Assassin or Brigand? What's the Difference?

[Luna]

<span class="postbody">I'm having a can't-decide-what-to-play-and-stick-with-long-term crisis where I can't decide between Brigand or Assassin. At first glance, they seem similar. Some of the same kinds of spells (at least in the first handful of levels) so far, but... I want to think long term.I got the impression that assassin was a rogue, which is why I picked it, but then I found out it's the evil complement of ranger.  I want something crafty, stealthy, and capable of handling things solo a lot.  And I was trying to go for something rogue-ish that dishes out loads of insane damage.What do I want here? Brigand or Assassin?  Those are my choices because I'm set on having a Ratonga.  The one thing in favor for Brigand is that if I decide to betray (which is something I was somewhat planning) I'd be a swashy, which could be fun... but again, not sure that's what I'm looking for. Perhaps the play style for Brigand vs. Assassin is different -- in which case it'd be easier to decide for me. Please help me with my identity crisis! Brigand or Assassin?I appreciate all of your help and thoughts/input to help me make the final decision <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" /></span>

[steelbadger]

For the rogue feel you'll find that the Brigand is a better choice than assassin. Brigands are also far more efficient at soloing (being one of the best solo classes out there), assassins are far worse in comparison, especially at lower levels. Assassins rely on stealth and high damage backstabs to kill mobs, with obviously becomes a problem against tougher mobs whereas Brigands have far higher survivability solo, as well as far more utility in both group and raid setups thanks to their debuffs. Assassins are peerless melee dps, but Brigands are far more rounded for solo play.

[Luna]

<cite>Algazeed@Runnyeye wrote:</cite><blockquote>For the rogue feel you'll find that the Brigand is a better choice than assassin. Brigands are also far more efficient at soloing (being one of the best solo classes out there), assassins are far worse in comparison, especially at lower levels. Assassins rely on stealth and high damage backstabs to kill mobs, with obviously becomes a problem against tougher mobs whereas Brigands have far higher survivability solo, as well as far more utility in both group and raid setups thanks to their debuffs. Assassins are peerless melee dps, but Brigands are far more rounded for solo play.</blockquote>Thank you so much for the insight -- I think brigand is the way to go for me. Thanks for helping to cement my decision! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Much appreciated

[Kaediin]

<p>Brigands are definetly better at soloing than assassins, but that doesnt mean that assassins cannot solo. In fact assassins can solo fairly well if you know what your doing.</p><p>Your best friend is life tap poisons, they will keep you alive in fights you would normally die in - if your soloing then these are a must (for either class).</p><p>Algazeed said that assassins  rely on stealth and high damage to kill a mob, that is tru, but its not a problem on harder mobs. With our stun skill you can stun, stealth and get a rear attack off before the stealth breaks, it just takes practise. Assassins are a viable solo class, I have soloed pretty much the whole of SoS on my assassin (or duoed with a lower tank (low 60's) and no healer and I tanked it mentored down) and have got down to Koturah with no problem.</p><p>If you want to take the easier route then Brigand is the way to go, if you want a challenge and the knowledge of a job done well then try an assassin. Also as an assassin yo will kick out alot more dops in groups and raids than a brigand will.</p>

[Siclone]

<i><span class="postbody">"Also as an assassin yo will kick out alot more dops in groups and raids than a brigand will."</span></i><span class="postbody">An Assassin parse numbers will most of the time be higher then a brigand or should be.  But Brigand puts out good dps.  And more important, brings more DPS to the raid then assassin with their debuffs, in other words pull out the assassin and put in a Brigand the raids dps will go up.  </span>Generally speaking, Rogues are a better put together, more thought out and more useful.Better all around.  People play assassin for the name,  role play or play style, and to have a better chance to be on top of the parse. 

[Ilivarra]

Assassins are ninjas. Brigands are pirates.

