Start Attributes

The initial attributes with which the Assassin starts from scratch are these:

• Strength: 20

• Dexterity: 20

• Vitality: 20

• Energy: 25

• Hit points: 50

• Resistance: 95

• Mana: 25

Leveling Up Attributes

With each new character level you raise, the Assassin will gain the following attribute points:

• Life: improvement by +2.

• Stamina: +1.25 improvement.

• Mana: +1.5 improvement.

• Attribute progression

Advanced Attributes

The progression of attributes with each point of effect of the Assassin is as follows:

• 1 vitality point: grants +3 health points.

• 1 vitality point: grants +1.5 stamina.

• 1 energy point: grants +1.75 mana.

Assassin is a versatile character class in Diablo 2 Resurrected that can specialize in melee combat, ranged attacks, or trap-based strategies. Here are the skills available to Assassins:

Martial Arts Tree

Martial Arts skills allow Assassins to engage in melee combat and deal physical damage to enemies. The skills available in this tree are:

• Tiger Strike: Increases the damage dealt with the next attack.

• Dragon Talon: Performs a flying kick that deals damage to multiple enemies.

• Dragon Claw: Performs a powerful melee attack with both claws.

• Dragon Tail: Performs a spinning kick that deals damage in a large radius.

• Cobra Strike: Deals damage and drains the target's life and mana.

• Phoenix Strike: Alternates between three different attacks, each dealing different types of damage.

Shadow Disciplines Tree

Shadow Disciplines allow Assassins to move quickly and avoid enemy attacks. The skills available in this tree are:

• Claw Mastery: Increases the damage dealt with claw weapons.

• Burst of Speed: Increases the Assassin's movement speed and attack speed.

• Fade: Temporarily increases the Assassin's resistances and damage reduction.

• Shadow Warrior: Summons a clone of the Assassin to fight by their side.

• Mind Blast: Causes enemies to become confused and attack each other.

• Venom: Adds poison damage to the Assassin's attacks.

Traps Tree

Traps allow Assassins to set up ambushes and deal damage to enemies from a distance. The skills available in this tree are:

• Fire Blast: Creates an explosion of fire damage.

• Shock Web: Creates a web of electricity that damages enemies that walk through it.

• Blade Sentinel: Throws a spinning blade that damages enemies.

• Charged Bolt Sentry: Sets up a trap that shoots lightning bolts at enemies.

• Wake of Fire: Creates a trail of fire that damages enemies that walk through it.

• Death Sentry: Sets up a trap that explodes, dealing physical and fire damage to nearby enemies.

Assassins can choose to specialize in one or more of these skill trees, or mix and match skills from different trees to create a unique playstyle. It's important to note that Assassins have relatively low health and defense, so players should focus on using their agility and skills to avoid enemy attacks and deal damage from a safe distance.

Assassins in Diablo 2 Resurrected can use a variety of D2 items to enhance their combat abilities and survivability. Here are some of the best equipment options for Assassins:

• Weapon: Assassins can use claw-class weapons or thrown weapons such as javelins or throwing knives. The best weapon will depend on the specific build and playstyle of the Assassin, but some popular options include:

• Bartuc's Cut-Throat: A unique set of claw weapons that provide bonuses to skills, damage, and attack speed.

• Chaos: A runeword that can be used in claw weapons to provide bonuses to skills, attack speed, and chance to cast Confuse on hit.

• Gimmershred: A unique throwing weapon that provides bonuses to skills, attack rating, and pierce chance.

• Armor: Assassins should look for armor that provides bonuses to skills, resistances, and defense. Some good options include:

• Chains of Honor: A runeword that can be used in armor to provide bonuses to skills, resistances, and damage reduction.

• Treachery: A runeword that can be used in armor to provide bonuses to skills, attack speed, and chance to cast Fade when struck.

• Smoke: A runeword that can be used in armor to provide bonuses to skills, resistances, and damage reduction.

• Helm: Helmets should provide bonuses to skills, resistances, and life. Some good options include:

• Andariel's Visage: A unique helmet that provides bonuses to skills, attack speed, and life steal, but also reduces the Assassin's resistances.

• Guillame's Face: A unique helmet that provides bonuses to skills, crushing blow, and life steal.

• Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest: A set helmet that provides bonuses to skills, resistances, and life.

