Assassins in PvP

SuicideLemming

SuicideLemming

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2007

Nuns With Guns (NWG)

A/D

Ok, this has happened a couple of times, ive got an assassin that when the team dies in Random Arenas, a majority of the people pin the blame on me.
Is there something wrong with being a sin and fighting in PvP or are people just wanting to put the blame on someone? Seriously!!

Ive had a couple tell me its because assassins suck and one person told me that they can kill almost anything. Please Clarify

Gift3d

Gift3d

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2007

Las Vegas

Enraged Whiny Carebears [oR]

W/E

When i get a sin on my team in RA i expect them to wiki the hell out of the class on the other team which opposes the biggest threat. Effective.

Instead, what i usually get when i get a sin on my team in RA is them Double Dragon'ing the nearest opposing wammo. Ineffective.

You can decide which one you are~

Taisayacho

Taisayacho

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

England (GMT)

The Imperial Guards of Istan [TIGI]

R/

Sins can be either very bad if played badly, as above, or very, very useful and effective if played well. It's like Gifted said, it's all about what you are.

miskav

miskav

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

None

Mo/

Sin is one of the classes that requires you to understand which classes/builds post a threat to yourself and your party (And thus take them down).
Most sins, are morrons in RA.
Try to look up some builds etc and see which are effective, and how you could possibly counter them.

toastgodsupreme

toastgodsupreme

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

United States

Me/

The problem with assassins is that it's VERY easy to screw them up.

Most people see an assassin as some 12 year old who thought "WOW! ASSASSINS ARE AWESOME! NOW I CAN BE LIKE ROGUES IN WoW!"

When in AB, I almost never worry when an assassin comes after me alone (me as a mesmer FC nuker usually). They're like wamo's except minus the armor to support their stupidity.

Rarely have I seen an assassin be truly effective in pvp. But I will say this... when a good assassin does lock on to me, I'm dead before I can react. Most notable are the well built A/D scythe sins.

Tyla

Emo Goth Italics

Join Date: Sep 2006

'Sin, although 1-2-3'ish can be misunderstood by...the majority of the community. Sad, really, that they use Lead -> Lead Skip -> Dual when they can go Lead Skip -> Dual. And use extremely lol worthy combos.

Usually it's the Monk who gets blamed, but if you overextend from it as alot of professions, you're dead more or less.

And Toast, why would you go FC Nuker over Dom Mesmer in PvP...?
Run an Ele for better results of that junk...

SuicideLemming

SuicideLemming

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2007

Nuns With Guns (NWG)

A/D

ive got, at least what I think is a pretty good build, combines using critical defenses and way of perfection with critical strike and moebius strike. Thinking bout changing to a shattering assault and other unblockable skills to increase damage to anyone who blocks. your opionions?

Cosmic Error

Cosmic Error

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2007

In front of the computer

Shadow of the Betrayed [Nyth]

N/Rt

It is an ancient tradition in RA to pin the blame of a loss on the first person who dies. Use a self-heal if you care about idiot's opinions, but you can get by with a good monk.

SuicideLemming

SuicideLemming

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2007

Nuns With Guns (NWG)

A/D

I have noticed that most builds have counter builds and when an assassin goes against a counter build they are completely terrible, and it dosnt seem that it just happens to assassins, but for most other professions right?

Itokaru

Itokaru

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2008

BC, Canada

Disciples of the Fish

R/Mo

People seem to think that it takes no skill to play an assassin and they can insta-kill anything or else they're n00bs. Just ignore them...When I RA, I turn off my local and team chat. Helps alot.

MisterMax

MisterMax

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Sep 2007

R/

The majority of the sins I saw in RA the past few weeks don't carry res sigs, so thats why people lay the blame on them; IMO. Other than that I don't see any other reason apart from just sheer stupidity. I think its just pretty much opinionated and doesn't really happen in any other form of PVP other than RA.

HawkofStorms

HawkofStorms

Hall Hero

Join Date: Aug 2005

E/

There are counters to everybody. Blindness without condition removal will destroy any melee class. Daze will do the same to a caster. You will always run into a build that can beat yours, so don't worry if your build isn't perfect.

Some basic tips for RA:
1) Bring a res signet and use it as soon as somebody dies. Don't wait till the fight is almost over to start ressing somebody.

