Another Look At A Guide.
Aclucius - Lost City
Posts: 260 Arc User
I will provide, based on my own experience, a guide. So, note that this is from my first experience with the Assassin. So, any help would be appreciated, especially if I get something completely wrong when it comes to definitions. If so, send me a PM letting me know (don't worry, I will credit any who help).
Intro
Builds
Skills
Survival Techniques
PvE Tips
Squad Expectations
Conclusion
Intro
The Assassin gives a feel of being the child of the Archer and the fist Blademaster. It hits very quickly and will deal out a lot of damage over a short period of time. I used to love playing a fist Blademaster for the ability to regenerate chi quickly. I found this class to be no different in that sense. Unlike the Blademaster though, you do not have the option of giving yourself a self buff for physical armor. You must rely on light armor and the stats and/or stones that come with it, making you a very "squishy" class. Don't let this discourage you though, as you have a very high evasion. This class, when played right, can be the most fun and one of the best in terms of solo play (something which I know a bit about from my experience here).
Builds
First off, NEVER put any stats into Mag. You have no use for it, and a simple MP pot meant for people 20 levels below you will be good enough for you.
That said, there are three builds which will work well for you, and combination of these can be useful as well. As long as you remember to not put any stats into Mag, experimentation is fine. However, you need to know a few basics. You must have at least 1 STR, 3 Dex every level to keep up with your gear requirements.
Dexterity build
1 Str|4 Dex.............Every level
The benefit of this build is that you will have the highest damage you can reach, and you will have better evasion and accuracy. You will kill faster, take a few less hits than other builds, and you'll be a very successful DD.
The downside to this though is you are a very, VERY, squishy person. You can easily be taken out just by an unlucky hit. If you choose this build, be sure to use plenty of HP stones, and get gear which gives a bonus to Vit.
Hybrid build
1 Str|4 Dex.............Every even/odd level
1 Str|3 Dex|1 Vit.....Every odd/even level
The benefit of this is it doesn't take too much damage out of you, while giving you a little more hp to take a hit or two more. Also, if I remember correctly, every so many Vit gives you extra Pdef and Mdef, just as Str gives extra Pdef and Mag gives extra Mdef. This means your damage take will be a little bit less from both types of attacks. You are still very squishy though, so don't think about letting it get to your head about taking a few more hits. Many mobs can still kill you easily.
The downside is that you won't do as much damage as the Dexterity build, and you won't have as high evasion. Those few extra hits you can take with this build are hits you might have evaded on the Dexterity build. However, remember evasion is based on chance. There is a percentage, but it means you might evade an attack, not will. You can make up for this with stones and extra stats on gear, but I think it is still better to go with gear that gives a Vit bonus over evasion with this build.
I have been using this build up till level 50, where I switched to Dexterity build. This means that I have 25 extra Vit points than Dexterity build, and 25 extra Dex points (upon reaching level 100) than the Hybrid. This is what I mean by experimenting. Use these builds as a guide, but still do what is best for your play style. As I like to play solo most of the time, I would recommend this build for those who like it also.
Vitality build
1 Str|3 Dex|1 Vit.....Every level.
Obviously, you will have considerably less damage than the Dexterity build, but more HP. You will be able to take more hits, and have a bit extra Pdef and Mdef. Remember though, you will have longer fights and take more damage, as you cannot kill the mob as fast, nor can you evade as much. This is a build I would suggest for the Assassin who plays only in squads ever, and does not want to take aggro easily. Why for squads? Well, as I said, you won't take aggro as easily, so you could possibly use more sparks without fear of getting that boss mob on you. You also can take an AOE hit that would normally 1 hit the other builds.
As an example, when fighting General Feng, a level 55 boss with 600k HP, I was one hit up close without a barb's HP buff. After getting that buff though, increasing my HP by about 300, I was able to take that hit and heal before the next one occurred.
If you plan to get in squads and help the tank take down anything he hits, use this. If you plan to grind on solo, I would suggest you stay away from it.
Skills
I will be using a lot of what ArkToNE said in his guide, as I like his descriptions and information. However, I will also provide my own feedback on each skill in red text, and the feedback of others in dark orange text. Remember, these are basically a copy and paste of his skill definitions with my opinion. I strongly suggest you consult his guide before mine though.
Twin Strike
Range Melee
Mana (-5+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 0.9 seconds
CoolDown 3.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Initiate
A stabbing thrust with both daggers.
Deals base physical damage plus (-41.2+<Growth*7>+<skill level*51>).
This is one you should never level. It will not do you any good at later levels, as you can deal out normal attacks quicker and with more damage overall than this.
Puncture Wound
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (-2.2+5.6*skill level)
Channel 0.2 seconds
Cast 1.8 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Initiate
Deals base physical damage plus (50+5*skill level)% of weapon damage.
Causes the target to bleed for (-105.5+<Growth*35>+<skill level*274.1>) physical damage over 9 seconds.
This skill will be your best friend for quite a while. I would suggest leveling it up to about level 6, then leaving it until you have enough SP to level both it and your other skills.
Slipstream Strike
Range Melee
Mana (1.7+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.2 seconds
Cast 1.9 seconds
CoolDown 6.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Initiate
A powerful strike with the full force of the arm.
Deals base physical damage plus
(50+5*skill level)% of weapon damage plus (35.1+<Growth*22.2>+<skill level*188.4>).
This is alright for dealing a lot of damage, but I wouldn't recommend leveling it. I had, and I feel I could have used that SP for better skills than this.
Raving Slash
Range Melee
Mana (5.6+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.5 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(83.5+<Growth*12.8>+<skill level*115.9>) physical damage.
Decreases target movement speed by (30+2*skill level)%. Lasts for 5 seconds.
Costs 30 Chi.
Do not bother with this skill at all. Get it so you can get higher skills, but don't progress it past level 1. Chi cost is not worth it, as that chi can be used for Spark Eruption so you can deal much higher damage with just normal attacks, making your DPS higher.
Tide Form
Range Self
Mana (20*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Transform into a fish.
Increases your Defense Level by (5+0.5*skill level)
and your Swim speed by (20+6*skill level)%.
Only available in water.
You really have two choices with this. Level it because you will be doing a lot of water tanking and want to take hits easily, or don't level it at all. You cannot use other skills when in Tideform, so I wouldn't bother with it. My personal recommendation, don't level it and only use it when you are doing a quest which requires you to travel through water. However, when fighting in water, just use your normal form to enable skills.
Shadow Walk
Range Self
Mana 20
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 2.8 seconds
CoolDown 6.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Enter stealth mode.
Increases Stealth Level by (1*skill level).
Enemies with an Awareness Level lower than your Stealth Level can not see you.
Costs (25-1*skill level) mana per second.
Only usable when out of combat.
If you plan to do PvP, then level this, sparingly. If you don't, keep it at level 1. You will only use this (aside from PvP) when you are coming out of stealth mode from having used Shadow Escape to nullify aggro on you.
This skill is also invaluable in places where a guardian is needed to be killed in order to open a door, and there are unnecessary mobs you have to fight through to reach it. As long as you can solo the guardian, use this and save your squad some time. This is especially true in BH51 when taking the back route.
Wolf Emblem
Range Self
Mana (25+1.5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 60.0 seconds
Weapon Dagger
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Increases your critical strike damage by (10+2*skill level)%.
Lasts 30 seconds.
I do not find this skill very useful personally. While it does increase your critical strike damage, you are still heavily reliant on chance. If you only get a few critical strikes in during that 30 seconds, it was pretty much a waste as a single skill could have done more damage. Don't level this until you can max it.
Wind Push
Range Self
Mana (10+5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 60.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Increases own movement speed by (50+5*skill level)%,
Lasts for 10 seconds.
Yes or no: Do you like to PvP? If yes, then put spare SP into this skill. If not, don't level it at all. This is only really useful, outside of PvP, for getting around a little quicker. If you want to get around quickly though, you are better off either flying or using a mount.
If you PvP, then this is useful for getting away quickly, especially if combined with Deep Sting to get a little extra distance in with those Heavy Armor classes.
Deep Sting
Range Melee
Mana (23.5+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 0.8 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(107.3+<Growth*4.2>+<skill level*46.3) physical damage.
Has a (85+1*skill level)% chance to bring target to sleep for 5 seconds.
Costs 50 Chi
Do not level this skill unless you plan to PvP. However, do keep it on your skill bar for PvE. There are three reasons for this. First, when facing a boss solo (such as Haggish), combining this skill with Puncture Wound will allow you to solo many. You use Puncture, Tackling Slash, then Deep Sting, then run. You repeat as necessary, and and you can solo many bosses, so long as they cannot easily catch up to you. This is also useful for those difficult mobs
The second reason is to cancel mob skills. When you see a spider trying to poison you, use this, stop them. Why should you use this over Knife Throw? It has a higher chance to interrupt.
The third reason is for those auto-aggro mobs, who will attack you just because they don't like you, or because you attacked their friend. When you are being ganged by two mobs, use this one one, kill the other, and then kill the mob who just woke up. This is a very useful skill in PvE, and doesn't need to be leveled for it.
