- A class that weakens enemies at a distance from the shadows with throwing knives, or uses two blades to go in for the kill. Special attackers who work on either line.
- —In-Game description, Etrian Odyssey IV
The Nightseeker is an evolution of Dark Hunter's ailment branch from previous games. They are deadly clandestine assassins that cripple targets from a distance, then close in for the kill. They return for Etrian Odyssey Nexus.
Profile[]
Drawing parallels to Dark Hunters of the first two games, the Nightseeker's stock and trade is throwing envenomed knives that can inflict all manner of status effects on foes, paired with lethal close-combat skills that become even stronger against ailment-afflicted enemies. They can take advantage of free line-switching to avoid attention when there are no ailing targets, then immediately jump forward when one appears. Their damage output against enemies under the effects of status effects is among the highest in the game if built correctly, capable of matching the likes of Bushi, Snipers, and Imperials.
- Strengths: Incredible offenses paired with highest Agility of all classes.
- Weaknesses: Low HP and Vitality stats shorten front row lifespan; dependent on landing ailments for maximum damage output.
Stat Progression[]
- Main article: Nightseeker/Stats#EO4
Level | HP | TP | STR | TEC | VIT | AGI | LUC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 37 | 29 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
35 | 173 | 107 | 31 | 26 | 22 | 40 | 32 |
70 | 313 | 188 | 54 | 45 | 40 | 70 | 56 |
99 | 419 | 232 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 85 | 76 |
Skill Tree[]
Despite the class description implying otherwise, the Throw skills can be used while wielding any weapon.
Skill | Description | Type | Prerequisites | Extra |
---|---|---|---|---|
NOVICE | ||||
Proficiency | Greatly increases damage to enemies suffering from ailments. | Class | ----- | Does not work on stunned enemies. |
Ice Knife | Melee ice cut attack to 1 enemy. | Sword/Knife | ----- | |
Biding Slice | Melee attack to 1 enemy. If not hit this turn, do another cut attack to the same target. | Sword/Knife | Ice Knife Lv3 | Second attack will not activate if the target is dead. |
Sand Throw | Ranged cut attack to 1 enemy. May blind. | Throw | ----- | |
Nerve Throw | Ranged cut attack to 1 enemy. May paralyze. | Throw | Sand Throw Lv2 | |
Blade Flurry | Can attack twice per turn if two weapons are equipped. | Passive | ----- | Level to increase strength of second hit. |
Shadow Cloak | Nulls one physical attack in the next 3 turns. | Support | ----- | Level to reduce cost. |
Auto-Cloak | Shadow Cloak may activate at the start of battle. | Auto | Shadow Cloak Lv2 | |
Decoy | Increases the chance of 1 ally to be targeted by enemies for 3 turns. | Support | ----- | |
Herbology | Greater chance of finding extra plants when gathering. | Passive | ----- | |
VETERAN | ||||
Expertise | Further increases damage to enemies suffering from ailments. | Class | Proficiency | Does not work on stunned enemies. |
Assassinate | Melee instant kill to 1 enemy. Higher success rate against ailing enemies. | Sword/Knife | Biding Slice Lv2 | |
Shadow Bite | Melee cut attack with increased damage against ailing enemies. | Sword/Knife | Assassinate Lv3 | |
Sleep Throw | Ranged cut attack to 1 enemy. May induce sleep. | Throw | Nerve Throw Lv2 | |
Curse Throw | Ranged cut attack to 1 enemy. May curse. | Throw | Sleep Throw Lv2 | |
Spread Throw | The next throw skill you use will attack all enemies. | Support | ----- | Level to reduce cost. |
Sneak Attack | Raises chance of preemptive rounds for the next 40 steps. | Dungeon | ----- | Level to increase duration. |
Agile Chef | Increase AGI gains from cooked food. | Sky | ----- | |
Speed Boost | Increases action speed, hit rate, and evasion rate. | Passive | ----- | |
MASTER | ||||
Enlightenment | Further increases damage to enemies suffering from ailments. | Class | Expertise | Does not work on stunned enemies. |
Swift Edge | Multiple melee attacks to 1 enemy. | Sword/Knife | Shadow Bite Lv2 | Level to also increase number of hits. |
Venom Throw | Ranged cut attack to 1 enemy. May poison. | Throw | Curse Throw Lv2 | Level to also increase poison strength. |
Foul Mastery | Increases attack power for each ailment inflicted during this battle. | Passive | Swift Edge Lv2 Venom Throw Lv2 |
Boost caps at 2x damage. Does not trigger on stun or instant kill. |
Follow Trace | Weapon attack skills may sometimes activate twice. | Passive | Blade Flurry Lv3 | Second skill is free. Strength of second attack increases with Blade Flurry level. |
Auto-Spread | Spread Throw may activate at start of battle. | Auto | Spread Throw Lv2 |
Skill Breakdown[]
Nightseekers make for a fast but fragile class that specializes in killing single targets via ailments, reflected in their Class Skill which passively increases the damage they do against enemies with ailments. All their skills can be used with a sword or knife. Swords give them more damage, while knives trade some damage for a speed boost and more forge slot flexibility. A Nightseeker doesn't have all ailments at their fingertips, but some ailment forges can help inflict what you don't have.
