Storm Crows Assassin

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Neyhanis
Balrog
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Deathadvocat wrote:
Xi0n wrote:How important are the +skills from the Natasha's Legacy for this build? Would a low roll be usable if the pierce was decent?


absolutely +Skills is more a gimmick. PR and Max Res is the important part


May I suggest
The Petulant
The Petulant
Hard Leather Armor (Sacred)

Defense: 7053 to 7521
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 550
Item Level: 120
While Tantrum is Active:
+0.5% Deadly Strike per Tantrum Skill Level
+0.5% Crushing Blow per Tantrum Skill Level
+3% Weapon Physical Damage per Tantrum Skill Level
25% Movement Speed
Weapon Physical Damage +(30 to 60)%
+200% Enhanced Defense
(15 to 20)% to All Attributes
Physical Resist 10%
Socketed (6)
then? It may not have the maxres, but its got good PR, movespeed for kiting, EWD and aa% for dex and vit.
Deathadvocat
Bone Archer
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Neyhanis wrote:
Deathadvocat wrote:
Xi0n wrote:How important are the +skills from the Natasha's Legacy for this build? Would a low roll be usable if the pierce was decent?


absolutely +Skills is more a gimmick. PR and Max Res is the important part


May I suggest
The Petulant
The Petulant
Hard Leather Armor (Sacred)

Defense: 7053 to 7521
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 550
Item Level: 120
While Tantrum is Active:
+0.5% Deadly Strike per Tantrum Skill Level
+0.5% Crushing Blow per Tantrum Skill Level
+3% Weapon Physical Damage per Tantrum Skill Level
25% Movement Speed
Weapon Physical Damage +(30 to 60)%
+200% Enhanced Defense
(15 to 20)% to All Attributes
Physical Resist 10%
Socketed (6)
then? It may not have the maxres, but its got good PR, movespeed for kiting, EWD and aa% for dex and vit.


I personally prefer as much tankiness as possible for lategame content. Would use a
Tyrael's Might
Tyrael's Might
Ancient Armor (Sacred)

Defense: 11859 to 14685
Required Level: 130
Item Level: 130
Ethereal
50% Movement Speed
+100% Damage to Demons
+100% Damage to Undead
+200% Enhanced Defense
Maximum Elemental Resists +15%
Physical Resist 50%
Cannot Be Frozen
Requirements -100%
Celeri Caelesti Iustitia
Socketed (6)
if it would be possible to find one.
If you don't want to go Natasha,
Auriel's Robe
Auriel's Robe
Light Plate (Sacred)

Defense: (7583 - 9229) to (8905 - 10882)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 650
Item Level: 120
50% Movement Speed
Weapon Physical Damage +100%
+(140 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+1000 Defense
+3000 Defense vs. Missile
Physical Resist 10%
Socketed (6)
or
Scales of the Serpent
Scales of the Serpent
Gothic Plate (Sacred)

Defense: (7481 - 8308) to (9074 - 10078)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 675
Item Level: 105
15% Chance to cast level 40 Arachnomancy on Melee Attack
4% Chance to cast level 12 Time Strike on Striking
(31 to 40)% Hit Recovery
+90% Damage to Undead
Adds 200-300 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
-35% to Enemy Poison Resistance
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
Weapon Physical Damage +(25 to 30)%
+(144 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
+100 to Strength
+50 Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)
work just fine.
Neyhanis
Balrog
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Deathadvocat wrote:
Neyhanis wrote:
Deathadvocat wrote:
Xi0n wrote:How important are the +skills from the Natasha's Legacy for this build? Would a low roll be usable if the pierce was decent?


absolutely +Skills is more a gimmick. PR and Max Res is the important part


May I suggest
The Petulant
The Petulant
Hard Leather Armor (Sacred)

Defense: 7053 to 7521
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 550
Item Level: 120
While Tantrum is Active:
+0.5% Deadly Strike per Tantrum Skill Level
+0.5% Crushing Blow per Tantrum Skill Level
+3% Weapon Physical Damage per Tantrum Skill Level
25% Movement Speed
Weapon Physical Damage +(30 to 60)%
+200% Enhanced Defense
(15 to 20)% to All Attributes
Physical Resist 10%
Socketed (6)
then? It may not have the maxres, but its got good PR, movespeed for kiting, EWD and aa% for dex and vit.


