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If you've seen some of my recent posts in this newsgroup, you already
know this, but in case you haven't, I'll say that right now I'm
working on a Summoning Necromancer in Softcare (on USEast) and
experimenting with things a bit. I've just gotten to Nightmare
difficulty there, and it's the first time I've really ever even played
Nightmare.
As much as it would probably be a good idea to stay focused on him for
a while... something tells me I might need a break at some point... to
keep my mind fresh and actually help me concentrate on building my
Necro better, and better Necros in the future. I'm thinking of
building a Martial Arts (mostly) Assassin. Almost diametrically
opposed to a Summoner...
Primarily in the past, since the expansion came out anyway, I've
played Assassins... but mostly traps, and while I've dealt with the
Martial Arts tree, the times have been few and far between.
I also don't see many Martial Arts Assassins, at least any that use
their skills visibly, so much so as Trapsins (particularly those who
use Lightning/Death Sentry). Maybe it's just the times and places I'm
playing... but it seems like the number of Martial Arts Assassins is
surprisingly low. Then again, I'm one to be surprised, since I myself
haven't played a MA build extensively! But it seems a little bit more
engaging and complex than a traps-only build.
At any rate...does anyone have thoughts they wouldn't mind sharing
about a Martial Arts Assassin build? Can anyone offer some
suggestions on how to go about it? I'm not looking for extreme
details right now, as I'm not even sure I'm ready to start the build
yet... but it's something I'm in the stage of considering, and may
progress to at some point later, perhaps when my Necro is closer to
finished with Nightmare difficulty. Just looking for some vague
ideas, or hints or little tips on different ways to go about it
maybe... or how much I should invest in traps (and which ones) as
back-up/monster distraction/control.
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*Dividedbyzero wrote:
> At any rate...does anyone have thoughts they wouldn't mind sharing
> about a Martial Arts Assassin build? Can anyone offer some
> suggestions on how to go about it? I'm not looking for extreme
> details right now, as I'm not even sure I'm ready to start the build
> yet... but it's something I'm in the stage of considering, and may
> progress to at some point later, perhaps when my Necro is closer to
> finished with Nightmare difficulty. Just looking for some vague
> ideas, or hints or little tips on different ways to go about it
> maybe... or how much I should invest in traps (and which ones) as
> back-up/monster distraction/control.
>
> Thanks,
> Ashley
The only thing you really need in traps IMO is Blade Fury, to give you a much easier way to handle the OKs you meet. Of course, you'll want to max Shadow Master, perhaps the most powerful minion in the game. And also IMO, you're much better off with weapon//shield rather than dual claws. My experience with dual claw blocking is that it'll get you killed.
You'll want to max your resists as quickly as possible and wear as much damage reduction gear as you can get your hands on, especially if you're playing a HC assy.
Don't feel like you *must* use a claw either, especially in Normal/early NM. My recent MA (mostly) assy used parts of the Angelic/Cleglaws sets, including the weapons, through just about all of Normal and part of NM.
A point in Fade certainly helps those resists early on, but overall I think you're better off building resists with charms and gear, then using Burst of Speed and Cloak of Darkness. You'll want to use those two all the way through hell, but won't need them for every fight. Even so, I don't think I put but a couple of points or so in each.
As for MA skills, early on I relied almost exclusively on Tiger Strike/Normal attacks (and often not even on Tiger Strike, since mana was at a premium). Later on, I used Phoenix Strike with either Dragon Tail or Dragon Flight, depending on the situation. Be careful with Dragon Flight, because it can get you in a lot of hot water that you can't get out of. But really, there are lots of different ways you can go regarding MA skills that will work--it's your choice.
As for stats, you'll generally want to distribute those points as for most HC melee characters--no points at all in energy, enough in str/dex to wear your gear, and the rest in vitality. This means that you'll probably play through Normal being very limited in using your skills because of mana deprivation, but you won't really need your skills that often in Normal, anyway.