2) Bring skills to heal yourself and deal with a lot of situations (ie, expect hexes, expect condtions, expect interupts, expect enchantment removal)Bring back ups and counters to the counters. As I said earlier, you can't deal with everything, but try to be prepared. Unlike most game types, you don't have a monk to heal and prot you. Try to be as self sufficient as possible.

3) Kill quickly and kill the right targets. Don't waste time fighting another assassin or a warrior. Focus on the necro casting hexes that make you ineffective. Focus on the monk or ritualist healing the other team. Focus on the guy with the spike build attacking your monk. Knowing what to attack is tricky and takes some time. Generally, somebody (usually somebody with experience) will call out a target before the match. You'll learn which person to take down first with enough time and pratice.

4) Don't run away from the rest of your team. If your healer is halfway accross the map, they can't heal you. Your offensive teammates can't help you kill. Don't chase after people on your own. If there is somebody on the other team running away, let them run away. Instead, stay with your team and focus on the now outnumbered enemy.

AshenX

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2008

Orange County, CA.

Black Flag

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyla
'Sin, although 1-2-3'ish can be misunderstood by...the majority of the community. Sad, really, that they use Lead -> Lead Skip -> Dual when they can go Lead Skip -> Dual. And use extremely lol worthy combos.

Usually it's the Monk who gets blamed, but if you overextend from it as alot of professions, you're dead more or less.

And Toast, why would you go FC Nuker over Dom Mesmer in PvP...?
Run an Ele for better results of that junk... Dom mesmers rock but a FC nuker can cap like crazy in AB (which as we all know is a very different type of PVP)

snaek

snaek

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2006

N/

sinspike in ra rocks

some ppl dun understand that sinspikes have cooldown
and their natural attack dmg doesnt do a whole lot

so if i have to choose beetwen kiting to stay alive and not outputtin any pressure dps
-or-
autoattacking between cooldown even when takin dmg and potentially die

i'd choose kiting to stay alive
which usually ends up wit me bein teh last one alive
and ending up bein called a nub

...that is until its 1vs3, and manage to spike them all out 1 by 1 ^____^

ShadowsRequiem

ShadowsRequiem

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2005

Inde is Smoking [Hawt] *ToA*

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by AshenX
Dom mesmers rock but a FC nuker can cap like crazy in AB (which as we all know is a very different type of PVP) 40/40 sets FTW?

Food

Food

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2008

in america

Team Flawless [oRLy]

Mo/E

My disclaimer:
I am just saying what my perspective of assassins are, I acknowledge that there are some very, very experienced players out there who love playing sins. So please think twice before you start the flame wars.

Assassins have a horribad image of themselves to other people. The notion that they have put out to the public in the first days of Faction have labeled them the "prime 1-8 players of Guild Wars". Frankly, I'd have to agree. Rarely do I see sins who actually know how to play the game, instead I see too many Shattering Assault Sins/Scythe Sins who know nothing about this game and instead C+Space, expecting to get a kill. Also, the majority of their attitudes are pretty immature (Sorry to all you mature and experienced assassin players), how can they expect us to treat screaming 12 year olds with respect?

Furthermore, as I addressed earlier, about 80% of assassins karate chop 1-5 and expect to get a kill. To all assassins who do this: "Any decent monk can outheal your pityful and predictable 'spikes'". But don't get me wrong, some assassins are ridiculously good at spiking a target, key word: some.

I guess to wrap this up; in order for assassins to get the ethos and respect that they want so bad, they'll have to work very hard to redeem themselves.

Stormlord Alex

Stormlord Alex

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Beyond the Forest of Doom, past the Cavern of Agony... on Kitten & Puppy Island

Soul of Melandru [sOm]

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuicideLemming
ive got, at least what I think is a pretty good build, combines using critical defenses and way of perfection with critical strike and moebius strike. Thinking bout changing to a shattering assault and other unblockable skills to increase damage to anyone who blocks. your opionions? You're running a silly tank-type build.
Just kite and Restful Breeze or something if you're taking damage.

And Moebius Strike builds are kinda bad in PvP, as target switching is a huge part of being an effective frontliner and Moebius.... doesn't sync well with target switching.

