are assassins still 100% useless in PvE?

Dark Paladin X

Dark Paladin X

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2007

A/

Ever since the nerf of Shadow Form about three months ago (which Í used to use that perma SF build to farm BOSSES instead of tanking purposes), lots of people quit playing assassins and they are pretty much out of commission in PvE (they still kick ass in PvP if you use them properly with proper builds). Now, there are some people who suggest some sin builds such as builds that take advantage of the critical strikes attribute of the assassins. However I highly doubt that people would pick assassins for high-end dungeons or UW/FoW runs, since many of the assassin builds are...quite gimmicky. In addition, assassins aren't really effective tanks anymore and these kind of critical based builds don't inflict much damage when compared to...let's say...Discordway or RoJ builds.

In turn, if an assassin wants to do some errands in the UW or complete a Zaishen quest that involves a high-end area (like killing some boss in the UW or ToPk), chances are that no party would want to pick up an assassin. Heck, with the buff of the mesmers, parties would prefer picking up a mesmer or even a dervish for PvE purposes.

So I ask you guys, do you think that assassins are really useless now for PvE purposes such as UW runs (I still have that halloween quest, particularly for my assassin), vanquishing, etc.? Or do you guys think that assassins deserved to be completely "unemployed" and forever be useless in PvE?

Marty Silverblade

Marty Silverblade

Administrator

Join Date: Jun 2006

Assassins are incredibly powerful damage dealers. People who disagree are idiots.

SF has only been changed, not nerfed. People who claim they are not used for SC's do not pay attention to the meta or are dumb and closed minded.

jonteb

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2010

Sweden

Electric Celerity [EC]

D/A

Take a look at pvxwiki dude.
Sins are still the major tanks in SC, unfortunately

Tenebrae

Tenebrae

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2007

Spain

LHV

R/N

Soz to put it this way but .... did you ever played an assassin ? in Guild wars i mean . I see you threw up some words there about SF , "tanking" , and some X way but you seem to be clueless.
Assassins have been great damage dealers ( best melee imo ) since factions came out and still are nowadays. SF change means no more than a drop in a pool of things that assassins can do in PvE. Using Marty´s words i will say "Assassins are incredibly powerful damage dealers. People who disagree are clueless about GW sins".

PD: Im not even going to say anything about "parties would prefer picking up a mesmer or even a dervish for PvE purposes." ...... just that ....... .

Spiritz

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

DMFC

Im totally shocked ( like the others ) at your comment.
If sins are useless then try visiting longeyes ledge on events - its sin sanctuary as we are all farming vaetires.Sins are also still a big part in a lot of dungeons in eotn and thats just naming 2 .
Crit scythe sin is still going - its what ive been using for the last yr in pve , mobious strike sin is also popular.

You must be walking around gw in empty districts or not paying attention - using your way of thinking id be saying ( uptill last update ) i dont see many mesmers - when ive farmed vaetires on my me/a ive never seen another mes farming but i do know people do the same farm - hell theres even a build on pvx which got rated which must mean people have played the build.
Topk is solo farmed by sins fyi .

And my own personal pref - i prefer crit scythe sin over a derv but due to attack speed with a scythe so im a hybrid which works and so far with my guildies and the odd pug ive never had any complaints nor turn downs for party - and a lot of times in outposts i get invites just by standing still so sins can be useless ( i get less invites on my mes lol )

wilebill

wilebill

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2005

Mt Vernon, Ohio

Band of the Hawk

W/Mo

Sins work fine in PvE. My Assassin dates back to the release of Prophecies and I've played him off and on ever since. Like mine.

FireWhale

Academy Page

Join Date: Feb 2009

W/E

this is pretty much exactly why I did not care when SF was nerfed. it got rid of the fools who only viewed assassins through SF tinted glasses.


although the amount of buzz words stuffed into the opening post (to the point of nearly full saturation) leads me to believe this is a post made in jest or trolling.

fireflyry

fireflyry

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

New Zealand

A/D

Critical Agility, Moebius Strike, Death Blossom and Splinter Weapon disagree with you.As for tanking you can just roll a flashing blades dagger spammer, with room for self-heals or more mitigation if you need it or yeah...SF.

It's not the class at fault here.

I would like to know whether your basing the majority of your experience on either PuGing or playing in a guild/with players you know.

-Makai-

-Makai-

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2007

WA

DH

Rt/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Paladin X View Post
Heck, with the buff of the mesmers, parties would prefer picking up a mesmer or even a dervish for PvE purposes.
Wait...what?

Zarion Silverarrow

Zarion Silverarrow

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2008

Puerto Rico

The Annunaki Interventionists

P/W

Assasins useless on PVE?

Wait wat

Gift3d

Gift3d

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2007

Las Vegas

Enraged Whiny Carebears [oR]

W/E

A/D is incredibly strong aoe damage with mass spreading of deep wound and bleeding and a lot of room for utility. especially with a splinter weapon hero.
how you benefit from critical strikes: having enough energy to spam low recharge attacks, unlike dervs.

moebius/DB is again incredibly high aoe and single-target DPS with room for even more utility. especially with a strength of honor hero. run that with SY and you've got one stroooong build.
how you benefit from critical strikes: spam spam spam spam

even AP/Necrosis caller is strong for discord teams. doesn't benefit from critical strikes, but it's one of two classes where you can have AP and Necrosis on the same bar.

i can't help but think you've never gotten the chance to play assassin. or if you have, i have a feeling you were doin' it wrong.

