Assassin

General Description
The Assassin is a new profession introduced with the Guild Wars expansion Guild Wars Factions.

It uses a Ninja theme, rather than that of the Arab Hashshashin, from which the word assassin comes.

Like the Ninjas in common myth, the assassin uses a combination of stealth, quickness, acrobatics and weapons to become a deadly killer.

Starting stats and armor
A new assassin starts out with 25 energy and +4 energy regeneration due to its class-specific-armor.

At base level assassins have 20 energy and +2 energy regeneration, to which you add:
 * 1) All assassin guises give +5 energy.
 * 2) All assassin leggings give +1 Energy Regeneration.
 * 3) All assassin shoes give +1 Energy Regeneration.

The Assassin has 25% more energy than the Warrior, and twice its energy regeneration. The motivation is obvious: assassins do not have adrenaline, nor adrenaline-based attacks. With all attacks energy-based, the assassin consume (and needs) more energy.

The best assassin armor has 70 AL, 10 less than Warrior, leaving warriors as the best tank primary class. Assassin armors have unique stats: a wide range of condition reducing stats: -20% duration of dazed or poison or weakness or blindness.

Chained Dual Dagger Attacks
The Assassin wields a pair of daggers.

All Assassin dagger skills chain into a combo - certain attacks must follow other attacks.
 * 1) Usually, they must start the attack sequence with a Lead Attack.
 * 2) After that, they may perform an Off-Hand Attack.
 * 3) After that, they may perform a Dual Attack.

If a lead attack is successful, a slash mark will appear on your opponent's health bar. If an off-hand attack is successful, a cross mark will appear on your opponent's health bar. If a dual attack is successful, a starburst mark will appear on your opponent's health bar. These marks are unique for each Assassin - nobody else can see them, and multiple Assassins do not interrupt each other's combos.

The next attack skill in the sequence must hit before the required mark fades. Each mark lasts about twenty seconds from when it is given. Normal attacks may be used inbetween without interrupting the attack sequence.

Other skills require these marks, ie, other skills must follow lead attacks or off-hand attacks, such as Blinding Powder.

Some skills give marks without following that exact sequence, such as Falling Spider, which is an off-hand attack that must hit a knocked down foe, but does not need to follow a lead attack.

Attributes

 * Critical Strikes (Primary Attribute): Increased chance for critical hits and gain energy in return.
 * Critical Strikes skills
 * Dagger Mastery: Increases the damage for Daggers and linked skills, and gives a 2% chance to hit twice for each point.
 * Dagger Mastery skills
 * Deadly Arts: Attack and hex skills
 * Deadly Arts skills
 * Shadow Arts: Defensive stealth and teleportation skills
 * Shadow Arts skills

Profession Combinations

 * Assassin Warrior
 * Assassin Ranger
 * Assassin Monk
 * Assassin Necromancer
 * Assassin Mesmer
 * Assassin Elementalist
 * Assassin Ritualist

Related Articles

 * Skills quick reference
 * Skills by category
 * Armor types
 * Armor crafting quick reference
 * Collector armors
 * Collector weapons
 * Unique items quick reference
 * Daggers