What kind of character will be the result of this guide?
A Whirlwind-Assassin - Codename eviL.
If you find any mistakes in the following guide please report it to me - my english is not perfect at all.
The Dancing Death with 2 Claws
When i was playin' my melee-Assassin i got the idea to create a whirlwind-assassin. In the following you will find a guide, including pictures of my self-played, non-rushed, single-player Assassin.
I guess this kind of build is a very expensive choice at all - at this moment not every part of my guide is tested in every great deatail - but ill change that within the next time.
So at all - this guide will continue to grow next to my assassin ^^... that fact has a small problem - the guide will have non-finished-parts and several mistakes - be kind - i will try to "kill" all mistakes and finish all parts as soon as possible. Lets finish with this crappy introduction and start the guide - Yeeehaaaw!
Table of contents:
Chapter I - The Stats
Chapter II - Skills
Chapter III - Items
Chapter IV - Known Facts & Bugs
Chapter V - Gameplay
Chapter VI - Codename-eviL
Chapter I - The StatsThats the part, where we have to decide how many stats we put into Strength, Dexterity and Vitality - because we don't need any energy for this build.
Strength: 600-800 (best will be 800, because each point of str gives us 0.8% Enhanced Damage)
Dexterity: 600-800 (Same like Str)
Vita: the rest
Energy: Nothing, we don't need it.
Chapter II - SkillsMartial ArtsFists of Fire (FoF)
Our chargeup skill based on fire-damage - its pretty usefull for cold-immunes.Points to Spend: 60
Claws of Thunder (CoT)
Our lightning damage charger, very high in lightning damage, but when you use this skill, monsters near you just get hit by the Nova OR the combo bolts! lightning damage from above 80k are possible.Points to Spend: 60
Blades of Ice (BoI) 
One of the main skills - because it takes away all immunities from non-cold-immune monsters - a great bonus for us! As result all monsters within 3.3 yards radius loose their immunities.Points to Spend: 1 or 60 (I Think, an amount of 1-20 is ok, rest isn't efficient.)
Phoenix Strike (Phx)
One of our element charger, expecially for freezing, and dealing Ice damage. It has 3 charge-up-steps, which do not trigger at the same time - so just one charge at each time. The 1st charge is Meteor, 2nd charge is Chaos Chainlightning, 3rd charge are Chaos Icebolts. This skill has a good damage, but its pretty difficult to handle.Points to spend: 60. Because its the synergy for BoI, CoT and FoF.
Dragon Tail (DT)
Dragon Tail is a very strong kick with an area-of-effect explosion (3.3 yards). It converts some damage of the physical kick damage into firedamage. See here (Guide in German)Points to Spend: 1 or 60 - use just on personal taste or if you got enough points to spend. It's the strongest attack of the Assassin.
Dragon Claw (DC)
Dragon Claw, a two weapon based attack. Low screen damage, but nice release triggereffects. see this Guide (German Guide).Points to Spend: 60. Our Main Attack next to WW.
Points to spend: 240-360 (DT & BoI
)
Shadow DisciplinesVenom Max
The assasins secret venom - pushes the poison dmg and is a great damage-pusher...The poison damage got a length of 10 frames and with a good equip you can gain up to ~30k damage from this skill.Points to Spend: 60
Psychic Hammer (PH)
Our synergy to Venom.Points to spend: 60
Clawmastery (CM)
Same way of effect like the Barbarian Weapon Masterys. See it here: Claw MasteryPoints to spend: 60
Burst of speed (BoS)
As its name says - it bursts our speed - so increased IAS and runspeed for our small assasin. In addition it can be used together with venom - but not with fade.Points to Spend: 1-20. More are useless.
Shadow Warrior (SW)
Our blockers and freezers. More details in the Gameplay section.Points to Spend: 60
Chapter III - ItemsAt this point of playing the char i just got a vague idea of her equipment -but of course we need the Dragon Storm Runeword - else we won't have whirlwind - and our assasin is supposed to be a whirlwind-assasin. But lets have a look....
Weapons
Dragon Storm(Claws)Dam Skil Dex
+410-510% Enhanced Damage
+0,375-187,5 Maximum Damage (Based On Character Level)
+60-70% Increased Attack Speed
+0.25-175% Enhanced Maximum Damage (Based On Character Level)
+2-3 Whirlwind
+2-3 to Assassin Skill Levels
15% Chance to Cast Level 60 Frozen Orb on Striking
This runeword, gives us the Oskill Whirlwind, so our little Assassin can do the Dance of Death, whirling and swinging through hordes of demons an Undeads to cut them to little pretty dices.
