Assassin
From Duels Content
Paths > Path of the Sword > High Path of the Assassin
Like all openers, the skills in the High Path of the Assassin must be selected when challenging or when accepting a challenge. It is important to know that only one of these skills will be employed during a duel. For example, you can either have Stinging Poison or Ambush active, but not both.Later you will get better openers that are more effective.
Contents |
[edit] Tier I Openers
[edit] Stinging Poison
You coat your weapon with a painful, slow moving, but potentially deadly poison.
"I don't feel so good..." --The late Lord Elbreth Daomear
- Poisons your opponent on a successful hit if not resisted. Poisons lasts for 3 turns doing damage equal to your Precision divided by 8.
- Poisons your opponent on a successful hit if not resisted. Poisons lasts for 3 turns doing damage equal to your Precision divided by 7.
- Poisons your opponent on a successful hit if not resisted. Poisons lasts for 3 turns doing damage equal to your Precision divided by 6.
- Poisons your opponent on a successful hit if not resisted. Poisons lasts for 3 turns doing damage equal to your Precision divided by 5.
- Poisons your opponent on a successful hit if not resisted. Poisons lasts for 3 turns doing damage equal to your Precision divided by 4.
[edit] Information
A painful concoction that damages the victim for three turns after every hit that isn't resisted. Stinging poison deals its damage at the beginning of each of the next three rounds. Multiple hits compound the damage.
[edit] Strategy
Like most assassin skills, it is dependent on both Perception and Speed. The higher these stats are the more you're going to damage someone when they are poisoned. Rather than relying on critical hits, a poison assassin can focus purely on accuracy and additional attacks for more chances at poisoning their enemy. And with a high enough precision, that damage can be significant.
Both main weapon and off-hand attacks can deal stinging poison damage, and there appears to be no limits to the number of stinging poisons that are in effect at any one time.
One other nice side effect when using poison: it's not dependent on weapon damage. So it's a good skill for a starting assassin on a budget or struggling to get new equipment as it's a skill that will add damage to your fights that is not based on a % of your current weapons damage.
Recommended companion skills: Dual Wield, Ambidexterity, Quickness
[edit] Equipment
Anything that improves speed, perception.
[edit] Final Thoughts
Unlike Apothecary which turns you into a bit of a tank, poison is truly in the spirit of the assassin trade craft.
There's one other thing to consider: you can only choose one opener per match; some consider the poison + delight path as a way to limit wasted skill points. Having 1-2 openers may be the strategy best suited for someone who likes having a wider range of "always on" skills from the basic path. Compared to being forced into choosing 3 should you be trying to reach Ambush. Or if you still wanted a tier III opener someday poison + delight + precise strikes gives you a path to power that doesn't require you to build yourself around critical strikes or maxing out your dodge.
It's often said that your first high assassin skill will define the rest of your path choices, so take your time and truly examine where you want to go up the path before making your choice. Stinging poison may not be for you; but it's undeniably one of the purest assassin choices you could make.
[edit] Apothecary
You take a moment at the beginning of the duel to mix up a powerfully healthy elixir, increasing your chances of survival.
"It may look a bit like pond scum and taste like a dog bathed in it, but it packs a helluva zing!"
Duration: 2-3 turns
- Gain health equal to 25% of your Perception plus Speed for 2 turns. Adds 10% of your level to to your Absorb for 3 turns.
- Gain health equal to 50% of your Perception plus Speed for 2 turns. Adds 30% of your level to your Absorb for 3 turns.
- Gain health equal to 75% of your Perception plus Speed for 2 turns. Adds 50% of your level to your Absorb for 3 turns.
- Gain health equal to 100% ofyour Perception plus Speed for 2 turns. Adds 70% of your level to your Absorb for 3 turns.
- Gain health equal to 120% of your Perception plus Speed for 2 turns. Adds 90% of your level to your Absorb for 3 turns.
[edit] Information
Apothecary, simply put, heals you at the start of the duel and makes you nearly invulnerable to physical damage during the first three rounds. Don't be fooled by its simplicity. This skill has many uses and can be of great benefit to an Assassin. From providing a quick heal to deal with high damage openers, to being the bread and butter of the Assassin Tank build, you'll find that a fast boost to your HP will come in handy in many instances.
