Curse

-Makai- · May 20, 2007, 04:15 AM // 04:15

I'm really enjoying the class, but my secondary profession, Warrior, just isn't working out for me. I'd like to try out the Assassin, but I don't have any open slots. Would a Ranger/Assassin combination be a viable option? Also, my Ranger is Prophecies born...would he be able to change his secondary to Assassin?

Thanks.

ArKaiN · May 20, 2007, 04:35 AM // 04:35

viable? yeah, sure. The problem is, there is no advantage in it. Expertise, Ranger's primary attribute, lowers some skills's costs, but not assassin's attacks costs.
So you're left with an assassin that doesn't gain energy on criticals, meaning you'll run out of energy in seconds.

Lord Nibiru · May 20, 2007, 06:15 AM // 06:15

Arkain,I am not sure at that one.I never tried R/A using assassin skills,but when I saw other players using it they spammed Repeating Strike....so I think that Expertise lowers skills costs.....but maybe I am wrong.

Kelm...if you want play Ranger with bow,then you really don't need any warrior or assassin skills.Better go Monk or Necro.
I didn't understand you well,you want play as melee or?

-Makai- · May 20, 2007, 06:29 AM // 06:29

Well, I'd like to use different templates for different situations, and a melee style one suits me well. I already have two warriors (W/M and W/N), so the whole warrior thing is getting stale and I'd like to try something new.

I mainly use a combination of marksmanship, expertise and wilderness survive on the Ranger.

Amy Awien · May 20, 2007, 08:00 AM // 08:00

Expertise does lower the energy price of attack skills, including assassin attack skills. It is explicitly mentioned.
Once your character has ascended you can switch to any secondary. If you have Factions you can take assasin as secondary, though I am uncertain if your character has to travel to Cantha to be able to switch secondary to assassin or ritualist.

Epinephrine · May 20, 2007, 11:18 AM // 11:18

I think the best would be to pick up support skills from every class. There are nice skills pretty much everywhere, and it's liberating to have flexibility. Don't feel you have to pick a secondary profession and stick with it - you can switch any time. Use Splinter Weapon one time, Judge's Insight another, assassin skills another time - there's no reason to limit yourself.

Spartan Link · May 22, 2007, 07:50 AM // 07:50

I have been playing with my ranger as R/A

i use the assassin skill sometimes when i dont feel like using range, its pretty fun actualy its like a sin with less critical but more elemental defence

i put attributes in
Experties 10+1+2,
Dagger mastery 11
Shadow arts 10.

and i use

Golden fox strike
Fox fang
Nine tail strike
Flashing blades (elite)
Lighting reflex
Death charge or Death retreat
Shadow refuge
Andidote signet or Rez

a build i use with my sin :P with out the lighting reflex

its actualy quite fun

if only sins have the +30 elemental defence as well
oh and expertises lowers most of the sins attacking skills XD

seven · May 22, 2007, 12:49 PM // 12:49

expertise DOES reduce assasin attack skill costs.

you can be a dag ranger: less powerful in attacks, but better in terms of natural defense. expertise can neatly fill in for CS when it comes to emanagement. although you are a bit more limited in dagger attack choices with just dag mastery.

there's always the unorthodox route: there are some AP> poison + sig of toxic shock, blind(tdirt) + signet of shadows builds floating around.

Threll · May 22, 2007, 07:05 PM // 19:05

In Elona (Nightfall), you can switch your secondary profession to any, provided you have unlocked the Command Post and the subsequent Profession Changer NPC. In Cantha (Factions), I do not believe you are given the option to re-roll as Paragon or a Dervish unless you already paid the 500g to take them as your secondary in Elona. It's the same with Sin/Rit/Para/Derv in Tyria (Prophecies), as well. Prophecies can only unlock the Core classes as secondaries for you, and only through quests. However, if I remember correctly, any of the profession changers in any campaign will allow you to change back to a class you have been previously. It's just all about where you take them as a secondary for the very first time with that particular character.

