Natalya's Tiger Tail Sin

Assassin
#1

That’s currently the strongest build possible with Natalya’s set, in my opinion. The set is utilized for dual leech, resistances, damage reduction and 6 open sockets which you can stuff with imperfect fire rainbow facets (+3%/-5% are cheap). Nothing in the game is immune or can stop this build.
The build:
20 points in tiger strike
20 points in dragon tail
1 point in dragon flight and all other 1 point wonders
bring burst of speed to level 15 to hit last IAS BP with Natalya’s mark.
20 points in claw mastery
20 points in claw block
Rest of the points in death sentry.

With this, you’re going to have very high hit chance, ignore targets defense, 60% block vs anything, 30% damage reduction from the set, resistances overcapped and an AOE clear with death sentry.
Gear, pair Natalya’s odium with a 2/2 jade talon. Socket up to 6 imperfect fire facets inside. Ugrade Natalya’s boots to Boneweave (very important).
1 x raven frost
1 x string of ears
Second ring would be ideally bul kathos but feel free to use anything you want
1 x any +2 sin amulet or just any mara
1 x +2 martial arts/20ias rare gloves or just any gloves like laying of hands (offsets fire sunder penalty with better leech against demons) or dracula’s grasp

Inventory:
torch, anni, bone break, flame rift, resist charms, martial arts skiller, gheeds for some luck :smiley:

Mercenary:
Important = Any reaper’s toll
Something with cannot be frozen = kiras or duriels shell for example.
Something with damage reduction = gaze, shaftstop or leviathan
Aura: Defiance aura,you don’t have any problem dealing damage, staying alive both for you and merc is more important

Demo:

3 Likes
Martial Arts - Tiger Tail Assassin Guide
#2

Curious what you’re doing with stats, are you aiming for a specific amount of HP and then dumping into Strength for more dmg?

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#3

I went enough strength for gear and natalya’s claw rest into vita. You don’t have any problems to hit anything or leech life/mana while charging. Stating strength/dex beyond isn’t necessary imo because any ed you gain cannot be compared to the one granted by tiger strike:

As you see, she survives fine among that nasty pack or there:

I’m thinking of a way to use her with teleport but whatever I come up with is too squishy compared to the Natalya’s version.

Here are her complete stats and gear:

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#4

Kicking skills actually work different than skills that have you swing a weapon, and they double dip on Strength; Your total kick damage (same as the dmg range you see on weapons) is based off of your boot’s kick dmg + your base kick dmg, which is a special combination of Dext+Strength. Then the skill used also benefits from Strength, but as you mentioned this applies to attribute bonus and get super diluted by Tiger Strike’s bonus and isn’t as meaningful or powerful.
https://www.theamazonbasin.com/wiki/index.php?title=Dragon_Tail
https://www.theamazonbasin.com/wiki/index.php?title=Dragon_Talon

Assassin's Kick Damage Calculator calculates damage as outlined below:
  • Total Kick damage:

Total minimum damage = minimum base damage + minimum boot damage
Total maximum damage = maximum base damage + maximum boot damage

  • Base damage is always applied, even when Assassin is barefoot:

Minimum base damage = [ [ (Strength + Dexterity - 20) / 4] * (100 + Skill Bonus) / 100]
Maximum base damage = [ [ (Strength + Dexterity - 20) / 3] * (100 + Skill Bonus) / 100]

  • Skill Bonus is +% Damage from Tiger Strike. When Assassin wears boots, boot damage added to base damage is calculated as follows:

Minimum boot damage * (100 + [Strength * Strength Bonus / 100] + Damage) / 100
Maximum boot damage * (100 + [Strength * Strength Bonus / 100] + Damage) / 100

But, for what it’s worth, I threw your setup into D2planner, using max str+1500hp after BO, you can boost your total kick damage from:

(1753→2356 Base kick dmg) + (69→118 boot kick dmg)
Total kick dmg = 1822→2474

to

(3699→4932 Base Kick Dmg) + (69→118 Boot Kick Dmg)
Total kick dmg = 3769→5050

As much as the bonus to Attributes is super diluted because of Tiger Strike, STR can double your base kick dmg. But this is just on paper, if you’re dead your extra strong kicks mean nothing. Just food for thought.

