Kicksin Progress

[Peytron]

Hi All,

When I started single player questing a year ago, I set a goal of beating the game with one characters of every class using only self found items (Transferring items only between my characters) on at least "players 3". I've accomplished this with everyone except my "kicksin".

She has maxed Dragon Talon, and has a point in Dragon Flight, maxed Venom and has 10 points in Burst of Speed.

She quested through the game and had no problems through normal or nightmare using a Ribcracker. Questing through Hell difficulty became difficult even with Holy Freeze/Reaper's Toll merc and Dracul's for Life Leech. I have since swapped her to using a Lawbringer Phase Blade and Stormshield and she has been able to quest through with little difficulty until now.

Question the first: I had maxed Shadow Master, but it started to get frustrating with casting Mind Blast all the time so I switched into Shadow Warrior. This new Shadow Warrior has a lot of trouble surviving and I feel like I do need a second meat shield. Are there hidden bonuses to Shadow Warrior from any other skills? I checked the wiki but it doesn't seem so. Does anyone have any advice on this aspect?

Question the Second: Now that I've hit Act 5 I can't get through the "Blood Lords". This may be related to not killing them fast enough before they go into Frenzy. I'm thinking I need to switch my weapon out to something more useful and perhaps hit a few of them with Blade Fury from a distance. I could cube runes up to make a Death rune word in a Phase Blade, I have just enough Ist/Mal/Gul runes to do so, but I'm a little hesitant to use up my rune supply on a gamble like that. I was reading the "Warrior Monk" guide and there are just so many options listed that I thought I would ask what others would use in this scenario.

She's currently wearing a pair of "Upped" Gore Riders, but I do have a pair of Shadow Dancers sitting in the stash. I figure I would use the Gore Riders until I eventually find a Guillaume's Face, but could switch sooner. Figures I would find the unique Sacred Armours before the set Winged Helm.

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks everyone.

Edit: Quick overview of gear since that GoMule dump is long
Helm: Crown of Thieves
Gloves: Trangs
Boots: Upped Gores
Weapon:Lawbringer, Ribcracker on switch (Should do double Jade Talon instead?)
Shield: Stormshield with Perfect Diamond
Rings: Raven and Carrion
Amulet: Dual leech, resists rare
Belt: String of Ears
Armour: Smoke Archon Plate

Spoiler: Gear

Name: Shadow-Dancer
Class: Assassin
Experience: 924941061
Level: 83

Naked/Gear
Strength: 149/186
Dexterity: 89/146
Vitality: 247/247
Energy: 25/35
HP: 955/1120
Mana: 148/225
Stamina: 481/501
Defense: 22/2067
AR: 100000409/100000900

Fire: 171/131/71
Cold: 221/181/121
Lightning: 169/129/69
Poison: 194/154/94

MF: 31 Block: 56
GF: 271
FR/W: 30
FHR: 20
IAS: 0
FCR: 20

Fire Blast: 1/1
Shock Web: 0/0
Blade Sentinel: 1/1
Charged Bolt Sentry: 0/0
Wake of Fire: 1/1
Blade Fury: 1/1
Lightning Sentry: 0/0
Wake of Inferno: 0/0
Death Sentry: 0/0
Blade Shield: 0/0

Claw Mastery: 1/1
Psychic Hammer: 1/1
Burst of Speed: 10/10
Weapon Block: 1/1
Cloak of Shadows: 1/1
Fade: 1/1
Shadow Warrior: 20/20
Mind Blast: 0/0
Venom: 20/20
Shadow Master: 1/1

Tiger Strike: 0/0
Dragon Talon: 20/20
Fists of Fire: 0/0
Dragon Claw: 1/1
Cobra Strike: 0/0
Claws of Thunder: 0/0
Dragon Tail: 1/1
Blades of Ice: 0/0
Dragon Flight: 1/1
Phoenix Strike: 0/0

Garnet Large Charm of Strength
Large Charm
Required Level: 18
Fingerprint: 0xc382d3cf
Item Level: 45
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+3 to Strength
Fire Resist +11%

Azure Small Charm of Sustenance
Small Charm
Required Level: 17
Fingerprint: 0xd3ac6dc6
Item Level: 80
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+12 to Life
Cold Resist +5%

Tangerine Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 1
Fingerprint: 0x1f418ccc
Item Level: 57
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Lightning Resist +5%

