Assassin Triumvirate

@Miron The plan is to make three distinct MA assassins preferably with no traps. The first is a TS/DT build, the second is a PS using Nat's full set. For the third I wanted something that focused on different skills. I'm heavily leaning towards an aggressin, which got me to thinking about being able to increase poison damage to improve Venom even though its a shadow skill, hence all the research.

I hold the probability of finding a good pair of assassin gloves with the Poison Dagger charge at near zero. After all, for the last 2 years I've gambled every spare gold trying to find a better Life everlasting circlet without even coming close to what I have. I've started gambling gloves (still need a pair of +2MA + 20%IAS) and after about 5 million gold found another pair with the Level 4 poison dagger charge. Do I plan on really going the Poison dagger route? No, but I do plan on a little experimentation with the pair of gloves I found.
 
@LouB I can offer this item for some experiments:

Dire Hew
Blade
One-Hand Damage: 15 to 56
Durability: 13 of 13
Required Dexterity: 41
Required Strength: 25
Required Level: 39
Dagger Class - Fast Attack Speed
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 81
Fingerprint: 0x474a4270
+159% Enhanced Damage
+228 to Attack Rating
4% Life stolen per hit
Level 6 Poison Dagger (73/105 Charges)
Repairs 1 durability in 33 seconds
Ethereal (Cannot be Repaired)

I guess this link might also help
 
@snickersnack HMM, I hadn't thought about lower resists. Cast cloak, switch to a wand, cast LR and switch back to main weapon. Now if I had a couple of Cham runes sitting around I'd have my third build.

the list of runewords needs to have Plague added to it. You can find the data using the runeword calculator, it just isn't linked to the list of runewords.
Yeah, it's more than a bit weird to me that there isn't an official update to the arreat summit. There are lists online and some have filters.
 
@Miron Thanks for the offer. While that level 6 beats my level 4, I'm going to go with Blackbog's Sharp. I don't get to utilize those Necro skills, but the other stats are really nice especially the 488 poison damage over 10 Seconds

Blackbog's Sharp
Cinquedeas
One-Hand Damage: 30 To 76 (53 Avg)
Required Level 38
Required Strength: 25
Required Dexterity: 88
Durability: 24
Base Weapon Speed: [-20]
+488 Poison Damage Over 10 Seconds
Adds 15-45 Damage
30% Increased Attack Speed
Slows Target By 50%
+50 Defense
+4 To Poison Nova (Necromancer Only)
+4 To Poison Explosion (Necromancer Only)
+5 To Poison Dagger (Necromancer Only)
 
Well this idea is officially dead. and it didn't take long to figure it out. Hell Act 1 at players 1 and stuff dies slowly and you can watch the life bar slowly moving. However, I think that the Merc (a Rogue) with no equipment killed faster.

The show stopper is with the charges. There is no timer associated with Poison Dagger. Rather each strike with the dagger uses up a charge. Since the gloves only have 30 charges that means you get 30 hits before you have to repair the gloves. Cost 66k gold to repair all 30 charges. I used to whine about having to repair throwing axes on a Throw Barb in 1.10, but I don't have the patience for this.
 
Time for an update. First, I decided to name the three Heather, Beth and Paige after my own personal assassin Triumvirate (um, I mean daughters).

Heather, the TS/DTail, has completed Normal with absolutely no problems. Since I've never played an MA sin before I elected not to go the speed leveling route. Untwinked to level 12 then added Angelic amulet, ring and armor, Death sash and gloves, Biggin's Bonnet and as soon as possible dual three socket claws filled with Jewels of Envy. I used Dragon claw till I got to level 18 and then started using DT.

At level 23 I made two Pattern claws, one was superior and gave me 85% ED. Made a number of equipment changes at level 30 and at level 33 I equiped this as my main claw

Doom Fist
Greater Claws
One Hand Damage: 47 - 104
Durability: 52 of 52
Required Level: 33
Required Strength: 76
Required Dexterity: 76
Fingerprint: 0xdce402a9
Item Level: 77
Version: Resurrected
165% Enhanced Damage
+6 to Maximum Damage
+241 to Attack Rating
5% Life stolen per hit
+1 to Venom (Assassin Only)
+3 to Death Sentry (Assassin Only)

This claw also gave me a chance to try Venom.

