Good grief this thread is flame-ridden. Let's get this straight:
Assassins have a higher potential damage output than Warriors, because their attacks are faster and exponentially increase in damage during many combos (Twisting Fangs, for example). HOWEVER (and this is the big problem with Assassins), the initial stages of the combos are weak and any sort of interruption or attack block/miss resets the combo, making the Assassin's damage source a very fragile one.
If you're going to play an Assassin, you need to...Figure out some way (either by yourself or in your party) how you are going to make sure your attacks are hitting so that you can realize your damage potential. A basic example is the Necromancer spell Rigor Mortis plus plenty of condition and removal for Blind etc.
Have a way to get out of danger when targeted, because Assassin armor is not thick enough for tanking, by a long shot. A good one to carry with you might be Recall, which can be placed on a Monk with Healing Touch or a similar spell to make you easy to keep healthy.
This is for PvE only, by the way. In PvP Assassins are poor right now because it is way to easy to interrupt their combos. Way to easy. In PvE groups, Assassins do mostly what a Warrior would do, just with more speed and potential risk involved. Each class has its advantages and disadvantages, but ultimately they are all pretty much equal. It's not the character you play, but how you play your character.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WildmouseX
if the casters get rushed, then their not dealing dmg to the other side, their trying to save their butts.. the assassins job #1 is to take out the rushers so the casters can press the attack unimpaired... the assassin job #2 is to run in and spike enemy casters, then run away so the rest of the team can finish it off quicker.
the assassin not only defends his casters, but he helps them move through the enemies faster. and any good assassin player should never need a heal from the monk, as he avoids being damaged all together by useing hit and run tatics.
ranger/ele/necro don't do as much spike dmg as a sin, thussly takeing longer to drop the enemy monks and casters. an assassin spike, followed up by his casters spells make very quick work of any enemy. just because your too prejudice to understand the role he plays, doesn't change the fact that properly played assassins benifit the whole group, in all the ways they were hurting for b4 the expansion.
And to the fanatical ninja junkies out there, please take note that the Assassin is not the panacea of group problems. Assassins are very offensive. However, if you want to spike, you can feel free to discover that (1) there are much better spike builds than the "Assassin spike" and (2) that no respectable GvG guild will play a pure spike often because of its inflexibility. Also, there is no substitute for a Tactics-based Warrior in PvE if you want to run interference for the casters. Leave Assassins on the primary target where they belong.
