Assassin

The Assassin is a dagger burst class that lives on buffs. Hits engrave Insignias on the target, Insignia Explosion cashes them in, and Heart Gore fires on crits and resets itself on the next crit. The biggest damage bonus comes from hitting the target in the back, so positioning matters more than on any other class.

The PvE mode follows Arthars Gaming's Assassin video for the global launch (September 30, recorded on the Taiwan server), read frame by frame; the video has no captions, so its text was taken from the audio by speech recognition and every name and number checked against the screen. Leveling follows TitanTheF's sheet.

Patch Season 1. The build is checked against guides from the global servers: 4 stigmas, cap 20.

Global servers open on October 5, 2026 (Founder's early access from September 30). What that means for the Assassin:

Active skills and passives are identical in the global and KR/TW data; stigmas lose their level-25 tier.

Only three skill levels matter: 12, 16 and 20. Skill points give 10, Daevanion +4, the two rings +2, arcana the rest. Get the five key skills to 16 first, then push Heart Gore and Insignia Explosion to 20.

• 
  Heart Gore 16 20

  Your most important skill. It needs 16: a crit resets its cooldown, otherwise it waits 5 seconds. HP absorb keeps you alive; at 20 add Multi-Hit. If you are short on Critical Hit early, the +20% crit pick is an option instead of the absorb.

  • 8Absorbs 0.7% HP
  • 16Resets [Heart Gore] cooldown on landing a Critical Hit

  All specializations

  • 8Absorbs 0.7% HP
  • 8Engraves 1 Insignia for 10s on hit
  • 8Up to +20% Critical Hit when less targets hit
  • 12Multi-Hit on hit
  • 16Resets [Heart Gore] cooldown on landing a Critical Hit
• 
  Insignia Explosion 16 20

  The other half of your damage. −3s cooldown and two Insignias kept after each explosion — press it every time it is ready, don't wait for stacks. At 20 add Multi-Hit.

  • 8Keep 2 stacks of Insignias after [Insignia Explosion]
  • 16-3s cooldown

  All specializations

  • 8Adds rotate effect
  • 8+50% Multi-Hit on hit
  • 8Keep 2 stacks of Insignias after [Insignia Explosion]
  • 12+1s Stun duration
  • 16-3s cooldown
• 
  Quick Slice 16 20

  The basic attack you weave between everything: guaranteed crit and −1s on Insignia Explosion per hit. At 20 the third slot is your choice — HP absorb or Multi-Hit.

  • 12-1s [Insignia Explosion] cooldown on hit
  • 16Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as a Critical Hit

  All specializations

  • 8+20% MP restored
  • 8Absorbs 0.7% HP
  • 8+50% Multi-Hit on hit
  • 12-1s [Insignia Explosion] cooldown on hit
  • 16Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as a Critical Hit
• 
  Ambush 16

  Your first filler when Heart Gore is closed: two extra uses at 16 and two Insignias per back hit. If it reaches 20, add the HP absorb.

  • 8Engraves 2 Insignias for 10s on landing as a Back attack
  • 16+2 consecutive uses

  All specializations

  • 8Engraves 2 Insignias for 10s on landing as a Back attack
  • 8Absorbs 3% HP
  • 8Breaks Protective Shields on hit
  • 1250% chance to trigger [Whirlwind Slice] on hit
  • 16+2 consecutive uses
• 
  Storm Rampage 16

  On other classes this is skippable; here it is not. While the boss is staggered every hit takes 1s off all cooldowns — it brings your buffs back, and this class does no damage without buffs.

  • 12Multi-Hit on hit
  • 16-1s all skill cooldowns on hit

  All specializations

  • 8Absorbs 5% HP
  • 8Restores 120 MP on hit
  • 8Changes to mobile skill
  • 12Multi-Hit on hit
  • 16-1s all skill cooldowns on hit
• 
  Defiance 12 16

  CC break: the heal and +2s Tenacity at 12; at 16 swap the heal for the damage tolerance.

