From what I’ve seen on the ladder and off the ladder, it looks like the Mosaic runewords has a lot of people interested in playing the Assassin. Others are put off by the new runeword but many enjoy it.
I started playing the Assassin for the first time (I’ve played everything else since I began in 2008) and decided to do a martial arts Phoenix Strike build. I’m currently lvl 78, and struggling to complete Hell (just beat act 2). This has been extremely frustrating because I’ve played this game long enough to know how to allocate my skills and know what gear I need.
I’m currently running unique jade talon and shadow killer claws, Dracs gloves, Nats armor, helm, and boots, string of ears belt, +2 skill ammy, raven frost, and rare ring with resists.
Why is this build unable to complete hell? I cant even get life leech often enough to survive and the damage output isn’t enough (even though all my skill points are synergies of pheonix strike).
I shouldn’t have to afford a Ohm rune or be forced to use Mosaic just to beat Hell. Why isn’t there better claw runewords? Mosaic is only on ladder, its OP, and still expensive. I beat Hell easier with every other character.
I propose a few things should change:
- Some runewords get adjusted to allow claws such as Lawbringer or heck even kings grace. (Not too cheap but enough to get by).
- Change Martial Arts skills to NEED Claw mastery for AR, but allow viable damage with fewer synergies. Claw mastery is useless now with other skills offering Attack Rating and damage synergies.
- Make Mosaic less OP, but accessible for non-ladder players.
- Add at least one more unique claw thats harder to find and much more valuable.
I feel capped with this build unless I obtain a mosaic or Ohm rune for Chaos claws.
Martial Arts Tree stands and falls with Mosaic.
Without this rune word, the tree would be played just as little as a werewolf or werebear and all the weak skill trees or abilities that are still available.
Mosaic needs a Mal rune, a Gul and an Amn rune and level 53, with high claws accordingly a higher lvl because of the claw requirements. If you don’t play with dragon claw, the damage is tied to the shoes. Get Gore Rider and upgrade it to Elite later with a Perfect Diamond, a Lem Rune and a Ko Rune together with the shoes in the cube. I think you’ll need level 72 to wear the elite version of the Gore Rider boots. Alternatively, you can also wear Shadowdancer shoes. However, these are already elite and require a similar level.
You can also play with dragon claws and rune claws, for example, which are the fastest.
I also tried this and then maximized the claw mastery.
You can also mow everything down very easily with this. The other finishers just maximize it even further.
Without Mosaic, the whole skill tree is quite stressful and difficult to play, also because the charges constantly run out. An extension of 15 seconds would be a blessing, otherwise you’re just rushing around like crazy or have to get a really expensive Enigma to teleport.
You could also upgrade RW like Wind for claws and, above all, bring RW that only need 2 runes, because then many elite claws that only have 2 sockets would be good for something.
But even if you bring new RW for claws or improve the existing ones, it has to be close to RW Mosaic and that means that you should always keep charges somehow, at least 50% instead of 100% with 2 Mosaic claws, to get it good enough to Mosaic, otherwise all RW from Mosaic on are pointless and nobody will take them, why should they?