Phoenix Strike Assassin Build for Diablo 2 Resurrected

Last updated on Feb 16, 2023 at 08:00 by MrLlamaSC 8 comments

The Kicksin Assassin is known for its high single-target damage and decent mobility. With Phoenix Strike she now brings in great Area of Effect Damage thanks to large explosions from her charges. With Mosaic, charges will never be lost and she will be able to wreck any area in the game.

1.

Introduction

The Phoenix Strike Assasssin is a refreshed older build that now S tier thanks to the new runeword Mosaic. This build takes advantage of Phoenix Strike and all the elements to create a versatile Assassin capable of metling every area in Diablo 2: Resurrected!

You can check the viability of this build in PvM by consulting our PvM Tier List.

2.

Phoenix Strike Skill Build

The following section shows the default skill build for the Phoenix Strike Assassin. For a detailed breakdown of all core and optional skills as well as the recommended order for allocating skill points, refer to the Skills page of this guide.

  1. 1 point to all prerequisites
  2. 20 points to Phoenix Strike Phoenix Strike — Main Damage Skill, required
  3. 20 points to Fists of Fire Fists of Fire — Synergy/Charge Up Skill, required
  4. 20 points to Claws of Thunder Claws of Thunder — Synergy/Charge Up Skill, required
  5. 20 points to Blades of Ice Blades of Ice — Synergy/Charge Up Skill, required
  6. Remaining points to Dragon Talon Dragon Talon — Not losing charges makes this finisher the strongest as every kick will launch a full wave of each charge
  7. 1 point to Dragon Flight Dragon Flight — Useful for teleporting and repositioning Mercenary, required
  8. 1 point to Cloak of Shadows Cloak of Shadows — Useful for crowd control, required
  9. 1 point to Mind Blast Mind Blast — Useful for crowd control, required
  10. 1 point to Burst of Speed Burst of Speed — Buffs movement and attack speed, required
  11. 1 point to Fade Fade — Buffs damage reduction and Resistances, required
  12. 1 point to Venom Venom — Adds some Poison Damage to the Build, required
  13. 1 point to Weapon Block Weapon Block — If running two claws, make sure to place a single point into this skill, optional
3.

Phoenix Strike Assassin Stat Points and Attributes

Strength Dexterity Vitality Energy
Enough for gear; generally needed for claws Enough for gear, generally needed for claws Everything else None

You can read more details about the Stats and Attribute requirements for this build on our Skills page.

4.

Phoenix Strike Assassin Gear

The following section shows some of the most important Items for the Phoenix Strike Assassin . For a detailed per-slot breakdown of all items and alternative builds, refer to the Gear page of this guide.

5.

Phoenix Strike Assassin Breakpoints

In Diablo 2, stats that affect action speed (known as frames) for attacking, casting, blocking, and recovering from a hit can almost never be taken literally. For example, gaining 10% Increased Attack Speed from an item will not necessarily translate into 10% faster attacks. To achieve faster actions, certain breakpoints must be reached, which vary for every class. The tables below list how much of a given stat is required to actually improve the action speed of the class for the stated action.

5.1.

Faster Hit Recovery Breakpoints

Hit Recovery Breakpoints
Frames to perform action 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Faster Hit Recovery required to reach frame 0% 7% 15% 27% 48% 86% 200%
5.2.

Faster Cast Rate Breakpoints

Faster Cast Rate Breakpoints
Frames to perform action 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9
Faster Cast Rate required to reach frame 0% 8% 16% 27% 42% 65% 102% 174%
5.3.

Faster Block Rate Breakpoints

Faster Block Rate Breakpoints
Frames to perform action 5 4 3 2
Faster Block Rate required to reach frame 0% 13% 32% 86%
6.

Phoenix Strike Assassin Mercenary

You can either hire a Defensive (Holy Freeze Holy Freeze) or Offensive (Might Might) Desert Guard Mercenary in Act 2, Nightmare difficulty, depending on whether you want to slow monsters for added safety or improve the overall damage of your Mercenary.

7.

Phoenix Strike Assassin Early Leveling

The following section features a generic Phoenix Strike Assassin early leveling guide.

  1. 1 Point to Dragon Talon Dragon Talon
  2. 1 Point to Claw Mastery Claw Mastery
  3. Save next 3 points (including Den Point)
  4. 3 Points to Burst of Speed Burst of Speed at Level 6-8
  5. 3 Points to Fists of Fire Fists of Fire at Level 6-8
  6. All Remaining Points to Fists of Fire Fists of Fire until Level 30. If you want to also put some points into Claws of Thunder Claws of Thunder and Blades of Ice Blades of Ice you can do that here as well.
  7. All points into Phoenix Strike Phoenix Strike at Level 30 and beyond. Then Synergies.

For more comprehensive leveling advice, please refer to our Assassin Fastest Leveling Build.

8.

Changelog

  • 16 Feb. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 2.6.
  • 28 Apr. 2022 (gear page): Page added.
  • 28 Apr. 2022 (skills page): Page added.
  • 28 Apr. 2022 (this page): Page added.
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