How would you build an Assassin/Priest of Skaen?

[Verde]

Thinking of adding one. The Druid Crew takes pitty on those less fortunate.

Edited March 10, 2019 by Verde

[Boeroer]

Arquebus (Dragon's Dowry) with modal, Ring of Focused Flame, Slippers of the Assassin. Shadowing Beyond and Crippling Strike and off you go.

Red Hand with Double Tap can be a good backup since it destroys even pierce-immune vessels.

For Flame Blights you need something else.

 

A reloading weapon is nice since you can immediately use Escape/Shadowing Beyond after a shot.

 

BUT: Currently arquebuses seem not to be working with Backstab. Again...

[asnjas]

However i wanted.

[Verde]

However i wanted.

And how would that be?

 

@Boerer thx. I'm wondering if there is synergy here or not, since you get basic Killing Blow and Shadowing Beyond from Skaen.

Edited March 11, 2019 by Verde

[thelee]

Arquebus (Dragon's Dowry) with modal, Ring of Focused Flame, Slippers of the Assassin. Shadowing Beyond and Crippling Strike and off you go.

Red Hand with Double Tap can be a good backup since it destroys even pierce-immune vessels.

For Flame Blights you need something else.

 

A reloading weapon is nice since you can immediately use Escape/Shadowing Beyond after a shot.

 

BUT: Currently arquebuses seem not to be working with Backstab. Again...

 

has this already been reported as a bug?

 

 

re: the original topic, finishing blow is less useful than you think (at least in my experience having rolled an assassin/priest of skaen a long time ago) because it competes at that level with shining beacon and divine terror, both of which i think are good candidates for assassinate. pillar of holy fire is obviously a good pickup late game and synergizes well with any +fire advantage gear you might have. i forget if searing seal works correctly with assassinate, but for AL5 that's pretty much reserved for two "free" uses of shadowing beyond.

Edited March 11, 2019 by thelee

[Boeroer]

Finishing Blow is so so. Like thelee said. But the additional Shadowing Beyond is great.

 

Ring of Focused Flame not only gives several spells +10 ACC but also Dragon's Dowry. So with modal, Assassinate and Ring you get +55 ACC.

First shot out of stealth gets -80% recovery time, so the modal is no problem. If you pick a squishy usually you can kill an enemy with the first two shots which let's the slippers trigger. And so on...

 

@thelee - yes, it was reported. I think no answer from QA yet.

[Boeroer]

Actually it's not the arquebus but Shadowing Beyond which is bugged with Backstab atm. Reported by the Balthazar (and others).

Assassinate works with SB, but Backstab doesn't. When I was playing an Assassin/Priest of Skaen some patches ago it worked.

Also I guess ranged weapons are a part of the problem because SB does work with Backstab and Firebrand (while I was doing a quick test of a concept).

 

Anyway - if you wanted to not shoot at point blank it's no problem anyway I guess.

 

Pillar of Flames with Assassinate is nice. In this case (spells + Assassinate) I would even consider to pick Improved Critical.

 

I likethis combo a lot not only because it works well (not necessarily in terms of dps - but the sneaky playstyle lets you take out enemy groups one by one very effectively without any fightback) but because it also is a great fit thematically. I does indeed help me to finish a playthrough if the chars I use are somewhat "believable" and not just a random powergaming homunculus. 

Edited March 11, 2019 by Boeroer

[Verde]

 

Arquebus (Dragon's Dowry) with modal, Ring of Focused Flame, Slippers of the Assassin. Shadowing Beyond and Crippling Strike and off you go.

Red Hand with Double Tap can be a good backup since it destroys even pierce-immune vessels.

For Flame Blights you need something else.

 

A reloading weapon is nice since you can immediately use Escape/Shadowing Beyond after a shot.

 

BUT: Currently arquebuses seem not to be working with Backstab. Again...

has this already been reported as a bug?

