Assassin Discussion Thread

[Elesirdur]

Thanks, sounds like solid advice.

[Elvis]

Coming from a background of playing all mage-type jobs in FFXI, I have to say the change to melee/dps is a bit refreshing. Originally I was gonna play a Sorc & Chanter but we already had plenty of both in the group. But I'm really loving the job so far, especially now that I'm over the lv25 hump and have access to a bunch more stun moves.

I wanted to get an idea how other sins are setting up their skills. I'm pretty sure I've got a good flow going but I've got a ways to go still and new stuff will come along to play with. When I get a sec I'll post a SS of my current setup.

completely off-top but Olo, you're on Kaisinel!? So am I, look me up! Tonks (couldn't think of anything else...and it sounds cool!) 38 Cleric

[Syntex]

Alright so how as a Ranger can I beat you guys?

I just fought an assassin 1v1, full health, 21% boots 3% speed 30% scroll and Mau form up.

He opens with ambush->stun->moredamageshit->I get 5 feet away and I get rubberbanded stunned-> run away more->stunned-> dead

Yea sure I can kill them when I get the jump but how the hell do I fight one in a fair fight I just don't have the HP to tank one with backtobacktoback stuns and it doesn't help the game can't keep up with my client and rubberbands me back to where he is standing even though I got a good 10 feet away on my screen.

Any advice you guys can suggest for me? Aside from RS which could just fail. I am just annoying I can get 100%to dead with 3 stuns when I have the advantage.

[Elesirdur]

Also off-topic: Any of you guys on Kaisinel have a legion that's recruiting? I would love to play with some ex-FFXI players.

[Trocian]

Alright so how as a Ranger can I beat you guys?

Fly away.

If poisoned(which is a piece of crap, 20% proc and lasts 3 fucking seconds), pot, then fly away. We can't do shit to anyone in the air.

[Olo401]

Ambush is great, Aethertwisting... not so much, unless it doesn't share CD with Focused Evasion?
And I can't see any use for Apply Deadly Poison. You'd never use it for PvP, you'll get maybe two procs before you have to reapply, and in PvE we have enough ways to keep the mob from damaging us. Unless it stuns for like 10s, I fail to see its use.

Using Sigil Strike, Flurry and Ambush personally.

At 31, I use Ambush II, sigil strike (whichever number it is) and uh... I think it's pain rune.

Ended up going with Flurry, Ambush & Aethertwisting. Sigil Strike got replaced by Beast Kick in my leadup to Pain Rune and Ambush replaced Dash Attack (they're on the same cooldown)

completely off-top but Olo, you're on Kaisinel!? So am I, look me up! Tonks (couldn't think of anything else...and it sounds cool!) 38 Cleric

Yeah it's one of my alts.. made it cuz all my ls mates from FFXI are there. Don't play it much tho since I'm grinding away my main on Triniel.

[Meresgi]

I'm just getting a Scout up to Ascension right now and planning to go Assassin. What are people's thoughts on weapon setup? I've read some stuff about MH dagger and OH sword working well, but about an equal number of people say dual daggers. Any opinions?

Dagger/Sword till you're around 35ish and can maintain crit cap w/o the dagger then go Sword/Sword.

I hear Dagger/dagger is decent if you enjoy weaving, and good for fast pvp hits.

[OzzofAsura]

Question: At level 26 (I think same abilities you'd have in that SS above) what order would you do your abilities in PvE grinding? What Stigmas do you use? Do you do Dagger/Sword?

I use Ambush/Flurry, Dagger/Sword. Usually start with Ambush > Surprise Atk > two Rune-sticking moves, Focused Eye things, then the combo you start with whatever they're called, and hit the two rune moves again followed by the rune detonator. Randomly use the dodge ability depending on when a bad move is coming, and slip in surprise attacks when they are stunned are in a long cast ability. Also use Flurry and the increase-crit moves on a higher level or when it gets close.

I feel like I could be doing something better, but maybe I'm just used to never having to rest on Templar.

