FM vs Assassin?

[Cassey]

Relatively new to level 45 and the need to run Arenas - I'm mostly a PVE type of person.  I do OK against many classes but get slaughter by Assassins - as in I spend half my time hanging in the air with no skills I can cast.

 

I presume I'm doing something terribly wrong.  Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

[Apolenge]

I'll do my best (FM lvl45, pretty good I suppose)

 

I believe your Tab can be spec to break the assassin ability that hangs you in the air. Would recommend taking it and using it for that instance. Your SS (backstep 2 points) can break most other CC forums from them. 

 

Note: Might not always be best to break it at that point, so use your escape wisely.

 

I recommend playing a frost/freeze build so you can stun them with impact (1). This works while they're stealthed too (can miss).

 

Use Impact(1)  Dragonwhorl(3) to break them out of stealth.

 

Would spec Dragonwhorl (3) to recover some focus quickly.

 

Your (V) can be spec into an ability called Frost Sheath. This is such a great ability when used properly. You can totally cancel out one of their major attacks / stuns / rotations while getting all your focus back!

 

Hopefully something here helps. Will offer more help when I can think of some. Good luck! 

 

(btw if i'm wrong about anything here feel free to correct me or somtn lol)

[Cassey]

Appreciate it... currently using a flame build that is heavy DPS based,

 

Reconfigured Tab to use the 2nd branch, which parries for a 0.5 sec after an attack - enough to hopefully break that hang.

Impact(1) is far left tree, which I need to learn to use more - not much need for it in most PVE, but can see where the AOE aspect could help a lot against PVP stealth

Dragonwhole(3) is far left tree, which adds some focus.

Reconfigured V to Frost Shealth.

 

Look forward to trying this out during tomorrow's dailies! 

 

What I love about this is that it leaves my primary PVE attacks alone, and none of the changes were marked to be affected by Frozen Soul, so those PVE things can continue to benefit from my current Burning Soul setting.

 

Also going to back down on my Crit a bit and supplement with some evasion shards.   Although that shouldn't impact anything in Arena, it might help in open world PVP (and honestly is needed for my PVE, I've become a bit too much a glass cannon with my Bloodshade Soul shield.)

 

Thanks again!

 

 

[Kajuana]

Don't ever use a flame build against the assassin.

 

Always switch to the ice build.

Always refresh the buff so that when the assassin hits you, they get chilled.

Free win!

 

Right now Ice Masters are the hardest counter to the assassin class, by far.

[Cassey]

fyI - beat a Sin today that would have creamed me prior to these changes!

 

Thank You!

 

(ps... it was very, very, close)

[djinn1992]

As an FM you should never lose to a sin.

 

It's a really easy concept to grasp. Much harder to execute.

 

You want your 3 to stun and generate a frost orbit.

Once you have at least one frost orbit. Games pretty much over. Anytime they go into stealth they'll get rooted and you impact stun out of stealth.

The main thing is to keep at least 1 frost orbit up at all times. Impact out of stealth. And save your escapes for when they go for combo's