Heh, I played most of A3 Normal without killing much of anything--my very low level Shadow Warrior and A2 Merc did most of the dirty work, including taking out the entire council and everything in the Durance up to Mephisto, who was the only monster they needed my help with. :-)
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On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 07:58:23 -0400, "chainbreaker" <noone@nowhere.com>
wrote:
>The only thing you really need in traps IMO is Blade Fury, to give you a >much easier way to handle the OKs you meet. Of course, you'll want to max >Shadow Master, perhaps the most powerful minion in the game. And also IMO, >you're much better off with weapon//shield rather than dual claws. My >experience with dual claw blocking is that it'll get you killed.
Really? I've tried dual claw blocking, and I heard the "blocking"
noise during melee combat just about as often as with shields... but I
don't know how much of an overall benefit, if any, it gave me. I'm
sure shields are also better for added defense and other potential
bonuses too...
>You'll want to max your resists as quickly as possible and wear as much >damage reduction gear as you can get your hands on, especially if you're >playing a HC assy.
Ah, OK. My first one won't be Hardcore, as it will be my first time
experimenting with the MA Assassin build... but after that, I might do
Hardcore. I'll keep the resistances in mind.
>Don't feel like you *must* use a claw either, especially in Normal/early NM. >My recent MA (mostly) assy used parts of the Angelic/Cleglaws sets, >including the weapons, through just about all of Normal and part of NM.
Will also keep that in mind. Though I don't have any other weapons
saved or in mind... so I can't say purposely going non-claw is going
to benefit me right now either. But if I do find some good items...
that aren't claws... I won't hesitate to use them.
>A point in Fade certainly helps those resists early on, but overall I think >you're better off building resists with charms and gear, then using Burst of >Speed and Cloak of Darkness. You'll want to use those two all the way >through hell, but won't need them for every fight. Even so, I don't think I >put but a couple of points or so in each.
Alright. Running around really fast with Burst of Speed is cool... I
just hope I can get enough charms and gear to make up for Fade! If I
can't, I'll go with Fade...
I thought it was Cloak of Shadows? Anyway, whatever it is, I have
gotten well-acquainted with using it already on my Trapsins... and it
is one of my favorite Assassin capabilities. No immunity, oh yeah!
>As for MA skills, early on I relied almost exclusively on Tiger >Strike/Normal attacks (and often not even on Tiger Strike, since mana was at >a premium). Later on, I used Phoenix Strike with either Dragon Tail or >Dragon Flight, depending on the situation. Be careful with Dragon Flight, >because it can get you in a lot of hot water that you can't get out of. But >really, there are lots of different ways you can go regarding MA skills that >will work--it's your choice.
Hmm...OK. I didn't really do much with Dragon Flight before, but I
did try it out once... but didn't often use it. Ah, see, I have done
Martial Arts! Just very little...
>As for stats, you'll generally want to distribute those points as for most >HC melee characters--no points at all in energy, enough in str/dex to wear >your gear, and the rest in vitality. This means that you'll probably play >through Normal being very limited in using your skills because of mana >deprivation, but you won't really need your skills that often in Normal, >anyway.
>
>Heh, I played most of A3 Normal without killing much of anything--my very >low level Shadow Warrior and A2 Merc did most of the dirty work, including >taking out the entire council and everything in the Durance up to Mephisto, >who was the only monster they needed my help with. :-)
No points in Energy, really? Wouldn't it be better to spare just a
few? What if I can't get my hands on +mana gear? But maybe I
shouldn't doubt the power of my Shadow and Mercenary... Act 2 Combat
(in Normal difficulty) would probably be the best way to go for a MA
Assassin, because of the healing aura, right? Gotta love the
healing...
I was actually thinking of making a Malice RuneWord for an Assassin
someday, since I have the runes now... would just have to find a
three-socket claw. But maybe I'll save that for my Trapsin...
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*Dividedbyzero wrote:
> Hmm...OK. I didn't really do much with Dragon Flight before, but I
> did try it out once... but didn't often use it. Ah, see, I have done
> Martial Arts! Just very little...
