My new assassin

[IcterusGalbula]

<p>Until now all I've really played over level 9 is 1 warden, 1 fury, 1 wizard, and 1 shadowknight.  Highest level is a 49 warden.</p><p>I've had a level 9 assassin for months.  He was actually at level 9.99, and yesterday he dinged level 10 by mistake.  So I spent several plat to buy him some better gear and took him for a spin.</p><p>It did not take long to see the class is different from what I'm used to.  Stealth on demand, tracking (which I never bothered to use with him before), and the ability to one-shot NPC toons who are one level higher than he is.</p><p>The power is quite enticing.</p><p>At one point a level 12 Monk ran right past my assassin and it caught me by surprise.  Then it dawned on me that perhaps the monk just never saw my toon.  After a while I decided maybe I'd try to track that monk down and lay the ole one-shot tattoo on him.</p><p>However, once I tracked him down I saw he was grouped with another level 12, so I left them alone.</p><p>I created this assassin toon on Nag because I had the vague notion assassins are challenging to play and Nag is a challenging server to play on.  I've heard untold complaints about brigands being overpowered, but I've not heard complaints, in general, about assassins.  So I thought maybe I was trying a class that isn't very popular.</p><p>However, in preparing to start this thread I noticed there are more posts on the assassin board than on any other scout board except rangers.</p><p>Any "I'm new to this class" thread eventually has to get around to AA.  In looking over the predator AA lines it looks like STR and INT are good for pvp: STR for the crits and INT for the poison mitigation reduction and the final end-of-line ability.</p><p>I've only ever killed one dreadnaught that I can remember.  My warden killed a lower level (level 35) dreadnaught assassin.  The assassin had done something that blurred my warden's vision and my warden had to finish the fight without really being able to see.  The fight took place deep in a mine shaft, so the assassin could not run away.  Even though the assassin lost that fight I was quite impressed with the spell and now see what it was on the predator tree.  I kind of look forward to being able to do that on my own assassin.</p><p>Somebody once posted that if his assassin saw you first you were in trouble; if you saw him first he was in trouble.  I can see that now myself.  Being able to sneak up on somebody and literally one-shot them must be quite a rush.  But if it fails, I suppose the assassin might be in a bit of a bind.</p><p>I've often heard scouts talk about not wanting to fight druids.  I wonder how well assassins fight druids in tier 2.</p><p>My assassin is still only level 11, and has not killed any PC yet.  But he is much more interesting to me now that I've had a taste of what he can do.</p>

[Norrsken]

<cite>IcterusGalbula wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I've often heard scouts talk about not wanting to fight druids.  I wonder how well assassins fight druids in tier 2.</p><p>My assassin is still only level 11, and has not killed any PC yet.  But he is much more interesting to me now that I've had a taste of what he can do.</p></blockquote>That is easy. in t3 you wont kill a decent druid as an assassin.Assassins are pretty [Removed for Content] until they get to lvl 24.

[IcterusGalbula]

<p>My assassin finally decided to go out looking for some pvp.  He is still only level 11.  He attacked 3 toons, all one-on-one.  The first was a lvl 11 warlock, the next was a lvl 11 ranger, and the third was a lvl 10 swashbuckler.</p><p>My assassin killed the ranger and swashbuckler, but was killed by the warlock.  At least I made it close before he killed me.</p><p>The most surprising thing to me was that all three toons detected me before I attacked and I wasn't able to use my big stealth attack because of it.</p><p>I have to be right up on top of somebody before I can use that big stealth attack, and I guess it is easy to see me at that point.  That is really disappointing... ...a big, big disadvantage, or so it seems to me.  At that point I'm practically reduced to fighting with my handheld weapons and hoping I'm simply much better equipped than the other person.</p><p>How do you deal with that?  I always thought the big stealth attack was the hallmark of the assassin.  Perhaps the secret is to stun them first (Cheap Shot) which presumably takes you out of stealth, then use the attack that throws you back into stealth (Shrouded Attack) and then use the big stealth attack (Shadow Blade)?</p><p>Or perhaps the secret is to wait until they are fighting a mob!  The three toons I attacked were all just standing around, near npc involved with quests.  Maybe that is why my Q toons only seem to be attacked when I am engaged fighting a mob.</p><p>Any tips on fighting newby pvp with the assassin class?</p><p>Thanks much.</p>

[-Arctura-]

<cite>IcterusGalbula wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>How do you deal with that?  I always thought the big stealth attack was the hallmark of the assassin.  Perhaps the secret is to stun them first (Cheap Shot) which presumably takes you out of stealth, then use the attack that throws you back into stealth (Shrouded Attack) and then use the big stealth attack (Shadow Blade)?</p></blockquote>(( We got a live one here <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Stun first, ask questions and use your big stabby later. Thats a good surefire method for success.Before you get concealment it can be pretty hard to cram in your stun and then a stifle before you unleash destruction on other people, but its doable>Try this nasty combo if you are below 55 (before concealment)stunback-attack-throwing you into stealthcut throat (stifle)cripple (the back attack that looks like a breaking bone, reduces defense by alot)Surveil (the de-aggro that puts you into stealth, it will drop your enemys target on you)super high damage attack(s)by that time they should be low on health, and spamming their hotbars for a stifle-remover (it should last up to 8 or 9 seconds if you have maxed iit out in the EoF aa tree. (stun lasts 3 seconds instead of 2 when maxed out)Once you get concealment... it makes things much easier <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I used to be a high-damage-attack first kinda assassin, so the high damage attack was like a Litmus paper test. If it did LOTS of damage, i knew i was golden. But if it did very little< it was time to start running, since thats the highest damage we can do in 1 hit <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />but... i smartened up and started using a bit more of a strategy since then <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[IcterusGalbula]

<p>Okay, I've accepted that I cannot just waltz up to somebody and whack them with my big stealth attack.  It's more complex than that.</p><p>However, I've started to be pretty impressed with my assassin.  I've never played a scout before, and the track feature (and stealth on demand) is very nice.  Today I went fishing in Greater Faydark and gained 24 skill points.  I wasn't attacked a single time, and I was solo on a level 11 assassin on the Nag server.</p><p>So far he mostly has been using track to avoid people.  Once he reaches level 14 or so he might start using it more to track people down.</p><p>It was neat to track somebody and watch them moving on the map until I was sure they were not coming in my direction.</p>

[Ibame]

<cite>-Arctura- wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>IcterusGalbula wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>How do you deal with that?  I always thought the big stealth attack was the hallmark of the assassin.  Perhaps the secret is to stun them first (Cheap Shot) which presumably takes you out of stealth, then use the attack that throws you back into stealth (Shrouded Attack) and then use the big stealth attack (Shadow Blade)?</p></blockquote></blockquote><p>Cheap shot-shrouded attack - back or flanking stealth attack- threat lowering stealth - non positional stealth attack- repeated stealth attacks</p><p>Idk much about pvp cept i got a rat brig on Naggy this is how i attack in PVE and i like to debuff first then DOTs then this</p>