Choosing a Spec

[Carrn 284]

One of the most common questions that I see people asking, especially if they are new to playing Rogue, is what spec they should be playing.

There isn't really a short answer to this question, because every spec has a different niche; they all play differently, and they all have different strengths and weaknesses. On 1 target, all 3 specs do very similar damage so th

If you want to play Rogue at a Mythic raid level, I highly recommend learning how to play all 3 specs. Being able to swap no matter what situation you find yourself in is an invaluable skill, and one that is not taken lightly by Raid Leaders.

That said, if you're only going to ever play 1 spec, I would recommend Outlaw as it is the most versatile of the 3, followed closely by Subtlety.

Assassination

DoT focused and slow. Much of the time spent while playing Assassination is waiting, whether for your energy to fill up or for the exact right time to refresh DoTs / buffs in order to get the most out of each. If you don't like slow and calculated play, this isn't a spec you will enjoy.

Pros:

• Strong single target, but in burst & sustained damage
• Very strong sustained damage on up to 3 targets

Cons:

• Very weak AoE
• Very little burst for trash packs or enemies that don't live long

Good for: 1 target burst, 1-3 target extended fights, PvP

Outlaw

Incredibly fast and spam happy, with very high highs and relatively low lows. Outlaw has very strong cleave against large numbers of trash mobs, which makes it ideal for Mythic+ dungeons. There isn't a lot of down time, especially once you hit good levels of gear, and you become a literal god among men if you roll 6 buffs.

Pros:

• Very versatile
• Great sustained AoE damage
• Grappling Hook
• Rolling 6 buffs is amazing

Cons:

• Very reliant on RNG (I'm awful at it cause my luck is atrocious)
• Ninjas > Pirates

Good for: Ok at everything, really. Shines in M+

Subtlety

Sub plays with a nice mix between the other specs in terms of speed. It's not a slow spec, but neither will you get carpal tunnel from playing it. Most of Sub's damage is mixed into Shadow Dance, which is a short cooldown that significantly buffs your damage by allowing you to use skills that are normally available while stealthed.

Pros:

• Can always have cooldowns or tools available
• Great mobility
• Strong burst, for both Single Target and AoE situations
• Ninjas > Pirates

Cons: 

• Choose either AoE or Single target, can't have both

Good for: 1-2 target fights, M+, PvP

[lipsinch 46]

You forgot adding Carpal Tunnel and potential keyboard problems on Otl cons.

[Spicyboy 2]

On 29/09/2016 at 7:55 AM, Carrn said:

Cons: 

• Choose either AoE or Single target, can't have both

Good for: 1-2 target fights, M+, PvP

By choosing ST or AoE, are you refering to shadow dance usage or something else?

I assume you mean SD usage, as there aren't really any talents that buff one or the other.

I'm just wondering as I have all 3 weapons at 17-19 points and have played all 3 enough that I definitely hate RtB enough that I will alternate between Sin and Sub most likely. Leaning towards sub more so I think.

[Carrn 284]

12 minutes ago, Spicyboy said:

By choosing ST or AoE, are you refering to shadow dance usage or something else?

I assume you mean SD usage, as there aren't really any talents that buff one or the other.

I'm just wondering as I have all 3 weapons at 17-19 points and have played all 3 enough that I definitely hate RtB enough that I will alternate between Sin and Sub most likely. Leaning towards sub more so I think.

I much prefer Sub, as it's good in really any situation. 

Yes I'm referring to SD - you can either choose Single Target, with SStrike, or AoE with SStorm.

Having Second Shuriken is a HUGE buff to AoE damage, and because in most AoE situations you can go SStorm > Finish > SStorm > Finish, it's quite strong. Even in situations with 2-3 targets, it's quite strong. If you have Second Shuriken, Weaponmaster becomes a viable option in the first talent row and can really pull some ridiculous numbers in AoE situations, although it's a little more reliant on RNG

Additionally, taking advantage of the Finality talent to buff Nightblades in AoE or cleave situations is very powerful. 

[Spicyboy 2]

Yeah, I have finality and second shuriken. I am keeping up with AoE pulls a lot better than when I was first starting out with sub, especiall now that I have the lege cloak. 

Bonus: I also find sub the easiest to blast through world content with. It may have taken me 2 classes and 4 artifact weapons to do so, but I think I can happily call sub my preferred spec now.