Another claim to their fame is Blade Flurry, which enables dual-wielding well before subclassing becomes available and enables their normal attacks to strike with both weapons, much like Shoguns of the previous game. Skill strength still scales with only the primary weapon. Further levels in Blade Flurry only improve the strength of the second strike, up to 80% of what the weapon would deal in the main hand. Blade Flurry can be left at low level and equipped with ailment forges, but for maximum damage it should be maxed out to properly lead into Follow Trace. This passive gives a chance for attack skills - including Throws - to repeat a second time, with damage set to Blade Flurry's modifier.
Their Throw skills are their primary method of inflicting ailments, and are not weapon-dependent. Of them, Venom Throw inflicts the strongest source of poison available to players, ticking for 700 damage at max level. These skills may be cheap but only hit one enemy unless augmented by Spread Throw. When activated on the first turn by Auto-Spread, Spread Throw lasts until the end of the 2nd turn, allowing 2 turns of sowing ailments all across enemy lines to crush random encounters effortlessly! At the very end of the skill tree is Foul Mastery which provides a stacking attack boost (25% at max level) whenever you inflict ailments, which lets a Nightseeker get stronger against long boss fights or bosses that call in reinforcements.
Once an ailment has landed, move in for the kill. Ice Knife is an unconditional elemental hybrid skill that can bypass physical resistance. Biding Slice hits twice if the Nightseeker wasn't struck, best used when ailments prevent the enemy from acting. Assassinate has an instakill factor that rises against an ailing target, and Shadow Bite deals bonus damage against an ailing target for boss DPS. Swift Edge is an unconditional multi-hit bladed weapon skill. When it comes to boss DPS, a maxed out Swift Edge has the upper hand on Shadow Bite, as it does 440-550% damage while Shadow Bite only does 440%, but Shadow Bite is slightly cheaper and works wonders in sleep-bombing strategies.
A Nightseeker suffers from low VIT and HP, but there are defensive tools to help with that. Shadow Cloak gives them a one-time physical immunity for up to three turns, and can be backed up with Auto-Cloak. Decoy Sign draws enemies away from the Nightseeker if you lack a Fortress, and Speed Up improves their evasion. A simpler method to aid their survivability is to capitalize how row-swapping doesn't consume a turn: keep the Nightseeker in the back until their Throw skills land an ailment, then switch them to the front and unload their melee attacks. Once the ailment wears off, retreat to the back row and try a different ailment.
Subclassing[]
Subclasses for Nightseekers[]
Nightseekers subclass well into many classes.
- Landsknecht: Due to their high innate speed, Nightseekers can establish Links immediately for the rest of the party to trigger without needing to set up Vanguard, and enjoy the bonuses of Initiative and Power Boost to hit harder. Swordbreaker, Iron Wall and Weapon Parry help dual-wielding Nightseekers offset their slightly low durability.
