"Go For The Eyes!" - Nightfall's Most Powerful Skill

"Go For The Eyes!" - Nightfall's Most Powerful Skill
-By Syria Blackblood

(Special thanks to TadaceAce for the original build concept.)

For 10 seconds, the next time each ally within earshot makes an attack, that attack has an additional 30...78% chance to be a critical hit. 4a

“Go for the Eyes” seems to be a weak skill. It increases the effect of critical hits. That only significantly affects half the classes in the game (Warriors, Ranger, Paragon, Dervish, Assassin), and oftentimes it has no effect period (Assassins, for example, have many other ways to critical) That’s the reason it was buffed during the Nightfall PvE weekend (it used to be 25…65%).

ArenaNet appears to believe that the occasional crit every 2-3 seconds (time it takes to charge 4 strikes of adrenaline) is not a huge threat. But…

…what if the skill triggered more than once every 2-3 seconds? What if it trigger so often, it was constant.

Therein lies half the core of this build. The secret is to have several characters bring “GtfE!”. Constant criticals can add up very, very quickly.

But there’s another component. Since melee characters can constantly attack with “GtfE,” it ends quickly. Of course, ArenaNet added a skill type especially for these kind of skills: Echos, and more specifically, Finales.

Due to the rate “GtfE” is being spammed, all the Finales would proc after nearly every attack! Take a look at Blazing Finale and Finale of Restoration. Blazing Finale is an infinite Burning, and Finale of Restoration is constant Healing.

Therefore, a build with enough Melee attackers could easily waste to an entire army.

Therefore, here is the core build:

Nightfall PvE (Heroes)

Hero 1 – Paragon/Warrior

12 Leadership (8+ 1 + 3 )
12 Axe Mastery (12)
11 Command (10 + 1)

“Go For The Eyes!”
“Watch Yourself!”
“They’re on Fire!”
Aggressive Refrain
Anthem of Flame
Blazing Finale
Triple Chop (e)
Cyclone Axe

The P/W Hero is the most important of the 3 Heroes. He’s responsible for Blazing Finale, which keeps Burning on any enemy within melee range, and Anthem of Flame, which will keep Aggressive Refrain on the other Heroes, even out of combat. Triple Chop and Cyclone Axe hit multiple targets, which allows massive adrenaline gain, which also allows massive “GftE” spamming and constantly maintain “Watch Yourself!”. “They’re On Fire” is a unique skill, since it’ll nearly halve all damage caused by targets affected by the burning.

Hero 2: D/P

16 Scythe Mastery (12 + 1 + 3)
10 Motivation (10)
8 Command (8)

Aggressive Refrain
Penitent Strike
Reaper’s Sweep (e)/Wounding Strike (e)
Chilling Victory
“Go For The Eyes!”
“Stand Your Ground!”
Finale of Restoration
Energizing Finale

The Hybrid Attack/Healer. Since the Dervish can hit up to 3 targets per attack, it charges Adrenaline the quickest, which is helpful for “GtfE” Spamming. It also has decent AoE damage. This Dervish also carries the other Finales, which, as said, will proc very, very often.

The choice between Reaper’s Sweep and Wounding Strike is yours. If you can constantly cast enchantments on the Dervish, use Wounding Strike. Otherwise, use Reaper’s Sweep.

Hero 3: R/P

16 Marksmanship (12 + 1 + 3)
11 Expertise (10 + 1)
8 Command (8)

Aggressive Refrain
Magebane Shot (e)
Savage Shot
Distracting Shot
Read The Wind
“Go For The Eyes!”
“Find Their Weakness!”
Ressurection Signet

AI + Constant interrupts = fun. Also, since Magebane Shot can be cast so constantly, that also quick-charges Adrenaline, procs “GftE,” and does constant damage. The Deep Wound aspect is also fun. Also, interrupts.

These 3 people are the core of the “GftE” build. They cause near infinite burning, Deep Wound, near infinite criticals, near infinite healing, and huge damage prevention.

