mop rogue guide

Combat Rogue Guide for Mists of Pandaria

Welcome to our Combat Rogue DPS guide for World of Warcraft MoP 5.4. Here, you will learn everything you need to know about playing a Combat Rogue in a raid environment, although most of the content also applies to normal and heroic dungeons. Combat Rogues currently lack behind Assassination.

Introduction

Welcome to our comprehensive Combat Rogue DPS guide for World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria (MoP) 5.4. This guide is designed to help you understand the intricacies of playing a Combat Rogue in a raid environment, but many aspects also apply to normal and heroic dungeons. While Combat Rogues are powerful, they currently fall behind Assassination Rogues in overall damage output. However, Combat Rogues bring a unique blend of burst damage and sustained DPS, making them a valuable asset to any raid team.

Throughout this guide, we’ll cover everything from basic rotation and cooldown usage to optimizing your gear and talents. We’ll also delve into the specifics of Raid Buffs and Debuffs, Stat Priority, and even touch on PvP considerations for those who want to test their skills in the battlegrounds and arenas. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a new player venturing into the world of rogues, this guide has something to offer.

This guide aims to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to become a master of the Combat Rogue specialization in Mists of Pandaria. Get ready to unleash your inner rogue and carve your path to victory in the world of Azeroth!

Combat Rogue Overview

The Combat Rogue specialization in Mists of Pandaria is known for its high burst damage potential and sustained DPS. This spec relies heavily on maximizing the use of its cooldowns, such as Adrenaline Rush and Blade Flurry, to unleash devastating attacks. Combat Rogues are also adept at managing their energy pool efficiently, utilizing abilities like Hemorrhage and Dispatch to maximize their damage output.

One of the key strengths of Combat Rogues is their ability to generate a large amount of energy through their attacks, which allows them to maintain a high level of sustained damage. They also have access to powerful abilities like Killing Spree, which provides a significant burst of damage and can be used to quickly take down enemies. Combat Rogues are also highly mobile, allowing them to quickly reposition themselves and avoid enemy attacks.

While Combat Rogues lack the consistent high damage output of Assassination Rogues, they excel at delivering powerful bursts of damage, especially in combination with their cooldowns. They are a versatile and rewarding specialization for players who enjoy a fast-paced, action-packed playstyle.

Raid Buffs and Debuffs

Combat Rogues bring a valuable set of raid buffs and debuffs to the table, enhancing the performance of their raid group. Here are some of the key contributions they offer⁚

• Deadly Poison⁚ This potent poison is applied by the rogue’s main attack abilities, dealing damage over time and reducing the target’s armor, making them more vulnerable to physical attacks. This debuff is a crucial asset in raid encounters, as it significantly increases the raid’s overall damage output.

• Expose Armor⁚ This ability provides a significant armor reduction debuff, making the target more susceptible to all forms of physical damage. This debuff is particularly effective against bosses with high armor values, significantly boosting the raid’s damage potential.

• Vanish⁚ While not a direct buff or debuff, Vanish can be used to strategically interrupt enemy casts or provide a brief window of opportunity for the raid group to regroup or reposition. This ability can prove invaluable in challenging raid encounters.

• Subterfuge⁚ This talent grants the rogue the ability to apply the Deadly Poison debuff to all targets within a small radius, making it an efficient tool for maximizing damage against multiple enemies. This talent is a valuable asset in raid encounters with large groups of adds.

• Sprint⁚ This ability allows the rogue to quickly move across the battlefield, providing a crucial boost to their mobility and positioning. This ability is essential for navigating raid encounters with challenging mechanics or tight spaces.

Talents and Glyphs

Choosing the right talents and glyphs for your Combat Rogue is crucial for maximizing your damage output and survivability in raids. Here’s a breakdown of key talents and glyphs that are commonly used in a raid environment.

• Tier 1⁚
  • Subterfuge⁚ This talent allows you to apply Deadly Poison to all enemies within a small radius, making it ideal for encounters with multiple adds. It significantly increases your damage output in these situations.
  • Premeditation⁚ This talent reduces the global cooldown on your next ability after using a combo point spender, making it a valuable asset in maximizing your DPS. It allows for a faster rotation and more frequent use of your powerful abilities.
  • Relentless Strikes⁚ This talent provides a 10% chance to reset the cooldown on your next combo point spender, offering a burst of damage and increasing your overall DPS potential. However, its effectiveness is less consistent than the other two talents.

• Tier 2⁚
  • Master of Deception⁚ This talent grants a substantial increase in your critical strike chance while stealthed, making it a powerful tool for initiating encounters or dealing a significant burst of damage. It can be particularly effective in conjunction with other stealth-enhancing talents.
  • Shadowstep⁚ This talent provides a short-range teleportation, making it valuable for repositioning and avoiding enemy attacks. It can also be used to reposition yourself for optimal damage output.
  • Quickening⁚ This talent increases the speed of your next combo point spender after using a specific ability, making it a valuable tool for maximizing your DPS. It can help to create smoother rotations and maximize your damage output.

