Spell details for Dread Spikes  

I been playing solo and found Dread Spikes does absorb critical hits.
I have taken 100% of a 478 critical hit.Dark skill was at 310 & HP @ cast 2,200.

This is a good spell but the bad this is it caps at around 700 dmg.
And for the people saying it doesn't absorb crits are wrong. Can anyone tell me if there if Drk magic skill or something increases dmg cap

Well, since the update, So many things were done to help out us darks. I figure, i got dread spikes, so why not go with a couple ls buddies and take on pallas or alky. I can tell you this spell is immensly helpful for NM's that aren't particularly long fights. We went as DRK DRK THF RDM, and it was my turn to spawn palla, so I was gonna be main tank. I went /nin so first i went with shadows for as long as i could, but when ichi was down to last shadow, and i had 15 sec for recast of ni, i throw out Drain II and Dread Spikes. My spikes were absorbing as much hp as pallas was dishin out, and yes it works on crits. So i ride out the spikes, wait for em to wear, and put up ni again. Get charmed and attacked by RMT, but all good cus we won and got the bracelets.

pewh, sorry, moral of the story.
Spikes can make you a successfull tank when fighting NM's (that arent resistant to dark magic IE Bats will drain for about half dmg.)
its a good buffer for our low evasion. helps the hurt between ni recasts.
Drain II paired with Drain I also helps our solo skills along with this spell.
and as said before spikes doesnt work on weapon skills, so my suggestion is to throw out an absorb tp just after you cast spikes, for that will delay mobs ws for the duration of spikes, and give you tp!

This spell is highly benefitial for drks. Following Calea's post, yes it does inflict dmg to the mobs. I had Dread Spikes deliver a final blow on a lesser colibri. Even though it doesnt absorb weapon skills, it does absorb all melee dmg. Very rarely have ive had it absorb 50% of dmg inflicted. As for critical hits, ive had it not absorb some, but i think ive had a few big hits absorbed.

So far based off what ive tested ive managed to absorb around 500HP off Spikes

Benefits of Dread Spikes:

1. Good for 1st voke if /war (finally drk can ghetto semi tank lol)
2. Similar to stoneskin so comes in handy during midfight
3. Good for emergency, but not suggested

Bad:
1. Useless on Undead and Fomor's (shadow type mobs)
2. Doesnt absorb Weapon Skills
3. Rarely misses an absorb or only absorbs 50%

Hope this helps anyone out ^^

Guardian 75DRK
Server: Fenrir

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