Assassin

The Assassin arrived with the Tideborn race in the Rising Tide expansion of December 2009. He is a close-range fighter who uses daggers only. In his critical-hit form he out-damages most classes, he dodges well, and his stealth makes him feared on any battlefield. His HP is lower than that of other melee fighters, though, so in group fights he has to control how much attention he draws.

Like other Tideborn he has a mermaid-like tidal form, and at endgame he can use Hit Charges. Lore says the class was born in the ancient war between the Tideborn and the Nightspike tribe: soldiers who live by stealth and deception, study anatomy and always aim for vital points.

Most Assassin skills need daggers, which have low minimum and high maximum damage, medium to faster speed and short range. Light Armor suits the class's high Dexterity; Heavy Armor is not viable because its Strength requirement adds nothing to an Assassin's damage. Two builds are common:

• APS (attacks per second): daggers and gear with reduced attack interval, even when that means lower defense, such as speed-focused ornaments.
• DPH (damage per hit): attack levels and Dexterity, usually from Rank 9 gear; it can far outperform a speed build but costs much more to get and upgrade.

Early levels are tough: he fights in melee range in light armor, so before level 89 he leans on defensive buffs and on meditation, potions and charms to recover. Pulling one monster at a time matters, and a genie with the Earthflame skill helps. From level 89 things change: high Dexterity raises his critical rate, he can triple spark, and the Sage or Demon version of Bloodpaint heals him. With good, refined and well-socketed gear he becomes very strong both solo and in squads.

One-on-one, the Assassin is among the best thanks to his critical skills and solid defenses. Being surrounded is his great weakness, so he prefers picking off players one by one, ideally where only one or two opponents of similar level are around. Other classes fear his stun-locks, and his tidal buff often cancels their debuffs.

In Territory Wars he works best unseen: hiding behind allies, striking enemies who are busy elsewhere, then vanishing again. He is often sent after healers such as Clerics and Mystics. Detection Potions can reveal him, so a higher level, and with it a higher stealth level, matters; by level 105 most players can no longer see him in stealth. Channeled area attacks from Seekers, Archers and Stormbringers are a danger.