The Assassin was introduced late into Diablo 2, added as a DLC character that exemplified the concept of “high-risk, high-reward.” In Diablo 2: Resurrected, she will likely be much the same — a glass cannon of a character that can be tons of fun, but also a lot of danger. So, how should you build her?

The Dragon Talon Kicksin Build

There are two main builds for the assassin: the Trap Master, or the Martial Artist. While both have equal merits, the trap build is a lot harder to execute as it involves complex trap placements and enemy movement manipulation. Therefore, we’ll stick by the Dragon Talon Kicksin as the best in power and usability.

Focusing on physical attacks and hit combos, the Dragon Talon Kicksin Assassin lands the kinds of strikes that knock enemies out in one blow. With some sentries, poison, and cat-like reflexes to back that up, you can turn your character into a blur of blades and blood.

Abilities

  • Dragon Talon – This core move to the build kicks enemies out of your way, while adding any charged-up bonuses to it. It can apply up to four kicks. Put a full 20 points into this move and it will give you the striking power that a martial arts Assassin needs. Lightning and Death Sentry – While an Assassin is attacking enemies up close and personal, the best way to boost that damage is with a Lightning and Death Sentry. Using this trap tool, the mechanism will explode corpses, shoot lightning, and do bonus damage to the armies of hell. These abilities both deserve a full 20 points of attention, as fighting monsters inside the Sentry trap is the core of the build’s efficacy. Venom – Now, the kicks and claws of the Assassin are powerful, but it’s best to put something more insidious behind those sharp teeth. Putting 20 points into Venom, a player can make an Assassin that does more than 400+ extra points of poison damage with each striking blow. Burst of Speed – Considering the Assassin wants to get in as many hits as possible, Burst of Speed is important for increasing attack speed. As the ability is running, an Assassin can hit 52% faster. You even walk faster, too. Dragon Flight – What’s even better than moving faster is bypassing movement and going straight to teleporting. Not only does it help you reposition, but when you teleport, you move to a different enemy and attack them. It can help an Assassin get out of sticky situations and do more damage to a troublesome monster. Fade – Helping the Assassin avoid damage, Fade raises all resistances to elemental attacks and curses for a duration of time. In Diablo 2, the higher up in levels you got, the more enemies have unique kinds of damage, and this skill can become invaluable in helping you survive those encounters. Cloak of Shadows/Mind Blast – One or both these abilities acts as a key part of this build, and for one simple reason: crowd control. The Dragon Talon Kicksin Assassin does a lot of damage, but they need some backup options if they’re in danger. These moves stun the enemy and can help you survive tricky fights.

Best Gear

Diablo is known for its loot, so keep an eye out for the best items for your Assassin. However, there are hundreds of great gear throughout Diablo 2, so feel free to explore your options until you find amazing options like these.

  • Weapons & Shields: Bartuc’s Cut Throat, Stormlash, Fleshripper, Stormshield, Gerke’s Sanctuary Armor: Dracul’s Grasp, Soul Drainer, Gore Riders, Guillaume’s Face, Duriel’s Shell, String of Ears Jewelry: Raven Frost, Bul-Kathos’ Wedding Band, Mara’s Kaleidoscope, Highlord’s Wrath

Runewords

  • Enigma (Jah + Ith + Ber) The Enigma runes give Assassins invaluable quality of life improvements, such as upgrading teleportation time, walking speed, strength, health, and mana regeneration. Requires level 65.Chains of Honor (Dol + Um + Ber +Ist) Assassins find Chains of Honor useful because it boosts their natural damage, life steal, and resistances. Requires level 63. Sanctuary (Ko + Ko +Mal) This runeword gives the Assassin the kind of defensive boost they need, especially if their gear mostly focuses on damage instead of protection. Requires level 49.