  • 8Restores 20% HP on using [Defiance]
  • 12+2s Tenacity duration

  All specializations

  • 8Adds [Storm Slice] Chain Skill
  • 8Restores 1000 Stamina on using [Defiance]
  • 8Restores 20% HP on using [Defiance]
  • 12+2s Tenacity duration
  • 16+50% PvE Damage Tolerance and +25% PvP Damage Tolerance for Tenacity duration
• 
  Savage Roar 12

  The last filler in the line: faster, and every hit shortens Shadowstrike. Not worth more than 12–16.

  • 8+20% Skill Speed
  • 12-1s [Shadowstrike] cooldown on hit

  All specializations

  • 8-20% MP consumed
  • 8+20% Skill Speed
  • 8Deals up to 12% more damage when less targets are hit
  • 12-1s [Shadowstrike] cooldown on hit
  • 16Pulls nearby targets on using [Savage Smash]
• 
  Shadowstrike 12

  Teleport behind the target and +20% Critical Damage for 5s — a buff and your best way to the back. Keep it for repositioning instead of spending it on cooldown; the other picks are for PvP.

  • 8+20% caster Critical Damage Boost for 5s on hit

  All specializations

  • 8+1s Stun duration
  • 8+20% caster Critical Damage Boost for 5s on hit
  • 850% chance to inflict Seal for 5s on hit
  • 1250% chance to inflict Root for 5s on hit
  • 16Changes to AoE Skill
• 
  Flash Slice 12

  A second way to get behind the target: 10m range and two uses.

  • 8+6m Range
  • 12+1 consecutive use

  All specializations

  • 8+2s Blind duration
  • 8+6m Range
  • 8Up to +20% damage when more targets hit
  • 12+1 consecutive use
  • 1650% chance to rotate and inflict Stun for 3s on hitting a target afflicted with Blind
• 
  Infiltrate 12

  Dodge → behind the target, and it pays the stamina back. Never take the follow-up chain.

  • 8Restores 300 Stamina on landing [Infiltrate]
  • 8+10m [Infiltrate] range

  All specializations

  • 8Restores 300 Stamina on landing [Infiltrate]
  • 8+10m [Infiltrate] range
  • 8Breaks Protective Shields on landing [Infiltrate]
  • 12Adds [Dark Strike] Chain Skill
  • 16+20% [Infiltrate] Blind Chance
• 
  Whirlwind Slice 12

  Long-range gap-closer. Hits hard on paper, but the animation is long — not part of the rotation.

  • 8+50% Multi-Hit on hit
  • 8+16m range

  All specializations

  • 8+50% Multi-Hit on hit
  • 8Changes to AoE damage
  • 8+16m range
  • 12+20% Stun Chance
  • 1625% chance to reset [Whirlwind Slice] cooldown on Evasion
• 
  Shadow Fall 12

  A PvP skill; in PvE only an emergency 10% heal.

  • 8Absorbs 10% HP
  • 8-5s cooldown

  All specializations

  • 8Absorbs 10% HP
  • 8Engraves 3 Insignias for 10s on hit
  • 8-5s cooldown
  • 12+1s Knockdown duration
  • 16Can be used on targets afflicted with Blind

Skill points max almost all passives while you level. Gear lines are the scarce part: the class wants four passives there and only two or three fit.

Passive	Priority on gear	Why
Rear Smite	1	Back attack and PvE damage boost — the strongest passive; it gives damage even from the front.
Exploit Weakness	2	Critical Hit and an Attack buff that is up almost all the time in combat; Illusive Clone multiplies it.
Assault Stance	2	Critical Damage Boost; Swift Contract multiplies it.
Determination	3	Extra damage on a low-HP target — aLuckyRO counts it among the most important: every boss spends the end of the fight there.
Impact Hit	4	Double Chance — only 3.3% at level 10, next to nothing in PvE (aLuckyRO). Keep it for PvP; on PvE gear take Determination first.
Ambush Stance, Heightened Sixth Sense	points only	Maxed by skill points; not worth a gear line.
Apply Poison, Defense Break	skip	Poison is under 1% of your damage; Defense Break is a PvP passive. Revitalization Contract only with spare points.

Season 1 has five cards and two sets. The Assassin is the one class that must take Illusion (cooldowns) on the Mirror, which makes four Primal Vigor cards the natural set.

