The Dragon Talon Assassin, aka "Kicksin", is the best build to kill the Uber Bosses on an Assassin. The combination of Patch 2.5 and 2.6 make this build a force to be reckoned with! With her incredibly fast Kick speed, she applies Crushing Blow hits in quick succession, dropping the Ubers in no time.
Patch 2.5 introduced some buffs to the Martial Arts Skill Tree, mainly allowing finisher moves to ALWAYS HIT when any charge of a charge-up skill is used. With Patch 2.6, we now have the ability to have charges up at all times using dragon talon (or any other finisher move) every 14 seconds. This is achieved by dual-wielding the new mosaic Runeword, granting a 100% Chance to not consume charges AND refreshing the charge timer when using a finisher move.
This allows us to comfortably utilize tiger strike and cobra strike for a lot more sustain and damage!
Very Tanky ✔ Beginner Friendly ✔ Fast Paced Boss Kills ✔ Reasonably Cheap On A Budget ✔
❌ Low Mobility ❌ Some Gear Requirements ❌ Not Suited For Group Play ❌ Little To No Area Clear Mechanics
Sunder Charm Setup
This build does not benefit from the new Sunder Charm because the Dragon Talon Assassin focuses on killing the Ubers with Physical Damage. None of the targets are Immune to Physical, which nullifies the positive effect of bone break. You only suffer the negative effect, which just increases the difficulty.
Terror Zones
This build is not designed for farming large areas with high density. Don't farm them!
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Cloak of Shadows 2. Mind Blast 3. Weapon Block (more later) 4. Cobra Strike (more later)
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Dragon Talon 2. Tiger Strike 3. Fade 4. Weapon Block (Up to 61% Block) 5. Fade 6. Claw Mastery
Put any remaining Skill Point into Cobra Strike or into the optional Shadow Warrior.
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Damage
Dragon Talon* is your main Damage Skill. The Assassin executes a series of kicks onto the selected target, applying the Kick-Damage from Boots.
Tiger Strike* creates charges that massively increase the Physical Damage of your next finisher move (Dragon Talon). With dual mosaic we have 100% uptime on this while fighting after the initial charge-up.
Fade* provides the Assassin with massive % Damage Reduction and All Resistances. Keep this Buff up at all times!
Claw Mastery* provides Attack Rating and Physical Damage while using claws. We use this to charge up tiger strike and cobra strike more reliably.
Cobra Strike* creates charges that grant you Life and Mana Leech when using a finisher move like Dragon Talon. With dual mosaic we have 100% uptime on this while fighting after the initial charge-up.
Mind Blast* allows you to Stun enemies within a small area and provides a % chance to convert enemies. This can be very useful to create safe spaces to fight within.
Cloak of Shadows* blinds monsters in a large area, reducing their aggro range, allowing you to pass them without problems.
Shadow Warrior* is an optional Skill, providing you with a decoy whenever you need to distract your enemies.
Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants can require a different allocation!
Strength
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Strength your gear provides when equipped.
Dexterity
Allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Dexterity your gear provides when equipped.
Vitality
Allocate any remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity and Energy requirements.
Energy
Don't allocate any Stat Points into Energy. This build gets enough Mana from gear, buffs, Charms, and Mana Potions.
Essentials
Gear Options
While every Stat in the Desirable Stats column is useful for this build, we highlighted the Priority Stats in Teal so you can easily identify the Most Important Stats on them.
Hover over any Item to see a pop-out with the full Item description.