[edit] Strategy
Apothecary, like most Assassin skills, is dependent on both Perception and Speed. The higher these stats are the more you're going to heal for. It's quite possible to gain over 1k HP with Apothecary with very high Speed and Perception stats. Using Apothecary in this way is great for a high critical Assassin to gain some quick HP in order to remain competitive with other classes that tend to have much more HP than you.
Another use for Apothecary is the Tank build. That's right, Assassins can now play a very good defensive build thanks to this skill. By boosting Stamina and using a shield the Assassin can now take extreme punishment and still walk away victorious.
Anticipation is a good first-turn Action to get a short stat boost to increase damage and health gained the second turn. Since Apothecary focuses on boosting up defense, Expose Armor and Deadly Strikes are good actions to increase your offensive capabilities.
Companion skills: Ambidexterity, Shield Mastery for those that want to use a defensive tank build, Quickness to increase offensive capabilities.
[edit] Equipment
Due to Apothecary's dependence on both Speed and Perception, the best weapon here is obviously going to be a Scepter of the Whispering Sea and it's huge boost to speed. Barring that, daggers tend to give very nice Perception and Speed bonuses, and the Maelstrom Knight Flesh Ripper as well as the Taldanian Venom Blade make excellent off-hand weapons for those of you that are duel wielding. If you're interested in a Tank build, you're going to want to grab the best shield you can, but a good place to start is the Taldanian Kraken Scale and as of this writing is unbelievably inexpensive for what it does.
Armors are going to remain about what you're used to already; Yumarian Shark Raider armors are some of the very best for Perception and Speed, though the Master Tacker's set isn't bad either.
[edit] Final Thoughts
No matter how you decided to employ Apothecary, it certainly has its place in the Assassin arsenal. Careful attention to balancing your stats can make you a critical-based power house with the HP to take on even the greatest foes, or an extremely tough defensive player who can take a beating and still walk away with the win. image:Apothecary.gif You take a moment at the beginning of the duel to mix up a powerfully healthy elixir, increasing your chances of survival.
[edit] Shadow Meld
You conceal yourself in darkness, making it difficult for your opponent to see you.
Duration: variable; lasts for a number of turns equal to your speed divided by 8.
"Your enemy cannot hit what they cannot see, the shadow is your friend" - Old assassin proverb
"Where is that wascally wabbit?" --Elmer Fudd
1 Add 3% to your chance to dodge and 6% chance that any attack that successfully hits you is changed to a miss
2 Add 6% to your chance to dodge and 12% chance that any attack that successfully hits you is changed to a miss
3 Add 9% to your chance to dodge and 18% chance that any attack that successfully hits you is changed to a miss
4 Add 12% to your chance to dodge and 24% chance that any attack that successfully hits you is changed to a miss
5 Add 15% to your chance to dodge and 30% chance that any attack that successfully hits you is changed to a miss
[edit] Information
Getting hit too much? Shadow Meld is for you. This sneaky alternative to apothecary gives you another method for surviving those dodgable high damage openers from your opponent that relys on speed instead of health.
[edit] Strategy
Being purely speed dependent this can be a good choice for an assassin who hasn't had a chance to diversify their attributes yet. It will also put you on the path to ambush; arguably one of the highest potential damage openers in the game.
For someone building around speed and dodge you're likely to pick: shadow meld, feint, and then ambush on your way up the assassin's opener list.
Companion skills: Dual Wield, Ambidexterity, Quickness, Defensive Power (hit more, dodge more)
[edit] Equipment
Speed, speed and more speed. You only need to focus on one attribute if you're truly trying to maximize shadow meld. This could save you some time when evaluating equipment.
If you've truly mastered the use of shadow meld, you can even drop some of your higher power armor in favor of maximizing your weapon choices. It's a risky choice to not balance your gear, but if you truly can dodge enough, you'll be able to dish out a higher rate of steady damage with those higher end weapons than an assassin with a power balance of armor + weapon.
