A Complete Guide to the Assassin

SECOND TREE

Shadow Walk: PvE and PvP: See Sharp Observer and Cat-Like Tread.

Shadow Escape: PvE: Resets a mobs agro to the next available target. However, it will only COMPLETELY DE-AGRO (is that a word? De-agro?) YOU IF YOU HAVE THE PRIMARY AGRO (its trying to bite your face off). Lifesaver, but the mob may decide to kill the cleric instead of you. Don’t be a jerk, save them clerics! They can res you, not themselves.
PvP: Lol, your panic button. Also gives one spark if you need it. Fun thing to do is stealth, then teleport to your target. They’ll think you’ll pop them… but never so quickly! In fact, some people might be busy typing up a troll-insult, so that’s good if you’re planning to kill them. Level 10.

Focused Mind: PvE: Great skill, effectively reduces by damage by 25% at level 10.
PvP: I love this skill! You can dodge 1shots, and reduce continuous damage (**** you aps). Funniest thing ever: I’m at 100 hp. This R9 sins decides to try to do some lulz. He triple sparks, teleports to me, headhunts, ZERK CRITS! Tsyren takes 1 damage. Ouch. I proceed to kill him xD Level 10.

Bloodpaint: Pve: Okay…. Healing from mobs. Great. Get it.
PvP: Okay… Healing from mobs. Stupit. Buffoon. Idiot. Half-wit. It’s not reliable at all during Pvp… the only reason I buff myself with it is that theres a small chance that that BLOODSUCK 4 may save my life. Maybe. Level 10 when you can afford it, as it only increases buff length.

Deaden Nerves: PvE: Good skill for avoiding deaths, especially when there’s an angry boss trying to eat your heart and stuff your guts full of its ****. (Morbid. Yeah. I win. O.o)
PvP: Gratz, you can survive insanely high damage! AND you get more hp back afterwards! Mmmmm. Excellent. Leveling it = Reduces CD = More time with this buff on. However, other than that, its useless to level, so only get it if you can spare it.

Tidal Protection: PvE: Great when a boss is aoeing random effects on you. Even better when mobs are stunning you and slowing you and freezing you and bleeding you and poisoning you and blablabla…. Find out the mobs that use debuffs and use this buff especially for them.
PvP: Avoids debuffs! Crucial. Sins are meant to fight debuffed opponents… not the other way around. An invaluable buff. See PvP section for more info. Level 10 when you can.

Puncture Wound: Pve: Great for the early levels! Strongest bleed effect in the game, I think.
PvP: While it hits hard, its bleed is not particularly useful. The only time I use it is to watch nubs run around like a chicken with its head cut off, forget to pot, and die in SZ. I deserve to die, I know, but **** that. Level it mainly for the earlier levels.

Wolf Elbem: Pve and PvP: It’s great for getting chi, and decently useful for increasing your damage when you crit (especially during the endgame levels). Get it level 10.

Knife Throw: PvE: Interrupts channeling. Useful for long range damage and luring. Use it to cancel magic attacks of almost any boss – same as throatcut. It’s our only ranged skill, short of equipping a bow and pewpewing, so get it.
PvP: Good for finishing off runners, getting the attention of someone you’re luring into a trap, wearing down someone’s hp from a distance. Also great when someone is channeling a skill of doom, or using a constant aoe/heal. Level 10.

Tackling slash: Pve: . . . Freezes for a really long time at level 10. Gives 50 chi. If a mob is running to your very vulnerable squad, freeze it, then rejoin the main fight. The mob will sit there, staring malevolently and glaring at you, but unable to do anything else if its melee. Its also great for freezing those annoying mobs that run! Mmm. Great skill.
PvP: Freezes your enemies so you can cut them up, take their heads, and mount them on your fireplace wall. Grants chi. With throatcut, its great as an improvised stun. I use it A LOT during a stunlock – as much as its cooldown allows. Level 10!

Chill of the Deep: Pve: Many people think that this is THE way to reduce agro on bosses. I think its useless. See Pve section.
PvP: I LOVE 1shotting, and stunlocking. So should you… Get it. Level 10.

