BoltAktion's Assassin compendium

Disclaimer: This guide's purpose is to serve the mnc community by sharing personal knowledge/opinions and informing assassin players new and old alike of various game play mechanics/tactics
used by myself and other notable assassin players.

Lets jump right in!

YOU DID WHAT NOW!?!(Build setups)
Gold- armor
Silver- rate of fire
Bronze- Health recovery/accuracy/speed/skill recovery

Why this setup(s)

Gold armor - VERY important on an assassin, Will allow you to survive all grapples barring ringout.
This is a must as gunners and assaults will rip you in half in the blink of an eye.
Silver rate of fire - Rof is a must in silver as it lets you dispatch bots and turrets in a timely manner

These endorsement in said slots allow you to destroy turrents very effectively
-This endorsement set allows you to kill a lvl1 rocket turrent using the dagger in the span of a smoke bomb, the turrent may shoot you once or twice but you will live and it will drop-
~Does not work if overhealed~

Bronze- This is where you can be flexible. I have ran builds using all listed endorsements and they are all useful in their own ways.

Lets take a quick look at why you would choose each~

Health recover: My personal favorite and the one I currently run, seems to increase not only the time frame in which your health begins to recover, but also the rate at which it fills your health bar.
I play an overly aggressive hit and run style assassin, I get in and do what I can then get out on the brink of death. HR in bronze nearly cuts the time for my hp to refill in half.

Accuracy: Shurikens are awesome, accuracy in this slot makes a very noticeable difference in your ability to hit targets, most notably destroying fire bases. (especially at longer ranges)

Speed: Assassin is the fastest and most mobile pro, adding to this is always a plus, after a speed pickup or two you will be zipping around the map mad fast, this is augmented further by upgrading dash to lvl3.

Skill recover: It's hard to go wrong with SR in bronze for any pro. Mainly only useful for smoke bomb, helps cloak a bit too. Good, but probably my last pick.


ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO ME (Playing the assassins strength's)

Key points for this part of the guide
-The annihilator is your job-
-Nuking turrents-
-Pushing bots-
-Map control-
-Harassment-

The annihilator is your job!

Cloak means despite what map control the enemy team has, you can still get to and tag it.
Sprint/lunge/smoke bomb - many combination's of these three skills means the assassin will be able to not only bypass map control, but also you as the assassin can reach the annihilator with more
speed and ease then any other pro

Examples of this are
Using smoke bomb from the ground OR upper decks on steel peel (Who needs jump pads?)
Lunging from the upper/lower jump pad areas on grenade3

The sin makes money quickly. You should always have cash on hand for this very important aspect of the game as it can make or break a good offensive push.

This only applies to team based matches that end quickly.
Otherwise it is best to ignore the ani and save for buying the katana.


Nuking turrents!

Sin is (In my opinion) the most effective pro at dispatching turrents, juiced or not.
While juiced it is possible to rid the enemy base of every single turrent they own.
Obviously this won't always work given variables such as enemy pro resistance or a triple 3.3 firebase defense, but lets discuss the what/when/how/and why's of turrent destruction.

When you approach a base as the sin with intent to cripple the base itself there are a few things you want to observe and take note of before you spring into action and why they are important

-Number/location of all nearby hostile pros AND their line of sight to the turrents you want to destroy
-Number/location of friendly pros AND what they are currently engaged with
-Number of hacked turrets/ fire bases AND what level they are hacked to as well as their line of sights and positions
-Which turrents are the most threat to your ability to siege the base AND the risk involved with attacking those turrents

Taking all of the above into account and formulating a plan of action will prevent you from wasting juice or failing to score and effective number of turrent kills.

TIPS and ADVICE

-LINE OF SIGHT is important! It is better to be shot at by 1/2 turrents then ALL of them at once
-When slashing something down, position yourself so that you are taking the least amount of damage possible
-Turrents can't shoot THROUGH each other, you can effectively block incoming fire by placing your desired kill target between you and other turrents
-After you get the katana you can destroy all turret's excluding upgraded rokits in the span of a smokebomb stun (This is with no juice or overheal)
-Use the S-launcher while juiced to kill firebase's before targeting base turrents, it takes about half to one clip even if fully overhealed.
-Smoke bomb out of cloak to disable as many as you can and activate juice as the animation is ending

Pushing bots!

Once again, the sin is hands down the best at pushing bot lanes due to mobility and power
The katana slices through bots like butter and a well positioned lunge can wipe out an entire wave while feeding you juice at a VERY high rate, only compounded by the fact that as a melee class you can snatch up the dropped juice boxes no problem.
Anytime a jackbotXL spawns, make a mad dash for it. Hop along side it slashing for a free juice bar.
You take them down twice as fast as any other pro so these go to the top of your priority list.
Do not grapple unless it is half health and you know it is safe to do so, it will only get you killed.
lunge and sprint combined with your powerhouse bot killing weapon means you can push BOTH lanes on most maps.
You will make loads of spending cash and have juice constantly
Not much else needs to be said here, push those bots and push em hard!