Edit: What the hell is weaving?

[Elesirdur]

I was wondering about the "weaving" thing too.

[MrSamuels]

I wouldn't start with ambush suprise attack to be honest, a lot of the time the game bugs and doesnt recognise you behind the mob after an ambush, and just tries or counts as you facestabbing the target.
I generally Ambush a target get your rune carves up then once its not stunned just stun it again with a Pain Rune, follow this up with a killer's eye suprise attack (just walk through the target) then after a swift edge soul slash and depending on crits its dead, if the target lasts longer, pop a focused evasion and either use whirlwind slash/counterattack folling up with swift edge soul slash.
It will get a bit easier at 28 as then you get an aerial bind rune, which immbolizes your target int he air, so every minute you should be able to kill a target without being hit
At 30 get Aethertwisting, its the most amazing ability versus caster targets ever, you can grind them without ever being hit by using Aethertwisting/Focused Evasion.
As for weaving, i don't have time to weave at 47, by the time ive got all my runes/good moves off it is impossible to weave in auto attacks (weaving is doing a special then auto attacking, doing next special) but as an assassin we have too many moves that are good and needed to be done to make it worthwhile.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...t/Aion0014.jpg

Picture of my UI, what i mainly use during grouping/soloing.

1. Swift Edge Chain
2. Suprise Attack
3. Rune Carve Chain
4. Fang Strike Chain
5. Pain Rune
Q. Hide
E. Macro for Flurry/Clear Focus
R. Focused Evasion
F. Killer's Eye
C. Counterattack
X. Crashing Wind Strike
G. Whirlwind Slash
CTRL-1. Aerial Rune
CTRL-2. Blood Rune
CTRL-3.Weakening Blow
CTRL-4. Rune Burst (going for beast swipe advanced)
CTRL-R. Aethertwisting
CTRL-E Ambush.

Rest of the stuff is just stuff thats situational and dont really use all that much DP moves ect, so just bound them to a few buttons that i can press easily from mouse hand

[OzzofAsura]

I have the Aerial Bind and Aethertwisting already at 26, but I don't really use the AT. I don't fight many magic-using mobs at the moment, but I know it will be useful in the future.

I see what weaving is now, but I don't have an awful large amount of time to do it even at this level.

Question about sticking runes: Do you usually stick 2 and try to detonate with the stun/aerial or do you stick more? I find that when I stick 2, I have about a 50-60% chance of the stun/aerial landing. When I stick 4 I have about a 95% chance of it landing. Is it worth it to stick 2 and see what happens/ take the damage or stick more for the more likely proc on the follow-up?

[Kurp]

I never use Pain or Binding Runes with less than 3. If you dropped Sigil Strike, then it'll be painful until 28 and Beast Kick.

[MrSamuels]

I have the Aerial Bind and Aethertwisting already at 26, but I don't really use the AT. I don't fight many magic-using mobs at the moment, but I know it will be useful in the future.

I see what weaving is now, but I don't have an awful large amount of time to do it even at this level.

Question about sticking runes: Do you usually stick 2 and try to detonate with the stun/aerial or do you stick more? I find that when I stick 2, I have about a 50-60% chance of the stun/aerial landing. When I stick 4 I have about a 95% chance of it landing. Is it worth it to stick 2 and see what happens/ take the damage or stick more for the more likely proc on the follow-up?

I assume since you have Aethertwisting at 26, you have flurry and Aethertwisting and no Sigil Strike? I would put that back in at 30 as it does help for PVE not so much PVP. As for Aethertwisting, anything you see say "resist" on Focused Evasion, its better to use Aethertwisting.

As for the runes, it really depends, at my level i can get to 5 runes in like 5 seconds so i just go with 5. I would say use 3 for Pain Rune or 4 if you are using Aerial Rune Bind (this seems to not work as much as Pain Rune) at your level as by the time you get to any higher its not worth it. It gets better at 40 as you get access to BEast Swipe, making you able to get to 4 or 5 easy.

