I currently have a 50 assassin, raiding and PvP'ing with the same specc, 2/31/8 - Chain Shock. What I can say, is that this spec is purely based on damage and very gear dependent. BUT, when some is gathered, it is an extremely fun and interesting spec. I have more than once been top of damage meters with over 400-500k damage in Warzones, with 10-11 medals each match, and my experience is that the assassin isn't about survival, it's about getting in and out quickly with loads of kills and then Force shroud + Force Cloak. If you are looking for survivability, you should go Darkness! The 30% armor is really useless, 4% physical damage taken is absolutely nothing as 75% of the damage taken in Warzones are Force / tech-attacks. Many people go hybrid specs, that seem liable, haven't checked them out myself. All I know is that deception is about burst and use of cooldowns! It is truly a fun spec and has much to offer if played correctly! But it's all about playstyle I suppose, find something that is viable for you and stick with it until you master it! //Scythe - Ahto City

This thread is really filled with uninformed people. Yes, it is true that the assassin is a somewhat squishy class, and it has many aspects to it that can seem 'underpowered', but that being said, this class is one of the most treasured Melee classes in PvE and an extremely powerful foe in PvP. I myself play a Deception-specced assassin, running hardmode operations all the way, and I can tell you, the assassin PvE DPS is just as high, if not higher than other DPS subclasses. The different abilities in PvP makes the assassin one of the most mobile classes, and if played correctly be top of DPS, kills and Medals in each Warzone. I don't know if this is a L2P issue or whatever, to be honest I'm not quite sure I care.. But either way, this thread is very uninformative and misguiding. If you consider playing an assassin you should not take note of this thread. // Scythe - Level 50 Deception Inquisitor Assassin - Ahto City

Yes, it is true that you choose to gear several companions up while leveling, and it is while doing so, inevitable to have some who are lesser geared, in this case being Khem. But - that being said, while leveling, questing, doing flashpoints and so on it is impossible not to get heavy armor for Khem, unless you of course choose to sell everything. If you find Zash an issue, it might just come down to either you choosing to sell important items or not being high enough level due to skipped quests or something similar. Lord Zash isn't really a hard fight, and if you in the end find Khems gear the only issue, then go to the GTN and get him some gear. I understand your frustration regarding the lack of 'flexibility' from BioWare in this quest besides the story, but the problem is easily solvable. In any case, you can always find a friend to come along on your story quest to help you out.

From what I've seen / experienced / read, the optimal for 8 man are: 2 tanks - 2 healers - 4 dps. For 16 man, it is a little different - 2 tanks, 3 healers and then 11 dps. This makes the fights different and might change certain tactics, but I believe this is the setup most guilds run this far. It can of course vary from fight to fight, and these can be discussed as well, but in 8 man, if you take more than 2 healers, you won't be able to make most enrage timers.

Thank god I never EVER use that companion, he really pushes my buttons! I mean, I don't even want to send him on Crew missions, I DON'T WANT YOU TO PLEASE ME! God... - Dear BioWare Can you please get rid of this horrid companion, or maybe let us rough him up a little bit.. It is not much to ask!