Introduction:Hello, my name is Bui and my specialty is Assassins. In this guide, I will explain several key points and give you the step by step instructions on how to make a Ghost Assassin like mine.
Whirlwind (WW) Assassins generally branch out into two different types: Ghost and Hybrids. Unlike Hybrid Assassins who use a mix of traps and WW, Ghosts focus on the pure aspects of whirlwind and high stun lock. Where they lack in trap damage, they make up for with powerful WW damage, better Attack Rating (AR), and an enhancement to one of the assassin’s most valuable abilities – Stun. This gives them a huge edge over casters, but puts them at a slight disadvantage against high defense opponents like Paladins and Barbarians. With that being said, you will still be able to beat the majority of your uphill battles – even against the Ghost Assassins’ worst nightmare, the “WW Barbarian”
In contrast to what many people think, the key success to a Ghost Assassin is not so much as having high Venom damage and Open Wounds, but a powerful Physical Whirlwind in conjunction with venom and open wounds. The “hit and run” style that was used in the past, where people built their sins based on high venom damage and weak physical is outdated and ineffective with modern day gear. There are 2 main reasons behind this: 1) In a quick succession of attacks (Whirlwind or Dragon Claw), venom will not be effectively applied to every strike due to the .4 second delay; 2) The penalty for Venom (Poison) can vary from 75% to 85% in resists for Good Mannered dueling in addition to a 75% Poison Length Reduction while physical is only reduced up to 50% at max (with a high chance to critical hit). Due to this, a physical damage approach is more effective in actual combat than the traditional high Venom damage approach.
There will be several times in this guide where I may bring up what option is most effective in Ghost vs. Ghost. Despite the fact that Ghosts were invented for countering casters, it can be challenging (and fun) defeat other Ghosts in a mirror match.
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Oni – 65% FCR Statistics Summary:• 4,400+ life
• 4,800+ Whirlwind Damage (Chaos), 4,600+ Whirlwind Damage (Fools)
• 10,000+ Attack Rating (Chaos), 20,000+ Attack Rating (Fools)
• 37% Deadly strike (DS) for both claws
• 23% Critical strike (CS) for both claws
• 25% Open Wounds (Chaos)
• 250 Mind blast Damage
• 50% Damage reduction (DR)
• 62% Weapon Block
• 27% and 48% FHR Breakpoints available
65% FCR SetupOni – 42% FCR Statistics Summary:• 4,400+ life
• 4,700+ Whirlwind Damage (Chaos), 4,500+ Whirlwind Damage (Fools)
• 10,000+ Attack Rating (Chaos), 20,000+ Attack Rating (Fools)
• 52% Deadly strike (DS) for both claws
• 23% Critical strike (CS) for both claws
• 15% Crushing Blow (Chaos), 15% Crushing Blow (Fools)
• 45% Open Wounds (Chaos), 20% Open Wounds (Fools)
• 200+ Mind blast Damage
• 50% Damage reduction (DR)
• 62% Weapon Block
• 27% and 48% FHR Breakpoints available
42% FCR SetupFAQs:45% FCR vs. 65% FCR vs. 102% FCR• 45% FCR: Only when you are facing another ghost sin or BVC and you feel mobility is not as important as a higher WW damage output.
• 65% FCR: You will be using this one 95% of the time. It will give you the best damage and mobility output.
• 102% FCR: Can be used against extremely fast Necromancers and 200% FCR sorceresses to help you catch them easier.
How to WSM Bug your claws (to increase trap laying speed)• Place your slower claw over your glove side, and place the faster claws over your boots side
• Click on the glove side claw to pick it up and click once more to wear it again
• Now your weapon IAS will take effect from your boot side (Faster) claw giving you faster speed to lay traps quicker. You can check to see if you did this properly or not when you WSM your Chaos with Fools Claw. The AR of the chaos will be displayed initially, but once done properly, a much higher AR from the Fools will now be shown in the Attack Rating Box on your character screen.
• This will have to be redone every time you switch weapons. It may be a little inconvenient at first, but you will quickly get used to it and learn to appreciate the huge bonuses from it.
Fade• What are the benefits of Fade? (Curse reduction, Damage Reduction, and Resists)
• How exactly does the hidden bonus works? Every 1 point in fade = 1% more DR. That means, level 42 fade you will get a hidden 42% DR. (Every point counts, not just base points)
• How many point are needed to keep 50% DR? This depends on what the rest of your gear.
• Remember to cast Fade with CTA and Spirit out to gain an additional 3 to all skills, unless you have claws that offer more +points to this skill
Mind-blast and Stun-lock• When your opponent is low on life, you can mind blast lock them and get the kill instead of trying to come close and risking a chance to get hurt. Your mind blast should be maxed and do a lot of damage.
• When you mind-blast someone they will have a swirly affect above their heads. This means that the next attack, regardless of how weak or powerful it is, will put them in FHR animation.
• Stun lock is done by setting traps on the ground and spamming mind blast when your opponent is getting hit my traps. If you attack them quick enough, you can put them in FHR lock over and over again. Use that opportunity to deal as much damage as possible.
What is WSG?• Weapon Switch Glitch (WSG). The default key for this technique is W.
• When you are in the middle of a continuous attack (Ex: locked by traps), If you switch to your other weapons by pressing W it resets the lock and you will not be put into FHR motion until another attack hits you (Giving you time to escape)
• By rapidly pressing W and running away from the source of attack (usually south), you can prevent yourself from being stun locked for too long.
What is Tri-Whirlwind and DoD?• Tri WW is a style that can be used to deal out high damage rapidly while leaving little room for escape. If is done by WWing in a triangle around your opponent.
• Dance of Death (DoD) is when you Tri WW where you repeat the triangle motion nonstop
What is a Fool's-claw?• Fools Mod provides a huge boost in damage along with attack rating. Your claw with this mod is used on the "boot side" and WSM Bugged to help your assassin achieve the needed AR to hit higher def chars such as Barbarians and Paladins.
• Generally, you will want to aim for more % Open Wounds (Um runes are the common choice). Another common option is Lo for more deadly strike, but with the way my character is built, your Ghost Assassins will already have such a high % of Deadly Strike that using more may result in diminishing returns.
This post was edited by Markro on Jul 30 2013 09:25am