[edit] Final Thoughts
Even if you're only taking this to get to ambush you should still learn to use it effectively. It is a subtle yet effective opener that most people completely underestimate. image:ShadowMeld.gif You conceal yourself in darkness, making it difficult for your opponent to see you.
[edit] Tier II Openers
[edit] Dark Elf's Delight
Contributed by NinjaVega:
Dark Elf's Delight is a poison that weakens an opponent rather than doing direct damage.
Type: Opener (Tier II), Debuff
Duration: Constant after successful poisoning, it also stacks
"Know your opponent, know his weakness and you can cripple them so badly they won't recover." - NinjaVega
"Everyone thought he was playing, until he delivered the killing strike" - unknown patron commenting on his observation of a dark elf toying with his prey.
- You poison your opponent on a successful hit during the first turn plus (Speed + Perception/ 200) turns. Poison reduces the highest attribute (Str, Spe, Int, Per, Sta, Res) of your opponent by 15% for the rest of the battle.
- You poison your opponent on a successful hit during the first turn plus (Speed + Perception/ 100) turns. Poison reduces the highest attribute (Str, Spe, Int, Per, Sta, Res) of your opponent by 15% for the rest of the battle.
- You poison your opponent on a successful hit during the first turn plus (Speed + Perception/ 65) turns. Poison reduces the highest attribute (Str, Spe, Int, Per, Sta, Res) of your opponent by 15% for the rest of the battle.
- You poison your opponent on a successful hit during the first turn plus (Speed + Perception/ 50) turns. Poison reduces the highest attribute (Str, Spe, Int, Per, Sta, Res) of your opponent by 15% for the rest of the battle.
- You poison your opponent on a successful hit during the first 2 turns plus (Speed + Perception/ 40) turns. Poison reduces the highest attribute (Str, Spe, Int, Per, Sta, Res) of your opponent by 15% for the rest of the battle.
Information
Erase the mind of a mage, suck the strength from the arms of a warrior, drain the speed from an assassin, cripple them in the attribute they need most.
Strategy
Used with selective targeting you can use this vs any opponent you suspect has put many or all of his points in one category. This opener requires a bit of forethought, as it's effectiveness will not be as immediate against an opponent with balanced attributes.
The true beauty of the skill is it's stacking effect. If you manage to apply several in a row, your opponent will be a kitten in the ring compared to you.
Companion skills: offensive power, quickness (more accuracy, more hits)
Equipment
Aside from accuracy and speed there's no real need to build an equipment set around this one skill. This is a solid skill choice for someone without a gear set dedicated to maximizing one thing.
Final Thoughts
Though not often considered a "bread and butter" choice for every match; Dark Elf's Delight is a go-to opener for any assassin looking to surprise their opponent with some nasty debuffs. If toying with your opponents before you kill them is what you enjoy, than Dark Elf's Delight might just be for you. You poison your opponent on a successful hit during the first 2 turns plus (Speed / 120) turns. Poison reduces the highest attribute (Str, Spe, Int, Per, [[Sta]] , Res) of your opponent by 15% for the rest of the battle.
[edit] Blade Fury
Updated by Benzamide:
Bleed your opponent into a slow and painful death with this currently excessively over powered offensive opener that plays as a defensive opener.
Duration: Constant
- Each hit creates a bleeding wound, causing your opponent to lose 0.10% of their health per turn for the remainder of the duel unless resisted. For every 100 bleeding damage suffered, they are at -1% Hit and Dodge and you gain +1% Critical.
- Each hit creates a bleeding wound, causing your opponent to lose 0.20% of their health per turn for the remainder of the duel unless resisted. For every 100 bleeding damage suffered, they are at -1% Hit and Dodge and you gain +1% Critical.
- Each hit creates a bleeding wound, causing your opponent to lose 0.30% of their health per turn for the remainder of the duel unless resisted. For every 100 bleeding damage suffered, they are at -1% Hit and Dodge and you gain +1% Critical.