I personally prefer as much tankiness as possible for lategame content. Would use a
Tyrael's Might
Tyrael's Might
Ancient Armor (Sacred)

Defense: 11859 to 14685
Required Level: 130
Item Level: 130
Ethereal
50% Movement Speed
+100% Damage to Demons
+100% Damage to Undead
+200% Enhanced Defense
Maximum Elemental Resists +15%
Physical Resist 50%
Cannot Be Frozen
Requirements -100%
Celeri Caelesti Iustitia
Socketed (6)
if it would be possible to find one.
If you don't want to go Natasha,
Auriel's Robe
Auriel's Robe
Light Plate (Sacred)

Defense: (7583 - 9229) to (8905 - 10882)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 650
Item Level: 120
50% Movement Speed
Weapon Physical Damage +100%
+(140 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+1000 Defense
+3000 Defense vs. Missile
Physical Resist 10%
Socketed (6)
or
Scales of the Serpent
Scales of the Serpent
Gothic Plate (Sacred)

Defense: (7481 - 8308) to (9074 - 10078)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 675
Item Level: 105
15% Chance to cast level 40 Arachnomancy on Melee Attack
4% Chance to cast level 12 Time Strike on Striking
(31 to 40)% Hit Recovery
+90% Damage to Undead
Adds 200-300 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
-35% to Enemy Poison Resistance
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
Weapon Physical Damage +(25 to 30)%
+(144 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
+100 to Strength
+50 Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)
work just fine.


I understand but I don't see why Sots O_o I don't see what you'd take it for, it has a small +%ewd and then poison bonuses / melee attack bonuses, neither of which storm crow would benefit from.

On another note I respecced my sin and did some fun testing into storm crows, with a decently crafted
Shadow Bite
Shadow Bite
Throwing Knives

'Phul'
Runeword Level: 110
+4 Storm Crows Projectiles
5% Chance to cast level 24 Hammertime on Kill
20% Combat Speeds
Adds 75-(160 to 180) Damage
Adds (200 to 300)-(400 to 500) Magic Damage
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
(5 to 10)% to All Attributes
+(100 to 200) to Life
, and it works well. Since my damage is enough i'm using a
Locket of Dreams
Locket of Dreams
Amulet

Required Level: 100
Item Level: 105
+(2 to 3) to All Skills
+100 to Vitality
+(150 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy
25% Gold Find
+10 to Light Radius
. Also considering crafting a
Treachery
Treachery
Belts

'ArcPhul'
Runeword Level: 110
+1 to All Skills
+(5 to 10)% Bonus to Spell Focus
10% Hit Recovery
+(15 to 20)% to Physical/Magic Spell Damage
+(12 to 15) to Singularity
(15 to 20)% to Energy
+(150 to 250) to Mana
Physical Resist 5%
+(100 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy
to get a total of 400ish life per hit taken (even better if the hits are elemental, so they get reduced by prismatic cloak's flat ele red and then heal you for 400... because kiting bosses isnt a problem at all only getting swarmed is kinda dangerous (our aoe clearspeed isnt huge afterall)... and this big heal on hit makes up a lot for it. With Locket alone you can go to low areas such as TA and be kinda immortal and even in dunc and fauzt you take a lot less damage its very noticeable... with the belt on top I think it would do pretty great. Therest of its stats are worthless to us so I'd swap with anything else useful when fighting ubers which don't multihit and/or i'm gonna fully kite

Which brings me to the next point : If I'm gonna stand there taking tons of hits anyways, I might replace my
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)
(good for dmg, dex, leech) with a
Silver Scorpion
Silver Scorpion
Parma (Sacred)

