This week's State of the Game article on the Guild Wars official site examines the new skills available in the recently released Eye of the North expansion.

For the first time, Guild Wars introduces new skills without new professions. The ten non-elite skills per profession introduced in Eye of the North have had decidedly less impact on the GvG metagame than the dramatic upheavals of Factions and Nightfall. But this doesn't mean the new skills show no promise. Some guilds have already begun incorporating GW:EN skills into existing builds, while others seem primed to make an impact in the near future.

Backline

Although Monks have many interesting new tools, equipping any of these on an already crowded Skill Bar means something useful has to go. Cure Hex seems like a natural fit on Light of Deliverance Monk bars, where the healing power of the skill might compensate for losing the utility of Holy Veil. Aura of Stability has already found its way onto some Heroes' Ascent Monk bars, but many HA teams have three Monks, while GvG teams tend to use just two Monks. So, as most Protection Monks already have more viable skills than they can use, Aura of Stability may have trouble finding a niche in Guild Battles.

Castigation Signet shows promise as non-elite Energy management. With just eight ranks in Smiting Prayers, a good micromanager can net six Energy every fifteen seconds while damaging an attacker. Best of all, a Mo/A can bring this signet for Energy management without giving up an elite slot or escape skills.

Read the full article here.