>
Probably the most useful aspect of Dragon Flight is that when you use it you automatically collect your Shadow and merc--it's a big help sometimes to keep their attacks concentrated where you want them. It also works as sort of a poor man's teleport skill and can be of great benefit that way, especially in places like the Flayer Dungeon, Travincal Sewers, etc. Just make sure you're able to get back OUT of any situation you might need to before using it, though.
> No points in Energy, really? Wouldn't it be better to spare just a
> few? What if I can't get my hands on +mana gear?
Let me repeat . . . NO points in energy. Put up with the minor mana frustrations in Normal and maybe into NM a bit. It'll get better and you *will* be in good shape mana-wise by the time you need to be in Hell. Trust me on this one.
> But maybe I
> shouldn't doubt the power of my Shadow and Mercenary...
No, you shouldn't--the beefed up merc and Shadow are mostly what make a MA assy viable in 1.10. Actually, you could completely skip the Traps tree completely and make a "pure" MA assy if you're a real patient type who wouldn't mind substituting a bow or throwing weapons for BF to get by the OKs in the game. But for me, Blade Fury is too good a skill to resist--and you can probably make it through the entire game with just one natural point in it.
> Act 2 Combat
> (in Normal difficulty) would probably be the best way to go for a MA
> Assassin, because of the healing aura, right? Gotta love the
> healing...
>
Actually, in Normal it won't make much difference what merc you use. IMO any of the A2 mercs will be OK for a melee character. My usual merc strategy for most of my melee types is to dump the rogue in A2, then dump that merc in A3 for an Iron Wolf freezer. Keep the freezer until A2 NM then pick up a HF merc and stay with him. Cold rogue mercs work well, too, if you have the patience to keep them leveled up through Normal.
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On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 12:23:46 -0400, "chainbreaker" <noone@nowhere.com>
wrote:
>Probably the most useful aspect of Dragon Flight is that when you use it you >automatically collect your Shadow and merc--it's a big help sometimes to >keep their attacks concentrated where you want them. It also works as sort >of a poor man's teleport skill and can be of great benefit that way, >especially in places like the Flayer Dungeon, Travincal Sewers, etc. Just >make sure you're able to get back OUT of any situation you might need to >before using it, though.
I see. Being able to teleport, even only to attack things, would be
useful sometimes... as long as I have a way out... doesn't Dragon
Flight only work if you actually have something to attack, though?
Doesn't have to be a big, important monster... but I thought it only
worked if there was something there to teleport *to*. Just making
sure I remember correctly...
>Let me repeat . . . NO points in energy. Put up with the minor mana >frustrations in Normal and maybe into NM a bit. It'll get better and you >*will* be in good shape mana-wise by the time you need to be in Hell. Trust >me on this one.
Heh, OK. I just got corrected for putting too many points into Energy
for my Summoner... so I'm not about to turn around and do the same
with my next character!
>> But maybe I
>> shouldn't doubt the power of my Shadow and Mercenary...
>
>No, you shouldn't--the beefed up merc and Shadow are mostly what make a MA >assy viable in 1.10. Actually, you could completely skip the Traps tree >completely and make a "pure" MA assy if you're a real patient type who >wouldn't mind substituting a bow or throwing weapons for BF to get by the >OKs in the game. But for me, Blade Fury is too good a skill to resist--and >you can probably make it through the entire game with just one natural point >in it.
Cool. I really like Blade Fury, actually... it's one of my favorite
skills in the "Traps" tree. It's so fun... the first time I got it, I
just kept doing it around in circles out in the open... just clicking,
then dragging the cursor around in a circle, draining my mana for no
useful reason. Wheeee!
>Actually, in Normal it won't make much difference what merc you use. IMO >any of the A2 mercs will be OK for a melee character. My usual merc >strategy for most of my melee types is to dump the rogue in A2, then dump >that merc in A3 for an Iron Wolf freezer. Keep the freezer until A2 NM then >pick up a HF merc and stay with him. Cold rogue mercs work well, too, if >you have the patience to keep them leveled up through Normal.