• Shield: Assassins can use shields to increase their defense rating and block chance. Some good options include:

• Stormshield: A unique shield that provides bonuses to defense rating, block chance, and resistances.

• Lidless Wall: A unique shield that provides bonuses to skills, faster cast rate, and mana.

• Spirit: A runeword that can be used in shields to provide bonuses to skills, faster hit recovery, and mana.

• Gloves, Belt, Boots, and Amulet: These Diablo 2 items should provide bonuses to skills, resistances, and life. Some good options include:

• Trang-Oul's Claws: A set of gloves that provide bonuses to skills, resistances, and mana.

• String of Ears: A unique belt that provides bonuses to life, damage reduction, and melee damage.

• Sandstorm Trek: Unique boots that provide bonuses to skills, resistances, and faster hit recovery.

• Mara's Kaleidoscope: A unique amulet that provides bonuses to skills, resistances, and attributes.

Overall, Assassins should focus on obtaining Diablo 2 items that provides bonuses to skills, resistances, and life, as these are key to their survival and effectiveness in combat.

Assassins in Diablo 2 Resurrected can use several powerful runewords to enhance their combat abilities. Here are some of the best runewords for Assassins:

• Mosaic: This D2R 2.6 runeword is a Claw-based Runeword specifically designed for Martial Arts Assassins. When equipped with a pair of Mosaic claws, the MA Assassin is guaranteed a 100% chance of not consuming power-up charges when using the finisher ability. Moreover, using the finisher refreshes the duration of the power-up charge stack. This means that players can stack power-up charges from abilities like Phoenix Strike and continue spamming a Dragon Talon finisher indefinitely.

• Enigma: This runeword can be used in armor and provides bonuses to skills, faster run/walk, teleport, and resistances. This runeword is highly versatile and can be used for any Assassin build.

• Fortitude: This runeword can be used in armor and provides bonuses to skills, damage reduction, resistances, and faster hit recovery. This runeword is particularly effective for melee-focused Assassins.

• Infinity: This runeword can be used in polearms and provides bonuses to skills, faster cast rate, lightning damage, and a chance to lower the target's resistances. This runeword is highly effective for trap-focused Assassins.

• Spirit: This runeword can be used in shields and provides bonuses to skills, faster hit recovery, mana, and resistances. This runeword is highly versatile and can be used for any Assassin build.

• Phoenix: This runeword can be used in weapons and provides bonuses to skills, fire damage, life/mana leech, and a chance to cast a firestorm. This runeword is highly effective for Martial Arts-focused Assassins.

• Grief: This runeword can be used in sword-class weapons and provides bonuses to skills, damage, attack speed, and a chance to cause Deadly Strike. This runeword is highly effective for melee-focused Assassins.

These runewords can greatly enhance an Assassin's combat abilities and effectiveness in combat. It's important to note that runewords require specific runes and a specific item type to create, so players should plan accordingly and obtain the necessary materials to create the desired runeword.

The Assassin class is an excellent option for players seeking a beginner-friendly character with a versatile playstyle. With synergy bonuses from both Lightning and Fire-based attacks, the Assassin can easily defeat most enemies, regardless of their immunities.  below we list the most popular Assassin Builds in Diablo 2 Resurrected and what gear and skills to use to get them at their best:

Phoenix Strike Build (Dual Mosaic Martial Arts Assassin)

The Phoenix Strike Assassin is an updated build that has now reached S-tier status thanks to the addition of the Mosaic runeword. This build utilizes Phoenix Strike and all elements to create a versatile Assassin capable of melting through any area in Diablo 2: Resurrected. With its incredible damage potential and flexibility, the Phoenix Strike Assassin is an excellent choice for players looking for a powerful and dynamic build.

Best Skills for Phoenix Strike Assassin Build

• Phoenix Strike: This is the main skill for this build, and it allows you to deliver a powerful fire-based attack that can deal massive damage to your enemies. The skill has three charges that can be used in different combinations to create different effects.

• Dragon Talon: This skill is another staple of the Phoenix Strike Assassin build, as it allows you to quickly close the distance between you and your enemies and deal a significant amount of damage with your kicks.

• Cobra Strike: This skill is useful for replenishing your health and mana, as it converts a portion of the damage you deal into healing.

• Tiger Strike: This skill is another great option for dealing damage, as it enhances your kicks with increased damage and adds a chance to stun your enemies.