Rising Dragon Strike: Pve: Chi granter. Nothing else.
PvP: A never missing chi granter. Great on someone you’re trying to kill who has high evasion. I use it during a stunlock to replenish my chi bar – most of your control skills have high chi requisites. This is your answer. Level 1, only max it if you can afford it.

Inner Harmony: Pve: Chi granter. I use it after maze steps to keep my chi maxed out.
PvP: A useful INSTANT chi granter. Great after you triple spark and aim to use a chi skill, or when you’re out of chi during a stunlock. Max it if you want. (Leveling it to 10 gives it 50 more chi than level 1)

THIRD SKILL TREE

Windpush: Pve: Running around in instances, getting around fast, dancing around the playing field. At level 10, you run like a mount.
PvP: Use it to escape an angry melee, or to run to someone who is running away. Victims, *cough*, friendly and worthy opponents, stay in 1 spot so we may easier slice you, please. Thank you. Level 10.

Shadow Jump: Pve: Jumping around to mobs saves time. Also, you can jump through walls. Cool eh? I also use it for running away by jumping to my squad members/any person available.
PvP: With demon, you can spark 35 meters away and no one will think more of you. That is, until you’re gloating over your new, raised, kill count. I also jump to SZ when I need to escape someone. It’s good when you’re kiting someone, as such a sudden change in location confuses people. Love it! Level 10.

Maze steps: Pve: Antistun/freeze/sleep. Works wonders, just like Tidal Protection. It’s also good for running around.
PvP: Antistun/freeze/sleep. Works wonders, just like Tidal Protection. It’s also good for running around. No, jk, there are a lot more uses in PvP! Besides not getting stunned, a lot of clerics get confused when their sleep doesn’t work! XD Also, when you’re running, the last thing you want to do is get frozen. When someone else uses antistun, do the same thing. It’ll keep you on the same level. Maxing it, however, only increases your speed. Level it if you can afford it. Otherwise, useless to level.

Shadow Teleport: PvE: Got an angry mob calling for your squadmate’s blood? Shut them up. *Teleport* *stun* *kill*
PvP: Great for catching those runners! Also, there are other uses… See Pvp section. Level 10 only decreases cooldown, however, and its costly to level. Save it till later.

PVP.
Most people think the sin is only triple spark>occult>apsrape>HURDURR. However, while you CAN be lazy (and stupid) by doing this…. The sin is so much more.
Hurdurr guide: Several options. Triple spark>Inner harmony>teleport or jump to your target. If you jump, use headhunt. Wait till the stun is almost ended, and while you’re apsing, use occult ice.

Defensive Hurdurr: If someone decides to start attacking you, and doesn’t start with a stun or disable, triple spark. If they’re melee, occult them while sparking. If they’re ranged, AD after triple spark and shadow jump to them, then start **** them. Too many idiot sins have tried to kill me, and I have killed them as thus.

Infamous Headhunt combo: Buff. Double spark. Inner harmony. Headhunt. Windshield/aps.

Since I’ve covered the easy mode of Pvp, lets move on to more complicated stuff!

Class Specific tips.

Archer: A surprisingly difficult fight against a really good archer. They have antistun, and VERY hardhitting skills. If they start to use wings of protection, hit deep sting FAST to interrupt them, or occult. Nothing else: Wings of Protection casts too fast. If you’ve missed your chance, seal them as soon as their invulnerability to all attacks ends. You’ll have to tank while they have antistun on, or kill them before they can kill you. They’ll kite, so be prepared to give chase. Focused Mind.

Cleric: Easy if you’re in stealth. Not as much if they hit you first. Your deaden nerves are invaluable to their tempest 1shotter, so be prepared to shadow jump to them and eat their faces as soon as you’re unslept. Use absolute domain to avoid their tempest. Their sleep is a stun, so use maze steps if they haven’t used sleep yet. Contrary to popular belief, their shield is actually a good thing: If they don’t have a mana charm, you **** their shield, and eat all their mana so they can’t do anything. Watch out for their Siren’s kiss aoe, and never stand by them if they’re standing by something they can target (the same goes for any class that has aoes). Tidal Protection.

