Looking for a Ninja Spy build

[Deamon81]

With Update 61.1 there are some changes on the Ninja Spy.
I tried a build in the past but it was not the best.

I was thinking about a DROW Elf as base class and go via DEX and Weapon Finess
I was also thinking about cross classing with Rog so he can also do some Traps.

So Starting with Lvl 1 as Rog and then Monk only
I was also thinking maye to go via Haper Agent and focus on INT and not via DEX.

Maybe someone got already a nice build he like to share?

 

[Tilomere]

nerfed in u66

 

[Svirfneblin]

I saw two people lately playing short sword monk ninja builds and I’m curious if anyone has a good build as such to share with the community .

I am intrigued

And ninjas are cool.

 

[Deamon81]

@Svirfneblin I tried it but I didn´t get a good build. Also my requierment was short sword.
My first try was a Drow -> DEX Monkey which is working ok but its no real build

 

[saekee]

With Update 61.1 there are some changes on the Ninja Spy.
I tried a build in the past but it was not the best.

I was thinking about a DROW Elf as base class and go via DEX and Weapon Finess
I was also thinking about cross classing with Rog so he can also do some Traps.

So Starting with Lvl 1 as Rog and then Monk only
I was also thinking maye to go via Haper Agent and focus on INT and not via DEX.

Maybe someone got already a nice build he like to share?

If you do not want to go ranged like Tilomere’s suggestion then you will be using swords. You do not need weapon finesse since ninja spy gets it in the cores.

You need to choose between short swords and their poor crit profile or long swords and knight’s training. Long swords will require a number of feats BUT if you are planning for this toon at cap, GMoF can give you Whirling Steel Strike without pre-reqs. You still need to take Knight’s Training—in this case just use shortswords while leveling.

Splits—you want the +1 crit multiplier from 18 monk and that also gets you quivering palm. You could do 6 fighter for its core and get the multiplier there as well as more feats etc and a better tier 5; up to you; then you lose quivering palm.

I would go pure. It has been some time since I played a ninja. Unless ranged they are still sub par.

 

[Fisto Mk I]

Unless ranged they are still sub par.

Exactly. Non-shuri NS just non-viable. Build Shuri-monk and enjoy! 8)

 

[Svirfneblin]

I do have the Salazar ninja star which looks pretty cool but I also have a stash of envenomed blades which I can upgrade to epic and legendary to lean into the poison aspect of the ninja and stick with the shortsword theme. Just trying to figure out what other trees I should spend points into since ninja doesn’t have a whole lot that is special with short swords or Melee power or raw attack damage, like Kensei.

With all the sneak dice available in the ninja tree I may have to build up my deception and improved deception and make use of those sneak dice.

Longswords is a sharp idea too, I do have the Blackrazors and gems and schisms to upgrade to Soul Razor. Hmmmm….at least there are options if you get my point…

 

[saekee]

Many weaponized builds are now using Attuned Dino weapons so you want the best crit profile and base damage. Long swords with Knight’s Training are solid; you will get to 16-20/4 with full ninja spy buffs. The other option is to go Kukri and take Vistani capstone; there you will have a lot of great buffs to the weapons and 15-20/3 profile. You can take the capstone also and still use the longswords but it will be harder to buff them with only 39 points remaining. Maybe drop most in ninja spy including Core 18; take a level in FvS or cleric for the trance and maybe one more level like warlock for arcane warrior if you can fit it. Not recommending this route but an option
Otherwise younwoukd take AP in shintao for offhand strikes and PRR—8 or so—sink a bunch in henshin for melee power and some bonus imbues; you need 8 for a trance like KtA or 12 at least for the better dex one from Horizon walker. There is falconry tree too to consider if you want to go wisdom; then you have a trance, boosts to assassinate etc so good combo too—and high wisdom would sinc with jade strike for example.

So a lot of options.

Up to your playstyle if you are committed to a melee ninja.

edit: only decent short sword I can see is the Broken Blade of Constellation. The rest are flavor.

 

[Deamon81]

I started over my Ninja Spy build and the Long Sword thing sounds good (Race will be Elf as high dex and Longsword)

So Feats I need are "Weapon Focus Slashing" and "Whirling Steel Strike" and if possible "Knights Training"
Then I´m also thinking on "two weapon fighting" so I can use two Long Swords for damage
Base Attribute stays Dexterity as its to hit and damage
Lets see how it goes and what else can be done

 

[saekee]

yes full TWF line; once you get Whirling Steel Strike you can use the longswords and the first two cores will give you dex hit and damage (that is not native to lonswords; you need the enhancements).

It eats up a lot of feats. Definitely take Knight’s training or the whole longsword thing is kind of pointless.

Use a pair of Nightforged blades from 9-19, Oathblades for epic ERs.

If you were not elf, you would have been stuck taking proficiency: longsword which would have been too costly.

 

[Aerendil]

I used to LOVE Ninja. Straight monk, or ninja/assassin; both were awesome. That was a long time ago, though.
Since then I've tried to make Ninja work, and even with the recent fixes to the tree, it still falls flat for the most part.

Sadly, Tilo's example of shuri-cannon is probably the most functional Ninja Spy build these days, even though every fiber of my being hates it.

I've tried a shortsword build, but struggle to make it work. It becomes "ok" once you get envenomed blades, but even then it's far from ideal. You think you're doing ok, and then you run a mission with an alpha build that just leaves you in their wake.
Longsword is similar, but a bit better. Damage is noticeably better but still not "omg" levels of destruction.

I'm currently trying out a SWF dagger/kukri build using 41 Ninja (for full cores) / Vistani (30+), as mentioned above, and seems to be the best dps for melee Ninja so far. Not quite into epics with it yet, though, so we'll see how it does with epic destinies and an eMG or Agony. We'll see.