AION 2 Assassin guide: skills, stigmas, rotation and macros

The class and who it suits

Many players avoid Assassin because it looks complicated. Its two main challenges are timing and position. Strong self-buffs make you dangerous briefly, so do not waste them, especially early when cooldowns are long. Both active and passive skills reward attacks from behind, so watch the boss's facing.

If you like melee and burst damage, try Assassin. It deals plenty even before your play is perfect.

Your job in combat

What to know first

• Savage Roar applies an insignia and Insignia Explosion consumes them. Up to five insignias make the blast stronger.
• Heart Gore can only follow a critical hit by any skill. Critical Hit thus matters more here than for many classes.
• Quick Slice restores MP while Savage Roar spends it. Balance the two.
• Exploit Weakness can summon clones that apply five insignias themselves, enough to keep Insignia Explosion at full strength.
• In settings, enable the boss direction indicator and set it to show the back so positioning is easier.

Active skills and specializations

While leveling, take HP absorption on your main strikes to ease boss fights and hunting. After level 45, switch to this layout.

Four main strikes

Heart GoreActive · CD 5s · level to 16Triggers on landing a Critical Hit, dealing 111-111 damage to up to 4 enemies within 4m and restores 100 MP.

1. Resets [Heart Gore] cooldown on landing a Critical Hit
2. Up to +20% Critical Hit when less targets hit
3. Multi-Hit on hit

First leveling goal. At level 16, a critical hit resets the cooldown, letting you repeat the skill while you keep critting. Bonus Critical Hit chance helps.Quick SliceActiveDeals 58-58 damage to up to 4 enemies within 4m and restores 100 MP.

1. Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as a Critical Hit
2. -1s [Insignia Explosion] cooldown on hit
3. +50% Multi-Hit on hit

Use it constantly like an auto attack to restore MP. At level 16, it guarantees a crit through Block and Evasion and reduces Insignia Explosion's cooldown on each hit.Insignia ExplosionActive · CD 10sSelects a target within 20m and deals 604-604 damage to up to 4 enemies within 4m, inflicting Stun for 3s.

1. -3s cooldown
2. +50% Multi-Hit on hit
3. Keep 2 stacks of Insignias after [Insignia Explosion]

Each insignia increases damage. These options reduce cooldown from 10 to seven seconds, add multi-hit, and preserve two insignias after the blast.Savage RoarActiveDeals 68-68 damage to up to 4 enemies within 4m and engraves 1 Insignia for 10s.

1. +20% Skill Speed
2. -20% MP consumed
3. Deals up to 12% more damage when less targets are hit

A no-cooldown chain that spends MP and applies an insignia. Choose faster action and lower MP cost.

Moving behind the target

ShadowstrikeActive · CD 20sMoves behind a target within 20m and deals 52-52 damage, rotates, and inflicts Stun for 3s.

1. +20% caster Critical Damage Boost for 5s on hit

Moves behind a target within 20m. Add 20% Critical Damage for five seconds at level 8.InfiltrateActive · CD 20sMoves behind a target within 10m and deals 239-239 damage with a 50% chance to inflict Blind for 3s after using [Dodge] or while flying.

1. +10m [Infiltrate] range

Also moves behind the target, but from 10m. The extra 10m range matches Shadowstrike; put both on one key.Flash SliceActive · CD 10sMoves to the opposite side of a target within 4m and deals 181-181 damage to up to 4 enemies, with a 40% chance to inflict Blind for 3s.

1. +6m Range
2. +1 consecutive use

Moves to the target's opposite side. Gain 6m range at level 8 and a second use at level 12.

Other skills

Storm RampageActiveDeals 107-107 damage to a target afflicted with Stagger within 4m.

1. -1s all skill cooldowns on hit
2. Absorbs 5% HP

Only works on a staggered boss. At level 16, every hit reduces all cooldowns by one second, including stigmas. Use it while buffs are cooling down.DefianceActive · CD 60sRemoves Stun, Knockdown, Airborne, Grab, Frost, and Fear from the caster and grants Tenacity for 5s.

1. Restores 20% HP on using [Defiance]

Break control and regain 20% HP.

Ambush and Whirlwind Slice usually deal less damage than the main strikes. Ambush's 3% HP absorption option is its main early use.

