Build:True Assassin

True Assassin

Assassin/Warrior
Level: 20

Critical Strikes: 13 (10+3)
Dagger Mastery: 13 (11+2)
Shadow Arts: 11 (10+1)

Use +energy armor and zealous daggers

Aura of Displacement [Elite] (Assassin None)
When you cast Aura of Displacement, Shadow Step to target foe. When you stop maintaining Aura of Displacement, you return to your original location.
Energy:10 Cast:0.25 Recharge:15
Unsuspecting Strike (Critical Strikes)
If this attack hits, you strike for +30 damage. If your target was above 90% Health you deal an additional 36 damage.
Energy:10 Cast:0 Recharge:4
or
Leaping Mantis Sting (Dagger Mastery)
If Mantis Sting hits, target foe takes +19 damage. If this attack strikes a moving foe, that foe is Crippled for 13 seconds.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:8Jungle Strike (Dagger Mastery)
Must follow a lead attack. If it hits, this attack strikes for +18 damage. If it hits a foe that was Crippled, it does +27 damage.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:10

Twisting Fangs (Dagger Mastery)
Must follow an off-hand attack. If it hits, Twisting Fangs strikes for +9 damage and struck foe suffers from Bleeding and Deep Wound for 18 seconds.
Energy:10 Cast:0 Recharge:15

Golden Phoenix Strike (Dagger Mastery)
If you are not under the effects of an Enchantment, this skill misses. If it hits, Golden Phoenix Strike deals +27 damage.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:8

Blades of Steel (Dagger Mastery)
Must follow an off-hand attack. If it hits, this attack strikes for +13 damage (maximum bonus 50) for each recharging dagger attack.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:20

Shadow Refuge (Shadow Arts)
For 4 seconds, you have +9 health regeneration. When Shadow Refuge ends, you are healed for X.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:8

Resurrection Signet ()
Resurrect target party member. That party member is returned to life with 100% Health and 25% Energy. You may use this Signet only once per mission.
Energy:0 Cast:3 Recharge:0

Tried it and it works perfectly! Just watch and observe the battle. When their monk is low on energy or worrying about himself pick out a target. Shadowstep in and pull the combo, they should be dead if its a soft target, warriors will take a few more hits. If no one is attacking you stay in the fight and use Phoenix strike for a free +25 damage since the enchant is still on you. Shadowstep out when you need to.

Good finisher vs runners is to shadow step to them and do Phoenix Strike + Twisting Fangs. You should be able to pull both off. Or sub in Leaping Mantis Sting for the cripple, lighter energy cost, and longer recharge(which adds more to blades of steel).

As a note: Dual attacks are precisely that. 2 strikes with the damage bonus. That means at the end of a full combo Blades of Steel will hit for an additional +49 damage twice! Usually around 75 75 for soft targets.

Sub out the Rez Sig for Way of Perfection in 12v12.

Here's a damage spread of a perfect execution:
94,28,40,48,41,66,79=396+deep wound+bleed
About 6 seconds to pull off.

-Kod

6s. is quite a chunk of time. If you can chuck that # down to 3s. that'd be even better...

Unsuspecting Strike, Golden Pheonix, Twisting Fangs, Blades of Steel...

hmm, well, not really possible, but how about...

Unsuspecting Strike, Fox Fangs, Twisting Fangs?

3 hits and if the conditions stick, that should be 300+ damage with your stats... and good crits.

But who and their mother hasnt played an assassin with the standard 3 combo youve listed? And the goal of this is to take out a target in one full combo and shadowstep back out.

That 3 combo wont cut it even with conditions sticking...which really = over 20 seconds for the combo if you factor in the bleed duration. If youre talking a 3 second 3 hit combo then youd be below 300 damage.

6 seconds is a short amount of time when youre timing your attack. The strategy here is to look for an opportunity where your target wont get heals because of a distracted monk or (if the target is a monk)they are low on energy as is and wont be able to heal.

-Kod

Kod -

I play a very similar build/style to yours and enjoy it - I modeled it after my old 60 Rogue in WoW which I played for a long time and was very successful in killing pretty much anyone I set my sights on.

I think you truly captured the point of the assassin - you have to be opportunistic.

Definetely. My blades of steel build wasn't the best compared to this. I'll definetely have to tweak mine a bit. Kudos on finding a use for Golden Pheonix, lol. and capitalizing on your recharge times to do that extra nice damage on BoS. Man i love thta skill.

Bluetoof-

Definitely the opportunist here lol! Im thinking about naming my next Assassin build V. That scene in V for Vendetta was just too sweet.

Sidra-

Thanks for the props. Only way the recharge times work perfect is if you take mantis over unsuspecting...which is what Im doing more of now because of the cripple. Getting more kills that way and you can usually take down a warrior running after your monk.

Yep. I used Leaping Mantis in mine. all you need for them to do to get crippled is RUN. hehe.

nice build. really shows what an assassin is capable of

/bump

Very nice

I'm using it right now and am wondering what you do for energy as I am out quite alot. My former build was:

Jagged Strike, Jungle Strike, Golden Phonex Strike( spelling sorry), Blades of Steel, and Horns of the Ox,with Aura of Displacement, Shadow Refuge and Dark Escape.

So my question is how do I use your build but maintain energy as Ive used it and foes drop much faster.

Thanks

-Trixz

I'd go

Assassin/Monk
Level: 20

Critical Strikes: 13 (11+2)
Dagger Mastery: 15 (12+3)
Shadow Arts: 7 (6+1)

Aura of Displacement [Elite] (Assassin None)
Golden Phoenix Strike (Dagger Mastery)
Horns of the Ox (Dagger Mastery)
Falling Spider (Dagger Mastery)
Twisting Fangs (Dagger Mastery)
Shadow Refuge (Shadow Arts)
Contemplation of Purity (Divine Favor)
Resurrection Signet ()

Vs. Runners you can AoD-> Golden->Horns->Falling->Twisting, and you can participate in a spike with AoD->Golden->Twisting. CoP is nice with both AoD and Shadow Refuge, takes a bit of strain off your monks. I'd take out Sig in GvG for Dash/Dark Excape if you plan on running flags, or if you're spike doesn't have a knockdown. That is, if your team build can manage. This isn't a very original build, I know, but imo it's one of the best assassin builds.

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