• Burst of Speed: This skill increases your movement speed and attack speed, allowing you to quickly move around the battlefield and deal damage more quickly.

• Shadow Master: This skill summons a powerful clone of yourself that can fight alongside you and distract enemies.

• Mind Blast: This skill is useful for controlling crowds of enemies, as it has a chance to stun and confuse them.

• Fade: This skill provides you with additional resistance to elemental damage and can help you survive against powerful enemies that deal fire damage.

• Venom: This skill adds poison damage to your attacks and can help you take down enemies more quickly.

Best D2R Items (Runewords, Armor, Weapon) for Phoenix Strike Build

• Weapon: 2x Mosaic Claws

• Weapon Swap: Call to Arms Runeword, Spirit Runeword

• Shield: Ethereal Exile Vortex Shield, or Herald of Zakarum

• Body Armor: Enigma Runeword

• Helm: Griffon's Eye

• Gloves: +3 Martial Arts Skiller Gloves

• Boots: Natalya's Soul

• Belt: Arachnid Mesh

• Amulet: Mara's Kaleidoscope

• Rings: Raven Frost, The Stone of Jordan or Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band

• Charms: Assassin Hellfire Torch, Annihilus, Martial Arts Skiller Grand Charms with Life or enough % Faster Hit Recovery to hit 86%, Small Charms with Life, Resistances, Mana, or Faster Hit Recovery, depending on needs

The Dragon Talon Assassin is a hybrid build that combines melee attacks with Traps, making her less gear-dependent than other melee builds. This build allows players to play through the game with relatively little resistance, and the Assassin's wide range of crowd control and damage options makes her an excellent choice for newer players. By balancing both melee attacks and Traps, the Kicksin can deal significant damage and dispatch enemies with ease.

Best Skills for Kicksin Assassin Build

• Dragon Talon: This skill is essential for any Kicksin build as it allows you to quickly close the gap between you and your enemies and deliver a powerful kick that deals significant damage.

• Dragon Flight: This skill is an excellent mobility skill that allows you to leap onto enemies and deliver a powerful kick, stunning them and dealing damage.

• Cobra Strike: This skill is useful for replenishing your health and mana, as it converts a portion of the damage you deal into healing.

• Tiger Strike: This skill is another great option for dealing damage, as it enhances your kicks with increased damage and adds a chance to stun your enemies.

• Fade: This skill provides you with additional resistance to elemental damage and can help you survive against powerful enemies that deal fire damage.

• Burst of Speed: This skill increases your movement speed and attack speed, allowing you to quickly move around the battlefield and deal damage more quickly.

• Shadow Master: This skill summons a powerful clone of yourself that can fight alongside you and distract enemies.

• Mind Blast: This skill is useful for controlling crowds of enemies, as it has a chance to stun and confuse them.

• Blade Fury: This skill can be useful for dealing with ranged enemies, as it allows you to throw spinning blades that deal damage over a wide area.

Best D2R Items (Runewords, Armor, Weapon) for Dragon Talon Builds

• Weapon: Dual Mosaic Claw, or Stormlash Scourge

• Weapon Swap: Call to Arms Runeword, Spirit Runeword

• Shield: Stormshield, or Sanctuary

• Body Armor: Enigma, or Chains of Honor

• Helm: Guillaume's Face

• Gloves: Dracul's Grasp, or Laying of Hands

• Boots: Gore Rider

• Belt: Thundergod's Vigor, or Verdungo's Hearty Cord

• Amulet: Metalgrid, or Mara's Kaleidoscope

• Rings: Raven Frost & The Stone of Jordan; or Chaos Eye & Raven Frost

• Charms: Assassin Hellfire Torch, Annihilus, Martial Arts Skiller Grand Charms with Life or enough % Faster Hit Recovery to hit 86%, Small Charms with Life, Resistances, Mana, or Faster Hit Recovery, depending on needs

Trapsin, is the go-to build for starting an Assassin. The Lightning Sentry Assassin can lay down traps from a distance and watch them attack enemies, even while off-screen, making it an easy build to play. With Lightning, Fire, Physical damage, she can handle any enemy. The Traps Assassin is also highly effective at quickly taking down large groups of monsters using two different sentries. Players can create a domino effect by killing the first few monsters with Lightning Sentry, then let Death Sentry's Corpse Explosion deal with the rest. Additionally, her high mobility through Burst of Speed and Teleport make the Trapsin a joy to play. With the recent update that allows Traps to apply -x% Enemy Resistances, the Trapsin has been elevated to the next level, making the Trapsin even more effective and deadly.

