MMORPG.com has a great article profiling the updated assassin class, and I must say I concur with their finishing statement:

It is notoriously one of the roughest classes for PvP or PvE and should not be rolled lightly which is why I will not recommend it for any players completely new to MMOs or to those who are extremely unfamiliar with the AoC combat system. However an assassin in the hands of a skilled player is a force to be feared, to some even hearing a rumor that a deadly assassin is close by will cause them to look over their shoulders constantly while sweating bullets at the slightest hint of someone breaking out of stealth. So if you are looking for a challenging, fast paced and highly respected/feared end game class the tried and true assassin is the way to go.

The assassin is a favorite of mine, I have always enjoyed the sneaky gameplay it offers, but in PvP it just falls a bit too short. Sure, you can have fun with snares and be a nuisance, but if there’s a full fledged battle going on, you’ll find yourself in a nasty spot indeed. Read more