Coral Large Charm of Blight
Large Charm
Required Level: 18
Fingerprint: 0xaf7bc115
Item Level: 44
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Adds 6 Poison Damage Over 3 Secs (75 Frames)
Lightning Resist +12%

Beryl Small Charm of Vita
Small Charm
Required Level: 39
Fingerprint: 0xa2d00098
Item Level: 70
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+17 to Life
Poison Resist +5%

Viridian Small Charm of Vita
Small Charm
Required Level: 39
Fingerprint: 0x4d9b51c5
Item Level: 80
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+18 to Life
Poison Resist +6%

Rune Grip
Ring
Required Level: 35
Fingerprint: 0xe6d56677
Item Level: 88
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+102 to Attack Rating
5% Life stolen per hit
Cold Resist +28%
Poison Resist +12%
Magic Damage Reduced by 2

Beast Knot
Ring
Required Level: 65
Fingerprint: 0xfbf9c378
Item Level: 90
Version: Expansion 1.10+
7% Life stolen per hit
+90 to Mana
Cold Resist +26%
Poison Resist +10%
Magic Damage Reduced by 2

Shimmering Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 25
Fingerprint: 0x25fb8ccd
Item Level: 63
Version: Expansion 1.10+
All Resistances +5

Lizard's Small Charm of Vita
Small Charm
Required Level: 39
Fingerprint: 0x721fe144
Item Level: 70
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+18 to Life
+2 to Mana

Russet Small Charm of Frost
Small Charm
Required Level: 10
Fingerprint: 0xacfd9a7d
Item Level: 70
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Adds 1 - 2 Cold Damage Over 1 Secs (25 Frames)
Fire Resist +7%

Cobalt Small Charm of Sustenance
Small Charm
Required Level: 20
Fingerprint: 0xd0d20ddd
Item Level: 88
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+13 to Life
Cold Resist +9%

Russet Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 10
Fingerprint: 0xd5d6de3b
Item Level: 80
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Fire Resist +7%

Tome of Identify
Fingerprint: 0x74af2224
Item Level: 11
Version: Expansion 1.10+

Entropy Knot
Ring
Required Level: 23
Fingerprint: 0x1422ba3d
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+23 to Attack Rating
4% Life stolen per hit
+15 to Energy
Cold Resist +22%
Damage Reduced by 1
6% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

Corruption Necklace
Amulet
Required Level: 67
Fingerprint: 0xcfb70da7
Item Level: 95
Version: Expansion 1.10+
12% Chance to cast level 4 Charged Bolt when struck
+2 to Assassin Skill Levels
Adds 50 Poison Damage Over 3 Secs (75 Frames)
+28 to Life
+5 to Mana
All Resistances +18

Tome of Town Portal
Fingerprint: 0x15085522
Item Level: 8
Version: Expansion 1.10+

Viper Wing
Amulet
Required Level: 51
Fingerprint: 0x13d16c5c
Item Level: 88
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+7 to Minimum Damage
4% Mana stolen per hit
2% Life stolen per hit
All Resistances +12
Poison Resist +15%

Smoke
Archon Plate
NefLum
Defense: 883
Durability: 60 of 60
Required Level: 63
Required Strength: 103
Fingerprint: 0x63ea48ea
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+20% Faster Hit Recovery
+75% Enhanced Defense
+280 Defense vs. Missile
+10 to Energy
All Resistances +50
-1 to Light Radius
Level 6 Weaken (18/18 Charges)
2 Sockets (2 used)
Socketed: Nef Rune
Socketed: Lum Rune

Nef Rune
Required Level: 13
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Knockback
Armor: +30 Defense vs. Missile
Shields: +30 Defense vs. Missile

Lum Rune
Required Level: 37
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +10 to Energy
Armor: +10 to Energy
Shields: +10 to Energy

Raven Frost
Ring
Required Level: 45
Fingerprint: 0xfe068883
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+206 to Attack Rating
Adds 15 - 45 Cold Damage Over 4 Secs (100 Frames)
+19 to Dexterity
+40 to Mana
Cold Absorb 20%
Cannot Be Frozen

String of Ears
Demonhide Sash
Defense: 110
Durability: 22 of 22
Required Level: 29
Required Strength: 20
Fingerprint: 0xce527252
Item Level: 75
Version: Expansion 1.10+
8% Life stolen per hit
+173% Enhanced Defense
+15 Defense
Damage Reduced by 11%
Magic Damage Reduced by 12
+10 Maximum Durability