Best Skills for Trapsin Build

• Death Sentry: This skill is the core of the Trapsin build, allowing you to set traps that deal fire and lightning damage to enemies in a large area. When an enemy dies near a Death Sentry trap, it triggers a powerful explosion that deals additional damage to nearby enemies.

• Lightning Sentry: This skill is another excellent trap skill, allowing you to set traps that release bolts of lightning that deal damage to enemies in a small area.

• Wake of Fire: This skill is useful for setting traps in tight spaces or areas with lots of enemies, as it creates a trail of fire that deals damage over time.

• Blade Shield: This skill is an excellent defensive option for the Trapsin build, as it allows you to summon spinning blades that deal damage to enemies that come into contact with them.

• Burst of Speed: This skill increases your movement speed and attack speed, allowing you to quickly move around the battlefield and set traps more quickly.

• Shadow Master: This skill summons a powerful clone of yourself that can fight alongside you and distract enemies.

• Mind Blast: This skill is useful for controlling crowds of enemies, as it has a chance to stun and confuse them.

• Fade: This skill provides you with additional resistance to elemental damage and can help you survive against powerful enemies that deal fire or lightning damage.

• Venom: This skill adds poison damage to your attacks and can help you take down enemies more quickly.

Best D2R Items (Runewords, Armor, Weapon) for Trapsin Builds

• Weapon: Cunning Greater Talons of Quickness with 2x Rainbow Facet Jewel, or Heart of the Oak

• Weapon Swap: Call to Arms Runeword, Spirit Runeword

• Shield: 32%+ Faster Cast Rate Spirit Monarch Shield

• Body Armor: Enigma Mage Plate,

• Helm: Griffon's Eye, or Harlequin Crest

• Gloves: Magefist, or Trang-Oul's Claws

• Boots: Bone Trample Heavy Boots, or Ethereal Sandstorm Trek

• Belt: Thundergod's Vigor, or Arachnid Mesh

• Amulet: Mara's Kaleidoscope

• Rings: 2x The Stone of Jordan; or 2x Raven Frost

• Charms: Assassin Hellfire Torch, Annihilus, Lightning Sunder Charm, Trap Skiller Grand Charms with Life or Faster Hit Recovery to reach 86% Faster Hit Recovery, Small Charms with Life, Resistances, Mana, or Faster Hit Recovery depending on needs

The Whirlwind Assassin build is unique in that it incorporates a damaging skill from a different class. Specifically, the Assassin utilizes the iconic Barbarian skill, Whirlwind, by stealing it and making it her own through the Claw-exclusive Runeword, Chaos. In addition to Whirlwind, the Whirlwind Assassin also employs the powerful Corpse Explosions of Death Sentry to deal devastating Area of Effect (AoE) damage. This combination of skills and abilities allows the Whirlwind Assassin to deal massive damage while remaining highly mobile and effective in combat.

Best Skills for Whirlwind Assassin Build

• Whirlwind: This skill is the core of the Whirlwind Assassin build, allowing you to rapidly spin around and hit enemies in a wide area. It deals significant damage and can be used to quickly clear out groups of enemies.

• Dragon Tail: This skill is useful for closing the gap between you and your enemies and dealing a powerful kick that stuns them and deals damage.

• Burst of Speed: This skill increases your movement speed and attack speed, allowing you to quickly move around the battlefield and deal damage more quickly.

• Fade: This skill provides you with additional resistance to elemental damage and can help you survive against powerful enemies that deal fire damage.

• Shadow Master: This skill summons a powerful clone of yourself that can fight alongside you and distract enemies.

• Mind Blast: This skill is useful for controlling crowds of enemies, as it has a chance to stun and confuse them.

• Venom: This skill adds poison damage to your attacks and can help you take down enemies more quickly.

• Blade Shield: This skill is an excellent defensive option for the Whirlwind Assassin build, as it allows you to summon spinning blades that deal damage to enemies that come into contact with them.

• Cloak of Shadows: This skill can be useful for reducing the visibility of enemies and making it easier to focus on individual targets.

