General Play Tips:



Most of these could be applied to any class not just assassins.

• Melee builds will want to have the highest defence they can develope but due to the increased attack rating of monsters you will still get hit and so high resistances as well as high damage reduction (50% is the damage reduction cap in 1.10) will be a big help.
  
• Range builds should not be attacked nearly as often as melee builds so need not be as concerned about their defence level or blocking also high resistance and damage reduction is not as necessary as it is for melee builds but still always a good idea. With range builds more of the powerful attacks thrown at you will be elemental rather than physical so resistance would be more useful than damage reduction.
  
• Of the four elements the two you will want the highest resistances for are fire and lightning, next cold and finally poison. Range builds can avoid most cold and poison attacks if they stay far enough back but melee builds don't have that option but cold and poison attacks are generally not as common as fire and lightning although there are some areas where poison will be rather common.
  
• Always keep some thawing and antidote potions on hand then when you know you'll be coming into cold or poison attacks drink either of them before and during the fight if they drag on. In 1.10 each will give you a +50% resistance boost to either of those two elements, raise your max resistance level for that element by 10% and lasts 30 seconds. It's a good idea to devote at least one row on your belt to these two potions so they are easy to get at. If you use just the one row put thawing potions at the bottom so they are easier to get at should you be frozen and need to get away then put antidote potions at the top, remember what the show belt hot key is and then pop open the belt and drink your antidote potion when you need it.
  
• Pressing shift + belt_hot_key will have your merc drink that potion which will be helpful when you want to keep them alive. Thawing and antidote potions work with merc as well both curing them and boosting their resistances for a time.
  
• As leeching does not work on all monsters try to have some +mana/life after kill items on as well to help keep your life and mana levels up during a fight.
  
• Monsters are a lot more dangerous than they were in 1.09 so melee builds should not let themselves get swarmed or deal with too many at once, use skills, other players and items (like those that Cause Monsters to Flee or have Knock Back) to help control the number of attackers.
  
• Having a high chance to block is good but having less attackers trying to take your head at one time is better.
  
• Don't forget about runes, jewels and even gems as these are all good items to use to enhance your gear.
  
• Don't look only for high level uniques, depending on your needs lower level uniques, set items, rares, crafted or even some standard magic items could be better.
  
• There are a number of very helpful cube recipes such as those to upgrade runes, uniques or rares, putting a standard magic item in with three perfect gems to reroll the magic properties of that item, a magic weapon plus three flawless gems to reroll the magic properties and add 1 or 2 sockets too (only makes lower level magic items though), ones to add sockets to non-magical items and so forth.