Originally Posted by wilebill

I don't know whether you are just rolling an Assassin or asking about a PvP build. I'll assume just starting out. I think I tried the A/Mo just starting out. But at Senji's corner I changed out of it.

I personally would recommend A/R, just for one skill. The Antidote Signet. 1 sec cast, 4 sec recharge. If you can keep the conditions off, Shadow Refuge is plenty of heal. The Signet removes Poison, Disease, Blindness and one additional condition ... such as Crippled. You can buy it at the Ran Musu Gardens, which is on the starting island, if it doesn't come with Ranger, I forget.

Vigorous Spirit does work, but you are going to get Way of Perfection at the Skill Chaining quest at Shing Jea Monastery anyway. And, Way of Perfection lasts 60 sec and gives you a burst of healing every time you critical. Vigorous Spirit ends after 30 sec, which is about when you really wish you had it.

Of course, do as you like. Assassins are independent, stubborn players who dare to think different! And you can change your secondary at Senji's Corner higher in the game anyway.

Not related to A/R specifically, though A/R can be helpful, is my only other big piece of advice. Equip your Assassin with the Super Weapon in one of your weapon slots and life will be a lot easier if you solo any at all. The Super Weapon for the Assassin is the Longbow!

Now, don't panic. You do not have to waste any of your precious points in Marksmanship. Just one of those simple no attribute required longbows that drop on the island. I think their max damage is 9 in Factions. Long ago I got a no attribute bow in Prophecies from a chest outside Piken Square with a max damage of 12.

Pull with the Longbow. And when you get to Kaineng City and meet various evil groups of nasties, start combat with the little Longbow. Hey, it is hitting for maybe 2 or 3, but the damage isn't the point. What you are doing is getting your hench party aggroed. Two or three shots with the bow, switch to daggers, go in and kill the softies; or kill the evil swine trying to take down your monk ... as the case may be. Or with Jade Brotherhood, perhaps let the hench soften them up a bit, take down one or two! Then you ride in as the Seventh Cavalry! Makes life easy.

I mostly solo'd Factions, did Prophecies, finished Nightfall, and am now rolling in Eye of the North. With all elites and skills in the game, I am still a A/R. The Longbow is still my friend!

Now, if you want to get sophisticated, look on the wiki for Collectors and look at the Collectors in Kryta and Ascalon. The ones on the Ascalon maps have longbows and other bows that hit for a max of 18 that only require 3 in Marksmanship. Add a vampiric string, turn up Critical Eye, good enough. And if you happen to have 6 spare points for Marksmanship, the Collectors in Kryta have bows that have a max of 25, which is nearly full power. Stick a vampiric string on one of those and watch the fur fly!

Good luck with your new Assassin. And ... uh ... Paladin ... (cough) ... no ... just no. The idea is not to endure; the idea is that if they are dead, then they are no problem!

Originally Posted by Tyla

Okay, okay! On a more serious note, this is a pretty good build:

[black mantis thrust][wild strike][death blossom][moebius strike][critical strike][flurry]["save yourselves!"][resurrection signet]

You can drop Critical Strike and Wild Strike for Wild Blow and Exhausting Assault for an interrupt and on demand unblockable stance removing skill that criticals 100%.

If you're concerned on survival, consider adding Critical Defenses, although I myself would take Save Yourselves.

Originally Posted by Monarch

He said he only has Prophecies and Factions as his two campaigns, so you can't use SY!, however that is a good build if, instead of using SY!, you use Critical Defenses.

Originally Posted by Monarch

He said he only has Prophecies and Factions as his two campaigns, so you can't use SY!, however that is a good build if, instead of using SY!, you use Critical Defenses.