Defense: (2875 - 3375) to (3231 - 3793)
Chance to Block: 4%
(Assassin Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 525
Required Dexterity: 529
Item Level: 105
+8 Storm Crows Projectiles if you have not taken weapon damage recently
+(1 to 2) to Assassin Skill Levels
+363 Poison Damage over 1 seconds
10% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target 10%
+(130 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+2 Life on Striking
Socketed (4)
... less versatility but if you're getting hit nonstop +8 knives is not a small deal, thats an overall increase of 32% more damage (33 knives instead of 25), even better if not using Shadow Bite RW. I just kinda need to make up for losing the big leech on Doom Gong, but I think I'm gonna use an SBS body for that (was using a TU4 war cloak during my testing...)
Deathadvocat
Bone Archer
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Neyhanis wrote:
Deathadvocat wrote:
Neyhanis wrote:
Deathadvocat wrote:
Xi0n wrote:How important are the +skills from the Natasha's Legacy for this build? Would a low roll be usable if the pierce was decent?


absolutely +Skills is more a gimmick. PR and Max Res is the important part


May I suggest
The Petulant
The Petulant
Hard Leather Armor (Sacred)

Defense: 7053 to 7521
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 550
Item Level: 120
While Tantrum is Active:
+0.5% Deadly Strike per Tantrum Skill Level
+0.5% Crushing Blow per Tantrum Skill Level
+3% Weapon Physical Damage per Tantrum Skill Level
25% Movement Speed
Weapon Physical Damage +(30 to 60)%
+200% Enhanced Defense
(15 to 20)% to All Attributes
Physical Resist 10%
Socketed (6)
then? It may not have the maxres, but its got good PR, movespeed for kiting, EWD and aa% for dex and vit.


I personally prefer as much tankiness as possible for lategame content. Would use a
Tyrael's Might
Tyrael's Might
Ancient Armor (Sacred)

Defense: 11859 to 14685
Required Level: 130
Item Level: 130
Ethereal
50% Movement Speed
+100% Damage to Demons
+100% Damage to Undead
+200% Enhanced Defense
Maximum Elemental Resists +15%
Physical Resist 50%
Cannot Be Frozen
Requirements -100%
Celeri Caelesti Iustitia
Socketed (6)
if it would be possible to find one.
If you don't want to go Natasha,
Auriel's Robe
Auriel's Robe
Light Plate (Sacred)

Defense: (7583 - 9229) to (8905 - 10882)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 650
Item Level: 120
50% Movement Speed
Weapon Physical Damage +100%
+(140 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+1000 Defense
+3000 Defense vs. Missile
Physical Resist 10%
Socketed (6)
or
Scales of the Serpent
Scales of the Serpent
Gothic Plate (Sacred)

Defense: (7481 - 8308) to (9074 - 10078)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 675
Item Level: 105
15% Chance to cast level 40 Arachnomancy on Melee Attack
4% Chance to cast level 12 Time Strike on Striking
(31 to 40)% Hit Recovery
+90% Damage to Undead
Adds 200-300 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
-35% to Enemy Poison Resistance
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
Weapon Physical Damage +(25 to 30)%
+(144 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
+100 to Strength
+50 Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)
work just fine.


I understand but I don't see why Sots O_o I don't see what you'd take it for, it has a small +%ewd and then poison bonuses / melee attack bonuses, neither of which storm crow would benefit from.

On another note I respecced my sin and did some fun testing into storm crows, with a decently crafted
Shadow Bite
Shadow Bite
Throwing Knives

'Phul'
Runeword Level: 110
+4 Storm Crows Projectiles
5% Chance to cast level 24 Hammertime on Kill
20% Combat Speeds
Adds 75-(160 to 180) Damage
Adds (200 to 300)-(400 to 500) Magic Damage
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
(5 to 10)% to All Attributes
+(100 to 200) to Life
, and it works well. Since my damage is enough i'm using a
Locket of Dreams
Locket of Dreams
Amulet

Required Level: 100
Item Level: 105
+(2 to 3) to All Skills
+100 to Vitality
+(150 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy
25% Gold Find
+10 to Light Radius
. Also considering crafting a
Treachery
Treachery
Belts