Gear/Base Notes: Any Items with specialized or niche uses have a superscript that refers here. 1) Wizardspike allows you to easily increase your Resistances. 2) Until you have Dracul's Grasp this is your main source of Life recovery. 3) Only use Death's Hand + Death's Guard in combination with each other. 4) Upgrade your Boots to the highest base possible, using the Horadric Cube recipe.
x% Chance for finishing moves to not consume charges When a finisher is executed this way, it now refreshes the expiration timer of the stack +x to Assassin Skill Levels +x to Martial Arts (Assassin Only) +x to fade +x to weapon block +x to cobra strike x% Chance to cast level x Static Field on striking +x% Increased Attack Speed x% Chance of Crushing Blow All Resistances +x
x% Chance to cast level x Life Tap on striking +x to Martial Arts (Assassin Only) +x% Increased Attack Speed +x% Faster Cast Rate X Resist +x%
Belts
Arachnid Mesh Thundergod's Vigor Verdungo's Hearty Cord String of Ears Death's Guard3 Blood Crafted Belt
+x% Faster Cast Rate +x to Strength +x% to Maximum Lightning Resist +x Lightning Absorb Damage Reduced by x% Cannot Be Frozen
Boots4
Gore Rider Myrmidon Greaves Goblin Toe Mirrored Boots Shadow Dancer Myrmidon Greaves
Kick-Damage(UPGRADE YOUR BOOTS!) +x to Shadow Disciplines (Assassin Only) +x% Faster Run/Walk x% Chance of Crushing Blow x% Chance of Open Wounds
Amulets
Metalgrid Mara's Kaleidoscope The Cat's Eye Highlord's Wrath
+x to All Skills +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Increased Attack Speed +x to Attack Rating X Resist +x% All Resistances +x
Rings
Wisp Projector Raven Frost Rare Ring Rare Ring
+x% Faster Cast Rate +x to Attack Rating X Resist +x% Resistances +x Lightning Absorb x% Cannot Be Frozen
Charms
Grand Charm Large Charm Small Charm
+x to Martial Arts [Assassin Only] +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x to Attack Rating +x to Attribute +x to Life X Resist +x%
Unique Charms
Hellfire Torch Annihilus
+x to All Skills +x to Assassin Skills +x to all Attributes All Resistances +xx%
Farming Spots
This build is specifically made to farm Uber Tristram and the Mini Ubers before:
Area
Rewards
Lilith
Diablo's Horn
Duriel
Baal's Eye
Izual
Mephisto's Brain
Mephisto, Diablo, Baal
Hellfire Torch
Mercenary
Your Mercenary serves an incredibly important role to the overall success of your build. They can be a front line tank, provide a pivotal Aura, and/or deal Physical Damage to kill enemies with Immunity to your Skill set.
Act 3 Iron Wolf Mercenary
The Act 3 Iron Wolf Mercenary is hired from Asheara. There are no limitations on hiring this Mercenary, meaning that you can hire him at Level 1. The Iron Wolf can be equipped with a One-Handed Sword, a Shield, a Body Armor and a Helmet. He does not actually attack with the equipped sword.
Fire
Use the Fire version to gain access to his high level Enchant providing you with much-needed Attack Rating. He won't cast any of his abilities outside of combat, to get his buff you need to engage some enemies. Equip him with as many +x to Skills for Enchant as possible. With Hexfire, Ormus' Robes, Flickering Flame, and a Spirit he reaches up to a Level 48 enchant adding +452% Attack Rating!
The Mercenary is hard to keep alive until you have the minimum gear recommended in this guide. Remember you can drag Healing Potions onto the portrait, or shift + 1/2/3/4 to directly feed them a Healing Potion from your Belt. The Mercenary also gains bonus Resistances from Thawing Potions and Antidote Potions.
If your Mercenary dies in battle, you can revive them from any of the Mercenary NPCs in each Act. This does come with an increasing cost, capping at 50,000 Gold. Keep that in mind and decide if the Mercenary is currently worth the cost.
Playstyle
General
Buff yourself with Fade. Keep this buff up at all times.
Engage in combat to receive the enchant buff from your Mercenary. You can do this anywhere, Eldritch theRectifier North of the Frigid HighlandsWaypoint is a very close candidate for it.
Cast Life Tap on your targets. This is your main Life recovery when attacking.
While moving towards the Mini Ubers (Lilith, Uber Duriel, Uber Izual), use Mind Blast to Stun your enemies, or Cloak of Shadows to blind them.