2nd Weaponset:
Venom BladeScissors Quhab
One-Hand Damage:
38-80 to 47-100Hand to Hand 2-class, Normal Attack Speed (-0)
Durability: 136
Itemlevel: 400
Required Level: 399
Required Strength: 328
Required Dexterity: 328
+ 5-7 to Venom(Assassin Only)
+ 75-175 % to Poison Skill Damage
+ 2-4 to Assassin Skill Levels
+3-4 to Martial Arts
2-3 x Socketed
+ 100-150 % Enhanced damage
+ 10-20 % Chance of Crushing Blow Venomblades are our Venom precast Weapons, take a look on the 75-175% Poison damage *gg*. so we can greatly increase the venom damage, from about 10k (on lvl 60 with full syn) over more than 30k! which means, every frame deals 3k poison damage!!! The Strongest passive skill in Snej.
Helmet:
aN EviL FoRcEDiadem
Defense: 950-1000
Durability: 40
Itemlevel: 450
Required Level: 450
Required Strength: 0
+ 3-6 to All Skills
+ 800-820 Defense
+ 37 % Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (Based on Character Level)
All Resistances +40-50 %
8-10 % to Maximum Fire Resist
8-10 % to Maximum Lightning Resist
8-10 % to Maximum Cold Resist
8-10 % to Maximum Poison Resist
+ 20-40 % Faster Cast Rate
+ 20-40 % Increased Attack Speed
+ 20-40 % Faster Hit Recovery Alternative:
Glorification of CreationDiadem
Defense: 525-630
Durability: 40
Itemlevel: 450
Required Level: 460
Required Strength: 0
+ 200-300 Kick Damage
+ 4-6 to All Skills
+ 150 to Life (Based on Character Level)
+ 150 to Mana (Based on Character Level)
All Resistances +30-50 %
Level 4-7 Redemption Aura When Equipped
0-2 x Socketed
Adds 200-300 damage
+ 200-300 to Minimum Damage
200 Charges of Level 123 Teleport
150 Charges of Level 45 Death Sentry
+ 250 % Enhanced Defense (Based on Character Level)
What would be the best helm for our little princess of violence? I Thougth the eviL Force would be nice, but after discussing with Dark_Jedi, i removed my mind over it. I Think the Glorification of Creation is the best helmet für her, see the minimum damage, the + Damage, life and mana, resistances and as little extra, nice kickdamage when we use DT.
Other possibilitys: Curse of the Hydra (If you have on SP, the old version, on Realm the changed version. +3 to Whirlwind pushes up our skill.), A Craftet max damage helmet, best with 2 or 3 Skills and 2 sockets.
Boots:
At first, there we have some options to choose what we want to wear...
AlternativeViz-Jaq'taar Boots
Defense: 132-220
Kick Damage: 80-130
Durability: 35
Itemlevel: 400
Required Level: 420
Required Strength: 600
+ 2-3 to Assassin Skill Levels
+2-3 to Martial Arts
+ 3-5 to Phoenix Strike(Assassin Only)
+ 33-44 Kick Damage
+ 30 % Faster Run/Walk
- 10 % to Enemy Fire Resistance
- 10 % to Enemy Cold Resistance
- 10 % to Enemy Lightning Resistance
All Resistances +15 %
+ 500-1200 Defense vs. Missile Dien Ap Sten´s SeductionSharkskin Boots
Defense: 499-517
Kick Damage: 28-50
Durability: 28
Itemlevel: 300
Required Level: 300
Required Strength: 188
2-3 x Socketed
+ 2 to All Skills
+1-4 to Offensive Auras
+1-4 to Summoning Skills
-100 Replenish Life
15% Chance to cast level 33 Amplify Damage on striking
+ 400 Defense
Level 20 Sanctuary Aura When Equipped
Poison(Knife, Claws,Assassin Boots)Oisl Thi
+1 to Necromancer Skill Levels
+1 to Druid Skill Levels
+1 to Assassin Skill Levels
+20-30% to Poison Skill Damage
Poison Length Reduced by 75%
25-30% Faster Cast Rate
Knockback
Dream of Every Caster(Boot)Fac Skil Gy Ty
Level 3-10 Conviction Aura when equipt
+2-3 to All Skills
Cannot be Frozen
20-30% Faster Cast Rate
Increase Maximum Mana 10-25%
We need two pairs of boots. One of them is Poison RW socket in 6 Shadow Disciplines 3 Venom boots, to push up venom, our precast boots. the next is one of the 3 boots: DoeC, Alternative and Dien Ap. all 3 has some advantages and handicaps. It sounds Crazy, but i Prefer the Dream of Every Caster boots, cause they have many skills, cnbf and mana. why i don't listet up the elven shoes? They are to mainstream ^^, no just a joke, avoid and dodge are bad for us, it interupts the Whirling sequence (Animation walks through, but deals no damage), and what happens when we have vigor and BoS? Right, we're fast as lightning, and gets one rollback after another. No thanks.
