Roguecraft 101
1. Introduction
This post is currently up-to-date for patch 2.3.2.
This post is intended as a consolidated resource on rogue theorycraft with a heavy slant towards practical application in raiding. The overwhelming majority of the information contained herein relates to PvE, although I'm sure some of it may be useful in PvP. There is a rogue PvP thread located here: [Rogue] PVP Stat Standards/advice.
Please feel free to make suggestions for section changes/reorganization/content/whatever you want. Note that it's possible I've made errors in this post, or perhaps that the state of the rogue class changes over time. The remainder of this thread is available for the purpose of discussing such things. Please use it, that other rogue megathreads might be reduced in clutter somewhat.
Contents
Acknowledgements
The following individuals have contributed to the creation of this resource. Thanks for your help!
Aldriana
Aquasheep
Hanos
Nite_Moogle
Olgas
Oscarvil
Shaker
sp00n
Tryss
Vitaminc
Abbreviations
In order to reduce any confusion, here is a list of abbreviations commonly used either in this post or in general by rogues:
CP - combo point
IP - Instant Poison
DP - Deadly Poison
DPE - damage per energy
SnD - Slice and Dice
T4 2pc - 2-piece tier 4 (Netherblade) set bonus
1s/5r - represents the combo point cycle of 1 CP, Slice and Dice, 5 CP, Rupture
Xs/5e - represents the general class of cycles where you gain some number of CP (X), Slice and Dice, 5 CP, Eviscerate
2. Aldriana's 7 Commandments of Rogue DPS
The first step to success as a raiding rogue is to adhere to the 7 commandments of rogue DPS. Following these guidelines is by far the most important step to improving your DPS, and if you do not follow them, then nothing in the rest of this post will help you.
3. Weapon Selection and Talent Builds
On main hand theory: in general, any considerations about weapon stats are subordinate to the fact of limited itemization. The selection of weapons provided supports a strategy of picking the highest DPS weapon of "slow" speed (1.7-1.9 for daggers, 2.6-2.8 for fists/maces/swords). Note: there are exceptions (e.g. [Talon of Azshara] > [Merciless Gladiator's Slicer]).
On offhand theory: for rogues with Combat Potency, a fast offhand is extremely important to increase the frequency of Combat Potency procs. For these builds, you can compare offhands by equating each 0.1 increment of speed to roughly 10 extra weapon DPS in favor of the faster weapon. For example, [Latro's Shifting Sword] is effectively 91.8 DPS when compared against [Fireguard]. Note that the stats on a weapon are still very important; for example, [Tracker's Blade] is superior to [Searing Sunblade] due to its stat allocation.
For non-Combat Potency rogues, offhand weapon speed is less important, but can still impact DPS via poison procs and sword spec procs. For any rogue with sword spec, each 0.1 increment of speed can be equated to roughly 5 extra weapon DPS in favor of the faster weapon. For rogues without sword spec, you can convert each 0.1 increment to 2 extra weapon DPS for the faster weapon. For combat Mutilate builds, offhand speed is nearly immaterial. This article points out that fast offhands suffer a very slight decrease in Mutilate damage relative to slow ones, most likely offsetting the increase in poison DPS.
On spec choice: in general, the maximum possible DPS can be achieved using swords. The current top personal DPS specs are combat swords and combat fist+sword. Combat mace+sword, combat fists, and combat daggers lag about 1-2% behind these builds in total DPS, with combat maces being about 3% back. Given the scarcity of weapons at most gear levels, it safe to "let your weapons choose your spec" -- that is, decide your spec based on whatever drops for you.
Hemo-based specs such as Hemo+swords (also called trispec Hemo) and Hemo+Deadliness have gained some popularity in recent months due to the damage debuff caused by the ability. Though most Hemo builds lag at least 5-6% behind combat builds in personal DPS, the raid DPS provided by the debuff often makes up a significant part of the deficit. Note that by or during tier 6 content, your personal DPS loss from being specced Hemo likely eclipses the raid DPS benefit of the debuff. With Hemo, you may again let your weapons choose your spec: sword-users should spec Hemo+swords, while those with other weapons should choose Hemo+Deadliness. Hemo specs involving Shadowstep, Cheat Death, Seal Fate, or Combat Potency are provably inferior to the two aforementioned specs, and should be avoided.
Note that we do not currently have a mathematical model for Mutilate DPS as accurate as those for other specs. Empirical evidence suggests that Mutilate DPS is inferior to combat swords, but still reasonably competitive, possibly on par with Hemo-based specs.
On talents: for PvE builds, the two most important talents in any tree are Relentless Strikes and Dual Wield Specialization (which therefore mandates Precision). For any combat build, mandatory talents are Improved Slice and Dice, Blade Flurry, Weapon Expertise, Aggression, Adrenaline Rush, Combat Potency, and Surprise Attacks, as well as an appropriate weapon specialization. Combat dagger specs additionally require Improved Backstab and Opportunity, while Sinister Strike builds require Improved Sinister Strike.
Hemo builds have a large number of optional talents, with mandatory talents being Serrated Blades and Hemorrhage. For Hemo+sword builds, note that one point of Sword Specialization and one point of Weapon Expertise are each superior to one point of Dirty Deeds for sustained DPS. For Hemo+Deadliness builds, Blade Flurry is superior to the fifth point in Deadliness.
Combat Mutilate builds also have a number of optional talents, with Cold Blood, Seal Fate, Vigor, Find Weakness, and Mutilate being required. Nearly all PvE-focused builds should carry the same initial point spread in Assassination: Malice, Ruthlessness, Murder, and Relentless Strikes. If there are still available points, spend them in Lethality, then Vile Poisons.
Sample builds:
Here are sample builds for each typical rogue raid spec. Keep in mind when looking at these which talents are required and which ones are up to taste.
Combat swords (or any Sinister Strike-based weapon spec) - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Combat fist+sword (or any dual weapon spec) - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Combat daggers - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Hemo+swords - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Hemo+Deadliness - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Combat Mutilate - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
4. Regarding the Hit and Expertise Caps
In the context of stats, the term "cap" refers to the point at which equipping more of a particular stat will have no additional value. For hit rating and expertise rating in particular, the cap usually discussed is for the effect of these stats on raid bosses. For example, once you reach or surpass the hit cap, you will never miss an attack against a raid boss unless you are under the effect of some debuff that reduces your hit chance (for example, Attumen the Huntsman's curse). There is no "minimum" chance to miss melee attacks, nor to be dodged or parried.