Remember though, sleep is canceled on the next hit. Once you use this, don't attack them again, otherwise you wasted MP and 50 Chi.
Focused Mind
Range Self
Mana (56+7*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 1.6 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Increases your chance to evade enemy skills by (10+1.5*skill level)%,
Lasts for (30+3*skill level) seconds.
Focused Mind shares a 90 second cooldown with Tidal Protection.
I personally didn't care much for this skill, but it can be useful. This is the skill you will rely on if you are a Vitality build. It will make up for that lost evasion from not having 4 Dex every level. I would use this skill if you are a Vitality build, and maybe if you are a Hybrid build. Otherwise, I wouldn't really bother with it.
Knife Throw
Range （20+1.5*skill level） meters
Mana 10+5*skill level
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.0 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Throw your dagger at the target.
Deals base physical damage plus (98.3+<Growth*3.8>+<skill level*42.4>).
Has a (40+3*skill level)% chance to interrupt channeling.
Keep this at level 1. Even at level 10, this skill does not have the skill interruption that Deep Sting has. However, in PvP, used in combination with Deep Sting, you can deal damage to those Magic users while keeping them from attacking a lot.
Dagger of Devotion
Range Passive
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Increases damage dealt by daggers by (6*skill level)%.
I don't think I need to explain this. Just max it.
Rib Strike
Range Melee
Mana (100+5.6*skill level)
Channel 0.3 seconds
Cast 1.9 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Stab up under the enemy's ribs.
Deals base physical damage plus
(50+5)% of weapon damage plus (990.8+<Growth*16.2>+<skill level*225.6>).
Reduce target's attack speed by (25+2.5*skill level)% for 30 seconds.
All builds will find this skill invaluable. This skill means you will take a few less hits in solo play, and will also help keep your tank alive against bosses. Keep it leveled. It's heavy on MP cost, but it is well worth it.
Shadow Escape
Range Self
Mana 100
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 2.8 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Force yourself into stealth. Dispel all negative status.
Increases Stealth Level by (1*skill level).
Enemies with an Awareness Level lower than your Stealth Level can not see you.
Costs (25-1*skill level) Mana per second.
A successful cast will increase one Spark.
NOTE: Does not remove many debuffs.
If you PvP, it is obvious why this is useful. However, for PvE, use this only when you need to get a mob off of you. If you are about to die, use this, and you can live. Just make sure not to use it when you have two hits left. Use it before then.
Another good use for this is for luring bosses away. Take aggro of the boss, run as fast as you can, giving your team time to get somewhere safe, then Shadow Escape.
Sharp Observer
Range Passive
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Increases your Awareness Level by (2*skill level).
If you like to PvP, spare a little SP every now and then. Otherwise, don't bother with it.
Cat-like Thread
Range Passive
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Increases your Stealth level by (2*skill level).
If you like to PvP, spare a little SP every now and then. Otherwise, don't bother with it.
Blood Paint
Range Self
Mana (56+35*skill level)
Channel 1.8 seconds
Cast 2.4 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Make all friendly units within 10 Meters can absorb HP equals to
2% of damage it dealt each physical melee attack.
Lasts for (900+90*skill level) seconds.
Only available for Blademaster, Barbarian, and Assassin.
Only available for melee attacks.
This is one of your best friends. You will take back some HP while using any attack, and your other melee friends in squad can have the same benefit. Combine this with a Life Powder, and you are nearly invincible, and almost never have to use pots or stop the grind.
Tackling Slash
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (33.6+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.5 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Deals a damage equals to your basic physical attack plus
(601.3+<Growth*12.4>+<skill level*161.3>) physical damage.
Immobilize target for (6+0.3*skill level) seconds,and increases own Chi by 50.
It builds Chi, does good damage, and freezes the opponent. When is it most useful? From my experience, there are two types of mobs you want to use it on. First is the runners, mobs like Werewolf Archers, Quillhog Archers, or any other that likes to use ranged attacks and will run from you. Start off with this attack, they won't move the entire fight most of the time. You also can use this on the boss mob that a Tank is fighting. Even though it doesn't run, it gives you Chi to use Spark Eruption. There is no good reason not to level this.
The second type is the mobs being pulled. Whether it is Zeal pull or a Veno pull, use this to stop them from reaching the person. You will draw the aggro, but leave it alone a second so others pull aggro, and it won't deal damage to anyone. If you all kill it quickly enough, it will save everyone from losing HP.
Level this to about level 5, then just slowly when you can spare the SP and money for it.
Shadow Jump
Range （15+1.5*skill level） meters
Mana (35+5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown （30-1.5*skill level） seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Instantly move to the target's location.
Costs 20 Chi
Only use this for PvP. I will explain later why it is not as useful against most mobs in PvE. If you plan to use this for PvE, use it only to get in quick on a mob and freeze/sleep them, or for getting to a mob attacking a squishy in your squad and freeze/sleep them.
Throatcut
Range Melee
Mana (33.6+7*skill level)
Channel 1.1 seconds
Cast 1.3 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(50+5*skill level)% gear attack and another
(1821.1+<Growth*12.6>+<skill level*250.6>) physical attack.
Has a (85+1*skill level)% chance to interrupt enemy channeling.
Silence target for (2+0.2*skill level) seconds.
Costs 1 Sparks
NOTE: This skill actually seals your target instead of silencing. What this means is that the target cannot use normal attacks either, but they can still move and run away.
I don't personally recommend this skill. It is good for damage, but I personally prefer just using Spark Eruption for doing high damage. If you PvP, keep it at a decent level though.
Throatcut works well on mobs ,providing you use tackling slash before it and it actualy hits very hard,i use it and have no probs with it.
-Vorhes
Deaden Nerves
Range Self
Mana (56+5*skill level)
Channel 1.5 seconds
Cast 2.6 seconds
CoolDown （300-12*skill level） seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Avoid one attack that would kill you within the next two minutes.
Recovers 20% HP upon avoiding death.
NOTE: This skill will still save you on various "sudden death" mechanisms such as the self-destructing hands in Twilight Temple.
Useful in PvP, and very good when a boss has a powerful AOE coming up and it isn't used very often. If this is an AOE which increases damage the closer you are to it, this will be your friend. Though the cooldown is longer than the effect, I'll explain why this is good later. No need to level it right when you get it, but do so later on and when you can spare some SP.
Chill of the Deep
Range Self
Mana (10+5*skill level)
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 1.3 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Reduces your attack speed by (50+5*skill level)%.
Increases your Attack Level by (15+1.5*skill level). Lasts 10 minutes.
NOTE: At level 10, this skill will not actually shoot your attack rate to 0.00, but rather to roughly around 0.58~5.9 or so. While slow, your attacks will not come to a complete halt.
If you don't mind spamming a few skills to get extra Chi, keep this fairly close in maxed. However, if you are cheap (like me) and don't want to be putting out a lot of money for pots/MP charms, don't use this. Spark Eruption does well enough.
Maze Steps
Range Self
Mana 100
Cast instant
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Increases own movement speed by (80+2*skill level)%,
Immune to Stun and Immobilize. Lasts for 10 seconds.
Costs 1 Spark
Use this to run away from a fight you can't win, especially in PK. Otherwise, by the time you get this skill you can fly and you can use a mount, so don't bother using it for getting around.
Earthen Rift
Range Melee
Mana (94.5+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 1.8 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Coalescence
Detonate the ground under the enemy. Deals base physical damage plus
(200+20*skill level)% of weapon damage to all enemy units within 8 meters.
NOTE: This is your 2nd (right under Headhunt) most powerful skill end game (post-80). Be sure not to take this skill lightly.
I love this skill. Combine this with a tank's AOE, and you do very good damage. I suggest using Spark Eruption, then using this skill, or using Subsea Strike first. By the time you can use it again, you have Spark (for a second maybe, so be quick when you only have 199 max chi) and can do a good amount of damage for a second time to multiple mobs.
Rising Dragon Strike
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (75.6+6.7*skill level)
Channel 0.2 seconds
Cast 1.8 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Coalescence
Deals a damage equals to your basic physical attack plus
(50+5*skill level)% gear attack and another
(1377.4+<Growth*7.8>+<skill level*171.4>) physical damage.
Increases own Chi by 150.
100 percent accuracy.
There is no increasing need to keep this leveled really, as I personally only use it to gain Chi. However, I like to do good damage while gaining it. It is really an optional skill in terms of leveling. Combined with Tackling Strike and Inner Harmony, you can also keep a double spark going nearly indefinitely without having to stop.
Subsea Strike
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.3 seconds
Cast 1.3 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Instantly strikes all nearby targets.
Deals base physical damage plus (1848.1+<Growth*4.6>+<skill level*143.0>)
to all targets within 8 meters.
Increases all damage taken by the target by (15+1.5*skill level)% for 8 seconds.
This skill works with the Heaven's Flame skill.
This skill will cancel the Extreme Poison skill.
