Aion 2 Skill Level Up – Ruinous Blow: How It Actually Works

[AlexVeraAlex]

What is “Skill Level Up – Ruinous Blow”?

Skill Level Up – Ruinous Blow is a Daevanion skilllevel node that increases the level of the Ruinous Blow skill by +1. It becomes available at level 40, costs 3 Daevanion Points, and sits relatively deep in Board 14.

Unlike passive stat nodes, this one directly modifies a specific active skill. That makes it more situational. Its value depends heavily on how often you use Ruinous Blow and what role your class is playing.

What does +1 skill level actually do in practice?

A +1 level to Ruinous Blow usually increases one or more of the following:

Base damage

Damage scaling with attack power

Secondary effects such as stagger chance or bonus damage conditions

What it does not do is change how the skill is used. The animation, cooldown, and targeting stay the same. Most players expect a noticeable jump, but in real combat logs the difference is usually modest per cast.

Where it adds up is over time. If Ruinous Blow is part of your regular rotation and you cast it dozens of times per dungeon or PvP session, the total damage gain becomes more meaningful.

Is this node mandatory or optional?

For most builds, this node is optional, not mandatory.

Players who rush it usually fall into one of these categories:

Main damage dealers who rely on Ruinous Blow as a core skill

PvP-focused players who want slightly higher burst windows

Min-maxers who already unlocked key survival and utility nodes

If you are still filling out basic attack power, crit, or defensive nodes, those usually provide more value per point early on.

How often do players actually use Ruinous Blow?

This is the key question many guides skip.

In practice, most players use Ruinous Blow in these situations:

As part of a standard PvE rotation on bosses

As a filler or burst skill in PvP when positioning allows

Less frequently during large-scale fights where mobility matters more

If you find yourself skipping Ruinous Blow often because of movement, cooldown conflicts, or risk of being interrupted, the value of upgrading it drops.

A good rule of thumb:
If Ruinous Blow is not among your top 3 most-used damage skills, this node should be lower priority.

How does this node compare to other skill level nodes?

Compared to other skill level upgrades, Ruinous Blow sits in the middle.

It is stronger than upgrading niche or situational skills

It is weaker than upgrading core burst or AoE skills used every fight

Players often overvalue skill level nodes because they look powerful on paper. In reality, raw stat nodes often increase overall performance more consistently.

That said, once your board is more developed, skill level nodes become a way to fine-tune your playstyle rather than build fundamentals.

Is the cost of 3 Daevanion Points worth it?

Three points is not cheap, especially early on.

Those same points could unlock:

Multiple smaller stat nodes

Pathing toward a stronger keystone

Defensive options that reduce death time and repair costs

Because of that, most experienced players delay this node until they are comfortable with their survivability and core damage stats.

Some players speed this process up by managing their economy carefully. For example, having enough kinah on hand to reset boards or experiment freely makes testing easier. This is why you sometimes see discussions around cheap Aion 2 kinah when players talk about optimizing Daevanion builds quickly, though that topic goes beyond this node itself.

Does this node matter more for PvE or PvP?

It matters slightly more in PvE.

In PvE:

Boss fights are longer

Skill rotations are more stable

Damage gains stack over time

In PvP:

Fights are shorter and less predictable

Positioning and crowd control matter more

A single upgraded skill rarely decides the outcome

PvP-focused players usually prioritize mobility, survivability, and control nodes before skill level upgrades like this one.

When should you unlock Skill Level Up – Ruinous Blow?

Based on common player behavior, the best timing is:

After level 40, once your core board path is complete

When Ruinous Blow is already part of your standard rotation

When you are refining damage rather than building basics

Avoid unlocking it just because it is available. Availability does not equal efficiency.

How does this node affect real combat results?

From testing and logs, the effect looks like this:

Individual hits feel almost the same

Damage meters show a small but consistent increase

Over long fights, total damage improves slightly

You will not suddenly out-damage players with better gear or positioning. This node rewards consistency, not burst miracles.

Common mistakes players make with this node

Here are mistakes I see often:

Unlocking it too early and starving other parts of the board

Expecting a visible power spike

Taking it even though Ruinous Blow is rarely used

Not testing damage logs before and after

Skill level nodes are finishing touches, not foundations.