Curse

Sjeng oet Mestreech · Jun 17, 2007, 03:30 PM // 15:30

Finally, after two and a half year I did my first PvP match. At the Random Arena Island, meaning a 4v4 match.
I decided to use an Assassin for my first PvP run because they are the best single target killers in the game. And since you are only fighting 4 players ánd have 3 party member, this looked like the best class for a first try.

I came up with the following build:
-Leaping Mantis Sting (Cripple)
-Wild Strike (Kill stances)
-Horns of the Ox (KD)
-Falling Spider (Poison)
-Twisting Fangs (Bleeding and DW)
-Flashing Blades (Block)
-Death's Charge (Shadow Step)
-Resurrection Signet
Which turned out to be a good solid skill-bar. Because after 9 runs I still didn't die even once, I killed 3 of the 4 enemies (including the revived onces), and achieved 8 of the 9 victories as Flawless.

Now I don't know if the opponents where so bad, my team was so good or if I just got lucky, but everthing went well. I slashed and spiked trough every target. From the squishy onces to the heavy armored onces. Untill I came across a Necromancer/Assassin (Curses), a Mesmer/Necromancer (Curses), a Monk/Mesmer (Prot) and a Ritualist/Monk (Spirit).
All 'squishy' targets, but neither me nor my party wasn't able to kill any of them.
My party: Me, an Assassin/, an Assassin/Warrior, An Elementalist/Mesmer and a Ritualist/Mesmer.

All the heavy armored characters where easy to kill. And if they started hitting me, I just used Flashing Blades or Shadow Stepped to another enemy.

Now is my question: How do I counter these damn curses and protection monks? Is there something terribly wrong with my build, or is it usual that an Assassin gets arsekicked by Necro's, Mesmers and Prot Monks?

Note that I didn't use any upgrades like runes, 15^50 weapons, Zealous weapons or anything like that. I just used the standard PvP equipment.

Yanman.be · Jun 17, 2007, 04:10 PM // 16:10

Flashing Blades = No go in PvP.

About those hexers...can't do much except interrupt them, remove them yourself or rely on your monk to do it.

About the protectors, your build fails in bypassing them. You need an interrupt or anti-block skill.

Sjeng oet Mestreech · Jun 17, 2007, 04:58 PM // 16:58

Flashing Blades seemed to work pretty well in PvP.

Anyway, would Fox's Promise or Expose Defenses work instead to avoid the blocking of Prot monks? Or is it also possible to use Assault Enchantments or Shattering Assault. Since most of the time they are under the effect of Enchantments.

And when using Expose Defense, would it be better to switch Leaping Mantis Strike and Falling Spider for Black Mantis Trust and Black Spider Strike?
That way I can drop Horns of the Ox (which is needed to activate Falling Spider) and which in a skill like Moebius Strike or another Elite...

Damn, there are just too many possibilities :P

The thing I love about an Assassin actually, altough most of the time it PvE it doesn't matter which skills you use... But for now it is 'Goodbye PvE' and 'Hello PvP' anyway

Yanman.be · Jun 17, 2007, 06:07 PM // 18:07

You were playing RA. Anything works there. In PvP, it's better to take an offensive skill if you're an offensive character. I agree, people may attack you, but you shouldn't sacrifice a (elite) skill just to bypass that. Kill them before they can attack you

.

The problem with both [skill]Shattering Assault[/skill] and [skill]Assault Enchantments[/skill] is that you must first get to them...that means at least 2 hits,( not counting [skill]Dancing Daggers[/skill] and [skill]Iron Palm[/skill] ) plus a dual attack for [skill]Assault Enchantments[/skill] . Might be just better to leave those skills out and simply be able to ignore the blocking enchantments.

Another thing you will have to learn as an Assassin is that not all targets are good targets. Offcourse, you have to kill everyone to win a match, but the order matters. If I'm on an RA team with no monk, I will go for the offensive targets first, disrupting their offensive capabilities, so they can not harm my team, so they don't die, thus allowing them to pressure their defenses.

In general, having less lead/off hand combo's is best. If you use a hex, simply use [skill]Black Lotus Strike[/skill] ([skill]Black Spider Strike[/skill] ). This bypasses the lead attack, preserving energy and increasing your "accuracy" against blockers.

A pretty good starter build would be this one:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cla0lFbbpwE
(watch the rest of the videos, shows alot of tactical decisions that might seem illogical at first, yet are key to success )( Or download all 3 hi-res versions at once: http://www.megaupload.com/en/?d=3E7V6E20 )

You can heavily modify this build. Change the last 4 skills, put in another lead, or even dual attack.

Sjeng oet Mestreech · Jun 17, 2007, 07:37 PM // 19:37

Nice vids

.

I guess I could use Twisting Fangs instead of Impale (Less damage, but it doesn't require AP's in Deadly Arts) and Death Charge instead of Dash.

The builds are quit different though. The build that I use up untill now depends on conditions while depending less on direct spike damage, your build is all about spiking the opponent.

Oh, and I have a few offtopic questions: Can I get other armor sets, weapons and all that stuff ass a PvP-Only character, or does it require a PvE-character to require those?
When I unlock skills in the PvP area with my PvE character, is it possible to use them directly in te PvP area or do I still need to cap them myself?
I understand that they are not usable in the PvE area, but perhaps they are, just like with the PvE only skills, locked in the area's where you can't use them...

