PvP Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin Guide

Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin For PvP and PvM

PvP Rank: S Class / PvM Rank: S Class

Introduction

Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Hybrid Assassins are known as Ghost Assassins when they use Teleport from the Enigma runeword. However, you should rarely need to Teleport in PvP because you should fight defensively and try to always be near your traps. The Dragon Flight skill should be used on opponents if you need to Teleport stomp them so that you can Whirlwind them. Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Hybrid Assassins are one of the best builds in the game for PvP and they're also a strong build for PvM.

Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin Skills

The Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin deals excellent ranged damage with Lightning Sentry and they can Whirlwind opponents without losing a significant amount of trap damage. Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassins are also excellent at survival.

Recommendation: Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin

Stats: 167 Strength (base strength before strength from a Stormshield), enough Dexterity for 75% block (before the dexterity from Shadow Dancers), all remaining points in Vitality, and 0 Energy.

Skill Points:

20 Lightning Sentry

20 Charged Bolt Sentry

20 Shock Web

20 Claw Mastery

1 Dragon Flight (can be gained from a Chaos Claw base)

1 Shadow Master (great for casting Mind Blast in PvP)

1 Mind Blast

1 Death Sentry (optional for PvM)

All remaining points in Venom for high increased poison damage over time with a short duration.

Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin Gear

Weapon

Chaos Feral Claw (Fal Ohm Um) - This weapon gives Whirlwind and should be made in a Feral Claw with +3 to Lightning Sentry and other beneficial skills like Dragon Flight which saves 4 skill points and Shadow Master which saves 3 skill points. You can also optionally switch to a Demon Limb weapon in town for PvP if you want level 23 Enchant which gives increased attack rating.

Shield

Stormshield (Um'd) - Gives 35% reduced physical damage taken, increased block chance, high defense per level, faster block rate, 60% cold resistance, and 25% lightning resistance. This shield blocks much faster than Weapon Block, has physical damage taken reduction, and resistances, and you should have a 75% block chance because you need dexterity for Whirlwind attack rating.

Weapon Switch

Call To Arms (Amn Ral Mal Ist Ohm) - Gives up to +7 to Battle Orders combined with a Spirit Monarch (Tal Thul Ort Amn) for another +2 to all skills for your Battle Orders. Battle Orders greatly increases your maximum life and mana for a long duration.

Helmet

Harlequin Crest (aka: Shako) - Gives +2 to all skills, 10% reduced physical damage taken, life per level, mana per level, and 50% magic find. You should socket this helmet with a Protector's Thunder jewel which gives increased lightning damage, lowered enemy lightning resistance, and more magic find.

Helmet For Overstacking Resistances

Kira's Guardian (Um'd) - Gives up to all resistances +70%, 20% faster hit recovery, and cannot be frozen. This item should be used against Cold Sorceresses, Nova Sorceresses, Poison Nova Necromancers, and Conviction Paladins for over stacked resistances.

Body

Enigma (Jah Ith Ber) - Gives 45% faster run walk, +2 to all skills, 8% physical damage reduction, 5% increased maximum life, Teleport, and high strength for the high strength requirements of your Stormshield, Spirit Monarch, and Shadow Dancers boots.

Gloves

Trang'Oul's Gloves - Gives 20% faster cast rate, 25% increased poison skill damage, and cold resistance +30%. The poison skill damage increases the damage of your Venom skill which is important for more Whirlwind damage.

Gloves Vs. Fire Damage Builds

Laying of Hands - Gives 20% increased attack speed, 50% increased fire resistance, and 350% increased damage against demons.

Belt

Thundergod's Vigor - Gives +3 to Lightning Fury, +3 to Lightning Strike, 10% to maximum lightning resistance, 20 lightning absorb, 20 strength, 20 vitality, 1-50 lightning damage, and a 5% chance to cast level 7 Fist of the Heavens when struck.

Feet

Shadow Dancers - These boots give 30% faster run/walk, 30% faster hit recovery, +2 to Shadow Discipline Skills, and 25 dexterity which increases your attack rating. I highly recommend getting max block before the dexterity from Shadow Dancers so that you can switch to Hotspur boots for fighting fire damage builds and the extra dexterity it grants also helps with attack rating.