Cool. The Act 3 cold mercenaries tend to get on my nerves with the
"swoosh swoosh"ing, so I might stick with my Act 2 mercenary once I
get to that point...
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*Dividedbyzero wrote:
> I see. Being able to teleport, even only to attack things, would be
> useful sometimes... as long as I have a way out... doesn't Dragon
> Flight only work if you actually have something to attack, though?
> Doesn't have to be a big, important monster... but I thought it only
> worked if there was something there to teleport *to*. Just making
> sure I remember correctly...
>
You remember correctly. That's why it's so important to not get yourself into something with it that you can't get out of. :-)
> Heh, OK. I just got corrected for putting too many points into Energy
> for my Summoner... so I'm not about to turn around and do the same
> with my next character!
>
Just remember that you can probably make it all the way through Normal without ever using Mana for anything but your Shadow if you really wanted to, then the Mana situation won't seem so dire. :-)
> Cool. The Act 3 cold mercenaries tend to get on my nerves with the
> "swoosh swoosh"ing, so I might stick with my Act 2 mercenary once I
> get to that point...
>
It probably wasn't really clear that when I said any of the A2 mercs would be OK for a melee'er what I meant was that any of the *Normal* A2 mercs would be OK in *Normal*. The A2 merc I *really* like for a melee'er--and about any caster, too--is the NM HF'er.
> Thanks for the tips.
No problem. You'll do fine regardless, most likely, unless you put a lot of points in Energy. :-)
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On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 17:00:02 -0400, "chainbreaker" <noone@nowhere.com>
wrote:
>Just remember that you can probably make it all the way through Normal >without ever using Mana for anything but your Shadow if you really wanted >to, then the Mana situation won't seem so dire. :-)
That will certainly help ease my mind. I haven't used my Shadow in
the past a lot, so this'll be a chance to observe more of how she
behaves...
>It probably wasn't really clear that when I said any of the A2 mercs would >be OK for a melee'er what I meant was that any of the *Normal* A2 mercs >would be OK in *Normal*. The A2 merc I *really* like for a melee'er--and >about any caster, too--is the NM HF'er.
When my Summoner got to Nightmare Act 2, I got him a mercenary with
the Might aura. You didn't explicitly state that you only meant
Normal Act 2 mercenaries for Normal... but I sort of assumed that. I
tend to sometimes have a habit of getting impatient and not leveling
my mercenaries properly unless the levels naturally fall into place,
so I'll probably be ready to switch by the time I'm in Nightmare Act 2
with my Assassin anyway.
>No problem. You'll do fine regardless, most likely, unless you put a lot of >points in Energy. :-)
Thanks. I'm not sure when I'll start this build... maybe later
tonight, after my Necro gets a few more levels on him. On the other
hand, he's up to 52 now... so maybe I should take a break from him
soon so that I don't get sick of him! But who knows what I'll do?
Not me...
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"*Dividedbyzero" <thisis@fake.ihope> wrote in message
newst41615hbdnnag9t4a19p621u68bl4gktj@4ax.com...
> At any rate...does anyone have thoughts they wouldn't mind sharing
> about a Martial Arts Assassin build?
One of my favorite builds is the Kickassin. It's primary attack is Dragon
Talon which is available at 1st level so you can start spending your skill
points usefully right away instead of saving them up like you do with other
builds.
You don't need to invest any skill points into any of the chargeup skills.
Dragon Talon delivers enough quick strikes on it's own that it can be quite
devastating. Matter of fact, the only other martial art skill I'd definitely
recommend with this build is 1 point into Dragon Flight (and it's 2
prerequisites). Dragon Flight can serve you very well in order to get you to
a foe quickly, get you out of trouble by using it to teleport to a monster
that's outside of the huge pack of monsters beating on you at the moment and
gathers your merc and shadow to you.