When you get Blood Rune however, always go to 5 with this it's basically a free odella powder every minute, me and the assassin i group with aren't sure if this is bugged though, as it does initial damage of say like 900 then follow up damage of 850, making it more powerful then Pain Rune just a longer cooldown.

Also if you can get a nice Cloth hat and use that over a leather one. The added Magic Boost (try and get one that does like 40-50) will add additional damage to all the runes you do which adds up over time.

[OzzofAsura]

Yeah, I always try to get at LEAST 3 runes on there, but usually 4 or more unless I'm in trouble. I did remove Sigil Strike for Ambush as SS helps me build up to a stun while Ambush is a stun and a free ticket behind the mob.

I'll see if I can get a good magic boost hat when I get on, I didn't even think of that.

Do you think Aethertwisting is more useful at this level than either Ambush or Flurry?

[MrSamuels]

Depends ont he mobs you are grinding on, I don't recall all that much being magical at that level, and i was lucky and got Ambush to drop so i went something like Sigil Strike > Flurry > Ambush > Aethertwisting, So i did get my Aethertwisting quite late, but when i did get it i saw how overpowered it actually was.

As for Flurry or Aethertwisting, depends on if you group a lot or are mainly solo, if you group a lot i would go for Flurry as it is obviously more Damage. If you are soloing i would go Aethertwisting then get Flurry later as most of the things you grind on die fast anyways, and soon you will be hitting the "wtf happened to my mp pool" levels and flurry is like a 124 mp cost. I no longer use Healing Odella powder just mana ones

[OzzofAsura]

That helps a lot. Thanks very much. :D

[Kurp]

If I had to do it again, I'd use Aethertwisting and Sigil Strike until 28. Then drop Sigil and pick up Ambush and add Flurry at 30. I don't think I'll make a build that doesn't include Aethertwisting, it has so many uses in PvP and PvE.

I've heard multiple times that the accuracy of rune procs (Aerial Shackle, Stuns, etc) doesn't increase past 3 carves, so I didn't see a point of picking Sigil over the other three I use now. I can't confirm that though and would love to know for certain.

I might grab Sigil again at 40 soon to try it out. With Beast Swipe, I could carve up to 5 very quickly, which might be nice additional damage for grinding. There are a few I want to try out at that level though like Eye of Wrath and Blinding Burst.

Does anyone know if the debuff portion of Eye of Wrath disappears when you use up the buff, or does it persist for the full 10 seconds?

And how much damage does Rune Burst do?

[MrSamuels]

Does anyone know if the debuff portion of Eye of Wrath disappears when you use up the buff, or does it persist for the full 10 seconds?

And how much damage does Rune Burst do?

Eye of Wrath is horrible, when i tried it the 10 second debuff did stay and it just wasnt worth it, you should have like 45% chance to crit i would rather just rely on the luck of that then get 1 crit but then gimp all of my damage for the next 10 seconds (crit only starts scaling 1% over 300 crit rating stoping at 440)
In pvp i have found that assassin is all about the crit, i can kill people in seconds if everything crits, i can also nearly die if nothing does, i suppose you could say it's a very luck dependant class but you can help that more by obviously being crit capped etc.

As for Rune Burst, i currently have Rune Burst 3, it does about 1283 damage on 5 runes on a 12 second cooldown, haven't been able to test Rune Bust 4 but i'd say add about 50 or so damage on to it. I only have it because i want to get the Best Scar advanced stigma (combo move that when i see on my tooltip does 603-611 damage chain 4 6 second cooldown)

It is only useful for PVE but it is a nice filler for when runes are on cooldown, it is what needle rune should have been (does the same damage but needle rune has a 1minute cooldown...)

[Kurp]

A guaranteed critical is never useless in PvP! But, the debuff lasting for the full 10 seconds is a deal killer.

Rune Burst damage seems low for a stigma. You're right that it would be a nice PvE damage boost.

[Meresgi]

Any used Shadow Rage? To me it seems completely worthless.