The Assassin has the most evolutions of any class, 14, spread over martial arts that build charges with her claws, traps that fight for her, and shadow disciplines. Her martial arts reach the highest damage, her traps keep a pack busy while she moves.
Martial arts, traps and shadow disciplines.
- Life
- 100
- Starting weapon
- Claw
Where the damage is
Her strongest evolutions at max level, for a new hero without gear: 
Phoenix Strike, 
Blades of Ice, 
Claws of Thunder.
| Name | Skill tree | Evolves from | Evolves with | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phoenix Strike | Martial Arts | 30 | 1,726 |  Tiger Strike | — | |
Blades of Ice | Martial Arts | 24 | 1,644 | Claws of Thunder | — | |
Claws of Thunder | Martial Arts | 18 | 1,323 |  Fists of Fire |  Weapon Block | |
Blade Shield | Traps | 30 | 1,158 |  Blade Fury | — | |
Blade Fury | Traps | 18 | 969 |  Blade Sentinel |  Vitality | |
Lightning Sentry | Traps | 24 | 487 |  Charged Bolt Sentry |  Faster Cast Rate | |
Wake of Inferno | Traps | 24 | 433 |  Wake of Fire | — | |
Dragon Claw | Martial Arts | 6 | 383 |  Dragon Talon |  Claw Mastery | |
Dragon Flight | Martial Arts | 24 | 317 |  Dragon Tail | — | |
Death Sentry | Traps | 30 | 237 |  Lightning Sentry | — | |
Dragon Tail | Martial Arts | 18 | 213 |  Dragon Claw |  Burst of Speed | |
Shadow Master | Shadow Disciplines | 30 | 145 |  Shadow Warrior | — | |
Wake of Fire | Traps | 12 | 103 |  Fire Blast |  Fade | |
Mind Blast | Shadow Disciplines | 24 | 50 |  Psychic Hammer | — |
Planning a build
- Phoenix Strike is her strongest finisher, from Tiger Strike with
Venom. Venom opens at level 30, so it is a late-run goal. - The claws line is her best mid-run carry: Fists of Fire with Claw Mastery becomes Claws of Thunder at 18, then Blades of Ice at 24 with Weapon Block.
- Traps want Faster Cast Rate. It evolves Fire Blast and both steps of the Charged Bolt Sentry line, so one passive serves the whole tree.
- Up to five traps stand at once. A deeper trap (a Lightning or Death Sentry) never gives way to a shallower one; a new trap waits for a free place.
Evolution lines
Each line takes the skill to its max level, holds the passive, and reaches the hero level; the next chest evolves it. A level marked with a passive is later than the evolved skill's own, because the passive opens later.
- Dragon Talon with
Faster Run/Walk → Dragon Claw (level 6) with Claw Mastery → Dragon Tail (level 18) with Burst of Speed → 
Dragon Flight (level 24) - Tiger Strike with Venom → Phoenix Strike (level 30)
- Fists of Fire with Claw Mastery → Claws of Thunder (level 18) with Weapon Block → Blades of Ice (level 24)
- Psychic Hammer with Fade →
Mind Blast (level 24) - Shadow Warrior with Weapon Block →
Shadow Master (level 30)
- Fire Blast with Faster Cast Rate → Wake of Fire (level 12) with Fade →
Wake of Inferno (level 24) - Blade Sentinel with Burst of Speed → Blade Fury (level 18) with Vitality →
Blade Shield (level 30) - Charged Bolt Sentry with Faster Cast Rate → Lightning Sentry (level 24) with Faster Cast Rate →
Death Sentry (level 30)
Staying alive
Fade gives +64% to all resistances and 20% Damage Reduced at its max, and Weapon Block lets her block blows with her claws. Burst of Speed adds speed and shortens every cooldown by 21%, so it is defence and damage in one slot.
Attributes
Dexterity adds +3% damage with claws and +1% critical strike chance a card. Strength raises her martial arts releases (the charges of Fists of Fire, Claws of Thunder, Blades of Ice and Phoenix Strike).
Passives
| Name | Skill tree | At max level | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Claw Mastery | Shadow Disciplines | 1 | +60% physical damage and +21% chance of a critical strike | |
Burst of Speed | Shadow Disciplines | 6 | +61% movement speed (up to +61%) and 21% shorter cooldowns | |
Weapon Block | Shadow Disciplines | 12 | +57% chance to block a monster's hit with your claws | |
Fade | Shadow Disciplines | 18 | +64% to all resistances, 20% Damage Reduced; poison and chill wear off 100% faster | |
Venom | Shadow Disciplines | 30 | Your claws and blades poison, 40 damage a second for 2s |
