Assassains with Henchies - Just not do-able?

I understand about the 'get in, get out' tactic that I guess the assassin should be taking in every battle. But when solely playing with henchies is this possible?

Yesterday I tried to undertake a reasonably easy quest just out to kill a boss. I took a healer, a warrior and a ranger henchy and tried playing like I usually do with guildies. Wait until someone has aggro'd, get in kill, get out. But with henchies as soon as you stop attacking and get clear of the agro zone, the henchies stop attacking. I mean why, I was still within the battle confines, but they would only attack when I was, and of course I cannot attack constantly due to armour, energy constraints, so what ca I do?

Is the only way, to take along a bow just to attack from distance and hope that the enemy does not single you out as a target? Due to the amount of assassins in the game atm someone must have mastered attacking with henchies?

Try picking a target and then "Call target" then proceed with your get in and out tactic. Doesn't always work but better then never working!

Use a flat or longbow to seperate groups with overlapping patrols. Use Ctrl+Shift+Space to call out targets. When you feel you are taking too much damage, kite until they change target, then continue to attack. Additionally, I use the +15 while attacking armor and "Watch Yourself!", which makes everything so much easier in PvE.

Bring the Ritualist henchman, Union makes any confrontation a lot easier to handle. Playing Assassins with henches is slightly more challenging than doing it with other professions, since you are on the front lines and rely more on henchmen monks healing you than other professions do. However, it still isnt difficult, and I've made a lot of progress in the PvE campaign with nothing but the henchmen. When I get my copy of the game (pre-order key expired ) I'll see how far I can progress this way. At the moment, I've just completed Arborstone with me, henches and another A/W.

Cheers for the advice so far, still not convinced that when I stop attacking the henchies wont !

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Was doing it last night, I would call target, then stop and hang back, henchies would kill target in a consolidated attack, pick new target, again call target, hang back. With this you can very much command the henchies, direct them without participation. The dynamics of call target with Factions has changed a bit.

Note: The called target was not within my aggro circle

OK, understood. Cheers Guys/gals? will give it a go. No more running about like a headless chicken then trying to avoid hits!

no I think he's right, missions with assasin as hench is definatly harder!

I call a target several times, and even cast a spell 'Fragility' and STILL get the aggro.. trying to tell ALL the hench to attack the same target is near impossible..

Also, being the leader of the team, which naturally you are, it feels like they know this and give you more aggro.

I say this because in other real teams Ive played in I seem to be able to run around like a blue arsed fly and never take much aggro

The simple soloution is to always take one or two real people! regardless of who they are, and this seems to split the aggro more, and you can convince the hench to attack the same target if two or more real players are.

A/Ra --

You can use a bow to get the hench warrior (and your pet) to charge in. Then when they are engaged you do normal tactics of hit and run. I prefer to use 2 points in Wilderness Survival (4pip Troll Ungent) mixed with the normal assassin healing skills. I still use the bow to get the warrior hench to charge in.

I am level 12 now and have no deaths... hoping I can get survivor.

With henchies just bring a long bow and send em in first works fine.

This is what i usually do with my mesmer with hench,

For single group of mob, walk toward them until you are about 1.5 aggro circle away, press C to select the closet target, then press Ctrl-Shift-SpaceBar to call target( a message like " I am targeting big bad monster" will appear).

After you have done the above, and in most cases, only the warrior hench will rush in. If he/she don't, you are too far away, walk closer a bit and call the target again until the warrior hench rush it. Now, DO NOT move forward, wait for ~1 sec since most melee monster tend to rush pass the warrior hench to check for softer target(leap frog). In most cases, the caster henchies will stay with you. Start moving in once you see all the mob are on the warrior hench.


One other thing that i recently notice is, if you use tab(switch target) and press attack/spell skill, the melee henchies will not switch target but stay on the initial target. But click on or press tab+spacebar on another target will make henchies switch target.

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Main problem I have is trying to get the henchies to attack one target while I take out another. It's stupid for them to all attack the same thing that I'm attacking, because by the time I finish the first move in my combo, the thing is nearly dead, and the rest of my combo is wasted!

When I got to the mainland with my Assassin, she was very low level and still with her first set of armor, so to engage the lvl20 mobs I would just get near but not actually aggro, then I'd call a target (Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar) and fall back, usually hiding to avoid any ranged attacks. Henchies would rush in, bodyblock for me, and do their thing while I just called the shots from a safe distance, the same as when I farm with my pet. I never had any trouble at all. If any of them dropped, I would just rez them and keep calling targets.

After I leveled up and got my max armor, I would engage in the same way, and after they held aggro, I would swoop in, make quick kill or two, and fall back. Rinse and repeat. It just takes practice. I would also suggest you carry a longbow/flatbow in order to separate patrols, but apart from that initial pull, do not attack the mobs yourself until after the henchies have aggro.

On a final note, if you die, it'll probably be because a patrol snuck up behind you. In that case, remember that you can still call targets for henchies even when dead. Do this so they focus fire and kills mobs quicker, afterwhich they rez you and you move on.

The only safe method I have been sucessful so far is to use a bow. Shot and send the henchs off and kill them for me.

When they get come I switch and use me daggers, but I never move away from my group.

assassin with henchies only works nice

some mish I just find it easier and more fun to just get a group of real folks. plus more drops with less henches.