- Author: Jamielolx
- Date: August 6, 2022
- Expansion: WotLK Classic
Equipment will be the main source of your character’s power, contributing the biggest bulk of your stats. It is therefore very important that you choose the correct equipment for each slot — commonly referred to as “best in slot” equipment – in order to maximize your power.
This guide will help you choose the best equipment possible for each phase, but also the best equipment you can find outside of raids, known as “pre-raid” gear or “pre-BiS”.
As an assassination rogue, you should be Engineering regardless, so these are essentially free for you!
If you chose not to pick Engineering, there are of course alternatives:
Alternatives:
Note: There is a big difference between the epic necks and the blue ones, so try going for those.
Alternatives:
Alternatives:
Alternatives:
Alternative: Advanced Tooled-Leather Bands (Halls of Lightning HC)
However, I cannot stress enough how important the Tier 6 2 set is for Assassination rogue.
Alternative: Gilted-Edge Gauntlets
Alternative: Slayer’s Leg guards Tier 6 item from Black Temple to match with the bracers — in case you cannot obtain the boots. It should be noted that the boots + bracer combo is superior.
While these boots are not useful as a standalone item, they are BiS together with Slayer’s Bracers.
Alternative: Boots of Nevermelting Path requires Argent Crusade Exalted, which is very easy to achieve — see here for details.
Alternatives:
There are currently debates going on if a slower main-hand weapon may prove to be more DPS, while some are skeptical if this holds true, especially for higher item-level weapons. So I will just put this one here with that warning in notice! The difference between Flesh x2 Paper cutters won’t be large however, as I have tested on the beta it swings both sides
There are no solid alternatives, paper cutterss are extremely easy to get and a far better option than the rest!
Alternative: Drake Mounted Xbow
Alternatives:
- Mobius Band
- Titanium Impact Ring (Jewelcrafting BoE)
Alternatives:
Alternatives:
Alternative: Aged Winter Cloak (significant downgrade)
Alternatives:
This is by far the most powerful item available in this slot.
Thrusting Bands exists as an alternative, but it is significantly weaker.
Alternatives:
Alternative: Belt of the Tortured
Alternative: https://www.wowclassicdb.com/wotlk/item/39761
Alternative: Footwraps of Vile Deceit
Alternatives (note that these alternatives are vastly inferior to the two BiS trinkets):
Webbed Death x2 is considered the strongest option for the weapon slot conventionally, but there are tests on the beta that have shown Sinister’s Revenge x2 to be slightly stronger, though by less than 10 DPS.
We will be recommending Webbed Death for the time being / until more testing is done, but bear in mind that Sinister’s Revenge is an excellent option regardless.
Item | Source |
General Vezax (25) | |
Freya (10 HM) | |
Freya (25) |
Item | Source |
Hodir (25 HM) | |
General Vezax (10 HM) | |
Iron Council (25) |
Item | Source |
Thorim (25 HM) | |
Hodir (25) Emblem of Conquest (58) | |
Yogg-Saron (10) |
Item | Source |
Algalon The Observer (25) | |
XT (10 HM) | |
Flame Leviathan (25) |
Item | Source |
Yogg-Saron (25 HM) | |
Freya (25) | |
Razorscale (25) |
Item | Source |
Iron Council (25 HM) Algalon The Observer (25) | |
Iron Council (10 HM) | |
XT (25) |
Item | Source |
Thorim (25 HM) Algalon The Observer (25) | |
Flame Leviathan (10 HM) | |
XT (10 HM) | |
Auriaya (25) |
Progressive BIS
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Engineering (440) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
Upon hitting level 80, the quickest option would be to level Engineering and create Truesight Ice Blinders. Since Engineering is the best profession for Rogues, this is likely your best bet.
While farming Heroic+ dungeons, stay on the lookout for Heroes’ Bonescythe Helmet. Your Tier 7 4-piece bonus is quite valuable, so collect tier if at all possible.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Engineering (440) | |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses |
Valorous Bonescythe Helmet is necessary to complete your 4-piece set bonus, which is quite valuable.
Until you acquire tier, use Truesight Ice Blinders if you are an Engineer.
