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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsEncrypted Text: Upcoming Rogue changes
by Chris Jahosky 
Dec 19th 2007 at 5:30PM
This week on Encrypted Text, I'm going to go over some upcoming changes to the Rogue class that everyone should be aware of. Rogues have some nice tweaks and some serious changes in the pipeline, so let's get to it.
As a long time fan of the Subtlety tree, I've been really enjoying the last couple changes Blizzard has made to Rogue abilities. In patch 2.3, Hemorrhage was buffed to deal 125% weapon damage, Shadowstep became usable out of stealth, Cheat Death became more reliable -- all great changes. Although the next patch will nerf Hemo down to 110% weapon damage, there's also a talent in the Subtlety tree to increase it's damage by 10%, so heavy Subtlety rogues won't feel the pinch quite as bad.
Another important change that we reported on indirectly a few days ago was a new tweak to Shadowstep -- once activated, it grants a 3 second, 70% speed increase. What does this mean for rogues? Read on and find out.
As a long time fan of the Subtlety tree, I've been really enjoying the last couple changes Blizzard has made to Rogue abilities. In patch 2.3, Hemorrhage was buffed to deal 125% weapon damage, Shadowstep became usable out of stealth, Cheat Death became more reliable -- all great changes. Although the next patch will nerf Hemo down to 110% weapon damage, there's also a talent in the Subtlety tree to increase it's damage by 10%, so heavy Subtlety rogues won't feel the pinch quite as bad.
Another important change that we reported on indirectly a few days ago was a new tweak to Shadowstep -- once activated, it grants a 3 second, 70% speed increase. What does this mean for rogues? Read on and find out.
My Rogue is the oldest character I have, and for as long as I can remember, rogues have been asking for Sprint to be on a shorter cooldown (and to balance it, have it last a shorter amount of time). Well, it looks like Blizzard finally thinks that this idea has some merit, because the new Shadowstep also acts as a mini-Sprint.
Sprint rank 3, learned at level 58, grants a 70% speed increase for 15 seconds with a 5 minute (3.5 minutes with talents) cooldown. This new mini-sprint grants a 70% speed increase for 3 seconds with a 30 second cooldown, in addition to the bonus damage and blink-like effect of Shadowstep. Between the 25 yards you can skip and the additional speed boost afterwards, you can cover some serious ground on a fleeing opponent. If that weren't enough, Preparation will also reset the cooldown of Shadowstep as of the next patch, allowing you to Sprint > Shadowstep > Prep and then blow Sprint and Shadowstep again immediately if necessary. Although this adds some much needed mobility to the Rogue class, the downside is that you have to spec heavily into Subtlety to access this new mini-sprint, so it isn't available to all rogues. Still, it's a step in the right direction.
Preparation is also being tweaked next patch -- it will reset the cooldown of Shadowstep, but it will no longer reset Adrenaline Rush. Unfortunately, this is quite a large nerf to the AR/Prep (0/31/30) spec which is popular in arenas currently. The power of a 30 second Adrenaline Rush combined with Hemorrhage and Mace Spec was a sight to behold, and while this change doesn't completely kill the spec, it does make it far less potent.
Ambush and Backstab are also seeing buffs next patch -- a 25% increase to the former (bringing it from 250% damage to 275%) and a 10% increase to the latter (bringing it to 160%). Sad news for Combat Dagger rogues, though -- the 10% damage increase to Backstab is only granted by taking the Sinister Calling talent, deep in the Subtlety tree.
Finally, Blizzard is still investigating problems with Vanish and Cloak of Shadows. There have been numerous reports of Vanish failing to apply stealth at all when activated, and Cloak of Shadows being ineffective against PvP opponents. Vanish has long been a pet peeve of mine, simply because it has never reliably worked 100% of the time. For a long time the devs have attributed this to server / client lag and have stated that there are some situations when Vanish can be broken due to latency (just an unfortunate limitation of current technology), but recently they've identified one issue with it and are investigating it. Although I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a 100% guaranteed Vanish, the current issue(s) with Vanish and Cloak of Shadows should hopefully be fixed by the next patch, if not a hotfix earlier than that.
Filed under: Rogue, (Rogue) Encrypted Text
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
Cilia Dec 20th 2007 4:10AM
I like this for my Sub-rogue, alright it's my girlfriend's sub-rogue but she lets me play it when I get tired of sucking on my Paladin.
I like the speed boost from shadow-step mainly because I find myself trying to get behind moving targets quite a bit in pvp, can you say: "Hello flag-runner" in WSG.
Also when I do Dark Portal and the mage is not performing on the adds or we don't have the perfect class. I used it to nuke down the first add out of the gate to give him breathing space. Shadowstep is great for that.
Oh better Ambush and Backstab, lovely. I like to work Backstab into my hemo spamming on Bosses so this is tasty. And all sub rogues just love Ambush. Shadow-step / Ambush on a low health clothe = good times.
Tyrrax Dec 20th 2007 7:22AM
Rogues are bad enough in PVP. They might as well make a /bendover emote for mages at this point.
Getting ambushed and chainstunned is one thing. The problem is you don't get any chance to fight back because of CLoS, kick, blind, deadly throw and Shadowstep.
As usual Blizzard misses the point...again.
Java Dec 20th 2007 8:26AM
I'll take a wowinsider columnist with a clue about rogues for 500 please.
Why don't your pay real attention to the issue at hand. Adrenaline Rush will no longer be available on preparation.
Doesnt matter if you can catch the guy with the exta mobility you're talking about, without the burst damage avaialble with A/R & Prep combined, you will never get a plate wearing warrior or even a Ret pally down these days without them tearing you apart.