'ArcPhul'
Runeword Level: 110
+1 to All Skills
+(5 to 10)% Bonus to Spell Focus
10% Hit Recovery
+(15 to 20)% to Physical/Magic Spell Damage
+(12 to 15) to Singularity
(15 to 20)% to Energy
+(150 to 250) to Mana
Physical Resist 5%
+(100 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy
to get a total of 400ish life per hit taken (even better if the hits are elemental, so they get reduced by prismatic cloak's flat ele red and then heal you for 400... because kiting bosses isnt a problem at all only getting swarmed is kinda dangerous (our aoe clearspeed isnt huge afterall)... and this big heal on hit makes up a lot for it. With Locket alone you can go to low areas such as TA and be kinda immortal and even in dunc and fauzt you take a lot less damage its very noticeable... with the belt on top I think it would do pretty great. Therest of its stats are worthless to us so I'd swap with anything else useful when fighting ubers which don't multihit and/or i'm gonna fully kite

Which brings me to the next point : If I'm gonna stand there taking tons of hits anyways, I might replace my
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)
(good for dmg, dex, leech) with a
Silver Scorpion
Silver Scorpion
Parma (Sacred)

Defense: (2875 - 3375) to (3231 - 3793)
Chance to Block: 4%
(Assassin Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 525
Required Dexterity: 529
Item Level: 105
+8 Storm Crows Projectiles if you have not taken weapon damage recently
+(1 to 2) to Assassin Skill Levels
+363 Poison Damage over 1 seconds
10% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target 10%
+(130 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+2 Life on Striking
Socketed (4)
... less versatility but if you're getting hit nonstop +8 knives is not a small deal, thats an overall increase of 32% more damage (33 knives instead of 25), even better if not using Shadow Bite RW. I just kinda need to make up for losing the big leech on Doom Gong, but I think I'm gonna use an SBS body for that (was using a TU4 war cloak during my testing...)


Can't say I tried too much life on beeing hit so far.
Scales of the Serpent
Scales of the Serpent
Gothic Plate (Sacred)

Defense: (7481 - 8308) to (9074 - 10078)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 675
Item Level: 105
15% Chance to cast level 40 Arachnomancy on Melee Attack
4% Chance to cast level 12 Time Strike on Striking
(31 to 40)% Hit Recovery
+90% Damage to Undead
Adds 200-300 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
-35% to Enemy Poison Resistance
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
Weapon Physical Damage +(25 to 30)%
+(144 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
+100 to Strength
+50 Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)
was mostly used for the Timed strike proc.

AS for shields
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)
is aways on my list, but when testing I just didn't really feel it. Maybe I need to try it again.
Captcha
Mangler
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I'm a casual at this game, but if you don't mind a suggestion, early game mana issues can be avoided by putting 1 point in the skill you're using and maxing ways starting fire then lightning.

Maelstrom is good because it's a multi-hitting skill. Since you have 1pt in both SC and maelstrom you can switch easily.

Also wonder about using wots since the dot will get overwritten by being constantly reapplied. The initial poison hit may be worthwhile though on the basis that maybe there's nowhere else to put the skill points?

One question. I was told a while ago that SC only hits 1 target at a time, no matter how many crows it's firing per cast. I've never been able to tell for sure, but running dense areas they seem to go down fast enough, so I suspect that's not true. Can anyone confirm?
Deathadvocat
Bone Archer
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Captcha wrote:I'm a casual at this game, but if you don't mind a suggestion, early game mana issues can be avoided by putting 1 point in the skill you're using and maxing ways starting fire then lightning.

Maelstrom is good because it's a multi-hitting skill. Since you have 1pt in both SC and maelstrom you can switch easily.

Also wonder about using wots since the dot will get overwritten by being constantly reapplied. The initial poison hit may be worthwhile though on the basis that maybe there's nowhere else to put the skill points?