[TeamC 6]

I keep hearing that 880 ilvl is the point where Subtlety becomes the go-to spec, however, what viability are people finding below that gearing point? I'm a Rogue with effectively 850 ilvl (only about a week old) and all 3 artifacts within range of each other (860s to 870s). I prefer the way Sub plays, but I just don't want to put all my eggs in that basket until I get a little more feedback on Subtlety at less than ideal gear levels. I just detest Outlaw's RNG crap, and I'm okay with Assassination, but for AoE it is just...badong...so looking for that all important Door No. 3.

[Carrn 284]

21 hours ago, TeamC said:

I keep hearing that 880 ilvl is the point where Subtlety becomes the go-to spec, however, what viability are people finding below that gearing point? I'm a Rogue with effectively 850 ilvl (only about a week old) and all 3 artifacts within range of each other (860s to 870s). I prefer the way Sub plays, but I just don't want to put all my eggs in that basket until I get a little more feedback on Subtlety at less than ideal gear levels. I just detest Outlaw's RNG crap, and I'm okay with Assassination, but for AoE it is just...badong...so looking for that all important Door No. 3.

It's just as viable as the other two at low gear levels - all 3 specs have effectively the same potential output

[frosztbyte 0]

On 9/28/2016 at 2:55 PM, Carrn said:

Subtlety

Pros:

• Ninjas > Pirates

 

Hehe, I love it. Ninja *are* better than pirates, although pirates can be cool too! xP

[Karuugg 0]

So question for those that are new to rogue class would recommend playing Sub or Outlaw? I'm on horde server Area 52 and just starting out with the rogue class.

 

[Carrn 284]

8 hours ago, Karuugg said:

So question for those that are new to rogue class would recommend playing Sub or Outlaw? I'm on horde server Area 52 and just starting out with the rogue class.

 

It's really a personal preference thing. I really enjoy Sub, but others might disagree. If you've only just started playing the class, experiment a little! Your spec doesn't really make much of an impact until you choose your first artifact anyways, and even then you can pick up the other ones fairly quickly

[Tarazet 144]

Sub talents have been revamped since the first post was written. It's definitely not the case anymore that Subtlety can choose ST or AoE, but can't have both. Subtlety can use the default talent build for any number of targets or any fight duration, with very little compromise. Death from Above might be more useful in certain dungeons but you really need a lot of uptime on a lot of targets to make it worthwhile, so that would be your Arcway or Black Rook Hold.

The tradeoff for Subtlety's adaptability is that it is unforgiving. I spent too many hours button mashing on my Enhancement main, and I've had to take time and retune my expectations. Hide your damage meters, set up your Weak Auras so that you can track buffs/debuffs without having two heads looking all over the screen, take it slow and keep tabs on your situation. How many combo points and Shadow Dance charges do you have, what is your energy level, what cooldowns are available. It's better to munch energy because of a moment's hesitation, rather than make the wrong snap decision. It's not for everyone, and if that cerebral approach doesn't appeal to you, the other specs will be better for you.

[Baconslap00 0]

I guess i'm the only one that plays assassination rogue that has replied so far. I definitely enjoy it more than Sub, but i don't have BiS legendary. Which i think people over look. There is a huge difference between a outlaw dps without BiS Legendaries than a one that does. I've been against a Ass rogue with BiS and he was a constant 1.8 million at 935ilvl. I was at 1 million dps at 925. Thats not including the opener, which was about 2.5-2.9 million. IT was insane. ITs a huge increase and shouldn't be avoided being talked about.

[Valks 2,375]

On 12/5/2017 at 9:10 PM, Baconslap00 said:

I guess i'm the only one that plays assassination rogue that has replied so far. I definitely enjoy it more than Sub, but i don't have BiS legendary. Which i think people over look. There is a huge difference between a outlaw dps without BiS Legendaries than a one that does. I've been against a Ass rogue with BiS and he was a constant 1.8 million at 935ilvl. I was at 1 million dps at 925. Thats not including the opener, which was about 2.5-2.9 million. IT was insane. ITs a huge increase and shouldn't be avoided being talked about.

This is pretty much the same story for every Rogue spec, with a slight adjustment. For Sub, it's the shoulders/gloves or shoulders/back for AoE. For Assass it's shoulders/bracers. For Outlaw, it's just RNG. Literally. Have the best legendaries, get terrible rolls, watch while someone walks past with terrible legendaries and a max buff roll.