User:Samurai JM/Sandbox/Assassin Guide

- Samurai's Guide to Assassins - A Work in Progress - 

Introduction
So you think you can sin? In this guide you will (eventually) find extensive knowledge on the basics of the Assassin class, as well as some advanced techniques for those who wish to master the profession. It is still very much a work in progress, and any help would be very much appreciated on the discussion page.

General History of the Assassins

 * Assassins were brought into Guild Wars with the release of Factions on April 28, 2006, along with Ritualists.
 * They were originally thought of as cool professions, and were quickly overused, as well as misused, giving them a lasting bad reputation.
 * Throughout Factions they were used mainly as spikers, as well as condition spreaders. New players mistook them for tanks, and died trying.
 * Assassins seemed much less popular in their home continent of Cantha than anywhere else due to inexperienced players and easy deaths to Afflicted Explosions
 * With the release of Nightfall, Assassin's gained Shadow Prison along with other very useful skills, and the SPBoA was born.
 * The Shadow Prison/Burst of Aggression spiker became the standard build for Assassin's in PvP for months, most other builds were rarely used.
 * Burst of Aggression is nerfed on April 10, 2006, and the SPBoA seems to become used much less, and newer builds begin to appear more often.
 * Assassin's today are still considered by many to be spikers, but in this guide you shall see that Assassins can do so much more. The rest is up to you.

Overview of an Assassin
Assassins are seen by many as one thing: A shadow-stepping spiker with limited self defense. In most cases, they are sadly right. Many players will simply resort to basic, overused builds. In reality, assassins can do much, much more. From shutdown sins to defensive sins, assassins can do anything they put their mind to. It takes a great amount of skill to use them effectively in many cases, but they are lethal when used properly. Depending on the environment and situation, assassins can use a variety of skills and builds to take down anything in their path. Lets break down the Assassin's attribute lines to start out.

Critical Strikes(Primary)
Critical Strikes are an assassin's source of energy, increasing the chances of making a critical hit and supplying 1-3 energy whenever this is accomplished. The Critical Strikes line is home to various utility skills, as well as powerful melee attacks. This is where critical tanks get the basis for entire builds, and your everyday assassin gets some powerful spike skills.
 * This attribute should normally be kept at either 8 or 13 in general dagger builds for the increases in energy gain.

Dagger Mastery
Dagger Mastery is just as the name states, mastery of the use of daggers. This is where most assassins get their damage from, with most of the lead, offhand, and dual daggers attacks. Nearly every dagger attack chain has as least one or two skills from this attribute, so it is important to invest some points in it. Attacks ranging from straight damage to conditions to shutdown can be found here.
 * Depending on the build, this attribute should have between 12 and 15 points invested in it for optimal damage.

Shadow Arts
Shadow Arts contain the main utilities for assassins. Defensive and healing skills to keep you alive and fighting, as well as several shutdown skills to hinder your enemies abilities, can normally be found here. This is also the home to the assassin's trademark skills, shadow steps. It is usually work putting a few points in here for a simple self heal or shadow step.
 * For just a self heal, about 6 points should be put here, but for more intensive shadow arts builds, more can be added.

Deadly Arts
Deadly Arts are the main shutdown and spell damage skills of the assassin. Various hexes and spells that reduce your enemies effectiveness while boosting your own are commonly used in this attribute, as well as several skills that provide damage without needing a set of daggers. Several of the skills here can be put to great use in team builds for shutting down an enemy while preparing for spikes.
 * This attribute should usually some points invested in it for hex builds or damaging spell builds.