Shadower Skill: Assassinate

[Kevenmee]

Is there any reason to max this at all?

lvl 1: the charge time is 4 seconds
lvl 30: the charge time is 8 seconds

This almost makes it seem like, two fully charged assassinates (lvl 1) > assassinate (lvl 30).
Clearly this isn't the case, so can somebody explain to me exactly how it works?

Also, when do you use assassinate (bossing/solo monsters/etc) and how?
Pack it in after a Bstep (i.e BS>DS>Nate)?

I've been looking around but there isn't much info on shadowers.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Additionally, if anybody had a link to a site with shadower info (which skill does most dps, when to use what, etc) - I'd be MUCH obliged.

Thanks!

[JoeTang]

It does more damage as you put points into it and it does more damage the longer you charge it.

[Foxino]

Lv30 nate is more than 2x stronger than lv1. with about 17k range lv30 will easily hit cap whilst lv1 will prolly hit around 100k-200k per.

However, Since BB, nate is kinda useless. SB w/ PP and ME is a lot stronger then charged or uncharged nate.
Made even more useless by the shadow partner "nerf"

I wouldn't max it until 170+ the only time i ever use it is during bosses like HT when they cast weapon cancel, Since you can charge between them and ME can only hit 1 target at HT so there's no point PPing for ME. Besides only the heads weapon cancel.. That's the only scenario I can think of where It's any use right now.

[Devil]

A few years ago I knew how Assassinate worked, though I somehow forgot it.

It's something like

- No charge: 1x mp
- 0.1~2 sec charge: 2x mp
- 2.1~4 sec charge: 3x mp
- 4.1~6 sec charge: 4x mp
- 6.1~8 sec charge: 5x mp
- more then 8 sec charge: 6x mp

But with the coming Union patch next month (Februari) it's all gone, every Shadower skill will be different.

[Raul]

A few years ago I knew how Assassinate worked, though I somehow forgot it.

It's something like

- No charge: 1x mp
- 0.1~2 sec charge: 2x mp
- 2.1~4 sec charge: 3x mp
- 4.1~6 sec charge: 4x mp
- 6.1~8 sec charge: 5x mp
- more then 8 sec charge: 6x mp

But with the coming Union patch next month (Februari) it's all gone, every Shadower skill will be different.

Shads don't get anything until Justice.

[Devil]

Shads don't get anything until Union.

Which is next month... <- No it's June sorry! ;)

Edit: Ah it's the patch after Union and before Phantom.

So yeah, March it is... but after that, all skills of Shadowers have changed totally...

[Raul]

Which is next month...

Edit: Ah it's the patch after Union and before Phantom.

So yeah, March it is... but after that, all skills of Shadowers have changed totally...

Well, you're forgetting that we still have to have the Dojo, GSPQ, and Ellin Forest revamps. Plus Mapleversary.

[Foxino]

Which is next month...

Edit: Ah it's the patch after Union and before Phantom.

So yeah, March it is... but after that, all skills of Shadowers have changed totally...

More likely around summer. Would fit the 6month delay pretty nicely..

[Devil]

Well, you're forgetting that we still have to have the Dojo, GSPQ, and Ellin Forest revamps. Plus Mapleversary.

kMS Completion:
- kMS - Demon Slayer: August 3rd
- kMS - Akyrum, Aran & Evan skill changes: August 17th
- kMS - Dojo Revamp: September 1st
- kMS - Resistance / Evan / Aran Skill Revamp, Forest, Halloween: Oktober 27th
- kMS - Union Revamp: November 16th
- kMS - Thief Updates: December 15th
- kMS - Phantom: December 28th

gMS Completion:
- gMS - Demon Slayer: January 18th

gMS Prediction:
- gMS - Akyrum, Aran & Evan skill changes: early February
- gMS - Dojo Revamp: mid February
- gMS - Resistance / Evan / Aran Skill Revamp, Forest, Halloween: March
- gMS - Union Revamp: April
- gMS - Anniversary: May
- gMS - Thief Updates: June
- gMS - Phantom: June

Dang, yes, you're right, 5 more months...

But didn't they rename Union to Alliance Rising?

Hmmm although I only see an Evan and Aran in the banner... Yeah ok, then it's not the Union patch in February

[Kevenmee]

A few years ago I knew how Assassinate worked, though I somehow forgot it.

It's something like

- No charge: 1x mp
- 0.1~2 sec charge: 2x mp
- 2.1~4 sec charge: 3x mp
- 4.1~6 sec charge: 4x mp
- 6.1~8 sec charge: 5x mp
- more then 8 sec charge: 6x mp

But with the coming Union patch next month (Februari) it's all gone, every Shadower skill will be different.

what's the mp thing?
If the shadower patch is coming in June, I don't really want to hold off on leveling things I need to.

So far - I have,
30 Bstep
20 SS (Can't seem to pass a SS30 for some reason)
20 Venom
1 Smokescreen
1 Assassinate
+a bunch of skill points left over
--> I also seem to have a problem with this. In a majority of the guides I've read, they say max bstep > max SS.
As far as I can tell, maxing SS only really saves you some potion usage as well as avoiding knockback some of the time.
Bosses have become easy enough (at least the ones I'm doing right now) that death generally isn't a problem.
Is Ht/CZak so hard that good parties are at risk of death?

How should I max my skills? Suggestions? Reasons?
Also, is Hero's Will worth getting?

[Devil]

what's the mp thing?
If the shadower patch is coming in June, I don't really want to hold off on leveling things I need to.

So far - I have,
30 Bstep
20 SS (Can't seem to pass a SS30 for some reason)
20 Venom
1 Smokescreen
1 Assassinate
+a bunch of skill points left over
--> I also seem to have a problem with this. In a majority of the guides I've read, they say max bstep > max SS.
As far as I can tell, maxing SS only really saves you some potion usage as well as avoiding knockback some of the time.
Bosses have become easy enough (at least the ones I'm doing right now) that death generally isn't a problem.
Is Ht/CZak so hard that good parties are at risk of death?

How should I max my skills? Suggestions? Reasons?
Also, is Hero's Will worth getting?

Mp stands for multiplier, so if uncharged Assassinate would do 100k/100k/100k/100k, 8 seconds charge would do 600k/600k/600k/600k since charging more then 8 seconds in DS gives you a 6x multiplier.

Also, max SS, if you don't like high avoid, you shouldn't have picked a Shadower in the first place. ;)

And since you already have lvl20 Venom, max that one too.

But the rest of the skills is up to you, just remember that when the Justice patch comes, all skills will be different.

[Kevenmee]

^Thanks for the info.

In regards to SS, it's not that I don't like high avoid - I just think that wasting 4th job skill points in something like avoid is not as useful in adding into things that can increase your damage.
However, it seems like only assassinate/venom (MW can always be supplied by others) are the only choices.
From the previous posts, assassinate is only useful at SOME bosses and dojo and from other guides, venom only adds like 10% damage? (And this is obviously to monsters that take multiple multiple hits to kill)

Since I haven't been around for ~2 years, I'm not sure what happens when skills get revamped. (Like the priest/bishops skills all seem different)
What happens?
Does MS supply you with an SP reset? What about 4th job skill books?