Everything you ever needed to know about Rogues

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Q: What is the best (Horde/Alliance) race for a rogue?
A: The differences between starting stats are minor, at best. The amount of health
and stats you gain per level is based solely on your class, so by the time you get
to level 60, the difference in stats is basically nonexistant.
As for racial traits, they are not designed to make a clear-cut best or worst race
for a class. Generally, I recommend picking a race not based on the racial traits,
but based on which race you want to play the most. While it is true that certain
traits are not useful for the rogue (such as axe specialization or added
intelligence), the ones which can be useful will rarely turn the tide of a battle. The
traits are merely bonuses; they do not make or break your play.
With that being said, it still is a hot topic of debate, and I'm sure you'll find many
posts on it arguing one way or another.
Q: What is the best weapon for a rogue?
A: This depends on what abilities you want to use. Backstab and Ambush can only
be used when you have a dagger equipped in your main hand. However, if you
plan on using Sinister Strike all the time, and not Backstab, you are better off
using a sword or mace, since those weapon types will generally do more damage
with SS.
Q: Is it possible to be a viable ranged weapon rogue?
A: No. The only use you have for a ranged weapon generally is pulling enemies, or
for the stat boost it may provide. You cannot, however, do any reasonable damage
with a ranged weapon. The only class which can do so is a hunter.
Q: Is it possible to be a viable fist weapon rogue?
A: No, not really. Fist Weapons basically have all of the disadvantages of a dagger,
without the advantages of one. Not to mention, there are so few fist weapons in
the game currently (less than 10 blue/green fist weapons). If you happen to get
one with a good DPS, though, there's no harm in putting it on your off-hand.
Q: What are good profession combinations for a rogue?
A: There's quite a few combinations to look at...
Engineering/Mining - Engineering has some nifty gadgets you can make, like the
Gnomish Net Gun and Catseye Goggles, which can be quite useful, especially in
PvP. Also, as a rogue you often can survive party wipes, and with Goblin Jumper
Cables you have 25-50% chance of saving the wipe. Mining is basically essential
as a support skill. A drawback here is that you won't really be able to make
anything that will sell to other players, beyond explosives and mechanical
squirrels. Most of the gadgets require some skill in engineering.
Blacksmithing/Mining - This can be very profitable, but the problem is you won't
really be able to make that many items that are useful for a rogue. There are only
a handful of daggers and other one-hand weapons you could use, and all the
armor would not be equippable.
Alchemy/Herbalism - Herbalism is nice, since two rogue items require herbs
(Thistle Tea and Blind Powder). Also, Alchemists can make some nice potions, and
some pretty good money at the same time (especially from transmuting).
Leatherworking/Skinning - Prior to this patch, there was very marginal use for
leatherworking at the endgame, since there were no patterns past 250 skill. There
are now some, and seeing some of the patterns (like Stormshroud Pants) has
made me consider keeping it for release. It will remain to be seen, though, how
many nice patterns there really are out there. One other thing to consider is that
leatherworkers don't really have anything they make that will sell to non-leather
users. Armor Kits are nice, but at higher levels people will usually want
enchantments instead.
Some Combination of Mining, Herbalism, and Skinning - This can be a good way to
make money, as there is always a market for people who want to buy materials. If
you go this route, it is probably best to get Mining OR Herbalism, and then throw
in Skinning. You can only actively be "finding" one type of resource, and you'll be
killing lots of animals anyways, so why not skin them?
Enchanting + Gathering Skill - Enchanting can be a decent way to make money,
and doesn't require a gathering skill in the strict sense, as you get your mats from
disenchanting blue/green items. This may seem like an "odd" set of skills for a
Rogue in the RP sense, but it's still a useful skill to have. A variation on this would
be to get Tailoring, so you have a constant supply of greens for disenchanting.
Enchanting/Tailoring is not really a rogue combination, though .
Q: What secondary skills should I learn?
A: You should learn them all, since you can. Cooking is good to get up to at least
60 skill, so you can make Thistle Tea. First Aid is very nice for reducing downtime,
and for popping on during a stun or gouge on the enemy. And finally, fishing can
be a good way to kick back (or get meat for cooking).
Q: Where do all my abilities on the toolbar go when I stealth?
A: When you go into stealth, it automatically changes to a special "stealth"
toolbar. You will have to drag and drop the abilities you want to use there from
your spellbook (press P).
Q: Is there any way to increase my total energy, or how fast it regenerates?
A: The highest-tier Combat talent, Adrenaline Rush, will give you the ability to