Alternatively, Hood of the Exodus is a solid option for non-engineers and is easily obtainable from multiple bosses in Naxxramas 10 and 25 man.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Thorim (25) Emblem of Conquest (58) | |
Mimiron (10) | |
Mimiron (10 HM) | |
Thorim (10) |
Conqueror’s Terrorblade Helmet or Valorous Terrorblade Helmet are necessary to complete your T8 2-piece set bonus. Given the strength of other options, your helmet and glove slots are the best candidates to use tier. Luckily Conqueror’s Terrorblade Helmet is purchasable with 58 Emblem of Conquest, which should be relatively easy to obtain with a couple of Ulduar clears and some daily Heroic+.
Mimiron’s Flight Goggles are a fantastic alternative if you are still working toward acquiring tier. This requires you to kill Mimiron on hardmode, which is one of the more difficult hardmodes.
Guise of the Midgard Serpent is easily obtainable from Thorim 10 man, who is quite easy. It pales in comparison to the other helmets on this list, but is better than anything in Tier 7.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Upon hitting level 80, start farming Heroic+ dungeons in search for Gem of Imprisoned Vassals or Pendant of the Dragonsworn.
If you aren’t fortunate enough to find those two necks, consider converting your emblems to Emblem of Heroism and purchase Pendant of the Outcast Hero.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses | |
Favor of the Dragon Queen is by far the best option for this slot outside of Ulduar. This item is a quest reward for Heroic Judgment at the Eye of Eternity. The quest item drops from Sapphiron 10 & 25 man and is completed by killing Malygos 10 or 25 man.
Fools trial is a common drop from Naxxramas as it drops from multiple bosses, and is the second best neck in the game before Ulduar.
A distant 3rd option is Icy Blast, which similar to Favor of the Dragon Queen, also comes from Sapphiron. Be sure to at least run a Naxxramas skip run every week if you don’t have any of the pieces in this list.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
General Vezax (25) | |
Freya (10 HM) | |
Freya (25) |
Pendulum of Infinity is the best necklace in the game, but it is highly contested.
Seed of Budding Carnage and Nymph Heart Charm are decent alternatives and are less contested and easier to acquire.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Naxxramas – BoE | |
Leatherworking – BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
Upon hitting level 80, you have two BoE options: Spaulders of Egotism & Trollwoven Spaulders. Both should be relatively cheap in phase 2, so they are solid temporary pieces to purchase.
Farming Heroic+ dungeons both for Emblem of Valor and your tier shoulders, Heroes Bonescythe Pauldrons should be your next step. Especially if you are able to complete your 4 piece T7 set-bonus.
Spaulders of Resumed Battle is a decent temporary piece if you’re lucky enough to obtain it, but I wouldn’t recommend farming it.
Pre-Ulduar
Heroes Bonescythe Pauldrons farm Heroic+ dungeons for 60 Emblem of Valor or Heroes Bonescythe Pauldrons. You’ll want to try and complete your T7 4 piece set-bonus before stepping into Ulduar.
Spaulders of Egotism are a decent starter BoE and should be quite cheap now in phase 2.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Iron Council (25 HM) | |
Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Kologarn (25) |
Shoulderpads of the Intruder are the best shoulders in the game and drop off of hardmode Iron Council. This is a difficult encounter with a high DPS check, so if your guild is unable to kill this yet, you’ll want to aim for one of the more achieveable alternatives below.
Conqueror’s Terrorblade Pauldrons are somewhat easy to acquire, and protector tokens are typically not very contested.
Shoulderpads of the Monolith are a competitive option and drop off one of the easiest bosses in Ulduar, Kologarn.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Leatherworking – BoE |
For a quick and cheap upgrade upon hitting 80, Ice Striker’s Cloak is your best bet.
After that, your next best bet is to farm Heroic+ dungeons both for 25 Emblem of Valor to purchase Hammerhead Sharkskin Cloak and a chance at Cloak of Darkening.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses | |
Drape of the Deadly Foe is vastly superior to the other options on this list, but is a somewhat rare and heavily contested drop off of 10 and 25 man Kel’Thuzad .
Aged Winter Cloak is a decent alternative and much more accessible, as it drops from multiple bosses in Naxxramas 10 & 25.
Hammerhead Sharkskin Cloak is a distant 3rd option, but it only costs 25 Emblem of Valor.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Hodir (25 HM) | |
General Vezax (10 HM) | |
Iron Council (25) |
Drape of Icy Intent is the best cloak in the game for us by far. It is somewhat contested, but not as much as one might think, as Drape of the Faceless General from 10 man hardmode General Vezax is actually bis for most physical classes.
