[3.1] Zizaran’s Ethereal Knives (EK) Nova Shadow (Assassin)

Ideally, look for armour helmet with 40% increased Ethereal Knives Damage enchant, some life and resistances.

Belly is great defensive option for the build providing tons of life.

These gloves allow us to convert physical damage to cold.

Voidwalker is great option for the build offensively and defensively.

Important:

For this build to function smoothly, you should have “0.4% of damage leeched as life and mana if you’ve killed recently” enchantment. Getting these exact boots with this exact enchantment can be challenging so you can explore other options such as rare boots with this enchantment.

Of course, you can always apply Warlord’s Mark for mana leech, but having this enchantment helps a ton.

Zizaran used this ring to reduce reflected elemental damage taken but it’s unclear how reflect will function from 3.1.

Alternatively, ideal ring would be Opal Ring with life, resistances and cast speed but that can cost a lot.

Ideally look for Diamond Ring with life, resistances and cast speed.

Great amulet to boost your earnings would be well-rolled Bisco’s Collar but with 3.1 it is even rarer.

Great options would be Karui Charge or rare amulet base with attributes you need paired with global critical strike multiplier and global critical strike chance.

Ideally look for leather belt with at least 80-90 life and as much resistances as you can find.

Good idea would be to find belt that you can craft increased movement speed on.

Cheapest option would be to look for dagger with increased spell damage, as high critical strike with spells as you can find and craft attack speed on it using master.

Look for shield with as much life as you can find.

Good mods on shield are spell damage and cast speed if you want to go for more damage.

This threshold jewel allows us to shoot EK projectiles in nova and is core unique item for the build.

This jewel allows us to steal 1 mod for 20 seconds from each rare monster we kill which means some good random buffs.

It can only be socketed in 2 jewel slots for this build and they are located between Mind Drinker and Blood Drinker on passive tree and between Survivalist and Fervour nodes.

On rare jewels look for following stats:

1.) Increased maximum life
2.) Increased spell damage
3.) Increased cast speed
4.) Increased projectile damage
5.) Increased crit chance / multiplier
6.) Any attributes or resistances if you’re missing

Flask setup for the build:

1.) Instant recovery Divine life flask with freeze removal
2.) Surgeon’s Silver flask with bleed removal
3.) Atziri’s Promise
4.) Taste of Hate (If you can afford it)
5.) Surgeon’s Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline
6.) You can also swap Atziri’s Promise or Taste of Hate for mana flask if you haven’t got enchantment on the boots