At level 43 I equipped Lawbringer in a superior Dimensional Blade. I had originally made it for a Frenzy Merc and didn't think much about it till I had to repair it, 6106 gold per durability point! At level 44 switched to a Divine Scepter which is faster and only costs 199 gold per durability point.

Finished Normal at level 48 and I think it was the fastest I ever killed Baal.

Best find is a rare level 16 Scisors Katar with 6% life and Mana leach, knockback 10% cold resists and 2 sockets.
 
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Beth, the Phoenix Striker has finished Normal. Low level PS isn't great, but I did it for a while to get a feel for getting the charge to the level desired. Followed about the same leveling process as Heather except that at level 41 equipped Lionheart and at 42 dual Bartuc's.

It took a while to kill Diablo, but Baal went down quickly. Again finished at level 48.

Best find a Tal Rasha's Adjudication amulet. I can't remember ever finding a required level 67 item in Normal.
 
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Paige, The Aggressin has finished Normal at level 48.

To change things up I made and used Lore, Cure and Smoke Runewords. Also, equipped Trang's Claw at level 45 to improve Venom damage. Switched to a frenzy barb Merc once I reached Act 5 and he is using Lawbringer and for now Voice of Reason.

Initially, I was going to try and go with no charges AND no traps. However, that means no area damage at all. So, I've decided to go with traps to provide some area damage.
 
Nice progress! Can't wait to see the finished products and hear the comparisons between them.

With Mosaic you don't have to wait for the charges to despawn, you can quickly release them with your weapon switch.
 
@thefranklin I'm not going to use Mosaics on this build and will probably forget your tip by the time I do use them.

One of the reasons I'm running each through Normal and then Nightmare and then Hell is so that I can make comparisons as I go.

In terms of killing Normal Diablo (high 30s level) the Phoenix Striker was the slowest by far and was the only one that needed purple pots. However, by the time they got around to Killing Baal (level 48) all three demolished him very quickly.

The Aggressin lacks any area of effect damage at this point and while she kills very quickly she has to attack almost every monster as an individual target. Hence my decision to go with Death Sentry once the basic build is completed.

For those that are interested here is how each looked at the end of Normal (level 48 for all three)

Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
Strength
107/150​
101/166​
93/133​
Dexterity
107/137​
84/158​
87/147​
Vitality
71/101​
90/110​
75/75​
Unspent points
15​
25​
45​

Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
Assassin Type
TS/DTail​
Phoenix Striker​
Aggressin​
Claw Mastery
1​
1​
11​
Psychic Hammer
1​
1​
1​
Burst of Speed
1​
1​
1​
Cloak of Shadows
1​
1​
1​
Fade
1​
1​
1​
Mind Blast
0​
1​
0​
Venom
2​
0​
13​
Tiger Strike
20​
1​
0​
Dragon Talon
1​
1​
1​
Fists of Fire
0​
5​
0​
Dragon Claw
1​
1​
20​
Cobra Strike
1​
1​
0​
Claws of Thunder
0​
20​
0​
Dragon Tail
20​
1​
1​
Blades of Ice
0​
1​
0​
Dragon Wing
1​
1​
1​
Phoenix Strike
0​
13​
0​
Death Sentry
0​
0​
0​

Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
HelmRare +1 AssassinRare +1 AssassinLore Circlet
ArmorDuress Mage PlateLionheart SharktoothSmoke Mage Plate
GlovesRare +2 MA/20%IASRare +2 MA/20%IASTrang’s
BeltThundergod’sString of EarsString of Ears
BootsWar TravelerNatalya”sNatalya’s
WeaponLawbringer Divine ScepterBartuc’sBartuc’s
Off-handLidless WallBartuc’sBartuc’s
AmuletThe Eye of EtlichThe Eye of EtlichRare +1 MA
Ring 1Raven FrostRaven FrostRaven Frost
Ring 2Manald HealManald HealManald Heal
SwitchNothingNothingNothing
SPOILER="Mercs"]
Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
ClassRogueIron WolfFrenzy Barb
HelmBiggin’sBiggin’sCure
ArmorArtic FursSkin of the VipermagiShaftstop
weaponArtic HornSpiritLawbringer
Off-handWall of the EyelessVoice of Reason
[/SPOILER]
Heather will be switching to a Holy Freeze Desert Warrior once she gets to Nightmare Act 2

Best Looking - Beth wearing Lionheart in Sharktooth Armor
1707959437899.png
 
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Heather has finished Nightmare just shy of level 75, so I had her clear the Den of Evil in Hell to get to level 75. With a little charm tweaking, I've got her set up for Hell and she can't wait for her sisters to get here.

