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PvP WW/Kick/Stun Assassin ---- v. 2.0
PvP WW/Kick/Stun Assassin Guide
INTRODUCTION
This build combines all of the best aspects of the PvP assassin kicker and the PvP assassin ww builds in a solid dueling framework. It uses teleport for its primary movement with tactical use of dragon flight in on-screen situations. It uses stun supplied by level 1 traps and level 40+ mindblast.
Most of this guide is about tactics and strategy. Items are items and we all know how important they are. I assume the people I duel have good items. Once we are on this semi-level playing field, we can focus on technique. Good items are critical but you can't simply spend your way to winning with this dueler.
This guide assumes you have familiarity with assassins. If you have never played a ww sin before or a kicker or at least a trapper, don’t start here. You’ll become frustrated. Play the more common variants first. Get good at kickers, then try WW, then try trapping some. That will get you the basics for making this build work for you. Note, I’m not posting all the hit recovery, fast cast rate or ias charts. If you’ve never had to look them up before or you don’t know that trapping is tied to ias and mindblast is tied to fast cast rate, then this isn’t the guide you should be looking at.
This is the best PvP assassin type you can play for 1 vs. 1 duels when you are decked out. It’s better 1 on 1 than a trapper, though a trapper is better in a team. This assassin style is better than a pure “ghost†ww variant.
Note: This build is not cheap. Further, it is very complex to play and hard to master, especially with timing of attacks and hotkey use. I will provide cheap(er) alternatives to expensive equipment whenever possible, but the use of high level rune words, certain equipment, and decent charms is a must. There is no way around it. You also won't be "owning" a week after you make your assassin. I've played this build over two ladders now, always improving it. If you aren't willing to put in the time practicing and getting better, and losing in the beginning, you'll quit in frustration. Heck, I even quit myself a few times. Finally, this is not a good build if you’re on dial-up.
I consider this the single most demanding PvP build you can play. I’ve played just about every style of dueler out there at one time or another going back to the beta. Nothing has come close, in my mind, to the complexity of making this build function well. As a result, I find it endlessly interesting and fun. Much more so than playing a trapper or a bone nec or a smiter or a ww barb or any type of sorc.
BUILD GOALS (what we MUST accomplish)
1. 7/3/3/3 kick speed with 4 kicks (after battle command from CTA) (Or 3 kicks, see below)
2. Final breakpoint whirlwind speed of 4 frames
3. 9 frame trap laying speed
4. 65 fast-cast breakpoint for teleport and mindblast
5. High open wounds when need demands
6. Massive venom damage, within constraints of equipment
7. Largely a vitality build, to the extent possible.
8. 60% claw block
9. Max resistance in hell AFTER the Anya quest
10. 86 FHR BP when needed w/o loss of other important stats
11. 50% physical damage reduction
12. Enough mana to allow fairly continuous teleport, trapping, mindblasting, and whirlwinding
13. Enough attack rating to hit well.
These goals help us to define equipment as well as skill and stat point distribution.
Note on mana:
My assassin has anywhere from 775 to 850 mana, depending on my set-up. This is plenty for 98% of my duels. Most people, however, will not have the mana levels I get.
I recommend using mana pots. This recommendation will annoy some people, people who feel that there is an imaginary set of rules binding all people who do PvP. These advocates of the mystical “Diablo-Force-that-Binds-Us-All†will claim that using mana pots is “BMâ€. Yet they will be unable to point to the official "rule" which lays out exactly why mana pots should be off-limits, or indeed where any such rules even exist at all. In fact, when pressed, every one of them will have their own personal definition of “BMâ€, with few actually agreeing across the board. “BM†is arbitrary folks, and depends entirely on the perspective of the person trying to enforce it.
If you play in a league, and the league bans mana pots, then don’t use them. I don’t advocate breaking any rules or cheating in any way. However, 99% of the dueling in 1.10 occurs in pubs now. And in pubs, almost everyone uses mana pots. Indeed, certain builds like wind druids REQUIRE mana pots. I assume that everyone uses them. It just makes things easier. If you are dueling a defensive necro who teleports continuously and spams bone spirit for 3 minutes, you can bet your behind he’s potting like mad. Dueling a windy? They are mana potting. Dueling a BvC barb? Mana please. If I were to complain, it would be pointless and make me look like an amateur.
NOTE: I do NOT advocate using life pots or rejuvs. About the only universal rules that people SORT of agree on are with respect to life potting, NKing and guarding. Even these rules aren’t universal, as there are plenty of clans that play “BM†among themselves because they seem to enjoy it. I’m not here to judge anyone. My personal policy is not to life pot or rejuv. When I duel people who do, I either ask them to unhostile or assume that anything goes and behave accordingly. If someone keeps life potting on you, just MB them while they are dueling other people and eventually they will unhostile you.
I carry mana pots but rarely if ever have to use them. My build does NOT require mana pots. But you had better be prepared to shell out for charms if you don’t want to use them.
