Curse

SparhawkJC · Mar 25, 2006, 06:23 PM // 18:23

Well guys with this being factions preview event, I decided to give the assassin a whirl. Now the question I want to ask you guys is what do you all think is the best lead attack? Probably the most important attack in the whole combo, without it we wouldn't be able to use our combo of death at all. I've listed all of the lead attacks in the game with my commentary.

Critical Strikes:
Unsuspecting Strike - Lead Attack. If this attack hits, you strike for +1...25 damage. If your target was above 90% Health you deal an additional 10...34 damage. 10 Energy, 4 Recharge.

Ok with FPE showing that it only has a 4 second recharge, it becomes tied with Leaping Mantis Sting for my favorite lead attack.

Dagger Mastery:
Black Mantis Thrust - Lead Attack. If this attack hits, you strike for +5...17 damage. If target foe is suffering from a hex, that foe is Crippled for 3...13 seconds. 5 Energy, 12 Recharge

Decent lead attack, cheap energy but killer recharge. Also the conditional crippling isn't too useful in my opinion. I find that I barely have enough energy to use my combo, much less throw a hex in there.

*Desperate Strike - Lead Attack. If you have less than 25...61% health, you deal +5...41 damage. 5 Energy, 10 Recharge*
Decent lead attack, but inferior to Unsuspecting Strike except that it costs less. Ok didn't see this skill at the skill trainer this weekend so maybe A-net realized how useless it was compared to Unsuspecting Strike.

Disrupting Stab - Lead Attack. If this attack hits, it interrupts target foe's action. If that action was a spell, it is disabled for 3...9 seconds. 5 Energy, 10 Recharge

I'm sorry, but somewhere out there a ranger and a warrior are laughing at your pitiful attempts to mimic their disrupting moves. Ok with the recharge at a reasonable 10 seconds it's a useable interrupt now.

Golden Lotus Strike - Lead Attack. If it hits, this attack strikes for +1...16 damage. If it hits a target that has no Enchantments you gain 3...9 Energy. 5 Energy, 15 Recharge.

Would be a decent skil......if that recharge didn't almost completely neuter it. Ok now with recharge at 15 seconds it's a bit better. But there are better lead attacks.

Jagged Strike - Lead Attack. If Jagged Strike hits, your target suffers from Bleeding for 3...8 seconds. 5 Energy, 6 Recharge

Not bad our own version of sever artery. Cheap with a decent recharge. Yeah bleeding isn't that great but you should be dealing most of your damage with the back end of your combo anyways.

Leaping Mantis Sting - Lead Attack. If Mantis Sting hits, target foe takes +5...17 damage. If this attack strikes a fleeing foe, that foe is Crippled for 3...13 seconds. 5 Energy, 8 Recharge

What can I say this is my favortie lead attack, nice on your mana reserves, good recharge, adds extra damage, and owns that kiting monk trying to flee for her life. Happy day.

Deadly Arts:
Dancing Daggers: Spell. Send out three Dancing Daggers at target foe. Each striking for 5...17 earth damage if they hit. Dancing Daggers has half the normal range. This skill counts as a lead attack. 5 energy, 1 second cast time, 5 Recharge

Pretty cool a ranged lead attack that's easy on energy and recharge. But...requires investment in deadly arts to do anything more than tickle people.

Iron Palm - Skill. Target touched foe suffers 5...41 damage. Iron Palm may be used as a lead attack. 10 Energy, 3/4 Cast Time, 20 Recharge.

Oooh an unblockable lead attack? Oh wait 20 second recharge. Well I think it might be useful as a backup lead attack in case your main one misses, but the recharge is definitely too long to warrant it being your primary lead attack.

Alright I think I got them all, feel free to agree with me, disagree with me or go back to playing Guild Wars. I'll discuss off hand attacks next week.

tuperwho · Mar 25, 2006, 06:41 PM // 18:41

Me likes Unsuspecting strike. Gotta try to make sure you get the first hit, though. And I plan on using sharpen daggers, so Jagged strike is out for me. Otherwise, I agree that mantis sting is def. up there on my list.