For arenas, Shattering Assault builds cleave through most of the common counters. The chain is unblockable, spammable, with decent power. [[Impale] on the end of a chain here and there lets you kill shit, and [[Assassin's remedy] takes care of blind and the like; the only real worry you face is hexes.

As for assassins in PvP? Meh. Really, they tie with Paragons for easiest class to play. They're hard to RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO up; and people who suck at 'sins truly suck in general.

K A W A I

K A W A I

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2007

OH.USA

The Blade Of The Silver Phoenix [MoOr]

R/Mo

It's from one extreme to another. I've meet some of the most sickest sins in pvp and then there are the dumb ones. The fact is that it is a challenge in RA, thats why its called random! As far as other pvp (AB), hats off to the triple sin teams. When done right, it can be devastating.

My point is, a sin is not a slap skill type of character., it takes good timing and an understanding of your weakness. Most think they can kill anything and as we know, that is not the case.

Cyb3r

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2008

AFO

E/

i agree with kawai i started out with my sin when they where released in factions never had much problems with taking down targets in RA/TA/AB (only i play atm and general PVE)

the fact with sins is they're either overpowered (if played very well) or they're a joke if played badly what ya meet in RA/TA/AB sins is mostly the badly one's

however a decent triple sin spike team if played we'll wipes alot of builds

Regards cyb3r

RavagerOfDreams

RavagerOfDreams

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2007

somewhere over the rainbow....

A/

good sin takes out targets quickly and effectively and kites away when he knows hes in trouble

if your doing this and they still call you a nub then welcome to ra

Red Sand

Red Sand

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2008

New England

Warriors of Wynd [WoW]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Itokaru
Just ignore them...When I RA, I turn off my local and team chat. Helps alot. Heh. I should have thought of that. Probably why I don't RA much.

Assassins suffer from the same malady as W/Mo, too many people play them, and play them poorly, so they're easy to blame and real easy to hate.

When you port across and attack a toon 1v1, you aren't doing your team justice. If you overextend, you typically die.

I don't play an assassin, but I play with a couple and fight against them often enough. I think the problem with Sins is the majority of them seem to think that a shadow step and the perfect combo are key to soloing just about anyone. I actually have a post up on my guild forum asking if anyone can tell me why a Sin would try to solo a warrior, especially when the warrior is supported by a full team, including a monk.

I think they just like the idea of taking out a 600 hp warrior with one nice combo. PWND. Too bad it don't always work out for them.

I'd suggest auto attacking one opponent and then cycle through the other opponents until you see a weakened target and then shadow step over and spike that target. That's what works for my Sins in TA and AB.

Despite how it seems to go most of the time, RA is a team sport.

Food

Food

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2008

in america

Team Flawless [oRLy]

Mo/E

I tryed what Itokaru suggested and suddenly found myself getting 10 consec wins a lot easier now that I'm not flaming the complete idiots and dying while typing.

Accursed

Accursed

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2007

People sterostype assassins because they will. And can.

I'm an assassin myself, but I'd have to agree with most people that the little 5 year olds like to think "YESSS!!! I CAN USE A L337 ASSASSIN JUST LIKE IN WOW!!! ILL PWN ALL!!!", which of course is not true.

If you're going to play the assassin profession make sure you understand what to do and do it correctly.

Also, I usually wait 'till a foe is low on health (in PvP of course ) and use my attack combo to kill them.

Cosmic Error

Cosmic Error

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2007

In front of the computer

Shadow of the Betrayed [Nyth]

N/Rt

Don't bother with defensive skills that much, you're an assassin, the best "get the hell out of there" class in existence. Use a defensive shadowstep like [recall] or [Aura of displacement] to retreat to a safe distance if you're taking too much damage.

Kaleban

Kaleban

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

Hot as hell Florida

[Wckd]

Me/

I remember a while back, a guy played a sin named W A R P and posted this hilarious video series of him soloing four people in RA/TA after his party had been killed with [skill]Aura of Displacement[/skill] and a few other evasion skills like [skill]Shadow of Haste[/skill].

