The player's time at Hogwarts in Hogwarts Legacy will be fraught with conflict, and they will inevitably cross wands with the Ashwinders, a fierce gang of Dark Wizards with mysterious yet nefarious goals. The Ashwinder Faction serves as one of three main antagonistic groups in Hogwarts Legacy, and each enemy type in this faction poses different levels and kinds of threats. Ashwinder Assassins are a particularly deadly part of this violent group, and players would do well to learn their weaknesses.
While most enemies in Hogwarts Legacy can be defeated with just a few spells, using the wide repertoire of magic the player learns throughout the game can make things much easier. This may not be necessary for weaker enemies, but when it comes to large groups of foes that include tougher ones like the Ashwinder Assassins, it helps to know which spells to use.
What Are Ashwinder Assassins?
Ashwinder Assassins are powerful members of the Ashwinder faction. These Dark Wizards can be easily identified by their bold, purple robes, face mask, and, in combat, their ability to summon the undead Inferi. The Wizard's Field Guide refers to Ashwinder Assassins as "some of the most evil witches alive" due to their having spent years creating an undead army to do their bidding.
How to Break Ashwinder Assassin Shields
Ashwinder Assassins have Purple Shields, meaning players will need to use a Force spell in order to break through their shield and deal damage. Accio, Depulso, Descendo, and Flipendo will all do the trick, and once their shield is dispelled, they are defenseless against any type of spell, including damaging spells like Diffindo or Bombarda.
Ashwinder Assassin Attacks
The Ashwinder Assassin only has two attacks, but they are both rather deadly. The most common spell Ashwinder Assassins will use is the Reductor Curse, an unblockable attack that will deal heavy damage and send the player flying.
Using Hogwarts Legacy's Dodge roll or taking cover is the only way to avoid this attack, so players should be ready to roll when the Ashwinder Assassin starts charging up. Aside from this, Ashwinder Assassins can also summon three Inferi.
How to Fight Inferius
The Ashwinder Assassin's undead minions pose a special challenge to players since they can't be damaged at all unless they are lit on fire first. Use either Incendio or Confringo to set them aflame before attacking with Basic Casts or other damaging spells like Diffindo. They also have a standard attack and an unblockable lunge attack, so players will need to pay close attention to when they should use Protego and when they should block.
If the player kills the three Inferi, the Ashwinder Assassin will simply summon more, but defeating the Ashwinder Assassin will cause all her minions to die.
Ashwinder Assassin Weaknesses
Though it's easy to get overwhelmed by the Ashwinder Assassin's powerful Reductor Curse and endless supply of Inferi, they do have some weaknesses that are worth noting. For example, while the witch is charging up her Reductor Curse, hitting the Ashwinder Assassin with Depulso will cause her to lose balance and hit an ally instead. As a Force Spell, it will also break her shield, leaving her open to further attacks. What's more, her Inferius summoning can actually be interrupted as well. Hit her with a spell like Accio or Flipendo as soon as she points her wand to the ground, and she won't be able to summon reinforcements.
Of course, Ashwinder Assassins are not boss enemies, and they can be taken out by more efficient means such as Ancient Magic. It may be wise to spend Ancient Magic charges on these foes first, so they don't get a chance to summon any help. They also are susceptible to Petricficus Totalus, taking them out instantly if the player manages to sneak up on them.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. PS4 and Xbox One ports are scheduled to release on April 4; the Nintendo Switch version is arriving on July 25, 2023.