Trang-Oul's Claws
Heavy Bracers
Defense: 73
Durability: 16 of 16
Required Level: 45
Required Strength: 58
Fingerprint: 0xd3722ad7
Item Level: 64
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+2 to Curses (Necromancer only)
+20% Faster Cast Rate
+25% to Poison Skill Damage
+30 Defense
Cold Resist +30%


Crown of Thieves
Grand Crown
Defense: 318
Durability: 50 of 50
Required Level: 49
Required Strength: 103
Fingerprint: 0x3af71bf3
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
11% Life stolen per hit
+179% Enhanced Defense
+25 to Dexterity
+50 to Life
+35 to Mana
Fire Resist +33%
89% Extra Gold from Monsters

Gore Rider
Myrmidon Greaves
Defense: 201
Durability: 34 of 34
Required Level: 72
Required Strength: 156
Fingerprint: 0x4dd11d31
Item Level: 75
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+30% Faster Run/Walk
15% Chance of Crushing Blow
15% Deadly Strike
10% Chance of Open Wounds
+192% Enhanced Defense
+20 Maximum Stamina
Required Level +7
Requirements -25%
+10 Maximum Durability

Carrion Wind
Ring
Required Level: 60
Fingerprint: 0x38898df1
Item Level: 75
Version: Expansion 1.10+
10% Chance to cast level 10 Poison Nova when struck
8% Chance to cast level 13 Twister on striking
9% Life stolen per hit
+159 Defense vs. Missile
Poison Resist +55%
10% Damage Taken Goes To Mana
Level 21 Poison Creeper (15/15 Charges)

Sapphire Small Charm of Dexterity
Small Charm
Required Level: 32
Fingerprint: 0x2751fb95
Item Level: 75
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+1 to Dexterity
Cold Resist +11%

Cobalt Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 20
Fingerprint: 0x9daa0d0f
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Cold Resist +9%

Cobalt Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 20
Fingerprint: 0x301a780c
Item Level: 82
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Cold Resist +9%

Ocher Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 10
Fingerprint: 0x9bde8fc4
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Lightning Resist +7%

Russet Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 10
Fingerprint: 0x8c9610d
Item Level: 16
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Fire Resist +7%

Viridian Small Charm of Dexterity
Small Charm
Required Level: 16
Fingerprint: 0x471efe08
Item Level: 71
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+2 to Dexterity
Poison Resist +7%

Small Charm of Vita
Small Charm
Required Level: 39
Fingerprint: 0x3dbe3cd9
Item Level: 68
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+17 to Life

Amber Large Charm of Strength
Large Charm
Required Level: 27
Fingerprint: 0xd5fe0f94
Item Level: 88
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+4 to Strength
Lightning Resist +14%

Small Charm of Vita
Small Charm
Required Level: 39
Fingerprint: 0x5b6ab9c1
Item Level: 83
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+20 to Life

Flawless Skull
Required Level: 15
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: 3% Mana stolen per hit
3% Life stolen per hit
Armor: Replenish Life +4
Regenerate Mana 12%
Shields: Attacker Takes Damage of 16

Gul Rune
Required Level: 53
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: 20% Bonus to Attack Rating
Armor: +5% to Maximum Poison Resist
Shields: +5% to Maximum Poison Resist

Mal Rune
Required Level: 49
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Prevent Monster Heal
Armor: Magic Damage Reduced by 7
Shields: Magic Damage Reduced by 7

Wraith Hold
Ring
Required Level: 18
Fingerprint: 0xf1f38ed7
Item Level: 86
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+3 to Minimum Damage
+70 to Attack Rating
4% Life stolen per hit
+38 to Mana
Lightning Resist +27%

Shadow Dancer
Myrmidon Greaves
Defense: 138
Durability: 18 of 24
Required Level: 71
Required Strength: 167
Fingerprint: 0xfc7cd344
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+2 to Shadow Discipline Skills (Assassin Only)
+30% Faster Run/Walk
+30% Faster Hit Recovery
+92% Enhanced Defense
+19 to Dexterity
Requirements -20%

Pul Rune
Required Level: 45
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +75% Damage to Demons
+100 to Attack Rating against Demons
Armor: +30% Enhanced Defense
Shields: +30% Enhanced Defense