FoxBat · May 22, 2007, 07:10 PM // 19:10

Senji will let you train into paragon/dervish professions if you have nightfall on your account.

thunderai · May 22, 2007, 08:52 PM // 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Threll

In Elona (Nightfall), you can switch your secondary profession to any, provided you have unlocked the Command Post and the subsequent Profession Changer NPC. In Cantha (Factions), I do not believe you are given the option to re-roll as Paragon or a Dervish unless you already paid the 500g to take them as your secondary in Elona. It's the same with Sin/Rit/Para/Derv in Tyria (Prophecies), as well. Prophecies can only unlock the Core classes as secondaries for you, and only through quests. However, if I remember correctly, any of the profession changers in any campaign will allow you to change back to a class you have been previously. It's just all about where you take them as a secondary for the very first time with that particular character.

It is easier than that. You can change your secondary on the fly by using the K window. Selecting a different template will alter your secondary (if you have it unlocked), or you can manualy adjust your secondary with the proper combo box.

ZenRgy · May 22, 2007, 09:16 PM // 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartan Link

I have been playing with my ranger as R/A

i use the assassin skill sometimes when i dont feel like using range, its pretty fun actualy its like a sin with less critical but more elemental defence

i put attributes in
Experties 10+1+2,
Dagger mastery 11
Shadow arts 10.

and i use

Golden fox strike
Fox fang
Nine tail strike
Flashing blades (elite)
Lighting reflex
Death charge or Death retreat
Shadow refuge
Andidote signet or Rez

a build i use with my sin :P with out the lighting reflex

its actualy quite fun

if only sins have the +30 elemental defence as well
oh and expertises lowers most of the sins attacking skills XD

I would seriously suggest something on that flashing blades, that elite is A) boring, B) An elite defensive stance, and just bad in comparison to other assassin elites.

Moebius strike is much more fun when you use it to chain death blossom 2/3 times.

As far as Dagger rangers go, they're fun to play but less effective that a regular assassin.

ArKaiN · May 22, 2007, 10:08 PM // 22:08

Quote:

Expertise reduces the energy cost for the following types of skills:

* All Ranger skills
* Attacks from any profession
* Binding Rituals
* Touch skills from any profession

My mistake.
I remain skeptical about the damage output of this build however, since it lacks critical striking, and with expertise and daggers being necessarily high, no IAS. Maybe some form of RaO? Going easy on expertise and pumping Beast Mastery?

Threll · May 22, 2007, 10:42 PM // 22:42

Yeah, I forgot all about the Skill window.. :P

Dark Luke · May 23, 2007, 12:28 AM // 00:28

Critical strike doesn't really add much damage to daggers, with infinite death blossom/mobius strike combos damage (12 dagger mastery) is always high enough to make big AOE damage while you're tanking.

at 14 expertise...
lightning reflexes = 75% block + 33% IAS at the same time for 11 second
Add in whirling defense (75% block for 19 seconds) and...

You can have 41 seconds of continuous 75% blocking (11 LR + 19 WD +11 LR seconds)

An primary assassin can't take the advantage of this (these non-elite blockers are tied to expertise)

I even have fun solo spiking down squishies very quickly with my R/A in alliance battles.
black ? strike -> death blossom -> impale -> mobius strike <-> death blossom

-Makai- · May 23, 2007, 08:17 AM // 08:17

Well, I finally got to Senji. I don't have very many assassin skills just yet, so I'm going to just experiment and use some of the advice you've given me. Thanks for the help.

ArKaiN · May 24, 2007, 05:35 AM // 05:35

Made a pretty fun build with Tiger's fury, exp 13, daggers 12.

Jagged Strike
Wild Strike
Death Blossom
Moebius Strike[e]
Tiger's Fury
Whirling Defense
pet
pet

Pretty fun, took it for a ride in AB, killed some casters, had some laughs, then Switched to Burning Arrow and realized there's no comparison.

Threll · May 24, 2007, 06:27 PM // 18:27

Is it worth it when your pet dies and your skills are locked for eternity?

ArKaiN · May 25, 2007, 09:53 PM // 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Threll

Is it worth it when your pet dies and your skills are locked for eternity?

No, its out now =D