- Each hit creates a bleeding wound, causing your opponent to lose 0.40% of their health per turn for the remainder of the duel unless resisted. For every 100 bleeding damage suffered, they are at -1% Hit and Dodge and you gain +1% Critical.
- Each hit creates a bleeding wound, causing your opponent to lose 0.50% of their health per turn for the remainder of the duel unless resisted. For every 100 bleeding damage suffered, they are at -1% Hit and Dodge and you gain +1% Critical.
Information
The "new" version of Blade Fury is much different from its predecessor; rather than increasing the damage of a critical hit, this opener simultaneously stacks debuffs on your opponent, buffs for you, and does indirect damage like Stinging Poison does.
Strategy
This opener is unique in that it does not rely on the traditional stats an Assassin normally goes for (Speed and Perception). Instead, this opener is designed for you to winning battles in end-battle scenarios. The basic strategy is to stack stamina and resist to survive long enough and hit your opponent enough times for the damage to add up, while the debuffs/buff stacking let you control the game.
Unlike Stinging Poison, the secondary damage dealt is dependent on your opponent's current health, rather than your stats. In addition, the damage is cumulative; thus whatever damage BF was doing earlier will be added to the next BF effect. For instance, if your first hit does 20 extra damage from BF, your second hit will do 0.50% of your opponent's current HP + 20.
BF has a secondary effect; debuff and buff stacking. Every 100 damage dealt with BF will subtract 1% dodge and hit from your opponent, while giving you 1% extra crit. Over time and with enough damage, the debuffs on your opponent will skew the battles so that your opponent will be missing many more of their hits, while being unable to dodge your attacks. Not only that, your critical rate will increase dramatically after several rounds, giving more bite to your attacks.
The above effects basically mean that BF will mainly be effective against opponents with high HP, namely warriors and some druid builds. The battle has to go long enough for the secondary effects and damage to become significant, meaning that BF is weak against opponents that can end the battle quick. Luckily, since BF isn't very stat dependent, one can stack points in Stamina and Dodge in order to live long enough for BF to take effect.
Most of the actions go well with Battle Fury; actions that give you more attacks let you stack on more bleeding damage, while defensive skills like Smokescreen and Chain Lock increases your survivability. Healing Potions are good as well.
Companion skills: Quickness because more hits are always good, Dual Wield and Ambidexterity, Defensive Power, Fortitude.
Weakness
Your biggest threats will be opponents that try for quick wins, have high dodge/block, and builds that do not use attacks as their main damage. The first threat can be remedied with high HP/Dodge. You may have trouble against builds with high Dodge, such as Ambush and Low Stance; your best bet is to stack HP and hit% and hope you can hit them enough times to negate their Dodge rate. Blade Fury has limited effectiveness against builds that use magical damage. Ice Storm druids rely on their opener for their damage, but usually have high HP as well, so BF can be used effectively with high Resist and HP. Blade Fury is almost suicide against Fire shield and the new version of Barbarian battle cry, because those openers will turn your attacks against you.
Equipment
Look for gear high in Dodge and Stamina. The goal is to live long enough for Battle Fury to control the game. Have % Hit boosting items in case you're fighting an opponent with high levels of dodge. Speed and Precision aren't as important compared to the three attributes described earlier. In fact, you can just use two low-point weapons if your armor gear has better stamina/dodge stats than your weapons because your damage will mainly be dealt from your bleeding effect.
Final Thoughts
This is a great opener that can be used as a counter for high-HP opponents, or a primary opener in which to build your character around. Its uniqueness and level of control over the battle gives it a rightful place in any Assassin's arsenal.
[edit] Feint
Upon successfully dodging, you exploit your enemy's momentary vulnerability.
Duration: Constant
As of May 10th 2009, Feint may be used with a shield.
- Whenever you do not hit your opponent (miss, dodged or blocked), your next attack has a 20% chance to automatically hit and ignores an amount of your opponent's Absorb equal to 2% of your (Speed + Perception).
- Whenever you do not hit your opponent (miss, dodged or blocked), your next attack has a 40% chance to automatically hit and ignores an amount of your opponent's Absorb equal to 3% of your (Speed + Perception).