Active skill leveling order

1. Heart Gore
2. Quick Slice
3. Insignia Explosion
4. Savage Roar
5. Flash Slice
6. Shadowstrike
7. Infiltrate
8. Storm Rampage
9. Defiance

Passive skills

Passive priority

Exploit WeaknessPassiveIncreases caster's Critical Hit by 100. Has a 25% chance to increase Attack by 5.5% for 10s, and a 7% chance to summon up to 5 clones on landing a Critical Hit. Each…Critical Hit, Attack, and clones that apply five insignias: everything you need in one passive.Rear SmitePassiveIncreases the caster's Back Attack Damage Boost by 3%, PvE Damage Boost by 3%, and PvP Damage Boost by 1.5%.Back Attack damage and +3% PvE damage even when you cannot get behind the boss.Assault StancePassiveIncreases the caster's Critical Damage Boost by 6%.Critical Damage.Impact HitPassiveIncreases the caster's Impact-type Chance by 11.2% and Double Chance by 0.3%.Impact-type Chance and Double Chance.

Keep other passives at base level for now. They add damage too, but these four deserve points first.

Stigmas

Core set

Illusive CloneStigma · CD 90sRemoves [Heart Gore] cooldown and deals 20% of damage dealt as extra damage for 10s.Main stigma. Removes Heart Gore's cooldown and boosts it. Early on it lasts 10 seconds with a 90-second cooldown, so do not waste it. At +20 it lasts 20 seconds.Swift ContractStigma · CD 60sIncreases the caster's Combat Speed by 20% for 10s.+20% Combat Speed for 10 seconds means shorter animations and more hits. Pair it with Illusive Clone.Triniel's DaggerStigma · CD 45sDeals 1374-1374 damage to a target within 4m and increases all of the target's skill cooldowns by 5% of their duration. Increases damage by 30% if attacking from behind…Strong Back Attack. At +10, reduces every current cooldown by 10%; use after buffs.Savage FangStigma · CD 60sDeals 1074-1074 damage to up to 4 enemies within 4m and engraves 5 Insignias for 10s.Immediately applies five insignias. Ideal opener before Insignia Explosion; +15 adds 10% PvE damage.

Take Triniel's Dagger to +10, then Illusive Clone to +20, followed by Swift Contract and Savage Fang.

Rotation

Combat cycle

1. Step 01 — buffsIllusive Clone and Swift Contract.
2. Step 02 — get behindShadowstrike positions you and gives 20% Critical Damage. Immediately use Triniel's Dagger to reduce the buffs' current cooldowns.
3. Step 03 — macroRun your macro and Quick Slice. Keep behind the boss and avoid gaps in attacks.

When buffs are on cooldown and the boss is staggered, use Storm Rampage. Every hit shortens Illusive Clone's and Swift Contract's cooldowns.

Macros

Assassin needs one macro row: Savage Fang → Insignia Explosion → Heart Gore → Savage Roar. Hold the macro button and left mouse button for Quick Slice together so the game cancels animations. While leveling, keep the macro short until you understand each strike. See the skill macro guide for delays.

Daevanion

Skill points raise abilities only to level 10. Daevanion nodes, Arcana, and equipment provide further levels. Start with the first three boards in order to get your main strikes to level 12 and their second specialization, collecting important stat nodes on the way. See the Assassin boards in Daevanion.

Arcana and equipment

Look for the priority skills above on Arcana and rings. Quick Slice, Heart Gore, and Insignia Explosion occur on the Parchment; Savage Roar on the Compass; Assault Stance on the Bell; Exploit Weakness, Rear Smite, and Impact Hit on the Mirror. The Chalice can offer any class skill. See the stats guide for equipment options.

Common mistakes

1. Buffs at the wrong timeIllusive Clone during boss immunity wastes roughly 90 seconds of damage.
2. Triniel's Dagger before buffsIt reduces only cooldowns already running, so use it afterward.
3. Facing the boss head-onYou lose Back Attack damage from Rear Smite and Triniel's Dagger.
4. Long macro while levelingIt becomes hard to tell what your character is doing.

Checklist for harder content

Assassin ready

• Heart Gore at level 16 with a cooldown reset on critical hits;
• Quick Slice set up for guaranteed critical hits;
• Triniel's Dagger at +10 and Illusive Clone as high as possible;
• boss back indicator enabled;
• Shadowstrike and Infiltrate on the same key.