Your base chance to miss a raid boss while dual wielding is 28% with auto-attack on both hands. Your base chance to miss a special attack is 9%. For each 15.77 hit rating you equip, you reduce your chance to miss by 1%. Thus we can calculate hit caps for auto-attack and special attacks:
Auto-attack, 0/5 Precision: 442
Auto-attack, 5/5 Precision: 363
Special, 0/5 Precision: 142
Special, 5/5 Precision: 64
Your base chance to be dodged by a raid boss with any attack is thought to be 6.5%. For each 3.94 expertise rating you equip, you gain 1 expertise, reducing your chance to be dodged by 0.25% (thus it takes exactly 15.77 expertise rating to reduce your chance to be dodged by 1%). Thus, we can calculate expertise caps for various combinations of talents and racial abilities:
0/2 Weapon Expertise, non-Human: 103
1/2 Weapon Expertise, non-Human: 83
2/2 Weapon Expertise, non-Human: 64
0/2 Weapon Expertise, Human (wielding swords or maces): 83
1/2 Weapon Expertise, Human: 64
2/2 Weapon Expertise, Human: 44
The hit and expertise caps are NOT magic numbers that every rogue [or any rogue] must reach. Whether you're in T4 or T6, there are NO MAGIC NUMBERS for how much hit or expertise rating you "should" have. There is no special benefit to being capped with either stat, nor is there any special benefit to reaching an arbitrary threshold. The purpose of listing the caps here is so that you do not accidentally overshoot either cap by equipping too much hit rating or expertise rating. Always remember that any hit rating or expertise rating beyond the cap will have zero positive effect on your DPS.
5. Gear Selection
In this section, rather than listing comparisons between every piece of gear a rogue could conceivably obtain, I will describe a general-purpose system for comparing pieces of gear against one another. To compare two pieces, you can give each stat a "weight" proportional to its DPS contribution relative to other stats. Let's call this weight Equivalence Points (EP). We'll define 1 AP = 1 EP; that is, 1 attack power is worth exactly 1 Equivalence Point. Now we can use a spreadsheet to determine how much DPS a single point of any stat provides relative to a single point of attack power, and convert those directly into EP values.
To utilize the EP weights, simply take a piece of gear and multiply each stat bonus on that piece by the EP weight for that stat. In case of gem sockets, figure out how you would gem the piece in actual use (instructions for gemming are given in the following section), and multiply the stats provided by each gem by their respective EP weights. Any stat provided that does not have direct DPS value (e.g. stamina, dodge rating, resilience) can be valued at 0 EP. Examples of using the EP weights are provided below.
Note that all EP weights assume the following set of buffs: Leader of the Pack, 5/5 Mark of the Wild, Faerie Fire, Mangle, 5/5 Hunter's Mark, 0/5 Blessing of Might, Blessing of Kings, 2/2 Power Word: Fortitude, Bloodlust, 2/2 Strength of Earth Totem, 2/2 Windfury Totem, Unleashed Rage, Curse of Recklessness, Sunder Armor, 5/5 Battle Shout, Flask of Relentless Assault, Spicy Hot Talbuk. If you raid with more or fewer buffs, consult a spreadsheet to obtain more accurate EP weights.
Tier 4: the following is a table of EP values for sword (16/41+4), dagger (15/41/5), Hemo+sword (11/28/22), and Hemo+Deadliness (11/21/29) builds, assuming a projected tier 4 level of gear (heroics, Karazhan, Gruul, Magtheridon, pre-2.3 badge rewards).
Tier 5: the following is a table of EP values for the same builds, assuming a projected tier 5 level of gear (Zul'Aman through first two timed chests, Serpentshrine Cavern, Tempest Keep, 2.3 badge rewards):
Tier 6: the following is a table of EP values for the same builds, assuming a projected tier 6 level of gear (Zul'Aman third timed chest, Hyjal Summit, Black Temple).
Example comparison: here's an example of using the T5 EP weights for a combat swords build to compare [Shoulderpads of the Stranger] to [Shoulderpads of Dancing Blades]:
Shoulderpads of the Stranger
303 Armor ---> 0 EP
+33 Agility ---> 33 * 2.15 = 70.95 EP
+28 Stamina ---> 0 EP
[ ] Red: +4 Agi / +4 Hit ---> 4 * 2.15 + 4 * 2.32 = 17.88 EP
Socket Bonus: +2 Agility ---> 2 * 2.15 = 4.30 EP
Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 16. ---> 16 * 1.67 = 26.72 EP
Equip: Increases your expertise rating by 10. ---> 10 * 2.74 = 27.40 EP
Equip: Increases attack power by 60. ---> 60 EP
Total: 70.95 + 17.88 + 4.30 + 26.72 + 27.40 + 60 = 207.25 EP
Shoulderpads of Dancing Blades
303 Armor ---> 0 EP
+33 Agility ---> 33 * 2.15 = 70.95 EP
+39 Stamina ---> 0 EP
Equip: Improves hit rating by 16. ---> 16 * 2.32 = 37.12 EP
Equip: Increases attack power by 68. ---> 68 EP
Total: 70.95 + 37.12 + 68 = 176.07 EP
These two items make a good comparison for two reasons. First, with a difference as large as 30 EP, you can reasonably confident that the [Shoulderpads of the Stranger] are better for just about any combat sword rogue than the [Shoulderpads of Dancing Blades]. However, they also illustrate one potential flaw -- expertise rating comes in increments of 1, but expertise itself only increases in increments of 0.25% (~3.94 expertise rating). For example, if you have 0 expertise rating, [Shoulderpads of the Stranger] by themselves will only increase your expertise to 2, and [Grips of Deftness] by themselves will only increase your expertise to 3. However, equipping both items together will increase your expertise to 6. Keep this effect in mind when using EP weights for expertise.
On stat weight scaling: each stat's EP value will tend to scale with your gear, talents, and raid buffs. Sinister Calling will increase the EP value of agility by about 15%, while Blessing of Kings will increase the EP values of agility and strength by 10%. Deadliness will increase the DPS contribution of strength, agility, and attack power, which will have the effect of reducing the EP values of any other stats. On-hit procs such as Windfury, Mongoose, Combat Potency, and [Dragonspine Trophy] will all increase the values of hit and expertise ratings, while [Relentless Earthstorm Diamond] and Mace Specialization will both increase the value of crit rating. All of the EP weights given above are examples based on a theoretical raid composition and gear/talent setup; for the most exact valuation of stats, you should always consult a spreadsheet.
On trinkets: [Dragonspine Trophy] is the best trinket in the game for combat rogues, currently. [Ashtongue Talisman of Lethality], [Madness of the Betrayer], and [Warp-Spring Coil] (which becomes powerful particularly at T6 level) are on the next tier down, then [Tsunami Talisman] and [Berserker's Call]. [Romulo's Poison Vial] is good if you have plenty of room under the hit cap. [Bloodlust Brooch], [Darkmoon Card: Crusade], [Abacus of Violent Odds], [Hourglass of the Unraveller], and [Icon of Unyielding Courage] are all good pre-raiding options. As with main hand weapons, because of scarcity it's often safe to choose trinkets on a policy of "whatever drops first."
6. Gem Selection
On meta gems: you want a headpiece with a meta gem socket. Use [Relentless Earthstorm Diamond] in that socket. [Thundering Skyfire Diamond] is inferior due to a ~40 second cooldown, 6 second duration, and low proc rate, but it is the second-best option for the socket. [Swift Skyfire Diamond] is nowhere near as good as either of these, and should be avoided.