SparhawkJC · Mar 25, 2006, 08:37 PM // 20:37

C'mon guys 31 views and only 1 reply? More discussion!

Yukito Kunisaki · Mar 25, 2006, 09:02 PM // 21:02

Jagged Strike and Mantis Sting both have my vote.

I like Jagged better since it's not conditional. And that's always a +

LaserLight · Mar 25, 2006, 09:16 PM // 21:16

Ye do know most of these skills were overhauled in the preview event, yes?

GWG's skill listing is no longer reliable, at least as far as Dagger attacks go.

SparhawkJC · Mar 25, 2006, 10:21 PM // 22:21

Yeah I suppose I'll need to update the stats from the skill trainer in the FPE, will do it by the end of tonight.

lord_shar · Mar 25, 2006, 11:09 PM // 23:09

Jagged Strike seems to be the best and most flexible lead attack so far. Fast recharge + cheap energy cost = good.

SparhawkJC · Mar 25, 2006, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Ok updated all the stats with the values from the skill trainer. I've got to say, Unsuspecting Strike is pretty hard to beat with only 4 second recharge now. Kinda like a reverse final thrust except better. Think of the combo possibilities, Unsuspecting Strike+Off-hand+Twisting Fangs, or Unsuspecting Strike+Off-hand+Critical Strike. I think we might have a new king/queen of spike damage.

Yukito Kunisaki · Mar 27, 2006, 06:05 PM // 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by SparhawkJC

Ok updated all the stats with the values from the skill trainer. I've got to say, Unsuspecting Strike is pretty hard to beat with only 4 second recharge now. Kinda like a reverse final thrust except better. Think of the combo possibilities, Unsuspecting Strike+Off-hand+Twisting Fangs, or Unsuspecting Strike+Off-hand+Critical Strike. I think we might have a new king/queen of spike damage.

Damn, if only the critical line didn't have to have them

I want the most damage out of the 4 hit chain but to me, it seems that you'd naturally get more from 16 dagger than 16 critical...

gah why Anet! whhhyyyy!!!!

The New Guy · Mar 27, 2006, 07:28 PM // 19:28

Yea...

Jagged Strike is what I think is good enough too. Can't wait 'til Factions get released!

Sidra · Mar 27, 2006, 08:33 PM // 20:33

Between unsuspecting strike and Leaping Mantis, both of which I could easily adapt to my build and keep effective for different gameplay situations (i.e. leaping mantis for assassins who tend to run away in 12 v 12, or unsuspecting just to get that one great hit in that unleashes the rest of your combo fury.

Myodato · Mar 27, 2006, 11:04 PM // 23:04

If you're only taking 1 lead attack then for most builds it will be a choice between 2; Black Mantis Thrust or Jagged Strike.

Black Mantis, if you can ensure a Hexed target (Siphon Speed recommended), sets you up perfectly to inflict some pain with your chain by crippling your target straight away. A sensible build should allow you to cover the cripple almost immediately most of the time.

Jagged is not great, but is the most spamable (and thus least vulnerable to misses), and an early bleed on you target can help soften them nicely. To be honest, a lead attack will often just be setting you on your way for a nasty Dual Attack, and nothing does it more consistantly than Jagged (+ Fox Fangs...)

An honourable runner up goes to Disrupting Stab. Expect it to be a popular opening for Temple Strike in PvP, but can't see it regularly taking the place of a cripple (Black Mantis).