So what else do I spend skill points on? I put enough into traps to get
Death Sentry up to a resonable level. After you've kicked one or two
monsters to death the Death Sentry really speeds up the killing of the rest
of the pack. Everything else goes into the shadow tree. Burst of Speed is
very useful up through nightmare difficulty. Once i get into hell I usually
switch to using Fade for the extra resistance and damage reduction it
grants. 1 point (and 1 point only) into Cloak of Shadows is a MUST. Once
you've mastered it Cloak of Shadows will let you handle many formerly
dangerous situations with ease. Similarly, 1 point in Mind Blast is a good
thing although I use it much less than Cloak of Shadows. The rest goes into
Shadow Master. I like to max Shadow Master, but some people prefer not to.
Unusual things with this build is that your damage does not depend on your
weapon but your attack speed does. For the endgame I like to use Azurewrath
for this build. It's incredibly fast and the aura is helpful. Plus the bonus
magic damage from the weapon does get included. The base damage for your
kicks comes from your boots. By far and away the best boots for a kickassin
are upgraded Gore Riders. They have the best possible boot damage when
upgraded plus crushing blow and open wounds. Since you deliver kicks so
quickly the crushing blow mod is wonderful. I've had Kickassins take down
the Diablo Clone in about 30 seconds.
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On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 17:21:06 -0700, "Hacksaw" <nospam@nospam.net>
wrote:
>You don't need to invest any skill points into any of the chargeup skills.
>Dragon Talon delivers enough quick strikes on it's own that it can be quite
>devastating. Matter of fact, the only other martial art skill I'd definitely
>recommend with this build is 1 point into Dragon Flight (and it's 2
>prerequisites). Dragon Flight can serve you very well in order to get you to
>a foe quickly, get you out of trouble by using it to teleport to a monster
>that's outside of the huge pack of monsters beating on you at the moment and
>gathers your merc and shadow to you.
Hmm... well, I started my Martial Arts Assassin just a few hours ago.
She's up to level 5 or 6 now I think, and so far I've only put points
into Tiger Strike. It's been effective on its own so far, but I'll
probably invest points in some of the kicks soon and experiment with
those. This may or may not be a very well-planned or effective
Assassin... but it's mainly for experimenting anyway. If I ever make
a HC MA Assassin, I'll be much more careful...
>
>So what else do I spend skill points on? I put enough into traps to get
>Death Sentry up to a resonable level. After you've kicked one or two
>monsters to death the Death Sentry really speeds up the killing of the rest
>of the pack.
I would imagine so...
>Everything else goes into the shadow tree. Burst of Speed is
>very useful up through nightmare difficulty. Once i get into hell I usually
>switch to using Fade for the extra resistance and damage reduction it
>grants. 1 point (and 1 point only) into Cloak of Shadows is a MUST. Once
>you've mastered it Cloak of Shadows will let you handle many formerly
>dangerous situations with ease.
I've found Cloak of Shadows to be quite useful in the past, and
possibly even much moreso with a Martial Arts Assassin like I'm trying
now.
>Similarly, 1 point in Mind Blast is a good
>thing although I use it much less than Cloak of Shadows. The rest goes into
>Shadow Master. I like to max Shadow Master, but some people prefer not to.
Haven't ever maxed Shadow Warrior OR Master; both I've only tried up
to, say, level 4 or 5 at the most. I might try it though, if I'm
going to be using SM a lot...
>Unusual things with this build is that your damage does not depend on your
>weapon but your attack speed does. For the endgame I like to use Azurewrath
>for this build. It's incredibly fast and the aura is helpful. Plus the bonus
>magic damage from the weapon does get included. The base damage for your
>kicks comes from your boots. By far and away the best boots for a kickassin
>are upgraded Gore Riders. They have the best possible boot damage when
>upgraded plus crushing blow and open wounds. Since you deliver kicks so
>quickly the crushing blow mod is wonderful. I've had Kickassins take down
>the Diablo Clone in about 30 seconds.
>
>Hope this helps.
Thank you! It has. As it turns out, I'll probably end up investing
somewhat in both charge-ups and kicks... I might even save points for
a few levels because right now, still being early on, I'm still not
sure exactly what I want to do with this Assassin.