However, in Nightfall PvE, your primary profession, since you are the PC, can strongly increase the power of these 3 heroes.

Paragon: Obviously, a Paragon with higher Ranks in Motivation can heal even better. You can also take some Leadership skills, which adds room for more skills for the Paragon and Dervish hero.

Mesmer: Fragility and Hypochondria. Case closed. Since everything will be burning and likely Deep Wounded, I believe that’s an instant kill.

Necromancer: Dark Fury. Causes even more ridiculous Adrenaline gain. Wells also help greatly, since most of your party is melee.

Ritualist: Warmonger’s Weapon. Case closed. Toss it on the Dervish and watch your Ranger become bored.

Elementalist: Wards. Why not?

Monk: Take a guess.

Warriors, Assassin, Dervish, Ranger: Support with a similar build. Just add “GftE” for even more fun!

Also, bring atleast 2 other melee Henchmen (Dervish and Warrior work well), along with 2 Healing Henchmen, and you have a force of annihilation.

“GftE” builds will also work well in HA. I predict a build consisting of: 1 P/W (Hero Build), 1 A/P (similar build, with Dark Apostasy as Elite), 1 R/P (Hero Build), 1 Me (Fragility Spiker), 1 P (Motivation Healer w/Finales), and 1 Mo (Prot).

“GftE” will change the meta-game. Just watch it.

I also doubt that even though this build can kick behind and take names, "GtfE" won't get nerfed. It's like IWAY. It's bad when 1 Warrior uses it, but it's good when several do.

If you have anything to add to the build, please add.

(Also, note to mods: Please don't move this into the Paragon forum. This focuses on the skill alone, which is often used on secondary professions.)

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I am more worried about the potential spike metagame that might use this to full advantage.

Then GvG will be almost unwatchable.

Also, watch as Paragons become the ultimate MM companion. I don't know about you, but constant crits from a MM army with Order of Undeath means stuff dies, fast.

OH god, IWAYers could be reading this >_> <_< >_>

No he added too many therefores and therins for them to keep reading.

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Seriously, why did you have to put this thing in the open? This was almost exactly what I wanted to run and now it is getting nerfed.

I was gonna be P/W with GftE, "They're on Fire", Blazing Finale, "Stand your ground", Aggressive refrain, "Watch Yourself", etc

And I'd have dervish and assassin heroes with paragon secondary with GftE and Aggressive Refrain.
Assassin would use Locust Fury and maybe Natural Temper which combined with Aggressive refrain would produce a very nasty rate of gaining adrenaline.

And my last hero would be motivation paragon hero, who would use bunch of motivation chants and finale or restoration for major healing. Maybe Purifying Finale, to keep any blind off frontliners.

+44 armor and 50% damage reduction from adjacent foes = my job.

I think Anet was expecting this to happen though. I mean, when you have skills that activate whenever a shout or chant ends, you must assume someone will try to cram as many shouts as possible on one team and hope to activate these echoes as frequently as possible.

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Are you sure that echoes are triggered when skills like “Go For The Eyes!” are end prematurely (on attack, on hit)? I didn't test it properly but I thought that they were echoed only when a shout/chant ended normally after its full duration (a la Watch Yourself).

I don't mind the multi-critical part of this build (the skill was designed for this after all), but I'm surprised to read that echoes are triggered by fast recharge shouts that can end instantly prematurely. Permanent burning+healing+energy sounds a little too good to be true.

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First my Dervish build now my Paragon build. Sigh.

How did you have a Paragon primary at Aspenwood?

I just want to hear a squeek squeek when you trigger this skill.

Would this work with each of the first arrows of Barrage? Probably not, I'm guessing.

go for the eyes was my favorite skill in the Preview Weekends.

In alliance battles especially- it totally made hamburgers out of the kurzicks.

EYEway

Good one Ghull Ka and Zinger!

Which weapon benefits the most from a high chance to crit on the next attack? The ones that do the most base damage right? So wouldn't Scythes, Hammers, and Bows be the best to use in this build?

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