Gloves:
Here we have two Options. Immunitys or Royal grip. see the stats of em below.
ImmunityCrusader Gauntlets
Defense: 230-326
Durability: 36
Itemlevel: 404
Required Level: 399
Required Strength: 604
Damage Reduced by 500
Magic Damage Reduced by 500
Damage Reduced by 30-40 %
+ 30-60 % Enhanced Defense
All Resistances +25-40 %
+ 30-45 % Magic Resist
+ 20 % to Maximum Magic Resist
20-20 % to Maximum Fire Resist
20-20 % to Maximum Lightning Resist
20-20 % to Maximum Cold Resist
20-20 % to Maximum Poison Resist
+ 33 Piercing Attack Royal Grip(Glove)Ength Gy Dex Ty
+0,5-250 to Strength (Based On Character Level)
+0,5-250 to Vitality (Based On Character Level)
+0,5-250 to Dexterity (Based On Character Level)
+0,5-250 to Energy (Based On Character Level)
10% Chance to Cast Level 20 Static Field on Striking
+15-35% Increased Attack Speed
5-10% Chance of a Crushing Blow
With Immunitys, we're so dogged like a Barbarian, nearly every monster deals only a small amount of damage. The Defensive choice.
With Royal Grip, we're so deadly like an Assassin (xD), see the stats, we have CB, static as Trigger, many stats and a damn huge amount of IAS. The Offensive choice.
Here i have to say, i must test it, whats better... i think it will be Immunitys, but its at the moment untested.
Belt:
At this point its very difficult to choose that we can use... we have many options, based on that fact, i decided to post only the names of the Items (Runeworde gets the link to em).
Ring of eviL
Great WarriorMoscito VortexSplendour BeltThe Amphiearena
Better with Kills
and some set Belts too
You see, at this point i'm unsure what i want to use, there are some nice belts... i decide later ^^
Armor:
Same like the belts, at the moment i don't take a mind on it, it comes later, when my Assa is grown up :]
Rings, Amulets & Inventory:
see above to Armors, same here. comes later.
Pictures:
Act I Normal done.
Details to Act I:
The start was very difficult, cuz i spended all my points into str and dex, to wear the set: The Power of Trigger Effects till level ~73, after reachging this level, i used the Lightshow belt, its very easy now to kill my enemys, at the moment, i'm skilling the shadows, just as Damage dealers and as my blockers. Andy still dies in about 15 seconds xDAct II and III done
Details to Act II:
All enemys are dying so fast like lightning... but even this element hurts most in Act II. Durial was stillt 20 seconds Alive, and has killed my merc... - Die Drecksau! (just a little german Joke)
Details to Act III:
Only one thing was a bit difficult: Find the right way through the jungle ^^. Mephi was a very good fight, i used up all my pots. But, i'm done. He's Dead like his son :]
Now Diablo waits in his cold Home for my visit. i think, i'll burn down his throne.
Details to Act IV:
The run through the burning hells was easy to handly, at first i don't wanted to kill izual... but he stands in my way, now he's dead. On my way to the Hell Forge, i found a throwing Knife, and i thought, nice, would be usefull. and it was. Hehe, damn IM casters didn't IM me, they're dead before.
Diablo was a bit stronger than Mephi, but now he is gone.
Details to Act V:
I Started with Level 160. After Reaching the Friged Highlands Waypoint, i was level 169 ^^. When i arrived in Baals Throne Chamber, i was level 226. Now i'm on Nightmare. Lets see how difficult it will be.
