugged, 2 times of manual potion), when HP above 10,000,to keep zerking, you shall not manual potion; for any boss dealing less 5k damage besides 1/1 attack, merely pet potion is enough to survive.

(1/1 attack will decrease both your HP/MP into 1/1 left.)

The main concerns about potion on Berserk is to keep you HP high enough to not die, while keep it below 50%.
The HP% potions can not be used to Berserk.
The lower your potion recovers, it has more potential of keeping higher HP while zerking, but causing more efforts at mean time;
The higher your potion recovers, it take less efforts to berserk, but having less potential of keeping higher HP.

Bosses Doesn't Require Manual Potion to Berserk:

• Zakum: Manual potion not required as long as not tanking body;
  Spoiler: Sparky's Zakum Guide for Dark Knights
• Krexel: Manual potion not required as long as not tanking eyes;
• Bigfoot: Manual potion not required as long as you pin Bigfoot according to Sparky's Dark Knight Bigfoot Solo Guide;
• Papulatus (Body 1): Standing on the left plat where the NPC is can avoid getting dispelled by Pap, the bomb mob's damage is depended on how many mobs exploded at the same time around you, with HB zerking, only thing could kill you in body 1 would be mobs; while in body 2, touch damage will kill you if you don't manual potion.
  
• Wulin-Yaoseng: Manual potion not required as long as keep tanking touch damage;
• CWKPQ Bosses: Manual potion not required as long as keep tanking touch damage;

Bosses Requiring Manual Potion to Berserk:

• Papulatus (Body 2): Touch damage (above 4,000) will kill you if you don't manual potion.
  
• Horntail: Manual potion required, be careful to use rush skill on the edge plat next to heads, you might fall down and got touch damage from it sometimes, so keep your HP above 14k when doing rush near the head.
• Castellan : Melting Cheese needed for Body 1, Ice Cream Pop(+2000HP) or Unagi(+1000HP) is required to Berzerk in Body 2.
• Lyka: As long as pin lyka to the rightside, won't die with 10,000 HP during 10 seconds of seduction. (Lyla's seduction will always force players jump to the left side, and Lyka's moving speed is not fast enough to catch up with you to do more damage)

Bosses Requiring Multi Potions to Berserk:

• Castellan Toad: Besides main HP potion mentioned above, Ice Cream Pop(+2000HP) or Unagi(+1000HP) is required to Berzerk in Body 2 to keep your HP above 13,000.

Bosses impossible to Berserk:

• Bodyguard A.

Berserk in Anego:

• There is a Video showing how to zerk in Anego, namely u gonna spam jump while attack, it requires you gain above 120% jump to do it safely, you can use Sugar-Coated Olives (++40 speed and +25 jump for 5 minutes), or have multi pets with scrolled pet eqp . (Thanks @patnais77 for the detailed info about this.)
  Spoiler: Berserk in Anego
• @sparky95 also shows a way to Anego without jumping while berserking
  Spoiler

More details regarding how much damage certain Bosses can deal, please refer to 8) Useful Links .
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7)Leveling Method

• 10~15: Beginner Warrior Quests
• 15~21: The quiz in NLC might be a better option, and then Killa Bees (need 26 acc, recommended by Zerato)
• 21~30: Kerning City PQ
• 30~35: Teddy in Ludibrium
• 30~51: Carnival PQ
  
• 35~51: Ludibrium PQ
• 51~71: Oribis PQ
• 71~85: Pirate PQ
• 85~90: 1~1.5 hour of Ulu1 solo leech
• 85~120: Duo Dreamy Ghost with priest (need 178 acc + bless, recommended by Zerato)
• 95~120: Party train at Dreamy Ghost
• 105~135: Find or self Bigfoot leech if you have hs or high level attacker
• 105~135: Party train in ulu2/Petri
• 120~200: Papulatus
  
• 135~200: Zakum/Krexel/solo Bigfoot
• 145~200: Wulin-Yaoseng
• 155~200: Horntail
• 175~200: Castllan Toad

For reference only.
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8)Useful Links

• Common Big Bosses Info & How Much HP to Tank

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9)Credits

• Shout out to phpBS (@xinyifly ), who brought me to my 1st HT and taught me almost everything about it;
• SanjiKun (@trunghieu94 )and Alex (@Al3x ), two level 200 pro Dark Knights who helped me a lot as well;
• Zerato (@Zerato )'s Accuracy Calculator and advice on Hybrid of Dragon Knight;
• Sparky (@sparky95 )'s Video Guides for Dark Knight in Bosses; info & correction on HP wash;
• Inusama (@Inusama )'s Weapon Advice in early games;
• Piffy (@Piffy ) 's Boss Damage Guide;
  
• @patnais77 for the info on jumping berserk in Anego;
  
• Pictures of Skill Icons from Hidden Street ;
• Pictures of Avatars from Maplestory Design .

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In the End
Please do let me know if there is anything incorrect, it will really help improve this, and I will try to keep this updated.

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Into Darkness-Dark Knight Guide​

 

f3

 

Might as well stop the guide there. That is all they need to know.

Jokes aside, nice work coming with an updated guide!
Let me try help out by pointing out some of the things a found. Because, I think you called for me? (or Roared)

Accuracy-scrolled gear is also good. Shoes for example, if you don't have Facestompers yet.

I don't know what the questionmark means here. Personally I see no reason not to get this one to 25.

