WotLK [Guide] Combat Rogue - The top kek DPS, In depth guide

[Fluffybully]

Hey, thank you for the great guide, it has helped me a lot so far.
I have a question though:

Now that i have ARP capped, EXP capped, 315 hit and 48.2% unbuffed crit, I would like to go down the haste path and start gemming that instead.
I'm not sure if +20 haste gems in any slot are a good choice, or if going for 10agi+10 haste ametrines on yellows is the better option.
What should I do?

Spreadsheets would be your best bet. Am not running haste gems so I can't really tell you what's better :p

[Fluffybully]

Updated a bit.

[Cozzolino]

Ok, I wanna give my 2 cents after my very first Rogue experience in WoW, especially regarding Loarderon and how it works as a server and community.
At this time, Loardaeron raids are greatly buffed through both means of HP boosts and shorter berserker timers, what this means is that successfully raiding for end game gear is a lot harder than it normally would be. With that in mind, I believe there's a consistent part of the late game experience in which you're going to be stuck with not-so-bis items and very little room for improvement without consistent and time consuming investments. While Fluffy guide provides much more than simple gear lists, I believe a lot of people are stuck in this weird position where they can't get to ArmPen cap and are interested in either a minmax build or an alternative such as a soft-cap build. Both builds require accurate tuning, and I want to propose a few not-so-bis sets for Rogues, built around Banner of Victory (BoV) and Needle-Encrusted Scorpion (NES) with reasonably easy to acquire items that will make you at least ToC and 3bICC10 ready.

This first set is a 2t9 designed for pre-ToC raiding. I will specify gemming but not enchants since they've already been mentioned in the guide and there's no better that those. Just remember you're hardly going anywhere without at least the second best enchants you can get for your gear.

Armor

Head: [Mask of Lethal Intent]
Sockets: Meta - Yellow
Bought for 75 Triumph
Gemming: Relentless + Deft/Glinting Ametrine

Shoulders: [Garona's Pauldrons of Conquest]
Sockets: Blue
Bought for 30 Triumph
Gemming: Glinting/Deft Ametrine

Chest: [Knightbane Carapace]
Sockets: Yellow - blue - Red
Crafted
Gemming: Glinting/Deft Ametrine + Nightmare tear + Fractured Cardinal Ruby

Belt: [Belt of the Twilight Assassin]
Bought for 28 Conquest

Legs: [Garona's Legplates of Conquest]
Sockets: Blue - Red
Bought for 50 Triumph
Gemming: 2x Glinting/Deft Ametrine

Feet: [Blighted Leather Footpads]
Dropped by: Lich King in HoR hc

Wrist: [Bracers of Swift Death]
Sockets: Blue
Crafted
Gemming: Fractured Cardinal Ruby

Hands: [Carpal Tunnelers]
Dropped by: Marwyn in HoR nm

Back: [Accursed Crawling Cape]
Dropped by: Devourer of Souls in FoS nm

Amulets

Ring 1: [Band of Stained Souls]
Dropped by: Tyrannus in PoS hc

Ring 2: [Dexterous Brightstone Ring]
Bought with 25 Triumph

Necklace: [Barbed Ymirheim Choker]
Dropped by: Garfrost in PoS hc

Weapons

Main Hand: [Nighttime]
Dropped by: BronJahm in FoS hc

Off Hand: [Liar's Tongue]
Dropped by: Lich King in HoR hc

Trinkets

Trinket 1: [Banner of command]
Dropped by: Confessor Paletress in ToC5

[Needle-Encrusted Scorpion]
Dropped by: Devourer of Souls in FoS hc

Relevant stats

318 Hit rating
132 Exp
716 ArmPen (676 base)

Emblem of Triumph spent: 180
Emblem of Conquest spent: 28

Tips: Except for the two [Fractured Cardinal Ruby] you need to hit the soft cap, there is no reason not to put Rare gems in this set instead of spending the extra money for Epic gems. Glinting and Deft Ametrine are extremely powerful choices for a Soft Cap build, being able to activate the sockets for most of the gear you're gonna be using. Both offer similar DPS but the best idea is to use a mix of both since Haste and Hit balance off each other. Don't **** up the gemming! When you're playing soft cap, you wanna track your Trinket procs to sync your DPS CDs with the highest number of procs available. This usually happens at the very beginning of the encounter when both your Trinkets can potentially proc. I consider the Needle proc as higher value over Banner or Zerg procs, yet if I'm seeing a Banner + Zerg proc I will definitely consider blowing my cds, especially if I can spank my target for a good 10 seconds safely. Zerg + Zerg generates less value than Banner alone but if that's the best you got, blow it. Always try to use and abuse your CDs in conjunction with your procs, but if you've been waiting for a proc for a good 20 seconds after you have your CDs back, then you should just blow them with your first trinket proc and, hopefully, the added Haste will make a Zerg proc. Track the ICDs of your trinkets. Remember that KS is pretty good with your Procs but it doesn't get anything from Blade Flurry on single target nor from the Haste of Eng Gloves enchant, you should squeeze it in the last 2 seconds of your procs.