double your regeneration rate for 15s, with a cooldown of 6 minutes. The highesttier
Assassination talent, Vigor, will increase your total energy by 10. Beyond that,
there is no way to affect your energy.
However, there is a drink called Thistle Tea which can be made with 60 cooking,
that you can drink to instantly restore 100 energy. The cooldown for the drink is
also 6 minutes.
Q: What Rogue quests are there?
A: There's basically three quest series we have. At level 10, there's the
pickpocketing quest you get, and the reward is a dagger. At level 16, you have the
lockpicking quest, and at level 20 you get the quest to learn poisons. There is now
also an early 30s quest at Ravenholdt Manor, but it seems to not be fully
implemented yet.
Q: Where should I go to quest/grind at level X?
A: I would suggest taking a look at Haunted's thread, which does a pretty good
job of listing out areas by level. It's currently from mostly an Alliance perspective,
but it is expanding: WoW Forums -> 404 Page Not Found
t=29182&p=1&tmp=1
Q: What weapons can a Rogue use, and how do I train them?
A: Rogues start out only knowing how to use daggers and throwing knives.
However, you can train one-hand swords, one-hand maces, fist weapons,
crossbows, bows, and guns. You can train these weapons with a weapon master
trainer in a major city. The cost is 10s per weapon style you want to learn. Once
you are in a major city, to find the weapon master, simply ask one of the guards.
However, each trainer only has certain weapons they can train.
Alliance:
Darnassus - Bow, Fist
Stormwind - Sword, Crossbow
Ironforge - Gun, Mace, Fist
Horde:
Orgrimmar - Bow, Fist
Undercity - Sword, Crossbow
Thunderbluff - Gun, Mace
Q: I've heard that Night Elves can't use guns, and X race can't use Y. What gives?
A: There was a time in the Closed Beta where there were also racial restrictions on
weapons, one of which was that Night Elves could not use guns.
However, it was changed so that the weapon restrictions are only per-class. Your
race no longer has any bearing on which weapons you can and cannot use.
Q: Can I train two-hand weapons?
A: No, you cannot.
Q: Can I use a shield?
A: No.
Q: Can I train mail or plate armor?
A: No. I would imagine it is difficult to be agile in mail or plate .
Q: Can I dual wield weapons? Should I?
A: Yes, you can dual wield weapons. You learn the ability from your rogue trainer,
at level 10. And yes, you should dual wield weapons (for more details, check the
dual wield question in the â€oemechanics” category).
Q: Are there any restrictions as to which weapon combinations I can dual wield?
A: In terms of type of weapon (eg., 2 maces, 1 sword/1 mace, 1 dagger/1 sword,
etc.) there are no restrictions. You can use whatever combination you want to, as
long as you are trained in the weapon types.
However, there is one restriction. Weapons which are listed as "Main Hand" can
only be used in your main hand, and cannot be equipped in your off-hand.
Likewise, weapons listed as "Off-Hand" can only be equipped in your off-hand.
Weapons which are listed as "One Hand" can be used in either hand.
Q: Is there any way to disable dual wield once I've learned it?
A: The only way to disable it is to equip something which is not a weapon in your
off-hand. This can be a fish, flower, torch, or any non-weapon item that can go
there. There is some debate over whether or not this will actually disable the dual
wield penalty, but it is nothing which has been extensively tested, as far as I
know.
Q: How do I train poisons?
A: At level 20, Alliance characters train poisons with a quest from the SI-7
operatives in the Stormwind Barracks. Horde characters can get this quest by
speaking with the rogue trainer in the Cleft of Shadows in Orgrimmar. For more
information about poisons, look at section VI of this FAQ.
Q: Why is my dodge/crit chance going down as I level?
A: It is actually not going down as you level. The tooltip which shows your
dodge/crit percent (press P and look at your attack/dodge abilities) shows your
chance to crit versus an enemy that is your level. This chance to crit is solely
based on your agility, talents, and +crit gear.
So, suppose you are level 1, and have a 15% chance to crit listed. This means that
you have enough agility to crit 15% of the time versus level 1 enemies. When you
level up to level 2, let's suppose it says your crit chance is 14.5%. Your crit chance
versus level 1 enemies is still 15% (in fact, it is a little bit higher because your
agility went up when you leveled). However, you only have enough agility to crit
level 2 enemies 14.5% of the time.
The reason for this is basically that as you level, your agility goes up, and you also
have better equipment which will raise it, as well. For the first few levels, though,
your crit chance will spiral down as there really isn't much +agility gear you can
get.
One thing to note here is that if your weapon skill is not capped out, it will
adversely affect your crit chance with that weapon.
Q: How does my strength/agility add to my melee attack power?
A: Your strength and agility both add directly to your attack power, in a 1:1 ratio.
So 10 agility will add to 10 melee attack power, as will 10 strength.
Q: How does the attack power bonus work?