I was messing around with it as well and I agree, its extremely hard to fit in Enigma without obliterating your defensive stats. Hard mix to balance imo.

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#5

I am not using cta on her but survive fine. With cta, I’ll go full strength and will report back.

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#6

I’ve used Natalya’s set for a long time for a tiger/tail dual claw assassin for a long time.
I upgraded to:

Cham’d Vampire Gaze
Chains of Honor
Bartuc’s/Jade Talon claws
Mara’s
2x BK rings
String of Ears
Kenshi’s gloves of alacrity or Dracs
Shadow Dancer’s

#7

That’s a downgrade, not upgrade. You can’t use flame rift without fire rainbow facets. I can kill anything in P8, you can’t.

#8

So I’ve built quite similar sin focusing on traps and dragon tail. I was messing around with some attributes and noticed that damage output is the same on 3rd charged dragon tail whether if you have 200 str or 200 dex. Since dex does increase AR and block chance isn’t it better overall minimal gear for str and max dex after vit?

#9

I’d have to check more, but I think that might have been coincidence. Strength appears twice in the kick equation, where dext only appears once. In theory, maxing strength should almost always provide more dmg. Charges also remove the attack rating check for finishing moves, so the AR bonus only helps with tiger strike, which is still useful, and the block bonus would depend on whether you go dual claw or claw and shield. Dexterity doesn’t work with claw block, only shields, so for the setups CM and I proposed, max dext isnt as useful as max str, imo

#10

That’s weird cause hard points to 180str 50dex and 50str 180dex both had same 65k damage for dt on my character sheet

#11

I’m curious as to which boots you’re running that only require 50 str? If you aren’t wearing boots, then the Str can’t double dip and that might explain what you’re seeing. Also, if you’re using d2planner, and looking at DPS, it’s skewed because it incorrectly applies attack rating to your DPS, even though DT always hits when you have charges. If you look at damage ranges though, max Str should hit harder, even though d2planner says they have similar dps. If you want to somewhat eliminate attack rating from the equation, equip a claw with ignore’s target defense, to both specs, and you’ll see max Str out dps’ max Dext now.

#12

I’m using Upped gore str from enigma,torch,anni etc. and used like 4 tokens outside rogue camp compared damage one token after another. Damage was the same.

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#13

Gotcha, hmm… I’m really not to sure then. This is either an in game character sheet issue or misinformation spread by a lot of online resources, in regards to kick dmg.

I can only find resources that say strength double dips; once in the base dmg calc, and again during the boot dmg calc. That is how its calculated on D2planner as well:
https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/aq0106tg
But like I was saying, might just be spread misinformation, I’m not sure which is correct now
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#14

Lying screen bug perhaps. It’s easiest if you go with both specs and try to kill shenk or eldtrich mob in a 8 player baalrun. You’ll notice which is faster.

#15

ok so I did precise testing on single player using hero editor I was wrong, sorry for the confusion.

putting points to 175str 55dex 44-71k DT damage
(64% tigerstrike to hit hell baal 42% chance to block with monarch)
vs
putting points to 55str 175dex 43-69k DT damage
(74% tigerstrike to hit hell baal 75% chance to block with monarch)

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#16

By using cloak of shadows and a claw as a weapon with maxed mastery you’ve got 0 problems hitting baal.

#17

I believe cloak of shadows does not work on bosses, it would be great though.

#18

Dim vision effect doesnt, defense reduction does.

#19

I’m curious about levelling with this spec, has anyone tried? I just started ladder and have zero items. Just finished normal with the standard fire traps build and it’s so boring, i’d like to solo walkthrough the game with something more rewarding like the tiger tail. Is hell doable without sunder charm (but with a lower resist wand)?

Back in the day I was able to do walkthrough with k/t light sin without a problem.

#20

Tigertail is item dependent. If you absolutely want to level as a martial arts sin without sunders dragon talon with death sentry approach or phoenix strike sin is a much better way to go until level 79. I like to farm cow level or arcane sanctuary with a sin during the start of ladder when I don’t have anything on me with light trapsin spec. Later on, I add kicks and crushing blow from goblin toes + guilliamo’s face.