Havoc Torc
Amulet
Required Level: 60
Fingerprint: 0xab80abb6
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+2 to Martial Art Skills (Assassin Only)
+8 to Strength
+2 to Dexterity
+18 Maximum Stamina
All Resistances +13
Level 1 Attract (18/22 Charges)

Viridian Small Charm of Storms
Small Charm
Required Level: 37
Fingerprint: 0xdd318c5d
Item Level: 70
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Adds 1 - 19 Lightning Damage
Poison Resist +6%

Highlord's Wrath
Amulet
Required Level: 65
Fingerprint: 0xb3240ab4
Item Level: 84
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+1 to All Skills
+20% Increased Attack Speed
Adds 1 - 30 Lightning Damage
3% Deadly Strike (Based on Character Level)
Lightning Resist +35%
Attacker Takes Lightning Damage of 15

Rejuvenation Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 35%
Replenishes Health 35%

Rejuvenation Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 35%
Replenishes Health 35%

Rejuvenation Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 35%
Replenishes Health 35%

Rejuvenation Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 35%
Replenishes Health 35%

Ribcracker
Stalagmite
Two Hand Damage: 306 - 459
Durability: 130 of 130
Required Level: 56
Required Strength: 63
Required Dexterity: 35
Fingerprint: 0x5863dfaa
Item Level: 75
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+70% Increased Attack Speed
+50% Faster Hit Recovery
269% Enhanced Damage
Adds 30 - 65 Damage
50% Chance of Crushing Blow
+100% Enhanced Defense
+100 Defense
+15 to Dexterity
Required Level +7
+100 Maximum Durability
1 Sockets (1 used)
Socketed: Shael Rune

Shael Rune
Required Level: 29
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +20% Increased Attack Speed
Armor: +20% Faster Hit Recovery
Shields: +20% Faster Block Rate

Gheed's Fortune
Grand Charm
Required Level: 62
Fingerprint: 0xb99c947b
Item Level: 75
Version: Expansion 1.10+
107% Extra Gold from Monsters
Reduces all Vendor Prices 10%
31% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

Horadric Cube
Fingerprint: 0x558298bd
Item Level: 13
Version: Expansion 1.10+

Super Mana Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 250%

Greater Mana Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 150%

Super Mana Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 250%

Super Mana Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 250%

Rejuvenation Potion
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Replenishes Mana 35%
Replenishes Health 35%

Perfect Topaz
Required Level: 18
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Adds 1 - 40 Lightning Damage
Armor: 24% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Shields: Lightning Resist +40%

Flawless Diamond
Required Level: 15
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +54% Damage to Undead
Armor: +80 to Attack Rating
Shields: Cold Resist +14%
Lightning Resist +14%
Fire Resist +14%
Poison Resist +14%

Flawless Ruby
Required Level: 15
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Adds 10 - 16 Fire Damage
Armor: +31 to Life
Shields: Fire Resist +28%

Lawbringer
Phase Blade
AmnLemKo
One Hand Damage: 31 - 35
Indestructible
Required Level: 54
Required Strength: 25
Required Dexterity: 136
Fingerprint: 0x2909b61f
Item Level: 81
Version: Expansion 1.10+
20% Chance to cast level 15 Decrepify on striking
Level 17 Sanctuary Aura When Equipped
-50% Target Defense
Adds 150 - 210 Fire Damage
Adds 130 - 180 Cold Damage Over 6 Secs (161 Frames)
7% Life stolen per hit
Slain Monsters Rest in Peace
+227 Defense vs. Missile
+10 to Dexterity
75% Extra Gold from Monsters
3 Sockets (3 used)
Socketed: Amn Rune
Socketed: Lem Rune
Socketed: Ko Rune

Amn Rune
Required Level: 25
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: 7% Life stolen per hit
Armor: Attacker Takes Damage of 14
Shields: Attacker Takes Damage of 14

Lem Rune
Required Level: 43
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: 75% Extra Gold from Monsters
Armor: 50% Extra Gold from Monsters
Shields: 50% Extra Gold from Monsters

Ko Rune
Required Level: 39
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +10 to Dexterity
Armor: +10 to Dexterity
Shields: +10 to Dexterity

