User:The Sins We Die By/My Building Area/Making Viable Assassin Builds
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General[edit]
- This is in regard to 8 man teams.
- Assassin builds should never exceed a 4 skill chain, but preferably they should be worked to be effective with 3 skill chains.
- Speed is important to the assassin and duration is greater than percent, I'm talking about Dash. Use longer duration speed buffs when possible.
- Shadow Stepping is nice, but in 8 man teams avoid it's use except in cases of defensive use like Return.
- Make sure you have team utility; a sins forte is deep wound, interrupt, cripple, and knock down.
- Don't forget to do damage, this class was intended to do so, therefore make sure you get it.
- Please note that builds are general and many functions are interchangeable, the assassin is utility even though it has always been overshadowed by its damage.
- [Unsuspecting Strike] is my favorite skill in the game. I do have a biased towards using this skill, but that bias is because of how amazingly balanced it is. Great effect with the perfect energy cost applied to it.
General Attack Chains[edit]
- Impaling Unsuspecting Assault
- Critical Unsuspecting Fangs
- Impaling Golden Criticals
- Shattering Wild Fox
- Fanged Jungle Mantis
- The names are nothing special just the dual first then the other two.
- My personal 2 favorites are Impaling Unsuspecting Assault and Critical Unsuspecting Fangs. The second has simple conditions to achieve maximum effect and will do nearly 300 damage in 2-3 seconds depending on if you've an ias. The other is my favorite because of the high damage output mixed with general team utility of interrupts, disenchantment, and deep wound.
- There are many other combinations possible, however I'm sticking with simple effective combinations that I consider to be staple. Like I said earlier I prefer 3 skill chains because you play on a team, not alone, so what's the point in doing 600 damage alone over 4-5 seconds when in 2 you and your team can dish out 700-1000(if your lucky with criticals) in coordination.
- Simple replacements for skills above
Golden Phoenix Strike -----> 
Golden Skull Strike or 
Palm Strike
Leaping Mantis Sting -----> 
Black Mantis Thrust
Wild Strike -----> 
Fox Fangs
Useful Elites as an Assassin[edit]
Way of the Assassin
- Great for self utility, makes using your bar much simpler. Good to mix in with a build that has unsuspecting strike.
Dark Apostasy
- Good for team spikes, as you will be able to take out enchants with ease. Mixes best with a build having critical strike in it.
Hidden Caltrops
- If you've got a build set in your mind and are just missing an elite take out caltrops or crippling dagger and throw this in. Best snare in the game.
Palm Strike
- If you find yourself lacking enchants and can't find a way to make golden phoenix work and are missing an elite this is a good skill replacement.
Shattering Assault
- If you just want to just destroy the opposition run this. This skill criticals for ridiculous amounts of damage and if customization of weapons effected it wow, plus double disenchant.
Siphon Strength
- This is probably one of the best assassin elites and it gets better in splits. Another to consider if you find yourself unable to pick an elite as it's a nice prot and easy criticals for you.
Golden Skull Strike
- Good but not great due to recharge. If you don't want Palm Strike or Golden Phoenix use this.
Defy Pain
- As you get laughed at when you activate this skill, just wait until the other team realizes you're a huge spike threat that just won't die. Great skill for a sin.
Wounding Strike
- Is there a profession this skill isn't useful for?
Quick Shot
- For those of you who prefer ranged damage this is your ias that move 2 times as fast as normal.
Suggested Changes to be Considered[edit]
Impale - Reduce starting damage value by 10 and apply to all atts reduce recharge to 12 seconds.- Fox Fangs - Change the name or if a critical hit inflict deep wound and up energy cost to 10.
Dash - Scale to Critical Strikes. 4 seconds at 8 and 5 seconds 13. Or just up to 4 seconds and reduce to 40%.
- The following sections consist of builds, please note that some chains may be swapped out of these, but I try to gain maximum effectiveness with the choices I make. Going back to the assassin's strengths, which are disenchant, knock down, crippling, deep wound, interrupts, and damage, you can mix and match pretty much anything so these are ideas.
- And yes
does mean you can switch it out for other utility like Disrupting Dagger
Unsuspected Assassin[edit]
- Attributes - Critical Strikes 11+1+1, Dagger Mastery 11+1, Deadly Arts 7, Wind Prayers 5
- This chain is simple, use your stance for ias and energy. Hit your half ranges when you deem them effective, lyssa's not an optional speed buff as it's an enchant you need for deep wound. Be careful though, because you'll be taking a lot of damage.
Defying Daggers[edit]
- Attributes - Critical Strikes 12+1+1, Dagger Mastery 11+1, Deadly Arts 6+1
- Once you have Defy Pain up run around like a maniac who has 95 armor and 630 health and takes -1 damage per attack, not really but you're basically invincible in a team now. Spam around Unsuspecting Strike until the spike is called then finish off with your other two skills. Keep up Critical Eye for energy and spam your cripple.
Defying Daggers Variant[edit]
- Attributes - Critical Strikes 12+1+1, Dagger Mastery 11+1, Shadow Arts 6+1
- I liked this so much I had to put it up here. Be the dagger wielding warrior wannabe you were born to be!
Dark Daggers[edit]
- Attributes - Critical Strikes 12+1+1, Dagger Mastery 12+1, Deadly Arts 3
- Remove important enchants where you see them with wild blow, keep Dark Apostasy up during your spike as it mixes with golden fang and critical strike.