A: The attack power bonus is a pure DPS bonus. Roughly 15 points in attack
power equals 1 point of DPS bonus...I don't believe it scales by level.
Since it is a DPS bonus, and not a damage bonus, it works in an interesting way.
Suppose you have a 20 dps attack power bonus, so roughly 300 attack power. For
argument's sake, lets suppose you have a main-hand weapon which is 1.00 speed
with an average damage of 20. For this weapon, 20 dps means 20 damage per per
hit. So your average damage in your main hand will go up 20 damage points due
to the attack power bonus.
Weapon #1:
20 average damage, 1.00 speed = 20 dps
+20 average damage = 40 average damage, 40 dps
Now let's say you have another weapon which is 20 dps, but 2.00 speed. So, it's
average damage per swing is 40. For this particular weapon, 20 dps = 40 damage
per hit. So in this case, your average damage will go up 40 damage points due to
your attack power bonus.
Weapon #2:
40 average damage, 2.00 speed = 30 dps
+40 average damage = 80 average damage, 40 dps.
Both weapon #1 and #2 have the same DPS, but weapon #2 is a much better
mainhand weapon. Obviously there are no 1.00 speed weapons, but the point still
holds.
All this explains why, for instance, the Toxic Revenger ends up having a slightly
higher damage range than the Black Menace. Black Menace has an average
damage of 44.5 @ 1.5s. Toxic Revenger, on the other hand, has an average
damage of 39 @ 1.9s. The Black Menace has a much higher DPS, but since the
average damages are so close, you'll notice that your tooltip damage range will be
slightly higher with the Revenger, assuming you have a reasonable attack power.
This raises a very interesting dilemma when choosing a main-hand weapon. How
much DPS are you willing to give up on the weapon for a higher damage range?
Q: How much agility do you need to add 1% to your crit or dodge chance?
A: This is based on your level. At level 60, it is roughly 30 agility for each 1% crit.
I'm not certain about dodge chance, though it does require less agility per percent.
Q: Why is my Eviscerate not doing the damage as stated on the tooltip?
A: The tooltip damage does not take into account the armor of the enemy. Since
most enemies have armor, your non-crit damage will rarely be as high as the
tooltip states.
Q: Why does my Backstab/Ambush do less damage than the "+ X" damage on the
tooltip?
A: Same answer as above.
Q: Why would I ever want to use Backstab instead of Ambush? Ambush does more
damage!
A: The key difference here is that Ambush can only be used while in stealth,
whereas Backstab has no such restriction.
Q: What is the dual-wield penalty?
A: The dual-wield penalty is that your base chance to miss for each weapon, on
normal attacks, is 24%. Furthermore, your off-hand weapon does 50% damage
(though it can be increased with talents). If you don’t dual-wield, your base
chance to miss on a normal attack is 5%. Your base miss chance on special
attacks is always 5%, the dual-wield penalty does not apply to them.
Remember here that base chance is different from effective chance. There's
several other factors which determine whether or not you hit the enemy, including
their level versus yours and your weapon skill. Also, misses are different from
dodges and parries.
However, in spite of this it is recommended you train dual-wield and use it, as
your damage per second (DPS) will be increased by about 10-15%, assuming
similar DPS weapons. Furthermore, it gives you another equippable weapon, which
means you can have more stat boosts on your character.
Q: How does the off-hand damage penalty work? How is it affected by the dual
wield spec talent?
A: The off-hand normally just does 50% of what it normally would do. So:
(Weapon DPS + Attack Power DPS Bonus) * 0.5
WIth the dual wield spec 5/5, the off-hand does 75% damage, so just subtitute
0.75 for 0.5.
The tooltip for the off-hand was previously bugged, causing numbers which did not
make sense. If you had the talent, a weapon would be listed as doing more
damage in your off-hand than in your main. Some data posted prior to the tooltip
fix suggested that the tooltip was bugged. The change to the tooltip seems to
confirm this.
Q: How does the stealth check work? Are there any differences in PvP?
A: The details of this are not entirely known. However, a few things are known.
Whether or not you are detected by an enemy is based on the following factors:
your subtlety skill, the level of your enemy, whether you are in the 180 degree arc
in front of the enemy, and how close you are to the enemy. Your base subtlety is
5x your current level. So, at level 60 you have 300 subtlety.
Once you are within a certain radius of the enemy (based on your subtlety skill
versus their level), and within the 180 degree arc in front of them, periodic stealth
rolls are performed. If you lose the roll, you are detected and dropped out of
stealth.
When you are behind the enemy, you will never be dropped out of stealth.
However, if your level is substantially lower than the enemy, they will almost
always turn around to face you.
The only difference I am aware of in PvP is that stealth checks may be performed
with greater frequency. Also, I do not know how stealth detection items really
factor in, but I would imagine the roll is your subtlety vs. (enemy level x 5 +
stealth detection).