[Kaediin]

<cite>Siclone wrote:</cite><blockquote><i><span class="postbody">"Also as an assassin yo will kick out alot more dops in groups and raids than a brigand will."</span></i><span class="postbody">An Assassin parse numbers will most of the time be higher then a brigand or should be.  But Brigand puts out good dps.  And more important, brings more DPS to the raid then assassin with their debuffs, in other words pull out the assassin and put in a Brigand the raids dps will go up.  </span>Generally speaking, Rogues are a better put together, more thought out and more useful.Better all around.  People play assassin for the name,  role play or play style, and to have a better chance to be on top of the parse. </blockquote><p>Thats debateable, yes Brigands have nice debuffs, but so do Assassins, we may not take off as much defence or mit as a brig but we do a fair amount and also we can debuff over 4k poison resist - with enhances every scout using poisons and any class using a poison based spell. You always seems to dis Assassin debuffs, what we have is still pretty decent and I would say our extra dps (without a Brigs debuffs) more than makes up for our difference in debuffs and also we have far superior agro control, if you see a scout in a  raid pulling agro most of the time it will be a brig chaining debuffs and getting themselves killed.</p><p> Generally speaking, Rogues are not better put together, are not more thought out and are not more useful - they are just a different type of class. If you want a few more debuffs that tbh allow a bit more dps raid/group wide then take a brig, if you want a serious dps class that is unmatched in melle dps, take an assassin. Or if you want a nice balanced raid, maybe have 1 of each???</p><p>You always say that the brigs debuffs increase a raid/groups dps over what an assassin would put in, can you prove that? do you have any figures to back that up? I can equally say that I think an assassin on its own would far out dps any difference you might see from a very short term debuff a brig might stick on. But as you cant parse a debuff there is no way of telling short of having a raid repeadedly take out the same mob both with and without a brig/assassin and do it about 50 times each way and see which parses the highest group wide dps, I doubt anyone has bothered to do that.</p><p> People play assassins for a number of reasons (as wilth all classes), would you say people only play wizards to have a better chance to be on top of the parse? what does a wizard do that isnt pure ranged dps? or a ranger for that matter? or a nec? a conj? You can try and say the same about any dps class, they dont have many utility buffs or group buffs, but the ones they do have are still useful. Just because they dont debuff like a brig on def and mit doesnt make them useless. People play them because they are a decent class not just for a name, maybe if you actually worked at an assassin and learnt how to play them effectively then you wouldnt slag them off so much. Just because they arent your forte doesnt make that a rubbish class.</p><p>In short, they are both decent classes but they are both very different classes with different roles in a group and a raid. If you want a balanced raid you really want both in there. If all the classes were the same the game would be a bit boring wouldnt it....</p>

[SmOiCsIfAiLt]

I play an assassin and love every moment of it.  I could not ever thing of being a birg...  There damage is just way to low, all they have is ditch patch which makes me hit harder.  Assassin is a lot more needed on raids.  Our hate transfer is a must.  And swash are a way to go if you're thinking of a brig.  but that how I think of it....  If you plan on raiding and you're only making a brig to debuff, in return all you're doing is supplying 1 debuff.  That is really sad.  Make a defiler and heal/ward while debuffing

[Siclone]