Map control!

The sin is somewhat limited when it comes to map control but there are many assets you bring to the table that will deny the enemy the advancement they seek.
Ejectors are probably the assassins best friend when it comes to controlling the map and lanes.

Cloak of course allows you get to the ejector spots when you need them without interference and also prevents the enemy from reacting accordingly since they will not expect the ejector to be triggered
Furthermore smoke bomb lets you slip away from combat only to land and instantly trigger ejectors netting you kills on your would be attackers

A combination of gremlins and spamming waves of crit shurikens is also a nice way to force enemy pros to back off an area.

Note that spending money on an ejector before you have the katana is not advised unless you are sure it will net a kill and you will be able to taunt following said kill.


Harassment!

Being invisible...errr transparent...
Makes you more then great at annoying the enemy.
Any time the enemy spends chasing you in circles or shooting at ghosts is time wasted not fulfilling the class duties required for their team to push/defend
If you can bait more then one person into a game of follow the leader, all the better.

I can't count the number of times I have died...or even lived while 2-3 enemy chase me in circles, completely oblivious to the waves of bots I pushed swarming onto the moneyball

There are many ways to effectively harass
Often ill just run into the enemy base and lunge into somebody only to immediately cloak and run away
You don't have to kill them, just make your presence known, keep them on edge and looking over their shoulder.

The main form of harassment the sin can use, which has been covered in other guides is to keep the enemy moneyball from ever restoring it's shields by tagging it with the S-launcher from many angles
by using cloak to change your position and avoid enemy pros entirely


ZERG RUSH (early game)

Skill buy order:
There are two different buy orders I use now
The first is for a "short game"
If the match is probably going to end in less then 3 minutes you can just skip getting the katana.

-Cloak2 and dash2 (out of spawn)
-passive2
-smoke2

Since its a short game you can tap the ani once, hit ejectors if need be or even buy jump pads for your team. I usually do not upgrade anything to lvl3 in these matches.


Cloak and sprint off the start to cover ground as quick and safely as possible for an early offensive push. Turrets can see through cloak1 so upgrading it early is crucial.
Passive2 Next for the clip size mainly, the launcher sucks w/o it.
smoke2 right after for the radius and recharge increase to help escape pros and kill turrents

smoke and passive can be optional, Depending on your team and flow of the match spawning gremlins could be a more effective use of cash.

The Second order is for longer matches (5minutes or more.)
-passive2 (out of spawn)
-passive3 katana
-cloak2
-sprint2
-smoke2
-sprint3 if I feel I need it

Using this order I normally just play hide and seek early game.
Find a support, stab him in the back then hide and taunt. Kill a few bots while your grapple cools down.
Repeat this until you have the money for the katana and can actually pose a threat to other pros.


Most games I don't bother with cloak3 or smoke3 unless I have too much cash, I like them both but usually don't get to enjoy them unless the game is very long
I Do however grab sprint3 if at all possible, it is well worth it!

Most shorter games I head strait for the enemy turrents, often sitting cloaked allowing enemy pros to pass by and leave the base undefended
Best case- I easily drop one rokit and back track to clean up the lane on that side while smoke recharges
worse case- I encounter heavy resistance and have to back off and focus my efforts elsewhere

(mid game)
Simple and strait forward, control bot flow while building juice, use the juice to lay waste to the enemy base.

(late game, the moneyball)
Gold clip size! The s-launcher in overtime is a beast, juice up and drop it like its hot from a safe distance
Normally I sit cloaked with juice in line of sight of the ball from a safe distance 15 seconds before overtime starts because every second counts, using the gold clip launcher builds cash fast so if your first push doesn't do it you will be ready for a second even if you have not saved a lot.
(note that if you don't have juice or money for juice then slashing the ball or a jackbotXL will build it much faster then using the launcher)

I have been messing around with an "overtime" assassin setup and will be posting info here about that after more testing.


T33M D3THM4TCH! (killing pros)

Killing pros is at the bottom of the assassin's priority list!

You get to pick the fight. Do NOT pick a fair fight.
Take out weakened pros with lunges/slashes or the s-launcher or focus on attacking people who are distracted or engaged with a team member.
The element of surprise is key when killing with an assassin, if the enemy knows you are there then back off and live to fight another day.
For the love of all things holy, do not face charge people.
As a rule of thumb, I avoid tanks and assaults as much as possible. Charge or grapple3 are instant death for an assassin in most cases.

With that said, here are some things that will help against pros.