Rhunex · Mar 28, 2006, 12:51 AM // 00:51

I like the one that cripples enemies running away(sorry, I don't remember the name) because it will help get a running warrior or ranger within my control. And an off-hand attack(once again, I don't know the name) can follow it for a lot of damage because it deals some 20+ damage on crippled enemies. I also like using the Golden Lotus Strike(maybe? might not be the right name) as a lead attack, because if I have an enchantment(very common to have such a thing) then I get to absorb in some energy. I tried doing A/E, using Silver Armor(it counts as an enchantment) and then using the lead attack, got 10 energy back and it worked out pretty good in my opinion. Those are really the only two I found I liked, the others seemed to do too little damage with too little other affects for my liking, but my opinion may change once I get a hold of all the assassin skills(I was only able to unlock 12 of them in the FPE, so I didn't have all the ones I probably should get, because I didn't read all of the skill descriptions, I'll do that when I quest for the skills later).

Sidra · Mar 28, 2006, 02:11 AM // 02:11

That would be Leaping Mantis Sting, one of my favorites too. I do not think Golden Lotus is very viable due to the fact that it has a 20 second recharge, which completely beat repeatable combos into the ground.

Siren · Mar 28, 2006, 03:38 AM // 03:38

I found myself using Unsuspecting Strike and Jagged Strike. The energy costs were never too prohibitive, either, considering I was running Critical Eye the entire time, and would usually get criticals every other hit. I found the best tactic was to lead off with Unsuspecting, allow myself to use one regular swing, then follow-up with Jagged.

In fact, the "attack-skill-attack-skill" pattern works very well for keeping the energy up. If you don't net Criticals for your skills, you're almost certain to get them in-between. It's pretty neat.

Yukito Kunisaki · Mar 29, 2006, 08:27 PM // 20:27

the prebuild had a VERY nice combo setup in terms of skills: but the hex of choice was bad...

Mirror Stance

Siphon Speed so beats it as far as a hex an assassin could use:

Standard combo?

Siphon Speed
Black Mantis Thrust
Jungle Strike
Twisting Fangs
Moebius Strike

Use Dark Escape or Return to get out of there and then use Deaths' Charge or Shadow Refuge to heal.

I think the hop-skip-jump idea of Death's Charge might be very cool to use...

Roberto_Molinara · Apr 25, 2006, 01:52 AM // 01:52

I actually use two Lead attacks for my combo.

Jagged Strike and Iron Palm

You forgot to mention that Iron Palm knocks down a target if he is under condition. Since Jagged Strike causes bleeding I can knockdown.

My Combo is Very heavy:

1) Jagged Strike - Bleed
2) Iron Palm - Knockdown
3) Temple Strike - Blind daze
4) Horns of the Ox - Knock down again & Spell Interupt (From Daze)
5) Falling Spider - Poison
6) Twisting Fangs - Deep Wound and Bleeding & Spell Interupt (From Daze)

I use this combo with my R/A with 10-12 Expertise. Kills Soft Targets Easily.

LaserLight · Apr 25, 2006, 02:27 AM // 02:27

Swap that down to Jagged -> Iron -> Falling -> Twisting and you're good. No need for Temple or Horns, you're sacrificing way too much skillbar for your stream. And even then, Iron recharges in 20 seconds. Kinda iffy for most Assassinoids. I don't like my skill recharges anywhere past 10, and that's if the move is a finisher or other such non-spammable.

Gotta realize, even at max Deadly, that Iron Palm is only dealing 2 damage a second, DPS-wise. The knockdown is cool, and tossing Mark of Instability on there for Twisting could work too, but otherwise Iron Palm's just not quick enough.

Ken Dei · Apr 25, 2006, 03:37 AM // 03:37

Leaping Mantis Strike and Iron Palm both get my vote.

You may hate the recharge on Iron Palm but I found the unblockable nature invaluable.

LaserLight · Apr 25, 2006, 03:42 AM // 03:42

Heh...one unblockable lead every twenty seconds or a normal lead every six. Your choice, but me, I'll take the recharge and the DM-line skill. I can't guarantee that I could punch enough Deadly Arts to get Iron Palm to work, which is another strke against it.