Path Of Exile 3.27 Assassin Rework: Major Upgrades To Damage Output And Survivability

After 9 years, Path of Exile 1 3.27 finally brings a rework to Assassin class, a Shadow class's Ascendancy. This overhaul is comprehensive, significantly enhancing Assassin class's damage output and survivability.

This is great news for players who have always loved Assassin class. So what specific changes have been made in POE 3.27? Below, I will introduce the changes to Assassin class from two aspects.

Enhanced Damage Output

Previously, Assassin class's damage output was heavily criticized. As an Assassin, it was difficult to kill enemies quickly, especially against shielded enemies. POE Keepers of the Flame clearly considered these issues and optimized three aspects: Critical Strike Chance Notable, Poison's piercing damage, and Power Charge acquisition.

Increased Critical Strike Chance

POE 3.27 added a new Notable to Assassin class's Ascendancies that grants a significant Critical Strike Chance bonus, known as Assassination Style. Unlike other Notables, you can choose between Knife in the Back and For the Jugular.

Both Notables trigger Culling Strike after Critical Strikes. Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Multiplier bonuses are related to the enemy's health. Knife in the Back grants 100% Critical Strikes against healthy enemies and 100% Critical Strike Multiplier against low-health enemies. For the Jugular does the opposite.

This bonus has simple trigger conditions and is the primary source of increased damage in the new Assassin class.

In addition to Assassination Style, the new Mystical Infusion Notable also increases your Base Spell's Critical Strike Chance, aligning it with your Main Hand Weapon.

Assassin class in Patch 3.27 has an additional effect against Rare or Unique Enemies. This is related to the new Deathmarked Notable, which marks the enemy after you land a Critical Strike, making them unable to dodge your attack and thus increasing its hit rate.

The Deathmarked Notable's mark does not consume Mana. Combined with the previous two Notables that increase Critical Strike Chance, it allows you to virtually mark Rare or Unique Enemies 100% of the time.

Poison Damage Increased

Path of Exile 3.27 rework adjusted The Toxic Delivery Notable and added the Infused Toxins Notable.

In the new league, you'll find that each of your attacks can inflict Poison on enemies, extending Poison duration by up to 100% with repeated attacks. While Poison damage is slightly reduced compared to before, it can increase Critical Strike Chance by up to 2.0%.

And surprisingly, Poison now has strong penetration; it's no longer blocked by enemy shields, so you won't have to struggle too much against enemies with high shields.

Power Charge Acquisition

The Unstable Infusion Notable Ascendancy Passive Skill's overall Power Charge acquisition chance has been increased, with a 5% increase during Critical Strike and a 10% increase during Non-Critical Strike.

This change makes your skill rotation more efficient, allowing you to unleash more skills in the same amount of time. This makes Assassins more effective at clearing enemies and gaining POE Currency.

Also Read: Path Of Exile 3.27 Keepers Of The Flame League Breach Mechanic Explained And Other New Features

Improved Survivability

POE 3.27 also enhances Assassin class's survivability in several ways, making it easier for them to handle high-difficulty challenges.

First, the aforementioned Toxic Delivery Notable Ascendancy Passive Skill has been revamped. It now restores a portion of your health after killing enemies with Poison effect. This Notable is significantly stronger after the adjustments.

Second, the newly added Shadowed Blood Notable has two interesting mechanics: it converts Physical Damage into health, and its health regeneration is unaffected by Damaging Ailments. This allows you to handle high physical damage enemies more easily and is less vulnerable to situations with Damaging Ailments.

Third, the Mistwalker Notable Ascendancy Passive Skill can now dodge all attacks, twice as effective as before. You no longer need to worry about whether you can successfully dodge.

Finally, there's Opportunistic, a Notable specifically designed for situations with multiple Rare and Unique Enemies. POE 3.27 update increased its damage reduction by 15%.

Theoretically, the reworked Assassin class in Path of Exile Keepers of the Flame is still worth anticipating. If it can synergize well with the later updated Bloodline Ascendancies, Assassin's strength could reach an even higher level.