[Not recommended as of 2.1] Maelstrom Assassin miniguide

Conquest wrote:This build has one major flaw - Void RW pretty much mandatory. Other tknives might not even exist, as your mana sustain is entirely based on Void. The main skill converts 90% damage to magic, so you won't be able to leech mana. Mana on attack doesnt work either and mana on kill isn't that common on gear.

I find that Maek is enough sustain for trash mobs. For bosses, or tough trash, I just chug potions.

EDIT: %Regen mana is the best sustain. 5x MO on rings and amu for 75% regen and you're all set.

With 100% mana regen I can sustain just fine for just about everything. I'm using The Sleep with Baal trophy, so I can use Dawn. I'm reaching 38k-39k damage on Maelstrom and there is still space for improvement. I think I would get much more dex from a good rolled, pure flat dex wormhole than my currently rolled with medium and large since I have a lot of % dex already. I could also use a better umbaru treasure.

I went all the way to 28 points in tiefling form, left shadow refuge at 1 point.

The character

Some videos:
Teganze clear
Uldyssian run

patlefort wrote:With 100% mana regen I can sustain just fine for just about everything. I'm using The Sleep with Baal trophy, so I can use Dawn. I'm reaching 38k-39k damage on Maelstrom and there is still space for improvement. I think I would get much more dex from a good rolled, pure flat dex wormhole than my currently rolled with medium and large since I have a lot of % dex already. I could also use a better umbaru treasure.

I went all the way to 28 points in tiefling form, left shadow refuge at 1 point.

The character

Some videos:
Teganze clear
Uldyssian run

1. Do you feel that Assassin throw weapons lack in strike procs?
This would help with the leveling/gearing up process (when there are lack of strike procs on other gear).

2. Can you choose alternative weapon for ench Dawn, or is that BIS weapon?

3. Did you have any trouble (hit any "wall" during your progress) when you were leveling/gearing up?

groom wrote:
patlefort wrote:With 100% mana regen I can sustain just fine for just about everything. I'm using The Sleep with Baal trophy, so I can use Dawn. I'm reaching 38k-39k damage on Maelstrom and there is still space for improvement. I think I would get much more dex from a good rolled, pure flat dex wormhole than my currently rolled with medium and large since I have a lot of % dex already. I could also use a better umbaru treasure.

I went all the way to 28 points in tiefling form, left shadow refuge at 1 point.

The character

Some videos:
Teganze clear
Uldyssian run

1. Do you feel that Assassin throw weapons lack in strike procs?
This would help with the leveling/gearing up process (when there are lack of strike procs on other gear).

2. Can you choose alternative weapon for ench Dawn, or is that BIS weapon?

3. Did you have any trouble (hit any "wall" during your progress) when you were leveling/gearing up?

1. Procs would be useless. They wouldn't get maelstrom magic damage bonus and you would need spell damage for spell procs.

2. Dawn is BiS, 75% stats is insane. From my damage number, 32100 is the magic bonus damage.

3. I didn't level as throw but as a trap user. I tried many things until I respeced to throw in end game.

patlefort wrote:
1. Procs would be useless. They wouldn't get maelstrom magic damage bonus and you would need spell damage for spell procs.

2. Dawn is BiS, 75% stats is insane. From my damage number, 32100 is the magic bonus damage.

3. I didn't level as throw but as a trap user. I tried many things until I respeced to throw in end game.

Not even: "5% Chance to cast level 31 Shadow Blade on Striking"?

(if below descrip is valid)
"Shadow Blade

Deadly throwing knife that instantly kills the target
Requires a throwing knife

Item Granted Skill

Stun Length: 1 second
50% Weapon Damage
Magic Damage: xxxx
Mana Cost: xxx
"

Shadow blade doesn't straight up kill anything, not even trash mobs.
It does significant magic damage, still it's nowhere near what your Maelstrom spikes are carrying if you stacked dex well.

This build has very straightforward gearing due to how this skill scales with damage. You only need Mael and Doom (to lower enemy magic res), then you stack up dexterity, that's it. Not even 50% ctc on striking would beat a simple 30% dex, since these spikes do way, way more damage than any proc.

lets assume very generous 500 base dmg knife throw + 2000% ewd from dex = thats about 10,5k damage per knife. Not bad, not terrible. A single spike from Mael is doing more than that and you spam those spikes like mad.

Conquest wrote:Shadow blade doesn't straight up kill anything, not even trash mobs.
It does significant magic damage, still it's nowhere near what your Maelstrom spikes are carrying if you stacked dex well.

This build has very straightforward gearing due to how this skill scales with damage. You only need Mael and Doom (to lower enemy magic res), then you stack up dexterity, that's it. Not even 50% ctc on striking would beat a simple 30% dex, since these spikes do way, way more damage than any proc.

lets assume very generous 500 base dmg knife throw + 2000% ewd from dex = thats about 10,5k damage per knife. Not bad, not terrible. A single spike from Mael is doing more than that and you spam those spikes like mad.

I thought those Shadow Blades were insta (or very fast) killing trash

Maybe it occured in the old days =).

patlefort wrote:With 100% mana regen I can sustain just fine for just about everything. I'm using The Sleep with Baal trophy, so I can use Dawn. I'm reaching 38k-39k damage on Maelstrom and there is still space for improvement. I think I would get much more dex from a good rolled, pure flat dex wormhole than my currently rolled with medium and large since I have a lot of % dex already. I could also use a better umbaru treasure.

I went all the way to 28 points in tiefling form, left shadow refuge at 1 point.

The character

Some videos:
Teganze clear
Uldyssian run

Totally did not consider mana regen before (Idk why, it's even written on the guide smh at myself).

I tried it and I'm sustaining mana with only 85% mana regen. Very easy to get too, via mo on jewelry.

What's the concensus for

The Doom Gong of Xiansai

The Doom Gong of Xiansai
Aspis (Sacred)
Defense: (3146 - 3539) to (3672 - 4131)
Chance to Block: 5%
(Assassin Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 550
Required Dexterity: 559
Item Level: 105
2% Chance to cast level 12 Thunder Slam on Melee Attack
1% Base Block Chance
Adds (10 to 40)-(50 to 100) Damage
(10 to 20)% Life stolen per Hit
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
20% to Dexterity
Socketed (4)

? Better than the TU option but worse than

Hexward

Hexward
Totem Shield (Sacred)
Defense: (1668 - 2085) to (1932 - 2415)
Chance to Block: 4%
(Assassin Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 527
Item Level: 105
Maelstrom MkI: +25% Bonus Magic Damage
2% Chance to cast level 50 Shadow Blade on Striking
+(140 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
(20 to 30)% to Dexterity
20% Curse Length Reduction
Physical Resist 5%
Socketed (6)

?

Hexward - BIS. Better %dex, 25% more magic dmg, 5% phys res. Doom Gong is better for clawsin. Get one that is close to 30% dex, rest of the mods don't matter - your defense is 0 anyway and you barely leech anything cos 90% magic conversion. 30% dex and perfect 'bad' roll on others is better than 28% dex + perfect 'good' roll on others. You don't even care for lucky upgrade unless it rolls 1% phys res. I guess Doom Gong is easier on max block, but since you are already stacking so much dexterity you should be able to get max block without too much trouble with 4% ctb hexward.

The magic damage part is the most important one in this build and this is the only thing that you should care for damage wise. No proc will come close to the amount of damage you get with mael spikes.