When playing 
Shadowstrix, you'll have to choose between two weapon types: Dagger and Dual Blades. Each weapon has its own Skill-related Talents, so you will be stronger when allocating all of them into a single weapon type.
- Dagger: Focuses on stealth and lightning-fast Skills to maneuver the battlefield and catch enemies off guard.
- Dual Blades: High combat mobility and combo damage, reliant on Phantom Shift for mobility.
Best Dagger Skills and Talents
The Dagger allows a unique playstyle by granting Stealth with the innate Skill 
Sneak for an extended period. This synergizes with some of its fastest Skills, allowing the Shadowstrix to execute targets from stealth in an instant. For this purpose, we'll take the Skills 
Flash Stride and 
Shadow Strike. Using both in quick succession is your best bet to deal burst damage and stun enemies in the shadow's path. You'll want to use Shadow Strike as a gap closer first, and then Flash Stride to reposition behind your target, which will guarantee the shadow hits and stuns enemies.
As for Talents, we'll take those that enhance our burst damage:
- Frequency Shift: After exiting Stealth, enter the Shadow Veil state when attacking enemies. (Shadow Veil grants invisibility, but other players can see you when you're nearby).
- Element of Surprise: After exiting Stealth or Shadow Veil, all Dagger backstabs are critical hits.
- Ankle Cut: Enemies hit by Shadow Wheel Slash are slowed.
- All or Nothing: Shadow Wheel Slash deals more Physical Damage and consumes more Energy.
Best Dual Blades Skills and Talents
The Dual Blades lack the Dagger's surprise element, but deal higher damage and offer great combat mobility. We'll maximize the damage potential of the Shadowstrix with the Skills 
Inspiring Impale and 
Spinning Slash, both granting dashes and Physical Damage. You'll want to use these Skills whenever possible, as Spinning Slash is your main damage output and Inspiring Impale regains Energy, which is essential to keep up your high mobility. When using the Dual Blades, you are in control of the battlefield, choosing when to gap close and when to back away. You'll need to react quickly and choose the best moment to engage to get the kill.
The best general use Talents for the Dual Blades are these:
- Aftereffect: After using Spinning Slash, increases Physical Damage for a short time.
- Battle Frenzy: Increases Movement Speed when hitting an enemy.
- Combat Euphoria: When attacking, increases Physical Damage, stacking up to 5 times. At 5 stacks, also grants Physical Piercing.
- Wild Slash: Sword Aura from Bloody Blade Dance recovers Energy when hitting enemies.
Best Affixes
The Shadowstrix benefits most from these affixes:
- Fervor: Increases Physical and Magic Damage after hitting an enemy, stacking up to 5 times. Upon reaching a certain level, increases Penetration when at 3 stacks or higher.
- Valor: Increases Attack. Upon reaching a certain level, also increases Defense Penetration.
- Vitality: Increases Maximum Energy. Upon reaching a certain level, when entering a state of Energy Overdraft, you become immune to that specific instance of Energy Overdraft.
- Strife: Increases Melee Weapon Damage. Upon reaching a certain level, increases Melee Weapon Damage for each nearby enemy.
Crow Storm, 
Flurry Strike, 
Phantom Shift, and 
Bloody Blade Dance support a combat style built around approaching, striking, repositioning, and continuing pressure. With 
Shadow Veill and afterimage-related effects, Shadowstrix can turn mobility and timing into repeated attack opportunities.
