Mission Assassin vs Soldier

[purepowerfit 0]

Im new to the forum but I have been cruising around for a month or two and have had many of my questions answered THANK YOU! Im ready to pull the trigger on some new skates, i have my eye on the mission assasins, but people are also saying that the soldiers are great does anyone have any advice on the difference between these two skates other that $100?

[gxc999 7]

I think I posted a Soldier thread a month or two ago. I have a pair of them and am pleased. As for the differences between the two, I'm under the impression that the Assassin is a little lighter/stiffer, Hyper Saturn 608 with Mission Swiss bearings, and more ankle support...

I honestly think it boils down to weight and money. I weigh a hair under 150, so I'm fine with the Soldiers and they'll last me a long time. If you're over, say 180 lbs, and think you'll be playing a lot, get the Assassins.

[purepowerfit 0]

Thanks, Im about 190lbs and skate about 2-4 times pr week, and I was a little worried about buring out a pair of skates too quick

[stealth87 0]

anyone know the stiffness rating of the assassins???

[gxc999 7]

anyone know the stiffness rating of the assassins???

The Syndicate design feels more like a foot wrap than a traditional super-stiff boot. With that said, it plays fairly stiff and is going to last you a while.

[hockeyplayer778 0]

I tried on all the Syndicate skates and for me, the Assassins were the most comfortable and they are not as stiff as the Boss, but still pretty stiff. I play about 6 times a week and i work on these skates and they are still stiff and still very comfortable. Also get them baked, as Mission added heat moldable material in the Syndicate boots.

Hope this helps!

[opivyattack 0]

anyone know the stiffness rating of the assassins???

The syndicates don't use a stiffness rating. Basically they are pretty stiff but are much better at comforting your foot than the Wickeds were. There are lots of things in the skates to make them easy to break in but remain durable and stiff. You can check out the Mission website and watch Mission TV on the syndicate skates for more if you want. They should be plenty stiff for most people at about 180 lbs as gxc said.

Thanks, Im about 190lbs and skate about 2-4 times pr week, and I was a little worried about buring out a pair of skates too quick

With your size I would definitely recommend the Assassins, at least. You might even want to consider the lieutenants. I know wheels and bearings can be swapped out at any time but if you don't already have swiss bearings you should definitely get these because you will notice a jump in skating from the abec 9 to the swiss. You won't notice a big difference when you go from abec 3 to 5 to 7 to 9 but you will notice a significant difference when jumping to swiss. I would never use abec 9s again.

The stiffer boot will also typically last you longer. When I used to buy skates in the $150-200 range they would break down in just a couple of seasons and I take good care of my stuff. The skates in the next range up have lasted me a lot longer than the cheaper skates. This is an important issue unless you're one of those people who like to buy new skates every year.

[purepowerfit 0]

Thanks for the info, I did end up going with the assassins, and Im going to add my feelings about the mission sizing for 08. I wear a size 10.5 shoe in just about everything, I ended up with the 9.5 missions. I think they need to update the websites because these things dont run true to shoe size. I skated on them for about 45min. They feel much different than my old school bauer skates but I think I will like them. They hurt a little but not too bad if they still hurt after a little while ill try baking them. It is cool that they come with swiss bearings, and thanks for all that bearing info. My issue with bearings is I got some bearings from my brother in law a few years back and he works for united bearing. I told him I wanted the best bearings he had for skating. I dont know if they are swiss, ceramic, or what abec rating but they are nice. They are 100% sealed, you never have to clean them...very cool. So I went from skating on abec 3's to those bearings about 10 years ago and I dont have much to compare them to. At first I am thinking that they are faster and smoother than the swiss that come stock on the assassins. Are the swiss bearings that come with the assassins good? Do they take a while to break in?

[opivyattack 0]

Thanks for the info, I did end up going with the assassins, and Im going to add my feelings about the mission sizing for 08. I wear a size 10.5 shoe in just about everything, I ended up with the 9.5 missions. I think they need to update the websites because these things dont run true to shoe size. I skated on them for about 45min. They feel much different than my old school bauer skates but I think I will like them. They hurt a little but not too bad if they still hurt after a little while ill try baking them. It is cool that they come with swiss bearings, and thanks for all that bearing info. My issue with bearings is I got some bearings from my brother in law a few years back and he works for united bearing. I told him I wanted the best bearings he had for skating. I dont know if they are swiss, ceramic, or what abec rating but they are nice. They are 100% sealed, you never have to clean them...very cool. So I went from skating on abec 3's to those bearings about 10 years ago and I dont have much to compare them to. At first I am thinking that they are faster and smoother than the swiss that come stock on the assassins. Are the swiss bearings that come with the assassins good? Do they take a while to break in?

