Enshrouded Poison Dagger Assassin Build — 1.0
52 points · 19 nodes · Melee burst / mobility · updated 2026-10-19 · data sources
Open this build in the planner →Loads the exact 52-point allocation; edit it there and copy your own link.
TL;DR
The new-look assassin: dagger skills now live in the ranger area's assassin cluster, and the new Venomous Blades → Venom Mastery line finally gives daggers a poison payoff. You open from stealth with Sneak Attack, stack Backstab Mastery and Fatal Precision crits from behind, and Expose Weakness melts what doesn't die to the opener. High skill, high burst, endlessly mobile.
Skills in this build
52 points across 19 nodes on the live 1.0 tree, every path verified against the node graph. Click a skill to locate it in the planner.
| Skill | Area | Ranks | Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexterity | Ranger | 1/1 | 1 | +1 DEX entry pip from the core Spark |
| Airborne | Ranger | 3/3 | 3 | Cheap damage ranks on the route in |
| Endurance | Ranger | 1/1 | 1 | +1 END — bridges into the assassin cluster |
| Dexterity | Ranger | 1/1 | 1 | +1 DEX, connects Backstab Mastery and Dagger Specialization |
| Backstab Mastery | Ranger | 3/3 | 3 | +30% damage from behind — the opener's engine |
| Sneak Attack | Ranger | 1/1 | 3 | Unlocks the stealth opener |
| Cutthroat | Ranger | 3/3 | 3 | Deepens the assassination payoff |
| Silent Stride | Ranger | 3/3 | 3 | Quieter movement — re-stealth between pulls |
| Dagger Specialization | Ranger | 1/1 | 3 | Unlocks dagger Special Ability [R] |
| Quick Reflex Block | Ranger | 1/1 | 3 | A panic answer when the opener fails |
| Veiled Vigor | Ranger | 3/3 | 3 | Max health scaling off Dexterity |
| Endurance | Ranger | 1/1 | 1 | +1 END, connects the venom line |
| Venomous Blades | Ranger | 1/1 | 2 | New-for-1.0 — poison on your blades |
| Venom Mastery | Ranger | 1/1 | 3 | New-for-1.0 — deepens the poison investment |
| Expose Weakness | Ranger | 1/1 | 4 | Poisoned targets take extra damage — the payoff window |
| Dagger Mastery | Ranger | 3/3 | 3 | Flat dagger damage, unlocks Expose Weakness |
| Slice And Dice | Ranger | 1/1 | 3 | +50% next bow attack after a dagger crit — swap finisher |
| Fatal Precision | Ranger | 3/3 | 3 | Crit chance + crit damage in one node |
| Thrust | Ranger | 3/3 | 6 | Melee thrust damage on the same line |
Attribute points: Dexterity 2 · Endurance 2
Stat priority
- Dexterity — +5% bow and dagger damage per point, the cluster's main stat
- Critical chance — Fatal Precision and Cutthroat multiply the opener
- Endurance — daggers are stamina-hungry; you dodge more than you block
- Poison stacking — the new 1.0 venom line rewards sustained uptime on bosses
Recommended weapons
Grounded in verified 1.0 changes (armor set conversions, gem buffs) rather than datamined damage tables — our weapons database is still being verified.
| Slot | Early | Mid | Endgame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Any crafted dagger from the tier-1 sets | Revelwood-tier dagger with a poison or critical perk | Nomad Highlands-tier dagger upgraded at the crafting survivor; a Gem of Toxic Reaction (massively buffed in 1.0) stacks with your venom line |
Venomous Blades and Venom Mastery are new 1.0 nodes on the live tree; specific named BiS daggers ship with the weapons database (in progress).
Recommended armor
- Light dexterity-scaled sets — you survive by not being hit
- Craftable ranger-line gear after the 1.0 armor rework (one set per tier, official changelog)
Food & consumables
- Stamina food first — dodge-rolls and dagger flurries drain the bar
- Fill every slot before Shroud dives; the extra Dessert Stomach slot is one branch over if you want it
Gear progression
Early (levels 1–15)
Dexterity pips → Backstab Mastery → Sneak Attack. The stealth opener works from the moment it's bought.
Mid (levels 15–30)
Dagger Specialization, Fatal Precision ranks, Veiled Vigor for HP. Add the venom line as soon as Endurance-6 is reachable.
BiS (levels 30–50)
Venom Mastery, Expose Weakness, Cutthroat 3, Toxic Reaction gem. Route to Double Jump in the core for mobility.