Ice traps
Assassin is the only pro that can effectively "dodge" a head shot while frozen
Spamming the melee attack makes you do flipy kicks that quickly jerk your head hitbox around meaning a sniper will have to body shot you 3 times (gold armor) If he is not quick to react or has terrible aim
You may just slip away with low hp

Smoke bomb
Blinding an enemy before you attack gives you a huge edge, heck even blinding them after you have attacked can put the fight back into your hands, A blind enemy can't target you.
I will blind an enemy and slash at them as they hop and stumble around, then front grapple or lunge them for the kill as the blind wears off.
The animation also can be used to duck head shot's AND body shots while frozen if you time it. I find that SB is best used against enemy assassin's who missed a lunge or grapple on me.

SB allows you to land on many ledges and walls which make great perches for springing an attack or recovering health.

Also dropping out of the sky directly behind somebody can net some easy backstabs.




IT'S A TRAP!
The lunge can be hard to land, even harder if the enemy is a bunny.
This tactic is pretty much an ambush and has turned many deaths into free kills for me

Simply lure an enemy around a corner (preferably into a tunnel or tight space) this works best when being chased as people hate letting somebody with red hp run away, even better if you have damaged them.
As you round the corner, cloak and spin a 180 while lining yourself up with the wall. As they turn the corner lunge grapple for a free kill. 70% of the time, this works every time as they do not expect it.
Even if they do know you are waiting, they can't avoid it.
(Do not attempt this on a heavy class or without the katana)

Wolf in sheep's clothing
Spawn and travel cloaked with a pack of gremlins, at first glance you will be mistaken or overlooked.
The grems do nice damage and will chomp away at an enemy during your grapple animation, making front grapples easy viable kills.
grems will soak up turret fire and make heal guns useless as you toggle cloak
Certain pros can be pinned or "body blocked" against walls and the like by you and the gremlins for easy slash/melee kills



Side notes about me in relation to assassin play
-I run tactical button layout and would recommend it to all assassin players
-I use a sensitivity of 6 allowing me to adjust my lunges and grapples as well as my sprinting/jumping course of direction very rapidly

Revised to fit the new patch.

Reserved for future additions and edits.

Good guide, just gonna throw it out there that the weaponswap grab was my idea

I think you mean second best. A gunner is better at killing unhacked turrets as they can't shoot back if you are at the proper range. A gunner can easily destroy an unattended 3.3 rocket turret with a full overheal. A gunner can kill a fully overhealed rocket turret while a support stands behind the glass and heals it (can any other class do this?). And finally gunners don't have to run away if someone sees them attacking a turret.

If we're talking about a juiced scenario let's consider what can stop either character. A single frost trap or slam will waste a significant portion of an assassin's juice. A gunner can still attack turrets. The speed increase from juice with no speed endorsements is easily enough to dodge rocket turrets. If you use your juice to kill pros you can kill the turrets afterward (most pros die in 3 bullets from a gunner or less).

"My dad can beat up your dad!"

Why would anyone let them put up a lvl3 rocket?
Assassins build lots of juice while attacking turrets, they build juice fast period.
Gunners build juice slow period.
Gunner won't be touching any turrets if the enemy team has map control or a solid defense.
The gunner is great at killing turrets but This is an assassin guide not a debate.
No need to nit pick :roll:

Changed it for you anyways.

Yes it was!

Hence the disclaimer.

D'awww, you think i'm notable

The most notable!

You have your own amazing guide as well, after all.

Not a plug for your guide which can be found here
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=3242
*cough*

Why thank you for the bolt "bump"

Nice suggestions with the bronze endorsements; I'll have to try them out.

The word "turrents" makes me want to punt a gerbil. Whoever started it should be ashamed.

Blame SX! it's all his fault! :lol:

Good guide, i use most of the tactics, but i will try the s-launcher after grapples and to destroy the moneyball more often.

Holy crap. I've been using 3, and that feels like plenty. Hard to imagine getting used to double the sensitivity. But then, I've never understood how people play with super high sensitivity. Snipers in other games do it all the time, too

I'm curious about this. Could you go into more detail? You're the only person I can remember seeing so far who has said that standard layout isn't more convenient for assassins.

Being able to toggle cloak with the right stick (mid combat most importantly) is clutch for the sin, especially at cloak3.
Same for smoke bomb being on right bumper

I'm used to weaponswap and reload being on X and Y from other shooter games

I still have my fingers crossed that they will remove the second sprint from left bumper and place lunge there, would be a PERFECT setup for assassin.

I use standard layout, i feel it's a lot better, it seems like you and i are on the exact opposites of the spectrum with our playstyles

I hit ctrl + F, typed Hudson, found nothing.

This guide fails.

Actually, its probably the most in-depth assassin guide posted on the forums. Your guide and Rev's should be required reading for all the crappy assassins who face lunge fully overhealed tanks and think their class is underpowered and needs to be buffed.

You made me stop face lunging tanks, just for the fear that it might be you playing on a different gamertag XD

I totally agree though, our guides must be read by anyone trying to master our mistress

Nice guide Bolt

lol

Now that was unnecessary, Bolt.

...okay, the sig's not helping, but still!

Awesome, awesome guide. I was amazed at how much difference bronze health recov made!