1337php's Guide to Rogue PvE DPS

[1337php]

Hello everyone.

I've been playing a rogue for a while now (since pre-BC) and I thought I'd share with you all a guide to maximize your PvE DPS.

Talent Build

For PvE you're going to be specced mutilate. It is currently very easy to obtain great daggers for a mutilate build at 80. It takes a lot more commitment to get the correct swords/fists/maces for a combat build.

I use this: Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft

Gear

When you're just starting out, I'd recommend dual Librarian's Paper Cutter's enchanted with Mongoose. It is a 1.3 speed blue dagger and because we're not really looking for stats, this is a great dagger. With these weapons and various blue and epic heroic gear I can push out roughly 1800 DPS.

I'd suggest getting around 200-230 hit rating just starting out. Crit should be around 25% and you should have a haste rating of around 250-300.

As for poisons, you'll want to use Deadly Poison on your main hand and Instant Poison on your off hand.

Ability Rotation

The key to maximizing your DPS is rotation. Without a solid rotation that uses your energy efficiently you'll continue wondering why you're at the bottom of the DPS meters.

The rotation I use is simply:

Opener
Open with Mutilate -> SnD at 2 or 3 CP
Build 5 CP -> Rupture

Main Rotation
Basically you want to keep a 5 point rupture up at all times while maintaining SnD. Because we have Turn the Tables (Talent right next to Mutilate) a simple use of Envenom, even at 1 CP, will return SnD to it's 5 point duration.

The only ability you should ever let drop is Rupture. SnD and Hunger for Blood should be up at all times.

Addons
With a good set of addons your job as a rogue can be simple. I only recommend getting one: Rogue Power Bars. This addon simply displays counter bars for your abilities. You'll want to place the bars close to where you'll be looking at the mob/boss so he doesn't move and you're just standing there watching your counters.

Conclusion
Believe me, just reading this guide will not increase your DPS by an insane amount (unless you were REALLY bad before) but it can help spell some things out for you that you may not have realized. Being a rouge takes practice but soon enough you'll be topping those charts.

If you have any questions or concerns with the way I've explained things, please feel free to post a reply. I'll be happy to address it.

[zlo]

Nice, even though Mutilate aint that good with that fast weapons.

[1337php]

Nice, even though Mutilate aint that good with that fast weapons.

The way mutilate works has changed actually. Its better to use fast weapons now. A slow weapon, maybe 1.8, in the main-hand increases DPS by a bit (around 30 - 50 dps). I've only tested that with Anarchy though.

Mutilate is currently the highest DPS build though. I HAVE tested that fact. I was in 25 man Naxx with another rogue (combat fist/sword) who was completely epic'd out in 25 man gear and I still topped him. My gear was in no way close to his.

[Nikkanugs]

I just throwing in my two cents here:

Only using rupture at 5 CP is a bad idea. Using envenom at a low CP is a bad idea unless SnD has a really low time on it.
Only use rupture and envenom at 4-5 CP, it really is better. Don't wait for 5 CP or you will usually cut it close on SnD and sometime run out of time and pull off a finisher with 3 or low CP

[AscaL]

and start with garrote
normally i do Garrote --> SnD --> 5 CP Envenom --> 4 CP Rupture and so on

[1337php]

and start with garrote
normally i do Garrote --> SnD --> 5 CP Envenom --> 4 CP Rupture and so on

I start with mutilate because it rewards more combo points and deals the damage instantly.

Mostly a matter of preference I guess. Nearly same amount of damage.

[Nidza295]

You might first want to spell ROGUE correctly....It's not ROGE nor ROUGE.

[Jay7ona]

hate to burst your bubble, but basically everything you need to know about rogue pve is listed on this page.


Pocket Guide to WOTLK - Elitist Jerks


and for those of you rogues who are not elitests but are looking for a simpler and easier pve rotation, try out my build that is close to the envenom/rupture/mutilate build in terms of raw dps.

Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft

with this build all you have to do is keep hunger for blood up, open with garrote/mutilate-> slice and dice->mutilate til 4-5 combo points--> eviserate. Rinse and repeat. mutilate to 4-5 and eviserate. using wound/wound.

with said method, i find i can pay attention to the raid more and things going on in the raid instead of staring at my rotation between hunger for blood, slice and dice, deadly poison stacks, envenoming and ruptures.

cheers

[gogobananas]

No mention of Hunger for Blood? Fail guide.

[Darkbringer]

I'd suggest getting around 200-230 hit rating just starting out. Crit should be around 25% and you should have a haste rating of around 250-300.

Opener
Open with Mutilate -> SnD at 2 or 3 CP
Build 5 CP -> Rupture

Turn the Tables (Talent right next to Mutilate) a simple use of Envenom, even at 1 CP, will return SnD to it's 5 point duration.

Some things to correct here.. you should aim for at least 315 hit rating for the poison hit cap which, in mutilate, plays a huge role.

you should ALWAYS open with garrot.. overkill = 10 less energy off our combo moves in 6 secons = DPS boost.

Turn the tables gives you crit when someone dodge ect.. you're looking for Cut to the Chase.

No mention of Hunger for Blood? Fail guide.

As above says.. get something in about Hunger for Blood, can be squishy if you dont know when to refresh it ect.

Okay guide if you fix some things. Thumbs up.

[nerok]

Good guide for starters, though:

"The only ability you should ever let drop is Rupture. SnD and Hunger for Blood should be up at all times."

It's of extreme importance that you don't never ever let any of these three abilities drop, and remember to have 3x Hunger for Blood charges before engage in combat.
And by the way, please, don't call it "Rouges". We, ROGUES, hate it! :P

[awesomeusername]

roguerogue(dot)com/?p=78
thats pretty much everything you need to know

[Oblivious1]

The way mutilate works has changed actually. Its better to use fast weapons now. A slow weapon, maybe 1.8, in the main-hand increases DPS by a bit (around 30 - 50 dps). I've only tested that with Anarchy though.

Mutilate is currently the highest DPS build though. I HAVE tested that fact. I was in 25 man Naxx with another rogue (combat fist/sword) who was completely epic'd out in 25 man gear and I still topped him. My gear was in no way close to his.

Mut is NOT the highest dps build currently.

Solo-HaT is currently the top spot, but requires group stacking with a high crit % throughout the entire party (which is quite easily manageable.

Mut is second, and will probably be #1 after ulduar, otherwise SHaT will still remain top spot, with CQC combat bouncing around at #3 or #4 depending on how well mut/prep tends to perform.

as for your rotation in the guide, you didn't mention to stack HfB up 3 times prior.

the way i do it is HFb (3), Mut, SnD, Mut, Envenom, *start typical rotation)

the reason i do the above is because i use tricks of the trade on our tank to help stack aggro for our massive burst throughout the raid (yes we've actually had trouble with this before, our tank does not suck, our dps just outperforms his capabilities due to gear not dropping for said tank ). If my math's right, by the time the energy for the two min CP moves i used returns, then i'd have gained about 30-40 dps rather than the normal way; and the dmg meters tend to show such data to be accurate.

I will dfinitely agree upon dual LPC's to be the best thing ever till you get say... dagger of incision, then you can go 1.8/1.3 or 1.4 and pull off an improved dps over the 1.3 or 1.4 dual combo.

other than not mentioning stacking hfb, nice guide.

[n0s420]

I thought the hit cap was 131?

hitcap 4% 63.08 131.16 Rogues with 5/5 Precision

[Jay7ona]

I thought the hit cap was 131?

you WANT 315 hit for the POISON hit cap to maximize dps as a mutilate rogue. after 315 other stats become more valuable than hit but still, hit never goes to waste.