• Tier 3⁚
  
  • Adrenaline Rush⁚ This talent reduces the cooldown of your Adrenaline Rush ability, increasing your burst damage potential. It allows you to deliver more frequent burst damage cycles, making it a valuable asset in raid encounters.
  • Slice and Dice⁚ This talent increases the damage of your next combo point spender after using a specific ability, making it a reliable way to increase your overall DPS output. It provides a consistent damage boost throughout the encounter.
  • Deadly Momentum⁚ This talent grants a critical strike chance increase after using a combo point spender, providing a burst of damage and increasing your overall DPS. It is a valuable asset in high-pressure situations where you can take advantage of the critical strike boost.

Stat Priority

Understanding stat priority is crucial for maximizing your Combat Rogue’s damage output and overall effectiveness in raids. Each stat plays a different role, and knowing their relative value helps you make informed decisions about gear choices, enchants, and gems. Here’s a breakdown of stat priority for Combat Rogues in Mists of Pandaria⁚

1. Haste⁚ Haste is the most valuable stat for Combat Rogues. It reduces the global cooldown (GCD) on your abilities, allowing you to fit more abilities into a given timeframe and increasing your damage output. It also speeds up the generation of combo points and reduces the cooldown on your Adrenaline Rush ability.
2. Crit⁚ Critical strike chance (Crit) is the second most important stat. It increases the damage of your attacks, making it a valuable stat for dealing high damage. It also increases the chance for procs from abilities like Adrenaline Rush and Deadly Momentum.
3. Mastery⁚ Mastery is the third most valuable stat. It increases the damage of your Hemorrhage ability, making it a significant contributor to your overall damage output. Mastery also helps with your overall sustained damage, as it increases the effectiveness of your bleed damage.
4. Agility⁚ Agility is a good stat for Combat Rogues, as it increases your attack power and critical strike chance. However, its value is lower than the previous three stats due to its indirect contribution to damage. Prioritize Agility only after maximizing the other stats.
5. Hit Rating⁚ Hit rating is only important to a certain point. You need enough hit rating to ensure that your attacks and abilities hit your target without being dodged or missed. However, after reaching this threshold (around 17% hit rating), additional hit rating becomes less valuable. Focus on other stats after reaching the necessary hit rating threshold.

Remember that stat priority can change slightly based on your gear and specific encounter requirements. Always use tools like Shadowcraft to analyze your gear and determine the optimal stat priority for your specific situation.

Rotation and Cooldowns

Combat Rogues excel in their ability to burst down targets with a combination of powerful abilities and cooldowns. The key to maximizing your damage output is mastering the rotation and effectively utilizing your cooldowns. Here’s a breakdown of the core rotation and cooldowns for Combat Rogues in Mists of Pandaria⁚

1. Opening Burst⁚ When engaging a target, use your cooldowns for maximum damage output. Start with Adrenaline Rush, followed by your chosen burst abilities (either Blade Flurry or Killing Spree, depending on the target and situation).
2. Sustained Damage⁚ After your burst, maintain a consistent flow of combo points using abilities like Sinister Strike, Mutilate, and Rupture. Prioritize maintaining a steady flow of bleeds on your target, as Hemorrhage provides a significant portion of your damage.
3. Cooldown Management⁚ Keep track of your cooldowns, such as Adrenaline Rush, Blade Flurry, Killing Spree, and Shadowstep. Use them strategically to maximize your damage output during key phases of the encounter. Remember that Adrenaline Rush can be used multiple times in a fight, but plan its use carefully.
4. Prioritize Bleeds⁚ Maintain a steady flow of bleeds on your target, as Hemorrhage and Rupture contribute significantly to your overall damage output. Ensure that Rupture is always active, as it provides a passive increase to your damage.
5. Use Stealth⁚ Use Stealth to reposition yourself, avoid damage, or set up your burst sequence. Shadowstep can be used to close the distance to a target or escape from danger.

Remember that the optimal rotation may vary slightly depending on the encounter, target, and your specific gear setup. Experiment with different approaches and use your knowledge of the fight to make informed decisions.

Gear and Best in Slot

Choosing the right gear for your Combat Rogue is crucial to maximizing your damage output in Mists of Pandaria. The goal is to optimize your stat priority, ensuring you have a good balance of Haste, Critical Strike, and Mastery. You’ll also want to consider the best in slot (BiS) items for your specialization, taking into account the specific raid encounters and the overall gear available.

