i was just wondering what skills are a must and how to upgrade them since im a noob i dont know this lol

Depends on your sub-class.

Both of them, however, want the following:

Sonic Arrow: Max CD & Damage
Multi-Shot: Max CD & Damage
Stinging Arrows: Max Duration, CD & Damage
Relentless Arrow: Max CD & Damage
Arrow Storm: Max CD, Damage & Range

A Stalker should also focus on - Fire Leash (max it all)
A Warden should also focus on - Harmonic Bolt & Harmonic Wave (max it all)

Other options:

Slow Arrow: Max Duration (if you PvP)
Point Blank: Max CD & Damage
Hamper/Improved Hamper: Max CD, Range & Damage

You'll have enough at 50 to max all of these skills and still have tons left, but focus on the AOE's I listed first, then your class specific, then the other options.

Be sure to pick up, as you level, Mend Wounds, Improved Camouflage/Camouflage, Bramble Stack, class-specifics, Lightning/Chain Lightning Arrows, and possibly Dash/Haste as non-upgraded skills. The rest are pretty useless in all aspects right now.

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I would have to disagree with the Dash/Haste as you slow down 40% after you reach point 'b'. It kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me.

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Your Humble Providian,

Yeah, however, I find it effective in PvP for a quick rush to a fountain, since you'll most likely be sitting there for 7~ seconds anyway.

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Good point. I guess I just haven't thought of it that way.

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Your Humble Providian,

I don't care what anyone says, Poisonous Arrows does amazingly high damage for a level 1 skill and has a surprisingly large AOE. For a solo artist, you should max it pretty early to ever be able to get by any stages with any decent times at all, and I would suggest maxing the cooldown on Bramble too, as it is a life-saver in most cases.

Also, DA does the most single target damage of all the ranged classes with their basic attack and added skills if they're a Stalker. There are quite a few items that can maximize damage and attack rating, making them one of the funnest classes to build into single target assassins.

Max precision and alacracity, give your stalker a stun bow and lots of attack/atkspd/str/range equips, and you're set up to destroy people in pvp all day long.

Please, when you're making a list of useless skills, don't include ones that are really useful in the hands of a pro.

PS: Fire Leash is FAIL. Completely worthless in PVE except against bosses. Don't upgrade it unless you like seeing people break out of it in PVP with a debuff and laugh. Though I guess if all you fight are newbs, it won't matter because they don't know how to escape.

Isn't the accuracy buff close to useless? The +% bonus seems to small to add much of a difference. So since fire leash "sucks", is the only good skill that a stalker has is alacrity? Is it worth making a stalker instead of a warden just for the alacrity passive?

Also, not all classes have a debuff for fire leash, so it isn't that bad.

I have to admit that after some of the recent patches, poison arrow's DOT seems to have doubled in rate, making it a more useful skill in my opinion. I use it often for PvE and PvP (spawner mobs).



I don't know about the most single target damage if you include skills. I'm pretty sure people made some compelling arguments with actual numbers proving sin to do more damage if you include skills. Basic attack...over time, I would like to agree with you and say Stalker would be strongest.



Wow, max precision? Really? Because 5 or so percent of accuracy for a few seconds is helpful at level 50? What are you having trouble hitting? And even if the enemy (PvP) has high def gear to avoid normal attacks I hardly think precision would compensate better than a spammable skill. You could probably increase your survivability more with a point blank/slow arrow spam. Simply focusing on one dimension---accuracy and spamming basic attack/Alacrity--only gets you so far ... though I admit it it can be quite effective against less experienced players. A strategist or a half-awake Devo, however, will chew right through that.




To the new DA users who are looking for a good recommendation, I wish that all of the old posts full of summaries and analysis were still around to kind of you give some type of starting place. They aren't so you'll have to figure things out for yourself. I'd recommend combining what both Shaden and teloivkrad said. The skills that Shaden suggested are very good for maxing area damage, which is useful for PvE and PvP (spawner mobs or guaranteed damage to opponent). Tel's "stun gun" suggestion is useful for more of a 1v1 fight, assuming you destroy the opponents spawner. Alternatively, that build works well in a team match when someone else can handle the mobs while you focus on one opponent.

I know the "stun gun" build is tempting but think about it: poisonous arrow + basic attacks + stun (no matter how accurate) requires a lot of TLC to gain a kill. You'd rely heavily on the stun so you can continue your DOT. And because your skill points are focused on DOT skills instead of raw, AOE damage you will need to dodge mobs more often. If your opponnent is immune or highly resistant to debuffs...you would be in serious trouble. Please keep in mind that even an Illusionist can resist stun. She just doesn't have the HP to make you pay for it.

Forgive the double post. The last one was long enough. Most people consider the accuracy buff useless and in my opinion I agree. The more you level the more useless it should become because at level 50 (ESPECIALLY stalker) you shouldn't have any issue hitting an enemy. Of course, in PvP your opponent may have high defense, which evades basic attacks. If you have Alacrity, however, it is a skill attack which is 100% accuracy (assuming the opponent doesn't have some psychotic range immunity).

Alacrity and fire leash work hand-in-hand to give you focused damage to a single opponent. It's very useful in PvP for taking out an opponent. Wardens have the upper hand in PvE with their AOE skills. It's up to you which one you want to use.

As an extra note on fire leash...should your opponent not "break" it, you will have a good opportunity to spam a lot of area attacks. It's worth getting. You can poison, bleed, and slow your opponent before they are free. If you're really good at spamming you can use your fire trap on top of fire leash for extra damage. If you've purchased items like the veil wall from the shop in PvP, you can spam those items over or around the fire leash.

Extra note on bramble stack: max it for use in PvE. The duration in PvP is just laughable.