Costs 2 Sparks
This, plus your three Chi building skills for sparking, along with Ribstrike will make a powerful combination against bosses. Keep it leveled. Just note that when using such a combination, you will be using a lot of MP, so bring pots.
My personal experience so far is that while it is fairly effective against bosses, it is not worth the MP drain that comes with it. Instead, use it to help with any AoE your party might be doing on mobs in the dungeon.
Headhunt
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.5 seconds
Cast 1.5 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(50+5*skill level)% gear attack and another
(3569.7+<Growth*8.6>+<skill level*276.2>) physical attack.
Stun enemy for (3+0.2*skill level) seconds.
Costs 2 Sparks
Combined with Deep Sting and Knife Throw, assuming you can afford it in Chi, you can do very well in locking an opponent's skills. Besides PvP, if you time it correctly with your teammates, you can lock a mob up very well and receive no damage.
This skill has proven to be very effective when simply trying to save one of the squishy classes in BH/FB runs. I would say keep its use to that, and level it only if you want the stun to last longer. However, Tackling Slash is a cheaper alternative.
Power Dash
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 0.8 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Deals a damage equals to your basic physical attack plus
(1457.9+<Growth*3.4>+<skill level*112.7>) physical damage.
Increases your Rage Damage by (20+2*skill level)%. Lasts for 8 seconds.
Costs 2 Sparks
NOTE: After various tests and with many other testers, it is concluded that this skill raises Critical Attack Rate, not Rage.
I am still on the fence about this one. I have yet to use it on my Assassin. However, as soon as I do, I will give my opinion on it. If anyone can give their advice on it, I would appreciate it so I can have something here.
Tidal Protection
Range Self
Mana (56+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.6 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Increases your chance to avoid negative status effects by (25+2.5*skill level)%.
Lasts (30+3*skill level) seconds.
Tidal Protection shares a 90 second cooldown with Focused Mind.
Another one I am on the fence for. Again, any advice is appreciated.
Inner Harmony
Range Self
Mana (84+8.4*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 60.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Instantly gain (150+5*skill level) Chi.
Gain lots of Chi. I see no problems here, so use it.
Shadow Teleport
Range （20+1.5*skill level） meters
Mana (75+5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 180 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Instantly move to the target's location.
Stuns the target for 3 seconds.
Costs 1 Spark
Useful for PvP, but otherwise I wouldn't really recommend it for PvE. However, when in squads, it is very useful for saving that DD who can't take more than a few hits from a mob. When you are concentrating on one mob and notice another going after that squishy Venomancer cause seh took aggro from her pet, use it on the mob, then Tackling Slash.
Survival Techniques
Remember Your Father
As I said in the beginning, the Assassin feels like the child of an Archer and a fist Blademaster. Well, your father is the Archer, and you get your build from him (quite literally). You are a dexterity build, and your damage comes from this, just like the archer. Therefore, pick up a bow and use it to your advantage. You can use the same level bow as the Archer can at any given level. The only problem is you can use only the bow, not the crossbow or slingshot.
It surprises me how many times I am using a bow and someone walks along saying, "a sin with a bow? WTFUX LOL!" Apparently, people do not realize how very important a bow can be.
On mobs that prefer to fight in close range, lure them in with this You can easily get 3-4 hits in before they reach you, which should roughly be half their HP. Already, you have decreased the damage you take immensely. Combined with a Spark Eruption, you do even more damage, making it easy to kill those Sacrificial Assault mobs without them even touching you. Double Exp for no HP loss? Come on, you have to see it.
Remember when I said I'd explain a lot of things later on back with the skills? Well, here it is. The bow. You can do good damage from a distance. When you need to debuff a boss mob with a heavy AOE that deals damage based on distance, you use Deaden Nerves, run in, debuff, run out, keep shooting. When you are out in the open world and near some low level mobs fighting a boss (like General Feng), spam your Spark Eruption by using Rising Dragon Strike on a mob, one hit kill, and go back to the boss. This will help you optimize damage.
Remember Your Fairy Godmother
The Affliction Genie, it will be your best friend as an Assassin. It already has 15 Str, so that is 10 extra points at the start before you start using more points just to go up one stat point. Why is this important? Second Wind, the Genie healing skill. You can get healed full from almost dead just by keeping this skill leveled. Use whatever other skills you want, but this one is an absolute must if you want to increase your survival exponentially.
Remember Your Garden
Life Powder is one of the best gifts you could receive. It lasts 10 minutes, a long time and a lot of mobs which can be killed in it by grinding. Never leave home without packs of it. I always keep 20 on me at all times. This means you will either be spending a lot of money on herbs, or a lot of time collecting them. How you choose to do this is up to you, but do it. Anything can be done without them, but why risk losing all that precious experience for it? If you want to get rid of experience, feed it to your Genie, it will love you.
Remember your training
Here is a list of skill combos. After give these in another thread, I decided to post them here as well.
Puncture Wound --> Slipstream Strike --> Normal Attacks
Throw Dagger --> Switch to bow/normal attacks till the mobs reaches you --> Switch to daggers --> Any Combo/Normal Attacks
Rib Strike --> Puncture Wound --> Normal Attacks
Puncture Wound --> Deep Sting (wait till mob wakes up) --> Normal attacks
Spark (starting with 199 chi) --> Tackling Slash (after spark dispels) --> Spark --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Spark --> repeat as necessary (good for bosses in squad if you manage your aggro)
Spark+ (Starting with at least 250 chi) --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Subsea Strike --> Normal Attacks (not economical on anything except bosses)
Spark+ (Starting with at least 299 chi) --> Rising Dragon Strike (after dispel) --> Spark+ --> Tackling Slash (after dispel) --> Spark+ --> Inner Harmony --> Spark+ --> Repeat from Rising Dragon Strike as necessary (my personal favorite for bosses in squad)
Shadow Teleport (starting with at least 199 Chi) --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Headhunt --> Puncture Wound --> Deep Sting (wait till mob wakes up) --> Normal Attacks
Subsea Strike (starting with at least 250 chi)--> Earthen Rift --> Deep Sting (one mob) --> Switch to other target --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Spark+ --> Normal Attacks till mob is dead --> Switch to other mob and kill
Squad Expectations
These are things which you should know how to do when involved in squads. They are from another post I made, so I'm just inserting the quote here.
Conclusion
The Assassin is new, and it is still very experimental for the community at large. We only know what to do based on experience from other classes. I only knew to use a bow because I did so with my fist Blademaster, and it worked well. So, use this guide as just that, a guide only. Feel free to experiment, try out new ideas, and look for new ways to play. So many times have I heard that a class is supposed to be a specific way, but it just isn't. Each class can be played a different way and still have it's strengths and others to it's advantage. So, in closing, have fun with this class, as it is the last chance (for a long time at least) that we have to experiment with something so new in terms of gameplay.
Special thanks to:
ArkToNE- for his guide which helped me not only with this, but with my character as well. Please sticky his guide!
Note: if there are any suggestions, corrections, or additional advice, please send me a PM. I do not proclaim to know everything, and in fact know very little outside of my own experience.
Intro
Builds
Skills
Survival Techniques
PvE Tips
Squad Expectations
Conclusion
Intro
The Assassin gives a feel of being the child of the Archer and the fist Blademaster. It hits very quickly and will deal out a lot of damage over a short period of time. I used to love playing a fist Blademaster for the ability to regenerate chi quickly. I found this class to be no different in that sense. Unlike the Blademaster though, you do not have the option of giving yourself a self buff for physical armor. You must rely on light armor and the stats and/or stones that come with it, making you a very "squishy" class. Don't let this discourage you though, as you have a very high evasion. This class, when played right, can be the most fun and one of the best in terms of solo play (something which I know a bit about from my experience here).
Builds
First off, NEVER put any stats into Mag. You have no use for it, and a simple MP pot meant for people 20 levels below you will be good enough for you.
That said, there are three builds which will work well for you, and combination of these can be useful as well. As long as you remember to not put any stats into Mag, experimentation is fine. However, you need to know a few basics. You must have at least 1 STR, 3 Dex every level to keep up with your gear requirements.
Dexterity build
1 Str|4 Dex.............Every level
The benefit of this build is that you will have the highest damage you can reach, and you will have better evasion and accuracy. You will kill faster, take a few less hits than other builds, and you'll be a very successful DD.
The downside to this though is you are a very, VERY, squishy person. You can easily be taken out just by an unlucky hit. If you choose this build, be sure to use plenty of HP stones, and get gear which gives a bonus to Vit.
Hybrid build
1 Str|4 Dex.............Every even/odd level
1 Str|3 Dex|1 Vit.....Every odd/even level
The benefit of this is it doesn't take too much damage out of you, while giving you a little more hp to take a hit or two more. Also, if I remember correctly, every so many Vit gives you extra Pdef and Mdef, just as Str gives extra Pdef and Mag gives extra Mdef. This means your damage take will be a little bit less from both types of attacks. You are still very squishy though, so don't think about letting it get to your head about taking a few more hits. Many mobs can still kill you easily.
