Assassin - Borderlands 2 Guide - IGN (2024)

Zer0 represents the Assassin class in Borderlands 2.

The Assassin obliterates enemies. He specializes in high-burst damage on single targets rather than large areas of damage. He also enjoys poetically narrating his proficiency of killing in haiku.

Zer0 can perform massive amounts of damage quickly, either with melee combat or from a distance. Zer0 is the finisher in the group, being particularly effective when fighting single enemies, and can kill them off faster than any other class. However, Zer0 is less effective against a large number of enemies.

Primary Action Skill

Zer0's primary action skill is called Decepti0n. Zer0 projects a holographic decoy of himself in front of him and becomes invisible.

While cloaked, enemies are drawn to the decoy in an attempt to kill it with melee or guns. Zer0 can then sneak around and place a powerful sword strike or well placed shot on any unsuspecting enemy. Zer0 is also able to throw his grenades while invisible.

Zer0 can still be injured by enemy attacks even though they are attacking the decoy.

Any attack by Zer0 with his sword or a gunwill break Decepti0n, or after the timer reaches zero (typically 5 seconds, depending on the skill tree). If Zer0 attacks early during the stealth period, the cooldown to initiate it again will be shorter, but the attack will not be as powerful. If Zer0 waits until near the end of the stealth period to attack, damage will increase, but the cooldown will take longer.

Decepti0n is a powerful way to finish off enemies, but it is also useful for reviving teammates while enemies shoot your decoy.

Quotes

"I disappear... a ghost amidst the combat, preparing to strike!"

"How Hilarious! You set off my trap card. Your death approaches..."

Preferred Firearms

Sniper Rifles: Snipers are the Assassins primary weapon if you plan to focus on long range. They are also the second most powerful single-shot guns. A headshot with any sniper will do massive damage and can make you a difficult target for the enemies if you distance yourself from them.

Pistols: Your secondary weapon for when enemies get too close to snipe. Pistols have a fast fire rate and do decent damage.

SMGs: An alternative for mid- to close-range combat.

Shotguns: Shotguns are the primary weapon for a melee Assassin. Chances are, if you're meleeing, you're going to be very close to the target, and having a shotgun handy to blow the enemy's brains out while in such close quarters can be very helpful.

Any Gun with a Blade: If you plan on being a melee Assassin, then you need a gun with a blade. The blades grant a 50%, 100%, or 200% bonus melee damage. A bladed gun definitely increases your chances of killing with melee attacks.

Grenade Type: Chemical Spewing. These help deal with large groups of enemies while applying constant elemental damage. Stand back and watch your enemies disintegrate.

Shields: Melee Assassins should use roid shields because they provide bonus melee when your shields are down. Also, the Assassin tends to be the "squishiest" of all the characters, so the bigger the shield, the better off you will be.

Way of The Blade - Duels

"Striking from nowhere... Killing with accuracy... This is who I am."

Zer0's high speed and deadly stealth gives him a slight advantage over his foes. As long as you have a steady trigger finger and a quick reflex, no one will stand against you! Now, before you go and melee someone thinking you couldn't possibly lose, be sure to equip Zer0 properly for combat.

Ideally, Zer0 can be a glass cannon, which means you don't need to worry about using tokens on health or shield at first. You want to make damage your primary concern because, if spec'd just right, the duel will last as long as Decepti0n lasts, meaning you won't take a single hit. Zer0 is also significantly better with sniper rifles than his vault hunting companions, so you'll want to find yourself a decent sniper rifle. Whatever feels comfortable, whether it be a burst-fire, an automatic, or a bolt action is up to you.

Making good use of Zer0's Decepti0n skill and Sniperefficiency is a sure-fire way to win any duel. Being a skill that deals no damage doesn't necesarily mean you're out of the run for beating up on other vault hunters.

• Vault Hunters

​The other vault hunters also come with their own special skills. Axton's turret can be devastating within the tight bubble of a PvP arena if spec'd right. Salvador's gunzerking can swat Zer0 out of the arena quicker than the fight can start. Maya, on the other hand, does virtually nothing to a vault hunter.

