Grim Dawn, the dark fantasy action RPG developed by Crate Entertainment, offers players a vast arsenal of skills, weapons, and abilities to customize their characters. Among the many powerful tools available, Eye of Reckoning stands out as a visually stunning and mechanically impactful skill that has earned a solid place in many endgame builds. This spinning, damage-dealing ability associated with the Oathkeeper class delivers both power and spectacle, making it a popular choice for players who enjoy aggressive, fast-paced combat. Understanding how Eye of Reckoning functions, how to optimize it, and which items or devotions support it can greatly improve a player’s experience.
Understanding Eye of Reckoning
Skill Overview
Eye of Reckoning (often abbreviated as EoR) is an exclusive skill unlocked through the Oathkeeper mastery in Grim Dawn. It allows the character to spin rapidly, damaging all nearby enemies with melee and area-of-effect (AoE) damage. The skill has a strong visual appeal, resembling a divine whirlwind as the character turns into a glowing vortex of destruction.
By default, Eye of Reckoning deals physical and internal trauma damage, but through various item modifiers and support skills, it can be converted to other damage types such as fire, acid, vitality, or lightning. This flexibility makes it a cornerstone for a wide range of builds, from pure physical devastation to elemental chaos.
Basic Mechanics
- Channeling Skill: EoR is a channeling skill, meaning you must hold the attack button to keep it active.
- Movement: You can move while spinning, which makes it ideal for kiting or dodging while dealing continuous damage.
- Weapon Requirement: Requires a melee weapon or a two-handed weapon to activate.
- Cooldown: No cooldown, making it a constant source of damage as long as energy allows.
Oathkeeper Synergy and Class Combinations
Oathkeeper Core Attributes
The Oathkeeper mastery is designed for durability and offensive pressure, offering bonuses to retaliation, movement, and tankiness. Eye of Reckoning naturally synergizes with other Oathkeeper skills like Presence of Virtue, Rebuke, and Ascension, boosting damage output and survivability during prolonged spins.
Popular Dual-Class Builds
Pairing Oathkeeper with another mastery opens up many possibilities. Here are a few effective combinations for Eye of Reckoning:
- Oathkeeper + Shaman (Archon): Excellent for physical or lightning EoR builds, supported by Savagery and Wendigo Totem.
- Oathkeeper + Inquisitor (Paladin): Strong elemental synergy, especially fire and lightning conversions for EoR.
- Oathkeeper + Necromancer (Sentinel): Ideal for vitality or acid EoR builds, with additional resist reduction and sustain.
- Oathkeeper + Nightblade (Dervish): Focuses on acid damage, with mobility and resistance shredding from Nightblade skills.
Gear and Itemization for Eye of Reckoning
Key Equipment
Choosing the right gear can completely transform your Eye of Reckoning build. There are several legendary sets and unique items specifically tailored to enhance EoR.
- Virtue’s Light Set: This four-piece legendary set boosts fire damage, attack speed, and provides bonuses directly to Eye of Reckoning.
- Rah’Zin’s Torment Set: Great for chaos conversion builds, especially when combined with other chaos-boosting items.
- Stormheart (Sword): Useful in lightning-based EoR builds due to flat lightning damage and conversion potential.
- Blightlord’s Set: For acid and poison-based builds, offering strong synergy with Dervish setups.
Important Stats to Prioritize
Regardless of the build, there are several core stats that Eye of Reckoning users should aim for:
- Attack Speed: Increases spin speed and overall damage output.
- Energy Regeneration: Sustains the channeling nature of the skill.
- Damage Type Bonuses: Depending on your chosen build (fire, lightning, acid, etc.), maximize damage bonuses accordingly.
- Resistance Shred: Via devotions, items, or secondary skills to break enemy resistances.
Devotion Paths and Support
Best Devotions for EoR Builds
Devotions play a major role in amplifying Eye of Reckoning. The right constellation can significantly boost your damage and survivability.
- Ulzuin’s Torch: Excellent for fire builds with its Meteor Shower proc.
- Widow: Provides lightning resistance reduction, crucial for lightning-based EoR.
- Abomination: Powerful for chaos or acid builds, with flat damage and a strong proc.
- Scales of Ulcama: Offers sustain through life leech and energy regeneration.
Binding Devotion Skills
Since Eye of Reckoning hits frequently and over a wide area, it is ideal for proccing devotion skills. Binding powerful devotion procs to EoR ensures constant activation and improved clear speed.
Energy Management
Dealing with Energy Drain
One of the few challenges EoR users face is energy consumption. Because it is a channeling skill with no cooldown, it can quickly drain your energy pool. Solutions include:
- Using items with energy regeneration bonuses.
- Investing in energy-focused constellations like Scales of Ulcama or Bard’s Harp.
- Adding components like Ectoplasm or Arcane Spark to your gear.
Energy Leech Options
Some Eye of Reckoning builds also utilize energy leech or on-hit energy gain effects. This can be especially helpful in long battles or against boss enemies where the drain becomes more noticeable.
Gameplay Tips and Strategy
Positioning and Movement
Since Eye of Reckoning allows movement during the channeling, it’s important to learn how to spin and dodge. Stay mobile during enemy attacks, and kite away from deadly effects while still dealing damage. Mastering movement while channeling is key to maximizing EoR’s effectiveness.
Boss Fights and Crowd Control
EoR is excellent for clearing trash mobs due to its AoE nature. However, for bosses and elite enemies, players need to supplement it with single-target buffs or resistance-shredding skills. Always activate buffs like Ascension or Word of Renewal to stay alive in intense fights.
Why Players Love Eye of Reckoning
The skill offers a unique blend of visual style and raw power. It’s one of the few skills that allow players to feel like an unstoppable force, carving through enemies with divine wrath. Its adaptability across damage types, synergy with multiple masteries, and support from gear make it highly customizable. Whether you’re aiming for a fire-spinning Paladin or an acid-fueled Dervish, Eye of Reckoning is a core component of some of the most fun and visually impressive builds in Grim Dawn.
Eye of Reckoning in Grim Dawn exemplifies what makes the game’s class and skill system so enjoyable depth, flexibility, and a sense of power. By understanding the mechanics, optimizing gear, and leveraging the right devotions and synergies, players can unleash devastating whirlwind builds that are both effective and fun to play. Whether you’re a veteran seeking a new challenge or a newcomer exploring the Oathkeeper class, Eye of Reckoning is a skill worth mastering for anyone looking to bring justice and destruction to Cairn.