I have nine eighties and a lot of 60-70's, including four rogues (80, 74, 70, 66). /qualifications

Of all the classes, rogue is the biggest bitch to level nowdays. It has the most downtime, the least killing power and no AOE (unless you're combat and like to bash bricks against your head, in which case you get a few seconds of 2-target AOE every 2 minutes). It has one AOE spell if blade flurry is not counted, and that's fan of knives.... acquired at LEVEL 80.

That's right, you can't AOE until you've hit heroics. So not only is your solo leveling lacklustre, you can't even take refuge in groups. Any other class with a half-decent player behind it will beat you to the ground in damage and dps. Add to this that if you want a less painful leveling experience (MoD, improved stealth speed, maybe the +ambush crit talents), particularly on a PvP server, you have to go at least some way into subtlety and leveling talents, which kills your damage even further in instances.

And yes, it really is that bad. Bandage/eat every 2-4 mobs. Two same level mobs on you? Cooldowns. Three mobs? Best vanish and try that pull again. It's most telling when you arrive in outland. Even with BoA weaponry and after acquiring BC gear upgrades, the entirety of Hellfire Peninsula is painfully brutal.

It's highlighted even more if you were to create a blood death knight, which also deals mainly in physical damage, and bring it to outland at 58 with its default quest gear (which is slightly below outland quality). Proceed to two-shot infernals, pull 8~ fel orcs at once, solo Cruel's Intentions and come out of it all with full health, roaring for the next pull. It's not just death knights, though. Non-holy paladins, shadow priests, warriors, non-resto druids, warlocks, mages, shaman, hunters... some are more adept at others at melting face but they are all significantly ahead of our poor pointy-weaponed friends.

I can only hope that Cataclysm helps to smooth the leveling experience over.

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