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"*Dividedbyzero" <thisis@fake.ihope> wrote in message
news:gaf36199ohdroqi8iom4ar1td7f4u3rmns@4ax.com...
> Thank you! It has. As it turns out, I'll probably end up investing
> somewhat in both charge-ups and kicks... I might even save points for
> a few levels because right now, still being early on, I'm still not
> sure exactly what I want to do with this Assassin.
Quite welcome. Happy to help.
Since you're in experimentation mode (which I'm highly in favor of *grin*)
I'd suggest playing with Phoenix Strike. It was my favorite MA skill back in
the 1.09 days. I really like how it gives you all three elemental damages. I
went ahead and maxxed it on my first 1.10 kicker but honestly the kicks were
doing so much damage on their own I found I was hardly ever using Phoenix
Strike. However I think that may have been because I always had some pretty
good gear so the kicks were uber.
Speaking of which, if you've got a Gimmershred it's a great weapon to use
while your doing the Dragon Talon kick. The bonus elemental damage from the
weapon does get added to each kick. Having that much elemental damage pretty
much always meant I could kill anything by kicking. I'm pretty sure
Gimmershred (and later Azurewrath) were the main reasons I wound up not
using Phoenix Strike much.
Oh, and on the topic of mercs, I'm a big fan of the act 2 merc that has the
holy freeze aura. His ability to slow down the opposition really boosts your
ability to survive.
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On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 05:24:48 -0700, "Hacksaw" <nospam@nospam.net>
wrote:
>Since you're in experimentation mode (which I'm highly in favor of *grin*)
>I'd suggest playing with Phoenix Strike. It was my favorite MA skill back in
>the 1.09 days. I really like how it gives you all three elemental damages. I
>went ahead and maxxed it on my first 1.10 kicker but honestly the kicks were
>doing so much damage on their own I found I was hardly ever using Phoenix
>Strike. However I think that may have been because I always had some pretty
>good gear so the kicks were uber.
I've been checking out Phoenix Strike, and it looks tempting. I'll
probably try it out. I haven't even put any points into Dragon Talon
yet, but on my next level, I probably will...
>Speaking of which, if you've got a Gimmershred it's a great weapon to use
>while your doing the Dragon Talon kick. The bonus elemental damage from the
>weapon does get added to each kick. Having that much elemental damage pretty
>much always meant I could kill anything by kicking. I'm pretty sure
>Gimmershred (and later Azurewrath) were the main reasons I wound up not
>using Phoenix Strike much.
Nope, don't have a Gimmershred... or Azurewrath. Maybe... maybe
someday!
>Oh, and on the topic of mercs, I'm a big fan of the act 2 merc that has the
>holy freeze aura. His ability to slow down the opposition really boosts your
>ability to survive.
I don't believe I've used a Holy Freeze aura-Mercenary yet. Mainly
because I haven't played that many melee characters... but maybe I
should try it out with my Assassin once she gets to that point.
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"*Dividedbyzero" <thisis@fake.ihope> wrote in message
news:t00561hhe7dvvtonfbkat8fufll98slqv0@4ax.com...
> I've been checking out Phoenix Strike, and it looks tempting. I'll
> probably try it out.
It's a lot of fun. One thing that I found helpful when using it was to put
both Phoenix Strike and whatever finishing move I wanted to use both on the
left mouse button. That way I could use the keyboard hotkeys to switch
quickly so I could get whichever charge I wanted out of Phoenix Strike
without ever having to let up on the mouse button.
Oh, and Phoenix Strike is a little more difficult to control if you're using
dual claw instead of claw and shield. Sometimes it's hard to get the right
charge when you're swinging twice. It can be done, it's just tricky.
> Nope, don't have a Gimmershred... or Azurewrath. Maybe... maybe
> someday!
If you're playing on the realms Gimmershred is pretty easy to trade for. At
least it used to be. I haven't played in a long time. The really nice thing
is that since the physical damage of the weapon doesn't mean anything with
Dragon Talon you can trade for a low ED one.
