User:NightSilva/builds/pve/assassin

The Splintering Nightmare alternates splinter weapon and nightmare weapon to deal high level of damage while providing a means of a self heal.

Attributes and Skills
Optional Elite:
 * When survivability is an issue, use Flashing Blades instead of Moebius Strike to provide extra defenses
 * Altenatively, Critical Eye can be replaced by Critical Defenses at the cost of some energy gain

Equipment

 * Either armor with blessed insignia or a mix of nightstalkers and blessed Armor can be used.
 * Any Zealous Daggers.

Usage

 * Use Splinter Weapon before a combo (Jagged -> Wild strike -> Death Blossom) to deal a lot of AoE damage. Remember to target clusters of enemies for maximum effectiveness.
 * Use Moebius Strike strike to reset the combo, and allow a second application of Death Blossom immediatly afterwards
 * Use Nightmare Weapon before a combo for a self heal while still dealing a lot of damage.
 * Use Flashing Blades or Critical Defenses for extra defense if selected just before you engage
 * Remember to kite around to avoid enemy spells or to allow a more heavily armored character take the majority of damage.
 * Sins are not a tank. Don't play like one in PvE.

Counters

 * Blindness
 * Cripple
 * Anti-melee hexes
 * E-denial
 * Blocking stances and abilities

Variants

 * Flashing Blades instead of Moebius for more defense.

Similar to the Build:A/W Berserking Shadow this build is for PvE only and uses deadly dagger attacks coupled with degenerative conditions along with Assassin's Promise to swiftly kill your target and be able to move on to the next target without delay, while having Lightning Reflexes as not only an IAS, but a very high block rate. It is capable of taking out most targets by itself, but heavily armored or healed targets are best killed with team spikes just to be safe. If nothing else, this is probably the most fun build you will ever run.

Equipment

 * A Full set of +Energy Armor, get energy around 35. + Energy armor is optional aslong as energy is at a minuim of 28. Which can be Nightsalkers and one Rune of Attunement.
 * Zealous and Vampiric Daggers of Fortitude, along with +5 Energy Daggers. Sundering Daggers can be used also.

Usage

 * Select your target and activate Assassin's Promise
 * Choose targets VERY carefully. Take out 'squishy' targets such as monks, elementalists, etc. first. Then when the mob begins to wind down to a few monsters, pile onto the heavier armored enemies such as warriors with your team to ensure the kill.
 * Immediately follow with Death's Charge followed by Lightning Reflexes
 * Use your attack chain: Black Lotus Strike, Twisting Fangs, Black Spider Strike, Blades of Steel.
 * Your target should be dead or near death, finish him off and move to your next target.
 * Use Feigned Neutrality as a self heal.
 * A good tactic to use is to cast Feigned Neutrality before the enemy dies, and let the conditions kill him off so Feigned recharges.

Counters
Plague Touch
 * Standard melee counters: Blind,Empathy,Price of Failure etc...
 * Failing to kill your target or having Assassin's Promise interrupted results in a very long downtime.
 * Hex Breaker.

Variants
Sacrifices Twisting Fangs and Death's Charge for Death Blossom and Impale, works great to take out PvE mobs with effeciency.
 * Other possible changes are listed here:


 * Dark Prison instead of Death's Charge for a cover hex, but Lightning Reflexes will need to be cast after Black Lotus Strike.
 * Shadow Refuge instead of Feigned Neutrality.
 * Horns of the Ox instead of Blades of Steel.
 * Lightning Reflexes can be switched for any IAS.

See-Also

 * Build:A/W Berserking Shadow - Favored, widely used.
 * Build:A/W Leet Ganker - Unfavored, merged with above.