Dzjudz

Dzjudz

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

gwpvx.com/user:dzjudz

I think it's safe to ignore Dark Paladin. After the SF nerf, he claimed SF was dead. The reason? He used the exact same builds as before the nerf to try to farm bosses... Yes, it seems he can't comprehend how SF can function any way other than the way he used to know (and was able to 1,2,3 spam). Seriously, go take a look at 6 minute clears of Catacombs of Kathandrax, using only assassins. Or Shard of Orr. Also, take a smite hero, let him cast Strength of Honor on you, spam Jagged Strike, Fox Fangs and Death Blossom coupled with Critical Agility and Save Yourselves and report back.

Frodo_lives

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2009

A/E

I still use my Sin more than any other Char and I have a build that is a "Boss Killer",Let everybody else go after the mob....... I sneak sneak sneak in and POW!!!!! The Boss is dead!
That is what a Sin can do. ( and also they can still farm like Farmer Brown). Long Live ShadowFarm....
My Sin has more Hours that all my other chars combined. and I know you will not believe this but, I have never did any High end area like underworld of FOW. I mostly do EOTN Dungeons and Z-missions and Farm Eotn and factions areas. But I can tell you this I had a hard time getting used to playing my Sin but when I did it was worth it.

Warvic

Warvic

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2009

The Netherlands

A/W

Highest DPS + easy SY upkeep.

They are far from useless in pve. They are boring in pve tho..

Spiritz

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

DMFC

I think everyone here supports the opposite of the op - unless we are all useless players on sin lol

rkubik

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2006

I still enjoy playing my sin with either AP caller, daggers or scythe. The amount of damage they can unload is great and regardless of what some people say you can still farm quite a bit with them. I don't play as much as I used to with my sin and the reason is I have 11 toons and I play all of them and it just happens that my sin has beaten all the campaigns and has quite a few titles. I generally tend to take a break from one toon and catch them up to each other at least for me it helps to break up the monotony but I still enjoy playing him.

gwkbar

gwkbar

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2009

U.S.A.

Retired Bookah Syndicate [YaWn]

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dzjudz View Post
I think it's safe to ignore Dark Paladin. After the SF nerf, he claimed SF was dead. The reason? He used the exact same builds as before the nerf to try to farm bosses... Yes, it seems he can't comprehend how SF can function any way other than the way he used to know (and was able to 1,2,3 spam). Seriously, go take a look at 6 minute clears of Catacombs of Kathandrax, using only assassins. Or Shard of Orr. Also, take a smite hero, let him cast Strength of Honor on you, spam Jagged Strike, Fox Fangs and Death Blossom coupled with Critical Agility and Save Yourselves and report back. Yah when we set the record in Kath it was due to the SF nerf. Now when SF gets stripped you don't go down to 50 hp. Just keep shroud+IaU! and stand together and pretty much all dmg is gone.

DigitalFear

DigitalFear

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2009

My mother's basement.

Me/

No. Now stop smoking the shizzle you're on atm.

Sins have the highest DPS of any profession in GW. What else do you want?

BlueAngel

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2008

Philadelphia, PA

Blood Sweat and Fears

Rt/

Sins are awesome in PvE. 0_o

UnChosen

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2006

I still only like sins only in perfectly organized environments like a guild run or a fast clearing group. I would only use sins if the entire group is organized enough with buffs, prots, aggro that the sins can blows things up without the mob even responding (under 5 seconds).

For everything else, I still avoid sins at all costs. (other than SF tanks) Pug monks are too unreliable when it comes to putting up prot spirit at the right time....already went through way too many "strip crit agi, spike, death" scenarios. (I was not the sin or monk)

Devil Luca

Devil Luca

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2008

GMT +1

Devil Luca

E/P

Also A/D and Sin critical barrage work a lot in pve!

Red1086

Red1086

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2005

Pink Clan [pink]

Lawls @ all comments here. I remember back when Sin came around and all the dumb noobs dyed and bad juju went all over Sin's. Now all the haters jump on the Sin is leet bandwagon.

Oh how times change. /end tired and sleepy, yet entertained by you all, post.

Lishy

Lishy

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2008

To my knowledge ninjas were masters at blocking blows, DBZ style. Makes more sense for a ninja to tank than a slow ass warrior in heavy armor. Ironically, the warrior is more suited for just charging in and dealing damage from a lore perspective, while ninjas are usually depicted as masters at hand to hand combat. Heck, in real life, most of the things you learn in Ninjutsu are how to counter blows. But a warrior? All they know is how to slice a guy's head off with a big sword.

Furthermore, in fantasy depictions, ninjas are usually shown as being able to multiply themselves and create illusions for enemies to miss. So I don't see why shadowform was farfetched from a lore perspective. And for PvE, it's still a pretty damn good skill!

Dervish Kid

Dervish Kid

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2007

Florida

D/

they're only good for running and tanking for pve..

pinkeyflower

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2010

Sins work very well with amazing DPS. Just boring to play with, much like PvE anyway though.

GrimmNinja

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2009

UK

Society of Souls [Argh]

A/

critical agility plus prot spirit equals win