[reavix]

Q: How does the stealth check work? Are there any differences in PvP?
A: The details of this are not entirely known. However, a few things are known.
Whether or not you are detected by an enemy is based on the following factors:
your subtlety skill, the level of your enemy, whether you are in the 180 degree arc
in front of the enemy, and how close you are to the enemy. Your base subtlety is
5x your current level. So, at level 60 you have 300 subtlety.
Once you are within a certain radius of the enemy (based on your subtlety skill
versus their level), and within the 180 degree arc in front of them, periodic stealth
rolls are performed. If you lose the roll, you are detected and dropped out of
stealth.
When you are behind the enemy, you will never be dropped out of stealth.
However, if your level is substantially lower than the enemy, they will almost
always turn around to face you.
The only difference I am aware of in PvP is that stealth checks may be performed
with greater frequency. Also, I do not know how stealth detection items really
factor in, but I would imagine the roll is your subtlety vs. (enemy level x 5 +
stealth detection).
Q: What does the Master of Deception talent do?
A: It adds 3 points to your subtlety skill per point spent in the talent. So, at 5/5,
you are effectively considered 3 levels higher for stealth checks.
Q: How does Shadowmeld affect stealth?
A: Though the exact numbers are not known, Shadowmeld does have a noticable
affect on stealth. Karath performed some tests during the Beta, but unfortunately
that thread is no longer accessible. According to his findings, it appears that
Shadowmeld passively adds the equivalent of one Master of Deception point (so
roughly +3 to Subtlety), when you are in stealth. The actual ability Shadowmeld
should not be used, though, as you are harder to detect while in stealth mode.
Q: Why is Sinister Strike more effective with a sword/mace, instead of a dagger,
when the DPS is almost the same?
A: This is because your Sinister Strike damage is not based on the DPS of the
weapon, but rather its damage range. This is the case for all special attacks. Since
swords and maces of the same DPS of a dagger generally have a much slower
speed, their damage range is quite higher. This is also why say, the Barman
Shanker, is a better main-hand dagger than daggers which have a DPS 4-5 points
higher than it.
Q: How do weapon procs ("Chance on Hit") work?
A: They are not a fixed percent chance, but rather can happen once every certain
duration. The reason for this is otherwise, faster weapons would proc much more
often than slower ones.
Note that this does not apply to poisons. Poisons are, in fact, fixed percent
chances on each hit. This means that faster weapons will have their poisons go off
more often than slower ones.
Q: What is the normal rate of energy regeneration? Do any stats affect it?
A: You regen 20 energy per tick, and each tick is roughly 2 seconds. It is set in
stone, and no stats affect it at all. However, the Adrenaline Rush talent will double
the frequency of your energy regeneration ticks when it is activated.
Q: What are talents? What is a talent build?
A: Starting at level 10, you gain one talent point per level. Talents are the way
you can customize you rogue, and is what separates one rogue from the other.
While most talents are passive bonuses, several are new abilities entirely. The way
you allocate these points is very similar to a Diablo 2-esque skill tree, in which
there are dependencies are prerequisites. The three rogue â€oebranches” are
Combat, Assassination, and Subtlety.
Once you hit level 10, you can bring up your talent window (press N, by default).
A talent build is the way you choose to allocate your talent points points. You
can’t get all the talents, so the build is which talents you pick.
Q: How many talent points do I get in total?
A: 51. One point each level from level 10 to 60.
Q: Can I reset my talents if I decide I don't like them?
A: Yes, you can "respec" your talents, if you so desire. To do this, you can talk to
any rogue trainer. However, respecing is not free, and the cost goes up every time
you respec. The first time is 1 gold, then 5, 10, 15, and in increments of 5 up. At
50 gold, the cost stays the same each subsequent respec.
Generally, I would suggest sticking with your talent build for at least several
levels, to fully evaluate it before changing.
Q: Are there any "talent builders" online that I can play with to see how I can
allocate my points?
A: Yes, there's at least a couple of good ones out there.
WoW Vault Talent Calculator: http://wowvault.ign.com/View.php?
view=Talents.View&category_select_id=7
Thottbot Talent Builder: Rogue - Talents
Q: What is the best talent build setup for (PvE/PvP)?
A: There is no one â€oebest” talent setup...the exciting thing about playing a
rogue is that there are several different builds and playstyles that all can be quite
effective whether you PvP or PvE, solo or group.
Q: What do people mean when they say "31/8/12", "30/21", etc.?
A: This is the breakdown of how their talents are allocated in the various trees. For
instance, a 31/8/12 Dagger build means they have 31 in Assassination, 8 in
Combat, and 12 in Subtlety. The exact talents selected between one person and
another will vary a bit, though certain key talents will be in common.
Q: Can I use one build to get to 60, and then switch to a more PvP build once I'm
there?
A: You could do that if you wanted to, but I don't recommend it. In my opinion,
most good builds are effective in both PvE and PvP. You don't have to switch from
one to another.
The other reason I don't recommend it is that the only way you're going to be
good at PvP is if you have good equipment. You won't have good equipment if you
are using some wild build which is 5% more effective in PvP, but awful in PvE. At
level 60, there still is a lot of good equipment out there to get. Not to mention that
new group and raid instances will be added in patches and expansions.
Q: What are some things I should consider when making a build?
A: One thing you should always ask yourself is "where is my sustained DPS going
to come from?" Sometimes, I see builds designed by people who have ideas for