- Sniper: For backrow Nightseekers, Sniper skills offer two different types of builds. One allows a Nightseeker to dual-wield bows and land many normal attacks with a good critical chance due to Bullseye and Power Boost. Another allows a Nightseeker to both bind and inflict ailments by equipping a bow and knife.
- Dancer: Sword Dance and Mist Dance combined with Blade Flurry results in multiple hits and stuns, great for triggering Trick Samba and other Dancers' Chase Samba and Rush Dance. The damage goes higher if an ailment gets inflicted on the way. Note that stunning with Mist Dance will not trigger Foul Mastery or the Nightseeker's class passives.
- Arcanist: While Circles may seem to be an easy way to repeatedly attempt ailments multiple times across many turns, Ailment Boost and TP Return are prime skills to attain due to the increased ease in crippling enemies with ailments without much net loss in TP, allowing a Nightseeker/Arcanist to be nearly indefinitely sustainable during long dungeon trips. Releasal Spell, while expensive, also allows for re-application of ailments and binds during a long boss fight to maintain and even improve the Nightseeker's DPS.
- Bushi: Charge, Blood Surge, Power Boost and Defiance drastically raise the base offensive power of dual-wielding Nightseekers through the roof. When combined with Foul Mastery and class skills, they can absolutely destroy any enemy afflicted with ailments. Ferocity also allows a Nightseeker to sustain themselves when attacking twice with Blade Flurry, and Deep Breath recuperates TP lost to Blood Surge.
- Imperial: Drive Blades cannot be dual-wielded, but the Drive skills offer ridiculous burst damage, especially if it has been boosted by Foul Mastery and doubled up with Follow Trace. In between, the Nightseeker's own Sword skills can still be used while holding a Drive Blade, so they can follow through with Swift Edge, Ice Knife, Assassinate or Shadow Bite. Power Boost also exists to raise their base damage.
Nightseeker as Subclass[]
Nightseeker is desirable for Blade Flurry and Follow Trace, allowing units to attack multiple times in one turn.
- Dual-wielding Bushi and Landsknechts get Blade Flurry to raise their offensive ability since they already have skills that grant bonuses for dual-wielding, and Speed Boost for turn speed.
- Dancers combine Blade Flurry with Sword Dance and Mist Dance for anywhere between 2 to 8 normal attacks, each with a chance to stun the target. They also gain access to status knives and attack skills.
- Arcanists can gain access to specific status effects they otherwise couldn't get (such as Curse and Blind), and attack boosts for inflicting status effects should they have managed to invest enough skill points to attain Foul Mastery.
- Imperials seek this class specifically for Follow Trace - this skill can allow Drive skills to hit twice and allow more mileage from cooldown skills, getting two reductions for the price of and in the time space of one.
External Links[]
Profile[]
The Nightseekers are very similar as they were in Legends of the Titan, except that Shadow Cloak has been greatly expanded into a functional branch with new skills and relocated old skills. Power from their class skill and Foul Mastery has been diverted into the Force Boost, and Follow Trace is much different.
- Strengths: Incredible offenses paired with highest Agility of all classes.
- Weaknesses: Low HP and Vitality stats shorten front row lifespan; dependent on landing ailments for maximum damage output.
- Force Boost - Killing Intent: For 3 turns, the user's damage output and ailment accuracy increases.
- Force Break - Disaster: Powerful cut attack to 1 enemy, and extends its ailment by 1 turn.
Stat Progression[]
- Main article: Nightseeker/Stats#EON
Level | HP | TP | STR | INT | VIT | WIS | AGI | LUC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 51 | 39 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 17 |
30 | 97 | 79 | 32 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 44 | 37 |
70 | 195 | 163 | 68 | 52 | 56 | 56 | 95 | 80 |
99 | 289 | 244 | 102 | 79 | 85 | 84 | 143 | 121 |
130 | 418 | 354 | 149 | 116 | 125 | 123 | 210 | 177 |
Skills[]
Skill Breakdown[]
While Nightseekers retain their original role in ailment infliction and exploitation, their skill tree got a rearrangement and some of their skills got reworked. Augmenting their skill set is their Force Boost and Break. Killing Intent gives them a temporary ATK and infliction boost, while Disaster is a deadly strike that extends an ailment's duration. Proficiency and Foul Mastery augment their role as they have before, though their numbers are toned down compared to their home game. Blade Flurry's numbers are reduced, but there is a special set of weapons with 10 ATK each with a high chance of inflicting an ailment or bind that works well for the sub-weapon. Follow Trace behaves quite differently. It no longer has any tie to Blade Flurry beyond requiring it, so the second attack deals full damage, but the second attack can only happen if an enemy it hits is suffering from an ailment. This will work if the triggering attack was what inflicted the ailment, so Spread Throw can go a second round inflicting ailments.
