Blade Fury Assassin D2R Build Guide

The Blade Assassin is a powerful and versatile build that focuses on using blade skills to deal physical damage to enemies. This build has the ability to deal high amounts of damage, especially when combined with deadly strike, crushing blow, and open wounds. However, this build does have some weaknesses, such as its micro-intensive requirements and fragility or low-clear efficiency in some situations. Additionally, the Blade Assassin relies heavily on gear, which can be expensive and difficult to obtain. Once built, the Blade Assassin is an excellent choice for its versatility in PvM and PvP.

Attributes
When allocating attribute points, it's essential to prioritize Strength and Dexterity to meet gear requirements. Vitality is where all your points go outside of Strength and Dexterity, as it increases your Life total and reduces the chance of you being put into hit recovery. Energy allocation is not necessary and should be avoided.

Skills
Blade Fury is the main damage skill and should be maxed out, along with its synergies Blade Sentinel and Blade Shield. Venom is also required to maximize overall damage, and create a poison as well as physical damage component. Mind Blast and Cloak of Shadows are useful for conversion and crowd control, while Fade provides increased resistances and physical damage reduction. Death Sentry is also an additional damage source for dealing area of effect damage through corpse explosion. You should consider maxing Claw mastery if wielding dual claws, for additional survivability.

When using Blade Fury, it's essential to note that it has a constant animation time and a 3/4 damage penalty. To increase its damage, look for % Enhanced Damage, especially on the weapon. Dual-wielding is also an option, but only the damage modifiers of the main hand weapon are applied.

Gear Suggestions (Best in Slot)
The Blade Assassin is a versatile build that can excel in both PvE and PvP. It relies heavily on its skills and its unique ability to wield claw weapons. Here are some gear suggestions that can help you optimize your Blade Assassin build. This suggested build is a versatile version of this build which utilizes her physical damage, as well as her array of cc and trap spells.

Main Hand Weapon (Best):
Magic or Rare Runic Talons are the ideal weapon for Bladesin. These are however, rare, expensive and difficult to obtain. The ideal stats desired are: 2 assassin, 3 bladefury, fool's mod (additional damage and attack rating based on character level), 30+ ias, 2 sockets. The preferred additional mods are 3 Fade or 3 Weapon block, and Knockback. Using a claw weapon is essential because of the bonus features of claw mastery. The base skill damage scales high and fast, and the weapon damage is 75% on all blade skills, so skills and AR are preferred over high damage weapons. Deadly strike is also critical to maintaining high damage.

Offhand Weapon (Best):
Magic or Rare Greater Talons are the ideal weapon for a secondary weapon on a Bladesin. Again these are difficult and expensive to obtain. The ideal stats desired are: 2 to Assassin Skills, 3 Blade Fury or 3 Weapon Block, 2 Sockets. 

Shield Alternative: (Best)
The Phoenix runeword is the best choice for additional Damage enhancement and useful PvM Life and Mana regeneration from redemption aura.

Gloves (Best):
Trang oul's gloves are the best option for the Bladesin build. Providing FCR and much needed Cold Resistances.

Belt (Best):
Arachnid mesh belt provides +1 to all skills as well as FCR for faster Mind Blast and skill rotations, both welcome to a bladesin.

Gloves:

Trang oul's gloves are the best option for the Bladesin build. Providing FCR and much needed Cold Resistances.

Rings:
A Raven Frost is strongly preferred for one ring slot.
The options for the second ring slot include: Stone of Jordan, Bul Kathos Wedding Band, or a FCR Ring with additional mods. 

Amulet:

Highlord is the ideal amulet for this Bladesin build offering IAS for our trap-laying breakpoint, and Deadly Strike.

Armor:

The Enigma Breastplate is the best armor for the Bladesin build offering superior mobility, as well as being a viable choice even without the teleport component, due to the faster run walk, damage reduction, defenses, and huge magic find boost it offers.