On combat gem selection: only gem for socket bonuses that provide offensive stats (hit/crit rating, agility, AP), and only if they are achievable using solely red and yellow gems. If you are socketing for a bonus, always use [Rigid Dawnstone] in yellow sockets and [Glinting Noble Topaz] in red sockets, unless you are nearing the hit cap, in which case use [Glinting Noble Topaz] in yellow sockets and [Delicate Living Ruby] in red sockets.
Pay attention to your meta gem socket requirement of 2 blue gems. Only use [Shifting Nightseye] to fulfill the requirement, and only as many as necessary. If you are not socketing for a bonus, always use [Rigid Dawnstone] or [Glinting Noble Topaz], switching to [Delicate Living Ruby] if you reach the hit cap.
On Hemo gem selection: for Hemo+sword builds, gem very much the same as you would for combat. For Hemo+Deadliness, prefer [Delicate Living Ruby] for red sockets (or for all sockets, if not gemming for a bonus) and [Glinting Noble Topaz] for yellow sockets. [Shifting Nightseye] should still be the gem of choice for satisfying the 2 blue gem requirement of RED or TSD. Only if you know for certain you will never be getting Blessing of Kings, [Bright Living Ruby] and [Balanced Nightseye] are appropriate gems for a Hemo+Deadliness build.
On Mutilate gem selection: Mutilate builds should prefer [Delicate Living Ruby] for red sockets (or for all sockets, if not gemming for a bonus) and [Glinting Noble Topaz] for yellow sockets. Use [Shifting Nightseye] to satisfy meta gem requirements.
On unique gems: several unique-equip gems are available from heroics, jewelcrafting, and PvP which may be used in place of any of the gems mentioned above. The following gems may be obtained and used in any socket where a rare ("blue" quality) gem of the same color would normally be placed. Any gem not listed below is inferior and should be avoided. Note that any of the gems listed as Heroic drops will no longer be unique-equip in patch 2.4, and therefore will be able to be farmed for all available sockets.
On Hyjal/BT gemming: [Crimson Spinel] will be in heavy demand by just about every caster class, leaving [Rigid Lionseye] and [Glinting Pyrestone] as your primary options (with [Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst] for meta gem requirements). Continue following the above guidelines for gemming using these gems. Note that [Rigid Lionseye] will require your jewelcrafter to be revered with Scale of the Sands, and therefore may not be available for some time after your guild begins T6 content.
On incorrect gemming: regardless of spec, the following gems are strictly inferior to available alternatives and should not be used by any rogue: [Bold Living Ruby], [Wicked Noble Topaz], [Smooth Dawnstone], [Jagged Talasite].
7. Combo Point Cycles
"Combo point cycle" refers to the algorithm used by a rogue to determine what finishers to use, and in what order, during sustained combat (e.g. against a raid boss). A combo point cycle revolves around keeping Slice and Dice active as close to 100% of the time as possible while also keeping Rupture active as much as possible. Eviscerate should only be used if the target is close to death, if the target is bleed-immune, or if you already have Slice and Dice and Rupture up with plenty of time left. See the Mechanics section for more about Eviscerate.
Combo point cycles are usually expressed in the format "1s/5r" or "3s/5s/5e" (for example). Each number-letter pair indicates a finisher to be used at a certain number of CP. An 's' represents Slice and Dice, an 'r' represents Rupture, and an 'e' represents Eviscerate. Thus, 1s/5r represents a cycle where you gain 1 CP, use Slice and Dice, gain 5 CP, use Rupture, and then repeat; and 3s/5s/5e represents a cycle where you gain 3 CP, use Slice and Dice, gain 5 CP, use Slice and Dice again, gain 5 CP, use Eviscerate, and then repeat. For maximum performance, do not deviate from the cycle unless you are forced to stop attacking the target.
On combat cycles: combat builds using swords, fists, maces, or any combination thereof will generally use a 4s/5r cycle, unless the rogue has T4 2pc, in which case he should use 1s/5r. If the target is immune to bleed effects, use 5s/5e (or 2s/5e, if you have T4 2pc). Combat dagger builds should use a 3s/5s/5r cycle, unless the rogue has T4 2pc, in which case he should use 1s/3r. If the target is immune to bleed effects, use 3s/5s/5e (or 1s/3e, if you have T4 2pc).
On Hemo cycles: Hemo builds should use a 5s/5r cycle, unless the rogue has T4 2pc, in which case he should use 2s/5r. Substitute Eviscerate in place of Rupture if the target is immune to bleed effects.
On Mutilate cycles: Mutilate doesn't use a fixed cycle because its CP generation can vary widely. Rather, a Mutilate build uses a general policy of "3+" or "4+", performing finishers after a certain minimum number of CP (either 3 or 4) have been accumulated. Finishers used are SnD, Rupture, and Eviscerate/Envenom, in order of priority (note: see the Mechanics section regarding Envenom). Be sure to balance finisher usage to get the most value out of Find Weakness procs.
On movement and on-the-fly cycles: in many fights, rogues will be required to run in and out of melee range with the boss, or will be prevented at times from entering melee range to continue their cycle. Depending on the length of time you'll be out of melee range, there are many ways to handle these situations. If the interruption will only be brief (less than 10 seconds between leaving melee range and reentering it), your energy bar should be able to absorb the delay and you can continue your cycle when you get back into melee range as if nothing had happened. Otherwise, you should either burn your CP immediately on a Rupture (or Eviscerate, in the case of a bleed-immune target) or save them for a Slice and Dice when you next enter melee. In some fights, it is impossible to predict how often you will be interrupted or for how long. In these situations, your best bet is to get Slice and Dice up immediately upon starting melee and keep it up at all costs, only Rupturing if you have extra combo points to burn.
8. Buffs and Enchants
On raid buffs: the standard raid group for a rogue is typically feral druid + DPS warrior + enhance shaman + rogue + rogue (or something similar). The biggest party-based DPS buffs for a combat build are Battle Shout (5/5 improved), Unleashed Rage, Grace of Air/Windfury (see further below), Leader of the Pack, in that order. If your raid is short on paladins, Salvation > Might > Kings. If your raid doesn't have an enhancement shaman, a resto shaman in the group dropping totems is the next best thing (Unleashed Rage is a big loss, but Windfury Totem and Grace of Air Totem provide nearly their full benefit even if the shaman doesn't have the talents for them).
On self-buffs: [Flask of Relentless Assault] is the best DPS option for your elixir slots; however, [Elixir of Major Agility] is very close behind. In general, choose the flask for progression and the elixir for farm content. Your best food option is [Spicy Hot Talbuk] if you're combat or Hemo+swords, [Warp Burger] otherwise. [Haste Potion] are extremely powerful if used on cooldown, but save your potion timer if you know you'll be taking a lot of damage. If you're a leatherworker, [Drums of Battle] > [Drums of War].
