Damage Isn't EverythingFollow

First I'll admit that I'm relatively new to WoW, and I don't have any high level characters. I don't claim to be any kind of authority on rogues, but I still have some thoughts I'd like to bring the Forums.

Currently I'm a level 43 Rogue named Sprinter, running around on the PvE server Eonar. Sometimes when I come across a rogue that's higher level, 60-70, I'll ask what their build is.

I have yet to get a response other than, "Combat Swords."

My immediate follow up is, "Doesn't that get redundant?"

To date, my favorite response is, "Well, it is a lot of '2222222,3 2222222,3"

Meaning: Spamming Sinister Strike until you get enough combo points for evascerate.

When I first started playing, I did all the research, read the damage calculators, and learned the lesson loudly proclaimed to rogues everywhere: For the best sustained DPS, combat swords is the way to go.

So for the first thirty levels, my life was 222222, 3, 2222222, 3

Which is about as fun as, oh, sorting mail.

Now, I recognize that this is an oversimplification of combat swords. Sometimes you might hit the 4 key, for Slice and Dice, and maybe you'll use the occasional cooldown, like evasion. But really, your whole style of play comes down to running towards an enemy, and then smashing them.

I got bored of combat, and have been forking out the golds to respec and rerespec and rererespec my build. I've started using stealth. Cheap shot. Backstab. Gouge. Kidney shot. Thistle tea. Blinding power. PickPocket.

One of my ultimate joys as a rogue comes from when someone sees me use distract to slowly pick apart a patrol.

In a fight, I can pull a perfect stunlock on most casters that are my level. I can sap my way through a crowd. In a group, I'm the guy on the fringe picking off the horde of weaker mobs and keeping the main target pinned down.

And, because I'm careful, I rarely, rarely, die. Potions and flash powder = the last player standing after a total wipe.

Sure, combat swords wins in damage calculator contests.

But give me burst damage, stuns, combo point generation, energy management, stealth, cooldowns.

Because it sure as hell is a lot more fun than 222222, 3.

Combat swords isn't that boring when you can wade into a camp of 5-6 mobs of equal lvl and shred them all....and be the last one standing. Kind of fun. Whatching my exp bar grow at an alarming rate offsets the redundancy aswell. =)

If it's not fun for you, don't do it.

All I've ever done is assasination and sub builds, and I've enjoyed my rogue immensely.

Is it the fastest leveling build? Probably not. But honestly what difference does it make if it takes an extra week or two to reach endgame? I'm in no hurry, I play for fun.

QFT. A lot more running around in mutilate fights. More use of KS and gouge and you get some big numbers, and we all like to see big numbers.

You'll have to try out mutilate once you get a bit higher (close to 60). It's a solid build for pretty much anything. Combat swords is nice, and is all around the most versatile solo build. As for raid damage... it's around the same as a combat based mutilate build (41/20/0). The real epeen enlarging dps meter watching build is combat daggers... though mute will probably catch up eventually.

But yeah I agree. I played combat swords for about 80days /played at 60 for raiding and such... I do like the build. That being said, mutilate offers a lot of cool things.

At the end of the day, all builds are redundant in some manner. Even for mutilate you're using the same basic sequence of attacks over and over... it just requires more button pushing.

I also love my combat spec (non-weapon specific), I don't have to worry about positioning, poison resistance, or weapon type. I just aim and kill. Of course this is a raiding build, if I was doing anything else I would likely change some points around.

Melechesh on Bronzebeard