Wizard: Hardhitting class. However, very squishy. Use AD if they’re casting an ultimate skill, and can’t interrupt. Otherwise, knife throw, or shadow jump>deep sting. Their Earth Barrier buff may actually give them more pdef than you do, but they’re still squishy. Just don’t let them get unstunned: They have a very short sealing skill, and an instant sleep skill. They have a teleport similar to yours, so be prepared to follow them. Tidal Protection if you think the fight’s gonna last for a long time; Focused mind if not.

Blademaster: Aps class. Very tough if they’re good, easy if they’re not. They’re all about stuns, and most competent Bm’s can stunlock: Use tidal protection if they love stuns. They, too, have an antistun and speed skill, both of which last longer than yours. Don’t chase them, or they’ll leap to you and surprise you. Use maze steps if they’re in hitting range, otherwise, windpush will do. Flying works well, as does jumping, because when they switch to pole mode, they don’t hit that hard. Ribstrike = necessity. They are heavy armour, so condensed thorn/apothecary helps. Don’t ever go near them when they have their antistun on – your throatcut takes longer to cast than their stun. If you’re going to run to them, have your stun on. An easier way to get to them is to jump>stun, or shadow teleport, which is a jump+stun combined. Beware, for they might be unpredictable! Check their genie before attacking. Fortify = Antistun, Badge of Courage = purify stun. (I salute you, Sasukes)

Barbarian: Kitty is easy in kitty mode. Kitty is BAD in human mode. Kitty can tank while in kitty mode. Kitty can stun and arma fishy in human mode. Kill kitty by tanking kitty’s damage, because kitty hits low in kitty form. Kitty does not like magic damage or triple spark. Kitty will probably go human form and stun after fishy triple sparks. Kitty has antistun in human mode. Kitty can find sins with an aoe stun. Kitty can 1 shot with arma. Kitty can die if fishy deals lots of damage. Beware genie tanking skills, human form, and kitty’s R9 fleas. Fishy reccomends focused mind, and maze steps when kitty goes human. How many times can you say kitty in a row?

Venomancer: Magic class, normally harmless. Two stuns (yellow casting thingy=stun, purple casting thingy+skulls=freeze and seal). They can reverse their hp and mp, so be prepared to kill them more. But most of all, beware their bleed pets! (nix, etc) Tidal protection is a must, because if you get bled by a nix, you’re probably going to die if you don’t have a charm. I like to telestun them, kill their pet first, then go for the veno, with maze steps on. Funny as hell, because even if you die, they have to make their pet happy again, lol. Jump to them if they send their nix at you, because then their nix has to fly back while you’re **** the veno. Absolute domain works wonders here.

Assassin: Tricky class! You both have the same skills, but the one who can use them the best wins. Tidal protection, because a sin relies on debuffs. Stunlock works well on this class because sins are squishy. Steal their chi if you’re demon, because sins rely on chi. DON’T EVER JUMP (will explain later) while fighting them. Use speed skills to dodge them, and maze steps to prevent them from stunning you.

Psychic: Tricky class, yet again -.- They are squishy, but make themselves less so with their buffs that can hit back, seal you, stun you, and reflect your own skills. Use absolute domain if you’re attacking one with a lot of soulforce to avoid those dangerous effects. They also have a skill that makes them immune to physical attacks, so you need condensed thorn to stunlock them till that effect wears off. There’s only one good thing about this class: You don’t have to worry about them being white, because as soon as you attack, their buffs will make them go red. Lol.

Seeker: A bit like a physical wiz, a seeker is a difficult class to kill and is meant to be the “assassin exterminator”. They have a buff that deals magic damage to you (looks like exaggerated shadow wings), can telestun you, and hit REALLY high physical AND magic damage. Don’t ribstrike them, and condensed thorn helps. I like to use both tidal protection and focused mind. Tidal = Their stances don’t work on you, Focused = avoids 1shots. They have long channeling skills, so make sure to interrupt those. Don’t ever let them freeze you, as they have long range skills – you don’t.