> I don't believe I've used a Holy Freeze aura-Mercenary yet. Mainly
> because I haven't played that many melee characters... but maybe I
> should try it out with my Assassin once she gets to that point.
The Holy Freeze guy is definitely the one I use the most. Even if I'm
playing SC instead of HC I hate it when I die.
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On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:19:22 -0700, "Hacksaw" <nospam@nospam.net>
wrote:
>It's a lot of fun. One thing that I found helpful when using it was to put
>both Phoenix Strike and whatever finishing move I wanted to use both on the
>left mouse button. That way I could use the keyboard hotkeys to switch
>quickly so I could get whichever charge I wanted out of Phoenix Strike
>without ever having to let up on the mouse button.
Right now I'm using my charge-ups all on the left mouse button, and
attacking with the right. I also cast Blade Sentinel occasionally,
which I use the left mouse button for as well... and of course, I've
been hotkeying as I go along. I usually try to pick hotkeys that I'll
stick with for the entire game, but sometimes I have to end up
changing them around a bit as I get new skills.
>Oh, and Phoenix Strike is a little more difficult to control if you're using
>dual claw instead of claw and shield. Sometimes it's hard to get the right
>charge when you're swinging twice. It can be done, it's just tricky.
Well, I'm using a shield, so at least maybe I'm going the easy way as
far as that goes...
>If you're playing on the realms Gimmershred is pretty easy to trade for. At
>least it used to be. I haven't played in a long time. The really nice thing
>is that since the physical damage of the weapon doesn't mean anything with
>Dragon Talon you can trade for a low ED one.
Indeed I am playing on the realms. Maybe I'll look for Gimmershred.
What would I need to trade for it?
>The Holy Freeze guy is definitely the one I use the most. Even if I'm
>playing SC instead of HC I hate it when I die.
Dying is certainly an inconvenience for the gold loss in SC,
especially if you're playing alone or haven't made a portal to town
recently, and it's not easy (or is almost impossible) to get your
corpse back... that's why I like Hardcore, because sometimes in SC
when playing with others I get in a habit of coming too close to dying
when I am actually capable of much better. So I try to play Hardcore
for the challenge, and also to remind myself that dying isn't good,
even if it doesn't always mean losing my character for good...
Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo2 (More info?)
*Dividedbyzero wrote::
> At any rate...does anyone have thoughts they wouldn't mind sharing
> about a Martial Arts Assassin build? Can anyone offer some
> suggestions on how to go about it?
After playing a fire/lightning trapper with quite some success (currently in early hell), I was pondering about a assassin focusing on melee combat.
> Just looking for some vague
> ideas, or hints or little tips on different ways to go about it
> maybe... or how much I should invest in traps (and which ones) as
> back-up/monster distraction/control.
The thing that worries me most, are the oblivion knights and the iron maiden curse. I see no real path for a melee assassin around that problem. Traps, if not close to max, don't really kill things in hell. So you can't rely on traps to get you through if you only have a few points in there.
Bows/crossbows might be an option, but I don't really know how well that will work.
Beware, the idea that I describe below is probably laughed at or frowned about by most, I have no idea if it's playable in late stages of the game. It might be fun to play for a while, though.
For my new character, I'll try the weapon+shield route instead of dual claws. IMO this is more versatile and gives more options. Yet I have to see if it works well or not. I'll not put additional points into the claw mastery or weapon block skills (may need one as prerequisite for other skills).
I'll also not use any MA skills, despite this is going to be a melee fighter.
Skills:
-------
For sure:
Burst of speed: 6 or a little more
Shadow master: 17-20
Fire blast: 20 (might also help to deal with OKs)
Death sentry: 1 (for corpse explosion, 1 is ok CE damage doesn't scale)
Want to try:
Blade fury: ? (suggestions?)
Fade: ? (suggestions?)
Mind blast: ? (suggestions?)
Venom: ? (suggestions?)
Attributes:
-----------
Str and dex: Just enough to use equipment, probably for a fighter this means rather much (aiming at 140+ str and 100+ dex)
Life: All the rest
Energy: None
I assume this build will heavily depend on the weapons and shields available, and I have no idea if I'll find good upgrades for all character levels.