Best D2R Items (Runewords, Armor, Weapon) for Trapsin Builds

• Weapon: Chaos elite claw

• Off-Hand Weapon: Stone Thirst Feral Claws, or Fury Claw, or Fool's Claw

• Weapon Swap: Call to Arms Runeword, Spirit Runeword

• Shield: 32%+ Faster Cast Rate Spirit Monarch Shield

• Body Armor: Enigma Mage Plat, or Fortitude Archon Plate, or Duress Archon Plate

• Helm: Guillame’s Face, or Visionary Helm with Life, Resistances, and useful stats

• Gloves: Trang-Oul's Clawss, or Laying of Hands, or Dracul’s Grasp

• Boots: War Traveler, or Shadow Dancer, or Gore rider

• Belt: Verdungo's Hearty Cord, or String of Ears

• Amulet: Highlord’s Wrath

• Rings: Shadow Turn Ring & Raven Frost; or Raven Frost & Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band

• Charms: Assassin Hellfire Torch, Annihilus, Lightning Sunder Charm, Magic Small Charms (with +all resistances, +life, +max damage, + attack rating, +poison damage)

In Diablo II: Resurrected, like in the original Diablo II, there are certain breakpoints for Assassin builds that affect the rate at which certain actions can be performed. Here are some of the key breakpoints for Assassin builds in D2R:

D2R Assassin FHR Breakpoints

In Diablo II Resurrected, the Faster Hit Recovery (FHR) breakpoints for Assassin characters are the same as they were in the original game. Hitting these breakpoints will reduce the duration of the hit recovery animation, allowing you to more quickly resume attacking or moving. Here are the FHR breakpoints for Assassins in D2R:

• 0% - 9 frames

• 5% - 8 frames

• 9% - 7 frames

• 14% - 6 frames

• 20% - 5 frames

• 30% - 4 frames

• 42% - 3 frames

• 60% - 2 frames

• 86% - 1 frame

D2R Assassin FCR Breakpoints

In Diablo II Resurrected, the Faster Cast Rate (FCR) breakpoints for Assassin characters are the same as they were in the original game. Hitting these breakpoints will reduce the time it takes to cast skills, allowing you to use them more frequently. Here are the FCR breakpoints for Assassins in D2R:

• 0% - 13 frames

• 9% - 12 frames

• 18% - 11 frames

• 24% - 10 frames

• 30% - 9 frames

• 39% - 8 frames

• 48% - 7 frames

D2R Assassin IAS Breakpoints

In Diablo II Resurrected, the Increased Attack Speed (IAS) breakpoints for Assassin characters are the same as they were in the original game. Hitting these breakpoints will increase your attack speed with melee weapons and ranged attacks, allowing you to attack more frequently. Here are the IAS breakpoints for Assassins in D2R:

Claws:

• 0% - 0 frame

• 10% - 1 frame

• 22% - 2 frames

• 37% - 3 frames

• 63% - 4 frames

• 105% - 5 frames

• 174% - 6 frames

Kicks:

• There are no IAS breakpoints for Kicks.

Traps:

• There are no IAS breakpoints for Traps.

D2R Assassin Run/Walk Breakpoints

In Diablo II Resurrected, the Run/Walk breakpoints for Assassin characters are the same as they were in the original game. Hitting these breakpoints will allow you to move more quickly, which can be especially useful for builds that rely on mobility to avoid damage. Here are the Run/Walk breakpoints for Assassins in D2R:

• 0% - 11 frames per walk

• 13% - 10 frames per walk

• 20% - 9 frames per walk

• 32% - 8 frames per walk

• 52% - 7 frames per walk

• 86% - 6 frames per walk

These breakpoints can be important for maximizing the effectiveness of your Assassin build, as hitting them can greatly improve your character's performance in combat. However, it's important to note that breakpoints can be affected by factors such as character level, equipment, and skills, so it may take some experimentation to find the right combination of gear and skills to hit the desired breakpoints.

The Assassin is a highly enjoyable character to play, although it may take some time to master her. For beginners, she may not be the best option, but once you become comfortable playing her, the wait is worth it. All Assassin builds rely on shadow disciplines to gain bonuses in the form of attack speed boosts, damage reductions, the ability to block damage with claws, and even the potential to summon a shadow warrior to fight alongside you. By utilizing shadow disciplines, players can enhance the Assassin's capabilities and make her a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.