On poisons and Windfury: for PvE, always choose DP on the offhand. If you are in a group with a shaman and you're combat, you'll get more DPS from Windfury as opposed to Grace of Air + IP. However, the difference is not as dramatic as it is for, say, a DPS warrior. If your group contains a DPS warrior, Windfury Totem will usually be dropped. Otherwise, if less than half the group is rogues, Grace of Air Totem will probably be dropped and you should use IP on the MH. Always check with your shaman if you're unsure what will be dropped. For Mutilate, Grace of Air Totem might be preferable, but Windfury Totem is still quite powerful. Note that dual DP is a waste for all builds except Mutilate, and only if you use Envenom. For all builds, [Adamantite Sharpening Stone] are inferior unless the target is immune to poisons.
On weapon enchants: Mongoose is currently considered the only viable weapon enchant for rogues. 20 agility is inferior, even on the offhand. Executioner was once thought to out-scale Mongoose as a main hand enchant towards the end of T6 content, when the rogue obtained a decent amount of passive armor penetration. However, this observation was based on a bugged model. The circumstances under which Executioner does out-scale Mongoose are now thought to be so restrictive as to rule out use of the enchant for PvE purposes.
On other enchants: [Greater Inscription of Vengeance] (Aldor) is very slightly better than [Greater Inscription of the Blade] (Scryer). 15 agility to gloves is superior to 26 attack power. If you aren't using [Swift Skyfire Diamond] in your helmet, then a solid case can be made for getting Cat's Swiftness to boots instead of Dexterity (you lose 6 agility, but gain 8% run speed -- see this post by Aldriana for a more detailed look at boot enchants). If you are an enchanter, Stats should be your ring enchant of choice, unless you are daggers, in which case Striking will come out very slightly ahead. Always make sure you have [Glyph of Ferocity] on your helm, 12 agility on your cloak, 6 stats on your chest, 24 attack power on your bracers, and [Nethercobra Leg Armor] (or [Cobrahide Leg Armor] if you're poor) on your legs.
9. Mechanics
On haste: haste effects provide extra attacks per time unit equal to their magnitude; so Slice and Dice provides 30% extra attacks over its duration compared to without it. Percentage-based haste effects are multiplicative; however, rating-based haste effects (e.g. [Dragonspine Trophy]) are all added together into a total haste rating before being converted (at a rate of 15.77 rating to 1%) into a single percentage-based haste. Thus, separate percentage-based hastes increase one another's effects, while separate rating-based hastes do not do the same. As a result, coordinating rating-based hastes (e.g. trying to time a Haste Potion and Abacus of Violent Odds simultaneously with a Dragonspine Trophy proc and Dragonstrike proc) will not have any special effects. However, coordinating percentage-based hastes (e.g. hitting Blade Flurry together with Bloodlust) will increase your benefits.
On cooldown usage: because of the way different stats scale with one another, it is generally preferable to use DPS-increasing cooldowns simultaneously rather than one at a time. This post and this post demonstrate the increased effect possible by simultaneously triggering cooldowns, especially haste-based effects. In general, you should use cooldowns as they become available. However, in some cases of cooldowns with staggered timers (e.g. Blade Flurry and Troll Berserking), it may be best, when the longer cooldown becomes available, to delay it slightly until the shorter one also becomes available. See this post for more detail.
On Eviscerate: at nearly all reachable levels of gear, Rupture will be superior to Eviscerate on any target that isn't immune to bleeds. At 5 CP, Rupture deals 1000 damage plus 24% of your AP for 25 energy, or 40 damage plus 0.96% of your AP per energy. At 5 CP and with T5 2pc, Eviscerate deals 1245 damage plus 15% of your AP for 35 energy, or roughly 35.57 damage plus 0.43% of your AP per energy. Applying 3/3 Improved Eviscerate and 3/3 Aggression (121% modifier), 40% crit and RED (142.4% modifier), and 30% armor reduction (assuming a typical debuffed raid boss), Eviscerate comes to 42.90 damage plus 0.52% of your AP per energy. Thus, Eviscerate holds an advantage of 2.90 base damage per energy, but Rupture gains an additional 0.44% of your AP. At this rate, it takes only 656 AP for Rupture to overcome Eviscerate's base advantage. Simply, in any situation where you can Rupture, you should Rupture.
On Shiv: Shiv cannot be dodged or parried, and like other offhand attacks, it can proc Combat Potency. Even so, its damage per energy will be inferior to Sinister Strike or Backstab almost regardless of stats, largely due to the offhand damage penalty and the lack of any static damage boost built into the ability. This post and this addendum contain some sample calculations of Shiv DPE. Shiv spam with DP offhand and Envenom is inferior to Rupture-based cycles in most raid/group situations (see this post).
On Envenom: Envenom damage is not mitigated by armor, and can be boosted by Stormstrike, Misery (shadow priest debuff), and Vile Poisons. However, in all but the most favorable circumstances (for example, extremely high crit, T5 2pc, RED, 5/5 Vile, Stormstrike and Misery both up), Envenom's DPE will be inferior to Rupture. The more apt comparison to make is Envenom versus Eviscerate. At 5 CP and untalented (talents can boost both abilities by roughly the same: Envenom by 20%, Eviscerate by 21%), Envenom 2 deals 900 base damage plus 15% of AP, while Eviscerate deals 1045 damage plus 15% of AP. However, Eviscerate damage is mitigated by armor, which is typically roughly 30% damage reduction by a raid boss. Thus, Envenom is, at base, slightly better straight-up DPE than Eviscerate. However, Envenom results in the loss of your entire DP stack, resulting in a drop of roughly 45 DPS (before Vile Poisons) for as long as it takes to get the full stack up again. A Mutilate build running dual DP can get enough DPS out of Envenom and DP to make it worthwhile to use. However, for other builds, if you must choose between Eviscerate and Envenom, choose Eviscerate.
10. Miscellaneous Links
Rogue Gear Spreadsheet
[Rogue] DPS Spreadsheet
- Vulajin
This post is currently up-to-date for patch 2.3.2.
This post is intended as a consolidated resource on rogue theorycraft with a heavy slant towards practical application in raiding. The overwhelming majority of the information contained herein relates to PvE, although I'm sure some of it may be useful in PvP. There is a rogue PvP thread located here: [Rogue] PVP Stat Standards/advice.
Please feel free to make suggestions for section changes/reorganization/content/whatever you want. Note that it's possible I've made errors in this post, or perhaps that the state of the rogue class changes over time. The remainder of this thread is available for the purpose of discussing such things. Please use it, that other rogue megathreads might be reduced in clutter somewhat.
Contents
- Introduction
- Aldriana's 7 Commandments of Rogue DPS
- Weapon Selection and Talent Builds
- Regarding the Hit and Expertise Caps
- Gear Selection
- Gem Selection
- Combo Point Cycles
- Buffs and Enchants
- Mechanics
- Miscellaneous Links
Acknowledgements
The following individuals have contributed to the creation of this resource. Thanks for your help!
