Dark Hunting Ground: Assassination Build (Flicker Strike)

Flicker Strike is a powerful but flawed skill, suffering from high mana cost, unavoidable melee damage, and limited range.

Dark Hunting Ground: Assassination Build (Flicker Strike)

Dark Hunting Ground: Assassination Build (Flicker Strike).

The Problems with Flicker Strike
Flicker Strike, or “assassination” as the game insists on calling it, is a fun and powerful skill, but it has three major flaws:

  1. High mana consumption when used continuously.
  2. It places you inside mobs, making you take unavoidable melee damage.
  3. Limited range, causing issues when enemies spawn far away.

The Solutions
To solve these issues:

Mana Consumption

  • Use the “Mana Draw” augment to remove mana cost at the expense of a significant damage penalty.
  • The “Flash” skill can boost mana regeneration, especially with a targeting mod.
  • Mana on Hit from the Hermit (Thief) passive tree is an excellent long-term solution.
  • Reduced mana cost augments or affixes can also help manage the cost.

Survivability

  • The Hermit skill “Mikiri” can negate damage and heal if timed correctly.
  • Life on hit from augments or relics helps sustain health while flickering through enemies.
  • Standard survivability stats like damage reduction, dodge, and debuffing nearby enemies are always beneficial.

Range Issues

  • Movement skills with auto-targeting, like the Mage Blink, Ranger Dodge Roll, or Warrior Charge, can help.
  • The “Charge” augment automatically moves you toward enemies when in melee range, improving Flicker Strike’s mobility.

To Summarize:
For an effective setup, prioritize:

  • Life/Mana on Hit from the Hermit (Thief) passive tree.
  • A second melee skill with the Charge augment.
  • Some form of survivability, with “Mikiri” being a strong option.

Gear and Relics
Recommended relics include:

  • Limit Principal for a damage boost with all 3 Thief skills or a 3-class setup.
  • Threat Chain for free damage.
  • Broken Head for lowering target resistance.
  • Bloodthirsty Knife for extra EHP.

Passives:
Focus on attack speed, crit chance/damage, and defensive stats. A combination of Hermit for haste, crit, leech, and dodge, and Warrior for fury and extra melee hits works well.

This setup has been very effective for me so far, and I’ll update the guide as I progress and finalize my builds.