The downside is that you won't do as much damage as the Dexterity build, and you won't have as high evasion. Those few extra hits you can take with this build are hits you might have evaded on the Dexterity build. However, remember evasion is based on chance. There is a percentage, but it means you might evade an attack, not will. You can make up for this with stones and extra stats on gear, but I think it is still better to go with gear that gives a Vit bonus over evasion with this build.
I have been using this build up till level 50, where I switched to Dexterity build. This means that I have 25 extra Vit points than Dexterity build, and 25 extra Dex points (upon reaching level 100) than the Hybrid. This is what I mean by experimenting. Use these builds as a guide, but still do what is best for your play style. As I like to play solo most of the time, I would recommend this build for those who like it also.
Vitality build
1 Str|3 Dex|1 Vit.....Every level.
Obviously, you will have considerably less damage than the Dexterity build, but more HP. You will be able to take more hits, and have a bit extra Pdef and Mdef. Remember though, you will have longer fights and take more damage, as you cannot kill the mob as fast, nor can you evade as much. This is a build I would suggest for the Assassin who plays only in squads ever, and does not want to take aggro easily. Why for squads? Well, as I said, you won't take aggro as easily, so you could possibly use more sparks without fear of getting that boss mob on you. You also can take an AOE hit that would normally 1 hit the other builds.
As an example, when fighting General Feng, a level 55 boss with 600k HP, I was one hit up close without a barb's HP buff. After getting that buff though, increasing my HP by about 300, I was able to take that hit and heal before the next one occurred.
If you plan to get in squads and help the tank take down anything he hits, use this. If you plan to grind on solo, I would suggest you stay away from it.
Skills
I will be using a lot of what ArkToNE said in his guide, as I like his descriptions and information. However, I will also provide my own feedback on each skill in red text, and the feedback of others in dark orange text. Remember, these are basically a copy and paste of his skill definitions with my opinion. I strongly suggest you consult his guide before mine though.
Twin Strike
Range Melee
Mana (-5+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 0.9 seconds
CoolDown 3.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Initiate
A stabbing thrust with both daggers.
Deals base physical damage plus (-41.2+<Growth*7>+<skill level*51>).
This is one you should never level. It will not do you any good at later levels, as you can deal out normal attacks quicker and with more damage overall than this.
Puncture Wound
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (-2.2+5.6*skill level)
Channel 0.2 seconds
Cast 1.8 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Initiate
Deals base physical damage plus (50+5*skill level)% of weapon damage.
Causes the target to bleed for (-105.5+<Growth*35>+<skill level*274.1>) physical damage over 9 seconds.
This skill will be your best friend for quite a while. I would suggest leveling it up to about level 6, then leaving it until you have enough SP to level both it and your other skills.
Slipstream Strike
Range Melee
Mana (1.7+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.2 seconds
Cast 1.9 seconds
CoolDown 6.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Initiate
A powerful strike with the full force of the arm.
Deals base physical damage plus
(50+5*skill level)% of weapon damage plus (35.1+<Growth*22.2>+<skill level*188.4>).
This is alright for dealing a lot of damage, but I wouldn't recommend leveling it. I had, and I feel I could have used that SP for better skills than this.
Raving Slash
Range Melee
Mana (5.6+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.5 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(83.5+<Growth*12.8>+<skill level*115.9>) physical damage.
Decreases target movement speed by (30+2*skill level)%. Lasts for 5 seconds.
Costs 30 Chi.
Do not bother with this skill at all. Get it so you can get higher skills, but don't progress it past level 1. Chi cost is not worth it, as that chi can be used for Spark Eruption so you can deal much higher damage with just normal attacks, making your DPS higher.
Tide Form
Range Self
Mana (20*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Transform into a fish.
Increases your Defense Level by (5+0.5*skill level)
and your Swim speed by (20+6*skill level)%.
Only available in water.
You really have two choices with this. Level it because you will be doing a lot of water tanking and want to take hits easily, or don't level it at all. You cannot use other skills when in Tideform, so I wouldn't bother with it. My personal recommendation, don't level it and only use it when you are doing a quest which requires you to travel through water. However, when fighting in water, just use your normal form to enable skills.
Shadow Walk
Range Self
Mana 20
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 2.8 seconds
CoolDown 6.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Enter stealth mode.
Increases Stealth Level by (1*skill level).
Enemies with an Awareness Level lower than your Stealth Level can not see you.
Costs (25-1*skill level) mana per second.
Only usable when out of combat.
If you plan to do PvP, then level this, sparingly. If you don't, keep it at level 1. You will only use this (aside from PvP) when you are coming out of stealth mode from having used Shadow Escape to nullify aggro on you.
This skill is also invaluable in places where a guardian is needed to be killed in order to open a door, and there are unnecessary mobs you have to fight through to reach it. As long as you can solo the guardian, use this and save your squad some time. This is especially true in BH51 when taking the back route.
Wolf Emblem
Range Self
Mana (25+1.5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 60.0 seconds
Weapon Dagger
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Increases your critical strike damage by (10+2*skill level)%.
Lasts 30 seconds.
I do not find this skill very useful personally. While it does increase your critical strike damage, you are still heavily reliant on chance. If you only get a few critical strikes in during that 30 seconds, it was pretty much a waste as a single skill could have done more damage. Don't level this until you can max it.
Wind Push
Range Self
Mana (10+5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 60.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Spiritual Adept
Increases own movement speed by (50+5*skill level)%,
Lasts for 10 seconds.
Yes or no: Do you like to PvP? If yes, then put spare SP into this skill. If not, don't level it at all. This is only really useful, outside of PvP, for getting around a little quicker. If you want to get around quickly though, you are better off either flying or using a mount.
If you PvP, then this is useful for getting away quickly, especially if combined with Deep Sting to get a little extra distance in with those Heavy Armor classes.
Deep Sting
Range Melee
Mana (23.5+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 0.8 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(107.3+<Growth*4.2>+<skill level*46.3) physical damage.
Has a (85+1*skill level)% chance to bring target to sleep for 5 seconds.
Costs 50 Chi
Do not level this skill unless you plan to PvP. However, do keep it on your skill bar for PvE. There are three reasons for this. First, when facing a boss solo (such as Haggish), combining this skill with Puncture Wound will allow you to solo many. You use Puncture, Tackling Slash, then Deep Sting, then run. You repeat as necessary, and and you can solo many bosses, so long as they cannot easily catch up to you. This is also useful for those difficult mobs
The second reason is to cancel mob skills. When you see a spider trying to poison you, use this, stop them. Why should you use this over Knife Throw? It has a higher chance to interrupt.
The third reason is for those auto-aggro mobs, who will attack you just because they don't like you, or because you attacked their friend. When you are being ganged by two mobs, use this one one, kill the other, and then kill the mob who just woke up. This is a very useful skill in PvE, and doesn't need to be leveled for it.
Remember though, sleep is canceled on the next hit. Once you use this, don't attack them again, otherwise you wasted MP and 50 Chi.
Focused Mind
Range Self
Mana (56+7*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 1.6 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Increases your chance to evade enemy skills by (10+1.5*skill level)%,
Lasts for (30+3*skill level) seconds.
Focused Mind shares a 90 second cooldown with Tidal Protection.
I personally didn't care much for this skill, but it can be useful. This is the skill you will rely on if you are a Vitality build. It will make up for that lost evasion from not having 4 Dex every level. I would use this skill if you are a Vitality build, and maybe if you are a Hybrid build. Otherwise, I wouldn't really bother with it.
Knife Throw
Range （20+1.5*skill level） meters
Mana 10+5*skill level
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.0 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Throw your dagger at the target.
Deals base physical damage plus (98.3+<Growth*3.8>+<skill level*42.4>).
Has a (40+3*skill level)% chance to interrupt channeling.
Keep this at level 1. Even at level 10, this skill does not have the skill interruption that Deep Sting has. However, in PvP, used in combination with Deep Sting, you can deal damage to those Magic users while keeping them from attacking a lot.
Dagger of Devotion
Range Passive
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Increases damage dealt by daggers by (6*skill level)%.
I don't think I need to explain this. Just max it.
Rib Strike
Range Melee
Mana (100+5.6*skill level)
Channel 0.3 seconds
Cast 1.9 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Stab up under the enemy's ribs.
Deals base physical damage plus
(50+5)% of weapon damage plus (990.8+<Growth*16.2>+<skill level*225.6>).
Reduce target's attack speed by (25+2.5*skill level)% for 30 seconds.
All builds will find this skill invaluable. This skill means you will take a few less hits in solo play, and will also help keep your tank alive against bosses. Keep it leveled. It's heavy on MP cost, but it is well worth it.
Shadow Escape
Range Self
Mana 100
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 2.8 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Force yourself into stealth. Dispel all negative status.
Increases Stealth Level by (1*skill level).
Enemies with an Awareness Level lower than your Stealth Level can not see you.
Costs (25-1*skill level) Mana per second.