Its too bad the AoD sin fell out of favor in PvP, its a fun build to run. Not to mention the recharge is less than half of skills like [skill]Shadow Prison[/skill], I might have to start using it again just for giggles.

toastgodsupreme

toastgodsupreme

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

United States

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyla
'Sin, although 1-2-3'ish can be misunderstood by...the majority of the community. Sad, really, that they use Lead -> Lead Skip -> Dual when they can go Lead Skip -> Dual. And use extremely lol worthy combos.

Usually it's the Monk who gets blamed, but if you overextend from it as alot of professions, you're dead more or less.

And Toast, why would you go FC Nuker over Dom Mesmer in PvP...?
Run an Ele for better results of that junk... Because I still bring diversion on my bar. Echo'd diversion is fun when I'm waiting for my aoes to finish the shrine mobs. More often than not, people just give up when fighting me.

And I LOVE melee classes in AB. They follow me into my aoes (one of which is eruption). They're great at helping me kill themselves.

toastgodsupreme

toastgodsupreme

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

United States

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaleban
I remember a while back, a guy played a sin named W A R P and posted this hilarious video series of him soloing four people in RA/TA after his party had been killed with [skill]Aura of Displacement[/skill] and a few other evasion skills like [skill]Shadow of Haste[/skill].

Its too bad the AoD sin fell out of favor in PvP, its a fun build to run. Not to mention the recharge is less than half of skills like [skill]Shadow Prison[/skill], I might have to start using it again just for giggles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9yNZzEJBpg

Tyla

Emo Goth Italics

Join Date: Sep 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by AshenX
Dom mesmers rock but a FC nuker can cap like crazy in AB (which as we all know is a very different type of PVP)
So can an Ele with a 40/40 set.

Maybe it is a different PvP type, with AI, but it doesn't mean you should run an ugly build over a build that can be runed up.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blizzard.
People sterostype assassins because they will. And can. Although I am one who believes that Assassins are sub-par and are weaker than their Warrior counterparts, people are just bad and think because that they get killed by them they suck.

It's also the fact that people don't usually run Monks their and their ganking power is strong. Also people usually run -health runes that make it even easier to kill them.

fireflyry

fireflyry

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

New Zealand

A/D

Sins have always been the most obvious scapegoat, especially in RA.It's been that way since the class was introduced and I doubt it will change any time soon.

If a team is crap 99% of the time it's the Sin who will bear the brunt first and as in any MMO crap players always need someone to blame other then themselves hence first in the cross hairs is usually the Sin, not the possibly useless back-liners.

Then again RA has always been 1% game time, 99% whine about losing or boast about "pwning".

Same old same old.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Itokaru
Just ignore them...When I RA, I turn off my local and team chat. Helps alot. QFT and should be mandatory.Makes RA bearable.

RavagerOfDreams

RavagerOfDreams

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2007

somewhere over the rainbow....

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyla

Although I am one who believes that Assassins are sub-par and are weaker than their Warrior counterparts,
the two have nothing in common in PvP don't compare them

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyla
people are just bad and htink because that they get killed by them they suck so true although i think most sins enjoy it when people rage it just makes it all worth while

Bobby2

Bobby2

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2007

Delayed in order to meet ANet's high standards

[MaSS]

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by RavagerOfDreams
the two have nothing in common in PvP don't compare them
I'm with Tyla, sad but true

Shock Axe > Assassin class

Quote:
Originally Posted by RavagerOfDreams
so true although i think most sins enjoy it when people rage it just makes it all worth while OH yeah.

RavagerOfDreams

RavagerOfDreams

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2007

somewhere over the rainbow....

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobby2
I'm with Tyla, sad but true

Shock Axe > Assassin class
NOTHING IN COMMON

i hate it when people compare sins and wars for PvP. They are completely different. Sins are just NPC murders/gankers warriors, although i know full well they are better, are for KD raping people. absolutely nothing in common.

DarkNecrid

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jul 2006

so i heard this was the pve forum, c/d?

Arkantos

Arkantos

The Greatest

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

Quote:
Shock Axe > Assassin class
Shock axe, for the most part, is a pressure build. Most assassin builds are spike builds. Comparing a pressure build to a spike build is retarded, because both are completely different.

Quote:
so i heard this was the pve forum, c/d? Campfire has turned into PvErs talking about PvP, with some PvE discussion. So d.

