Assassin FAQ

Introduction

The Assassin class is unlike any other character class for Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction. It is the only class that is a "hybrid" build by nature to be successful, frequently relying on skills from all three Skill trees for maximum effectiveness in both PvM play and PvP play. The most powerful minion of the game, the Shadow Master, is also an Assassin skill. Playing an Assassin requires guile, cunning, and agile fingers to manipulate the hotkeys for maximum effectiveness.

Basic Terms and Abbreviations

AoE: Area of Effect
AR: Attack Rating
BoI: Blades of Ice
BoS: Burst of Speed
BF: Blade Fury
C/C: Claw/Claw (dual wielding claws)
C/S: Claw/Shield (using a claw and a shield)
CoS: Cloak of Shadows
CoT: Claws of Thunder
CS: Cobra Strike
DC: Dragon Claw
DEF: Defense Rating
DF: Dragon Flight
DR: Damage Reduced (a mod on items)
DTalon: Dragon Talon
DS: Death Sentry
DTail: Dragon Tail
EIAS: Effective Increased Attack Speed
ED: Enhanced Damage
FoF: Fists of Fire
IAS: Increased Attack Speed
LS: Lightning Sentry
MA: Martial Arts, usually referring to the Martial Arts skill tree
MDR: Magic Damage Reduced (a mod on items)
Nat's: Natalya's Odium (the assassin set)
PS: Phoenix Strike
PvM: Player Vs. Monster
PvP: Player Vs. Player
SD: Shadow Discipline Skill tree
SLVL: Skill Level
SM: Shadow Master
SW: Shadow Warrior
TS: Tiger strike
WoF: Wake of Fire
WoI: Wake of Inferno
WB: Weapon Block
CSS: Cruel Scissors Suwayyah
CSSQ: Cruel Scissors Suwayyah of Quickness
CSSE: Cruel Scissors Suwayyah of Evisceration

Misc/Item FAQs

What claw do I use when determining the WSM Kicks use, when C/C?

Use your right-hand claw's WSM (the left weapon slot in the Inventory screen).

What mods work on the Blade skills and Kicks?

For Blade Sentinel (main claw only: i.e. the claw you equip first or the one that's left behind if you unequip one. Shields transfer their effects normally)

What works

Deadly Strike

Elemental damage/Venom (3/8)

Physical/Weapon damage (3/8)

Pierce Target (natural)

Prevent Monster Heal

What doesn't work

Hit Causes Monster to Flee

Hit Freezes Target

Open Wounds

Hit Slows Target

KnockBack

Hit Blinds Target

Crushing Blow

Chance to cast on Striking

For Blade Fury (main claw only: i.e. the claw you equip first or the one that's left behind if you unequip one. Shields transfer their effects normally)

What works

Ignore Target Defense

Deadly Strike/Critical Strike from Claw Mastery

Crushing Blow

Hit Causes Monster to Flee

Knockback

Chance to cast on Striking

Hit Freezes Target

Elemental Damage/Venom (3/4)

Leech

Open Wounds

Hit Blinds Target

Prevent Monster Heal

Hit Slows Target

Physical/Weapon Damage (3/4)

What doesn't work

Chance to cast on Attacking

Pierce Target

For Blade Shield (main claw only: i.e. the claw you equip first or the one that's left behind if you unequip one. Shields transfer their effects normally)

What works

Deadly Strike

Elemental Damage/Venom (1/4)

Leech

Physical/Weapon Damage (1/4)

What doesn't work

Open Wounds

Crushing Blow

Hit Causes Monster to Flee

KnockBack

Hit Freezes Target

Chance to Cast on Striking

Pierce Target

For Kicks (main claw only: i.e. the claw you equip first or the one that's left behind if you unequip one. Shields transfer their effects normally)

What works

Leech (both from equipment and CS)

Elemental Damage/Venom (note: Venom is only applied on the monster you target DTail on, not the AoE. However, elemental damage on equipment is added onto the AoE. Elemental damage/Venom is applied on every kick of DTalon, and on DF)

Crushing Blow

Open Wounds

Prevent Monster Heal

Chance to Cast on Striking

Hit Causes Monster to Flee

Ignore Target Defense

Hit Blinds Target

Hit Slows Target

Hit Freezes Target

Chance to Cast on Attacking

KnockBack (natural)

What doesn't work

Weapon damage

Pierce Target

Deadly Strike (includes Critical Strike from Claw Mastery)

Hit Recovery, Cast Rate, and Attack Speed Breaks

Hit Recovery Frame Rates

0% - 9 frames

7% - 8 frames

15% - 7 frames

27% - 6 frames

48% - 5 frames

86% - 4 frames

200% - 3 frames

4680% - 2 frames

Faster Cast Frame Rates

0% - 16 frames

8% - 15 frames

16% - 14 frames

27% - 13 frames

42% - 12 frames

65% - 11 frames

102% - 10 frames

174% - 9 frames

Block Frame Rates (applicable for both Shield block and WB)

0% - 5 frames

13% - 4 frames

32% - 3 frames

86% - 2 frames

600% - 1 frame

Faster Attack Frames Rates

Refer to Appendix A. Fuzzbox/Lunatic's Assassin Claw/Shield and Claw/Claw Increased Attack Speed [IAS] Breakpoints with Burst of Speed.