Consider passing on Drape of the Faceless General to a class that it is BIS for, but if you manage to get this uncontested, it is a decent second option.
Drape of the Lithe is an easily acquirable, but distant alternative to the cloaks listed above.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
World Drop – BoE |
If you are seeking a quick and cheap upgrade upon hitting level 80, Bulge-Concealing Breastplate is pretty good. Bear in mind that you should attempt to replace it quickly with one of the other chests on this list.
Next, start farming Heroic+ dungeons for a chance at Tunic of Dislocation. If you aren’t fortunate enough to see this drop, don’t fret. You can purchase your T7 chest for 80 Emblem of Heroism, which you should passively accumulate on your dungeon farming journey.
Pre-Ulduar
Chestguard of the Recluse is by far the best chest piece outside of Ulduar. It is a somewhat rare drop from Malygos in 10 & 25 man The Eye of Eternity.
Outside of this, you have several options from Naxxramas. Tunic of Enduldge and Tunic of Masked Suffering are common drops from multiple bosses, and should be relatively uncontested.
Your tier chest, Valorous Bonescythe Breastplate, is also a viable option, especially if you’re gaining a set bonus.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Thorim (25 HM) | |
Hodir (25) Emblem of Conquest (58) | |
Yogg-Saron (10) |
Embrace of the Gladiator is far and away the best chest piece in the game for Assassination rogues. It may be a hardmode piece, but Thorim is by far the easiest hardmode in Ulduar.
If you have been unlucky on Thorim, Conqueror’s Terrorblade Breastplate is easily acquirable with 58 Emblem of Conquest.
If you’re short on badges, you can also try your luck at 10 man Yogg-Saron for a chance at your T8.0 tier chest, Valorous Terrorblade Breastplate.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
60 Emblem of Valor BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
Wristwraps of the Cutthroat are the clear Fresh 80 item of choice for this slot. They cost 60 emblems of valor, but you should spend your valor elsewhere and buy them off the auction house.
If you cannot afford them, you can try your luck in Heroic+ dungeons for Cuffs of Dark Shadows.
Pre-Ulduar
Sinner’s Bindings and Thrusting Bands are the best bracers outside of Ulduar. They are both common and drop from multiple bosses from Naxxramas 10 and 25 man.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Algalon The Observer (25) | |
XT (10 HM) | |
Flame Leviathan (25) |
Solar Bindings are far and away the best option for Assassination rogues. Unfortunately they drop off of 25 man Algalon The Observer, who is quite difficult.
There are easy alternatives, however they are far worse than Solar Bindings.
Fluxing Energy Coils are solid and drops off of XT 10 hardmode.
Mechanist’s Bindings drop off of normal mode Flame Leviathan 25 man, which is extremely easy.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
For gloves, your options are somewhat limited. You’re going to want to head into Heroic+ dungeons for a shot at Rapid Attack Gloves, while simultaneously farming 60 Emblem of Heroism for Heroes’ Bonescythe Gauntlets.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses | |
Frosted Adroit Handguards are by far the best glove option before Ulduar and drop from both 10 & 25 man Malygos.
Alternatively, Dislocating Handguards are fairly easy to get, dropping from multiple bosses in Naxxramas.
Valorous Bonescythe Gauntlets are a solid backup, and great if it’s needed to complete your 4-piece T7 set bonus.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Mimiron (25) | |
Freya (10) | |
Algalon The Observer (10) | |
Emblem of Conquest (28) |
Conqueror’s Terrorblade Gauntlets or Valorous Terrorblade Gauntlets are needed, along with tier helmet, to complete your 2 piece set bonus.
If you aren’t able to rock the optimal setup yet, Gloves of the Endless Dark are phenomenal gloves that drop from 10 man Algalon The Observer.
Gloves of the Blind Stalker are also solid, and are easily acquirable from Emblem of Conquest.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Leatherworking – BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) |
If you have gold to spend, Death-warmed Belt is a massive item for any fresh level 80. This pattern drops from Ulduar, but since it’s BoE, you are able to acquire this item without ever stepping into a raid. Even compared to belts that drop in Ulduar, this belt is still one of the best belts in the game, making it a worthwhile splurge for any Rogue that can afford it.
If you’re short on gold, you can farm Heroic+ dungeons for Blistered Belt of Decay or spend 40 Emblem of Heroism on Jorach’s Crocolisk Skin Belt, but bear in mind that these are options are far worse than Death-warmed Belt.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Leatherworking – BoE | |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses | |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses |
Death-warmed Belt remains the best belt available outside of the Ulduar. It is highly recommended that you purchase this piece, as nothing else in T7 compares.