- Whenever you do not hit your opponent (miss, dodged or blocked), your next attack has a 60% chance to automatically hit and ignores an amount of your opponent's Absorb equal to 4% of your (Speed + Perception).
- Whenever you do not hit your opponent (miss, dodged or blocked), your next attack has a 80% chance to automatically hit and ignores an amount of your opponent's Absorb equal to 5% of your (Speed + Perception).
- Whenever you do not hit your opponent (miss, dodged or blocked), your next attack has a 100% chance to automatically hit and ignores an amount of your opponent's Absorb equal to 7% of your (Speed + Perception).
Information Perhaps one of the hardest to use tools in an assassins arsenal, the feint can only be perfected by those who also master dodging.
Strategy
Feint is best employed against melee opponents and only by those who have built their defense around dodging rather than tanking. This type of strategy requires a lot of forethought and planning to ensure your actually capable of having feint be activated enough times per dual.
Vs a slow hitter or a magic user, feint may not be the best choice as you will not get as many opportunity's to dodge and respond.
Companion skills: Dual Wield, Defensive Power (you can't use a shield so you may as well use another weapon, and defensive power will increase your dodge rate allowing more potential feints)
Equipment
You should be looking for the pretty standard assassin load out of plus speed and perception gear to increase your precision.
Final Thoughts
While not a good choice for someone that is using a tank build + apothecary, feint is a useful tool for the more nimble assassin on his way up to ambush. Used in response to the correct opponents feint can add a lethal dose of extra attacks to your arsenal. Used incorrectly vs a slow hitting opponent, or in a build that does not dodge often, and you are likely to have wasted your opener choice and not see very many feints at all.
[edit] Tier III Openers
[edit] Precise Strikes
Duration: Constant
Your experience in combat, familiarity with armor styles and knowledge of human anatomy allow you to hit just the right spot.
- Rank 1 Instead of being based on Strength your base damage is based on your Speed plus your Perception multiplied by 0.40.
- Rank 2 Instead of being based on Strength your base damage is based on your Speed plus your Perception multiplied by 0.55.
- Rank 3 Instead of being based on Strength your base damage is based on your Speed plus your Perception multiplied by 0.70.
- Rank 4 Instead of being based on Strength your base damage is based on your Speed plus your Perception multiplied by 0.85.
- Rank 5 Instead of being based on Strength your base damage is based on your Speed plus your Perception multiplied by 1.00.
Information
If what you want is a continuous string of higher damage hits. Look no further.
Strategy
Sometimes, there is no greater strategy than simply hitting your opponent harder and as often as possible. This skill choice fits into almost any assassin build and can be used just as effectively whether dual wielding, or using a shield.
Precise Strikes harnesses an Assassin's core attributes, Speed and Perception. By combining and multiplying those attributes this opener provides you with a high amount of Strength with no need to invest skill points in Strength or use gear with Strength bonuses. The result is that your hits, most notably your crits and extremes, will deal heavy damage.
Nearly all of the Assassin Actions are useful with Precise Strikes however few moreso than Anticipation (to steal your opponent's Speed/Perception), Expose Armor (to lower your opponent's armor), and Perfect Timing (to ensure your hits deal extreme damage). The general action Pierce Armor can come in handy as well for cutting your opponent's armor in half however this action will only process when your first hit that turn is a crit (currently Pierce Armor does not work with extremes).
Companion Skills: Quickness (to give you even more main hand attacks), Ambidexterity (if dual wielding) for more even more offhand attacks.
Equipment
Acquiring gear with the best Speed/Perception you can find is the way to go here. Your weapon(s) should have a high damage range to take full advantage of this opener so favor weapons with a 45-135 range whenever possible.
Final Thoughts
Perhaps the easiest to use of all the Assassin openers, it fits any build whether shield tank or dual-wield and simply ups your round to round damage output in a whole new way.
[edit] Ambush
Contributed by Fergue and Benzamide:
You leap from the shadows, catching your prey unaware.
