AION 2 Assassin Build: PvE Crit DPS Skills, Gear and Stats

The Assassin is a burst-focused melee class that rewards careful positioning. This page describes an example crit-focused PvE build for its listed regional version. Class basics: Assassin overview. Playstyle comparison: class tier list.

Build Summary

• Role: melee burst DPS
• Stat focus: Critical Hit and Attack, with the Back Attack sub-stat — Assassins deal bonus damage from behind, opposite of the front-line warrior classes
• Weapon: Dagger (reference build: Guardian Tribunus Dagger)
• Armor: reference build uses the Guardian Tribunus set

Recommended Skills

The build's skill set (13 slots):

Skill	Note
Quick Slice	Core filler
Shadowstrike	Reported to gain a crit-chance boost at early skill levels — level it first
Heart Gore	Burst
Whirlwind Slice	AoE
Shadow Fall	Mobility/engage
Insignia Explosion	Burst payoff
Ambush	Opener from stealth
Savage Roar	Buff
Infiltrate	Stealth/positioning
Flash Slice	Damage
Storm	Damage
Rampage	Cooldown
Defiance	CC-break cleanse

Gear Priorities

1. Dagger first — burst classes scale hardest with weapon attack.
2. Stack crit lines (Critical Hit, Critical Attack) before raw attack substats.
3. Farm the Back Attack sub-stat: your damage budget assumes you're behind the target.
4. Party note: Assassins bring defense-shred debuffs that benefit the whole party — a real argument for inviting one beyond personal DPS.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: highest single-target burst ceiling in the game, stealth for choosing engagements, top-tier in both boss DPS records and arena PvP.

Weaknesses: fragile when caught, demands constant positional discipline, and loses significant damage when forced to attack from the front.

FAQ

Is Assassin hard to play? It's the most position-dependent class at launch. If you enjoy playing behind the boss and managing burst windows, it rewards the effort with the game's top recorded DPS.

Assassin for PvP? It's the premier roam/pick class — stealth in, delete a squishy, disengage.