Alpha 8471 Rogue News

Posted 2 months, 1 week ago at 10:46 am. 5 comments

First, I’d like to state a disclaimer.  I’m not in the alpha.  This information is likely to change and may indeed be false.  I have read other information that leads me to believe that more of our abilities have been changed, but this is the information I have so far. 

I wouldn’t overreact to these additions and changes too much.  It’s all at a very early stage and I’m sure we will see a lot of it radically change.  Overall, the changes seem pretty good, though heavily favoring daggers and survivability, which is great for soloing and PvP.

I do not usually use the “More” tag, but I’m going to start using it on Wrath of the Lich King spoiler information.

Changed Abilities

• Sap Rank 4 - Incapacitates the target for up to T. Must be stealthed. Only works on Humanoids, Beasts, Demons and Dragonkin that are not in combat. Any damage caused will revive the target. Only 1 target may be sapped at a time. Awesome. This will definitely increase the desire for Rogues in instances.
• Cheap Shot - “Awards 2 combo points” removed from description. Changed in 8391.
• Mace Specialization - The stun from Mace Specialization now has a 6 second cooldown. Changed in 8391

New Abilities

• Fan of Knives - Instantly throw both weapons at all targets within X yards, causing Y% weapon damage. (Level 80, 50 energy) Woot!  AoE Ranged.  I’m really surprised they added this.

New Talented Abilities

These abilities are likely talent abilities, but I don’t have enough definitive information on which tree they belong to.

• Honor Among Thieves Rank 3/3 - When anyone in your group critically hits with a damage or healing spell or ability you have a X% chance to gain a combo point on your current target.  I’m not sure where this ability will fall but it’s a great ability for Rogues in groups with Mages, Moonkin, Hunters and other characters obsessed with critical hits.
• Waylay Rank 2/2 - Your Ambush critical hits have a X% chance to reduce the target’s melee and ranged attack speed by Y%, movement speed by X% and prevent item use for T. Dagger PvP love. I think one of the most interesting portions of this is the “prevent item use”.  As I read it, this will probably even prevent the use of PvP Trinket.
• Prey on the Weak Rank 5/5 - Your normal melee critical strike damage is increased by X% when the target has less health than you (as a percentage of total health). More dagger love.  Like our own version of Execute.
• Murder Spree - Step through the shadows from enemy to enemy within 10 yards, attacking an enemy every .5 secs with both weapons until 5 assaults are made. Can hit the same target multiple times.  Rumored to be the last ability in Combat tree.  So incredibly OP especially on a single target in PvP, this is bound to be nerfed. 
• Wavering Will - Increases the time between an enemy’s attacks speed by X%, slows its casting speed by Y%, and slows its movement by Z%. Lasts T. Seems useful for PvP, soloing or ways to slow down Rogue damage by giving them a debuff that everyone will want applied to the tank’s main target.
• Focused Attacks 4/4- Your melee critical strikes have a X% chance to give you Y energy.  Dagger love.  Very cool.  This should have been in when Combat Potency was introduced.

• Unfair Advantage - Whenever you dodge and attack you gain an Unfair Advantage, increasing your chance to hit by 2/4% and the chance that attacks will miss you by 2/4% for 8 sec. PvP love.
• Throwing Specialization - Increases the range of Throw and Deadly Throw by 2/4 yards and gives your Deadly Throw a 50/100% chance to interrupt the target for 3 sec. This sounds like something that PvP players will most likely be interested in, but don’t the PvP gloves give this ability?  Seems rather redundant.
• Stay of Execution - When you have less than 35% health, all damage taken is reduced by 5/10/15% and you are treated as if you are at full health. Woot! Anti-execute ability.

Assassination

• Blood Spatter - Increases the damage caused by your Garrote and Rupture abilities by 10/20%. Depending on where this sits in the tree, it could be a boon to the mainstay finisher, Rupture, of Rogues.
• Turn the Tables - You have a 5/10/15% chance of reflecting physical effects back on the attacker. PvP love.
• Cut to the Chase - Your Eviscerate and Envenom critical strikes have a 20/40/60/80/100% chance to refresh your Slice and Dice duration to its 5 combo point maximum. Hmm.  Seems like an interesting way to encourage Rogues to consider Eviscerate as their primary finisher rather than Rupture. 
• Devious Poisons - Increases the damage caused by your Instant Poison and Deadly Poison by 10(/20?)%. In addition, when a target you’ve poisoned is healed or cured, there is a 50(/100?)% chance the poison afflicts the healer. PvP love.
• Deadly Brew - When you apply Instant, Wounding or Mind-Numbing poison to a target, you have a 50%/100% chance to apply a second poison:

  Instant -> Deadly
  Wounding -> Crippling
  Mind Numbing-> Crippling
  PvP love.

Subtlety

• Slaughter from the Shadows - Reduces the energy cost of your Backstab and Ambush abilities by 3/6/9/12/15. Dagger love.
• Shadow Dance - Instantly enter stealth and begin the Shadow Dance. For 9 sec you will reenter stealth every 3 secs. (2 min CD) Ambush love.

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