A successful cast will increase one Spark.
NOTE: Does not remove many debuffs.
If you PvP, it is obvious why this is useful. However, for PvE, use this only when you need to get a mob off of you. If you are about to die, use this, and you can live. Just make sure not to use it when you have two hits left. Use it before then.
Another good use for this is for luring bosses away. Take aggro of the boss, run as fast as you can, giving your team time to get somewhere safe, then Shadow Escape.
Sharp Observer
Range Passive
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Increases your Awareness Level by (2*skill level).
If you like to PvP, spare a little SP every now and then. Otherwise, don't bother with it.
Cat-like Thread
Range Passive
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Increases your Stealth level by (2*skill level).
If you like to PvP, spare a little SP every now and then. Otherwise, don't bother with it.
Blood Paint
Range Self
Mana (56+35*skill level)
Channel 1.8 seconds
Cast 2.4 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Make all friendly units within 10 Meters can absorb HP equals to
2% of damage it dealt each physical melee attack.
Lasts for (900+90*skill level) seconds.
Only available for Blademaster, Barbarian, and Assassin.
Only available for melee attacks.
This is one of your best friends. You will take back some HP while using any attack, and your other melee friends in squad can have the same benefit. Combine this with a Life Powder, and you are nearly invincible, and almost never have to use pots or stop the grind.
Tackling Slash
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (33.6+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.5 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Deals a damage equals to your basic physical attack plus
(601.3+<Growth*12.4>+<skill level*161.3>) physical damage.
Immobilize target for (6+0.3*skill level) seconds,and increases own Chi by 50.
It builds Chi, does good damage, and freezes the opponent. When is it most useful? From my experience, there are two types of mobs you want to use it on. First is the runners, mobs like Werewolf Archers, Quillhog Archers, or any other that likes to use ranged attacks and will run from you. Start off with this attack, they won't move the entire fight most of the time. You also can use this on the boss mob that a Tank is fighting. Even though it doesn't run, it gives you Chi to use Spark Eruption. There is no good reason not to level this.
The second type is the mobs being pulled. Whether it is Zeal pull or a Veno pull, use this to stop them from reaching the person. You will draw the aggro, but leave it alone a second so others pull aggro, and it won't deal damage to anyone. If you all kill it quickly enough, it will save everyone from losing HP.
Level this to about level 5, then just slowly when you can spare the SP and money for it.
Shadow Jump
Range （15+1.5*skill level） meters
Mana (35+5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown （30-1.5*skill level） seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Harmony
Instantly move to the target's location.
Costs 20 Chi
Only use this for PvP. I will explain later why it is not as useful against most mobs in PvE. If you plan to use this for PvE, use it only to get in quick on a mob and freeze/sleep them, or for getting to a mob attacking a squishy in your squad and freeze/sleep them.
Throatcut
Range Melee
Mana (33.6+7*skill level)
Channel 1.1 seconds
Cast 1.3 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(50+5*skill level)% gear attack and another
(1821.1+<Growth*12.6>+<skill level*250.6>) physical attack.
Has a (85+1*skill level)% chance to interrupt enemy channeling.
Silence target for (2+0.2*skill level) seconds.
Costs 1 Sparks
NOTE: This skill actually seals your target instead of silencing. What this means is that the target cannot use normal attacks either, but they can still move and run away.
I don't personally recommend this skill. It is good for damage, but I personally prefer just using Spark Eruption for doing high damage. If you PvP, keep it at a decent level though.
Throatcut works well on mobs ,providing you use tackling slash before it and it actualy hits very hard,i use it and have no probs with it.
-Vorhes
Deaden Nerves
Range Self
Mana (56+5*skill level)
Channel 1.5 seconds
Cast 2.6 seconds
CoolDown （300-12*skill level） seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Avoid one attack that would kill you within the next two minutes.
Recovers 20% HP upon avoiding death.
NOTE: This skill will still save you on various "sudden death" mechanisms such as the self-destructing hands in Twilight Temple.
Useful in PvP, and very good when a boss has a powerful AOE coming up and it isn't used very often. If this is an AOE which increases damage the closer you are to it, this will be your friend. Though the cooldown is longer than the effect, I'll explain why this is good later. No need to level it right when you get it, but do so later on and when you can spare some SP.
Chill of the Deep
Range Self
Mana (10+5*skill level)
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 1.3 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Reduces your attack speed by (50+5*skill level)%.
Increases your Attack Level by (15+1.5*skill level). Lasts 10 minutes.
NOTE: At level 10, this skill will not actually shoot your attack rate to 0.00, but rather to roughly around 0.58~5.9 or so. While slow, your attacks will not come to a complete halt.
If you don't mind spamming a few skills to get extra Chi, keep this fairly close in maxed. However, if you are cheap (like me) and don't want to be putting out a lot of money for pots/MP charms, don't use this. Spark Eruption does well enough.
Maze Steps
Range Self
Mana 100
Cast instant
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Increases own movement speed by (80+2*skill level)%,
Immune to Stun and Immobilize. Lasts for 10 seconds.
Costs 1 Spark
Use this to run away from a fight you can't win, especially in PK. Otherwise, by the time you get this skill you can fly and you can use a mount, so don't bother using it for getting around.
Earthen Rift
Range Melee
Mana (94.5+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 1.8 seconds
CoolDown 8.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Coalescence
Detonate the ground under the enemy. Deals base physical damage plus
(200+20*skill level)% of weapon damage to all enemy units within 8 meters.
NOTE: This is your 2nd (right under Headhunt) most powerful skill end game (post-80). Be sure not to take this skill lightly.
I love this skill. Combine this with a tank's AOE, and you do very good damage. I suggest using Spark Eruption, then using this skill, or using Subsea Strike first. By the time you can use it again, you have Spark (for a second maybe, so be quick when you only have 199 max chi) and can do a good amount of damage for a second time to multiple mobs.
Rising Dragon Strike
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (75.6+6.7*skill level)
Channel 0.2 seconds
Cast 1.8 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Coalescence
Deals a damage equals to your basic physical attack plus
(50+5*skill level)% gear attack and another
(1377.4+<Growth*7.8>+<skill level*171.4>) physical damage.
Increases own Chi by 150.
100 percent accuracy.
There is no increasing need to keep this leveled really, as I personally only use it to gain Chi. However, I like to do good damage while gaining it. It is really an optional skill in terms of leveling. Combined with Tackling Strike and Inner Harmony, you can also keep a double spark going nearly indefinitely without having to stop.
Subsea Strike
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.3 seconds
Cast 1.3 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Instantly strikes all nearby targets.
Deals base physical damage plus (1848.1+<Growth*4.6>+<skill level*143.0>)
to all targets within 8 meters.
Increases all damage taken by the target by (15+1.5*skill level)% for 8 seconds.
This skill works with the Heaven's Flame skill.
This skill will cancel the Extreme Poison skill.
Costs 2 Sparks
This, plus your three Chi building skills for sparking, along with Ribstrike will make a powerful combination against bosses. Keep it leveled. Just note that when using such a combination, you will be using a lot of MP, so bring pots.
My personal experience so far is that while it is fairly effective against bosses, it is not worth the MP drain that comes with it. Instead, use it to help with any AoE your party might be doing on mobs in the dungeon.
Headhunt
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.5 seconds
Cast 1.5 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(50+5*skill level)% gear attack and another
(3569.7+<Growth*8.6>+<skill level*276.2>) physical attack.
Stun enemy for (3+0.2*skill level) seconds.
Costs 2 Sparks
Combined with Deep Sting and Knife Throw, assuming you can afford it in Chi, you can do very well in locking an opponent's skills. Besides PvP, if you time it correctly with your teammates, you can lock a mob up very well and receive no damage.
This skill has proven to be very effective when simply trying to save one of the squishy classes in BH/FB runs. I would say keep its use to that, and level it only if you want the stun to last longer. However, Tackling Slash is a cheaper alternative.
Power Dash
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 0.8 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Deals a damage equals to your basic physical attack plus
(1457.9+<Growth*3.4>+<skill level*112.7>) physical damage.
Increases your Rage Damage by (20+2*skill level)%. Lasts for 8 seconds.
Costs 2 Sparks
NOTE: After various tests and with many other testers, it is concluded that this skill raises Critical Attack Rate, not Rage.
I am still on the fence about this one. I have yet to use it on my Assassin. However, as soon as I do, I will give my opinion on it. If anyone can give their advice on it, I would appreciate it so I can have something here.
Tidal Protection
Range Self
Mana (56+7*skill level)
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.6 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Increases your chance to avoid negative status effects by (25+2.5*skill level)%.
Lasts (30+3*skill level) seconds.
Tidal Protection shares a 90 second cooldown with Focused Mind.
Another one I am on the fence for. Again, any advice is appreciated.
Inner Harmony
Range Self
Mana (84+8.4*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 60.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Instantly gain (150+5*skill level) Chi.
Gain lots of Chi. I see no problems here, so use it.
