PVP weapons/viable PVE specFollow

S2 Swords are great for both. The shadow step spec is pvp only, IMO. You'd want to go combat for pve unless you want to hold your group back. It's true that you get easier time sapping mobs, but nothing a well placed distract as combat can't achieve, at the cost of almost half dps cut if you go as shadow step. Besides if you mostly BG, Combat isn't bad at all for pvp either.

Also, not like you can't respec.

Edited, Jul 27th 2008 11:34am by Elustriel

After swords which armor pieces should I get first?

Greens first, then slowly upgrade the blues. Also you can turn in one of each BG mark for 320 honor as many times as you want.

Well, that depends who you're doing it with, and how good your gear is. Duh. If you have 10 people with sub-par specs, and who aren't significantly overgeared for Kara, you're going to have a grim time in there. The same goes double for heroic instances, there's much less room for carrying dead weight.

If your guild has plenty of folks just farming badges, then yeah, you should be fine at that level, but accept that your DPS will suck compared to a properly PvE geared Combat Swords spec.

So what you're saying is that, past some arbitrary date or something, PuGs became significantly less retarded?

^ Agreed. I started Kara in probably March, and switched to combat every time. As our group got better gear, I ended up staying ShS, and each run got shorter and shorter. I've pugged a few now as well, and the gear levels are usually there, it's just a diff. in pulling styles. With our main group (which is now disbanded) we'd double tank chain pull and clear in under 3 hours. With pugs, everyone seems to know the fights, but there isn't a cohesive pulling strat.

So basically what you're saying is that the average player in a PuG sucks less than they did before. So explain to me again how that means that running Kara with undergeared, poorly spec'd players is magically easier than it was before?

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I think you're setting up a strawman that misses the original argument completely.

Both sides of the argument can hold up, though there are conditions for it being "okay" to spec ShS in Kara.

1) Your gear is equivalent to badge gear/T5+.

2) You're running on an alt rogue with a group of players that normally raid T5+ content.

3) You're a moron.

Those are the only three situations that someone is allowed into Kara on a ShS rogue.

Edited, Jul 28th 2008 12:59am by Theophany

Ran with a ShS rogue this last weekend and I have to agree that the damage is lacking. In addition, he was in full pvp gear, 79 hit. Still dished out a lot of hurt and stayed in the top 3, but I blew him out of the water in Kara gear and a mutilate build. The player was much more experienced in Kara (I have less than 10 runs), but even that didn't make up for the lack of utility. If I was combat it would have been no where near close.

As a rogue you have the lowest threat to damage ratio. In Kara you are balls to the wall DPS and the only time you will really have any other role is on Shade for kicks. Every other time you are just dishing out hurt. If you are not doing that to the best of your ability (i.e. wrong spec or gear) you are gimping the group and unless they are overgeared, as previously stated, and doing badge runs, you are a wasted slot.

Personal justification: I am part of a third group that is doing badge farming raids and so I am allowed to go as mutilate. =p

Edited, Jul 28th 2008 7:03am by AtrophyGFour

Pre-emptive gratz on the upcoming ding!

I've run my combat spec right next to a full s1/vindicators ShS rogue in heroics (I was in t4 at the time with s1 fists) and the damage difference is there, but not as huge as you might think. Now with s2 gear available for honor, I'd imagine that with a couple of gear switch-outs (mainly for hit rating), you could pull your weight Ok-ish in an experienced Kara/heroic group. You should absolutely tell them that you're PvP spec'd if you do and realize that though not by much, you are in fact gimping the raid a wee bit. Honestly, some groups will not be cool with it. But you just have to resign yourself to that occasional reaction and move on.

But really, respecs aren't expensive. If you're doing even just a couple dailies and have a regular raid night, it's only 60g a week (respec for raid, respec back). And a few pieces of gear to up your hit rating wouldn't be hard to put together, especially once you start the PvE stuff. I'm doing this now with my lock and it's easy.

Hope that helps. Good luck and here's to phat lootz!

How will the shadowspec build work when I am grinding dailies to make money for my mount? Is it just bad in instanced pve or is it not that great in regular pve as well?

While i would agree that combat is a MUCH better spec for kara, if i

A) Dont have enough money to respec.

Or

B) I check out other peoples gear and how it compares to mine.

If it is pretty bad ill probably respec combat, if it is T4 plus i'll stay ShS unless its a guild run and i have to impress them or something :P Most times i respec though.

Saying that, even as shadowstep with around 2150 AP, 260 Hit, 25% Crit (i think) i put out about 900 DPS and usually top 1-2 in terms of damage done.

Speed

(oo) What you want
(oo) Baby, I got
(oo) What you need
(oo) Do you know I got it?
(oo) All I'm askin'
(oo) Is for a little respec when you come home (just a little bit)
Hey baby (just a little bit) when you get home
(just a little bit) mister (just a little bit)

I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone
Ain't gonna do you wrong (oo) 'cause I don't wanna (oo)
All I'm askin' (oo)
Is for a little respec when you come home (just a little bit)
Baby (just a little bit) when you get home (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)

I'm about to give you all of my money
And all I'm askin' in return, honey
Is to give me my profits
When you get home (just a, just a, just a, just a)
Yeah baby (just a, just a, just a, just a)
When you get home (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)


Ooo, your kisses (oo)
Sweeter than honey (oo)
And guess what? (oo)
So is my money (oo)
All I want you to do (oo) for me
Is give it to me when you get home (re, re, re ,re)
Yeah baby (re, re, re ,re)
Whip it to me (respec, just a little bit)
When you get home, now (just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C
Take care, TCB

Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respec (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe (just a little bit)
A little respec (just a little bit)
I get tired (just a little bit)
Keep on tryin' (just a little bit)
You're runnin' out of foolin' (just a little bit)
And I ain't lyin' (just a little bit)
(re, re, re, re) 'spect
When you come home (re, re, re ,re)
Or you might walk in (respec, just a little bit)
And find out I'm gone (just a little bit)
I got to have (just a little bit)
A little respec (just a little bit)