Stormshield
Monarch
Defense: 446
Chance to Block: 47
Durability: 44 of 86
Required Level: 73
Required Strength: 156
Fingerprint: 0x82986962
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Indestructible
+35% Faster Block Rate
25% Increased Chance of Blocking
+311 Defense (Based on Character Level)
+30 to Strength
Cold Resist +60%
All Resistances +19
Lightning Resist +25%
Damage Reduced by 35%
Attacker Takes Lightning Damage of 10
1 Sockets (1 used)
Socketed: Perfect Diamond

Perfect Diamond
Required Level: 18
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +68% Damage to Undead
Armor: +100 to Attack Rating
Shields: Cold Resist +19%
Lightning Resist +19%
Fire Resist +19%
Poison Resist +19%

Mercenary:

Name: Zanarhi
Race: Desert Mercenary
Type: Off-Nightmare
Experience: 69476050
Level: 83
Dead?: false

Naked/Gear
Strength: 183/198
Dexterity: 147/172
HP: 1687/1820
Defense: 1245/2218
AR: 1889/1889

Fire: 200/160/100
Cold: 197/157/97
Lightning: 167/127/67
Poison: 167/127/67

Crown of Thieves
Grand Crown
Defense: 304
Durability: 36 of 50
Required Level: 49
Required Strength: 103
Fingerprint: 0xc5d7c8ff
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
10% Life stolen per hit
+167% Enhanced Defense
+25 to Dexterity
+50 to Life
+35 to Mana
Fire Resist +33%
99% Extra Gold from Monsters


Duriel's Shell
Cuirass
Defense: 669
Durability: 28 of 150
Required Level: 41
Required Strength: 65
Fingerprint: 0xe487ccf2
Item Level: 75
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+179% Enhanced Defense
+103 Defense (Based on Character Level)
+15 to Strength
+83 to Life (Based on Character Level)
Cold Resist +30%
All Resistances +20
Cannot Be Frozen
+100 Maximum Durability


Bonehew
Ogre Axe
Two Hand Damage: 117 - 609
Durability: 31 of 50
Required Level: 64
Required Strength: 195
Required Dexterity: 75
Fingerprint: 0x5b5bcc24
Item Level: 88
Version: Expansion 1.10+
50% Chance to cast level 16 Bone Spear on striking
+70% Increased Attack Speed
320% Enhanced Damage
Prevent Monster Heal
Level 14 Corpse Explosion (23/30 Charges)
2 Sockets (2 used)
Socketed: Shael Rune
Socketed: Shael Rune

Shael Rune
Required Level: 29
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +20% Increased Attack Speed
Armor: +20% Faster Hit Recovery
Shields: +20% Faster Block Rate

Shael Rune
Required Level: 29
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +20% Increased Attack Speed
Armor: +20% Faster Hit Recovery
Shields: +20% Faster Block Rate

 

[Namtar]

Hi All,

When I started single player questing a year ago, I set a goal of beating the game with one characters of every class using only self found items (Transferring items only between my characters) on at least "players 3". I've accomplished this with everyone except my "kicksin".

She has maxed Dragon Talon, and has a point in Dragon Flight, maxed Venom and has 10 points in Burst of Speed.

Well, I've been working on a new kicker myself and I've always liked the archetype. I don't know how applicable my own experiences are here, though. Didn't get into assassins until I'd already played the game a lot and built up a lot of gear for them...

With Dragon Talon the assassin gets one of the coolest, fastest-hitting attacks in the game. Seems like a natural complement to that is to also use the skills that help make her more robust defensively. Fade and Cloak of Shadows are excellent defensive skills. While Burst of Speed is tempting, I've got to advocate for Fade instead. I believe that max Fade is the sort of conventional wisdom for this sort of thing, although I might be wrong.

I've gone back and forth on Venom, sometimes more than once on the same character. Ultimately, I don't think it's that valuable. If you're having trouble as it is, maybe max Venom isn't the right call? It's nice to have some extra poison damage, but I usually just find that it doesn't seem to contribute much most of the time.

She quested through the game and had no problems through normal or nightmare using a Ribcracker. Questing through Hell difficulty became difficult even with Holy Freeze/Reaper's Toll merc and Dracul's for Life Leech. I have since swapped her to using a Lawbringer Phase Blade and Stormshield and she has been able to quest through with little difficulty until now.

