Me/A --> Deadly arts Dominator

LifeInfusion

LifeInfusion

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

in the midline

E/Mo

Mesmer/Assassin
Level: 20

Fast Casting: 9 (8+1)
Inspiration Magic: 7 (6+1)
Domination Magic: 15 (11+4)
Deadly Arts: 10 <-- breakpoint for -35 damage Siphon Strength

- Empathy (Domination Magic) <-- staple Mesmer Domination Magic skill for Physical attackers
- Diversion (Domination Magic) <-- anti-spam
- Power Spike (Domination Magic) <-- anti-caster
- Deadly Paradox (Deadly Arts) <-- cut Assassins skills' recharge in half
- Siphon Strength [Elite] (Deadly Arts) <-- 5 second recharge debuff
- Mark of Death (Deadly Arts) <--
- Ether Feast (Inspiration Magic)
- Sunspear Rebirth Signet ()

Sideboard:
- Cry of Frustration (Domination Magic) instead of Diversion for more caster offense, but less skill-spammer offense (prot monks)
- Mirror of Disenchantment (Domination Magic) instead of Ether Feast when Aegis is common, dropping points form Inspiration and putting them in Fast Casting

Thrown out:
- Enduring Toxin (Deadly Arts) ; Shameful Fear (Deadly Arts) since they don't mesh with the mesmer
- Psychic Instability [Elite] (Domination Magic) and Lift Enchantment (Deadly Arts) were considered as a combination instead of Siphon Strength + Empathy but knockdowns are not reliable and 2 slots to remove enchantments every 5 seconds is kind of iffy

Endnotes
=========
In the end, it turned out to be a specialized melee debuffer that kills off healing by 33%.

For Melee: Siphon Strength + Empathy ( possibly + Cry)
For Casters: Diversion/Cry + Power Spike
For all healing : Mark of Death

The only iffy skill is Ether Feast, but given the buff to 1 second it is a fire and forget it heal so that's why it is in there. Besides, if the points weren't in Inspiration they would be in Fast Casting and most of the skills cast pretty fast with 9 Fast Cast anyway...

The decision to make it Me/A instead of A/Me is because Assassins don't have a staff and Fast Casting is more useful than Critical Strikes in terms of casting spells. Not to mention no Critical Strikes skills are spells that do not rely on some form of daggers, except for Seeping Wound/Palm Strike which are elite and marginal skills at best. Deadly Haste wouldn't be useful either...

Mantra of Recovery could theoretically replace Deadly Paradox, but the problem is that you cannot use an elite and also the Wild Throw-ing of Mantra of Recovery means 20 seconds of waiting for recharge. Deadly Paradox only has 10 recharge so it is twice as safe.

pnumm

pnumm

Banned

Join Date: Oct 2006

Crystal Overlook!

[CPSU]

Rt/R

I'd take Assassins Promise tbh.

ArKaiN

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

Lotus Branca[Lbr]

Mo/Me

Interesting.
Siphon every 5 seconds if a pretty good idea. I'm gonna give this a spin in the arenas.