Shadow Teleport
Range （20+1.5*skill level） meters
Mana (75+5*skill level)
Cast instant
CoolDown 180 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Instantly move to the target's location.
Stuns the target for 3 seconds.
Costs 1 Spark
Useful for PvP, but otherwise I wouldn't really recommend it for PvE. However, when in squads, it is very useful for saving that DD who can't take more than a few hits from a mob. When you are concentrating on one mob and notice another going after that squishy Venomancer cause seh took aggro from her pet, use it on the mob, then Tackling Slash.
Survival Techniques
Remember Your Father
As I said in the beginning, the Assassin feels like the child of an Archer and a fist Blademaster. Well, your father is the Archer, and you get your build from him (quite literally). You are a dexterity build, and your damage comes from this, just like the archer. Therefore, pick up a bow and use it to your advantage. You can use the same level bow as the Archer can at any given level. The only problem is you can use only the bow, not the crossbow or slingshot.
It surprises me how many times I am using a bow and someone walks along saying, "a sin with a bow? WTFUX LOL!" Apparently, people do not realize how very important a bow can be.
On mobs that prefer to fight in close range, lure them in with this You can easily get 3-4 hits in before they reach you, which should roughly be half their HP. Already, you have decreased the damage you take immensely. Combined with a Spark Eruption, you do even more damage, making it easy to kill those Sacrificial Assault mobs without them even touching you. Double Exp for no HP loss? Come on, you have to see it.
Remember when I said I'd explain a lot of things later on back with the skills? Well, here it is. The bow. You can do good damage from a distance. When you need to debuff a boss mob with a heavy AOE that deals damage based on distance, you use Deaden Nerves, run in, debuff, run out, keep shooting. When you are out in the open world and near some low level mobs fighting a boss (like General Feng), spam your Spark Eruption by using Rising Dragon Strike on a mob, one hit kill, and go back to the boss. This will help you optimize damage.
Remember Your Fairy Godmother
The Affliction Genie, it will be your best friend as an Assassin. It already has 15 Str, so that is 10 extra points at the start before you start using more points just to go up one stat point. Why is this important? Second Wind, the Genie healing skill. You can get healed full from almost dead just by keeping this skill leveled. Use whatever other skills you want, but this one is an absolute must if you want to increase your survival exponentially.
Remember Your Garden
Life Powder is one of the best gifts you could receive. It lasts 10 minutes, a long time and a lot of mobs which can be killed in it by grinding. Never leave home without packs of it. I always keep 20 on me at all times. This means you will either be spending a lot of money on herbs, or a lot of time collecting them. How you choose to do this is up to you, but do it. Anything can be done without them, but why risk losing all that precious experience for it? If you want to get rid of experience, feed it to your Genie, it will love you.
Remember your training
Here is a list of skill combos. After give these in another thread, I decided to post them here as well.
Puncture Wound --> Slipstream Strike --> Normal Attacks
Throw Dagger --> Switch to bow/normal attacks till the mobs reaches you --> Switch to daggers --> Any Combo/Normal Attacks
Rib Strike --> Puncture Wound --> Normal Attacks
Puncture Wound --> Deep Sting (wait till mob wakes up) --> Normal attacks
Spark (starting with 199 chi) --> Tackling Slash (after spark dispels) --> Spark --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Spark --> repeat as necessary (good for bosses in squad if you manage your aggro)
Spark+ (Starting with at least 250 chi) --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Subsea Strike --> Normal Attacks (not economical on anything except bosses)
Spark+ (Starting with at least 299 chi) --> Rising Dragon Strike (after dispel) --> Spark+ --> Tackling Slash (after dispel) --> Spark+ --> Inner Harmony --> Spark+ --> Repeat from Rising Dragon Strike as necessary (my personal favorite for bosses in squad)
Shadow Teleport (starting with at least 199 Chi) --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Headhunt --> Puncture Wound --> Deep Sting (wait till mob wakes up) --> Normal Attacks
Subsea Strike (starting with at least 250 chi)--> Earthen Rift --> Deep Sting (one mob) --> Switch to other target --> Rising Dragon Strike --> Spark+ --> Normal Attacks till mob is dead --> Switch to other mob and kill
Squad Expectations
These are things which you should know how to do when involved in squads. They are from another post I made, so I'm just inserting the quote here.
ACLucius - Archosaur wrote: »Expect Assassins to do their debuff(s), provide auxiliary tanking if the Barb/Blademaster dies and there is no other Barb/Blademaster to replace them, and provide good damage. Should the Cleric die, it is the job of the Assassin to try to gain aggro of the boss and lure it as far away from the squad as possible. We might die, but part of our job is to try to save to squad when possible, and if we can, Shadow Escape once the boss is out of range of the squad and will reset. So once you see that Cleric's HP hit zero, unless you are POSITIVE that your pet can tank fine with just your heals, stop attacking and let the Assassin gain aggro. While doing that, run in whatever direction you can to get far from where the Assassin will probably lead the boss, just to make it easier on them and help keep them from dying.
If you are on a boss without a strong AoE and the Assassin (as many do) has Tangling Mire, try to time your increased damage skills with theirs. As an example, whenever I use Tangling Mire, I also use Subsea strike and then get back my 2 sparks for a double spark so I can do extremely high damage (usually 8k criticals with normal attack). If you amplify damage at the same time as that, the boss will take an extremely large amount of damage over a short period of time. Using these skills combined with a Venomancer's amp skill, I have seen Rankar die within 45 seconds (had no magic DD's besides Venomancer) due to the extreme DPS each person could apply.
Expect Assassins to save the squishy classes whenever possible. Usually we can always teleport to the mob, so it shouldn't be a problem reaching them. So if you draw aggro and an Assassin heads straight towards the mob, run towards the Assassin and don't attack the mob after that unless you know exactly what skill they used. Sometimes I use Tackling Slash causing them to freeze, sometimes I use Deep Sting to sleep them. If you attack them while they are asleep, you cancel it and it just wasted our efforts.
If an Assassin is fighting two+ mobs all at once, and the rest of the squad is busy with their own, DON'T HELP! We have our Deep Sting, two stun skills, and Tackling Slash. An experienced Assassin will sleep one, freeze the other, move out of range and kill one of them. If they can't do that, they will Shadow Escape and reset the mobs. Attacking when they plan to SE will only draw aggro to you.
If you have the Assassin saying they will go kill a guardian in a BH, let them. Any build of Assassin should be able to easily take on any mob in a BH without problem. Our Blood Paint, spark/double spark, and Second Wind will keep us alive. If it doesn't, it is a failure of our own.
Basically, if you can't afford to help or don't think you can, then don't help the Assassin. We have more than enough ways to deal with multiple mobs in multiple situations, so don't worry about us too much unless you can do so safely. If the Assassin dies in such a situation, then it is their own fault. However, if you are having an Assassin do the job of a tank, treat it just as it is, a non tanking class tanking. We will need any help you can provide when doing the job of a tank. This means debuffs, heals, support, shared aggro (especially with your pet). I don't tank because I am good for tanking, I do it because it is necessary at the given time.
I am not going to say that every single Assassin out there will know all of these, but this is how our class works. You should always check to see if they are able to do these things before you start the instance so you know what to expect and how to work with it.
Conclusion
The Assassin is new, and it is still very experimental for the community at large. We only know what to do based on experience from other classes. I only knew to use a bow because I did so with my fist Blademaster, and it worked well. So, use this guide as just that, a guide only. Feel free to experiment, try out new ideas, and look for new ways to play. So many times have I heard that a class is supposed to be a specific way, but it just isn't. Each class can be played a different way and still have it's strengths and others to it's advantage. So, in closing, have fun with this class, as it is the last chance (for a long time at least) that we have to experiment with something so new in terms of gameplay.
Special thanks to:
ArkToNE- for his guide which helped me not only with this, but with my character as well. Please sticky his guide!
Note: if there are any suggestions, corrections, or additional advice, please send me a PM. I do not proclaim to know everything, and in fact know very little outside of my own experience.
Post edited by Aclucius - Lost City on
0
Comments
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This space is saved for future use if needed. b:victory0
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"Focused Mind
Range Self
Mana (56+7*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 1.6 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Increases your chance to evade enemy skills by (10+1.5*skill level)%,
Lasts for (30+3*skill level) seconds.
Focused Mind shares a 90 second cooldown with Tidal Protection.
I personally didn't care much for this skill, but it can be useful. This is the skill you will rely on if you are a Vitality build. It will make up for that lost evasion from not having 4 Dex every level. I would use this skill if you are a Vitality build, and maybe if you are a Hybrid build. Otherwise, I wouldn't really bother with it."
The skill can't make up for lost evasion since it's only help versus enemy skills ONLY and NOT general attacks which make it as 1/2 usefull as you hoped it to be. As well up to 1 min stays(lvl 10) ??? duh verdict -->> don't bother with it unless heavy duel purposes under perma pvp this skill is horrible b:bye0 -
Actually Focused Mind works on general attacks and skills from both players and mobs.
