Assassin

Tier A

Dark × Ghost = Assassin

Effect

Passes through front enemies, 30% backstab bonus

Damage Multiplier

2.5x

How to Unlock

Level Dark ball to Level 3
Level Ghost ball to Level 3
Collect a rainbow orb (XP level-up reward)
Select "Evolution" option from the menu
Choose Dark + Ghost combination

Strategy & Tips

High skill positioning-dependent evolution. Passes through front of enemies but not back, deals 30% bonus damage on backstabs. Can also be created with Dark + Iron or Ghost + Iron (3 total combinations). Best for targeting back-line enemies (archers, mages, healers).

Why Assassin is Top-Tier

🟢 **VERIFIED MECHANICS:** Assassin (called 'Shadow Strike' in database) is created by THREE different combinations at Level 3—Dark + Ghost, Dark + Iron, OR Ghost + Iron—giving it exceptional build flexibility (SOURCE: Steam Community Guide ID: 3587888441, confirmed by DazePuzzle and Rosenberryrooms). The unique mechanic: Assassin balls "pass through the front of enemies, but not the back" and deal 30% bonus damage on backstabs (verified across all 3 sources). This means Assassin ignores front-line tanks entirely, phasing through them to reach vulnerable back-line targets (archers, mages, support enemies) where the 30% damage multiplier triggers automatically. 🟡 **TIER CLASSIFICATION:** Database rates Assassin A-tier, while Rosenberryrooms explicitly rates it B-tier—this discrepancy reflects the evolution's skill-dependent nature. DazePuzzle describes Assassin as a "high skill ball that rewards good positioning," indicating performance varies significantly based on player execution. At high skill levels, the ability to consistently target back-line enemies with 30% bonus damage elevates Assassin to A-tier. For players who struggle with positioning or fight in narrow spaces with limited enemy formations, effectiveness drops to B-tier. 🟡 **STRATEGIC VALUE:** The "passes through front, not back" mechanic solves roguelike's classic problem: tanky front-line enemies blocking access to dangerous back-line threats. Assassin bypasses this entirely, allowing you to eliminate priority targets (healers, summoners, ranged DPS) while front-line enemies harmlessly tank. The 30% backstab bonus (verified) means Assassin effectively deals 1.3x damage compared to standard evolutions when positioned correctly. Against formations with 3-5 back-line enemies, Assassin can eliminate high-value targets 30% faster than competitors, drastically reducing incoming damage by removing enemy DPS sources first.

Strategic Tips & Synergies

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🟢 Verified mechanic: Assassin passes through front enemies but not back—position shots to pierce front-line tanks and hit back-line targets (archers, mages, healers) from behind for automatic 30% damage bonus. This mechanic bypasses the roguelike positioning problem of tanks blocking priority targets.

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🟢 Verified mechanic: 30% backstab bonus damage applies when hitting enemies from behind—with correct positioning, Assassin effectively deals 1.3x damage compared to standard evolutions. Against back-line formations with 3-5 enemies, this translates to 30% faster elimination of high-value threats.

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🟡 General strategy: Assassin's 'high skill ball' classification means effectiveness scales with player skill—master circular movement patterns that naturally position you behind enemies, or use map geometry (corners, spawn points) to create backstab angles without manual repositioning.

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🟡 General strategy: Target priority is critical—Assassin excels at eliminating back-line DPS, healers, and summoners that multiply enemy threat. Ignore front-line tanks (Assassin passes through them) and focus on removing sources of incoming damage and enemy reinforcements first.

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🟡 General strategy: The three-recipe flexibility (Dark + Ghost, Dark + Iron, Ghost + Iron verified) gives Assassin highest build compatibility among A-tier evolutions—you can pivot to Assassin mid-run from almost any ball composition, making it excellent for adaptive strategies.

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🟡 General strategy: Pair Assassin with area damage evolutions to cover weaknesses—Assassin handles single-target back-line elimination, while AoE evolutions (Blizzard, Sandstorm, Toxic Cloud) clear front-line masses that Assassin phases through without killing.

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🟡 General strategy: Movement speed upgrades multiply Assassin's effectiveness by enabling rapid repositioning between shots, allowing you to consistently maintain backstab angles. Speed upgrades effectively increase Assassin's damage output by maximizing 30% bonus uptime.

Best Character Pairings

These characters create exceptional synergies with Assassin:

The Shade (S-Tier Pairing): 🟡 The Shade starts with Dark ball (one of Assassin's three components, verified), giving immediate ingredient access. If The Shade has stealth or positioning-focused passives, this naturally synergizes with Assassin's backstab mechanic by facilitating rear-angle attacks. The thematic alignment (shadow assassin playstyle) suggests The Shade may have hidden bonuses for critical/backstab damage.