Aldriana
Aquasheep
Hanos
Nite_Moogle
Olgas
Oscarvil
Shaker
sp00n
Tryss
Vitaminc
Abbreviations
In order to reduce any confusion, here is a list of abbreviations commonly used either in this post or in general by rogues:
CP - combo point
IP - Instant Poison
DP - Deadly Poison
DPE - damage per energy
SnD - Slice and Dice
T4 2pc - 2-piece tier 4 (Netherblade) set bonus
1s/5r - represents the combo point cycle of 1 CP, Slice and Dice, 5 CP, Rupture
Xs/5e - represents the general class of cycles where you gain some number of CP (X), Slice and Dice, 5 CP, Eviscerate
2. Aldriana's 7 Commandments of Rogue DPS
The first step to success as a raiding rogue is to adhere to the 7 commandments of rogue DPS. Following these guidelines is by far the most important step to improving your DPS, and if you do not follow them, then nothing in the rest of this post will help you.
- Don't die.
- Don't do anything that risks wiping the raid.
- Maximize your time on target.
- Don't let your energy cap out.
- Don't let SnD drop.
- Use one of the spreadsheets to figure out your best cycle; this will usually be the highest rupture uptime cycle that doesn't violate rule 4 or 5.
- Use your cooldowns.
3. Weapon Selection and Talent Builds
On main hand theory: in general, any considerations about weapon stats are subordinate to the fact of limited itemization. The selection of weapons provided supports a strategy of picking the highest DPS weapon of "slow" speed (1.7-1.9 for daggers, 2.6-2.8 for fists/maces/swords). Note: there are exceptions (e.g. [Talon of Azshara] > [Merciless Gladiator's Slicer]).
On offhand theory: for rogues with Combat Potency, a fast offhand is extremely important to increase the frequency of Combat Potency procs. For these builds, you can compare offhands by equating each 0.1 increment of speed to roughly 10 extra weapon DPS in favor of the faster weapon. For example, [Latro's Shifting Sword] is effectively 91.8 DPS when compared against [Fireguard]. Note that the stats on a weapon are still very important; for example, [Tracker's Blade] is superior to [Searing Sunblade] due to its stat allocation.
For non-Combat Potency rogues, offhand weapon speed is less important, but can still impact DPS via poison procs and sword spec procs. For any rogue with sword spec, each 0.1 increment of speed can be equated to roughly 5 extra weapon DPS in favor of the faster weapon. For rogues without sword spec, you can convert each 0.1 increment to 2 extra weapon DPS for the faster weapon. For combat Mutilate builds, offhand speed is nearly immaterial. This article points out that fast offhands suffer a very slight decrease in Mutilate damage relative to slow ones, most likely offsetting the increase in poison DPS.
On spec choice: in general, the maximum possible DPS can be achieved using swords. The current top personal DPS specs are combat swords and combat fist+sword. Combat mace+sword, combat fists, and combat daggers lag about 1-2% behind these builds in total DPS, with combat maces being about 3% back. Given the scarcity of weapons at most gear levels, it safe to "let your weapons choose your spec" -- that is, decide your spec based on whatever drops for you.
Hemo-based specs such as Hemo+swords (also called trispec Hemo) and Hemo+Deadliness have gained some popularity in recent months due to the damage debuff caused by the ability. Though most Hemo builds lag at least 5-6% behind combat builds in personal DPS, the raid DPS provided by the debuff often makes up a significant part of the deficit. Note that by or during tier 6 content, your personal DPS loss from being specced Hemo likely eclipses the raid DPS benefit of the debuff. With Hemo, you may again let your weapons choose your spec: sword-users should spec Hemo+swords, while those with other weapons should choose Hemo+Deadliness. Hemo specs involving Shadowstep, Cheat Death, Seal Fate, or Combat Potency are provably inferior to the two aforementioned specs, and should be avoided.
Note that we do not currently have a mathematical model for Mutilate DPS as accurate as those for other specs. Empirical evidence suggests that Mutilate DPS is inferior to combat swords, but still reasonably competitive, possibly on par with Hemo-based specs.
On talents: for PvE builds, the two most important talents in any tree are Relentless Strikes and Dual Wield Specialization (which therefore mandates Precision). For any combat build, mandatory talents are Improved Slice and Dice, Blade Flurry, Weapon Expertise, Aggression, Adrenaline Rush, Combat Potency, and Surprise Attacks, as well as an appropriate weapon specialization. Combat dagger specs additionally require Improved Backstab and Opportunity, while Sinister Strike builds require Improved Sinister Strike.
Hemo builds have a large number of optional talents, with mandatory talents being Serrated Blades and Hemorrhage. For Hemo+sword builds, note that one point of Sword Specialization and one point of Weapon Expertise are each superior to one point of Dirty Deeds for sustained DPS. For Hemo+Deadliness builds, Blade Flurry is superior to the fifth point in Deadliness.
Combat Mutilate builds also have a number of optional talents, with Cold Blood, Seal Fate, Vigor, Find Weakness, and Mutilate being required. Nearly all PvE-focused builds should carry the same initial point spread in Assassination: Malice, Ruthlessness, Murder, and Relentless Strikes. If there are still available points, spend them in Lethality, then Vile Poisons.
Sample builds:
Here are sample builds for each typical rogue raid spec. Keep in mind when looking at these which talents are required and which ones are up to taste.
Combat swords (or any Sinister Strike-based weapon spec) - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Combat fist+sword (or any dual weapon spec) - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Combat daggers - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Hemo+swords - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Hemo+Deadliness - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
Combat Mutilate - Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft
4. Regarding the Hit and Expertise Caps
In the context of stats, the term "cap" refers to the point at which equipping more of a particular stat will have no additional value. For hit rating and expertise rating in particular, the cap usually discussed is for the effect of these stats on raid bosses. For example, once you reach or surpass the hit cap, you will never miss an attack against a raid boss unless you are under the effect of some debuff that reduces your hit chance (for example, Attumen the Huntsman's curse). There is no "minimum" chance to miss melee attacks, nor to be dodged or parried.
Your base chance to miss a raid boss while dual wielding is 28% with auto-attack on both hands. Your base chance to miss a special attack is 9%. For each 15.77 hit rating you equip, you reduce your chance to miss by 1%. Thus we can calculate hit caps for auto-attack and special attacks:
Auto-attack, 0/5 Precision: 442
Auto-attack, 5/5 Precision: 363
Special, 0/5 Precision: 142
Special, 5/5 Precision: 64
Your base chance to be dodged by a raid boss with any attack is thought to be 6.5%. For each 3.94 expertise rating you equip, you gain 1 expertise, reducing your chance to be dodged by 0.25% (thus it takes exactly 15.77 expertise rating to reduce your chance to be dodged by 1%). Thus, we can calculate expertise caps for various combinations of talents and racial abilities:
0/2 Weapon Expertise, non-Human: 103
1/2 Weapon Expertise, non-Human: 83
2/2 Weapon Expertise, non-Human: 64
0/2 Weapon Expertise, Human (wielding swords or maces): 83
1/2 Weapon Expertise, Human: 64
2/2 Weapon Expertise, Human: 44
The hit and expertise caps are NOT magic numbers that every rogue [or any rogue] must reach. Whether you're in T4 or T6, there are NO MAGIC NUMBERS for how much hit or expertise rating you "should" have. There is no special benefit to being capped with either stat, nor is there any special benefit to reaching an arbitrary threshold. The purpose of listing the caps here is so that you do not accidentally overshoot either cap by equipping too much hit rating or expertise rating. Always remember that any hit rating or expertise rating beyond the cap will have zero positive effect on your DPS.