Mystic: A squishy class, normally. However, their summons and themselves have buffs that make them into a tanking class, temporarily. One mystic I know is full R9, with full garnet gems. Okay, really? Shouldn’t I hit more on a mystic than a barb? You’ll have to kill their shield before you can get at their red bar. Beware their pets: The melee devil can stun, so use maze steps. Their storm mistress hits like the bytch that it is. Their salvation pet can heal and buff them. Their cragglord… is a pain in the gills. Tidal protection is a must, because they can seal and freeze you. They also have an antistun. Either you kill them easily, or you’re in for a tough fight… There is no in between.

End of class specific tips.

More general tips:
1. Shadow teleport. There are a lot of tricky things you can do with this skill. First off, it’s a great way to reach someone (duh). Second… telestun someone when they’re jumping, then fly. Freeze them. For the duration of the freeze, they won’t be able to move, though the damage you deal to them will be halved. If you’re really great with timing, stun when they’re close to the ground, but still jumping: You won’t have to fly, and you’ll deal full damage. Technically, with this, you can stun someone indefinitely, using your stuns, deep sting, and freeze. (seal doesn’t work for this). Also, when you telestun someone that’s moving quickly, don’t run over to them: that takes too long. Proceed to shadow jump to them.
2. Kiting. Running annoys the HECK out of any sin or bm. Kite their demon sparks, their antistuns, and whatever. Running is great. So is swimming in tide form. Remember: Windpush when not in melee range, maze steps when in stun range. Flying works wonders here.
3. Troll skills. PvP means person versus person! Not person versus dead person! You don’t have to kill your target. You can poke and annoy people into submission: Knife throw, then run away, till they get tired of it and leave. Tick their charm, but don’t kill them! Kill pets, but not them! Start attacking them till they waste a genie skill, then stealth! If you annoy your opponent sufficiently, you win. The goal of Pvp is not to kill your opponent, but simply to win.
4. Stunlock. I LOVE stunlocking. Not only is it great in duels, but its great in Pvp. Almost every person I have fought with has either admired my stunlock, or cursed it. The key to a good stunlock is very simple: A stunlock is to lock an opponent down, not deal damage. The damage is just a good side effect. To stunlock you have to WAIT between skills, allowing the ones you just used to cooldown, so you can use it again. A common stunlock I use is…. Headhunt>Rising dragon strike>tackling slash>deep sting+wait 4 seconds>throatcut+dd skills for 3 seconds>occult+dd for 5 seconds>telestun+dd for 2 seconds, etc, etc, etc, continuing to keep my opponent from using any skill. I recommend fully maxed control skills, as well as the memorization of how long your skills last. Practice, practice!
5. Bow. Nothing is more annoying than having a sin pewpew you, where you can’t reach them. Especially when they’re using a lunar purge bow. Rofl. Use a bow to wear down your opponent’s hp before you go in for the kill.
6. Redname hunting. This is probably THE MOST infamous thing I have ever done in pk… Knife throw a guard, have it chase you, tackling slash or stun a redname, die. The guard will proceed to kill all rednames on its way back to its spawn point. You’ll lose xp, but it’s funny as hell when you kill 3 R9s in 1 go. Not that they’ll be happy.

1 more subsection of PvP on dueling.
Use tidal protection or focused mind depending on what class you’re facing. Maze steps if that class can use stun. Hold down the hotkey for the 1st skill you want to use (except for shadow teleport, it won’t work). If your opposing class uses antistun, use throatcut. If they don’t use antistun, use deep sting. Stunlock from there. Kiting helps as well, on melees. Try not to use stealth: it helps you practice, ijs.

END OF PVP SECTION (11 pages done on Microsoft word now >< )

Thanks, Okeano and Skai, for reminding me.

I don't think I took much else besides some formatting, I use mostly my own opinions; unless I'm missing something?

Edited.

Poleaxe bm... eh... maybe that's a bad example. Also edited. Also, while HF does amp, Glacial Spike also debuffs by 50%, so I would think that Glacial would have higher damage than HF. HF does last longer, but a BM's stun can only last so long. I also think that Glacial Spike has a slightly higher damage add-on.

And Zanryu, I thought I already mentioned the easy pk mode. :<