Blade Assassin

Here's a comprehensive guide for a Blade build for the Assassin class in Diablo 2: Resurrected. This build focuses on utilizing the Blade Fury skill for ranged damage while enhancing your effectiveness through various traps and support skills.

Blade Build Guide (Blade Fury Assassin)

Build Overview

The Blade Fury Assassin focuses on dealing damage with Blade Fury, which throws blades that deal physical damage. This build can also incorporate traps for additional area damage, making it versatile in both crowd control and single-target scenarios.

Skill Allocation

  1. Primary Skills
    • Blade Fury (20 points): Your primary attack skill, which throws blades at enemies. It benefits from weapon damage, allowing for significant DPS.
    • Blade Shield (1-20 points): An optional skill that can provide additional damage while you are engaging enemies up close.
    • Death Sentry (20 points): Offers corpse explosion damage, which is useful for dealing with packs of enemies after defeating them.
    • Fire Blast (1 point): A quick-casting trap skill that provides additional damage and stuns enemies briefly.
  2. Support and Utility Skills
    • Cloak of Shadows (1 point): Great for crowd control by blinding enemies, allowing you to set up traps safely.
    • Fade (1-20 points): Provides damage reduction and useful resistances, enhancing your survivability.
    • Shadow Warrior (1 point): Summons a clone of your character that can help tank and deal additional damage.
  3. Passive Skills
    • Weapon Block (1 point): If dual-wielding claws, this can provide a critical defensive strategy by blocking attacks.
    • Fire Mastery / Lightning Mastery: Optional; consider investing in these if you want to mix in fire or lightning traps for more versatility.

Stat Allocation

  1. Strength: Enough to equip your desired gear (around 100-120).
  2. Dexterity: This stat is essential for increasing your chance to hit and weapon damage; aim for enough to provide decent damage output.
  3. Vitality: Focus on this stat to maximize your life pool and ensure your survivability; allocate as many points as possible here.
  4. Energy: Generally, avoid placing points here; your traps will manage mana consumption effectively. You can add a few points if needed.

Gear Recommendations

  • Weapons:
    • Look for claws that enhance your Blade skills, particularly those with +Skills and increased attack speed.
      • Examples include Bartuc's Cut-Throat or Shadow Killer.
  • Armor:
    • Select armor providing bonuses to skills and resistances. Treachery is often recommended for its +2 to Skills and other boosts.
  • Helm:
    • Nightwing's Veil: Great for +Skills and cold damage.
    • Andariel’s Visage: Provides life steal, increased attack speed, and resistances.
  • Rings/Amulet:
    • Look for rings that provide +Skills, resistances, and life/mana leech. Stone of Jordan is ideal.
    • Use an amulet that enhances your skills or provides extra damage.
  • Belt:
    • Arachnid Mesh for +Skills and faster cast rate or Nightsmoke for extra resistances and stats.
  • Boots:
    • Seek boots with increased run/walk and resistances, such as War Traveler for experience gain and favorable stats.

Gameplay Tips

  • Using Blade Fury: Position yourself well in combat, using Blade Fury to deal damage while also keeping a safe distance from enemies.
  • Trap Utilization: Set traps like Death Sentry to manage groups, using corpses to deal additional damage through explosions.
  • Cloak of Shadows: Employ this skill strategically to blind enemies before engaging, allowing you to build your trap setups without taking incoming damage.
  • Mobility: Keep moving during fights to avoid damage and reposition yourself for optimal Blade Fury throws.

Mercenary Recommendations

  • Act 2 Defensive Mercenary: Provides a good frontline tank while you manage your damage from a distance.
  • Equip your mercenary with items that enhance survivability and are high in damage output, focusing on both defense and attack capabilities.

Conclusion

By following this guide, you will have an effective Blade build for your Assassin in Diablo 2: Resurrected. This build leverages Blade Fury for both crowd control and single-target damage, making it versatile for various gameplay scenarios. Enjoy your journey through Sanctuary!