Rogue spec to use for PVE raiding?

[Belven 0]

Hi All,

 

Apologies if this has been entered elsewhere, but I can't seem to find a consensus on what my best option is specwise for raiding. Or if they are all viable, which specs perform best at lower gear levels and if any pull ahead once in ToT level gear.

 

I've been using assassination in heroics and am very comfortable with the rotation and I enjoy it, but I definitely would move to subtlety or combat if they are more adventageous.

 

Thanks

[Tengenstein 11]

Theoretically Sub pulls the highest numbers on a patchwork fight until you get to ToT HC gear levels where Combat finally pulls ahead and Assassination tend to lag behind the other 2 specs by about 0.5%. However very few ToT bosses are patchwerks which makes playing Subtlety rather difficult in comparison to the other 2 specs, in general you want to stick to Assassination unless you're on an encounter where you can make prodigious use of Blade Flurry or benefits form Combat's Burst via CDs.

 

a More pragmatic concern is gear, if you've got a pair of 522 daggers but you're best non-dagger weapon is a 476 you might find even if the fight is tailored of combat Ass will still come out ahead just because you have better weapons and conversely if you get a 522 fist weapon and your best dagger is only 476, Combat may come out ahead even if the fight mechanics favour Ass.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Sub but it just has a much harder time dealing with boss mechanics and its AoE even with Crimson Tempest is weak, Jinrokh is fine  as you can always be behind him, but every so often he spins round to cast something at a random raider and suddenly you're locked out of backstab whilst he does, Ji Kun does this all the time, So does sul, Qon, Lei Shen, Mu's a bitch to get behind during the maze phase, Tortos  you can attack from the sides but it can quickly fill up with rock falls, Horridon isn't too bad though he does require a lot of repositioning and few of his adds live long enough to make use of Subs CDs, Meg you can't get behind during rampages. Twins and council both have good places to cleave so Combat tend to excel there,  So that leaves maybe Dark Animus and Primordius as Sub friendly fights. Maybe 5.4s Sanguinary Vein buff will make sub worth the effort, but unless you enjoy the challenge or have a masochistic streak Ass and Combat can do equal if not better at the moment  without having to deal with annoying positional requirements

Edited August 18, 2013 by Tengenstein

[Belven 0]

Thanks for the reply!

 

It sounds like my main spec will be assassination in that case, with combat as a secondary spec to use on fights where I can cleave or for the situation where my non dagger weapons far outclass my daggers.

 

It's encouraging to see that assassination only falls behind by .5% in simulations. In a real raid environment I can't really see that .5% mattering that much. 

[omicron 3]

I find assassination easier to play, and at your gear level you wouldn't notice a difference between sub and ass.

[Tengenstein 11]

In a real raid environment I can't really see that .5% mattering that much. 

 

Exactly!  I know depending on a lot of factors entirely outside my control my DPS varies by a larger amount from fight to fight anyhow.