 

 

re: the original topic, finishing blow is less useful than you think (at least in my experience having rolled an assassin/priest of skaen a long time ago) because it competes at that level with shining beacon and divine terror, both of which i think are good candidates for assassinate. pillar of holy fire is obviously a good pickup late game and synergizes well with any +fire advantage gear you might have. i forget if searing seal works correctly with assassinate, but for AL5 that's pretty much reserved for two "free" uses of shadowing beyond.

Oh so spell casting via stealth gets assassinate? That's very cool and changes the way I'm thinking about this build.

[Exanos]

For a skaen/assassin, boerer and guildwritter (and others) have given a lot of good advice on this build, i think it's worth reading  : 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/106856-looking-for-build-advice-assassinskaen-priest/

 

This multi is really fun, lot of different playstyle. 

 

If you are playing in a team, i would encourage you to test tactician/assassin, it's like skaen assassin but more weapon oriented (no spells) and great vs pack too. With a cipher and Tekehu in the group, mass flank is easy to trigger. Equip your tank with squid grasp (Eder dualing it with a spear is great) and have fun with never ending guile right from the start of the game. it give you more weapon AOE and punch than skaen/assassin and penetrating strike is great form stealth.

 

Weapon 1 : Wotep (early game) for Run Through and AOE, spread affliction in AOE, and some fun with ClearOut (mid game).

Weapon 2 : Amra (early) /Oathbreaker(mid-late game)/Engoliero de Espir(late game) for huge backstab + DOT + AoE on kill

Weapon 3 : Kitchen stove for hilarious thunderous report from stealth on the melee pack.

 

Armor : Fleshmender for +1 weapon set without talent and more healt regen + bonus armor. With brilliant inspiration, DoC can go to your tank.

 

 

My favorite trick with the assassin/XX is to make ennemy regroup from stealh (firecrakers are great for this) and engage with  Kitchen stove for mass ToxicSpray or thunderous report. Go invi, swap to 2h, let yours tank aggro the melee and start spreading havoc in the backline. With a tactician multi, you can keep brilliant inspiration most of the time and dispatch ennemy more quickly than the skaenite multi.

[thelee]

 

 

Arquebus (Dragon's Dowry) with modal, Ring of Focused Flame, Slippers of the Assassin. Shadowing Beyond and Crippling Strike and off you go.

Red Hand with Double Tap can be a good backup since it destroys even pierce-immune vessels.

For Flame Blights you need something else.

 

A reloading weapon is nice since you can immediately use Escape/Shadowing Beyond after a shot.

 

BUT: Currently arquebuses seem not to be working with Backstab. Again...

has this already been reported as a bug?

 

 

re: the original topic, finishing blow is less useful than you think (at least in my experience having rolled an assassin/priest of skaen a long time ago) because it competes at that level with shining beacon and divine terror, both of which i think are good candidates for assassinate. pillar of holy fire is obviously a good pickup late game and synergizes well with any +fire advantage gear you might have. i forget if searing seal works correctly with assassinate, but for AL5 that's pretty much reserved for two "free" uses of shadowing beyond.

Oh so spell casting via stealth gets assassinate? That's very cool and changes the way I'm thinking about this build.

 

 

not only does spell casting get assassinate bonus, i would say that's basically how you have to play an assassin to get good mileage out of it. a few high-damage weapon hits is not really that great imo - even a single-class assassin would need to use pernicious cloud or vanishing strike or scrolls or even just poisons in order to try to get more than a few extra damaging weapon hits from it.

Edited March 11, 2019 by thelee

[Exanos]

 

 

not only does spell casting get assassinate bonus, i would say that's basically how you have to play an assassin to get good mileage out of it. a few high-damage weapon hits is not really that great imo - even a single-class assassin would need to use pernicious cloud or vanishing strike or scrolls or even just poisons in order to try to get more than a few extra damaging weapon hits from it.

 

 

spell casting + assassinate is great yes, but from an RP view it doesn't fit necessary well (each is personnal pref on this ). And honestly if you are playing in a team, even on POTD all upscalled, a few high-damage weapon hits can be enough to make all the difference.

 

If you want an assassin/spellcaster , just pick an evoker over a skaen priest.