Even with the Merc wielding Infinity, I did run into two Fire Immunes in lAct 5 and it just took a little wacking for them to go down. One of them was Korlic , but the other two ancients went down quietly and Korlic soon followed. Running into the FI did help me to decide how to spend the extra skill points I'd racked up once I'd maxed Venom. I'm going to go with a Dragon Talon setup using Stormlash and l've also put some extra points into Burst of speed.

I've decided that I want to get her Magic Find over 200 so I upped the War Travelers into Mirrored boots and will put a PTopaz in the helm.

Upping the boots also helped with her damage not that she needed it! This is the first character that I've had with an LCS max damage of 12k and that without Decrepify from Lawbringer and the Conviction from the Merc's Infinity.

1708875006006.png
 
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Beth, the Phoenix Striker has made it through Nightmare and has reached level 75. Overall, the TS/DT build is far superior to the Phoenix Striker build through Nightmare. I got so fed up with Phoenix Striker that I switched back to Claws of Thunder for the charges as it seemed to kill faster.

I found Heather more fun than Beth as she fits my playstyle better. She does so much damage and with the knockback from Dragon Tail that you can run up to most groups and just wail away, while Beth is more the edge fighter.

Natalya’s set will be nice once I get to level 79 and equip all 4 pieces, but before that not so much. Other than the boots I don’t see any point in equipping the helm and armor when you reach the required level. I did equip the helm at level 59 and took a hit in damage, but at level 70 decided not to equip the Armor till I could also equip the claw.

I’ve been using a Cold Iron Wolf merc since reaching Act 3 in Normal and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by him. He doesn’t die very often and his freezing of monsters is a help. I thought I might have problems in the tombs in Act 2, but they were easy. Cast cloak of Shadows, open the door, and start killing stuff. He’s been wearing a Cure helm, but I will be switching to Nightwing’s Veil in Hell.

The biggest problem with Beth was the three very stupid deaths it took me to adjust my play style to work the edges instead of going directly for the boss. The first was in the bloody moor, instead of remembering that I was playing with a character just entering Nightmare I played as if she had just killed Baal and ran up to a group and started whacking away. No knockback and boom dead. The rest of Acts 1, 2 and 3 were no problem though. Act 4 was also smooth sailing till I was fighting a Convicted Oblivion knight in the Chaos sanctuary and didn’t notice the Doom knight come up behind me and boom the second death. The third came Arreat Plateau where again I was whacking a boss and another monster came up behind me. The Ancients, minions and Baal were no problems.
 
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Paige, the Aggressin, has also reached Hell at level 75. I’ve switched armor to Fortitude and previously decided to use Trang’s gloves to increase the poison damage. Up to this point she has worn a Lore circlet. Initially, I was going to go with the same rare circlet that Heather wears, but it didn’t generate that much of an increase in damage. So, I’ve decided to bite the cosmetic bullet and go with Guillame’s Face for the Crushing blow and Deadly Strike. I won’t be able to max my resistances in Hell, but they should be acceptable.

All this means that’s 6 skill points that I’ve “lost”, which means I need to either find additional IAS or increase the points in burst of speed. Without the resistances from the circlet, I’ve also got some resistance issues. Thinking through my options I’ve decided to switch some gear around to make her as different from the others as possible.

I’ve also upped a Bartuc’s claw and just about decided to use a 40% ED jewel in it. I’d love to have at a Plague Claw, but don’t have a Cham Rune. Since that is out of reach, I’d like to have a Chaos claw to help with the PIs in Hell, but don’t have an Ohm and need another Vex to cube one. I’ve got three Sur runes, so I’d be happy to make a trade

The Merc surprised me in fighting Diablo. He stood toe to toe and did not die, while it was only Nightmare it’s something I haven’t seen before. He started out with a Lawbringer and a Voice of Reason Dimensional blades. He’s finally been able to move up to Phase Blades and now has a Lawbringer and a Crescent Moon. I liked the freezing that Voice of Reason provided, but Crescent Moon provides more damage and Static.