RavagerOfDreams

RavagerOfDreams

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2007

somewhere over the rainbow....

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arkantos
Shock axe, for the most part, is a pressure build. Most assassin builds are spike builds. Comparing a pressure build to a spike build is retarded, because both are completely different. ^wut he said

Cosmic Error

Cosmic Error

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2007

In front of the computer

Shadow of the Betrayed [Nyth]

N/Rt

I don't play assassin or warrior much, but I know that warriors deal mostly pressure damage, and assassins deal large spikes.

Assassins can kill you in seconds, warriors take a bit longer.
Assassins use energy, warriors use adrenaline.
Assassins are rather easy to kill, warriors can take a beating.

Bobby2

Bobby2

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2007

Delayed in order to meet ANet's high standards

[MaSS]

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arkantos
Shock axe, for the most part, is a pressure build. Most assassin builds are spike builds. Comparing a pressure build to a spike build is retarded, because both are completely different. [skill]eviscerate[/skill][skill]body blow[/skill] = quite horrifying

but let's not have this discussion.... before the thread goes down in flames

Celeborn10

Celeborn10

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2006

In my lair...

R/Mo

Quote:
Assassins can kill you in seconds, warriors take a bit longer.
Partly true. Assassins in their prime with the old SP spike dealt a total of 456 damage max not counting the 14 hp/second to degeneration afterwards and assuming max damage and all 6 hits were criticals. This was over the course of about 3.6 seconds (not including SP) while modern Assassin spike builds will run 4-7 seconds to complete their chain (longer chains are overkill).

A Shock Axe warrior will deal about 300 damage spiking in Frenzy during 3 seconds. However this spike is augmented by being able to be easily switched and have nasty utility with 2 different 3 second knockdowns but is inherently weak to blindness due to adrenaline. They really are two different beasts with different strengths and weaknesses.

Quote: Originally Posted by toastgodsupreme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9yNZzEJBpg AoD is soo fun to mess around with. Usually I run some variant of the GPS-HoTO-FS-TF build which can't straight kill but does prove more dangerous as the fight progresses. The only time it really becomes bad is when you get to TA and an opposing Mesmer decides to take it via Inspired Enchantment.

As for the OP, I think that the Community has been led to think that Assassin's take no skill whatsoever (which is partly true) and/or that they have low survivability (playerskill of any class determines survivability). Despite the age of the class I am still shocked that Narutards will still solo-charge a team in RA and die from focus fire within about 5-6 seconds. If they, by some miracle, don't blow up in under 10 seconds I consider it a sign of weakness by the other team. Conversely a well played AoD assassin can have great survival and play interesting positional games.

The focus of those playing Assassin on dealing damage to the exclusion of survival/utility skills has also hurt the image of the class in the eyes of the community (the failure of Anet to give sins an alternative role is a significant contributor). Ever since the release of Factions it has been an evolution to try to deal the most damage possible. Straight killing is all well and good in a GvG ganksquad but 1-2 skills should focus on self-survial in RA or have some utility ie interrupt/knockdown/shutdown.

Super Igor

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2008

why should you kno? Oo

A/W

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arkantos
Shock axe, for the most part, is a pressure build. Most assassin builds are spike builds. Comparing a pressure build to a spike build is retarded, because both are completely different.
I dont quite agree on Shock Axe being a pressure build tbh...yes....yes sure....surely I do agree that it can provide such an insane pressure with [bulls
[email protected]] and [[email protected]] with all those 3 second KDs which you can chain 9dont rememmber how they call it....quadrisomething....), high DPS and other funny things.....but....pulling off [[email protected]][body [email protected]][agonizing [email protected]] is a pretty deadly spike right there!

Arkantos

Arkantos

The Greatest

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Igor
I dont quite agree on Shock Axe being a pressure build tbh...yes....yes sure....surely I do agree that it can provide such an insane pressure with [bulls
[email protected]] and [[email protected]] with all those 3 second KDs which you can chain 9dont rememmber how they call it....quadrisomething....), high DPS and other funny things.....but....pulling off [[email protected]][body [email protected]][agonizing [email protected]] is a pretty deadly spike right there! For the most part, it's a pressure build. Yes, it has spiking capabilities, and spikes when necessary. But it's going to be pressuring more than spiking.