I'll be making upgraded sets in the near future.

[Fluffybully]

Gona add it as soon as possible.
Thankiev

Edit: Updated.

[lqt1]

I didnt read all pages but I have a question regarding ICC bosses, for example if I feint sindragosa's blistering, does it make a difference if im min range or max range melee? And most of all can I tank the blistering with feint on heroic mode, 10 and 25? Yesterday on a 10manHC i feinted but got 40k'd oneshotted so Idk if I was too close or what, but well I need some confirms about how it works.
I already tried unsucesfully to CoS sindragosa sky bombs and blistering, to discover it doesnt do anything (which IMHO it should protect you but whatever), so I died like a mongo several times. Also can i tank vile spirits with cloak of shadows? And can I vanish defile or the rumours I heard are wrong? I need some explanations, I dont think the raid wants to wipe because im "testing spells lol". Thanks

[Fluffybully]

I didnt read all pages but I have a question regarding ICC bosses, for example if I feint sindragosa's blistering, does it make a difference if im min range or max range melee? And most of all can I tank the blistering with feint on heroic mode, 10 and 25? Yesterday on a 10manHC i feinted but got 40k'd oneshotted so Idk if I was too close or what, but well I need some confirms about how it works.
I already tried unsucesfully to CoS sindragosa sky bombs and blistering, to discover it doesnt do anything (which IMHO it should protect you but whatever), so I died like a mongo several times. Also can i tank vile spirits with cloak of shadows? And can I vanish defile or the rumours I heard are wrong? I need some explanations, I dont think the raid wants to wipe because im "testing spells lol". Thanks

Range doesn't matter. U feint 1-2 sec before Sindy finishes casting blistering cold. CoS and vile spirits no, feint yes. The defile part if you want to get whooped by the ban hammer then yes.

[lqt1]

Range doesn't matter. U feint 1-2 sec before Sindy finishes casting blistering cold. CoS and vile spirits no, feint yes. The defile part if you want to get whooped by the ban hammer then yes.

Thanks for the infos! I didn't know about the vanish>banhammer, you saved me before it was too late :)

[McKb11011]

While still under 50% crit unbuffed, is it smart to use 1 mongoose 1 berserking?

[lostnfound]

i think you almost go 2xberserkings if combat
maybe with lower gear you can do some funky stuff with mongoose but in general check Armory for best rogues out there and you will see 98% 2xberserkings

for assassination (multilate pew pew) i dont know

[Fluffybully]

While still under 50% crit unbuffed, is it smart to use 1 mongoose 1 berserking?

You either go double zerk or double goose. 1/1 is terribad xd. But if ya got **** ton of hit and kinda low crit, sure you may go goose.

[ocrutnick]

@Fluffybully Are you sure, that going for arp soft-cap is always right choice for low level gear?
Let's have a hypothetical scenario, where you have access only to gear from uldu and to(g)c. I tried to make 2 BiS lists for that scenario, and here are the results from the Adriana's spreadsheets:
- AP gemming, trinkets: DC(hc), DC(normal), 289 ArP - Estimated DPS: 10850,7
- ARP gemming, trinkets: DC(hc), Mjolnir Runestone, 661 ArP (w/o trinket proc) - Estimated DPS: 10758,2.

Isn't it better to wait with ArP gemming untill you have more gear from ICC and at least DBW?

[Fluffybully]

@Fluffybully Are you sure, that going for arp soft-cap is always right choice for low level gear?
Let's have a hypothetical scenario, where you have access only to gear from uldu and to(g)c. I tried to make 2 BiS lists for that scenario, and here are the results from the Adriana's spreadsheets:
- AP gemming, trinkets: DC(hc), DC(normal), 289 ArP - Estimated DPS: 10850,7
- ARP gemming, trinkets: DC(hc), Mjolnir Runestone, 661 ArP (w/o trinket proc) - Estimated DPS: 10758,2.

Isn't it better to wait with ArP gemming untill you have more gear from ICC and at least DBW?

Include the trinket proc. Ulduar and Toc gear only then going for Combat is ehh. It worked in ulduar patch nao it does not.

The ARP gemming part depends on your current stats.

But in short yeah imo it's the best way. The damage spike you get with the trinket proc is very noticeable. However cheezing around taking your example with double DC can work as well :p

[Fluffybully]

Update:
Fixed dem links kinda c: ...

[McKb11011]

"Blade Flurry will now activate from absorbed damage as well
Poisons can now proc from non-damaging melee abilities"

what will this mean for our dps? Blade Flurry will now activate from absorbed dammage?? Non damaging abilities, like activating haste gloves or bf or feintt or cos?

[Eirikz]

Hi, have been reading through all the posts, but none has addressed my question. Was going to complement you on this guide, but because of

Pls no praising, I really dislike it.

I'll pass.

I've just leveled up a rogue and was considering donating for either HC DBW or STS and was wondering which is better? I guess I could eventually get the normal DBW through ICC pugs, but that'll be so far in the future I'm not that bothered anyways.

PS. No, both are not an option :')