<p >Well there has been a ton of these brigand vs assassin posts, but I will just break it down more since there is so much response </p> <p > </p> <p >Lets break it down to game play</p> <p > </p> <p >PvP- I am not a pvper, but if you ask any hardcore pvp player what is one of the top PvP classes they will tell you hands down, its Rogues.<span>  </span>Not assassins.</p> <p > </p> <p >PvP- Rogues FTW</p> <p > </p> <p >Solo-<span>  </span>Rogues solo much better then assassins, Brigand is an awesome soloer, they have duel stuns and nice tricks.<span>  </span></p> <p > </p> <p >Solo play-Rogues FTW </p> <p > </p> <p >Raid-<span>  </span>Despite what the poster above me states, if you looked though the recruitment threads you will see Brigand and swashies much more in demand.<span>  </span>And the answer is obvious why.<span>  </span>A top end swashie can match the dps of a top end assassin on the parse, and on multiple targets beat him.<span>  </span>With that being the fact, swashies get more and better de-buffs and have much more utility and better hate transfer then assassins.<span>  </span></p> <p > </p> <p >While Brigands don’t put out the numbers on the parses, they are not far behind, and with their much better debuffs, benefit the raid much more.<span>  </span>A raid without a brigands or two debuff’s is going to struggle more then a raid without a couple of assassins.<span>  </span>((of course that is argumentative, but I think if you speak to raid leaders that is general accepted as true))</p> <p > </p> <p >Raid- Rogues FTW</p> <p > </p> <p >Groups----who really cares? Group content dies so fast it don’t matter assassin or rogue</p> <p > </p> <p >Versatility---Rogues offer much more versatility then assassins.<span>  </span>They have multiple stuns, then have taunts to make them able to tank in certain situations. They have cool things like group invis.<span>  </span>They can spec one handed or DW …, really to much to list </p> <p >hands down on this one</p> <p > </p> <p >Versatility—Rogues FTW</p> <p > </p> <p >My point is not that Assassins suck,,,,((Assassin is a good fun class and challenging, is why I like it,)) ,,,,,it is simply compared to Rogues, they don’t stack up.<span>  </span>Rogues as I stated above are much better thought out and put together class.<span>  </span></p> <p > </p> <p >**as far as proving stuff, this is just my observation from talking to people and playing the game for a very long time, from game play experience, there are to many variables to post numbers, there are way to many bad players ect----this is just my experience and my views that I have obtained, and I think are accurate of course, since I am posting it**</p>

[bindekgnome]

<p>''Raid-  Despite what the poster above me states, if you looked though the recruitment threads you will see Brigand and swashies much more in demand.  And the answer is obvious why.  A top end swashie can match the dps of a top end assassin on the parse, and on multiple targets beat him.  With that being the fact, swashies get more and better de-buffs and have much more utility and better hate transfer then assassins.  ''</p><p>That's simply not true, frontload 5/5 hemotoxin and 5/5 cloaked assault assassin's can easily win. And the desiribility of the class matters very little as to what a guild needs, except maybe dirges. It's simply what they didn't luck out on getting. I've seen plenty of guilds that don't need a dirge but need a high dps scout, does that mean anything? No. Although i'll say dirge's are pretty universally needed and break that rule. You'll find a guild, unless you're a fighter or really unliked.</p>

[Jayad]

Uhm can easily win? lol. I'd love for you to take my raid spot on a few fights and show me how it's done, beating a top swashy on an AOE fight. I'm not saying assassins are horrible at it, just it's not even close right now.

[Rousso]

<p>Anyone who thinks that assassins are the best mele DPS really needs to get out more. I have a 70 froglok assassin, my only mele DPS class and I love it. I am also in one of the best raiding guilds on Oasis. If my Decap and all other skills are up and the fight is against a solo mob and the tank manages to keep it in one place the whole fight I can just top 3k DPS on most EoF raid fights (provided I have the requisite buffs from other group members). That usually puts me somewhere close to our raid brigs and rangers. If decap is not up or if the fight is against multiple mobs I am usually around 1k DPS behind the brigs. My highest DPS on a raid fight was around 3.4k DPS. Our Brigs highest DPS on a raid fight was 4.2k DPS. Our full raid puts out around 38k DPS when we are in the groove and clicking.</p><p> Zonewide I am usually around 500-600 DPS behind our brigands.</p><p> Since brigands are in such high demand as the highest DPSrs in the game with the best raid debuff in the game many guilds have two or three. They are the FoTM (or year). Many guilds have lost raid assassins because they just dont stack up, so, surprisingly, there may be assassin slots available with a lot of guilds.</p><p> Right now I would put the DPS order as Brigs and Rangers in the number one slot with swashies very close behind. Then there is a very large gap to the next DPS tier of assassins, and wizards. Our raid necros and conjies dont seem to stack up, but that just might be our guild - definately tier 3 DPS.</p><p>Our bruisers occasionally out DPS me but zonewide I am far above them.</p>