Yanman.be · Jun 17, 2007, 07:53 PM // 19:53

Actually my build is a bit more geared towards pressure..you see the MS/DB chain?

I don't quite understand your last paragraph, but once you've unlocked something in PvP(faction )or PvE(skill quest, trainer, identification ), it will be unlocked in PvP. Simply press the J menu to make all the armor you want with the upgrades you have.

Sjeng oet Mestreech · Jun 17, 2007, 08:36 PM // 20:36

Praat je Nederlands, dan leg ik je het iets makkelijker uit :P

I'll explain it with an example

:
When I unlock Moebius Strik with my PvE Assassin in the PvP area (Balthazar Island), will I be able to use it on that Assassin directly in the PvP area, or do I have to make a whole new PvP-Only Assassin to gain acces to that skill?

Yanman.be · Jun 18, 2007, 05:25 AM // 05:25

Yes, but this is an English forum.

It doesn't matter what character you use to unlock it. Unlock = unlock in PvP for sure. Unlock in PvE for your PvE character will both unlock it for that character in PvE, and PvP(all characters ).

Sjeng oet Mestreech · Jun 18, 2007, 09:08 AM // 09:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yanman.be

Yes, but this is an English forum.

I know, I know. I was just joking around a little

If I really meant it, I would have send you a PM.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yanman.be

It doesn't matter what character you use to unlock it. Unlock = unlock in PvP for sure. Unlock in PvE for your PvE character will both unlock it for that character in PvE, and PvP(all characters ).

Thanks, that was all I needed to know

RotteN · Jun 18, 2007, 10:26 AM // 10:26

if you use a pve assassin you will have to cap the skill in pve in order to use it. simply unlocking it in PvP won't give you access to it.

on the other hand, capping a skill in PvE will automatically unlock it in PvP aswell.

TheOneMephisto · Jun 18, 2007, 06:52 PM // 18:52

Just use shadowprison->black lotus->twisting->black spider->blades of steel. Use expose if you want, but mainly to counter hexes and stuff just teleport on them as soon as you're in ranger and kill them.

X Cytherea X · Jun 19, 2007, 12:30 AM // 00:30

or cast [skill]holy veil[/skill] on yourself. i get laughed at for having this skill but it is ridiculously effective. you can even remove 2 hexes in a row (pre-veil, remove veil, cast veil, remove veil) then another one 12 secs later. heck, i can remove hexes mid-combo (only if they make me miss) then continue. i almost always have this and [skill]mending touch[/skill] both at no attribute point investment.

then do a standard hex-black-dual-black-dual combo. they will usually be dead before the hex gets on.

that's 5 'killing' slots... 2 'cleanup' slots... and 1 res. most monks in RA are ok at healing and bad at cleanup... especially if hexes and conditions are spread party-wide. with this build format you relieve the monk of this burden and you can go on killing at maximum efficiency as long as you're still alive

oblivion keeper · Jun 25, 2007, 10:14 PM // 22:14

i truely think your build is fine/ well u might need to mod it up a bit

and yanman is right. u most of the time will get someone who will be supporting the team. so why waste an elite? i really like your combo also. and about the prot monks, u should kill them ezily with the knockdown. knockdown doesnt even allow them to cast anything, unless it a a stance they throw up but that is covered by the wild strike. anyways, back to the topic. TheOneMephisto posted the shadow prison sin, generrally used in pvp. as u can see its shadowprison->black lotus->twisting->black spider->blades of steel which u can see the skills here dont knock down

. so make it like this

shadowprison->black lotus->horn of the ox ->black spider-> impale and then signet of toxic shock. allowing just right to fit a build. (1) hex (2) energy used from the hexed gained back (3) knockdown so they cant do much (4) is for poison (5) is for deepwound (6) the finisher (7) heal (8) rez. sweet eeeh?

X Cytherea X · Jun 26, 2007, 03:12 AM // 03:12

^look at your combo again, your impale will fail miserably.

xaleo21 · Jun 26, 2007, 05:51 AM // 05:51

Kick eFlashing Blades. No need for stancing 'cause sins live only long enough to take out a couple targets. Try to make just one mad, quickly regenerating chain. eMoebius Strike suggested.

.21 · Jun 26, 2007, 12:51 PM // 12:51

flashing blades is a great skill for an assassin, sense assassins are considered semi-soft targets, it isn't bad to carry flashing blades at all. but your attack chain can use some work.

Yanman.be · Jun 26, 2007, 05:02 PM // 17:02

.21 . This is PvP. Assassins kill stuff. You waste your elite slot (often your best shot at getting a crucial effect in) on something your monks should do for you.

Breaking Storm · Jun 26, 2007, 06:22 PM // 18:22

PvP - Mobility > Condition Remover and Self Heal > Blocking Stances for sins.
^also, you shouldn't totally depend on your monks, like trying to fight two wars hoping you won't die because you have a monk, but I'm sure you know that. You are not the only one that is depending on your monk.

BUILD: well, if you are starting, might as well use the most common build for sins until you are good enough to make new and innovative builds.

Attributes: can't go on to GW right now, but similar to this
13 DM
11 CS (don't need 13 CS, if you are doing 3 way AP split)
12 DA (You want ED, and SP to last long, and do lot of damage with Impale).
All minors, except SUP vigor.

Shadow Prison
Black Lotus Strike
Horns of the Ox
Black Spider
Blades of Steel
Impale
Tiger Stance
Rez/Expose Defense(if you want)