An act 2 merc with a might aura will probably be the best company, maybe I'll try a rogue merc, too.
Up to level 30, it will be a tough time, I guess, because shadow master, mind blast, venom and death sentry are not yet available. OTOH burst of speed and a good weapon will help, and I can put a lot of point into fire blast as a backup or ranged attack which can ease the path a bit.
Is this a melee fighter at all? I intent to play it this way, the traps are meant as support. But who knows
Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo2 (More info?)
Hansjoerg Malthaner wrote:
> The thing that worries me most, are the oblivion knights and the iron
> maiden curse. I see no real path for a melee assassin around that
> problem. Traps, if not close to max, don't really kill things in hell.
> So you can't rely on traps to get you through if you only have a few
> points in there.
>
Two words--Blade Fury. This is why you don't see many "pure" MA assys. As I mentioned previously, not using BF will make things really tedious when OKs are in the picture.
> Bows/crossbows might be an option, but I don't really know how well
> that will work.
>
Slowly, based on my experience. But they'll work. Not worth the trouble for me.
> For my new character, I'll try the weapon+shield route instead of dual
> claws. IMO this is more versatile and gives more options. Yet I have
> to see if it works well or not. I'll not put additional points into
> the claw mastery or weapon block skills (may need one as prerequisite
> for other skills).
>
I guarantee it'll work, because that's the route my recent HC (mostly) MA assy took to Guardian. I once lost a HC MA assy in Hell to a massed OK elemental attack, who had maxed dual claw blocking. She might have succumbed to that particular attack even with a shield, but the assys I've done since have all been claw/shield, and I've never really come close to losing one. She doesn't seem to suffer much in the killing department either. I'm thinking about trying another dual claw assy just for shits and giggles, but for now I'm firmly in the claw/shield camp.
> I'll also not use any MA skills, despite this is going to be a melee
> fighter.
>
>
> Skills:
> -------
>
> For sure:
> Burst of speed: 6 or a little more
> Shadow master: 17-20
> Fire blast: 20 (might also help to deal with OKs)
> Death sentry: 1 (for corpse explosion, 1 is ok CE damage doesn't
> scale)
> Want to try:
> Blade fury: ? (suggestions?)
I'm convinced you could take an assy all the way through the game with maxed Blade Fury, maxed Shadow Master, a couple of points in Cloak of Shadows, and nothing else. It wouldn't be a lot of fun playing her, but you could do it.
> Fade: ? (suggestions?)
I'd concentrate on hoarding resists charms and gear and put any points you planned using here into Burst of Speed.
> Mind blast: ? (suggestions?)
I hate any kind of conversion skill. They're mostly just a PITA, IMO.
> Venom: ? (suggestions?)
>
Never used this skill. It'd probably work, but only slowly for a lot of monsters.
> Attributes:
> -----------
>
> Str and dex: Just enough to use equipment, probably for a fighter this
> means rather much (aiming at 140+ str and 100+ dex)
> Life: All the rest
> Energy: None
>
Right on target, IMO.
>
> I assume this build will heavily depend on the weapons and shields
> available, and I have no idea if I'll find good upgrades for all
> character levels.
>
> An act 2 merc with a might aura will probably be the best company,
> maybe I'll try a rogue merc, too.
>
It's hard to beat an A2 Holy Freezer for company for most any melee'er, unless you want to nurse a rogue along.
> Up to level 30, it will be a tough time, I guess, because shadow
> master, mind blast, venom and death sentry are not yet available.
At lower levels the Shadow Warrior is almost as good IMO, especially if you have some +skills stuff to up her level a bit.
> OTOH burst of speed and a good weapon will help, and I can put a lot
> of point into fire blast as a backup or ranged attack which can ease
> the path a bit.
> Is this a melee fighter at all? I intent to play it this way, the
> traps are meant as support. But who knows >
Who knows indeed? :-) Sounds like fun, and that's the point. :-)
I'm not sure when I'll start this build... maybe later
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