1. Facing Axton

Before the match even begins, Axton can put down one or two turrets, both doing high damage or preventing you from damaging them. Fortunately, they won't fire upon you until the fight begins. This makes ample time to plan around the turret(s) and strike. When the fight begins, that is when you will want to use Decepti0n facing away from the arena so the turrets unload on it and away from you. After doing so, you must get out of there and find Axton. Upon doing so, you'll want to either go for the back stab (not recommended) or get a quick shot to the dome with a Sniper.

2. Facing Salvador

Salavdor's gunzerking is probably the only thing that can be problematic for Zer0. The reason for this is that he doesn't have to wait like Axton does to start unloading on Zer0. However, with keen timing at the start of the duel, you can nail him quickly in the head. As the duel begins, activate Decpti0n and send a grenade while facing Salvador to psyche him out. When you do this, immediately move towards the right or left to avoid the barrage of bullets headed your way. With your target in sight, take aim and finish the duel with a headshot. It is strongly advised that you avoid tryingto melee him.

3. Facing Maya

Maya is the easiest for Zer0 to handle. She can't use her skill to trap Zer0, so she is unable to provide any real challenge, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared to take her down quick. As the match starts, send Decepti0n to the right or left of her to psyche her out as you move in the opposite direction and just go for the quick shot to the head.

4. Facing Zer0

This battle just comes down to whoever is equipped and spec'd better. Keep moving and never give Zer0 the chance to line up a headshot. If you're feeling lucky, wait a second or two after the enemy Zer0 uses his Decepti0n. Both of you will strafe at the start, but delaying your Decepti0n will result in the enemy Zer0 having no Decepti0n by the time you start yours -- giving you the advantage.

Cunning Build: Fast DPS, No Snipers Needed!

Often overlooked as the "extra skills" tree, Cunning on its own is a force to be reckoned with. It's all about dealing very fast gun and melee damage in a lovely orchestra of violence, blood and haikus. More suited for those who do not want to snipe as much but would still like to enjoy the Assassin class.

When broken down, the Cunning tree is all about taking down single opponents in rapid succession (similar to Zer0's Sniping tree). It is best used for medium- to close-range combat, and is also the tree best suited for a supporting role when in co-op -- but we will get to that later.

The Build

The following is simply a reccomendation for the Cunning build.

Most of the skills are geared toward constant gun damage and getting as much gun usage as possible. The most important skills to the build are Rising Shot, Deathmark, Two Fang, Death Blossom, Velocity and Bore.

Rising Shot - Everytime a bullet hits an enemy, the damage of your bullets go up, and can stack up to 5 times. With this alone, your shots make much more of a dent in the enemies as long as you still have bullets in the chamber (e.g. using an SMG with about 3000 base damage can get about 1000 more bonus damage per shot). Important note: The damage stacks go down as fast as the gun fires, so using a fast firing weapon will make your bonus damage go away faster then a slower firing weapon.

Deathmark - When you melee an enemy, you apply Deathmark to them, making them take 20% bonus damage from everything. This is the skill that gives the Assassin a support role. Sure, the damage boost is strong enough on its own, but imagine a Gunzerker attacking as well. That annoying "Badass Constructor" will die faster than you can say "Catch-a-Ride!"

Two Fang - Gives you the chance to fire twice in one shot. Though this may sound insignificant at first, it really does make the difference. The faster an enemy is dead, the less damage you take. Besides, who doesn't like their shotgun acting like an assault rifle?

Death Blossom - The Assassin's final, one-pointer skill. Allows you to throw kunais while in Deception, without ending Deception. If that was all it did, it would already be awesome, but the kunais also explode with a random elemental effect and can apply Deathmark. Note: the kunais travel slower than bullets and spread out in a shotgun-esque pattern, so you may need to be a bit close to make effective use of them.

Velocity - Makes bullets travel much faster and also adds some bullet damage. (Again, the faster they die, the less damage you take). This skill helps your bullets to keep hitting enemies instead of not, and also keeps your Rising Shot stacked.

Bore - Makes your bullets go right through enemies. Other enemies hit after a bullet has traveled through the first enemy will take an extra 100% damage. This skill will also show enemies' critical hit locations -- since the Assassin can use Decepti0n to go invisible, seeing critical hit locations makes it much easier to line up enemies and make quick work of them.

When Zer0 activates Decepti0n during Bore, the critical spots will be designated with internet-speak such as "1337", "OMG", and "WTF!".

