Among the many powerful skills available in Grim Dawn, Eye of Reckoning stands out as a visually impressive and high-impact ability that defines the playstyle of certain mastery combinations. Known for its whirlwind animation and rapid damage ticks, this skill is often favored by players seeking aggressive, fast-paced melee or hybrid builds. Eye of Reckoning provides excellent mobility, area-of-effect damage, and the ability to leech life rapidly from enemies, making it a core component of several endgame strategies. Understanding how to build around it properly is essential for those looking to harness its full potential in both campaign and Crucible play.
What is Eye of Reckoning?
Eye of Reckoning is an exclusive skill from the Oathkeeper mastery in Grim Dawn. It allows the character to spin in place or move while dealing constant damage to all enemies around them. This channeled skill continues as long as you hold the button and have energy to support it, making it ideal for sustained offense and crowd control. It primarily deals physical and trauma damage by default, but with the right gear and devotions, it can be converted into elemental, chaos, or even vitality damage for more specialized builds.
Core Mechanics
- Channeled Skill: Eye of Reckoning is not a one-click ability; it requires you to hold the button, consuming energy over time.
- Area-of-Effect: Hits all enemies around the character in a tight radius, with each tick applying weapon damage.
- Mobility: You can move while spinning, allowing for a very active combat style.
- Scales with Weapon Damage: This makes it responsive to flat damage bonuses, lifesteal, and procs.
Best Mastery Combinations
Oathkeeper + Soldier (Warlord)
Warlord is one of the most popular and tanky Eye of Reckoning setups. Soldier provides powerful defensive tools like Military Conditioning and Field Command, while Oathkeeper brings offensive abilities. This combo excels in survivability, making it a great beginner-friendly option that still performs well in endgame content.
Oathkeeper + Nightblade (Dervish)
Dervish offers a faster, deadlier version of the Eye of Reckoning playstyle. Nightblade’s dual-wield support, attack speed buffs, and strong single-target abilities make this a very aggressive build. Combined with poison or acid conversion, Dervish can melt through enemies rapidly while remaining elusive.
Oathkeeper + Inquisitor (Paladin)
Paladins provide ranged and elemental support, which can be fun for hybrid Eye of Reckoning builds. Using items that convert damage types and focusing on elemental devotion routes, a Paladin can dish out a mix of lightning and fire damage while maintaining decent mobility and utility.
Damage Conversion and Scaling
Base Damage Types
By default, Eye of Reckoning deals physical and trauma damage. These can be amplified by physical damage gear and devotions like Azrakaa or Assassin’s Blade. However, many players opt for damage conversion depending on the gear available.
Popular Damage Conversions
- Fire: With items like theJudgment of Empyrionset, Eye of Reckoning can become a fire-based skill with support from devotions like Ulzuin’s Torch.
- Lightning: Items likeStormserpentorAllagast’s Stormbinderallow conversion to lightning, combined with Widow devotion for resistance reduction.
- Acid/Poison: For Dervish builds, gear likeVenombladeenables a shift to acid, supported by Manticore and Abomination devotions.
- Vitality: Though less common, vitality Eye of Reckoning is possible with correct conversion gear and devotions like Dying God.
Devotion Choices
For Physical Builds
- Azrakaa, the Eternal Sands
- Assassin’s Blade (for armor reduction)
- Ulzaad, Herald of Korvaak
For Elemental Builds
- Rhowan’s Crown (Elemental Storm)
- Widow (Arcane Bomb)
- Ulzuin’s Torch (Meteor Shower)
For Acid Builds
- Manticore (Acid Spray)
- Abomination (Abominable Might)
- MurMur (for resistance shredding)
Gear and Items
Weapons
- Spin to Win Weapons: The best Eye of Reckoning weapons offer bonuses to spin duration, skill damage, and sometimes conversion.
- Examples: Judgment of the Three,Mythical Soulblade,Oathbearer
Armor Sets
- Virtue’s Light: Ideal for fire builds, provides bonuses to Oathkeeper skills.
- Empyrion’s Judgment: Boosts Eye of Reckoning and offers fire damage conversion.
- Venomblade Pact: Best suited for acid-focused Dervish builds.
Relics and Components
- Serenity: High defense, solid for hardcore characters.
- Ignaffar’s Combustion: Good for elemental builds with aura stacking.
- Seal of Blades: For life leech and resistances on melee weapons.
Gameplay and Tactics
Positioning
Due to its 360-degree damage pattern, Eye of Reckoning encourages tight group fights. You want to spin into clusters of enemies rather than chase single targets. This makes it excellent for clearing mob packs and controlling the battlefield.
Energy Management
Being a channeled skill, Eye of Reckoning consumes energy rapidly. Gear with energy regen, devotions that provide sustain, or components like Ectoplasm are vital. Consider using energy potions regularly in sustained fights.
Survivability
Oathkeeper builds often rely on lifesteal through weapon damage and passives like Resilience. Combine this with devotions that provide healing procs or shield absorption for best results. Movement during channeling also helps avoid ground-based AoEs.
Pros and Cons
Advantages
- Excellent crowd control and AoE damage
- Visually satisfying and responsive combat
- Flexible for many damage types with item support
- Great synergy with lifesteal and weapon damage
Disadvantages
- Energy-hungry without proper management
- Requires constant movement and attention in fights
- Can be gear-dependent for specific conversions
Eye of Reckoning is one of the most fun and satisfying abilities in Grim Dawn, offering fast-paced, spinning carnage that appeals to both new and veteran players. With solid mastery combinations, flexible damage paths, and a good supply of gear support, it can be built in many different ways from fire-tornado Warlords to venomous Dervishes. Understanding how to manage energy, optimize damage conversions, and position effectively can take your Eye of Reckoning build from decent to devastating. Whether you’re grinding for loot, facing Crucible waves, or just enjoying the chaos of spinning through hordes, this skill remains a fan-favorite for good reason.