Location: From Tharbad n gates - n open oakendoor e open pegs d open moldywall 3s open metaldoor s.

Strategy: MA is not a very strong mob himself, but he calls tons (usually 4-6, but well-known old bug can cause even 10) hero level guards to help him. So don't even try to kill MA in his room: lure him outside!

Good place to catch him is room with rats e from Long, Dark Corridor - Large Echoing Storeroom. Door to this room is not locked by default, but it is pickable, so one in group must have like 70-80% pick (including picks) for fast picking MA inside. Lurer must go to MA, hit him, flee to this room and spam search. Not _flush_: don't hit MA before picking woodendoor because if he will see group attacking him, he will use his flash powder and leave while you stand blind! After he comes (and instantly got revealed) one with good pick must as fast as he can close woodendoor and pick it. Nuke MA, he got like 600-800 hps, so mana of one hero nuker is enough usually. After you finish him, rest full, pick door and quickly leave (or go down for master's treasure) ONLY on full hps (for casters - with fresh armour too), because 10 MA guards can kill you in less than 3 rounds.

Master assassin is also soloable for thief. You just have to kill experienced assassins and brown-skinned men behind greystonewall to the east (doorwardens almost unstabable). Master is quite easy to backstab, after 2 stabs (when he looses hps below wounded) he uses flash powder, flees and runs away. Usually he runs down to sewers (so you have to know all MA area with 10+ secretdoors), swims across catacombs and hides himself at smugglers there. But you can get him out of hide with entering the room without sneak. He attacks and wont hide anymore, then just stab him once more. Btw, in case of his guards were killed he can block himself inside to wait for guards to repop. And also: if you manage to stab him to bad/awful, he walks very slow - thus it's possible to stab him once more even before he reaches catacombs.

Almost same goes for warriors: kill all mobs in MA area (even rats - their hits don't hurt but break tracking), one must rest inside, other go to MA room, open carpet (one-way down - to prevent master from going back), hit him and try flee/go down. Then just hit him to death. Keep him bashed - he have INSANE defence. Same tracking strategy as for thief. Just remember: his nasty guards never go up from under pegs, and never go south from e 2d of e greystonewall.

MA is also solo-able by a legend mage. To do this, store a block, and go lure him to above pegs (make sure oakendoor is unlocked). Standing up from pegs with pegs closed; when you see the pegs open, instantly close and block them. MA should now be blocked inside oakendoor. Since he has very good OB, you will probably need to use stored spells; quakes or fireballs work nicely. It should take around two rounds for him to die; the safest place nearby to regen is inside Shady. Beware when pegs unblock - his guards, if not killed earlier, will now all come, even if he has already died. Also beware that if oakendoor pops (and locks) while you are inside nuking MA, you may be in a lot of trouble. Since this room is portable, it may be a good idea to have a teleport stored while doing this. (Note: I'm actually not sure if the zone, including doors, will repop while anyone is inside. Can anyone confirm this either way? -Belamir)

It is also possible to kill MA in one bash-round, which allows you to loot his small (powder) pouch off his corpse, since he will not get a chance to use it. To do this, you will need a warrior with high OB (to be able to bash MA), and at least 3 staffed, legend nukers. Begin by luring MA into the storeroom d s e of pegs. Have ONE groupmember stand in there, with the door closed, waiting; have the rest of the group stand up from pegs. When MA enters the storeroom, you will see the door open; the person standing inside must immediately go west, close the door, and pick it shut. Now, get the group together and clear ALL of MA's guards. Once they are dead, have the warrior go aggressive, and have someone pick and open the door you have locked MA behind. The warrior should -instantly- go east, solo, and bash MA. Once bashed, the warrior yells for the rest of the group to come, and they nuke MA either with stored spells cast thorough, or quick spells.

Level: Legend mage; Hero buffer/lurer/picker + hero nuker; legend thief with nice link; 2 legend or 3 hero warriors; Max-OB warrior + 3 (or more) legend, staffed mages.

Loads: Slender dagger or eket, upgraded picks, sometimes venom vial, key to joist, small pouch (flash powder) - on Master; small pouch (flash powder), opal, venom lore and 5 gold - in his treasure chamber above joist, in chest.

Mobs unique to the zone:

• The assassin master
• A doorwarden
• A strong bodyguard
• An experienced assassin
• A brown-skinned man