And I was hesitant to level Knife Throw at first but its a for sure need to max skill. At level 10, 70% to cancel aoe bosses is really nice. Also I've been able to use this skill on squishies that try to holy path into SZ and have critted and killed them. The max range is 35 and is really nice, I suggest leveling it.![:\](https://forum.arcgames.com/pwi/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
You can't see me b:avoid.0 -
Troat cut works well on mobs ,providing you use tackling slash before it and it actualy hits very hard,i use it and have no probs with it.0
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The skill can't make up for lost evasion since it's only help versus enemy skills ONLY and NOT general attacks which make it as 1/2 usefull as you hoped it to be. As well up to 1 min stays(lvl 10) ??? duh verdict -->> don't bother with it unless heavy duel purposes under perma pvp this skill is horrible b:bye
gtfo the sin forums, you don't even know what your ****ing skills do0 -
Vorhes - Dreamweaver wrote: »Troat cut works well on mobs ,providing you use tackling slash before it and it actualy hits very hard,i use it and have no probs with it.
Well, part of the reason I don't suggest using it very often is because using a spark can put out more damage with regular attacks than this one skill. While it does have specific uses, I prefer to not have to use too many MP pots, as HP pots are enough of a problem for Assassins. Still, I will put this in there for others to see as part of your advice.0 -
Puncture wound is great but I do not use it due to anti bleed skills most carry for nixes anyway. Better to hold out for your stun/seal/silence etc. They hit far harder anyway. But it is superb for farming. That said in PvE I dont use it either.
Twin Strike. Well I use chill of the deep and I am on a server where I am under constant threat of PK. Yes if you are a dps sin then yes TS is a waste of time but when you are using COtD then having a skill with a 3 sec cooldown that you can use in between your heavy skills is a must! Also in PvP its a MP cheap finishing moves for when mobs have that little bit extra HP left.0 -
Xirella - Harshlands wrote: »Puncture wound is great but I do not use it due to anti bleed skills most carry for nixes anyway. Better to hold out for your stun/seal/silence etc. They hit far harder anyway. But it is superb for farming. That said in PvE I dont use it either.
Twin Strike. Well I use chill of the deep and I am on a server where I am under constant threat of PK. Yes if you are a dps sin then yes TS is a waste of time but when you are using COtD then having a skill with a 3 sec cooldown that you can use in between your heavy skills is a must! Also in PvP its a MP cheap finishing moves for when mobs have that little bit extra HP left.
Remember, not all people are going to be thinking about PvP. Mobs don't have a genie to invalidate bleed.
Also, You are right Twin Strike can be useful in PvP. However, that is only if you didn't keep up with other skills. I can easily spam Rising Dragon Strike, Rib Strike, Tackling Slash, Throatcut, Earthen Rift, and Deep Sting without having to wait long periods for cool down. All of these will do better in PvP than Twin Strike. If you want to finish a mob though that has just a few hits left in it, then you can just use a few more hits. We hit fast enough that a few hits will do a lot of damage, which is why I prefer to spam Sparks rather than skills. It saves MP and it does a lot of damage.
Raving Slash and Twin Strike are both pretty useless later on, as your skills can be spammed in ways to do more damage than either of these without having to wait for cool down. However, it should be noted that I am also coming from a mostly PvE background. My expertise is not in PvP practice, but I believe I do rather well in PvP theory.
I do appreciate your opinions on this, and I well respect them. However, the best I can see Twin Strike being good for is low level use and for farming drops needed from mobs low enough in level that Twin Strike can 1-hit them. However, if this is the case, Spark+Bow with the occasional Rising Dragon Strike to give you Sparks is good enough.0 -
aclucius - Lost City wrote: »as I Can See, There Are two Very Well Written Guides So Far, One By Arktone, And one By Morty.
Ahahahahahaha Lol0 -
threepointone wrote: »Ahahahahahaha Lol
Well, his does have over 10k hits on it, and only 7 pages of discussion. Obviously it has helped some people, which is the point of a guide. Besides, his guide is more than likely a lot better than mine.0 -
i know this is a necro but why dont people pay more attention to this thread? i thought it was a pretty good guide.0
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well me i found the skill combos not that good i would of done nife throw punctur wound deep sting and slipstream and if any hp left just auto attack depending on the lvl the thing has0
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Amax - Raging Tide wrote: »well me i found the skill combos not that good i would of done nife throw punctur wound deep sting and slipstream and if any hp left just auto attack depending on the lvl the thing has
Well, you obviously then are not really reading the guide. First of all, Knife throw is useless unless you level it. If you do level it, then you still have to add two steps after that, which would be switching to a bow to attack till the mob gets in close, then switching back to daggers. This is said in the second combo where I say to do this and then use any other combo after switching back to daggers. This would include using Puncture Wound and then Deep sting, after which you can run backwards and repeat. However, when timing it right, you can use Deep Sting or Tackling Slash to stop the mob from getting within range, allowing you to run back and use the bow to continue damage, avoiding any damage.
Another thing you must remember is what my skill recommendations are. As I had said, I don't even recommend leveling Slipstream Strike at all. Therefore, after character level 10, Slipstream becomes pretty useless as it is level 1. The way I have it though in this guide, I have made it so that it is for a person who will want to be able to keep plenty of spirit. Because of how many skills Assassins have to start, it is extremely difficult to keep them all leveled properly. Therefore, the way I have this guide arranged is for the spark spammers. As a spark spammer, after your first spark you get at level 29, you no longer have a need for any skills aside from Rib Strike, Dagger Devotion, and Tackling Slash in terms of leveling. Any other skills that you did not level become more and more useless unless they have a special effect which is useful to us.
This means Deep Sting, Rising Dragon Strike, Inner Harmony, Wolf Emblem, Blood Paint, Throat Cut, Deaden Nerves, Chill of the Deep, Subsea Strike, Power Dash, Shadow Jump/Teleport, Headhunt, and our stealth skills are effective at level 1. All other skills, being Raving Slash, Slipstream Strike, Twin Strike, Tideform, Windpush, Maze Steps, Knife Throw, Earthen Rift are essentially useless in most situations for the spark spammer. The rest of the skills are left out because those are special cases, and therefore are neither effective at level 1 (in later levels), nor are they very useful in most situations. Puncture Wound is the exception to all of these, as you later find you will not need it at all, but when you do use it, it becomes very handy to have.
However, not everyone is the same. Some people will find they like a particular skill and level it. There is nothing wrong with this. For example, I like having Earthen Rift leveled because I can then do large amounts of AoE damage when combined with other class AoEs and especially after using Subsea Strike for its extreme poison effect.
Lastly though, you must remember that of all the combos, only the first four apply to a level 30 Assassin. The first one is meant for people below level 19 and do not have Deep Sting yet. The second one is what you mentioned, except it does more damage and causes a person to suffer less than your combo you mentioned. The third is effective without Deep Sting, which basically negates the need for using Rib Strike. The fourth is for mobs who might try to use a magic attack to start and then do melee. So, the combos themselves are not a problem, and are very effective. What matters though is how they are used in the various situations. For this reason, had you read the entire guide, you would have realized these combos are not meant for every single situation, and some are meant for specific types of mobs.
tl;dr
The combos are good, the person using them may not be if they are not effective to that person.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Didn't get the rest of it, but apparently I am the "destroyer of sin haters" as well.0 -
Aclucius - Lost City wrote: »Remember, not all people are going to be thinking about PvP.
Who would pick an assassin to pve?? That's what the veno is for...0 -
SupaRoyalty - Lost City wrote: »Who would pick an assassin to pve?? That's what the veno is for...
I would. I'm not all that fond of PvP to be honest, and Venomancer got boring quickly because it was just too easy to play. Besides, if only the Venomancer class was made for PvE and no one played any other class for it except that, we would find a shortage of all other classes in the PvE servers.
Why would a Blademaster tank? That is what a Barb is for.
Why would a Wizard heal? That is what a Cleric is for.
I hope I'm being clear as to where I'm going with this. Just because a class is designed for specific type of play (Assassin to PvP) doesn't mean that everyone plays it for that purpose.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Didn't get the rest of it, but apparently I am the "destroyer of sin haters" as well.0 -
Aclucius - Lost City wrote: »
Focused Mind
Range Self
Mana (56+7*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 1.6 seconds
CoolDown 90.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Increases your chance to evade enemy skills by (10+1.5*skill level)%,
Lasts for (30+3*skill level) seconds.
Focused Mind shares a 90 second cooldown with Tidal Protection.
I personally didn't care much for this skill, but it can be useful. This is the skill you will rely on if you are a Vitality build. It will make up for that lost evasion from not having 4 Dex every level. I would use this skill if you are a Vitality build, and maybe if you are a Hybrid build. Otherwise, I wouldn't really bother with it.
Knife Throw
Range （20+1.5*skill level） meters
Mana 10+5*skill level
Channel 0.1 seconds
Cast 1.0 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Principle
Throw your dagger at the target.
Deals base physical damage plus (98.3+<Growth*3.8>+<skill level*42.4>).