The sizing is definitely not true to shoe size. That has been an issue for a while now, not just with the 08 line. The 08 line uses the same sizes as 07 and 06. If they hurt then baking will get rid of any of that. Mine are probably the second most comfortable skates I've ever had behind my Tours. The Tours gave me lace bite though which is one of the reasons that I got rid of them and I get none with my Assassins.

The Mission swiss bearings are pretty good. They aren't as good as bones but they aren't bad either. The bearings with removable shields usually last longer because you can clean and lube them. The bearings without removable shields are low maintenance but not typically designed to last as long. The bearings shouldn't take more than 1 session to break in. If you like your old bearings better then stick with those. Bearings are all personal preference anyways as long as you have some that are Swiss rated or better. It sounds like the ones you have are already good enough for you.

What I did when I got my Assassins is use a set of swiss bearings for my indoor skates and I also put a set on my outdoor skates. That's one idea. Another idea is to sell them online and recoup some of the money you spent on the skates. Or you can just hold onto them if you feel like you might need them later on.

I think you made a good choice though and you'll be really happy with your skates just like I am with mine.

[purepowerfit 0]

yeah I obviously want the best performance so im going to give these mission swiss a chance before swithching back to my other bearings, I dont think there is a big enough difference between the two of them to really slow down my skating. Also you talked about the lace bit issue which seems ok right now but I am skipping the top eyelet. Is that ok or do you find it better to lace all the way up with these?

[opivyattack 0]

yeah I obviously want the best performance so im going to give these mission swiss a chance before swithching back to my other bearings, I dont think there is a big enough difference between the two of them to really slow down my skating. Also you talked about the lace bit issue which seems ok right now but I am skipping the top eyelet. Is that ok or do you find it better to lace all the way up with these?

Well the United bearings that you have are probably swiss also. They might be a little better quality than the Missions. Just try the Missions a few more times and if you like the others ones better than use those.

You can lace the skates however you want. I've seen some guys leave the top two unlaced. That's all personal preference and neither is bad for you or the skate. You just gotta go with what you feel most comfortable with. I personally lace mine all the way up but that's just what I like, that doesn't mean its right or wrong.

[trajik78 0]

i tried both on at my LHS, and i think it's worth the extra money for the Assassin. both were quality skates, but the Assassins were a bit stiffer (which i need) and a bit more comfortable, as well as just felt overall better. not to sure about being lighter...didnt notice.

[purepowerfit 0]

So i played my first game on sport court last night and the skates worked great. I was worried about the hyper wheels but for the first time out, they worked just fine. I only noticed a little slipping when pushing off from a stopped position, should I put an even softer wheel up front? Or am I not bending my knees enough?

[opivyattack 0]

So i played my first game on sport court last night and the skates worked great. I was worried about the hyper wheels but for the first time out, they worked just fine. I only noticed a little slipping when pushing off from a stopped position, should I put an even softer wheel up front? Or am I not bending my knees enough?

What wheels were you previously using? You can definitely put softer wheels in the front one or two spots for some extra grip if you want to. That's completely up to you. Personally I don't but that's only because I can't afford any other wheels. It's possible that you aren't bending your knees enough but only you would know the answer to that question. If you didn't feel this on your old wheels and you do on your new wheels then we can probably assume its the wheels.

[purepowerfit 0]

I used to use some kuzak indoor 74a wheels, now these hypers are 76a, so I think I might try putting just 1 softer wheel up front and see if that helps

[ExitTwoEighty 7]

I can tell you that those hyper wheels on the assassins suck. They were worn slanted like I was skating outdoors. I've only had them for 5 skates.

[purepowerfit 0]

what wheels did you replace them with?

[ExitTwoEighty 7]

Rink Rat Hornets.

[stealth87 0]

finally got my assassins today after peoples recomendations on here!! out of the box they definately feel more comfortable then the wickeds had tried on! just gota wait till thu for training..so the long wait begins..

[Zac911 317]

finally got my assassins today after peoples recomendations on here!! out of the box they definately feel more comfortable then the wickeds had tried on! just gota wait till thu for training..so the long wait begins..

good to hear! enjoy!

[stealth87 0]

since ive bin home doin work..ive left the assassins on while ive sat there..and they already feel more comfortable after two 30 min stretches of just wearing them! changing up the laces now for some of my old waxed ones.(the white laces contrast the with the boot much better.. that sounded manly didnt it!)

dont laugh but i managed to give myself "lace burn" on my fingers! pmsl!! o dear!

the lower cuff is definately something new for me, coming from "ko-sloh 5000s".lol.

cant wait to try out the assassins..thursdays only 3 nights away i guess..