Assassin build help

[Keyboard Weasel]

Assassin build help

Hi all,
I've just started playing d2 again after a long break and have decided to try my hand at assassins.
Read through a couple of guides which seem to focus a lot on Dragon talon/tail or traps and I've kind hit a brick wall with where to develop my assassin further.

Most of the guides I've looked through need some pretty swank equipment that I have no chance of getting early game (ie chaos runeword for WW) and seem more geared towards high level assassins than fresh ones.

I'm at level 11 C/C with my skill points divided between:

3 Dragon claw (primary attack)
3 Claw mastery
2 Burst of speed
1 Dragon talon
1 Psychic Hammer
1 W block

Most of my points have gone to 1Str, 1Dex and 3Vit per level.

I've made a solid trap assassin before and it got a bit dull so I fancy an assassin who can Tank her way through the game.
I quite dig the 2 claw way to go but I don't really know where to take the build.
Is Dragon Claw a good way to go? It costs less mana than the kick and uses the claws rather than boots, and seems to have seamlessly replaced my normal attack.

What skills should I be focusing on next to build a strong tank who can survive in later difficulties?

*edit* This is also PvM due to my lack of internets on my gaming PC

 

[Kijya]

Well pure Dclaw is viable, but not as good as Dtalon for delivering cb etc, both should have death sentry to help clear crowds, otherwise you'll be rather slow.

Otherwise you could try a phoenix striker, close combat chargeup and then release, you don't need chaos to create mayhem if you make on of these. And the different skills all have 3 different releases letting you use a variety of attacks so you don't get bored. Also you can get high life and mana leach from cobra stricke once needed.

 

[Keyboard Weasel]

So you think I should divert all my next points into dragon talon instead then?
Would I be using it instead of a normal attack?

My only worry is that it makes having 2 claws kinda pointless as you won't be using them, and I've already devoted a lot of points into Claw Mastery and weapon block

So really I'd be looking to tech towards Death Sentry and Dragon Talon and then kick kicking/trapping my way through the game?

 

[PrkChopXpress]

If you want to use dual claws, a phoenix striker would probably work (and you definitely won't get bored like you did with your trapper). There's a guide in the sticky thread. Basically, you'll want to max PS and two of it's synergies (FoF & CoT).

 

[marzin]

becoming a phoenix striker would help you survive if you are going c/c dragon claw, but you can still beat the game pure claw. that would require 20 dc, 20 venom, shadow master, and some skill - check out duncan idaho's shadow walker build.

for a phoenix striker consider only making phoenix strike and one synergy, and max venom and use a lvl 17 shadow master. with prereqs, that should be all the skill points you have till level 80 (put the extra in Bos, mastery, dragon claw, mindbast, or death sentry). you deal 2 elements of damage + physical.
also get 1 point in cloak of shadows and mindblast, those are useful skills.

 

[Keyboard Weasel]

well the shadow walker build was where I was aiming in the first place, but reading around, that has been the only build that favours Dragon Claw over the talon.

Which got me worried if it was such a good idea.
Has anybody else had any luck with that build?