Engage your targets with Dragon Talon. To close the gap you can use Dragon Flight.
Clear out the area before engaging the Mini Ubers. This makes these fights a lot easier. Use Death Sentry to help you in this task with its Corpse Explosion.
Split up the Ubers in Tristram to face them one by one (Uber Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal). Focus purely on the Boss to kill them off as quickly as possible. Clear out spawned monsters afterward if necessary.
Dual-Mosaic
Buff yourself with Fade. Keep this buff up at all times.
Enter the red Portal to the Forgotten Sands first and engage Uber Duriel with Tiger Strike and Cobra Strike until you have 3 charges of both.
Switch to Dragon Talon to finish him off.
After you have killed one of the Mini Ubers, you have 15 seconds to pick up the organ, get into the next red Portal and use Dragon Talon on any enemy to keep your Tiger Strike and Cobra Strike-charges up. If your charges run out before you can, find a target to recharge them and progress to the Boss of the area. Rinse and repeat until you have all 3 Organs.
If you can pick up the final organ, open the Portal to Tristram, and engage an enemy within 15 seconds, this is most efficient. For players with slower loading screens: Put the Portal to Tristram next to the Waypoint. Lure Eldritch and his minions close to the Waypoint and get your Tiger Strike and Cobra Strike charges. Then enter Tristram, lure Mephisto towards the left to kill him by himself. Once he is dead, you can just jump into the center and engage both Diablo and Baal at the same time.
Check out our Uber Tristram Guide for a more detailed explanation of that process.
Late-Game
Add Battle Command and Battle Orders to the list of your buffs, prior to Fade.
Optional: Utilize your Horadric Cube to put Arachnid Mesh, Magefist, and a Faster Cast RateRing into it. Use these items when you use Teleport from Enigma to move around.
While not required in the late game, you can continue starting your fights by casting Life Tap. You instantly have the Life recovery you need to sustain yourself in the fights. dracul'sgrasp eventually casts lifetap for you.
Breakpoints
Breakpoints in Diablo 2 are the minimum values required to reduce the frames of an action. Below are the important breakpoints considered for this build. For more information on the mechanics involved, check out our in-depth Resource: Breakpoints.
Faster Cast Rate (FCR)
Faster Cast Rate (FCR) speeds up your casting animation for spells. Aim for at least the 42% FCR Breakpoint. Note: FCR only controls the animation speed of the Character, and not any internal Cooldowns spells have.
Frames
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
FCR
0
8
16
27
42
65
102
174
Increased Attack Speed (IAS)
Increased Attack Speed (IAS) speeds up your attack animations. Weapon bases have different IAS breakpoints. Values for recommended weapon options provided below. Consult the d2planner for other bases.
Faster Block Rate (FBR) increases survivability. Aim for at least the 32% FBR Breakpoint.
Frames
5
4
3
2
1
FBR
0
13
32
86
600
Hardcore
For all Hardcore gameplay, your primary concern is increasing your Resistances, Damage Reduction, Chance to Block and Maximum Life. This can mean sacrificing overall power level for a more secure playstyle.
This build is Hardcore viable. If you are unaccustomed to this playstyle, we recommend trying this build on Softcore to gain experience on how to successfully pilot it.
Build Variants
Budget
Standard
Setup
This budget version of this build is capable of killing Ubers. We recommend a minimum Level of 90 before attempting Ubers, otherwise you'll struggle with your hit chance! The new Mosaic Runeword is a game changer. If you can afford to dual-wield them, check out the Standard Skill Tree! The main focus is to get as many Resistances as possible and use Boots upgraded to the highest base. Cannot Be Frozen and Attack Rating are also extremely important. Sources of Cannot Be Frozen can be Kira'sguardian, Duriel's Shell, or Ravenfrost. A good source of Attack Rating is the combination of Angelic Halo, and Angelic Wings. Crushing Blow is extremely important to kill Ubers quickly.