great opening combos. But once their opening moves are over, they have nothing
left in their build that will help maintain a solid DPS over time. Burst DPS as a
rogue is definitely important, however, without sustained DPS you are greatly
limiting the types of battles in which you are successful.
Another common mistake is not picking up "signature" talents, even if you have
enough for it in that tree. An example of this would be having 22 points in
Subtlety, but not having Preparation. A more extreme example would be having
34 points in Combat, but having neither Blade Flurry nor Adrenaline Rush.
Also, don't be afraid to change your build. What you thought you wanted to do at
level 10 may not be what you decide you want to do at level 50. Having flexbility
and not locking yourself into one mindset is important. At the same time, don't be
persuaded you into drastically changing your build, unless it is seriously flawed. If
you are going for an Assassination Dagger build, don't let someone convince you
to change to a Heavy Combat build. If you want to go for Assassination, then go
for it. It is possible to make viable builds that heavily invest into any of the three
trees.
Q: There's so many talents! What are some builds like?
A: Part of the fun of playing a Rogue is figuring out your style, and tweaking your
build exactly to it. However, to help give some direction, I will list a few common
build designs I've seen, and describe the style as well as key talents. I'll also list
talents which are good inclusions for that talent build. You can't get all of them,
but hopefully it will give you a good idea in terms of a direction. This is by no
means a comprehensive list of all the viable talent builds, but hopefully these few
will help spark some ideas.
For a more advanced discussion of talents, I would suggest Oroblram's Talent
Guide: WoW Forums -> 404 Page Not Found
t=36&p=1&tmp=1
Assassination Dagger Build
Breakdown: 31(30) Assassination, 8 Combat, 12(13) Subtlety
Key Talents: Malice, Lethality, Cold Blood, Seal Fate, Imp. Backstab, Opportunity
Good Inclusions: Imp. Gouge, Imp. Sinister Strike, Ruthlessness, Relentless
Strikes, Imp. Kidney Shot, Vigor, Imp. Ambush, Master of Deception, Camouflage
Description: This is a heavy-hitting dagger build that relies on high crit chances on
Backstabs and Ambushes, coupled with increased damage (Lethality and
Opportunity), and good combo point generation through Seal Fate. The DPS for
dagger builds excel more in group situations, but it's still no slouch when by
yourself. Also, because of the nature of crits, the damage on this build can be
spiky, depending on whether you get good rolls or bad. This is my personal
favorite, and the one I use.
Assassination/Combat Dagger Build
Breakdown: 30(31) Assassination, 21(20) Combat
Key Talents: Malice, Lethality, Cold Blood, Seal Fate, Imp. Backstab, Dagger
Specialization
Good Inclusions: Imp. Gouge, Imp. Sinister Strike, Ruthlessness, Relentless
Strikes, Imp. Kidney Shot, Vigor, Blade Flurry, Lightning Reflexes, Deflection,
Riposte, Precision
Description: This is similar to the Assassination Dagger Build, except it drops
Subtlety entirely, and instead gets the Dagger Specialization for more chance to
crit. It also picks up a few other Combat talents to help survive when
outnumbered or overmatched.
Assassination/Subtlety Split Dagger Build
Breakdown: 21(22) Assassination, 22(21) Subtlety, 8 Combat
Key Talents: Imp. Backstab, Cold Blood, Preparation
Good Inclusions: Imp. Gouge, Imp. Sinister Strike, Ruthlessness, Relentless
Strikes, Opportunity, Imp. Ambush, Intiative, Camouflage, Imp. Sap
Description: This is another Backstab dagger build, but instead of getting the CP
generation boost of Seal Fate, it opts to get Preparation. Generally the decision to
get Preparation is more of a PvP one.
Heavy Combat Sword/Mace Build
Breakdown: 31+ Combat, rest in a combination of Assassination/Subtlety
Key Talents: Imp. Sinister Strike, Mace or Sword Spec, Blade Flurry, Adrenaline
Rush
Good Inclusions: Lightning Reflexes, Precision, Deflection, Dual Wield Spec,
Aggression, Malice, Lethality, Ruthlessness, Relentless Strikes, Master of
Deception, Camouflage
Description: This build tends to have much more "even" damage than an
Assassination build. Your individual hits are not as high as an Assassination dagger
build, but the DPS still can be roughly the same. A distinct advantage of this build
is that Sinister Strike does not require you to be behind an enemy, so you can
spam it all the time. Also, because of the lower energy cost of Sinister Strike, you
can generate Combo Points at a fairly effective rate.
Subtlety/DoT Build
Breakdown: 31+ Subtlety, rest in a combination of Combat/Assassination
Key Talents: Premeditation, Preparation, Hemmorhage, Imp. Rupture, Opportunity
Good Inclusions: Master of Deception, Camouflage, Imp. Sap, Imp. Cheap Shot,
Ghostly Strike, Setup, Imp. Slice and Dice, Imp. Garrote, Imp. Sinister Strike
Description: This is probably the least common of the builds listed. It involves
using Garrote, Rupture, and Hemmorhage to literally bleed your target to death.
This can work well if played properly, but is a difficult style to figure, and in some
cases lags a little behind a build which concentrates more on Assassination or
Combat. Also, Setup is not really that great of a combo point generator.
Q: What does the Master of Deception do?
A: It adds 3 points to your subtlety skill per point spent in the talent. So, at 5/5,
you are effectively considered 3 levels higher for stealth checks.
Q: Is Imp. Sap required to be viable in high-end instances?
A: No. There are no talents we have that are absolute requirements for you to be
an effective Rogue in high-end instances. While yes, Imp. Sap is a nice talent, you
still are desired as DPS in a group if you don't have it. Plus, not having the talent
does not mean you can't sap in an instance...it is very possible to work out a
system with your group so you can sap pull without dying. If the talent fits into
your build, then by all means pick it up. But, you don't need to make your build
around it.
Q: Is the Camouflage 15% added onto your stealth speed, or just 15% faster?
A: It is 15% added. There was a little bit of confusion here, but I've had it verified