Playstyle
Pick your entrance: Silent Stride in, Sneak Attack the priority target, then stay glued to its back — Backstab Mastery and Fatal Precision do the work while Venomous Blades stacks poison. Expose Weakness marks the execute window for your Special Ability. Against packs, open on the biggest threat and let poison ticks clean up as you reposition; the bow swap (Slice and Dice bonus) finishes runners. If a fight turns, Quick Reflex Block buys one mistake — use it to leave, not to trade.
Strengths & weaknesses
Strengths
- Devastating openers on elites and bosses — Sneak Attack into backstab crits
- 1.0's venom line gave daggers a real damage-over-time payoff
- Most mobile melee build on the tree — Silent Stride and the core Double Jump are neighbors
Weaknesses
- Punishing when the opener fails — you're in melee range in light armor
- Poison needs uptime; burst windows between dodges must be clean
- Weakest of the melee builds into heavy AoE ground effects
Synergies & counters
- Pairs with a healer or tank who holds aggro while you work the back
- Strategic Maneuver (new in 1.0, one node into the warrior side) dodges behind locked targets if you want it later
What counters this build
Swarming packs and heavy ground effects punish standing in melee — poison needs uptime you can't always get. Ranged kiters force the bow swap, where you're a worse ranger.
Level-by-level skill order
Suggested unlock order for the 52-point target — follow it roughly; the exact pace depends on how many Shroud Roots and Elixir Wells you've found (they fund the same pool of points).
| # | Skill | Ranks | Points so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dexterity | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Airborne | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Endurance | 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Dexterity | 1 | 6 |
| 5 | Backstab Mastery | 3 | 9 |
| 6 | Sneak Attack | 1 | 12 |
| 7 | Cutthroat | 3 | 15 |
| 8 | Silent Stride | 3 | 18 |
| 9 | Dagger Specialization | 1 | 21 |
| 10 | Quick Reflex Block | 1 | 24 |
| 11 | Veiled Vigor | 3 | 27 |
| 12 | Endurance | 1 | 28 |
| 13 | Venomous Blades | 1 | 30 |
| 14 | Venom Mastery | 1 | 33 |
| 15 | Expose Weakness | 1 | 37 |
| 16 | Dagger Mastery | 3 | 40 |
| 17 | Slice And Dice | 1 | 43 |
| 18 | Fatal Precision | 3 | 46 |
| 19 | Thrust | 3 | 52 |
Recommended gems
- Gem of Toxic Reaction — buffed hard in 1.0 and it stacks with your venom nodes
- Critical-strike gems on the dagger once crit nodes are maxed
When NOT to pick this build
- You want a forgiving first character — take the two-handed barbarian instead
- Your party needs frontline or healing more than burst
- You fight mostly in cramped interiors where repositioning behind targets is hard
FAQ
Are daggers good in Enshrouded 1.0?
Yes — 1.0 moved the dagger skills into the ranger area's assassin cluster (official changelog) and added the new Venomous Blades and Venom Mastery poison nodes. With Sneak Attack, Backstab Mastery and Fatal Precision on the same cluster, daggers have a complete crit-plus-poison kit on the live tree.
Where did the dagger skills move in 1.0?
Into the assassin cluster of the ranger area — Dagger Mastery, Dagger Specialization, Cutthroat and Backstab Mastery all sit there on the 1.0 tree (marked ↗ moved in our change list). The warrior area is now pure melee damage and tanking.
Is poison worth the points?
The venom line is three nodes (Venomous Blades, Venom Mastery, Expose Weakness) that turn sustained uptime into damage-over-time and a damage-amplify window. On bosses with long health bars it pays for itself; on trash that dies in two swings, spend the points on crit instead.
More builds
Other Ranger-area builds
- Crit Bow Ranger — A pure bow build that stacks critical chance (Sniper, Fatal Precision) on top of Marksman's flat ranged damage and Skill Shot's weak-point bonus.
All Enshrouded 1.0 builds
- Fire Battlemage (S-tier, ranged burst / area damage)
- Summoner Necromancer (A-tier, summon / sustained damage)
- Two-Handed Barbarian (S-tier, melee damage / frontline)
- Radiant Healer (Co-op Support) (B-tier, healing / group support)
- One-Handed Warden (Tank) (A-tier, tank / frontline anchor)
- Frost Control Mage (A-tier, crowd control / sustained damage)
Rather theorycraft your own? Open the planner — or check what 1.0 changed in the Ranger area first.