5. Gear Selection
In this section, rather than listing comparisons between every piece of gear a rogue could conceivably obtain, I will describe a general-purpose system for comparing pieces of gear against one another. To compare two pieces, you can give each stat a "weight" proportional to its DPS contribution relative to other stats. Let's call this weight Equivalence Points (EP). We'll define 1 AP = 1 EP; that is, 1 attack power is worth exactly 1 Equivalence Point. Now we can use a spreadsheet to determine how much DPS a single point of any stat provides relative to a single point of attack power, and convert those directly into EP values.
To utilize the EP weights, simply take a piece of gear and multiply each stat bonus on that piece by the EP weight for that stat. In case of gem sockets, figure out how you would gem the piece in actual use (instructions for gemming are given in the following section), and multiply the stats provided by each gem by their respective EP weights. Any stat provided that does not have direct DPS value (e.g. stamina, dodge rating, resilience) can be valued at 0 EP. Examples of using the EP weights are provided below.
Note that all EP weights assume the following set of buffs: Leader of the Pack, 5/5 Mark of the Wild, Faerie Fire, Mangle, 5/5 Hunter's Mark, 0/5 Blessing of Might, Blessing of Kings, 2/2 Power Word: Fortitude, Bloodlust, 2/2 Strength of Earth Totem, 2/2 Windfury Totem, Unleashed Rage, Curse of Recklessness, Sunder Armor, 5/5 Battle Shout, Flask of Relentless Assault, Spicy Hot Talbuk. If you raid with more or fewer buffs, consult a spreadsheet to obtain more accurate EP weights.
Tier 4: the following is a table of EP values for sword (16/41+4), dagger (15/41/5), Hemo+sword (11/28/22), and Hemo+Deadliness (11/21/29) builds, assuming a projected tier 4 level of gear (heroics, Karazhan, Gruul, Magtheridon, pre-2.3 badge rewards).
Tier 4 EP | 16/41+4 | 15/41/5 | 11/28/22 | 11/21/29
Strength | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00
Agility | 2.19 | 2.06 | 1.97 | 1.96
Atk. Power | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00
Hit Rating | 2.27 | 2.08 | 2.09 | 1.91
Crit Rating | 1.57 | 1.50 | 1.43 | 1.41
Exp. Rating | 2.54 | 2.37 | 2.43 | 2.25
Haste Rating | 1.94 | 1.97 | 1.79 | 1.73
Armor Pen. | 0.30 | 0.33 | 0.30 | 0.29
Meta Gem | 79.64 | 101.48 | 74.49 | 73.35
Tier 5 EP | 16/41+4 | 15/41/5 | 11/28/22 | 11/21/29
Strength | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00
Agility | 2.15 | 2.09 | 2.01 | 2.00
Atk. Power | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00
Hit Rating | 2.32 | 2.20 | 2.19 | 2.00
Crit Rating | 1.64 | 1.56 | 1.51 | 1.49
Exp. Rating* | 2.61 | 2.55 | 2.55 | 2.35
Haste Rating | 1.95 | 2.03 | 1.85 | 1.78
Armor Pen. | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 0.32
Meta Gem | 93.88 | 115.14 | 88.23 | 87.10
Tier 6 EP | 16/41+4 | 15/41/5 | 11/28/22 | 11/21/29
Strength | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00
Agility | 2.16 | 2.10 | 2.04 | 2.02
Atk. Power | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00
Hit Rating | 2.40 | 2.22 | 2.21 | 2.00
Crit Rating | 1.67 | 1.58 | 1.54 | 1.52
Exp. Rating* | 2.74 | 2.59 | 2.59 | 2.46
Haste Rating | 2.16 | 2.20 | 2.00 | 1.93
Armor Pen. | 0.38 | 0.40 | 0.38 | 0.37
Meta Gem | 99.94 | 121.26 | 94.12 | 92.81
Shoulderpads of the Stranger
303 Armor ---> 0 EP
+33 Agility ---> 33 * 2.15 = 70.95 EP
+28 Stamina ---> 0 EP
[ ] Red: +4 Agi / +4 Hit ---> 4 * 2.15 + 4 * 2.32 = 17.88 EP
Socket Bonus: +2 Agility ---> 2 * 2.15 = 4.30 EP
Equip: Improves critical strike rating by 16. ---> 16 * 1.67 = 26.72 EP
Equip: Increases your expertise rating by 10. ---> 10 * 2.74 = 27.40 EP
Equip: Increases attack power by 60. ---> 60 EP
Total: 70.95 + 17.88 + 4.30 + 26.72 + 27.40 + 60 = 207.25 EP
Shoulderpads of Dancing Blades
303 Armor ---> 0 EP
+33 Agility ---> 33 * 2.15 = 70.95 EP
+39 Stamina ---> 0 EP
Equip: Improves hit rating by 16. ---> 16 * 2.32 = 37.12 EP
Equip: Increases attack power by 68. ---> 68 EP
Total: 70.95 + 37.12 + 68 = 176.07 EP
These two items make a good comparison for two reasons. First, with a difference as large as 30 EP, you can reasonably confident that the [Shoulderpads of the Stranger] are better for just about any combat sword rogue than the [Shoulderpads of Dancing Blades]. However, they also illustrate one potential flaw -- expertise rating comes in increments of 1, but expertise itself only increases in increments of 0.25% (~3.94 expertise rating). For example, if you have 0 expertise rating, [Shoulderpads of the Stranger] by themselves will only increase your expertise to 2, and [Grips of Deftness] by themselves will only increase your expertise to 3. However, equipping both items together will increase your expertise to 6. Keep this effect in mind when using EP weights for expertise.
On stat weight scaling: each stat's EP value will tend to scale with your gear, talents, and raid buffs. Sinister Calling will increase the EP value of agility by about 15%, while Blessing of Kings will increase the EP values of agility and strength by 10%. Deadliness will increase the DPS contribution of strength, agility, and attack power, which will have the effect of reducing the EP values of any other stats. On-hit procs such as Windfury, Mongoose, Combat Potency, and [Dragonspine Trophy] will all increase the values of hit and expertise ratings, while [Relentless Earthstorm Diamond] and Mace Specialization will both increase the value of crit rating. All of the EP weights given above are examples based on a theoretical raid composition and gear/talent setup; for the most exact valuation of stats, you should always consult a spreadsheet.
On trinkets: [Dragonspine Trophy] is the best trinket in the game for combat rogues, currently. [Ashtongue Talisman of Lethality], [Madness of the Betrayer], and [Warp-Spring Coil] (which becomes powerful particularly at T6 level) are on the next tier down, then [Tsunami Talisman] and [Berserker's Call]. [Romulo's Poison Vial] is good if you have plenty of room under the hit cap. [Bloodlust Brooch], [Darkmoon Card: Crusade], [Abacus of Violent Odds], [Hourglass of the Unraveller], and [Icon of Unyielding Courage] are all good pre-raiding options. As with main hand weapons, because of scarcity it's often safe to choose trinkets on a policy of "whatever drops first."