The Repentant (A-Tier Pairing): 🟡 If The Repentant has defensive passives or damage reduction, this covers Assassin's main weakness—having to reposition aggressively for backstabs exposes you to more enemy attacks. Defensive characters can absorb this risk while maintaining optimal positioning for the 30% damage bonus, maximizing Assassin's output without excessive health loss.

Iron Fool (A-Tier Pairing): 🟡 Iron Fool starts with Iron ball (one of Assassin's three components, verified), enabling early acquisition. If Iron Fool has critical hit or armor penetration passives, these multiply Assassin's backstab bonus effectiveness—30% base bonus + crit damage could reach 50-60% effective damage increase against back-line targets.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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Front-Line Targeting Habits: 🟢 Assassin's verified mechanic (passes through front, not back) is wasted when shooting at front-line enemies first. The 30% backstab bonus only triggers on hits from behind—targeting front-line tanks yields zero bonus damage and misses the evolution's core value. Always prioritize back-line targets and let Assassin phase through tanks automatically.

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Static Positioning: 🟡 Assassin is described as 'high skill ball that rewards good positioning' (verified: DazePuzzle)—standing still and shooting forward negates backstab opportunities. The 30% damage bonus requires active repositioning to attack from flanks or rear angles. Static play reduces Assassin to base damage, effectively downgrading it from A-tier to C-tier.

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Conflicting Evolution Choices: 🟡 Creating Dark + Shadow (Wraith), Ghost + Freeze (Phantom), or Iron + Poison (Rust) before securing both Assassin components locks you out of Assassin for that run. All three base balls (Dark, Ghost, Iron) have multiple evolution paths—always verify you have BOTH components before committing to alternative evolutions.

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Solo Carry Expectations: 🟡 Assassin specializes in back-line elimination, not front-line clear. Players who expect Assassin to solo carry runs will struggle against tank-heavy waves where few back-line targets exist. Assassin requires complementary AoE evolutions (Blizzard, Sandstorm) to handle front-line masses while Assassin eliminates priority threats.

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Ignoring Formation Reading: 🟡 The backstab mechanic (verified: 30% bonus from behind) requires understanding enemy formations—which enemies are front-line (tanks, warriors) vs back-line (archers, mages, healers). New players who can't identify formation structure waste Assassin's pass-through by randomly targeting instead of systematically eliminating back-line threats first.

Advanced Strategy

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Expert-Level Optimization

⚠️ Advanced strategy combining 🟢 verified mechanics + 🟡 general principles: Assassin's optimal value comes from 'backstab uptime maximization'—the percentage of shots that hit enemies from behind for the 30% damage bonus (verified). Master circular movement: constantly orbit enemy formations clockwise or counter-clockwise, ensuring every shot approaches enemies from rear angles. This maintains near-100% backstab uptime, effectively giving Assassin permanent 1.3x damage multiplier. Advanced positioning: during wave spawns, position behind spawn points so new enemies spawn facing AWAY from you, guaranteeing backstab angles on first shots. Against bosses with adds, let adds spawn and group, then reposition behind the cluster—Assassin's pass-through mechanic (verified) allows one shot to pierce ALL adds if aligned correctly, with each add taking 30% bonus damage. For character builds: prioritize Speed (enables rapid repositioning between shots) and Critical Chance (multiplies backstab bonus effectiveness to 40-50%+ effective damage) over raw Strength. The three-recipe flexibility (Dark + Ghost, Dark + Iron, Ghost + Iron verified) enables mid-run pivots: if you acquire multiple Dark/Ghost/Iron balls from RNG, you can create 2+ Assassins by late game, compounding back-line elimination speed. In waves 15+, Assassin transitions from general damage to 'elite hunter' role—use pass-through to ignore trash mobs entirely, focusing exclusively on elite enemies (summoners, healers, shielders) that multiply enemy threat. The 30% backstab bonus (verified) means high-HP elites die 23% faster (1 / 1.3 = 0.77, or 23% fewer shots needed), drastically reducing time elite abilities stay active. Pair Assassin with on-hit effects (bleed, poison, burn) for multiplicative scaling: 30% bonus damage + DoT means elites take boosted direct damage PLUS amplified DoT ticks. Against final bosses, use Assassin to eliminate adds during boss invulnerability phases—the pass-through mechanic allows you to damage adds even when positioned directly in front of the boss, maintaining DPS uptime throughout all fight phases.