Penghaw's Night Watch Guide

Disclaimer:

1. This is WIP.
2. Last updated: 2023-07-26
3. THIS IS NOT THE OPTIMAL OR ONLY WAY TO PLAY NW. BE CREATIVE, RAGNAROK OFFERS MULTIPLE VIABLE BUILDS FOR MOST CLASSES.
4. Most of the content here are just me sharing my thoughts and experience.

Keywords

In this guide I will be using various keywords which are commonly known throughout the game.

Keyword	Acronym For	Notes
NW	Night Watch	The class you're reading this guide for
DPS	Damage Per Second	How much damage you can dish out in 1 second. Also how some people measure their e-peen with.
AOE	Area Of Effect	Unit is measured in cell count from edge to edge. E.g. 11x11 = 5 cells to the left/above + 1 center + 5 cells to the right/below
ASPD	Attack Speed	Max value is 193. Formula: 50 / (200-FinalASPD) = Attacks per second. E.g. 193 ASPD = 50 / (200 - 193) = 7 attacks per second. This and ACD also determines how many skills you can cast per second.
GL	Grenade Launcher	One of NW's weapon options
GG	Gatling Gun	One of NW's weapon options
VITN	The Vigilante at Night	One of NW's GG skills. Sometimes also just referred as Vigilante.
FCT	Fixed Cast Time	One of two element that determines how long it takes to cast your skill
VCT	Variable Cast Time	The other element that determines how long it takes to cast your skill
ACD	After Cast Delay	Determines how long your character is stuck after cast. Can be reduced with ACD reduction effects. Needs the necessary ASPD to utilize properly.

Introduction

Night Watch is one of the extended classes available in Ragnarok Online.
They specialize in doing damage from a distance, be it single-target or area.
There are 5 different types of guns available for them, each useful for various situations.
They cannot farm or do MVPs as efficient as other classes designed for them, but they can do a pretty good job at it.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Extended class means no rebirth hassle and less EXP required to level compared to the main classes
• Extended class also means easy access to 100% DEF Bypass in form of Shadow Gears
• Able to farm relatively well thanks to large AOE skills
• Able to do MVPs relatively well thanks to skills that can crit
• Guns deal 100% damage to all size, meaning you have an extra Shadow Gear slot by skipping Infinity Shadow Gear
• Almost all skills have 0 VCT, and you only need to worry about FCT after you become Night Watch

Cons:

• Extended class also means lower total stats
• Due to how their skill is distributed, you will most likely need 2 weapons - 1 for farming and 1 for doing MVPs
• Above is also the reason why you will most likely need 2 sets of gears to optimize
• Not the best class at farming or doing MVPs
• Small HP pool - meaning you are squishy and dies easily without correct positioning
• Need to invest in 50% ACD reduction to spam skills optimally
• Suffers from CONundrum™ like Wind Hawks and bow-build Abyss Chasers
  • CONundrum™ - a situation where you are forced to spend points into CON while other crit-based classes can optimally go for POW and CRT

Weapon Options

Your weapon choice will determine your playstyle.
Here's a simple breakdown of each gun and what skills you get.

Pistol

Capable of dealing the highest damage in one skill amongst the Night Watch's arsenal.
Can deal with most MVPs swiftly.
Sadly only have single target skills, so you will need to pair this with another gun.

Skill	Properties	Summary
Only One Bullet	Single-target Bypass Defense 1s FCT 0.35s Cooldown 0.5s ACD	Deals significantly less damage compared to Magazine for One. Innate bonus doesn't matter because you will not be using pistols before getting 100% DEF Bypass. Don't bother using.
Magazine for One	Single-target Can crit 1s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	Capable of dealing over 1 billion damage when properly geared in 1 cast. However requires a lot of investment to do so. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).

Rifle

The very weapon that relates with NW's identity as being mediocre.
Capable of competing with Pistol in terms of single-target DPS.
Allows you to use Anti-Material Blast (Obliterator) which has a 70% chance to reduce target's resistance by 50% for 10s.
Can deal the highest AOE DPS, but middling cast range and AOE makes it clunky.

