TienJe's Lightning Trapper Assassin Guide v1.1Version History- v1.0 – Original document
- v1.1 - fixed W/S setup
1. IntroductionAbout MeMy account name is *TienJe on USWest NL. I've dueled in GM guilds and clans since .09, and have loved playing with sins since the early hybrid/trappers of .09. But of course, I'm not why you’re here. Let's get on with the guide.
Build ExplanationThe trapper, as conveyed by the name, is a highly effective camper. Any target unlucky enough to be caught with a MB while in range of 5 traps is headed towards a great deal of pain. However, trappers can (and should) be played offensively, turning this seemingly defensively-focused character into a very effective all-rounded dueler. LS trappers have one of the highest possible damage outputs in the game, with 5x traps capable of dealing ~6k average lightning damage each. The reason why you don’t see many trappers around is that it is actually fairly difficult to harness this ability in real-life dueling situations. While trappers can be fairly decent with very little skill, there is a lot of room to grow. This guide will attempt to teach the player to maximize the build’s potential.
DisclaimerAs with my other guides, I do not claim to be the inventor of the build; this guide merely represents my interpretation. Because of the diversity of the different trapper builds and for the sake of brevity, I will not explain the basic implications of the build, and have assumed that the reader already understands them. Search the forums if there are features in this guide that you do not understand.
2. Stat Allocation Starting Stats - Strength- 20
- Dexterity- 20
- Vitality- 20
- Energy- 25
- Hit Points- 50
- Stamina- 95
- Mana- 25
Per level- Life +2
- Stamina +1
- Mana +1.5
Stat Bonuses- STR- allows for wearing equipment
- DEX- allows for wearing equipment.
- VIT- adds life
- ENG- adds mana
- 1 Vitality point gives 3 Life
- 1 Vitality point gives 1.5 Stamina
- 1 Energy point gives 1.5 Mana
Placing StatsStat allocation for a trapper should be the same as most other casters in this day and age. There are two main types of trapper builds, and the builds begin to diverge here, so starting from here, we will divide the sections into C/C and W/S setups.
C/C Build- Place enough STR and DEX for your equipment, and then pump VIT. DEX should be kept at a minimum as well, as claw block will take care of your block without any DEX.
W/S Build- Place enough STR for your equipment, pump DEX until you have max block with your blocking shield, and lay the rest of the points into VIT.
3. Skills Skill AllocationWhile skill setups between C/C and W/S builds will be the same, we must make a distinction between 1v1 and team oriented trappers, as their skill builds will differ, as listed below:
1v1 Build- Lightning Sentry- 20
- All Lightning Synergies- 20
- Mind Blast- 2 (to attempt to capitalize on the possible non-linearity of the way the Shadow Master AI chooses its skills)
- Fire Blast- Rest of skill points
- Claw Block- 1
- Fade- 1
- Wake of Fire- 1
- Shadow Master- 1
- All other prereqs- 1
Team Build- Lightning Sentry- 20
- All Lightning Synergies- Rest of skill points (pump Shock Web last, to keep the Shadow Master from using it often)
- Mind Blast- 20
- Fire Blast- 1
- Claw Block- 1
- Fade- 1
- Wake of Fire- 1
- Shadow Master- 1
- All other prereqs- 1
As you may have noticed, I opt for lvl 1 WoF in all my trapper builds. This may stem from my experience and infatuation with the trap after building and playing with ghosts, but I have found that the skill is invaluable for a trapper as well, and my friends have all started to share the sentiment. Its importance will be explained below.
Trap AnalysisLightning SentryInitial Delay – 33 frames
Firing Speed – 30 fpa
NextDelay – None
Shots – 10
Damage: ~1-11k
Wake of FireInitial Delay – 40 frames
Firing Speed – 17 fpa
NextDelay – 4 frames
Shots – 5
Damage: ~90-100
FireblastFiring Speed – 9 Frames
NextDelay – None
Damage: ~6k (1v1 Build) or ~1.5k (Team Build)
As you can see, this build will be using LS as its main source of damage. If you look at the stats of the traps (thanks to RTB @ Diabloii.net for the info), you can see just why the 1 point in WoF is useful (even if the numbers are outdated, the relative magnitudes will still remain valid). While the initial delay before the trap starts firing is slightly longer, the rate at which it fires is almost half of that of LS. It also fires a large wave of fire, making it much harder to dodge. Two WoF’s will hit the target approximately once every 8-9 frames, which is enough to stunlock most characters. It requires 4 LS to achieve a similar stunning capacity.
Fireblast is basically a projectile, and so it has no initial delay. It has the fastest firing rate, which equals the trap laying speed of your sin (should be 9 FPA). Because FB has no initial delay, it is a great skill to use in aggressive situations. With the 1v1 build, it deals very respectable damage, and while it is a bit weaker in the team build, it has its uses when your opponent is stacking/sorbing against your LS.
The conclusion from these numbers should be that
LS = Damage, WoF = Stun, FB = Supplement. The actual nuances of their use will be explained in the strategy section below.
4. EquipmentBreakpointsFCR- 1v1 and Team Builds: 102%
FHR- 1v1 Build: 48% | Team Build: 86%
Trap Laying Speed- 1v1 and Team Builds: 9 frame with Fade.
This is one of the most confusing parts of building this Assassin, so I’ll take some time to explain the mechanics:
9 FPA is the fastest trap laying can be, and is based on the Weapon Speed Modifier (WSM) of your weapon. If you look at the base weapon/claw types on Arreat Summit, you will see a WSM corresponding to each type. The lower the number, the faster the weapon. Just like the IAS requirement for attacks is based on what weapon you are using, the trap speed bases the IAS required on the WSM. However, if the sin is dual-wielding, the average WSM (AWSM for short) is used. I.E. the AWSM for a -30 WSM talon and a 0 WSM claw will be -15. For future reference, the primary claw is above the gloves, and the secondary claw is above the boots.
The amount of IAS required for each AWSM (or WSM if just using 1 weapon) is listed below.
IAS is counted from every piece of equipment, except for the secondary weapon slot. Note that any AWSM faster than -30 comes from WSM Bugging, which will be explained later. Although your AWSM can be slower than -20, the breakpoints are not included because they require too much IAS to be efficient.