in game that it does add on. So w/ level 60 stealth you move at 85%.
Q: Does Precision affect special attacks?
A: Honestly, I don't know. I would guess that it does, but it hasn't been proven
one way or another. If you want to run some tests, go out there and tell me what
happens!
Q: Are the crit/dodge/parry percents from talents added, or multiplied on?
A: They are added. So, say you have a 15% chance to crit. If you get Malice 5/5,
you now have a 20% chance to crit. This also means that the 100% crit increase
from Cold Blood gives you a guaranteed crit.
Q: Does Hemmorhage stack? How does it work exactly?
A: No, it does not stack. If it did, it would be insanely powerful . As for how it
works, bascially think of it as a temporary weapon damage enchantment.
Q: Is Cold Blood a "guaranteed" crit?
A: Yes.
Q: Can your special attack miss when you have Cold Blood active?
A: Yes, it can. In that case the Cold Blood will still get used up .
Q: When you have Blade Flurry up, will your Sinister Strike and Eviscerate hit
another target? How about Backstab/Ambush/Gouge?
A: SS and Eviscerate will. As far as I know, Backstab/Ambush/Gouge do not.
Q: Do Initiative and Seal Fate stack? Meaning, is it possible to get a 3 combo point
Ambush?
A: Yes.
Q: How does the off-hand damage penalty work? How is it affected by the dual
wield spec talent?
A: The off-hand normally just does 50% of what it normally would do. So:
(Weapon DPS + Attack Power DPS Bonus) * 0.5
WIth the dual wield spec 5/5, the off-hand does 75% damage, so just subtitute
0.75 for 0.5.
The tooltip for the off-hand was previously bugged, causing numbers which did not
make sense. If you had the talent, a weapon would be listed as doing more
damage in your off-hand than in your main. Some data posted prior to the tooltip
fix suggested that the tooltip was bugged. The change to the tooltip seems to
confirm this.
Q: What stats should I concentrate on raising through my equipment?
A: As a rogue, your most important stat is agility. Agility affects yout chance to
crit and your chance to dodge. It also adds directly to your Attack Power and
Armor Class.
As for your second most important stat, there are two schools of thought. The first
is that your Stamina should be considered second, as each point in Stamina gives
you 10 health points. The idea here is that more health means you will survive
longer.
The other school of thought is that Strength is the second most important stat.
Strength directly adds to your Attack Power. The idea here is that more Strength
means you will kill faster.
Personally, I follow the Stamina school, but there are some compelling arguments
from the Strength school.
As for Spirit and Intelligence, you can basically ignore them entirely.
Q: What ranged weapon should I use?
A: Most players will choose a gun, bow, or crossbow, as they can have + to stats,
which will apply even when you're not using your ranged weapon.
Q: Where can I get the Shadowcraft set pieces?
A: This list is now complete!
Binds when Picked Up:
Tunic - General Drakkisath (Upper BRS)
Pants - Baron Rivendare (Stratholme)
Cap - Darkmaster Gandling (Scholomance)
Gloves - Shadowhunter Vosh'gajin (Lower BRS)
Boots - Rattlegore (Scholomance)
Shoulders - Cannon Master Willey (Stratholme)
Binds when Equipped:
Belt - Blackhand Assassins (Upper BRS)
Bracers - Smolderthorn Shadowhunters (Lower BRS)
Q: What are the Shadowcraft set bonuses?
A: I got this off of Allakhazam:
3 pieces: Increased Daggers +2.
5 pieces: Increases your chance to dodge an attack by 1%.
6 pieces: Improves your chance to get a critical strike by 1%.
7 pieces: Improves your chance to hit by 2%.
8 pieces: Increases your damage dealt with offhand attacks by 4%.
Q: How do I start the quest for the Breastplate of Bloodthirst?
A: To begin the quest, you have to go on an Upper Spire raid which kills The
Beast. Then someone in the raid with 300 skinning has to use Finkle's Skinner (a
drop from The Beast) to skin him. Then a gnome named Finkle will pop out and
give you a quest to talk to Malyfous in Everlook. Once you talk to him, you have
access to his catalogue, which will give you the quest for the Breastplate.
Q: Where can I get (insert item)?
A: There are a lot of items in the game, the best way to find where to get them is
to ask a fellow player who has it, or to run a search on Thottbot: World of Warcraft,
which is a fairly large and accurate database of items, questions, professions, etc.
Some folks may feel going on the aforementioned site is a spoiler, so use it at
your own discretion.
Q: What are some things I can look at to determine where an item comes from?
A: If the item has a <Made by: > on it, it's player-crafted item.
If the item is Bind on Pickup (and doesn't have a Made by: on it), it means that it
is either a drop from a specific named boss in an instance, or it's a quest reward.
If the item is Bind on Equip, it can mean a couple of things. One is that it's what is
called a "world drop," meaning that it can drop from any enemy within a certain
level range. These are the hardest to get yourself, since the odds of getting one
specific item are pretty low. There are also two types of world drops. One is a
world drop off of any enemy, and the other is a world drop off of enemies in an
instnace. So, something like the Blackened Defias Boots is a instance world drop,
but say, Widowmaker is a true world drop.
There is also another type of Bind on Equip item...which is one from a rare named
enemy. There are some enemies in the world, like Skowl, which are on 24 hour or
higher respawns which can drop good items. These enemies will always drop a
blue or green item which is Bind on Equip.
Q: What daggers can I get from quests?
A: Though the number of good questable daggers are limited, there are a couple
of very nice ones.
Alliance players in their mid-30s can get the Black Menace for completing the
Scarlet Monestary quest, which requires you to kill 4 of the bosses there. Horde
players in their late 40s can get the Hunt Tracker Blade from a quest in Badlands.
Both Horde and Alliance players can quest for the Lifeforce Dirk (early 50s,
requires you to go to the Temple of Atal'Hakkar), and Darrowspike (60, requires
you to go to Scholomance).