Boots:

Gore riders are the ideal boots for the Bladesin build offering significant melee buffs.

Diadem/Circlet/Coronet:

The ideal stats include: +2 Assassin all skills, 20, and 2soc, life and resistances. 

Weapon Switch:
Standard Call to Arms/ Spirit Shield

Inventory:
Your standard Torch / Annihilus will be used. Along with physical and/or lightning sunder for PvM, and optional Gheeds for additional magic find.

You have options as to how you want to equip your inventory. If you prefer focussing on your physical damage, then consider: + Maximum Damage /+ Attack Rating /+ Life Charms. If Trap damage is your primary focus, consider: +1 Trap Skills / (additional life desirable) Grand Charms
Charms that offer FHR, Resistances and Life can be added to boost your survivability.

Alternative Item Choices:
Plague is an excellent choice for Blade Fury Assassins as it provides massive skill bonuses if you have the right base. It also provides massive Death Sentry and Enhanced Damage bonuses, IAS for laying traps, Open Wound, and Lower resist and target freeze.

Fortitude is an excellent choice for Blade Fury Assassins as off-weapon ED is one of the main sources of damage if you’re willing to forgo Enigma and the teleport advantages.

Laying of Hands is an excellent choice for Blade Fury Assassins as it provides off-weapon ED towards demons, fire resist, and IAS for laying traps.

Dual leech Ring with AR, dexterity for Fortitude,
FCR with Dual Leech and AR for Enigma. Leeches work for both Blade Fury and Blade Shield but not for Blade Throw.

Andariel’s Visage is an excellent choice for Blade Fury Assassins as it provides all skills, strength, IAS for laying traps, life leech, and poison resistances. Note it amplifies enemy fire damage so this should be made up for with charms.

Guillaume’s Face is also a good option for its Deadly Strike, Crushing Blow, strength, and FHR.
Harlequin Crest is an excellent option for its all skills, DR, MF, life and mana.
Crown of Ages and Rare circlets with useful mods are also viable options.

Mercenary:
We recommend the Act 2 Desert Mercenary with the Might offensive aura. The Might aura increases your physical damage output, which synergizes well with the physical damage sources of a Bladesin build.

Weapon 

The weapon choice for your mercenary is crucial, as it greatly affects their damage output. We recommend using one of the following runewords on an ethereal Thresher or Giant Thresher:

Infinity - This runeword not only adds to the mercenary's damage, but also provides the Conviction aura, which lowers enemy resistances toward your death sentry lightning and corpse explosion damage (fire component). This is particularly useful against bosses.
Obedience - This runeword is a great choice for high boss damage.
Pride - This runeword provides the Concentration aura, which increases the mercenary's damage output as well as your own.

The Reaper's Toll - This unique item has a 33% chance to proc Decrepify, which lowers enemy physical resistances by 50% and increases your physical damage output.

Helmet 

The helm choice for your mercenary should focus on adding to their attack speed, damage, and survivability. We recommend the following options:

Andariel's Visage - Preferably ethereal and socketed with a Ral Rune to mitigate the loss in fire resistances; this helm provides significant life leech to aid your mercenarys sustainability in combat.

Guillaume's Face - This helm provides crushing blow and deadly strike, which greatly increase your mercenary's damage output.

Armor 

The armor choice for your mercenary should focus on adding to their defense and resistances. We recommend the following options:

Fortitude - This runeword provides high defense and resistances, as well as increased damage output

Duress - This runeword provides high defense and resistances

Treachery - This budget option provides good resistances and the chance to cast Fade when struck.

Assassin Breakpoints:

Breakpoints are percentage values at which animations for FCR, FHR, FBR, and IAS become faster or slower. Meeting these breakpoints can help your character do more actions in a shorter period of time. For a Bladesin, the important breakpoints are 65% or 102% FCR, and 48% or 86% FHR. IAS is also important though a more complex equation requiring more in depth research accounting for specific weapon types.