Their Throw skill line remains the same, though Nerve Throw and Sleep Throw have swapped places. For early boss fights you may end up relying on the accuracy penalty from blind to get free turns. Venom Throw remains the most powerful source of poison from a regular skill, and this time it scales with level to do thousands of damage in the late-game! Also part of this skill branch are familiar DPS skills Shadow Bite and Swift Edge. Swift Edge in particular took a slight accuracy penalty, but now can do up to nine hits if used on a boss suffering from ailments. Which to specialize is up to player preference. Shadow Bite at max does 620% damage on an ailing enemy and is great for sleep-bombs, while Swift Edge at max goes between 360% to 1080%, which is more volatile but has a higher ceiling. Spread Throw still makes Throw skills hit all enemies, but further investment includes an infliction rate bonus that helps tag enemies with ailments. Auto-Spread still lasts 2 turns.
The Shadow Cloak part of their skill set has been expanded into an entire branch. Shadow Cloak itself has been revised so it starts with slow action speed that rises with level, allowing the Nightseeker to choose to use it late as a setup for the next turn or gain its invulnerability early, though it may be consumed before next turn. Biding Slice is now tied to Shadow Cloak to encourage the player to use Cloak's invulnerability to guarantee the second strike hits. Assassinate has been moved here, with the instant-kill aspect tied to whether the Nightseeker has Cloak active. Backstab is a new skill that can inflict head bind on its own, and if you've got Cloak active it hits harder and becomes an almighty cut skill. Right at the end is Enduring Cloak which has a chance of automatically re-casting Shadow Cloak if that buff gets used up.
Nexus Nightseekers basically get a revision to their skill tree that gives them two variations to play with: the traditional Throw Seeker that only switches to the front line to finish off afflicted targets, or the Shadow Cloak Seeker that stays up close in the enemy's blind spot to hit their most vulnerable points. You can, of course, mix both elements, though it will be an undertaking that consumes a lot of skill points.
Subclassing[]
Subclasses for Nightseeker[]
Nightseekers are incredibly fast, have good Luck growth to inflict ailments, and can deal a lot of damage to enemies afflicted with ailments. Good subclasses help with these or solve weaknesses.
- Gunner subclass is for Nightseekers that operate mostly in the back row. The Nightseeker's reasonable STR and LUC stats make for good binding chances off the Snipe skills, and the Charged attacks, even at half level, are powerful non-situational damage sources that are on par with a max-strength Shadow Bite and average-strength Swift Edge. Combine Multi-Shot with Follow Trace and you can get incredible numbers with a good roll. Investment in Shadow Cloak can help mitigate the Charged Shot defense penalty.
- Ninjas first come to mind due to both classes being similarly quick but fragile characters focused on inflicting ailments. Mystic Calm offers a slight TP discount that makes their Throw skills nearly free, and Concealment raises evasion to offset their fragility. Beheading also synergizes really well with the dual attacks off Blade Flurry, albeit at a very low instant kill rate. Between the Nightseeker's kit and Izuna and Ninpo: Panic, this class combination can access every kind of ailment for conditional drops.
- Shogun aids the dual-wielding Nightseeker with several passives. Second Sword is a definite must to mitigate the Nightseeker's frailty on the front lines, and Peerless Demon can dramatically improve the strength of the Nightseeker's Swift Edge hits once they roll past 5 hits on an ailing enemy. Bolt Slash and Morning Star give some degree of area control, and 5-Ring Sword is a better multi-hit skill on non-ailing enemies. Using a katana in the main weapon slot also greatly increases the Nightseeker's own base damage.