Question the first: I had maxed Shadow Master, but it started to get frustrating with casting Mind Blast all the time so I switched into Shadow Warrior. This new Shadow Warrior has a lot of trouble surviving and I feel like I do need a second meat shield. Are there hidden bonuses to Shadow Warrior from any other skills? I checked the wiki but it doesn't seem so. Does anyone have any advice on this aspect?

I think you hit on the crux of the Shadow Warrior/Master problem that most assassin players are stuck dealing with. Master gets annoying with Mind Blast and Warrior tends to die a lot. No real advice because the answer, from what I've seen is a kind of knowing nod that "Yes, that's the problem." Pick your poison.

For my own assassins from now on, I think the rule of thumb will be something like if she's powerful and demolishing everything in her path anyway, I'd go Warrior, and if she needs some help from a tank, I'd go with Master. When you're trying to keep from being overwhelmed, even those Mind Blast casts can be helpful.

I've seen some concern on the basis that Mind Blasted monsters would acquire a friendly aura, then switch back to being enemies but briefly retain the aura and become deadly on account of that. Despite considerable aura usage alongside Shadow Master, this hasn't been a problem for me personally. But I've seen warnings about it in the past...

Question the Second: Now that I've hit Act 5 I can't get through the "Blood Lords". This may be related to not killing them fast enough before they go into Frenzy.

They have 100% physical resistance, so the Decrepify from Lawbringer operates with a penalty against them. Also makes them tough to leech off of, and if you proc Life Tap from Dracul's Grasp then you lose the Decrepify and they go back to being immune. Lawbringer doesn't do much damage either. Even so, I'm a bit puzzled here because Blood Lords aren't that common in the game and with Decrepify to slow them down, it should be possible to string them out, use Shadow Master to tank, and pick them off one at a time. They're some of the most obnoxious physical-immune monsters in the game and once you've dealt with the last of them, it should go smoother for most of the rest of the journey...

I'm thinking I need to switch my weapon out to something more useful and perhaps hit a few of them with Blade Fury from a distance. I could cube runes up to make a Death rune word in a Phase Blade, I have just enough Ist/Mal/Gul runes to do so, but I'm a little hesitant to use up my rune supply on a gamble like that. I was reading the "Warrior Monk" guide and there are just so many options listed that I thought I would ask what others would use in this scenario.

That guide is kind of weird and outdated, although it does have some nice information. Anyway, Death phase blade is a great weapon. Glacial spikes flying out of your feet constantly are great against anything not cold-immune. It's also just a versatile weapon with nice mods. I don't want to overstate it because it seems like for most assassin builds, actually for a lot of builds in general, a Death runeword isn't quite the best option, but is always a decent runner-up instead. If it's what's available, though? I don't see why not.

Not sure what you mean about it being a gamble. Death's variance is reasonably tight. The only real risk you're taking is on the %ED, and even a mediocre roll on that still makes for a powerful weapon and you don't need that aspect of the weapon for Dragon Talon anyway.

She's currently wearing a pair of "Upped" Gore Riders, but I do have a pair of Shadow Dancers sitting in the stash. I figure I would use the Gore Riders until I eventually find a Guillaume's Face, but could switch sooner. Figures I would find the unique Sacred Armours before the set Winged Helm.

I wear Gore Riders on everything. Universal boots. Gore Riders for necromancers all day. Preach the gospel of Gore Riders. But for Dragon Talon specifically, if you happen to have Shadow Dancers anyway, yeah. They are the superior boot choice. That's if you have a decent amount of CB from other gear. If you're switching to a Death PB, then I'd also switch boots to Shadow Dancers.

 

[Peytron]

Thanks Namtar for the tips.

I thought I could skip Fade since my resists are maxed or pretty close to. What I didn't realise before you mentioned Fade: The wiki says that it has a hidden bonus to damage reduction - this makes it much more suitable. I also just found a Kira's while magic finding, so a Vampire Gaze has been freed up for my Assassin's use. I will have to use another token to reset the stat points now too from the dexterity loss, so I'm going to give Fade a try and see if the damage reduction will get me through.

I'm not concerned about the roll on Death, just whether I should use all my runes up on it. I guess since this is the last character I need to quest through I should put them to use.

Thanks again

 

[galtwish]

Don't put Death in a Phase Blade; the base damage is way too low and the indestructible aspect of Death is wasted. Put it into an ethereal Ettin Axe, Berserker Axe, Cryptic Sword or something like that.

