This is just an idea, but I think it would work, at least if the N/W meleemancers worked (which I never tested >.<) It could be better than an N/W simply because it could have the ability to run away like an assassin, while a N/W doesn't possess the armor of a warrior. Hypothetical build would go something like this:
EDIT: Read my later post, this was posted in a hurry
1. Return
2. Dark Escape
3. Vamp Touch
4. Unholy Feast
5. Life Siphon
6-8. Dagger skills
Replace 8 with rez skill
Only problem I see is the split of attribute points, although I suppose one wouldn't need much in shadow, as return is to simply get away and dark escape probably isn't necessary. If anyone could test this (I'm poor) and not kill me for thinking outside of the box, suggestions would be great
N/A or A/N meleemancer
Shinigami God
Jeff Highwind
Get Flashing Blades to keep the N/A alive. That or Aura of Displacement to Poof out of a problem.
There is also the fact that you got Life Siphon (2s cast) and Unholy Feast (2-3? s cast) which will instantly draw attention to you and don't benefit all that much without dedication to the attribute. If you want to melee stick to self-preservation like Consume Corpse or the skill that uses a corpse to heal or the Ninja escape skills while relying on Deadly Arts/Dagger Mastery to use what little offense you can apply.
Then there's this build:
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/N/A_Soul_Promise
There is also the fact that you got Life Siphon (2s cast) and Unholy Feast (2-3? s cast) which will instantly draw attention to you and don't benefit all that much without dedication to the attribute. If you want to melee stick to self-preservation like Consume Corpse or the skill that uses a corpse to heal or the Ninja escape skills while relying on Deadly Arts/Dagger Mastery to use what little offense you can apply.
Then there's this build:
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/N/A_Soul_Promise
Wicked Shadow
Unholy Feast has a 3/4 s cast. Its problems are that it's expensive (15 e), has a relatively long recharge (20 s), and will heal you less than vamp touch or bite (unless you're surrounded, in which case you probably won't last long anyway). I agree that life siphon has too long a cast time though. Also, since this is a melee build, perhaps you should consider plague touch?
Shinigami God
I feel embarrassed now for posting a n00by example (with no elite >.<), but the basic idea of my build stands. Now, one of my additional ideas is modifying the "N/W Death's Shadow" from Guildwiki to be an N/A variant. You could replace the hamstring with a dagger dagger attack of choice and use recall, return, or any kind of retreating assassin skill such as return or recall. This would use Aotl as the elite, and would require a +5 energy set of daggers, still 7 energy under the N/W variant so there would be advantages/disadvantages to it. Other non Aotl melee builds could use elites like Grenth's Balance, Aura of Displacement, or elite dagger attacks. Any thoughts?