Condition Spreading Assasin (Discussion)

[Vexx007]

This is a theoretical discussion of an assasin build that I have in mind. Note that I have not tried this build(yet), neither do I have all the skills listed.

Here goes:

12+1+3 Dagger Mastery
8+1 Critical Attacks
7+1 Deadly Arts
8 Illussion MAgic

Fragility (Illusion Magic) 10/1/5
Hex Spell. For 14 seconds, target foe takes 13 damage each time that foe suffers or recovers from a new Condition.

Expose Defenses (Deadly Arts) 10/1/10
Hex Spell. For 7 seconds, target foe cannot "block" or "evade" your attacks.

Black Mantis Thrust (Dagger Mastery) 10/0/10
Lead Attack. If this attack hits, you strike for +21 damage. If target foe is suffering from a Hex, that foe is Crippled for 16 seconds.

Entangling Asp (Deadly Arts) 10/1/20
Spell. Entangling Asp must follow a lead attack. Target foe is knocked down and becomes Poisoned for 13 seconds.

Temple Strike {E} (Dagger Mastery) 15/0/25
Elite Off-Hand Attack. Must follow a lead attack. If this attack hits, target foe is interrupted, Dazed and Blinded for 8 second(s).

Twisting Fangs (Critical Strikes) 10/0/15
Dual Attack. Must follow an off-hand attack. If it hits, Twisting Fangs strikes for +16 damage and struck foe suffers from Bleeding and Deep Wound for 14 seconds.

Return [ALWAYS target the nearest monk ^_^y] (Shadow Arts) 5/0.25/20
Spell. All adjacent foes are Crippled for 3 seconds. Teleport to target other ally's location.

Epidemic / Res Sig [if monk doesn't suck ^_^y] (Mesmer Other) 10/0.25/5
Spell. Transfer all negative Conditions and their remaining durations from target foe to all foes adjacent to your target.

Ok, we now have our offensive tank requirements

Damage Skills: @ 16 daggers, we've got some long lasting conditions & LOTS of double hits/critical hits.

Containment: You have your hexes, Return for escape, and Black Mantis Thrust, yep, nobody's escaping/catching you without help...

Survival: Epidemic/Res Sig to help either yourself or your team and Return helps you live to fight another minute...

Strategy: Basically a fast-in, fast-out build. Target closest enemy and cast Fragility and Expose Defenses and then attack. Wait a sec or 2 for some energy regen and the do BMT+EA+TS+TF. If you have enough energy RETURN to nearest monk (or far away ^_^y), bottomline, get out of there ASAP. If enemies are in a group and energy permitting cast epidemic on your original target (IF he is not dead yet). Stay back and wait for energy to regen, rinse, repeat.

Critique: High Damage and Conditions. The energy management looks like a problem. Apparently there is a + energy armor set for the assasin, which could help a bit. "Blood is Power" from a necro ally would be invalueable.

This build is also reliant on a good monk as it has no self healing skills.

[Pios]

Well,

Seems solid enough BUT, why do you want to go INTO a group of wammo's to deal conditions ? I would say it would be better to go for a slightly well, less energy dependant build.

If I were to take a flyer at it something like this could work well.

My Character1

Assassin/Mesmer
Level: 20

Critical Strikes: 13 (12+1)
Dagger Mastery: 16 (12+4)
Shadow Arts: 4 (3+1)

Mark of Instability (Deadly Arts)
For 20 seconds, the next time you hit target foe with a dual attack skill, that foe is knocked down.
Energy:10 Cast:0.25 Recharge:20

Black Mantis Thrust (Dagger Mastery)
If this attack hits, you strike for +21 damage. If target foe is suffering from a Hex, that foe is Crippled for 16 seconds.
Energy:10 Cast:0 Recharge:10

Jungle Strike (Dagger Mastery)
Must follow a lead attack. If it hits, this attack strikes for +21 damage. If it hits a foe that was Crippled, it does +33 damage.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:10

