Lightning Sentry Assassin

Here’s a comprehensive guide for a Lightning Sentry build for the Assassin in Diablo 2: Resurrected. This build focuses on maximizing the effectiveness of the Lightning Sentry and incorporating the Trap skills for both damage and utility.

Lightning Sentry Build Guide

Build Overview

The Lightning Sentry build utilizes the Trap skills, particularly focusing on Lightning Sentry for high area damage. This playstyle allows you to deal significant elemental damage while setting traps and using other utility skills to control the battlefield.

Skill Allocation

  1. Trap Skills
    • Lightning Sentry (20 points): Your primary source of damage; it deals high lightning damage and can hit multiple enemies.
    • Death Sentry (20 points): An excellent AoE skill that can create corpse explosions, dealing damage to all nearby enemies. This skill synergizes well with Lightning Sentry.
    • Shock Web (1 point): Provides good crowd control; can be useful for stunning enemies briefly.
    • Chain Lightning Sentry (1-20 points): Optional but can be useful for added damage, especially if you need to deal with a significant number of enemies. The effectiveness of this skill can scale with investment.
    • Wake of Fire (1 point): Useful for applying fiery damage if you wish to add a secondary damage source.
  2. Utility Skills
    • Cloak of Shadows (1 point): Provides crowd control by blinding enemies, allowing you to set up traps safely.
    • Fade (1 point): Offers damage reduction and resistances, enhancing your survivability.
    • Shadow Warrior (1 point): Provides a duplicate of your character; it can be helpful for additional damage and distraction.
  3. Passive Skills
    • Lightning Mastery (20 points): Increases your lightning damage significantly, making your traps much more powerful.
    • Burst of Speed (1 point): Increases your movement and attack speed, beneficial for mobility in combat.

Stat Allocation

  1. Strength: Enough to equip your gear (usually around 100-130).
  2. Dexterity: Minimal, typically enough to meet gear requirements (around 50-100); prioritize gear with modifiers if using claws.
  3. Vitality: Allocate the majority of stat points here to increase your life pool; aim for maximum survivability.
  4. Energy: Generally, avoid placing points here; the Assassin uses traps that do not consume too much mana. If needed, add a few points for comfort.

Gear Recommendations

  • Weapons:
    • Claws with +to Trap skills, Faster Cast Rate, and Lightning Damage are ideal.
    • Example Claws: Dark Clan or Bartuc's Cut-Throat.
  • Armor: Look for armor that provides bonuses to skills, resistances, and defense.
    • Notable examples: Treachery (for its +2 skills, increased attack speed, and resistances).
  • Helm:
    • Nightwing's Veil: Provides +Skills, cold damage, and plus to all resistances.
    • Alternatively, Andariel's Visage for life steal and increased attack speed.
  • Rings/Amulet:
    • Aim for rings that provide +Skills, resistances, and mana/life leech; consider using Stone of Jordan.
    • An amulet with +Traps or +Skills can significantly increase your effectiveness.
  • Belt:
    • Nightsmoke for resistances and additional stats.
    • Alternatively, Arachnid Mesh for +Skills and faster casting.
  • Boots:
    • Go for boots with faster run/walk and resistances; War Traveler is excellent for experience gain and returns.

Gameplay Tips

  • Placement: Set your Lightning Sentries in strategic locations, especially in areas with large enemy packs. Use the environment to your advantage.
  • Cloak of Shadows: Use this to blind enemies before they reach you, allowing your traps to be set up without interruption.
  • Positioning: Keep moving to avoid damage while your traps do the work; lightning traps can clear rooms and corridors effectively.
  • Corpse Management: When using Death Sentry, keep an eye out for opportunities to take advantage of corpse explosions. Use it after skirmishes to maximize damage.

Mercenary Recommendations

  • Act 2 Defensive Mercenary: Provides a good tank with decent synergy for your build.
  • Equip the mercenary with items that enhance survivability, like Treachery armor and some leeching weapon.