Curse

lord_shar · Jul 11, 2006, 02:59 PM // 14:59

I just created this build for myself while trying to get my skill hunter title -- worked out better than expected, so I though I'd share with anyone interested...

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Profession: Assassin/(anything)
Name: Efficient Variable Knockdown + Conditions build
Type: PvE or PvP
Category: Efficient knockdowns + condition delivery
Attributes:
Dagger Mastery 12 (11 + 1)
Shadow Magic 8 (7 + 1)
Critical Strikes 13 (11 + 2)
Deadly Arts 5 (4 + 1)

Gear:
-any 15>50 +30 health dagger set (zealous preferred)

Skills Set
1 - Jagged Strike
2 - Iron Palm
3 - Wild Strike
4 - Horns of the Ox
5 - Falling Spider
6 - Twisting Fangs
7 - Shadow Refuge
8 - {Elite} or regular skill of your choice (switch secondary class as needed), but I typically use Moebis Strike, Aura of Displacement, Grenth's Balance, Signet of Capture(PvE), Ressurection Signet, Signet of Malice, Plague Touch, etc...

Summary: This build is designed for energy efficiency, and multiple knockdowns + condition delivery paths. It minimizes energy used while delivering its attacks and has multiple attack squence options. It also recycles very quickly with Jagged Strike + Wild Strike setting up Twising Fangs or Horns of the Ox. Some sample attack sequences:

Jagged Strike -> Iron Palm -> Falling Spider -> Twisting Fangs (3 conditions + knocks down target in crowd)
Jagged Strike -> Wild Strike -> Horns of the Ox -> Falling Spider -> Twisting Fangs (3 conditions + solo target knock down)
Jagged Strike -> Iron Palm -> Falling Spider -> Horns of the Ox (bleeding + poison + double knockdown paralysis)

If you choose Moebius Strike as your elite, then you gain access to some wicked extended attack chains:

Jagged Strike -> Wild Strike -> Horns of the Ox -> Falling Spider -> Twisting Fangs -> Moebius Strike -> Iron Palm -> Falling Spider -> Horns of the Ox

etc...

Most of this builds attacks cost 5 energy, with the exception of Iron Palm and Twisting Fangs, thereby making its dagger sequences fast, spammable, and sustainable. There is almost no downtime waiting for energy recovery, especially with zealous daggers. It's not a 1-trick pony either -- if the target cannot be knocked down, this set up can still spam damage through sheer number of attacks. Blocked attacks are not a problem either since the Jagged and Wild Strike have 4-second recycle times. Against Plague Touchers, just use knockdowns to paralyze them without Twisting Fangs until they are near dead.

This build is simple, efficient, yet has enough variability to overcome most challenges. If it has one glaring weakness, it's lack of condition removal (blindness = doh!), but you could just take Plague Touch or Signet of Malice in the #8 skill slot to correct this.

Credit: Not sure here... just cooked this up for myself while brainstorming an assassin skill hunter.

Claymore · Jul 11, 2006, 03:23 PM // 15:23

I have a build I use trying for the same goals but different skills, and its not mine it has been in this forum before
Mark of Instability>Black lotus strike> Twisting fangs (also becomes KD because of MOI)> Falling spider> then another dual of choice.
Then your Shadow Refuge and Elite of choice, this also frees a spot for another support skill.The stacking of bleeding, deep wound and poison hurts bad, and if your last dual is horns, you can Knock them down again.

lord_shar · Jul 11, 2006, 05:11 PM // 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claymore

I have a build I use trying for the same goals but different skills, and its not mine it has been in this forum before
Mark of Instability>Black lotus strike> Twisting fangs (also becomes KD because of MOI)> Falling spider> then another dual of choice.
Then your Shadow Refuge and Elite of choice, this also frees a spot for another support skill.The stacking of bleeding, deep wound and poison hurts bad, and if your last dual is horns, you can Knock them down again.

The difference with this build vs. other convetional knockdown set-ups is spammability, multiple paralysis knockdowns, and (most importantly) energy efficiency. Most of the spammable attack skills cost only 5 energy, with the remaining skills (iron palm, twisting fangs) requiring only 1-2 uses in an attack chain. This optimizes damage applied vs. energy expended, thereby leaving you more energy available for the next target after dropping the first. There's almost no downtime between engagements given the fast recycle speeds of jagged strike + wild strike. Furthermore, all the attacks are melee skill based, so spellbreaker offers no defense against it.

Claymore · Jul 11, 2006, 05:46 PM // 17:46

As for energy, Black lotus strike returns most, not all of that energy, I also use critical eye to get more energy back as well. And yes I see how your build has a higher spammable rate than mine, I was just sugesting MOI as an alternative to the conditional KD's of Iron palm, was not meant as a flame at all. Your build looks good, I have used the jagged strike>iron palm combo as well.

lord_shar · Jul 11, 2006, 05:56 PM // 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claymore

As for energy, Black lotus strike returns most, not all of that energy, I also use critical eye to get more energy back as well. And yes I see how your build has a higher spammable rate than mine, I was just sugesting MOI as an alternative to the conditional KD's of Iron palm, was not meant as a flame at all. Your build looks good, I have used the jagged strike>iron palm combo as well.

Yes, black lotus does return lots of energy, but if it is blocked/evaded/interrupted, it's a long 25 second wait before being able to use it again. This makes it a huge liability in any heated combat scenario. Critical eye does provide good energy management and can be used in the 8th optional slot.

Oh, I never took your last post as a flame... just forgot to include the smiley

Claymore · Jul 11, 2006, 06:15 PM // 18:15

LOL no prob, I have found that what my build lacks in intial damage dealt makes up for in the degen, its fun standing a few paces away and watch the guy die and not being able to do a thing about it!