Card	Stat	Set	Roll for
Chalice	Time (Combat Speed)	Primal Vigor	Whichever of the three key skills is still short of 20
Parchment	Life	Primal Vigor	Quick Slice, Heart Gore, Insignia Explosion — all three
Compass	Freedom (Accuracy)	Primal Vigor	Storm Rampage, Ambush, Savage Roar — to reach 16
Mirror	Illusion (cooldowns)	Primal Vigor	Rear Smite, Exploit Weakness; Impact Hit
Bell	Destruction (Attack)	Magic Armor	Assault Stance

The Parchment is the grind. All three skills you want at 20 sit on this one card, and a Season 1 card lets you choose only two of its four lines. Leveling the card adds four random +1s — hope for an even spread (+2 on each) rather than +4 on one: the Chalice can then add the missing +2. If it doesn't work out, keep Heart Gore and Insignia Explosion at 20 and leave Quick Slice at 16.

The Compass and the Bell are relaxed: nothing on them has to reach 20. All these cards are replaced when Season 2 brings new ones.

Daevanion takes your skills from 10 to 14 and adds stats. Each blue node gives +1 level to its skill.

The route on the boards

The real global boards from the game data. Gold marks the cheapest path from Start to the nodes this guide takes — the blue nodes of the priority skills and the orange nodes; hover any node to see what it gives.

NezekanLv 12 · 63 ptsZikelLv 20 · 65 ptsVaizelLv 30 · 69 ptsTrinielLv 40 · 91 ptsAzphelLv 45 · 0 pts

288 points in total skill levels

Heart Gore +4Storm Rampage +4Quick Slice +4Ambush +4Insignia Explosion +4

on the way:Apply Poison +3Rear Smite +2Exploit Weakness +2Defense Break +2Impact Hit +1Infiltrate +1Defiance +1Heightened Sixth Sense +1Ambush Stance +1Determination +1Flash Slice +1Assault Stance +1Revitalization Contract +1

stat · 1 passive · 2 skill · 3 special · 4 stat · 2–3 route

NezekanLv 12 · 63 ptsZikelLv 20 · 59 ptsVaizelLv 30 · 60 ptsTrinielLv 40 · 85 ptsAzphelLv 45 · 110 pts

377 points in total skill levels

Shadowstrike +4Flash Slice +4Defiance +4

on the way:Revitalization Contract +3Heightened Sixth Sense +2Savage Roar +2Whirlwind Slice +2Determination +2Defense Break +2Impact Hit +2Apply Poison +1Assault Stance +1Quick Slice +1Rear Smite +1Exploit Weakness +1Ambush +1

stat · 1 passive · 2 skill · 3 special · 4 stat · 2–3 route

Boards and costs come from the global client data (questlog.gg); the path is calculated, not taken from a video. Stat values may still change at launch — check the in-game board before committing a full route.

All four slots are buffs. Level Illusive Clone to 20 first — it eats most of your stigma shards — then the rest.

• 
  Illusive Clone Lv 20

  Your burst: for 20 seconds Heart Gore has no cooldown and you deal 20% extra damage, with +20% Critical Damage and ×1.5 Exploit Weakness on top. Cooldown 1 min 30 s. Most of your damage happens inside it — use it on the boss, never on trash. aLuckyRO: essential until Heart Gore reaches 16; with enough crits Heart Gore resets by itself and the slot can be swapped for a while, but at 20 it comes back for its damage boost.

  • 5+10% Status Effect Chance for the duration
  • 10+20% Critical Damage Boost for the duration
  • 15x1.5 [Exploit Weakness] effect for the duration
  • 2050% chance to deal extra damage on Critical Hit for the duration

  All specializations

  • 5+10% Status Effect Chance for the duration
  • 10+20% Critical Damage Boost for the duration
  • 15x1.5 [Exploit Weakness] effect for the duration
  • 2050% chance to deal extra damage on Critical Hit for the duration
• 
  Swift Contract Lv 15 20

  +20% Combat Speed, and ×1.5 Rear Smite and Assault Stance for the duration. 15 is enough to start; 20 adds 10% more Combat Speed.

