Archive:A/Mo SoS Assassin

This Assassin build is designed to prevent the target from casting spells, and therefore lowering its self-defense dramatically, while unleashing its deadly attack chain. It is, in many ways, similar to the common Shadow Prison assassin.

Attributes and Skills
[build prof=assas/monk dagger=11+1+1 deadly=10+1 critic=10+1 healin=1][siphon speed][shroud of silence][black lotus strike][twisting fangs][black spider strike][blades of steel][restful breeze][resurrection signet][/build]

Equipment

 * Full set of Radiant Armor
 * Any daggers you want. Ideally +5 energy +30 health 20/20 or Vampiric

Usage
The usage is very straightforward:
 * Begin by getting up close to a selected target and cast Siphon Speed.
 * Cast Shroud of Silence on the target.
 * Unleash the attack chain; open with Black Lotus Strike, follow up with Twisting Fangs and Black Spider Strike, and finish off with Blades of Steel.
 * Shroud of Silence can be left out on your second spike if desired due to its long recharge time.
 * Restful Breeze is your self heal. If extremely necessary, it can also be used to heal allies.

Counters

 * Blindbots will stop you from killing your target, but you can kill the blindbot itself since it will not be able to blind you while affected by Shroud of Silence and you can still cast your hexes while blinded.
 * Pre-casting Holy Veil will sometimes work. See below.
 * Stance monking may sometimes work. See below.
 * Contemplation of Purity can work through Shroud due to the fact that it is a skill, not a spell. However, this skill is uncommon.
 * A few common assassin counters.
 * External or other non-spell hex removal.

Overcoming Stance Monks
Many monks carry self-defensive stances such as Frenzied Defense. At first glance they may seem to shut down this build, but it can be worked around. Directly assaulting the monk will not work, but you can still score a kill by disabling it and assaulting a different target. Here's how:


 * Normally attack the monk. While doing this, tab around and select a nearby foe that you wish to kill. This target should preferably be a squishy and be weakened.
 * Cast Siphon Speed on that target.
 * Cast Shroud of Silence on the monk.
 * Switch back to the target hexed with Siphon Speed and throw your attack chain on him. Ideally, that target should die while the hapless monk cannot help.

Overcoming Pre-Veil
A common tactic that monks employ is pre-casting Holy Veil on themselves in order to instantly remove disruptive hexes, such as Shroud of Silence. Like the Stance Monk, there is no sure-fire way to destroy the monk; however, you can still deal adequate damage onto it.


 * Cast Siphon Speed on the veiled monk, and watch for it to end quickly. If it does, it means that the Monk has removed the Veil in order to end the hex.
 * In that case, simply use Shroud of Silence and unleash your attack chain.
 * If the Monk does not remove Shroud of Silence within 5 seconds or so, simply go straight to your attack chain without Shroud of Silence. Although the monk will usually survive, it will often remove the Veil to help recover the energy it spent on healing itself.
 * In that case, simply proceed as normal once the Veil is down.
 * If the Monk refuses to remove the Veil at all until you cast Shroud of Silence, simply use the chain without Shroud of Silence over and over again until the monk runs out of energy and dies.

Variants

 * While Dark Prison can replace Siphon Speed as a shadow step, it has a far longer recharge and doesn't snare as effectively as Siphon Speed.
 * Replace Resurrection Signet with Dash for AB.