Reccomended Weapons and Brands

Hyperion (Shotguns and Pistols) - Since they don't lose their accuracy after one reload, they are great for keeping pressure on your opponents and getting the most out of the Assassin's DPS. Plus, fairly good reloads mean they will be down faster.

Vladof (Assault Rifles and Pistols) - Fast fire rates and nice damage stats work great. Makes sure that your Rising Shot is squeezing out all the points of damage it can do.

Tediore (SMG's and Pistols) - Being able to reload ridiculously fast is great for keeping pressure on the enemies (not to mention the gun explosion afterwards), which makes up for their sometimes lackluster firepower. Plus, if you are downed, they are great for second winds! Just keep throwing your guns!

Bandit (SMG's and Pistols) - Their large magazines and good firepower make them a good match for the Assassin, but be forewarned: it may take a while for you to find one with resonable recoil and good accuracy.

Jakobs (Revolvers) -They have great firepower, but lack elemental damage. Recoil isn't too bad if you have some recoil reduction specs. The firing rate is pretty good, like most Jakobs, and it gets a lot better with the Two Fang and other skills. Reload is pretty quick, and accuracy isn't much of an issue (unless you plan on sniping with it).

Beginner Tips

• You still are a GLASS CANNON. All that firepower comes at a harsh defensive price. Watch your mini-map for enemies flanking and don't be afraid to take harder situation more slowly.
• Prioritize your targets. Taking down smaller targets will help you focus all your attacks on the bigger threats (e.g. Goliaths, Constructors, War Loaders, or any Badass versions of enemies).
• Grenades can be used while in Decepti0n. When in doubt, go invisible and spam those Mirvs!

Advanced Tips

• Using singularity grenades with Death Blossom is a great combo for crowd control.
• Try to get close while using Death Blossom, and as soon as you throw your last bunch of kunais, immediatley follow up with damage, since the enemy will most likely be slagged and marked with Deathmark. Just be sure you don't use a slag weapon--slag on slag provides no bonus damage.
• If you are using the Cunning skill tree, pick up the extra critical damage in the Sniper tree. Also, pick up the extra health and melee damage in the Bloodshed tree.

Cunning/Sniper Hybrid

Summary

Pros:

• Allows for use of all weapons
• Insane damage to groups and bosses
• Useful in both single player and multiplayer
• More useful in True Vault Hunter Mode

Cons:

• Melee not as powerful
• Survivability is low

Skills

Cunning Skills

• Fast Hands[5]: Faster reload speed is always better.
• Ambush[5]: Extra damage when using Decepti0n and when playing with other players.
• Rising Sh0t[5]: Any gun with a large magazine will do more damage.
• Death Mark[1]: Extra damage from any source that affects any enemy and other players can use.
• Unf0rseen[5]: The shock damage allows for easy destruction of shields and groups of enemies.
• Innervate[5]: Helps move around while in Decepti0n and gives you major health regeneration.
• Death Bl0ss0m[1]: The most powerful and helpful final skill; applies Death Mark.

Sniper Skills

• Headsh0t[5]: More critical damage is always better.
• Killer[5]: Even more critical damage and insanereload speed.
• B0re[1]: Bullet penetration, and helps make sure you get those headshots while in Decepti0n.
• alternative: maxout and put rest of points in either...
• Vel0city[2or5]: All bullets move faster; minor increase in damage; easier to aim at moving targets.
• One Sh0t One[2or5]: Your first shot does a lot more damage.

Tips

• When playing through in Normal Mode, spec into Fast Hands, Unforseen, Headshot, Killer, Velocity, Bore, Death Mark, Ambush, Rising Shot,and/or One Shot One Kill. (You won't reach level 31until around the end of the game.)
• When you do hit level 31, re-spec into Fast Hands[5], Ambush[5], Death Mark[1], Rising Shot[5], Unforseen[5], Innervate[4], and Death Blossom[1].
• Death Blossom, Death Mark, and Unforseen... Nuff said.
• Use any gun with a fast fire rate and/or a large magazine to easily maximize the effects of Rising Shot.
• One Shot One Kill is best used with guns that have small magazines or fast reload speed.
  
• Grenades have a tendency to backfire. Use Vladof shock grenades to prevent this.