I believe many will find it difficult to hit Bubbling in Lv15 (37 acc) . The quiz in NLC might be a better option, and then Killa Bees after that (26 acc, in Lv15) .

Remove leech from the guide please
A DK can start do Dreamy Ghosts with Lv80+ Priest in Lv85 (you need 178 acc + bless for that)

Lv95 because this is when you can start using Purple Surfboard!
Before that, you use Maple Karstan or Maple Pyrope Hellslayer
(or Maple Soul Spear/Pyrope Spear)

 

Thank you Eclipseeee haha, well

The question marks mean it doesn't matter much, but I want to explain a bit about these 2 skills as well as show the max lvl of them, for lv25 is somehow an odd number.
However, out of some concerns I'm not sure Aura would be good.
Some times in HT, my HP would be around 10,500~11,000, if I manually potion right before Beholder decides to heal me, my zerk thing would be messed up and need me either wait till next time I got hit or use dragon roar getting stunned by 2 seconds, or take the risk of got 1/1 and sacrifice at the same time. (Only till recently sacrifice won't get urself killed with 1 HP.)

I do hate buying leech, but at least lvl85 from 90 in ulu1 with no more than 2 hours is really tempting

Good to know that! I'm not really into hybrid so I didn't know that at all!
Thanks for the info, will update them!

 

get free skills books if i join this guild? LF>free mw 20

u left out mw from the 4th job skills part too btw

also u left out Pap. u can start leeching pap at lvl 120 and its good exp even at 14x-15x. i get ard 1-2% at 181 on my drk if i solo with hs. at lvl 13x, by hitting pap just once and not dealing any damage other than that, u can get about 10% ish from it if its a solo atker

 

One of the solid Drk guide I have came across ! Nice one bro !

 

I took my Ironman to Dreamy Ghost (Himes) at 86 with Maple Pops that I farmed in the NLC Mansion (1 pop gives 100 acc for 1 minute). I was able to speed through almost 1 level every 15-20 minutes at one point.

 

Ducking in zak is rather essential to play effectively while dodging stuns. I recommend this guide I made long ago.

 

Some weapon recommendations:
LVL10 whatever you want
LVL15 Gold Surfboard, dropped by Slimes
LVL20 Fish Spear can be farmed from Bubblings, provides accuracy and speed boost with a normal attack speed.
LVL25 Pumpkin Spear, can be obtained during the Halloween event or one of the ninja castle monsters drops it (no idea how rarely though)

Due to there being way more useful spears than polearms from 30-40, I'd recommend maxing spear mastery/booster first.

LVL33 Orange Ski, NLC gachapon, Christmas PQ reward and Flaming Raccoon drop
LVL43 Maple Impaler, Wild Boar, Toy Trojan, Lazy Buffy. Get a good one, this weapon is FAST and you'll be using it for a while.

At early third job, you have the option to either go full spear or hybrid.
Hybrid benefits 3rd job grinding since polearm fury is a better mobbing skill - especially for flat maps such as ulu2 and himes. The downside is that in 4th job you will be exclusively using spear skills to train and probably won't touch a polearm ever again.

If you choose hybrid:
LVL64 Maple Karstan, Neo Huroid, Sr. Bellflower Root (RARE)
LVL77 Maple Pyrope Hellslayer, Anniversary event only (Well scrolled karstan will be better)
LVL95 Purple Snowboard, endgame polearm, NLC gach only

If you choose pure spear:
LVL64 Maple Soul Spear
LVL77 Maple Pyrope Spear
LVL?? Sky Ski
LVL100 Pinaka
LVL110 Dragon Faltizan

4th job onwards you'll be using spear pretty much exclusively.
Got some nice attack equips? Go for Sky Ski or a Maple Pyrope Spear.
Got average gear? Get a slow spear: Dragon Faltizan, Pinaka.

 

I went the pure-spear route and picked up a Maple Soul Spear from Hectors (i believe) in El Nath in my 60s. Scrolled the crap out of it and used it until 110 when I got my Sky Skis.

 

Updated helpful info with credits,
Thanks for the advices and helps!

 

Is it possible to learn this power?

Also "Hot to Berserk" in Table of Contents

 

Thank you! Fixed!

 

thanks for telling me that on the first platform can avoid being dispelled from pap, will try tonight, though I'm an i/l

 

Be aware the platform bombs hit harder than the ground bombs do. You should be able to tank it with magic guard on though, I think they do around 6k-8k depending on if they're buffed or not.

 

What should I max after:
Berserk
MW20
Maple Will
Beholder
Power Stance
Archilles

I maxed all of these but dont know what to do further

 

its really up to u but i wld suggest aura of beholder. other options wld be rush if u grind a lot (lol no way anyone wld do dat) n hex of beholder.

hex gives u some decent buffs but they are honestly pretty negligible until like almost max lvl when u get 100 def/mdef which is pretty good. 50 avoid, which is useless if u only use stopper but great when u dont. accuracy which no drk shld ever need and wa boost which is great for HH cos u shldnt be stoppering on those. Which is why i suggest aura instead. aura is actually pretty useful in bosses since it heals u up

 

Hex of the Beholder > Rush > Whatever you want
Hex is like bless on steroids. Aura isn't that useful imo.

 

Lol I find it is harder for me to keep standing on the platform than keep magic guard on. Anyway thanks for your advice.