Assassin


 * See also: Assassin!

Assassin is a Skaven melee hero unit in Total War: Warhammer II. What cannot be solved with poisons and subterfuge from afar, is dealt with up close with twin blades of death. He is classified as a Melee Specialist Hero type.

Description
Skaven Assassins are the pinnacle of Clan Eshin warriors, elite killers in a class of their own. The few who know of the existence of the black-clad Assassins fear them above all others. Rumours of their cut-throat abilities are whispered in fear: the Clan Eshin devils are invisible and their very shadows are poisonous. The art of sabotage, arson, and poison all form part of an Assassin's deadly bag of tricks. Many Assassins-in-training are lost as the regimen is gruelling. The final tests are death missions assigned by Clan Eshin's ruling council, presided over by Lord Sneek, the leader of the clan and one of the Lords of Decay. After surviving such actions, an Assassin is considered an acknowledged master in the methodology of murder.

Attributes
↑ Dodge: This highly dexterous unit dodges blades and missiles with ease; its luck is known to run out quickly when facing magical weapons, however. ↑ Duellist: This unit is best used to attack individual targets such as Lords or Heroes. As it can only damage very few individuals at a time, it is not suitable against hordes of weak enemies. ↑ Stalk ↑ Vanguard Deployment

Embed Hero

 * Replenish Troops

Constant Local Effects

 * Spread Public Order
 * Discover Under-Cities

Target

 * Settlement: Assault Garrison
 * Hero: Assassinate
 * Army: Assault Units

Battle Traits and Abilities

 * Physical Resistance: 30%
 * Resilience
 * Encourage
 * Vanguard Deployment
 * Strider
 * Stalk
 * Scurry Away!

Can get:
 * Slippery
 * Venomous Blades (poison attack)
 * Concealment Bombs
 * Assassin's Trophy

Strategy
Assassins are fast, sneaky, and deadly to enemy lords and heroes. The Assassin should never be sent directly into combat with enemy units. Instead, it should prowl the edges of the battlefield, looking for vulnerable lords and heroes to pick off. The Assassin can deal with most spellcaster lords and heroes on its own, however, it shouldn't attack melee-focused lords and heroes, as it has low melee defense. It is wise to pair the Assassin with a unit of Death Runners, as the Death Runners soften up the Assassin's target with their armor sundering attacks. During Siege battles, the Assassin can easily sneak under the noses of the enemy's towers and prowl inside the fort. In some situations, the Assassin and a unit of Death Runners or other sneaky infantry can capture the enemy victory point on their own.

Alternatively, the Assassin is also a very capable saboteur on the campaign map. Apart from his obviously useful ability to assassinate Heroes before a large battle, he can also deal heavy casualties to an enemy army by way of his assault units ability, poisoning their food supplies and luring them into traps. If multiple Assassins are assembled, their combined sabotage efforts can cripple an army before it even gets to the battlefield.