If you cannot afford the belt mentioned above, Stalk-Skin Belt and Belt of the Tortured are your next best options. They both drop from multiple bosses in Naxxramas 10 & 25 man, making them very easy to acquire.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Yogg-Saron (10 HM) | |
Emblem of Conquest (28) | |
Soul-Devouring Cinch is a phenomenal belt and the best one in the game for Assassination rogues. It drops off of Yogg-Saron hardmode in 10 man, which is a relatively easy boss compared to other bosses that drop BIS pieces. Unfortunately it is highly contested by other melee classes like warriors and feral druids. Even hunters want this OP belt, despite the expertise.
Until you are able to acquire the belt mentioned above, Belt of the Twilight Assassin is your next best bet. For the low cost of 28 Emblem of Conquest, can you afford to buy this after a single week of Ulduar 10 and 25 man.
Death-warmed Belt remains the 3rd best belt in the game for us, so if you bought this belt based on this guides recommendation, hopefully you got a fair amount of mileage out of it.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Razorscale – BoE | |
Gundrak (H) |
For an immediate upgrade upon hitting level 80, search for Proto-hide Leggings on the auction house. It drops from the Ulduar boss Razorscale, but since it is BOE, you don’t need to step into Ulduar to acquire it.
Consider holding out on this purchase, however, as a better option would be to get Valorous Bonescythe Legplates or Heroes’ Bonescythe Legplates from Heroic+ dungeons and Emblem of Valor. Particularly if these get you a 2 piece or 4 piece set-bonus.
Gored Hide Legguards are a decent filler piece, but pale in comparison to the rest of the items on this list.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Razorscale (25) – BoE | |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses |
If it gives you a set bonus, Valorous Bonescythe Legplates will remain your best bet.
Proto-hide Leggings remain the best option stat wise, so you should use these if T7 set bonuses are not a factor.
Leggings of the Honored are the next best option outside of Ulduar, and drop from Sartharion in The Obsidian Sanctum 10 and 25 player.
Infectious Skitterer Leggings are weaker than the other options, but are far more common, as they drop from multiple bosses in Naxxramas 10 and 25 man.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Yogg-Saron (25 HM) | |
Freya (25) | |
Razorscale (25) – BoE |
Legguards of Cunning Deception are very powerful legs relative to every other item in Ulduar. They are so strong in fact, that they remain some of the best legs in the game next phase. They are highly contested and equally, if not even more beneficial, to a feral druid and fury warrior.
Conqueror’s Terrorblade Legplates are viable alternatives, especially if it gives you a set bonus. They drop off of normal mode Freya 25 which is relatively easy.
Proto-hide Leggings remain a very strong option even compared to Ulduar legs.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Leatherworking – BoE | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Argent Crusade – Exalted |
If you can afford them, Footpads of Silence are not only the best option for a Fresh 80, but the best boots in the entire game. Buy these! If you cannot afford them, you should farm gold until you get them.
Until then, there are several easily obainable alternatives, although they pale in comparison. Boots of Captain Ellis is a prime example, costing only 40 Emblem of Valor.
Boots of the Worshiper drop in Heroic+ dungeons, so throughout Dungeon grind stay on the lookout for these.
Boots of the Neverending Path are itemized well and purchasable when Exalted with the Argent Crusade. If you happen to be Exalted scoop these up, but I would not recommend farming rep specifically for these boots.
Pre-Ulduar
Footpads of Silence are the absolute best boots in the game, so if you can afford them, don’t hesitate to make this purchase.
If you are still saving up gold for them, there are a couple other options that will get you ready for Ulduar. Dawnwalkers and Footwraps of Vile Deceit both drop from multiple bosses in Naxxramas, so they should be fairly easy to obtain.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Iron Council (25) |
Footpads of Silence are the best boots in the game, so it’s quite convenient that they’re purchasable for a relatively small amount of gold.
If you cannot afford them yet, look out for Flamestalker Boots and Runed Ironhide Boots from normal modes Ignis the Furnace Master and Iron Council.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Eye of Eternity 10 Drop) – BoE | |
You have three incredible, and easily obtainable options for this slot. Two of these options are purchasable with gold. The BoE Surge Needle Ring is relatively cheap these days, and the Inscribed Band of the Kirin Tor is purchasable from Harold Winston in Dalaran for 7800 gold.