Blades of Steel (Dagger Mastery)
Must follow an off-hand attack. If it hits, this attack strikes for +14 damage (maximum bonus 50) for each recharging dagger attack.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:20

Critical Eye (Critical Strikes)
For 32 seconds, you have an additional 6% chance to land a critical hit when attacking. You gain 1 Energy whenever you score a critical hit.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:30

Shadow Refuge (Shadow Arts)
For 4 seconds, you gain 6 Health regeneration. When Shadow Refuge ends, you gain 36 Health if you are attacking.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:8

Critical Defenses (Critical Strikes)
For 6 seconds, you have 68% chance to block. Critical Defenses refreshes every time you land a critical hit.
Energy:10 Cast:1 Recharge:30

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

[Ruslan74]

This build seems like a boss killer... is there a similar crowd control build for the Assassin by any chance?

[Pios]

I would not trust a assasin that goes for crowd control, you just dont have the armor for it ...
heck you have the same armor as a caster !!! without the bonus's they have

So I say in out kill rince repeat

[Ruslan74]

ah i see... so in a party it would really shine if other tanks take the heat off her back.

[Pios]

Assassin/Ranger
Level: 20

Critical Strikes: 13 (12+1)
Dagger Mastery: 13 (9+4)
Shadow Arts: 9 (8+1)
Wilderness Survival: 5

Way of Perfection (Shadow Arts)
For 25 seconds, whenever you successfully make a critical hit you gain 25 health.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:30

Flashing Blades [Elite] (Dagger Mastery)
For 18 seconds, you have a 50% chance to block incoming attacks while attacking.
Energy:10 Cast:0 Recharge:20

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

Twisting Fangs (Critical Strikes)
Must follow an off-hand attack. If it hits, Twisting Fangs strikes for +19 damage and struck foe suffers from Bleeding and Deep Wound for 18 seconds.
Energy:10 Cast:0 Recharge:15

Critical Eye (Critical Strikes)
For 32 seconds, you have an additional 6% chance to land a critical hit when attacking. You gain 1 Energy whenever you score a critical hit.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:30

Dark Escape (Shadow Arts)
For 11 seconds, you move 25% faster and take half damage. Dark Escape ends if you successfully hit with an attack.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:30

Shadow Refuge (Shadow Arts)
For 4 seconds, you gain 8 Health regeneration. When Shadow Refuge ends, you gain 56 Health if you are attacking.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:8

Apply Poison (Wilderness Survival)
For 24 seconds, foes struck by your physical attacks become Poisoned for 7 seconds.
Energy:15 Cast:2 Recharge:12


This is a better build IMO

[Vexx007]

That is a nice crippling, damage dealing build, with some energy management (The first one).

The 2nd one wont work because you dont have alead attack????

But the "philosophy" ;p of our builds differ a bit. It seems like yours are a high spike build, where as mine is more of a degen/pressure build. So IMO we cant really compare the 2. Also remember that this is a PvE build, Im not charging into a bunch of Wammo's and the targets are, well, "carefully" selected

I just noticed that my build doesnt have any self healing skills

[Pios]

You may indeed be right, But if i recall being a assasin is about spiking a single target dead ... then escaping. Hanging about to get beat on while you spend 8-9 seconds adding conditions is fine, but IMO not what I would do.

I prefer a simple 3 second spike and out even 3 seconds is too long. And Yes I know it was PVE, hence the lack of a rez in my builds.

Pios

[Vexx007]

And Yes I know it was PVE, hence the lack of a rez in my builds.

DUH!

The only thing my build does differently is hex the target from range, go in and do 4 hit combo at close range, teleport out, and spread conditions. So it is also an in-out affair, except that mine doesnt concentrate on the spike, but on slightly less damage with conditions and then spreading those conditions.

Im gonna feed myself to the wolfs and post this on gwonline and see what the international community thinks

[Pios]

Well, I have a Idea, lets test the builds on each other this afternoon in the guild hall. Lets see how well they work vs warriors and monks and mesmers and necro's