Overall thoughts at the end of Nightmare:

Heather (TS/DT) is the most powerful and most flexible build. Over 11k max damage, Decrepify from her Lawbringer, Conviction from the Merc, Redemption aura from the shield, easily maxed resistances in Hell, and just over 200MF. Need I say more.

Paige the Agressin is just slightly behind in second. I thought that having no area effect damage would slow her way down, but that wasn’t the case. The 12k+ AR means that she seldom misses. She hasn’t used Death Sentry very often and when used its more for the lightning damage than the CE.

Beth the Phoenix striker is a distant third. Hoping that in Hell she comes into her own once she can equip the full Nat’s set.

I’ve now used the six socket quests to socket two Bartuc’s claws, a Natalya’s claw, a Natalya’s Helm, and a Guillame’s Face. The next will be to socket Nightwing Veil for the Iron Wolf.

Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
Strength
123/274​
104/229​
95/198​
Dexterity
116/198​
88/196​
90/182​
Vitality
201/263 L-1049​
248/306 L-1182​
255/287 L-1196​
Unspent points
0​
0​
0​
Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
HelmRare +2 AssassinNatalya’sGuillame’s Face
ArmorChains of HonorChains of HonorFortitude Archon plate
Gloves+2 MA/10%IAS/MF/Str+2MA/20%IASTrang’s Claws
BeltThundergod’sVerdungo’sNosferatu’s Coil
BootsUpped War TravelerNatalya’sNatalya’s
WeaponLawbringer Phase BladeBartuc’sBartuc’s
Off-handPhoenix Monarch shieldBartuc’sBartuc’s upped
AmuletRare +2 AssassinRare +2 AssassinHighlord’s Wrath
Ring 1Raven FrostRaven FrostRaven Frost
Ring 2Rare w/ll&ML, FR, StrRare w/LL&MLCarrion Wind
SwitchStormlash/StormshieldNone2 +3 shadow claws
/SPOILER]
Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
Assassin Type
TS/DTail​
Phoenix Striker​
Aggressin​
Claw Mastery
1/0​
1/7​
11/9​
Psychic Hammer
1/0​
1/0​
1/0​
Burst of Speed
1/4​
1/0​
1/1​
Cloak of Shadows
1/​
1/0​
1/0​
Fade
1/0​
1/0​
1/0​
Mind Blast
0/0​
1/0​
0/0​
Venom
2/18​
0/0​
13/7​
Tiger Strike
20/0​
1/0​
0/0​
Dragon Talon
1/8​
1/0​
1/0​
Fists of Fire
0/0​
5/15​
0/0​
Dragon Claw
1/0​
1/2​
20/0​
Cobra Strike
1/0​
1/0​
0/0​
Claws of Thunder
0/0​
20/0​
0/0​
Dragon Tail
20/0​
1/0​
1/0​
Blades of Ice
0/0​
1/0​
0/0​
Dragon Wing
1/0​
1/0​
1/0​
Phoenix Strike
0/0​
13/7​
0/0​
Fire Blast
0/0​
0/0​
0/1​
Shock Web
0/0​
0/0​
0/1​
Charge Bolt Sentry
0/0​
0/0​
0/1​
Lightning Sentry
0/0​
0/0​
0/1​
Death Sentry
0/0​
0/0​
0/10​
Heather​
Beth​
Paige​
ClassDesert Warrior HFIron WolfFrenzy Barb
HelmVampire GazeCureArreat’s Face
ArmorFortitudeSkin of the VipermagiFortitude
weaponInfinity Eth ThresherSpiritLawbringer PB
Off-handWall of the EyelessCrescent Moon PB
 
Just a quick update that Heather the TS/DT Assassin has made it through Hell. Details to follow.

1711935788694.png

She made it all the way into the WSK at Players 8 until I got disgusted after her fourth death in Act 5 and switched to Players 5 for the rest of the WSK .

This was the first time I've killed the Hell Ancients at players 8.
 
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