One question. I was told a while ago that SC only hits 1 target at a time, no matter how many crows it's firing per cast. I've never been able to tell for sure, but running dense areas they seem to go down fast enough, so I suspect that's not true. Can anyone confirm?


I know WotS isn't really that great but I'm just not feeling any other skill is really worth it. Shadow Refugee might be good, but then you constantly have to reapply the buff by melee attacks which isn't great.

I'm pretty sure SC only hits 1 target at a time after that amount of play.
felix0808
Pit Knight
116 | 12
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Captcha wrote:One question. I was told a while ago that SC only hits 1 target at a time, no matter how many crows it's firing per cast. I've never been able to tell for sure, but running dense areas they seem to go down fast enough, so I suspect that's not true. Can anyone confirm?

It can hit many targets. Just go to normal act1 and use it and you see that it can kill up to 5 targets. It not totally utilizes all my 21 knifes, because only 5 are killed out of 11 enemies, but it can target more than one enemy.


Also want to add that
Albrecht's Revenge
Albrecht's Revenge
Chain Mail (4)

Defense: (138 - 150) to (279 - 305)
Required Level: 4
Required Strength:
25 to 26
Item Level: 10
5% Chance to cast level 1 Arrow on Striking
Adds (2 to 4)-(6 to 7) Cold Damage
+(18 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(21 to 25)%
+(10 to 15) Life after each Demon Kill
2% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(11 to 15)%
Socketed (2)
Defense: (437 - 471) to (798 - 860)
Required Level: 22
Required Strength:
45 to 47
Item Level: 31
6% Chance to cast level 1 Arrow on Striking
Adds (7 to 13)-(13 to 25) Cold Damage
+(41 to 52)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(31 to 35)%
+(25 to 33) Life after each Demon Kill
4% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(21 to 25)%
Socketed (4)
Defense: (1038 - 1107) to (1843 - 1967)
Required Level: 39
Required Strength:
136 to 144
Item Level: 51
7% Chance to cast level 1 Arrow on Striking
Adds (26 to 50)-(51 to 100) Cold Damage
+(64 to 75)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(41 to 45)%
+(43 to 60) Life after each Demon Kill
6% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(31 to 35)%
Socketed (5)
Defense: (1513 - 1608) to (2670 - 2838)
Required Level: 49
Required Strength:
252 to 268
Item Level: 77
8% Chance to cast level 1 Arrow on Striking
Adds (51 to 100)-(101 to 200) Cold Damage
+(75 to 86)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(46 to 50)%
+(76 to 90) Life after each Demon Kill
8% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(36 to 40)%
Socketed (6)
is quite good in early game. It adds good amount of cold dmg, on striking proc, reanimates will tank some dmg for you and life after demon kill also neat. I used it before 110 lvl. And thanks for guide :)
Siosilvar
Cow Ninja
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Deathadvocat wrote:I know WotS isn't really that great but I'm just not feeling any other skill is really worth it. Shadow Refugee might be good, but then you constantly have to reapply the buff by melee attacks which isn't great.


With 70% avoid and capped phys res (from Shadow Refuge itself), this is not an issue.
Neyhanis
Balrog
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Siosilvar wrote:
Deathadvocat wrote:I know WotS isn't really that great but I'm just not feeling any other skill is really worth it. Shadow Refugee might be good, but then you constantly have to reapply the buff by melee attacks which isn't great.


With 70% avoid and capped phys res (from Shadow Refuge itself), this is not an issue.


...and block ! But I second it, I also use Shadow Refuge on left click on stormcrows build, it's immensely good, frees up all your PDR needs on gear and gives a nice 90% movement speed buff.
I'd even say the movement speed buff is good enough to offset having to kite in/out of melee to re-apply it.
felix0808
Pit Knight
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I don't like Shadow refuge. On melee assasin it good because you always in melee, but there you don't want to go in melee every 15s. Yep, in hard areas like early vizjun or fauzt it applicable because enemies always engage you in melee and you don't survive without it, but once you becomes stronger you forget about SF. I am lvl 130 now and i very rarely use it.