Get a clue...
I love playing a toon as my main for two years only to make it my premiere farming toon because its useless in Arena, can't hold his own to like compared dps classes, still has CLoS and Vanish broke and not worth a raiding spot in SSC or TK anymore...
Re-rolled a Warrior, got him to 31 yesterday... I gave up on blizzard giving a crap about rogues...maybe you should to
Naix Dec 20th 2007 9:51AM
All these buffs to Sub tree has Blizzard moving in the right direction, but there needs to be some improvements. So if a Blizzard dev is reading this post highlight copy and paste into the next wow patch.
1. Back stab should NEVER EVER EVER be parried, doged, blocked or miss. How can you block an attack BEHIND you? Or miss when your sooo close? Makes NO sense.
2. Why is aggression in the combat tree? Replace the 10% bonus attack power crap with aggression.
3. Lower back stab energy cost or make a skill to lower it.
4. Make skill to ignore a percent of resilience. Rogues are all about the crit. If your a Rogue and not crit focused please reroll a warrior. Blizzard has nurfed the best part about being a Rogue.
Mort Dec 20th 2007 10:25AM
Parry, dodge, block, agreed. Miss? Well, what if you were drinkin a pint or two before you went out and are a little tipsy? Or perhaps the person stumbled as they walked and your shot went wide? They zigged when you thought they would zag in combat? I can see miss, just lower the chance of it happening.
Oh god I agree with a talent to make BS cheaper. For druids too... but not a flat lower for all.
Can warlocks and mages and boomkin and all the other classes that rely on crits or dots or anything else that is nerfed by resil have that talent too? Blizz nerfed us too!
Race Bannon Dec 20th 2007 10:03AM
So because rogues arent quite as OP as arms warriors in arena the need buffs?
Stun Lock, Crip Poison, Deadly Throw, Vanish, CoS, Sprint, arent enough. Give us more.
Try playing an enhancement Shaman, we have Frost Shock, and... ummmm, an ineffective slowing totem OR an ineffective frear breaking totem.
The reason for the changes is the buffs to Sub were to get people playing Sub, but few were speccing deep Sub, but rather only to Hemo. All classes have different specs that are optimal for PvP and PvE and really none of them are the same. Well aside from Locks. Nerf Them :p
LostOne Dec 20th 2007 10:30AM
I'm leveling my rogue, currently 65. I use vanish at least once an hour while questing and I've seen it fail maybe once in the last 10 /played hours. Doesn't seem bugged to me.
Also since I'm combat spec with a dip in assassination, this upcoming patch won't affect me at all.
Beth Dec 21st 2007 2:30PM
Try PvP, or a boss fight. Basically in PvE you are only dealing with Blizzard's server, but in PvP the checks for "you hit with an autoattack" as so small that if a hunter is autoshooting you will never successfully Vanish. All it is good for is getting pets to deaggro briefly.
Paw Dec 20th 2007 11:35AM
The only thing to do when you're left with a bad taste in your mouth over a pending change to your class is to rally and chant "nerf locks!"
Come-on, rogues...everyone else does it!
nerf locks nerf locks nerf locks....
Steven Peck Dec 20th 2007 12:35PM
@OldBear - "What a great way to save yourself from a Stranglethorn ganking"
You mean when your from stealth attack didn't work?
infection Dec 20th 2007 3:18PM
“The reason for the changes is the buffs to Sub were to get people playing Sub, but few were speccing deep Sub, but rather only to Hemo.”
That makes no sense at all to “force people to play a spec by nerfing the hell out of another”. Now we have a form of communism in wow?
If you want to buff the sub tree because people hate it, fine. But forcing people out of AR/Prep because sub sucks? Haha
And @46, please don’t come posting on your pve adventures about how vanish isn’t broken. You didn’t make the cut to be allowed to post here, because you didn’t read one thing about what is broken in vanish.
Also, on the comment about going stealth and the pet still staying on you, this should be fixed as well. (regular stealth, no marks, no action taken by the rogue and not in combat) How many players can build up a spell and the rogue go into stealth and still cast it on the rogue? Thought so… How can you cast or take action on something you can’t see? What makes that pet so differenet?
Broken skill.
This is much like how a rogue can sap a hunter or lock ON THEIR MOUNT and WHILE SAPPED they can dismount AND send their pet on you. I would love blizzard to be able to explain how you can take actions and apply commands to pets while incapacitated. If the pet was already out and on aggressive and saw me, maybe I could understand.
Broken skill.
@41 Let me in on the secret of how a rogue ambushes you and chain stuns you when you have blink, frost nova, abilities to freeze a rogue in place when he attacks you, and a trinket (I hope, you have the trinket, otherwise please retract your post). I have yet to play a mage that my kicks and stuns keep him locked up and he could cast nothing (since cheap shot locks you up, but you stated he ambushes you. And kidney shot requires combo points, a full 5 for a 5 second stun and has a cooldown of 45 seconds) You must be playing against a hacker I guess. Mages and hunters are the 2 classes that are basically immune to or stun lock combo.
I, like others here, will play my alt class until they decide to make rogues viable again compared to other classes. When they decide not to “force” us to choose a spec to go with, and to fix skills the way they were intended to be.
Ryven Dec 20th 2007 4:30PM
Alliance FTW!
Ryven Dec 20th 2007 4:31PM
ooops wrong one lol
Jesse Dec 22nd 2007 7:15AM
"You can't cloak of shadows out of fear nub"
Yeah, but you can trinket out of fear and cloak of shadows out of the dots.
.....nub"
so you're complaining that a rogue has the ability to blow two cooldowns to temporarily defeat your chain castable spells? QQ More...