Bringing in the second string - rogueFollow

Finally stayed with a toon long enough to level him out and start playing with the big kids. Still plenty to do, but figure maybe its time to give some gas to my alt. That one's an L22 rogue created mostly as an auction agent and useful mail box for holding stuff.

The difference this time is that I'm thinking of using one of the leveling guides instead of freelancing this one.

1) Current professions are skinning and enchanting, secondary fishing and first aid. Specialization is assassination. But its not too late to change any of it. For example, I was thinking about mining and jewelcrafting.

The primary, hell ONLY limitation is that I play at least 98% solo when not running in dungeon PUGs.

So..... Anyone care to offer advice about the best skill set for a solo rogue? And does anyone have a particular leveling guide they'd recommend?

Using a guide can sometimes increase the gaming experience. I've used one several times before Cataclysm because the guide would pick up all or most of the quests in the zone and do them in the most efficient sequence, meaning I didn't have to run around everywhere just to run back around everywhere for a follow-up quest. Cataclysm did a lot to make the lower level zones linear, but sometimes you just want to make sure you didn't miss any quests.

Unfortunately, the guide I'd recommend has not been fully updated to Cataclysm yet, so I'll link to the main page and you can choose what you want. There's even an addon for those guides in case you don't have a second monitor, or just don't want to Alt-Tab every time.

-link-

When looking up leveling guides, be aware of some things:

1. Never, ever pay money for a leveling guide. It's a waste of money, especially since most of those guides are just blatant copy-pastes from another, usually free, guide.

2. Never, ever pay money for a leveling add-on (or any add-on). Not only is it silly to pay for an add-on, but it's also not allowed by Blizzard. Add-on developers can request donations, but they can't limit their add-ons to payers - it has to be free for all.

3. Be careful when googling "leveling guide" as a lot of those sites are malware infested cesspools created for the sole purpose of luring in newbies so that they can get various malware onto their computers. If you suspect you've visited such a site, run your anti-malware programs.

And always use common sense when browsing the internet and downloading stuff. If you get a bad vibe from the site, close it. Don't ever type in your password or account information on a website that isn't Blizzard's official website. You don't need to log in anywhere to download an add-on. Never click links you don't know the destination of and never let a website run a program you're not familiar with.

What do you pair it with - mining? I'm a strong believer that everybody should start with a gathering profession just to avoid living your first fifty levels in abject poverty.

Remember to get the heirloom helm and cloak from the guild vendor. You may also have enough other points to pick up the heirloom chest and shoulders. If you have to mix PVP and PVE gear, remember that you aren't necessarily trying for perfect gear, you're going to level too fast. Unless you have lots of extra points, don't worry about heirloom weapons. The new quests and LFD will keep you fairly well covered.

To level quicker, start with herbalism and mining. Both of them will give you significant XP per node and taking both will let you build up cash to power level something like JC later. Don't forget that Archaeology can also add a fair chunk of XP.

Check the AH and see if you can get cheap Fiery enchants for that stretch from the 30-45. Those may show up reasonably cheap for the DPS boost they give. Other enchants may be useful, but go cheap because you'll be moving through content quickly.

These things will probably give you enough of an XP advantage that guides will not be able to help you pick the most efficient leveling path. Go to Wowhead and read the zone information, check quest rewards and maximize your benefits by cherry picking your quests. For example, fill your trinket slots as early as you can.

See if you can get support from your guild on skills you don't have covered. For example, you may be able to trade some herbs or ore for glyphs.

Good luck!