• Head⁚ The Helm of the Fallen King (Tier 15) is a strong option, offering a combination of Haste, Mastery, and Critical Strike. Alternatively, the Helm of the Darkened Sky (Tier 16) provides higher Haste, Mastery, and Critical Strike, making it a solid choice for later raid tiers.
• Shoulders⁚ Pauldrons of the Fallen King (Tier 15) or Pauldrons of the Darkened Sky (Tier 16) are excellent choices for Shoulders, offering similar stat combinations. You can also consider the Shoulders of the Fallen King (Tier 15) for a higher Haste and Mastery bonus.
• Chest⁚ The Chestguard of the Fallen King (Tier 15) or Chestguard of the Darkened Sky (Tier 16) are top options for Chest, providing a good balance of Haste, Mastery, and Critical Strike.
• Gloves⁚ Gloves of the Fallen King (Tier 15) or Gloves of the Darkened Sky (Tier 16) are strong contenders, offering a mix of Haste, Mastery, and Critical Strike.
• Legs⁚ Leggings of the Fallen King (Tier 15) or Leggings of the Darkened Sky (Tier 16) provide a well-rounded combination of Haste, Mastery, and Critical Strike.
• Feet⁚ Boots of the Fallen King (Tier 15) or Boots of the Darkened Sky (Tier 16) are great choices for Feet, offering solid stats.
• Weapons⁚ The best weapons will depend on your current raid progression and the availability of high-level weapons. Look for weapons with high Haste, Critical Strike, and Mastery.

Remember to prioritize gear with the most beneficial stats for your specialization, considering the raid encounters you’re facing. You may need to adjust your gear choices based on the specific raid bosses and their mechanics.

Gems, Enchants, and Consumables

Gems, enchants, and consumables are essential for optimizing your Combat Rogue’s performance in Mists of Pandaria. They can provide a significant boost to your damage output and survivability. Here’s a breakdown of the best options for your gear⁚

• Gems⁚
  • Red⁚ Choose a gem that provides a combination of Haste, Critical Strike, and Mastery. The ideal choice is a Haste/Critical Strike/Mastery gem for maximum damage potential.
  • Yellow⁚ Use a gem that provides Haste and Critical Strike. This combination is optimal for increasing your damage output.
  • Blue⁚ Select a gem that provides Haste and Mastery. This combination will enhance your damage output and survivability.
• Enchants⁚
  • Weapon⁚ Enchant your weapon with “Glyph of the Guardian,” which provides a significant boost to your damage output.
  • Head⁚ Enchant your helmet with “Arcanum of the Mastermind,” which provides a combination of Mastery and Critical Strike.
  • Shoulders⁚ Enchant your shoulders with “Glyph of the Guardian,” which provides a boost to your damage output.
  • Chest⁚ Enchant your chest with “Glyph of the Guardian,” which provides a boost to your damage output.
  • Gloves⁚ Enchant your gloves with “Glyph of the Guardian,” which provides a boost to your damage output.
  • Legs⁚ Enchant your legs with “Glyph of the Guardian,” which provides a boost to your damage output.
  • Feet⁚ Enchant your feet with “Glyph of the Guardian,” which provides a boost to your damage output.
  • Cloak⁚ Enchant your cloak with “Glyph of the Guardian,” which provides a boost to your damage output.
• Consumables⁚
  • Food⁚ Use food that provides a combination of Haste and Critical Strike. This will enhance your damage output significantly.
  • Potions⁚ Use potions that provide a combination of Haste and Critical Strike. This will further boost your damage output during encounters.
  • Flask⁚ Choose a flask that provides a combination of Haste and Critical Strike. This will provide a substantial damage boost.

Macros and Addons

Macros and addons can greatly enhance your Combat Rogue experience in Mists of Pandaria, streamlining your gameplay and providing valuable information. Here are some essential macros and addons to consider⁚

• Macros⁚
  • Stealth Macro⁚ This macro combines Stealth with a movement ability, such as Sprint or Shadowstep, allowing you to seamlessly enter stealth and reposition.
  • Vanish Macro⁚ This macro combines Vanish with a movement ability, such as Sprint or Shadowstep, allowing you to quickly vanish and reposition.
  • Combo Point Macro⁚ This macro displays your current combo points and triggers an alert when you reach a specific number of combo points, ensuring you don’t waste any opportunities for powerful abilities.
  • Cooldown Macro⁚ This macro tracks the cooldowns of your key abilities, such as Adrenaline Rush, Blade Flurry, and Cloak of Shadows, helping you optimize their use during encounters.
• Addons⁚
  • Deadly Boss Mods (DBM)⁚ DBM provides crucial encounter information, including boss mechanics, ability warnings, and timers, allowing you to react effectively during raids.
  • WeakAuras⁚ WeakAuras allows you to create custom visual cues and alerts for a wide range of events, including ability cooldowns, buff timers, and incoming damage, giving you greater awareness and control.
  • Recount⁚ Recount provides detailed damage and healing statistics, allowing you to track your performance and identify areas for improvement.
  • Skada⁚ Skada is an alternative to Recount, providing similar functionality for damage and healing tracking.