[reavix]

Q: How do I train poisons?
A: At level 20, Alliance characters train poisons with a quest from the SI-7
operatives in the Stormwind Barracks. Horde characters can get this quest by
speaking with the rogue trainer in the Cleft of Shadows in Orgrimmar. Note that in
order to complete the quest, you need to have around 85-90 skill in lockpicking. I
would suggest getting it up to 100 before giving the quest a whirl.
Q: Where do I get poison reagents?
A: Almost all of them can be purchased from a Poisons Vendor or "Shady Dealer."
However, for blinding powder (which is not really a poison, but requires poison
skill to make), you will need the herb fadeleaf.
Q: Can I apply poisons to other player's weapons?
A: No. You can only apply poisons to your own weapons.
Q: What are fadeleaf and swiftthistle, and where do I get them?
A: These are both herbs. If you have herbalism, you can gather them in the world.
Gathering fadeleaf requires 160 skill in herbalism, and swiftthisle can be acquired
from Mageroyal and Briarthorn, which require 50 and 70 herbalism, respectively.
If you don't have herbalism, you will have to get them from another player.
Although, there are some enemies which will randomly drop herbs, but not with
enough frequency to really make it a legitimate way to gather them. Note that
swiftthistle is used for Thistle Tea, which is an energy drink, not a poison.
Q: What do the various poisons do?
A: Instant Poison - Chance on hit that you deal a certain amount of damage
instantly.
Crippling Poison - Chance on hit that you reduce your targets movement speed by
X amount.
Deadly Poison - Chance on hit that you land a DoT(Damage over time) poison on
your target. The effect can be stacked up to 5 times.
Mind-Numbing Poison - Chance on hit to poison the target increasing its spell
casting timer.
Wounding Poison - Chance on hit to reduces all healing effects on target by X
amount.
Q: What poisons should I use in PvE/PvP?
A: For solo PvE, I generally like to put Instant Poison on both daggers, as it can
provide a noticable boost to your damage (roughly 15% of the total damage you
deal to an enemy). When I am in instances, I will generally put Crippling Poison on
both daggers, as enemies running away can lead to instant death for you and your
group. Sometimes, if I am confident enough in my group being able to catch
runners, I will put Crippling on one and Instant on the other.
For PvP, crippling poison is probably the most popular, as it can be a very useful
snare. Depending on your weapons, you may be able to get away with putting it
only on one, and putting either Instant or Mind-Numbing on the other, depending
on the enemy.
I generally do not overwrite poisons I've already applied on a dagger, as the highlevel
posions can cost over one gold per stack of 10
Q: Where do I get the Lockpicking quest?
A: Once you train the ability Lockpicking at level 16, you can get the quest.
Alliance characters will first talk to the SI-7 operatives in the Stormwind Barracks
before going to Lakeshire. Horde players can get their quest in the Cleft of
Shadows in Orgrimmar. For both of these quests, near the chest you need to pick
there are practice chests which respawn quickly.
Q: Where do I get the "Thieves' Tools" required for lockpicking?
A: Your local "Shady Dealer" should have them in stock.
Q: Do the Thieves' Tools ever get used up?
A: No. You can pick locks with em for the life of your character .
Q: What are things I can lockpick to gain skill?
A: You can pick practice locks from Engineers, lockboxes, junkboxes, certain
chests, and doors in and around certain instances. Note that currently there
appears to be a bug where you will never skillup from picking a lockbox in the "will
not be traded" slot of the trade box.
Q: When can I lockpick X? What's a good way to level up lockpicking?
A: For a pretty good list of skill requirements and tips on leveling lockpicking, I'd
suggest looking at Laenis' lockpicking thread here:
WoW Forums -> 404 Page Not Found
Q: My lockpicking is capped at X, how do I raise the cap?
A: Your lockpicking cap is just 5x your level. When you level up, it will
automatically raise. So, at level 20 you have a cap of 100 lockpicking, but when
you ding 21 your cap will be raised to 105.
Q: What targets can I pickpocket?
A: Almost all targets which are classifed by the game as "Humanoid" can be
pickpocketed. Some Undead and Dragonkin targets can be pickpocketed, as well,
and it is likely there are some exceptions. If the target is invalid, you will be told
that the target has no pockets to pick.
Q: What kind of items can I get from pickpocketing?
A: Usually, you'll just get coins, though junkboxes, food, and potions are fairly
common, also. Sometimes, you'll get items which can only be pickpocketed, such
as junk pocket watches, or the "How to Eat Man" cookbook. And if you're lucky,
you might even get a gemstone or jewelry.
Q: Does pickpocketing an enemy take stuff that you would normally loot from the
enemy when it is killed?
A: No. The pickpocket loot table is separate from the regular loot table.
Q: Do you have any tips for getting into position for pickpocketing?
A: The most important thing is to approach the target from behind. This will
become much easier once you get the Distract ability.
Q: Can a pickpocket fail?
A: Yes, there is a chance that the pickpocket will be resisted. This chance is based
on your level vs. the level of the enemy. If a pickpocket is resisted, the enemy will
aggro you.
Q: Can I pickpocket other players?
A: No.