But if you are primarily kicking, you need the heaviest boots you can find and the weapons you already have. Gore Riders or Shadow Dancers are both fine.

Your gloves and armor are both due for an upgrade. Use +Martial Arts gloves or craft some Blood Gloves to get more crushing blow, the Venom damage is minimal in Hell. If you can spare the runes, make "Treachery" in an armor and you don't have to worry about resists, Venom, or Fade.

Using Cloak of Shadows for crowd control and increasing your chance to hit will help once you have Treachery. The Blood Lords will be much easier to deal with if they can't see you due to CoS. Shadow Warrior is the superior meat shield and won't stir up enemies on the edge of the screen like Shadow Master does.

All in all, you have the gear you need to finish at Players 3. Be patient in Act 5 and take the monsters a few at a time. Good luck!

 

[Peytron]

Thanks Galtwish,

I haven't rolled the runeword yet. I have 3 eth Ettin Axes I will roll and see what they get for sockets. I have eth CBs and SE axes that I hear are good for Death but two handed seems to not be working too well (hence the Ribcracker swap). Do you guys think Death would be wasted in an Ettin Axe compared to holding out for a Berserker?

I have a couple rare gloves here that I've saved, but I also have Soul Drainer's, Dracul's and LOH available.
View attachment 12553 View attachment 12554

I haven't used CoS before, but it looks like it helps with defense so I could give that a go. I can do Treachery no problem so will make that one straight away.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[galtwish]

Storm Touch + Treachery and you should be good to go with your existing gear. If you are using Tiger Strike as your charge up skill, keep on with the Lawbringer/Ribcracker combo. 2H weapons are fine for TS/DT assassins; you want a 1H weapon for Blade Fury or if you are using heavily skill-intensive attacks. Ribcracker's raw damage should allow you to wear Corrupution Necklace + Storm Touch + Treachery for resists and fast Crushing Blow. If you face PIs, Lawbringer/Stormshield until you cast Decrepify and then Ribcracker takes over.

 

[Peytron]

That's great. Thanks for the tips! Will give that a go tonight and see if we can finish Act 5.

 

[Namtar]

Don't put Death in a Phase Blade; the base damage is way too low and the indestructible aspect of Death is wasted. Put it into an ethereal Ettin Axe, Berserker Axe, Cryptic Sword or something like that.

For a different skill, if the character can compensate for the lack of IAS on the Death runeword, then an ethereal indestructible weapon, perhaps a berserker axe, would easily be better. Weapon-based %ED does not apply to Dragon Talon, so the sheer speed of the phase blade is more valuable.

Usually the idea with Dragon Talon is to use its insane speed to proc stuff. Death is ordinarily a questionable, albeit tempting, choice for on-hit procs because it has no built-in IAS. Putting it in a phase blade on a character that isn't relying on huge physical damage anyway is the idea.

The old Warrior Monk guide advocated for an ethereal weapon for Death because of a misunderstanding at that time with the functioning of Blade Fury. A pure kicker (or more likely a kick/trap assassin; the TS/DT concept is a wide departure from this) with a Death runeword should probably use a phase blade base unless there is some need for the weapon to be reused by another character.

 

[krischan]

Don't put Death in a Phase Blade; the base damage is way too low and the indestructible aspect of Death is wasted. Put it into an ethereal Ettin Axe, Berserker Axe, Cryptic Sword or something like that.

A bit nitpicking, in case somebody is about to bring a cryptic sword to Larzuk or to throw socket-recipe sets into the cube: Cryptic swords cannot have 5 sockets .

 

[Peytron]

Thanks all.

This advice really helped as I was able to quest through most of Act 5 with little difficulty. She has just reached the ancients, but just can't get enough damage on them. Granted I've only tried twice so far but it seems really tough. Going to try a third time and make sure that Fade/CoS is triggered beforehand. I may need a higher damage weapon after all.

 

[Namtar]

The thing that sucks about the Ancients is that some sort of bug can make the game freeze if you cast CoS on them. I forgot about it a couple of weeks ago and was running into the bug myself. Had to skip CoS for the Ancients, which was doable.