Has a (40+3*skill level)% chance to interrupt channeling.
Keep this at level 1. Even at level 10, this skill does not have the skill interruption that Deep Sting has. However, in PvP, used in combination with Deep Sting, you can deal damage to those Magic users while keeping them from attacking a lot.
Chill of the Deep
Range Self
Mana (10+5*skill level)
Channel 0.7 seconds
Cast 1.3 seconds
CoolDown 15.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Aware of Discord
Reduces your attack speed by (50+5*skill level)%.
Increases your Attack Level by (15+1.5*skill level). Lasts 10 minutes.
NOTE: At level 10, this skill will not actually shoot your attack rate to 0.00, but rather to roughly around 0.58~5.9 or so. While slow, your attacks will not come to a complete halt.
If you don't mind spamming a few skills to get extra Chi, keep this fairly close in maxed. However, if you are cheap (like me) and don't want to be putting out a lot of money for pots/MP charms, don't use this. Spark Eruption does well enough.
Headhunt
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.5 seconds
Cast 1.5 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Deals a damage equals to your basic attack plus
(50+5*skill level)% gear attack and another
(3569.7+<Growth*8.6>+<skill level*276.2>) physical attack.
Stun enemy for (3+0.2*skill level) seconds.
Costs 2 Sparks
Combined with Deep Sting and Knife Throw, assuming you can afford it in Chi, you can do very well in locking an opponent's skills. Besides PvP, if you time it correctly with your teammates, you can lock a mob up very well and receive no damage.
This skill has proven to be very effective when simply trying to save one of the squishy classes in BH/FB runs. I would say keep its use to that, and level it only if you want the stun to last longer. However, Tackling Slash is a cheaper alternative.
Power Dash
Range 4.5 meters
Mana (156.8+8.4*skill level)
Channel 0.4 seconds
Cast 0.8 seconds
CoolDown 30.0 seconds
Weapon Daggers
Require Cultivation Transcendent
Deals a damage equals to your basic physical attack plus
(1457.9+<Growth*3.4>+<skill level*112.7>) physical damage.
Increases your Rage Damage by (20+2*skill level)%. Lasts for 8 seconds.
Costs 2 Sparks
NOTE: After various tests and with many other testers, it is concluded that this skill raises Critical Attack Rate, not Rage.
I am still on the fence about this one. I have yet to use it on my Assassin. However, as soon as I do, I will give my opinion on it. If anyone can give their advice on it, I would appreciate it so I can have something here.
1) Focused Mind is a must-max skill. 25% evasion rate for all attacks for 60 seconds - including magic attacks - can save you big time both in PvP and against hard hitting bosses.
2) Knife Throw is a must-max skill if you intend on soloing Lunar and TT instances. Most bosses in the two instances have casting animations activated for about 4-5 seconds before it launches 2-3k damage attack on you. A sin needs to alternate spark and knife throw to resist/interrupt the incoming attack before it hits. Knife throw at max have a 70% chance of interruption. Couple it with maxed focused mind, chances are, your charm wouldn't tick much throughout the runs.
3) Chill of the Dephts is a must-max skill for PvP. While it reduces attack speed, it does not reduce casting time. This means, skill spamming will allow your skills to get +30 atk lvl without penalty. Its also good for PvE if you wanna save up pots at lower levels. Get yourself an MP powder and start spamming stun lock skills on mobs. You'll find that the mobs will hardly even get a chance to tick your HP, while the MP powder keeps your MP at full always.
4) Headhunt is the best assassin's skill. Highest damage with 5 seconds stun ( 6 seconds on demon ). I don't see why anybody should not max it.
5) Power dash is a skill to be maxed when your sin has interval gear. At lv 80-90, with an average of 25% base crit + 40% from PD, 65% crit rate with insane attack speed can easily rip any target apart.
6) Slipstream is a must max skill if you're going demon form. It has a chance to increase attack speed.
7) Ribstrike is a must max if you're going demon form since it debuffs target of 10% maximun HP.
8) Raving Slash is a must max if you're going sage form as it gives you +10 atk level bonus.0 -
Wolfyyy - Raging Tide wrote: »1) Focused Mind is a must-max skill. 25% evasion rate for all attacks for 60 seconds - including magic attacks - can save you big time both in PvP and against hard hitting bosses.
Except that prioritizing this over other skills means you will lose spirit very quickly.
2) Knife Throw is a must-max skill if you intend on soloing Lunar and TT instances. Most bosses in the two instances have casting animations activated for about 4-5 seconds before it launches 2-3k damage attack on you. A sin needs to alternate spark and knife throw to resist/interrupt the incoming attack before it hits. Knife throw at max have a 70% chance of interruption. Couple it with maxed focused mind, chances are, your charm wouldn't tick much throughout the runs.
Deep Sting has 85% chance at level 1. Rather than trying to cancel with Knife Throw, why not just Shadow Jump/Teleport and use Deep Sting? Seems far more likely to be effective and also easier on the MP use.
3) Chill of the Dephts is a must-max skill for PvP. While it reduces attack speed, it does not reduce casting time. This means, skill spamming will allow your skills to get +30 atk lvl without penalty. Its also good for PvE if you wanna save up pots at lower levels. Get yourself an MP powder and start spamming stun lock skills on mobs. You'll find that the mobs will hardly even get a chance to tick your HP, while the MP powder keeps your MP at full always.
For a person who doesn't mind the extra costs that come with it, yes. However, at lower levels, people have to prioritize their skills.
4) Headhunt is the best assassin's skill. Highest damage with 5 seconds stun ( 6 seconds on demon ). I don't see why anybody should not max it.
Yes, of course people will level it. However, not at the expense of more important skills unless they are a skill spammer, which again, is very expensive in spirit and coin.
5) Power dash is a skill to be maxed when your sin has interval gear. At lv 80-90, with an average of 25% base crit + 40% from PD, 65% crit rate with insane attack speed can easily rip any target apart.
Until it can be maxed, there is no reason to level it very much.
6) Slipstream is a must max skill if you're going demon form. It has a chance to increase attack speed.
Maxed later unless a skill spammer.
7) Ribstrike is a must max if you're going demon form since it debuffs target of 10% maximun HP.
I agree completely, but it's a must max no matter what. This skill, along with Dagger Devotion, should be prioritized above all others.
8) Raving Slash is a must max if you're going sage form as it gives you +10 atk level bonus.
However, at lower levels, it is pretty much useless.
I think pretty much everyone is aware that by your level, they will have all their skills maxed anyways. However, the point is to prioritize based on what is necessary rather than what is nice to have. Regardless, you have a lot of sound advice, and I shall add it where it applies (of course with citation).[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Didn't get the rest of it, but apparently I am the "destroyer of sin haters" as well.0 -
^^
Yup, I guess.
But on a side note for you guys out there, spirits come in free flowing once you start running FC. Each run will earn you an average of about 700k-1mil spirits.
And also, deep sting does not work on bosses. You can't sleep/stun/immobilize bosses.0 -
i suggest to level Focused Mind to atleast lvl6.
with this it won't cost as much, spirit or coin."male sins all look like **** bags. they need to take out that hunched-over-emoing-at-ground-fidgeting-like-you-have-a-potato-up-your-**** pose."
- Varscona
priceless! and quite true b:chuckleb:chuckle0 -
Wolfyyy - Raging Tide wrote: »^^
Yup, I guess.
But on a side note for you guys out there, spirits come in free flowing once you start running FC. Each run will earn you an average of about 700k-1mil spirits.
And also, deep sting does not work on bosses. You can't sleep/stun/immobilize bosses.
what's FC?
this will be good news. i hope money flows in too. b:surrender0 -
Ok sorry if I seem like a noob but I never bothered to test, from the description of Focused Mind I understood it only blocks special and magic attacks, does it block normal attacks too?
I did use Focused Mind and saw it working on some mobs like the lanterns that shoot flames.. but I considered that as some special attack. Does it work on normal bow shots and melee hits? O.o If so it's awesome b:dirtyFirst 103 on Raging Tide 30 Oct 2010
Quit.0 -
Asheera - Raging Tide wrote: »Ok sorry if I seem like a noob but I never bothered to test, from the description of Focused Mind I understood it only blocks special and magic attacks, does it block normal attacks too?
I did use Focused Mind and saw it working on some mobs like the lanterns that shoot flames.. but I considered that as some special attack. Does it work on normal bow shots and melee hits? O.o If so it's awesome b:dirty
Yes it works on all attacks.0 -
Wow omg awesome I kinda even think it's better than Tidal Protection O.o
I mean, that prevents you from negative status effects, meaning all stuns, dots and debuffs. But you can go immune to stuns (the most deadly) with Maze Steps, and dots and debuffs are rarely more dangerous than being able to avoid all possible types of hits. Well of course sometimes Tidal Protection is better but it's also way more expensive to lvl so imo Focused Mind >>>>> Tidal Protection thenFirst 103 on Raging Tide 30 Oct 2010
Quit.0
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