[XinuX]

Copy-paste from WoW Forums -> Rogue FAQ v4.0

[the_alchemist]

Copy-paste from WoW Forums -> Rogue FAQ v4.0

rep for you !
lol

[gtdarkside]

WoW Forums -> 404 Page Not Found

lol thats how the link looks
and btw this is way to long for me
and hard to read

[The Maffyx]

WoW Forums -> 404 Page Not Found

lol thats how the link looks
and btw this is way to long for me
and hard to read

Link works for me, and yea it is hard to read.

[raffe]

shadowcraft? err, I have'nt bothered to read that shit, but my eye slipped at shadowcraft, and that's like 60s stuff.. so,, why would you need that? and still, copy paste from other forum, and a 1-2 year old guide too pre-bc

[Aradroth]

Better rogue guide for pvp -

1) Get maces/swords/fist weps
2) Join a bg
3) Stealth
4) Shadowstep and stunlock the nearest target
5) Spam hemo.
6) Profit.

[PhantomHawk]

Q: Can I train two-hand weapons?
A: No, you cannot.
Q: Can I use a shield?
A: No.
Q: Can I train mail or plate armor?
A: No. I would imagine it is difficult to be agile in mail or plate .
Q: Can I dual wield weapons? Should I?
A: Yes, you can dual wield weapons. You learn the ability from your rogue trainer,
at level 10. And yes, you should dual wield weapons (for more details, check the
dual wield question in the â€oemechanicsâ€� category).
Q: Are there any restrictions as to which weapon combinations I can dual wield?
A: In terms of type of weapon (eg., 2 maces, 1 sword/1 mace, 1 dagger/1 sword,
etc.) there are no restrictions. You can use whatever combination you want to, as
long as you are trained in the weapon types.


hahahaha! Everything you ever needed to know about rogues....
ommmmmmg..

[N3cris]

I hate walls of text.

[nook]

I read the beginning of the text and i would say class preferation for rogues are undead ( Will of the Forsaken --> IMBA ) and/or Bloodelf for aoe silence (which also breaks stealth of enemies).

Was too lazy to read the rest -.-

[Numsu]

Wall of Text Crits You For 1337.
You Die.

[ΛνeΠ]

copy paste i'm afraid. and pre-tbc. So no +rep for you, seeing as last time i checked i can't give you any

[Captain Planet]

ok the part about fist weapons not being viable is a huge crock of sh*t my rogue has full s3 and s3 fist weapons and he rocks there is nothing wrong with fist weps


Fail