Type: Opener (Tier III), Melee
Duration: Permanent
"Nothing is more important than the element of surprise." - Sheevah Duskveldt
- Adds 10% to Dodge if not using a shield. Each time your opponent misses or you dodge or block you have a 20% chance of an additional attack with each of your weapons that cannot miss.
- Adds 10% to Dodge if not using a shield. Each time your opponent misses or you dodge or block you have a 40% chance of an additional attack with each of your weapons that cannot miss.
- Adds 10% to Dodge if not using a shield. Each time your opponent misses or you dodge or block you have a 60% chance of an additional attack with each of your weapons that cannot miss.
- Adds 10% to Dodge if not using a shield. Each time your opponent misses or you dodge or block you have a 80% chance of an additional attack with each of your weapons that cannot miss.
- Adds 10% to Dodge if not using a shield. Each time your opponent misses or you dodge or block you gain an additional attack with each of your weapons that cannot miss.
Information
For those that want to turn a good defense into a good offense.
Strategy
Ambush is a versatile opener that punishes your opponent when he misses or when you dodge an attack. This allows for a strategy to be built around Dodge.
This opener is versatile against many builds and is especially strong against dual wielders with subpar Hit ratings. Using dual wield weapons are also effective with dodge, due to the extra 10% dodge bonus and an attack with each weapon (2 attacks) for every successful dodge. The essence of this strategy is to avoid damage almost completely, while counterattacking with impunity (will always hit).
Ambush requires three attributes to be successful: Strength, Speed, and Perception. Speed and Perception allow for higher dodge ratings and a higher chance to land a Crit, which still can proc during Ambush's counterattack. Strength is needed so that your counterattacks do sufficient damage instead of tickling them to death. A ratio of 1:2:2 (Str/Speed/Perc) will be generally successful, but the ratio should be tweaked to a player's preferences and strategies, as well as gear.
This opener is one of the few that take full advantage of several of the defensive Actions an assassin has. Cryptograph/Gouging Strike almost seem made to be used for Ambush; throwing down a gouging strike also takes advantage of Cryptograph's secondary effect. Stacking Smokescreen, albeit cheap, is a surefire way to score more dodges. Other offensive actions fit well with Ambush; Expose Armor gives more sting to your counterattacks, and anticipation gives you a short stat boost that increase your dodge and crit rate.
Equipment
Look for gear with high Speed, Perception, and some Strength. It may be better to find gear with pure Dodge buffs to allow more points to be put into Perception and/or maybe Strength. Weapons like Monos and Dextoros[1] and Tong Lo's Silent Dagger[2] are examples of good Ambush weapons.
Weakness and Counters
Ambush's weakness is that though you may have high dodge rates and pretty good damage, your armor rating and HP will lack as a result. Players that use indirect damage or non-physical damage bypass can destroy an Ambush player that has neglected his HP. Hits that do go through may hurt more because of low armor rating. One way you can try to offset this is to put some skill points in Fortitude and get some armor that has some Stamina bonuses. Another weakness is to players that use direct damage openers; Talaks Transformation and Insect Swarm may kill you even before the opponent can attack you enough for Ambush to deal serious damage.
Warriors can counter Ambush easily with the action Concentrate. Combined with the Arms opener, this will completely destroy a high dodge Ambush strategy. Currently the only ways to circumvent this is to either Void the Concentrate, use Chain Lock, or use Poison Gas and hope that the duel lasts long enough for the action phase to be over. Druids destroy Ambush with the opener Slow, reducing both your Ambush and Hit rate to almost nil. Using Cryptograph/Gouging Strike as well as high resist may help mitigate this. Mages may use more action-based damage to counter Ambush.
Companion Skills: Defensive Power(to increase Dodge).
Final Thoughts
A well-designed Ambush build can carry you a long way and win you a many number of duels due to its combination of offensive and defensive power. Unlike the other Assassin openers, stat distribution may have to be a bit more wide, so you may have to tweak continually with the stat spread until you're satisfied with the results. Last, active scouting of your opponent that has Ambush-specific counters can make the difference between a lopsided battle or a narrowly-won duel. Make sure you set up different Action lineups and loadouts to confront any opponents that may be using Ambush-specific strategies.
