Assassin Skill Combination & Tips
Compliments of the Brady Games Strategy Guide
This is based on playing the Assassin from the beginning of the game through Act V:
- Total Stat Points (50 levles and 5 acts): 255
- Total Skill Points (50 levels and 5 acts): 54
Option #1 - Distribute your stat points 35% strength, 30% dexterity, 20% mana and 15% vitality. Use the following guide for your skill points.
- 10 points into area of attack traps, such as Wake of Fire
- 10 points into Claw Mastery
- 1 point into Shadow Warrior
- 10 points into Cloak of Shadows
- 10 points into Blad Shield
- 2-3 points into Cobra Strike (not needed if you have a life/mana stealing weapon)
- 2-3 points into Dragon Claw
- 2 points into Weapons Block
- 1 point into Dragon Flight
Fighting several enemies at once
- Use Wake of Fire to lay down some area of effect damage.
- Use Cloak of Shadows to amplify the damage of Wake of Fire, as well as blind the enemies.
- Stay out of the fray until after the third wave of fire from the sentry.
- Jump in and clean up the mess with Cobra Strike and Dragon Claw. You should be able to earn back your Mana with three uses of Cobra Strike.
Fighting bosses (Super unique monsters)
- Cast Shadow Warrior so the boss can focus on her.
- Lay down some Wake of Fire sentry.
- Keep your skill button on Cobra Strike so that your Shadow Warrior can replenish her own vitality and mana from the boss. Keep tossing in traps or, if you're daring, jump into the mix with Cobra Strike/Tiger Strike/Dragon Claw/Wake of Fire.
The following tips are designed to be applied to a character as listed above, however are good tips for all-around Assassin play.
- Cold Damage: Your Martial Arts skills will be much more effective if you can slow the enemies down (especially bosses) because it will allow you to rack up more charges. Get yourself a claw/katar with cold damage or, if you can't fine one, but a sockedted claw/katar and put a sapphire in it. Another option is get get a charm that adds cold damage, even if only a couple of points.
- Attack Speed: Get items that will help you to increase your attack speed and give you "fast hit recovery" so you can lay down your Martial Arts moves with great efficiency and effectiveness.
- Point Distribution: For the first two or three acts, put more points into Wake of Fire sentry; the enemies in the first three Acts are fairly susceptible to fire attacks. However as you get closer to Act IV, put more points into Claw Mastery since most of those monster have high fire resistance.
- Mid-Game Assassin Strategy: If you're approaching some heavy duty monster types, throw up a couple of Inferno sentry traps withink the midst of the enemy, then start raining grenades. When you're done, only pieces of monsters remain.
- Late-Game Assassin Strategy: The Shadow Master/Rogue duo is an extremely effective support force for your Assassin. While your Rogue is raining death from long distance, your Shadow Master is engaging enemies by using a variety of deadly Assassin skills. This leaves you free to drop a few Lightning Sentry/Wake of Inferno traps among the offending monsters and then rain grenades on them. Your small force will obliterate most opposition in no time.
- Best Hireling for the Assassin: The best hireling to have for an Assassin is the Act I Rogue. She is one of the few hirelings available that can do ranged attack damage and gets significantly more powerful as she advances with you throughout the game. Always try to equip her with good armor and a great bow, and she will take care of the rest.
- Weapon Block: Always put some points into Weapon Block. This will come in handy later on in the game when you're surrounded by hordes of monsters. It could even mean the difference between life and death.
- Claw Mastery: Claw Mastery is extremely important if your assassins plans to specialize in Martial Arts.
- Cobra Strike: If you run out of mana and/or health potions, the Cobra Strike skill can be used instead. If you're careful enough, you won't have any need for potions, saving you several trips back to town.
Option #2 - Distribute your stat points 30% strength, 25% mana, 20% dexterity, 20% vitality and 5% discretionary. Then distribute your skill points as follows:
- 20 points into Shadow Warrior/Master
- 2 points into Burst of Speed
- 10 points into Claw Mastery
- 20 points into Mind Blast
- 1 point into COS/Tiger Strike/Cobra Strike/Dragon Claw
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