assassin technique

Hello everyone! Well I just finished Prophecies and decided to move on to Factions. I wanted to start a new character and get the full experience of the story. Since I'm used to melee, I decided to create an assassin.

It has been really fun, but.......It's taking some time for me to get used to the fact that I'm not a tank anymore. I'm taking large amounts of damage.

Can anyone enlighten me on the technique or strategy required to be an effective assassin? If you could share a good build....that would help as well. Thanks in advance.

I'm not going to give a build, it's been ages since I played an assassin.

In general I'd say the role of an assassin is to take out that one annoying enemy in the group while the rest of the group concentrates on the rest.
For example, a decent assassin should be able to take the healer down while the group fights the other enemies.

If you are taking large amounts of damage, you are playing wrong.
A character with high armor should get aggro and when most enemies focus om him/her you move in to make your kill.
Use speed boosts or shadow stepping for that.
Don't attack high-armor enemies, try taking casters down first.

That should cover the basics.
Just remember you are not the primary damage dealer anymore, just someone to take out a critical target fast.

Do you have nightfall?
If you do once off of noob island go directly to sunspear great hall and get Critical Agility with your hero skill point.

Critical Agility Increases your armor and decreases damage you take depending on your sunspear rank. Mine is currenlty at R7 i get 20 extra armor so that leaves my assassin with 90 al.


If you dont have access to nightfall it will be hard to play an assassin good and to have fun with it. Imo.

so the Next thing you look at is Critical Defenses, this gives you 75% chance too block time depends on critical attributes 13 gives you 9 seconds which is my current attribute and keeps me safe for awhile until i get blinded when your blinded and your monks energy cant take it any more because of the pressure and other peoples health bars going down, its time for you to make an escape.

So with that said you must look at your possible shadow steps, Deaths Retreat, Retreat, Ebon Escape, Shadow Walk, Aura Of Displacement,Shadow Meld. I am sure their are others but the names are slipping my brain right now.

My two favorite Escapes are Ebon Escape And Retreat because of their low recharge time.
When to use these: when you are blinded and critical defenses are down ( once this is gone you will take alot of damage depending on aggro) if you are in this case where your about to get pounded on Return a Few seconds before critical defenses wears down. stay in the back find an easy target until critical defenses comes back. if you get too many people on you shadow step away.


Good assassin Skill Chains In pve all revolve around Death Blossom

Death Blossom Has High Damage + it affects adjacent foes so it is really useful get this skill whenever you can.

Moebius Strike is amazing because it allows you to spam your death blossom every two seconds for more damage output.

Now For Your Lead attacks and Offhand Attacks I usually get too have fun here and change things up because my bar from the rest of the way down stays the same.

Which Lead attacks too choose? and with what Offhand Attack?
When Im going to an area with Massive blocks that can make an assassin useless, i use Golden Fox Strike and Wild Strike make a deadly combo because they cant be blocked (; and allow you too spam Death blossom and if blocks are even more of a problem bring Nine Tails strike also so when you cant spam DB you can still Do damage.

When not under massive blocks i use Golden Lotus Strike + Exhausting Strike
it allows you too keep energy up between long battles and has an interupt as well as this interupt causes exhaustion.. (:



......... More Later

Great info...thanks. It has taken some getting used to not being on the "frontline." I'm sure I am playing wrong. My first char was a warrior and this is my second char. I'm having to change how I learned to play.

critical defenses + 13 critical strikes is ftw

1. Warrior was never a tank IT IS A DPS... Tanks = waste of a person.
2. You have this right. SIN is not a tank.

When you play sin DO NOT USE SUNDERING... Use vampiric (does 3 dmg each strike as where sundering does 3.4 if you get sundering at 17) or zealous it is great for energy.

@Coloneh- Yes indeed it is ftw.

A perfect Vampiric mod steals 5 health btw.

Yes, Sundering sucks. It's useless, especially on daggers.

Zealous is ftw. I love my zealous Sai.

Also, elemental daggers help against high armored opponents.

Don't forget to bring a +armor set! A -20% blind inscription helps a lot.

Quote: A perfect Vampiric mod steals 5 health btw. Only on Hammers, Bows and Scythes. Everything else is 3.

ah. my mistake.

Here is how to be a good Assassin.

1. Equip the latest cookie cutter build
2. Pick low armor target
3. Press 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 in order.

Quote: Originally Posted by Shuuda

Buy eotn, get Ursan Blessing! Or so I'm being told.

Quote: Originally Posted by John Panda

You'll be finished in a minute? :<

V
It's even better to take Ensign's advice.

Quote: Originally Posted by John Panda

Quote: Originally Posted by Shuuda

Quote: Originally Posted by Shuuda

Dash is your friend
return/deaths retreat, wish to be your friends

Use them well, and you should take much less damage.

Quote: Originally Posted by br0thergr1m

Quote: Originally Posted by Shuuda