Skill	Properties	Summary
Only One Bullet	Single-target Can crit 1s FCT 0.35s Cooldown 0.5s ACD	Requires 31% ACD reduction and 183 ASPD to spam efficiently. Capable of doing DPS on par with pistol's Magazine for One when spammed to the limit.
Spiral Shooting	Single-target 7x7 AOE Can crit 1s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	The only crit skill that deals AOE damage in NW's arsenal. However cast range is relatively short, AOE is middling, and needs to target an enemy. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).

Shotgun

Honestly I never tried this weapon, because the skills it gains are bad.
GL has significantly wider AOE with Wild Fire.
GG has significantly wider AOE with Vigilante In The Night AND bypasses defense.
Also has big ASPD penalty.

Skill	Properties	Summary
Wild Fire	Ground-target 7x7 AOE 1s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	Deals more damage at the cost of smaller AOE compared to GL. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).
The Vigilante at Night	No target 7x7 AOE 1.5s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	Deals more damage at the cost of smaller AOE compared to GG. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).

Gatling Gun

One of the best weapon options for NW.
Gets innate DEF Bypass and deals damage in a massive AOE.
Also capable of dealing the most single-target damage excluding crit skills.

Skill	Properties	Summary
Magazine for One	Single-target 1s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	Deals massive single-target damage even though it cannot crit. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).
The Vigilante at Night	No target 11x11 AOE 1.5s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	Deals deals damage in a massive 11x11 AOE around the caster. Has innate 100% DEF Bypass, good for early-mid game. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).

Grenade Launcher

Has the highest base weapon damage among NW's weapon options.
Also has the highest ASPD penalty, making it somewhat hard to spam skills with.
Very effective at clearing enemy clusters from a distance.

Skill	Properties	Summary
Wild Fire	Ground-target 11x11 AOE 1s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	Deals massive damage in a 11x11 AOE. Ignores terrain, meaning enemies behind a wall but still within the AOE will take damage. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).
Spiral Shooting	Single-target 1s FCT 0.5s Cooldown 1s ACD	Deals deals damage in a massive 11x11 AOE around the caster. Has innate 100% DEF Bypass, good for early-mid game. Needs 50% ACD reduction and 175 ASPD to spam efficiently (twice per second).

Status & Skill Build

Status

Stats breakdown coming soon
Get Critical to 144~150

Skill

Pick passives and get pre-requisites Spend the remaining points as you like

Progression

Road to Night Watch

Early Game

You spin me right round baby right round trip

Gears

Slot | Item | Enchants | Card | Explanation | How to get Grace set and Paradise weapon Pivot to Illu Butcher etc Eden SG Get Incubus!!

Farming

Gefenia is your friend = alootid

Mid Game

Figure out your playstyle/weapon choice

Gears

Glacier weapon or Hero stuff? Get 100% Bypass with class/skill SG (CAN BE SKIPPED IF YOU PLAY GG) Wolf suit FCT 1~1.5s Wolf accessories or Auto boosters or Snow Flower accessories

Costume Enchants

AssassinX-2 Top Rebel Mid GX Low GX-2 Garment

Farming

TH12 (must hv kafra card) = alootid gray wolf = alootid Snake nest = alootid abandon pit = alootid

End Game

Min-maxing time Painchamp

Gears

Get Full Penet SG to free up slots for Max Mammoth SG Remaining weapon and shield SG are free Get Dim glacier A +12 Temporal Circlet Wolf Acc for crit Pirate cap coat nebula? ice rune boots

Farming

CTB = alootid

My Gear Progression

How I went with my NW. You don't have to 100% copy, this is just a reference.

Early Game

Stripe hat VWE/Sealed Chain any low headgear Grace set Illu butcher double mutant bellare Sherrif Badge or sinful ruby set Advanced Paradise SG

Mid Game

Beelze Crown Glacier weapon blood sucker gray wolf suit gray wolf boots pirate coat auto boosters 100% Def bypass SG

Current Setup

Dim weapons Temp Circlet