Mercenary
The Fire version of the Iron Wolf provides you with up to +452% Attack Rating by applying Enchant. He will NOT survive the Ubers, so don't worry about keeping him alive. He only buffs you if you're in combat. Run out to any Waypoint you have and find random monsters to trigger it. Add as many +x to Skills as you can to boost his Enchant. Hexfire Shamshir, Ormus' Robes Dusk Shroud, Flickering Flame, and a Lidless Wall are his optimal setup until he has enough Strength for an Ethereal Spirit Monarch.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Dragon Flight 2. Burst of Speed 3. Cloak of Shadows 4. Mind Blast
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Dragon Talon 2. Fade 3. Venom 4. Death Sentry
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and Dexterity to reach 75% Chance to Block. Put remaining points into Vitality.
Setup
We dual-wield the new Patch 2.6 Runeword mosaic to permanently have the damage from tiger strike and sustain of cobra strike. Upgraded Gore Rider and Guillaume's Face provide the necessary Damage and Chance of Curshing Blow, you don't need to worry about being Frozen. Dracul's Grasp, brings even more sustain when fighting the Ubers. With Enigma lets you teleport around, allowing you to keep up your charges easily, even on long distances. Balance out your Resistances with fade and Charms.
Mercenary
The Fire version of the Iron Wolf provides you with up to +452% Attack Rating by applying Enchant. He will NOT survive the Ubers, so don't worry about keeping him alive. He only buffs you if you're in combat. Run out to any Waypoint you have and find random monsters to trigger it. Add as many +x to Skills as you can to boost his Enchant. Hexfire, Ormus' Robes, Flickering Flame, and an Ethereal Spirit Monarch are his optimal setup.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Dragon Flight 2. Burst of Speed 3. Cloak of Shadows 4. Mind Blast
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Dragon Talon 2. Fade 3. Venom 4. Death Sentry 5. Fire Blast
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put remaining points into Vitality.
Mechanics
Teleport
Teleport instantly moves you to a selected square on the visible screen in which you can stand. The game tries to to place you within a small radius around your cursor even if it would be impeded normally.
Teleport is not obstructed by walls or other impediments but can fail if your cursor is not completely passed those impediments when cast. Your Mercenary and Minions are teleported with you, Traps do not.
Certain Minions in large quantities can become “stuck” in position after teleporting. Move away from that position to give them the chance to spread out.
You can “extend” the visible screen by opening UI-windows like the Inventory or the Character screen. Continuously cast Teleport and drag your mouse to the edge of your screen.
The Mana cost of Teleport decreases with additional Skill Levels down to 1 Mana per cast.
You can use “ESC” to open the menu in single player to pause the game after a Teleport to determine if you are safe.
Static Field from Stormlash
Static Field range scales with each Skill Point.
In the Nightmare and Hell difficulty you can't reduce a monsters' life past certain thresholds. For Nightmare this threshold is at 33%, in Hell it is at 50%. You can get a little bit past this threshold if your enemy is at negative Lightning Resistances.
In Normal difficulty you can bring a monster down to "1 Life". Static Field can't deal the final blow on a monster.
Static Field works on any monster you encounter that is not Lightning immune, including all Act bosses.
Static Field reduces the current life of a monster by 25%. The Lightning Resistances of a monster will reduce the effectiveness.
Damage calculation: Monster Life = Current Life - ((Current Life * 0.75) * ((100-Lightning Resistance) / 100))
Summary
Keep Fade buff up at all times.
Gain your Tiger Strike and cobra strike charges and keep them up with dual-Mosaic. Use Dragon Talon once every 14 seconds to refresh their timer.
Cast Life Tap before engaging your targets.
Add Battle Command and Battle Orders to the list of your buffs as soon as you have them available.
A High Level Character makes fighting Ubersa lot easier, as it increases your chance to hit.
The new Act 3 Fire Mercenary gives us a great source enchant, drastically boosting our Attack Rating!
If you don't want to keep slaughtering Ubers with the most commonly used Smiter, you should try out the Kicksin. With dual mosaic she can clear them faster now!