I say again: This build does NOT require mana pots.
PvP WW/Kick/Stun Assassin Guide
INTRODUCTION
This build combines all of the best aspects of the PvP assassin kicker and the PvP assassin ww builds in a solid dueling framework. It uses teleport for its primary movement with tactical use of dragon flight in on-screen situations. It uses stun supplied by level 1 traps and level 40+ mindblast.
Most of this guide is about tactics and strategy. Items are items and we all know how important they are. I assume the people I duel have good items. Once we are on this semi-level playing field, we can focus on technique. Good items are critical but you can't simply spend your way to winning with this dueler.
This guide assumes you have familiarity with assassins. If you have never played a ww sin before or a kicker or at least a trapper, don’t start here. You’ll become frustrated. Play the more common variants first. Get good at kickers, then try WW, then try trapping some. That will get you the basics for making this build work for you. Note, I’m not posting all the hit recovery, fast cast rate or ias charts. If you’ve never had to look them up before or you don’t know that trapping is tied to ias and mindblast is tied to fast cast rate, then this isn’t the guide you should be looking at.
This is the best PvP assassin type you can play for 1 vs. 1 duels when you are decked out. It’s better 1 on 1 than a trapper, though a trapper is better in a team. This assassin style is better than a pure “ghost†ww variant.
Note: This build is not cheap. Further, it is very complex to play and hard to master, especially with timing of attacks and hotkey use. I will provide cheap(er) alternatives to expensive equipment whenever possible, but the use of high level rune words, certain equipment, and decent charms is a must. There is no way around it. You also won't be "owning" a week after you make your assassin. I've played this build over two ladders now, always improving it. If you aren't willing to put in the time practicing and getting better, and losing in the beginning, you'll quit in frustration. Heck, I even quit myself a few times. Finally, this is not a good build if you’re on dial-up.
I consider this the single most demanding PvP build you can play. I’ve played just about every style of dueler out there at one time or another going back to the beta. Nothing has come close, in my mind, to the complexity of making this build function well. As a result, I find it endlessly interesting and fun. Much more so than playing a trapper or a bone nec or a smiter or a ww barb or any type of sorc.
BUILD GOALS (what we MUST accomplish)
1. 7/3/3/3 kick speed with 4 kicks (after battle command from CTA) (Or 3 kicks, see below)
2. Final breakpoint whirlwind speed of 4 frames
3. 9 frame trap laying speed
4. 65 fast-cast breakpoint for teleport and mindblast
5. High open wounds when need demands
6. Massive venom damage, within constraints of equipment
7. Largely a vitality build, to the extent possible.
8. 60% claw block
9. Max resistance in hell AFTER the Anya quest
10. 86 FHR BP when needed w/o loss of other important stats
11. 50% physical damage reduction
12. Enough mana to allow fairly continuous teleport, trapping, mindblasting, and whirlwinding
13. Enough attack rating to hit well.
These goals help us to define equipment as well as skill and stat point distribution.
Note on mana:
My assassin has anywhere from 775 to 850 mana, depending on my set-up. This is plenty for 98% of my duels. Most people, however, will not have the mana levels I get.
I recommend using mana pots. This recommendation will annoy some people, people who feel that there is an imaginary set of rules binding all people who do PvP. These advocates of the mystical “Diablo-Force-that-Binds-Us-All†will claim that using mana pots is “BMâ€. Yet they will be unable to point to the official "rule" which lays out exactly why mana pots should be off-limits, or indeed where any such rules even exist at all. In fact, when pressed, every one of them will have their own personal definition of “BMâ€, with few actually agreeing across the board. “BM†is arbitrary folks, and depends entirely on the perspective of the person trying to enforce it.
If you play in a league, and the league bans mana pots, then don’t use them. I don’t advocate breaking any rules or cheating in any way. However, 99% of the dueling in 1.10 occurs in pubs now. And in pubs, almost everyone uses mana pots. Indeed, certain builds like wind druids REQUIRE mana pots. I assume that everyone uses them. It just makes things easier. If you are dueling a defensive necro who teleports continuously and spams bone spirit for 3 minutes, you can bet your behind he’s potting like mad. Dueling a windy? They are mana potting. Dueling a BvC barb? Mana please. If I were to complain, it would be pointless and make me look like an amateur.
NOTE: I do NOT advocate using life pots or rejuvs. About the only universal rules that people SORT of agree on are with respect to life potting, NKing and guarding. Even these rules aren’t universal, as there are plenty of clans that play “BM†among themselves because they seem to enjoy it. I’m not here to judge anyone. My personal policy is not to life pot or rejuv. When I duel people who do, I either ask them to unhostile or assume that anything goes and behave accordingly. If someone keeps life potting on you, just MB them while they are dueling other people and eventually they will unhostile you.
I carry mana pots but rarely if ever have to use them. My build does NOT require mana pots. But you had better be prepared to shell out for charms if you don’t want to use them.
I say again: This build does NOT require mana pots.