You using Dracs against the Ancients or did you switch gloves? They have a lot of health and you've got to chip away at them, Life Tap can help keep your red bubble full while you're doing that (and perhaps save you the trouble of using some potions). With another character against Hell Ancients, I remember getting Life Tap on them while fighting Korlic. When I got hurt, I'd run over and hit Talic, who was still at high health, for the combination of Life Tap + Crushing Blow to instantly refill my life. Repeated it a few times and even though the character was weaker than I'd have liked to be facing Hell Ancients, I was able to pick them off that way. You've got Shadow Master and Fade. You've got Crushing Blow and a fast attack. I think you can make this work!

Once the Ancients are out of the way, the real test will be Lister's pack, though.

 

[Peytron]

We have done it!

View attachment 12561

Third time was the charm for the Ancients. Also dropped a Treachery and Obedience on my merc to help out. Key was to make sure Fade was cast before going in, and then casting CoS once you click the altar. CoS is a little awkward to figure out how to use properly but I didn't encounter the bug that's been mentioned with it at all.

We even encountered Champion Blood Lords in the Worldstone Keep (my original roadblock for this thread), and a Soul infested throne room and made it through. A few trips to town for more health pots while fighting Lister were needed.

Thanks to everyone for their help, I'm much happier with this character after the suggested changes. I even have 26 skill points left over to play with down the road.



Edit: Thanks Namtar, you must have been typing that while I was kicking Baal (or typing this up). I didn't even think to switch out the gloves .

 

[galtwish]

Congrats! 26 skill points left over? Wow. Now's they time to put Death in an Ettin Axe and respec to a magic finding Blade Fury assassin

 

[Peytron]

Congrats! 26 skill points left over? Wow. Now's they time to put Death in an Ettin Axe and respec to a magic finding Blade Fury assassin

Well Baal did drop these +2 and MF gloves. Not very fancy but the quest drop agrees with you that it is MF time.View attachment 12563

 

[galtwish]

You should post a write up in the SPF and link to the Mat/Pat sticky--a self-found physical attacker always makes for a good story

 

[NoisemakerArrow]

This is what I use on my kicksin: Mara's, Guillaume, upgraded Gore Rider, 20 ias 3% mana leech Blood gloves, 2 Ravens, Lionheart, String Of Ears, Bartuc's, Jade Talon. Switch is Gimmershred with Blackoak Luna (for the dex bonus so I can hold Gimmershred). Merc is Might with Reaper's, Treachery and Guillaume. Four MA GCs and two AR/life GCs. Plus some AR/life SCs. Did the whole game on /players 8. I have recently switched her to Fortitude, and she's even better.

Skills are 20 Fade, 20 Weapon Block, 20 Dragon Talon, 20 Death Sentry, 6 Fire Blast, 1 Dragon Flight, rest in Shadow Master.

A two-handed weapon on a kicksin is a bad idea - you need blocking. Burst Of Speed is a bad idea - you need resists and DR. Venom is a bad idea - it takes 10 frames to do its full damage and you're hitting every 3 or 4, so you're only getting 30 or 40% of its value.

There's no point in wasting runes on a Death just for this character. Black works just fine and it's a lot cheaper.

 

[Namtar]

There's no point in wasting runes on a Death just for this character. Black works just fine and it's a lot cheaper.

As someone who has had Death in phaseblade for a long time and who still sometimes enjoys using it to level characters through Nightmare, I'd concede that it's not really worth the investment most of the time and that there are more practical options. But in this case, the exact context was that Peytron had a project of a kind of shared self-found sept, with the assassin being the final character in the project. So all of the items that the other six characters had already accumulated were available to help build this assassin. The whole point was to use the items found by those characters to help each other. And with that as the goal and the runes for Death available, it seems a solid choice.

Black is cheap and effective, but if it's stipulated that this is some end-of-the-world scenario, that a Dragon Talon assassin is preparing to tackle Baal's legions and is constructing the last weapon that will ever be used, then a Death runeword is a strong option.

 

[Peytron]

Thanks for the follow up guys!

I have run this character through the Worldstone Keep a couple times since then with no changes to her gear. I'm quite comfortable with her weapon now as I don't want to give up the Decrepify (even though I could drop a Reaper's back onto the mercenary and make up a Death). Her kill speed is decent, but will likely change her armour to Duress and put the spare points into Fade.

Edit: She swaps out to Ribcracker still when kicking Baal or Lister. This appears to be faster, but haven't done enough runs to be certain.