6. Gem Selection
On meta gems: you want a headpiece with a meta gem socket. Use [Relentless Earthstorm Diamond] in that socket. [Thundering Skyfire Diamond] is inferior due to a ~40 second cooldown, 6 second duration, and low proc rate, but it is the second-best option for the socket. [Swift Skyfire Diamond] is nowhere near as good as either of these, and should be avoided.
On combat gem selection: only gem for socket bonuses that provide offensive stats (hit/crit rating, agility, AP), and only if they are achievable using solely red and yellow gems. If you are socketing for a bonus, always use [Rigid Dawnstone] in yellow sockets and [Glinting Noble Topaz] in red sockets, unless you are nearing the hit cap, in which case use [Glinting Noble Topaz] in yellow sockets and [Delicate Living Ruby] in red sockets.
Pay attention to your meta gem socket requirement of 2 blue gems. Only use [Shifting Nightseye] to fulfill the requirement, and only as many as necessary. If you are not socketing for a bonus, always use [Rigid Dawnstone] or [Glinting Noble Topaz], switching to [Delicate Living Ruby] if you reach the hit cap.
On Hemo gem selection: for Hemo+sword builds, gem very much the same as you would for combat. For Hemo+Deadliness, prefer [Delicate Living Ruby] for red sockets (or for all sockets, if not gemming for a bonus) and [Glinting Noble Topaz] for yellow sockets. [Shifting Nightseye] should still be the gem of choice for satisfying the 2 blue gem requirement of RED or TSD. Only if you know for certain you will never be getting Blessing of Kings, [Bright Living Ruby] and [Balanced Nightseye] are appropriate gems for a Hemo+Deadliness build.
On Mutilate gem selection: Mutilate builds should prefer [Delicate Living Ruby] for red sockets (or for all sockets, if not gemming for a bonus) and [Glinting Noble Topaz] for yellow sockets. Use [Shifting Nightseye] to satisfy meta gem requirements.
On unique gems: several unique-equip gems are available from heroics, jewelcrafting, and PvP which may be used in place of any of the gems mentioned above. The following gems may be obtained and used in any socket where a rare ("blue" quality) gem of the same color would normally be placed. Any gem not listed below is inferior and should be avoided. Note that any of the gems listed as Heroic drops will no longer be unique-equip in patch 2.4, and therefore will be able to be farmed for all available sockets.
- [Bold Ornate Ruby] (red) - PvP honor reward
- [Crimson Sun] (red) - Jewelcrafting BoP
- [Stone of Blades] (yellow) - Jewelcrafting BoP
- [Brutal Tanzanite] (purple) - Heroic Botanica
- [Pulsing Amethyst] (purple) - Nightbane quest
- [Shifting Tanzanite] (purple) - Heroic Steamvault
- [Glinting Fire Opal] (orange) - Heroic Black Morass
- [Pristine Fire Opal] (orange) - Heroic Sethekk Halls
On Hyjal/BT gemming: [Crimson Spinel] will be in heavy demand by just about every caster class, leaving [Rigid Lionseye] and [Glinting Pyrestone] as your primary options (with [Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst] for meta gem requirements). Continue following the above guidelines for gemming using these gems. Note that [Rigid Lionseye] will require your jewelcrafter to be revered with Scale of the Sands, and therefore may not be available for some time after your guild begins T6 content.
On incorrect gemming: regardless of spec, the following gems are strictly inferior to available alternatives and should not be used by any rogue: [Bold Living Ruby], [Wicked Noble Topaz], [Smooth Dawnstone], [Jagged Talasite].
7. Combo Point Cycles
"Combo point cycle" refers to the algorithm used by a rogue to determine what finishers to use, and in what order, during sustained combat (e.g. against a raid boss). A combo point cycle revolves around keeping Slice and Dice active as close to 100% of the time as possible while also keeping Rupture active as much as possible. Eviscerate should only be used if the target is close to death, if the target is bleed-immune, or if you already have Slice and Dice and Rupture up with plenty of time left. See the Mechanics section for more about Eviscerate.
Combo point cycles are usually expressed in the format "1s/5r" or "3s/5s/5e" (for example). Each number-letter pair indicates a finisher to be used at a certain number of CP. An 's' represents Slice and Dice, an 'r' represents Rupture, and an 'e' represents Eviscerate. Thus, 1s/5r represents a cycle where you gain 1 CP, use Slice and Dice, gain 5 CP, use Rupture, and then repeat; and 3s/5s/5e represents a cycle where you gain 3 CP, use Slice and Dice, gain 5 CP, use Slice and Dice again, gain 5 CP, use Eviscerate, and then repeat. For maximum performance, do not deviate from the cycle unless you are forced to stop attacking the target.
On combat cycles: combat builds using swords, fists, maces, or any combination thereof will generally use a 4s/5r cycle, unless the rogue has T4 2pc, in which case he should use 1s/5r. If the target is immune to bleed effects, use 5s/5e (or 2s/5e, if you have T4 2pc). Combat dagger builds should use a 3s/5s/5r cycle, unless the rogue has T4 2pc, in which case he should use 1s/3r. If the target is immune to bleed effects, use 3s/5s/5e (or 1s/3e, if you have T4 2pc).
On Hemo cycles: Hemo builds should use a 5s/5r cycle, unless the rogue has T4 2pc, in which case he should use 2s/5r. Substitute Eviscerate in place of Rupture if the target is immune to bleed effects.
On Mutilate cycles: Mutilate doesn't use a fixed cycle because its CP generation can vary widely. Rather, a Mutilate build uses a general policy of "3+" or "4+", performing finishers after a certain minimum number of CP (either 3 or 4) have been accumulated. Finishers used are SnD, Rupture, and Eviscerate/Envenom, in order of priority (note: see the Mechanics section regarding Envenom). Be sure to balance finisher usage to get the most value out of Find Weakness procs.
On movement and on-the-fly cycles: in many fights, rogues will be required to run in and out of melee range with the boss, or will be prevented at times from entering melee range to continue their cycle. Depending on the length of time you'll be out of melee range, there are many ways to handle these situations. If the interruption will only be brief (less than 10 seconds between leaving melee range and reentering it), your energy bar should be able to absorb the delay and you can continue your cycle when you get back into melee range as if nothing had happened. Otherwise, you should either burn your CP immediately on a Rupture (or Eviscerate, in the case of a bleed-immune target) or save them for a Slice and Dice when you next enter melee. In some fights, it is impossible to predict how often you will be interrupted or for how long. In these situations, your best bet is to get Slice and Dice up immediately upon starting melee and keep it up at all costs, only Rupturing if you have extra combo points to burn.
