In this article, we're diving into the new skills available in Blade & Soul NEO Classic for the Assassin class. As someone who's been a fan of the game for a long time, I'm excited about the addition of these new abilities. It feels like the classic Blade & Soul we know and love, but with a fresh twist that makes the gameplay even more dynamic and engaging.

New Skills for Assassin: A Brief Overview

This article is not intended to be an in-depth guide (I'll save that for a future Assassin guide), but I'll walk you through the essential skills you'll want to focus on, especially during the early stages of the game. I'll also touch on some of the other skills that are useful as you level up and progress.

1. Essential Assassin Skills

When you're starting as an Assassin in Blade & Soul NEO Classic, several skills are absolute must-haves. Let's begin with the most crucial ones.

• Tab Skill (Stealth Activation)

The first skill you need to get is the tab skill that activates stealth. This skill allows you to enter stealth mode when you hit the tab, which is key for your overall playstyle. There are two versions of this skill: one that focuses on going into stealth and one that cancels defensive skills. If you're more focused on PvP, you might want to opt for the version that cancels defensive abilities, but for PvE, you want the stealth-focused version.

• Bracelet Skill (Focus Recovery)

Focus recovery can be a big issue, especially early in the game, so it's essential to grab a bracelet skill that helps regenerate focus. If you're going for Lightning DPS, this won't be as much of a concern later, but for early levels, it's a game-changer. This skill is super useful for improving your sustainability during combat.

• Poison Daze & Knockdown (Green Q Iframe Skill)

This skill gives you a knockdown effect on non-poisoned targets and a daze effect on poisoned targets. It's versatile and important for both crowd control and DPS, making it an essential addition to your skill set. This skill also doubles as an iframe, allowing you to dash behind a target for better positioning, all while avoiding incoming damage.

• Dash Skill (Approach Skill)

You'll want to prioritize this skill for mobility. This dash skill allows you to close gaps quickly and attack with a follow-up. When you get it to green, it will reduce the cooldown from 9 seconds to 6 seconds, enabling you to maintain stealth uptime consistently. This is one of the key skills for maintaining high uptime on stealth, which is critical for maximizing your DPS rotation.

2. Advanced Skills and Upgrades

Once you've covered the basics, it's time to look into some of the more advanced abilities that can enhance your Assassin's combat potential.

• Time Bomb (Poison Stacks)

Time Bomb is a crucial skill for your poison-based rotations. You'll want this skill at least on green to ensure that it applies three poison stacks on detonation. Later on, you'll get access to a blue version that applies five poison stacks and even refreshes the stacks if there are already five on the target. This skill is great for maintaining consistent poison damage over time.

• Continuous Cast Skills (3rd Skill Slot)

As an Assassin, you'll be able to make the most out of your third skill slot with a continuous cast spec. The green version of this skill lets you use it three times in a row when the target is stunned, grabbed, or under the influence of a Force Master's Phantom Grip. The blue version lets you use it four times, and the purple version allows for five uses. If possible, try to get at least the green version for maximum damage output.

• Block Skill (For Party Stealth)

The block skill is another important one. You'll want this skill at least on the green, but ultimately the blue version is preferable. The blue version provides the possibility of triggering party stealth, which can act as an iframe and also give your party members some defensive protection.

• Basic DPS Skills (Heartstab and Lightning)

At the very least, make sure you have the green version of Heartstab, your primary DPS skill. It's free to obtain and will give you a small but important damage increase. For your LMB, getting the green version will be important for general DPS. However, if you're able to unlock the Lightning R&B skill, go for that. It's faster, uses less focus, and provides more DPS overall. This skill is definitely worth the investment once you have access to it.

3. Party Buffs and Other Utility Skills

Aside from your core DPS skills, you'll also want to consider skills that help with team support or utility in larger group encounters.

• Party Buff (Crit and Attack Power Boost)

One of your key supportive abilities will be the party buff skill that boosts your entire group's crit rate by 40% and attack power by 30%. This is an invaluable skill for team play, especially in dungeons and raids. It's always a good idea to keep this buff active as much as possible to maximize your party's damage output.

• F Skill (Stealth Usage)

The F skill, which activates during stealth, is another useful ability to have on at least the green tier. This skill lets you deal more damage while in stealth and can be a major damage increase for your Assassin rotations.

• Poison Breath (Crit and Poison Stacks)

Poison Breath is a great skill to increase your crit hit rate by 5% each time you use it. Make sure you have this skill at least on the green, as it will also generate poison stacks, giving you more poison damage potential in your rotation. You'll want to incorporate this skill into your overall DPS cycle for the most effective poison output.

• Daze Skill (Utility for PvE)

While this daze skill isn't necessary, it can be useful for maintaining control over your enemies in PvE. It will also place you behind the target, giving you a better position for follow-up attacks. You don't necessarily need to prioritize this skill, but having it is a nice utility for certain situations.

• Disable Airweb Skill (PvP Only)

If you're focusing purely on PvE, you can safely disable the Airweb skill as it's more of a PvP-centric ability. It won't be of much use to you in PvE content, so it's better to leave it out.

4. Conclusion: Your Assassin Rotation

Once you've picked up all the necessary skills, your rotation will become a fluid mix of stealth, poison damage, and continuous DPS. The key is keeping your stealth uptime high, applying poison stacks efficiently, and using your continuous cast abilities to deal as much damage as possible while maintaining focus. Here's a quick rundown of your rotation:

1. Enter Stealth – Use your tab skill to activate stealth.

2. DPS with Heartstab and LMB – Keep applying your core DPS skills.

3. Use Time Bomb and Poison Breath – Apply poison stacks.

4. Use Continuous Cast Skills – Utilize your continuous cast skills on stunned or grabbed enemies for maximum damage.

5. Buff the Party – Activate your party buff for increased crit and attack power.

6. Use Focus Recovery Skills – Make sure you're not running out of focus during longer encounters.

And that's it for now! I'll be diving into a full Assassin guide in a future post, but for now, this should give you a solid foundation to start building your Assassin's skill set. Get Blade and Soul NEO Classic Gold from MMOexp.com, build your best Assassin in BnS NEO Classic.

MMOexp BnS NEO Classic Team