  • 5-20% MP Cost for the duration
  • 10x1.5 [Rear Smite] effect for the duration
  • 15x1.5 [Assault Stance] effect for the duration

  All specializations

  • 5-20% MP Cost for the duration
  • 10x1.5 [Rear Smite] effect for the duration
  • 15x1.5 [Assault Stance] effect for the duration
  • 20+10% additional Combat Speed
• 
  Savage Fang Lv 15

  Five Insignias at once, big stagger damage and, at 15, +10% PvE Damage Boost for 10s. Same one-minute cooldown as Swift Contract — press them together.

  • 5Up to +20% damage when more targets hit
  • 10+50 Stagger Gauge Damage
  • 15+10% PvE Damage Boost and +5% PvP Damage Boost for 10s on hit

  All specializations

  • 5Up to +20% damage when more targets hit
  • 10+50 Stagger Gauge Damage
  • 15+10% PvE Damage Boost and +5% PvP Damage Boost for 10s on hit
  • 20Critical Hit on hit
• 
  Triniel's Dagger Lv 10

  Not for its damage: at 10 a hit cuts the remaining cooldown of all your skills by 10%. Press it right after your buffs, when their cooldowns are longest.

  • 5Changes to mobile skill
  • 10-10% all skill cooldowns on hit

  All specializations

  • 5Changes to mobile skill
  • 10-10% all skill cooldowns on hit
  • 15Resets cooldown on defeating an enemy with [Triniel's Dagger]
  • 20+3% all skill cooldowns
• 
  Evasion Stance Lv 5–10

  Guaranteed evasion of a big hit; two charges at 5, mobile at 10. The safe swap for one of the buffs while you learn a fight — the class is fragile.

  • 5+1 consecutive use
  • 10Changes to mobile skill

  All specializations

  • 5+1 consecutive use
  • 10Changes to mobile skill
  • 15+20% Move Speed for 3s on Evasion
  • 20Restore 10% HP once after successfully evading
• 
  Throw Shadowblade farming

  20m throw that resets on a kill at 10 — for open-world farming, not for bosses.

  • 5Adds [Shadowblade Pursuit] Chain Skill
  • 10Resets cooldown on defeating an enemy

  All specializations

  • 5Adds [Shadowblade Pursuit] Chain Skill
  • 10Resets cooldown on defeating an enemy
  • 15Critical Hit on hit
  • 20Changes to AoE Skill

AION 2 has two separate tools:

• Hotbar line — several skills stacked on one hotbar button. Pressing it casts the highest-priority skill that's ready, and in AION 2 the bottom slot has the highest priority. The cards show each line top to bottom as in the game.
• In-game macro — while you hold its key, it presses your hotbar buttons in order and cancels animation tails. Skills on cooldown are skipped.

1. Hotbar lines

2. In-game macro

Two steps, 10 ms each, on a key you can hold all the time:

1. 1Damage line10 ms
2. 2Quick Slice10 ms

The video shows the hotbar but not the macro window: this macro follows the setup from Arthars' Chanter guide (the main line, then the basic attack). The lines and keys are read from his hotbar.

3. What you actually press

• HoldThe macro key, and spam Quick Slice yourself — every hit shortens Insignia Explosion.
• BurstIllusive Clone + Swift Contract + Savage Fang together, then Triniel's Dagger straight away to cut their cooldowns. For the next 20 seconds it is Heart Gore after Heart Gore.
• Between windowsSwift Contract and Savage Fang come back before Illusive Clone. Either hold them for the next Clone (bigger burst) or use them on cooldown (steadier damage) — there is no agreed answer; on short fights hold them.
• StaggerStorm Rampage on a staggered boss, weaving Quick Slice — it pulls every cooldown down by seconds.
• PositionShadowstrike, Flash Slice and Infiltrate all put you behind the target. Use them to stay there, not as damage buttons.

Where the damage comes from in Arthars' test on a dummy: Heart Gore about 30%, Insignia Explosion about 25%, everything else 6% or less each.

While leveling, before Heart Gore reaches 16, TitanTheF's simpler setup works from level 1: the Insignia line in the in-game macro on the middle mouse button, Quick Slice on LMB and Heart Gore on Q. For farming mobs he uses Throw Shadowblade (2) and RMB. Early build at 1–45: Quick Slice, Savage Roar, Insignia Explosion and Heart Gore to 12, everything else to 8.

Starting build 1–45 (aion2t) → · 45+ goal build →