8. Buffs and Enchants
On raid buffs: the standard raid group for a rogue is typically feral druid + DPS warrior + enhance shaman + rogue + rogue (or something similar). The biggest party-based DPS buffs for a combat build are Battle Shout (5/5 improved), Unleashed Rage, Grace of Air/Windfury (see further below), Leader of the Pack, in that order. If your raid is short on paladins, Salvation > Might > Kings. If your raid doesn't have an enhancement shaman, a resto shaman in the group dropping totems is the next best thing (Unleashed Rage is a big loss, but Windfury Totem and Grace of Air Totem provide nearly their full benefit even if the shaman doesn't have the talents for them).
On self-buffs: [Flask of Relentless Assault] is the best DPS option for your elixir slots; however, [Elixir of Major Agility] is very close behind. In general, choose the flask for progression and the elixir for farm content. Your best food option is [Spicy Hot Talbuk] if you're combat or Hemo+swords, [Warp Burger] otherwise. [Haste Potion] are extremely powerful if used on cooldown, but save your potion timer if you know you'll be taking a lot of damage. If you're a leatherworker, [Drums of Battle] > [Drums of War].
On poisons and Windfury: for PvE, always choose DP on the offhand. If you are in a group with a shaman and you're combat, you'll get more DPS from Windfury as opposed to Grace of Air + IP. However, the difference is not as dramatic as it is for, say, a DPS warrior. If your group contains a DPS warrior, Windfury Totem will usually be dropped. Otherwise, if less than half the group is rogues, Grace of Air Totem will probably be dropped and you should use IP on the MH. Always check with your shaman if you're unsure what will be dropped. For Mutilate, Grace of Air Totem might be preferable, but Windfury Totem is still quite powerful. Note that dual DP is a waste for all builds except Mutilate, and only if you use Envenom. For all builds, [Adamantite Sharpening Stone] are inferior unless the target is immune to poisons.
On weapon enchants: Mongoose is currently considered the only viable weapon enchant for rogues. 20 agility is inferior, even on the offhand. Executioner was once thought to out-scale Mongoose as a main hand enchant towards the end of T6 content, when the rogue obtained a decent amount of passive armor penetration. However, this observation was based on a bugged model. The circumstances under which Executioner does out-scale Mongoose are now thought to be so restrictive as to rule out use of the enchant for PvE purposes.
On other enchants: [Greater Inscription of Vengeance] (Aldor) is very slightly better than [Greater Inscription of the Blade] (Scryer). 15 agility to gloves is superior to 26 attack power. If you aren't using [Swift Skyfire Diamond] in your helmet, then a solid case can be made for getting Cat's Swiftness to boots instead of Dexterity (you lose 6 agility, but gain 8% run speed -- see this post by Aldriana for a more detailed look at boot enchants). If you are an enchanter, Stats should be your ring enchant of choice, unless you are daggers, in which case Striking will come out very slightly ahead. Always make sure you have [Glyph of Ferocity] on your helm, 12 agility on your cloak, 6 stats on your chest, 24 attack power on your bracers, and [Nethercobra Leg Armor] (or [Cobrahide Leg Armor] if you're poor) on your legs.
9. Mechanics
On haste: haste effects provide extra attacks per time unit equal to their magnitude; so Slice and Dice provides 30% extra attacks over its duration compared to without it. Percentage-based haste effects are multiplicative; however, rating-based haste effects (e.g. [Dragonspine Trophy]) are all added together into a total haste rating before being converted (at a rate of 15.77 rating to 1%) into a single percentage-based haste. Thus, separate percentage-based hastes increase one another's effects, while separate rating-based hastes do not do the same. As a result, coordinating rating-based hastes (e.g. trying to time a Haste Potion and Abacus of Violent Odds simultaneously with a Dragonspine Trophy proc and Dragonstrike proc) will not have any special effects. However, coordinating percentage-based hastes (e.g. hitting Blade Flurry together with Bloodlust) will increase your benefits.
On cooldown usage: because of the way different stats scale with one another, it is generally preferable to use DPS-increasing cooldowns simultaneously rather than one at a time. This post and this post demonstrate the increased effect possible by simultaneously triggering cooldowns, especially haste-based effects. In general, you should use cooldowns as they become available. However, in some cases of cooldowns with staggered timers (e.g. Blade Flurry and Troll Berserking), it may be best, when the longer cooldown becomes available, to delay it slightly until the shorter one also becomes available. See this post for more detail.
On Eviscerate: at nearly all reachable levels of gear, Rupture will be superior to Eviscerate on any target that isn't immune to bleeds. At 5 CP, Rupture deals 1000 damage plus 24% of your AP for 25 energy, or 40 damage plus 0.96% of your AP per energy. At 5 CP and with T5 2pc, Eviscerate deals 1245 damage plus 15% of your AP for 35 energy, or roughly 35.57 damage plus 0.43% of your AP per energy. Applying 3/3 Improved Eviscerate and 3/3 Aggression (121% modifier), 40% crit and RED (142.4% modifier), and 30% armor reduction (assuming a typical debuffed raid boss), Eviscerate comes to 42.90 damage plus 0.52% of your AP per energy. Thus, Eviscerate holds an advantage of 2.90 base damage per energy, but Rupture gains an additional 0.44% of your AP. At this rate, it takes only 656 AP for Rupture to overcome Eviscerate's base advantage. Simply, in any situation where you can Rupture, you should Rupture.
On Shiv: Shiv cannot be dodged or parried, and like other offhand attacks, it can proc Combat Potency. Even so, its damage per energy will be inferior to Sinister Strike or Backstab almost regardless of stats, largely due to the offhand damage penalty and the lack of any static damage boost built into the ability. This post and this addendum contain some sample calculations of Shiv DPE. Shiv spam with DP offhand and Envenom is inferior to Rupture-based cycles in most raid/group situations (see this post).
On Envenom: Envenom damage is not mitigated by armor, and can be boosted by Stormstrike, Misery (shadow priest debuff), and Vile Poisons. However, in all but the most favorable circumstances (for example, extremely high crit, T5 2pc, RED, 5/5 Vile, Stormstrike and Misery both up), Envenom's DPE will be inferior to Rupture. The more apt comparison to make is Envenom versus Eviscerate. At 5 CP and untalented (talents can boost both abilities by roughly the same: Envenom by 20%, Eviscerate by 21%), Envenom 2 deals 900 base damage plus 15% of AP, while Eviscerate deals 1045 damage plus 15% of AP. However, Eviscerate damage is mitigated by armor, which is typically roughly 30% damage reduction by a raid boss. Thus, Envenom is, at base, slightly better straight-up DPE than Eviscerate. However, Envenom results in the loss of your entire DP stack, resulting in a drop of roughly 45 DPS (before Vile Poisons) for as long as it takes to get the full stack up again. A Mutilate build running dual DP can get enough DPS out of Envenom and DP to make it worthwhile to use. However, for other builds, if you must choose between Eviscerate and Envenom, choose Eviscerate.
10. Miscellaneous Links
Rogue Gear Spreadsheet
[Rogue] DPS Spreadsheet
- Vulajin
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