Feet (PvM)

War Travelers (for magic find) - These boots give 25% faster run walk, up to 50% increased magic items, 10 strength, 10 vitality, and 15-25 base weapon damage which gives higher Whirlwind damage.

Boots Vs. Fire Damage Builds

Hotspur - These boots give 45% increased fire resistance, 15 life, and 15% to maximum fire resistance.

Feet Vs. Magic Builds

Horazon's Legacy - Gives 30% faster run walk, strength, dexterity, cannot be frozen, and up to 30% magic resistance.

Amulet

Mara's Kaleidoscope - Gives +2 to all skills, 5 to all attributes, and all resistances +30%.

Rings

Raven Frost x2 - Raven Frosts each give up to 20 dexterity, 250 attack rating, 20% cold absorb, and cannot be frozen.

Ring (PvM)

You should use one dual leech ring with all resistance and attack rating for Whirlwind in PvM to leech mana.

Rings (Absorb)

You should use two Raven Frosts which each give 20% cold absorb against cold damage builds, use one Dwarf Star for 15% fire absorb against fire damage builds, and use one Wisp Projector for up to 20% lightning absorb against lightning damage builds.

Charms

Hellfire Torch for +3 Assassin Skills, Annihilus for +1 to all skills, two +1 Trap Skills grand charms with 12% faster hit recovery, and 7 +1 Trap Skills grand charms with life. For small charms look for high life and resistances to over stack your resistances.

Mercenary Type

Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary - Holy Freeze is an excellent defensive aura because it slows the movement speed and attack speed of enemies which helps keep you and your mercenary alive. However if you are using Death Sentry in PvM, Holy Freeze should be avoided because it shatters corpses. You should then use the Defiance mercenary which increases defense for better survival with Whirlwind. Also keep in mind that you should avoid using a mercenary in PvP because it's considered bad manners.

Mercenary Weapon

Ethereal Infinity Thresher (Ber Mal Ber Ist) - Gives a level 12 Conviction aura which lowers the resistances and defense of enemies.

Mercenary Armor

Ethereal Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) - Gives 300% enhanced damage, up to all resistances +30%, high life per level, 5% to maximum lightning resistance, and a 20% chance to cast level 15 Chilling Armor when struck.

Mercenary Helmet

Ethereal Andariel's Visage (Ral'd) - Gives +2 to all skills, 10% life leech, and -30% fire resistance. You can socket it with a Ral rune but, eventually you should upgrade the Ral rune to a 30% fire resistance jewel with 15% increased attack speed for more damage.

Budget Mercenary Weapon

Ethereal Insight (Ral Tir Tal Sol) - Gives up to level 17 Meditation which gives very high mana regeneration.

Budget Mercenary Armor

Duriel's Shell - Gives all resistances +20%, 50% cold resistances, life per level, 15 strength, and cannot be frozen.

Budget Mercenary Helmet

Tal Rasha's Helmet - Gives 10% life stolen per hit, all resistances +15%, and 60 life.

Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Strategy

This build has a powerful close range attack with Whirlwind but you should typically play like a normal Lightning Sentry Assassin and use Whirlwind as an additional attack to stun enemies inside your Lightning Sentry traps. Dragon Flight is used to teleport you on top of casters with left click so you can stun and Whirlwind them. Make sure to have five Lightning Sentry traps up nearby at all times and try to avoid Whirlwinding when fighting Barbarians because they usually have a very high defense.

Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin Leveling Items

You can start using Hsarus' Belt and Gloves once you have 30 strength and are at least level 3 for high defense and attack rating from Hsarus' set bonuses. You should switch to a Spirit Crystal Sword (Tal Thul Ort Amn) at level 25 for +2 to all skills to increase the level of your Lightning Sentry traps early on. Skin of the Vipermagi can be switched to at level 29 for +1 to all skills, 30% faster cast rate, up to all resistances +35%, and up to magic damage reduced by 13. The Smoke (Nef Lum) body armor can also be used as a budget runeword starter armor once you reach level 37 for 20% faster hit recovery and an easy all resistances +50%.

That's all for the Lightning Sentry/Whirlwind Assassin Guide. You can check out more guides at the top of this page. Good luck!