- Landsknechts offer Initiative and Proficiency that synergize perfectly with the Nightseeker's unparalleled speed, letting them lead the team's assault as well as a Landsknecht main would without needing to spend a turn on Vanguard. Single Devotion also gives a nice 10% damage boost to almost everything in the Nightseeker's kit, great for Nightseekers focusing on damage.
- Arcanists provide TP Return to sustain TP during long dungeon treks, and are another source of Status ATK Up. Their Circle skills let the Nightseeker access area-of-effect binds.
- Pugilists are taken for their support skills - Adrenaline gives TP restoration to keep the Nightseeker fresh when their Throw skills land, and Meditation offers a greater infliction boost than Spread Throw against single targets, and also helps Backstab and Assassinate. With binding support from the party, Raging Billows will stack up with Nightseeker's own damage passives which lets them utterly murder bound and ailing bosses. Million Rush combined with Blade Flurry can make standard attacks hit up to 8 times, raising the success of ailment inflicting weapons.
- Harbingers provide row-targeting alternatives, the Reaps, so a Nightseeker might forgo advanced Throw skills or Spread Throw. Miasma Armor shoots the Nightseeker's speed through the roof, all but guaranteeing they'll go first in a combat round. If skill points permit, Wilting Miasma also reduces enemy resistance to ailments, letting the Nightseeker cripple the enemy with more efficiency.
Nightseeker as Subclass[]
Blade Flurry still has uses when it deals less damage. Unlike in Legends of the Titan, Follow Trace now restricts itself to triggering on ailing enemies, much like Proficiency and Foul Mastery.
- A War Magus takes the Nightseeker subclass for a cheap and more reliable source of ailments. Proficiency is also important as it stacks with the damage bonus from Ailing Slash to thoroughly gut anything with an ailment. Ice Knife also lets the War Magus access elemental damage for striking weaknesses.
- Ninjas with a Nightseeker subclass, compared to the inverse, exchange incredible damage output for the ability to inflict ailments with greater accuracy. While they don't get as much damage off Blade Flurry, Beheading has a higher base chance of activating for easier instant kills. The Throw skills give the Ninja access to more ailments, and the Nightseeker's various bladed weapon skills add to the Ninja's offensive repertoire.
- Pugilists with a Nightseeker subclass have the potential to deliver new devastating combos. On a fully bound and ailing enemy, proccing Follow Trace on Leading Blow will deliver an amazing eight hits for a great Lash Out. Pugilists already have Corkscrew to take advantage of Proficiency and Foul Mastery on top of Raging Billows. Speed Up allows them a better chance to bind enemies before they can act. Dual-wielding Pugilists can combo Blade Flurry with Million Rush to potentially do 8 hits with a normal attack, the lowest cost Lash Out combo.
- Harbingers may have a lot of their skill tree focused toward their Deathguard versions, but a Nightseeker subclass can push them towards their Deathbringer version. Their own skills can inflict ailments en masse, but the Throw skills offer a way to inflict them to single targets without spending much TP. Proficiency and Foul Mastery are important skills to raise their offensive power, and they can use Follow Trace to great effect.
External Links[]
v · t · eEtrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan |
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Info Monsters • Weapons • Armor • Items • Accessories • Usable Items • Quests • Missions • Food • Burst Skill • Subclass
Lush Woodlands • Misty Ravine • Golden Lair • Echoing Library • Forgotten Capital • Hall of DarknessWindy Plains • Scarlet Pillars • Sacred Mountains • Cloudy Stronghold Landsknecht • Nightseeker • Fortress • Sniper • Medic • Runemaster • Dancer • Arcanist • Bushi • Imperial |
v · t · eEtrian Odyssey Nexus |
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Info Missions • Quests • Weapons • Armor • Accessories • Items • Materials • Monsters • Locations • Force • Subclass
Protector • Medic • Survivalist • Ronin • Gunner • War Magus • Highlander • Sovereign • Ninja • ZodiacFarmer • Shogun • Landsknecht • Nightseeker • Arcanist • Imperial • Harbinger • Pugilist • Hero |