Hello!

 

I would like to know is it enjoyable to level a darkness assassin? Or should I roll straight to deception and switch to darkness when 50? Want to try an Inquisitor since i'm disappointed with my Jugg leveling, people say that Inquis is easier.

 

So, is darkness enjoyable when leveling?

How is anyone else supposed to know what you enjoy? Darkness doesn't really come into its own until later, you might want to spec Deception until 20-ish and then give it a try.

Darkness is low damage but more mitigation than deception.

 

Deception is the other way around.

By enjoyable I mean that I wont die on 2 strong mobs.

Deception has no problem with 2 strong mobs you just need to use more tricks and make sure you CC one of them and kill them one at a time.

Against appropriate level mobs (within 2 levels) both worked out fine for me. Deception, as many have stated, killed much quicker yet is a bit squishier. While Darkness I could take on much larger groups (8-10) and survive, but damage output is lower thus causing fights to last longer. So both have thier ups and downs.

 

My experience was both could take on 2 strong mobs. The question is, do you want quicker kills with possibly more downtime, or slower kills with a much smaller chance of downtime.

 

Just my thoughts.

If you're not dying your downtime between pulls is a few seconds... Dismiss companion, resummon companion. He's back to full. Until they fix this, you don't need to rest unless you have taken damage yourself.

Thank you! I'll probably go deception until lvl 20. I've abandoned my 32 Jugg, since i've had enough of him dying from 1 strong and 3 weak mob pull.

I find Darkness boring. It takes too long to kill the mobs. Deception seems better for leveling although I probably spend way more time "seething" in Deception.

 

Respecs are cheap. Try em both

Leveled 1~50 as Darkness and enjoyed it the whole way. Some of the later class quests the other deception Assassins in my guild were failing hard on were a breeze for me. No regrets, I've tried madness and deception specs and always fall back to Darkness. Now I main tank guild raids and I'm coming up on Valor rank 60 usually topping the medals in nearly every warzone. Since I'm on a PVP server being able to 1v1 just about anyone I come across as darkness spec leveling up was really nice as well.

I was going with the Darkness/Madness hybrid (see the stickies) until level 22, but then switched to Deception.

 

It is MUCH faster imo, stuff dies way faster and survivability isn't that bad. Just make sure Khem (I prefer to go with Khem Val) is geared up as you quest.

 

I will go back to the above mentioned hybrid around 30-35, just need to decide if I want to get Raze first, or Electrify and Eye of the Storm, so that I can tank.

Deception is a more usefull dps spec when you have a lot of crit. In short its usefull in the higher levels. a hybrid darkness/madness is my opinion the best way to level.

I leveled with Darkness spec using Khem Val in his DPS stance. I was also snythweaving (regretting that now) so i kept his armor up to date that way. Once I got the DPS companions I used them most of the time. After hoth I used the healer one on boss fights only. I used my commendations to get he latest hilt/amoring mods from the vendors at the end of each planet. You can kill stuff quicker with Deception/Madness but i like the survivability of Darkness.

Leveled 1~50 as Darkness and enjoyed it the whole way. Some of the later class quests the other deception Assassins in my guild were failing hard on were a breeze for me. No regrets, I've tried madness and deception specs and always fall back to Darkness. Now I main tank guild raids and I'm coming up on Valor rank 60 usually topping the medals in nearly every warzone. Since I'm on a PVP server being able to 1v1 just about anyone I come across as darkness spec leveling up was really nice as well.

 

What is your current build ?

Leveling as Darkness, 38 now. Keeps getting better.

 

Everything is pretty easy and with a build with only 23 in Darkness and rest in Madness, my DPS is not much behind the real dps specs.

Leveled 1~50 as Darkness and enjoyed it the whole way. Some of the later class quests the other deception Assassins in my guild were failing hard on were a breeze for me. No regrets, I've tried madness and deception specs and always fall back to Darkness. Now I main tank guild raids and I'm coming up on Valor rank 60 usually topping the medals in nearly every warzone. Since I'm on a PVP server being able to 1v1 just about anyone I come across as darkness spec leveling up was really nice as well.

 

Good to hear.

 

I went straight up Deception till level 27, where I tried both Madness and then Darkness. So far, I still had the most fun with Deception, particularly in PVP. I would just use stealth, maul, and discharge (with surging charge) as often as I could and I would almost always be around the top damage dealt in each match.

 

With Darkness, I'm struggling a bit. I suppose my survivability is way higher, but it still feels like I die just as fast as I did as Deception, except now I do terrible damage (I'm never in even the top 5 anymore). I don't know if gear is part of my problem (mostly endurance and willpower) or if it my play style and the choice of abilities I'm using.

 

Should I still use maul, or just spam thrash until energize procs (which is a total PAIN to notice, btw)?

 

Thrash, shock, thrash, shock, keeping dark ward up in the process?

 

Any tips in this regard, or in general?

 

I like the idea of being a more burly assassin with higher survivability, but right now I just feel like a SLIGHTLY more survivable deception spec but with way less damage.

 

Thanks!

I find Darkness boring. It takes too long to kill the mobs. Deception seems better for leveling although I probably spend way more time "seething" in Deception.

 

Respecs are cheap. Try em both

 

trying them both is good advice . I would wait and go darkness at 30+ . I switched to darkness when i got ashara . I dont really notice mobs taking longer to die , if its does take longer then its a tiny amount.

 

the talent were darkness comes into its own is the one that makes lighning do 75% more damage and heals you after getting 3 buffs from shock. Golds dont get close to killing you when you use that.

I would suggest pumping talents into madness until you hit 18 points, then the rest into darkness after that. You will eventually reach the 23/0/18 hybrid spec that, at least for my playstyle, has suited me well in both PvP and PvE while leveling and beyond.

I leveled in madness, now I turned on for darkness.

 

With DPS companion and using shocks good (while you have crit from trash) mobs die not slower than in madness, and you have great survivability.

Darkness is good for leveling and killing champion mobs for quests. With good skills rotation and as I said DPS companion you can kill mobs as fast as madness or else plus you can kill more at the same time and have no push-back because you die

I just dusted off my Sin last night after almost a year afk. Still sporting old pvp gear, but decided to quickly spec a tank hybrid spec and see how it goes in pve. Messed around in Ilum for a bit, and quite pleased. Used Ashara and my biochem heal...and easy peasy. Elites focused on meh while Sahara went to town on anything she pleases. Hardly any down time at all.

 

I still don't know if I should level up an alt for expansion, I am very tempted to stick the Sin and build her up and enjoy content until then. I always been a dps kind a guy fir over 10 yrs of MMOs...but the Sin tank, I have to say is somewhat fun for solo, pvp and maybe even pug flashpoints. Looks like I will cash in the free chips for PvE tank gear and see if the kiddies will scream at me for my noob tank skills:)

I find Darkness boring. It takes too long to kill the mobs. Deception seems better for leveling although I probably spend way more time "seething" in Deception.

 

Respecs are cheap. Try em both

 

I had the time of my life since i switched on hoth from deception to darkness^^

 

It feels much more fluid and better. And the reps are victims now

I'm not that PVP-pro, but with darkness i can easily kill all classes, even if they are 2-3 levels higher than me.

 

W

Edited January 14, 2013 by Wolvereen