RA Assassin build.

I've had a lot of gripes with this profession, it doesnt seem to be very well thought out. However, it does provide for a lot of Random Arena fun . This is the build I used over the course of the FPE (Edit: One skill is different), similar builds may have been posted by others; I just unlocked skills that looked useful.

A/W


Attributes:
Dagger Mastery = 12+1+1 (This would be 16 if I had unlocked Superior Dagger Mastery)
Critical Strikes = 12+1 (this is important)
Shadow Arts = 3+1

Skills
1) Leaping Mantis Sting
2) Temple Strike [E]
3) Twisting Fangs
4) Frenzy
5) Critical Eye
6) Shadow Refuge
7) Rush
8) Ressurection Signet

Leaping Mantis Sting is my favourite Lead Attack, hands down. Nothing else compares to its sweetness. +20 damage at 14 DM and cripples fleeing foes. Also has a 5e cost and an 8s recharge which is superior to other Lead Attacks.

Temple Strike should be self-explanatory. Applies Blind and Dazed to foes. If you manage to cripple a spellcasting opponent before this is applied, he's basically shut down for the next few seconds. With Frenzy, the attacks per second shoot through the roof because of frequent double strikes, each of these attacks is essentially an interrupt. The strategy here is to quickly chain the first two attacks on your foe of choice and then rail on them with Frenzy. Twisting Fangs is used as a finishing blow, I havent been able to find a better off-hand attack.

13 critical strikes nets you 3 energy per successful critical strike. With Critical Eye, the energy gain and critical chance both increase. Its instant cast and can be kept up indefinitely with high enough CS. Coupled with Frenzy, there should be no energy problems. Shadow Refuge and Rush are meant to keep Frenzy in check and Rush provides a speed boost that helps to get Leaping Mantis Strike off against kiting foes.

I've been trying to fit Wild Blow into this setup as well, but I cant think of a skill that it could replace (at least in RA). Evasive stances are a big problem for this build because you need to get at least the first two attacks off successfully. Kiting is easier to handle but can still be a problem.

Edit: Changed Sprint to Rush.

Cool build, but I would not want to use frenzy or sprint. A frenzied assasin is just asking to get its face ripped off by a warrior. Also without strength your sprint duration is what 9 seconds? You're better off using shadow of haste or dash. That is a sweet combo though, I like the idea of putting 5 conditions on someone in 3 hits. With that many conditions might it be better to go with mesmer secondary for fragility and epidemic or necromancer for virulence just to tack on 3 more conditions?

Unfortunately, Frenzy is the heart of the build. I wouldnt replace it with anything else, you need to get as much out of Daze as possible. Plus it greatly increases DPS and energy gain. With Frenzy I had to have something to cancel it, Dash is a suitable replacement I suppose but I prefer the duration of sprint (even at 0 strength its 8 seconds).

I did something similar last beta, at least as far as skills go. I was trying to find Temple to cap it and do the same in this beta. I finaly gave up and made a Mes.

I ran a R/A and used Exp and Zealous daggers for my E management. I also ran Caltrops for obvious reasons. It's even a hex, so it synergizes ok with the attack skills.

Dodge instead of sprint, and I threw repeating strike in as well. Once you get the going, you can simple use repeating until it looks like he's going to get help, run, manages to evade one, or is near enough to dying, and then move on to Twisting.

Your build is faster, mine might do more damage over time (way too lazy to run the numbers), and I'm not familier enough with Asn primary to have any clue which does better on energy.

I see the same problem for both builds. E-denial totaly wrecks both of us, and E-denial is everywhere these days.

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I like unsuspecting strike, it can do 90-100 damage. Thats like Final Thrust but while the person is fully healed.

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Assassins do not sprint, they RUSH. You'll get a longer effect that's more frequently available, and if it's the only adrenal skill on your bar, even better. I see that the original build has rush in slot 7, why's anyone talking about sprint at all?

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