PvE Assassin Build

[styles]

Assassin/Warrior
Level: 20

Critical Strikes: 10 (9+1)
Dagger Mastery: 16 (12+4)
Shadow Arts: 4 (3+1)
Deadly Arts: 10 (9+1)

Golden Lotus Strike (Dagger Mastery)
If it hits, this attack strikes for +21 damage. If it hits a target that has no enchantments, you gain 12 Energy.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:20

Fox Fangs (Dagger Mastery)
Must follow a lead attack. Fox Fangs cannot be "blocked" or "evaded" and strikes for +21 damage if it hits.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:10

Twisting Fangs (Dagger Mastery)
Must follow an off-hand attack. If it hits, Twisting Fangs strikes for +12 damage and struck foe suffers from Bleeding and Deep Wound for 21 seconds.
Energy:10 Cast:0 Recharge:12

Assassin's Promise [Elite] (Deadly Arts)
For 12 seconds, if target foe dies, you gain 15 Energy, and all your skills are recharged.
Energy:5 Cast:0.75 Recharge:45

Frenzy (Warrior other)
For 8 seconds, you attack 33% faster but take double damage.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:4

Death's Charge (Shadow Arts)
Shadow Step to target foe. If that foe has more Health than you, you are healed for 64.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:45

Return (Shadow Arts)
All adjacent foes are Crippled for 4 seconds. Teleport to target ally.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:20

Critical Eye (Critical Strikes)
For 27 seconds, you have an additional 5% chance to land a critical hit when attacking. You gain 1 Energy whenever you score a critical hit.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:30

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In PvE, most mobs die reasonably fast, allowing to make good use of Assassin's Promise. If you see something dying, stick a Promise on it, and if you don't get to actually do anything to it, it doesn't really matter.

Golden Lotus Strike gives you some energy if you didn't get it all back from Assassin's Promise, and Twisting Fangs to finish. Frenzy is your attack speed stance, and if you ever find yourself in trouble, Return back to safety. Critical Eye as even more energy management and damage output (although you could probably replace it for a res) and Death's Charge for approaching mobs.

Feedback appreciated :)

[Longasc]

I would recommend to bring Critical Strikes to 13, the sweet spot, and lower Dagger Mastery to 13 or 14.

The energy gain and the higher crit chance will probably outweigh the loss of Dagger Mastery!


Then Assassins Promise: I do not like this Elite, and it is the only reason for you to pack whole 10 attrib points in Deadly Arts.


Your attack skills are slow recharge skills, MOEBIUS or another Elite could help you much more.

Frenzy: Hm... Your damage comes from your skill combos, not so much from your daggers. But might work, just a thought.

Golden Lotus Strike is also the first attack you execute. It will work great for the 2nd run, but you will wait for the recharge of Golden Lotus Strike (20 seconds!)

The first time you use it, you will gain and lose no energy - use 5 energy, get 12 back, but when you start your chain for the first time, you are already at max energy. So its a bit wasted.

Maybe get a 2nd lead attack that recharges faster and gain GLS only for energy gain?

[MaximumSquid]

PvE?

Character Setup:
Go 12 dagger, 11 shadow arts, 8 critical strike, and 9 in your secondary class.
Use only Plus 1 runes so you have more health
Take Nightstalker armor for the greatest defense
Take Life leech daggers with +5 armor to bring your total defense to 90 while fighting.

Skill Choices:
Load up deadly blossom and mobius strike for the greatest damage to PvE foes along with the self heals and utility from shadow arts.

You'll probably have room for one more skill from your secondary class. No comment or recommendation here. .. just take something that is hot in the middle:

http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/Images/JalapenoM.jpg
I am an Image whore!

12v12 NPC Ganking assassins run almost the exact same way. I Figured it couldn't hurt when used against real PvE.

Least that's the plan! :happy:

[Syes]

Well, I mostly disagree with the two replies so far in terms of attributes. Nothing will give you more damage or criticals than 16 DM, and to be honest, your build isn't energy demanding enough to need the 3/per crit that 13 CS gives. I also think that Assassin's Promise is an excellent PvE Elite, especially if, as it's description implies, all skills includes Assassin's Promise, so with good timing you can just keep spamming it. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to test this yet. :(

On the topic of exact skill bar choices, my first comment would be, as Longasc pointed out, that even with the potential of 'sin's promise, a single 20 sec recharge lead attack could leave you seriously under-performing. The biggest single source of damage from a sin is his dual attacks, so not being able to use lead attacks faster than your off hand and dual hand recharge is the closest you'll come to a self-nerf.

Second comment is whilst Twisting Fangs is excellent, I highly recommend Death Blossom (there I agree with Squid) as no. 1 choice for PvE. The highest damage/energy ratio you'll ever get from a primary Sin skill is dropping Death Blossom into the middle of a group of enemies.

Third up is beware of Frenzy. It's a great skill no doubt, but with the semi-random targetting of PvE mobs, you know you're going to get at least partly punished for using this. Return is a good way of countering this (Vipers Defence would perhaps be even better for this purpose), but being forced to run from the fight pretty much takes away any extra damage that frenzy grants you.

Final point is in PvE you should always be willing to adapt to each and every quest and mission. Specifically, I'd think how to deal with being stuck in a group with a poor or non existant healer. You shouldn't need self healing, but sometimes it's good to not have to rely on people you met 3 minutes ago.

Overall, I quite like the build, though It's nothing too unusual.