Assassin and Ritualist

S

Sumo Supreme

New Member
Just wanted to start a thread to post builds for the assassin and ritualist and to see what yall think about the 2 new classes. I know that for PvP Groups looks like Warriors, Rangers, and Necros are all they hype. Im intereseted to see how the 2 new classes will fit into group play.
 
anyhow, back to subject.

the most planning I done for those professions is for the Assasin, is the A/W, which the build uses an axe and entirely set around upping and taking advantage of critical hits.

gonna try out the W/Rt too, have a skill or two for Weapon enchantments.
 
ChickenSoup said:
Pffft. Casual 1337.

It SHOULD be: 7|-|3`/ (4|\| |234||`/ /\/\3($$ or 55) _/00 |_||*!!!11!!1!0|\3!1!!3|3\/3|\|
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Actually, no. It shouldn't.

See, we have this thing called an "alphabet." We use the alphabet to spell words according to an agreed-upon method. It's quite quick and efficient, both to write and to read, leaving more time to actually do stuff...

It also takes far fewer characters, making posts much more compact.
 
I remember Vibrokatana gushing about his Illusionary Weaponry build with his Mesmer (I know....he gushes about just about ANY build that he hasn't thought of before). We went to Sorrows together for days and thats all I heard about. Then one day I quit seeing him use that Mesmer build any more. I finally asked what happened to that build? The reply was that "the Mesmer armor is not sufficient" or something to that effect.

How does this fit in with the subject of this post? Assassins........Mesmers...........neither have the armor to do close in belly-to-belly fighting. Any Assassin build that uses an axe is just as doomed to failure as that Illusionary Weaponry build that Vibro had.

Try tanking with your Ranger. Same armor rating as the Assassin......same disastrous results.

Tanking Assassins are like fireworks....they just get blown up again and again. Some just die prettier and more frequently than others.

The ONLY way Assassins have a chance to be welcomed to groups iMO is to use shadow stepping to get in.....hit....and get out. The other option is for stand-off attacks.

Its a pity that the beginner island encourages this character to tank. By the time you go to the mainland it has become a fatal habit. The only thing Assassins are good for, generally speaking (and Michio seems to be an exception), is to lead groups so that they can GET IN GROUPS.

I have a level 13 assassin on the beginner island. I doubt that I will ever play with him again. The main reason is that on the other side of the coin.....the Monk side of the coin......I have been forced to try to heal the unhealable. I have robbed my party of energy points that could have been better spent on someone who tanks or deals damage. The assassin IMO does neither. This is a character without a role.

Sarcastic? Nah....just brutally honest. I am not alone in this thinking. Every time you encounter difficulty getting in a group on the mainland you will find out how many others agree with me.
 
Halonic said:
Assassins........Mesmers...........neither have the armor to do close in belly-to-belly fighting.

....

The ONLY way Assassins have a chance to be welcomed to groups iMO is to use shadow stepping to get in.....hit....and get out. The other option is for stand-off attacks.
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I've actually considered trying the Assassin as a secondary on Mirawyn for this very reason. I usually go pure mesmer with her, except for one skill from her secondary. (Or with Marksmanship, if she's Me/R.) Anyone tried it?

My mesmer's biggest weakness is getting stuck in melee. If I could get in, cast, and get out, that could be useful. As I understand it, the one that does what I want is an elite, so that would be a drawback.
 
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I tried a Rt/N while I was playing the beta. Worked rather well, actually. A Rt/Mo might go well, with the spirits and such...
 
I think the way an assassin can work best in group is as a spike finisher or shock troop/flanking attacker. The assassin can do a heavy amount of damage (generally speaking) over a short period of time, so I think they have a place in softening a target that a group is already focussed on (deal dmg and hobble the target with conditions), or running in and finishing the job quickly.

I think they're also good against casters, with skills like Temple Strike, Exhausting Assault and Expunge Enchantments.

But it's such a highly specialized class, one that not every group really needs or wants. The assassin's skill set is very selfish really, there's not much in there to help your allies. The class, I think, is more suited to large PvP fights than PvE. Meh?

So, how can we make the Assassin less of a burden and more of a boon?
 
Halonic said:
Sarcastic? Nah....just brutally honest. I am not alone in this thinking. Every time you encounter difficulty getting in a group on the mainland you will find out how many others agree with me.
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I agree with you for the most part. I myself have an assassin and havent played it very much for the same reason. But hopefully people will figure out a way to use the assassin in a way where he is helpful to the team and not a nuisance. I still think that there is hope for the Assassin though.
 
ChickenSoup said:
I tried a Rt/N while I was playing the beta. Worked rather well, actually. A Rt/Mo might go well, with the spirits and such...
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Paul has one. He plays as protection. So far, he works well.
 
Yea, Ritualist definitely seem more balanced (although I haven't played with them at all yet). It just occurred to me that for an Assassin to be of any use, they have to spend points in Critical Strikes, Dagger Mastery and Shadow Arts, leaving nothing for any other skills. :/ Assasins are perhaps *too* specialized?
 
I'm working on it, I hit lvl 20 last night and capped my first elite - Flashing Blades. I'm pretty effective so far with the henchmen, but if someone dies, it is often me. I need to work on the retreat timing. The most popular one I've heard of is Aura of Displacement/Contemplation of Purity, but I'm not far enough along to cap AoD and I would need to change from A/W to A/Mo for Contemplation of Purity.

As an A/W I'm using "Watch Yourself!" to increase the party's Armor level. I don't need much in tactics to keep it up because the dagger wielding assassin generates adrenaline VERY quickly.

I was originally thinking of doing a Sword/Crit or Axe/Crit type build, but haven't tried that yet.
 
I only like assassins in my group if it's Talon (he doesn't play stupid) or if I'm playing with my necro. At least I can use the corpse. :p

Maybe we can use them as the new IWAY pet!
 
astrod00d said:
I only like assassins in my group if it's Talon (he doesn't play stupid) or if I'm playing with my necro. At least I can use the corpse. :p

Maybe we can use them as the new IWAY pet!
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Hey! I want a pet assassin! I've never had a pet assassin!
 
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