Similar in value to both of these rings is the Ring of Invincibility, which is available for the low price of only 25 Emblem of Valor.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former The Eye of Eternity 10 Drop) – BoE | |
Strong-Handed Ring is the strongest ring in the game outside of Ulduar. It is relatively easy to acquire, as it drops from multiple bosses in Naxxramas 10 and 25 man.
The BoE Surge Needle Ring is a close second and is relatively cheap on the auction house. It also drops from Heroic+ dungeons if you are fortunate enough to find one.
A close 3rd is the Ring of Invincibility from Emblem of Valor; a viable alternative if you don’t wish to spend the gold on Surge Needle Ring.
Last but not least is the Inscribed Band of the Kirin Tor. Slightly weaker than the above options, but comes with the added bonus of allowing you to teleport to Dalaran once every 30 minutes, essentially giving you a second hearthstone.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Algalon The Observer (10) | |
Iron Council (10 HM) | |
Yogg-Saron (25) | |
All Is Well That Ends Well (Quest) |
Brann’s Signet Ring is the best ring in the game and is a quest reward from All Is Well That Ends Well. To get this quest, you must be the recipient of Reply-Code Alpha, which drops off of Algalon The Observer 25 man and can only be looted by one player. The quest rewards from this are BIS for everyone, making it the most contested item in the game.
The second best ring in the game is Band of Lights, which drops off of Algalon The Observer 10 man. This is heavily contested, although far less so than Brann’s Signet Ring.
Loop of the Agile is a distant 3rd option, and drops from 10 man hardmode Iron Council, which is quite easy.
Godbane Signet is similar in effectiveness to the Loop of the Agile, and drops off of normal mode Yogg-Saron 25 player.
Last but not least is Brann’s Sealing Ring, the 10 man version of the Brann’s Signet Ring.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Mirror of Truth is an exceptionally high value trinket, and should be one of the first things you buy with Emblem of Heroism.
Similarly, Darkmoon Card: Greatness is fantastic and relatively cheap these days. I would highly consider spending some gold on DMC:G, if you can afford it.
Sphere of Red Dragon’s Blood is deceptively powerful despite its low item level, and is a suitable alternative to the two trinkets listed above.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses |
Mirror of Truth and Darkmoon Card: Greatness remain the best trinkets you can acquire before Ulduar.
Mark of Norgannon is decent as well, and can be convenient to have if you’re short on expertise.
Fury of the Five Flights is suitable as well, but it is far better for other classes, so consider passing on this trinket if alternatives are available to you.
Loatheb’s Shadow is not great compared to the rest of the trinkets on this list, but it is easily obtainable as it drops from multiple bosses in Naxxramas 10 and 25 man.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Algalon The Observer (25) | |
Algalon The Observer (10) | |
Yogg-Saron (25) | |
Kologarn (25) | |
Flame Leviathan (10) | |
Inscription – BoE |
The best two trinkets in the game by a large margin both drop from 10 and 25 man Algalon The Observer respectively.
Comet’s Trail and Dark Matter sim several hundred DPS above the next best option, Blood of the Old God, which drops off of normal mode 25 man Yogg-Saron.
Wrathstone and Pyrite Infuser are suitable options, and are both easily acquireable as they drop from normal mode Ulduar bosses.
Darkmoon Card: Greatness still holds up well and will get your foot in the door to Ulduar.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Halls of Lightning (H) – BoE | |
Halls of Stone (H) |
For a quick surge of power the moment you hit 80, look no further than the Librarian’s Paper Cutter. This overpowered starter weapon is as inexpensive as it is fast. Pick this up at the auction house for next to nothing!
Anarchy is also an exceptional starter weapon, so be sure to be on the lookout for this during your Heroic+ grind.
The Fleshshaper is a great weapon as well, and has a relatively high drop chance in heroic Halls of Stone.
Pre-Ulduar
Item | Source |
Naxxramas – Multiple Bosses (25) | |
Webbed Death from multiple Naxxramas bosses and Sinister’s Revenge from Kel’Thuzad is the best weapon combination before Ulduar by far. No other combination compares.
Best-in-Slot
Offhand | Source |
Iron Council (25 HM) Algalon The Observer (25) | |
Iron Council (10 HM) | |
XT (25) |
For the mainhand slot, there are two viable weapons. Bladetwister is the best possible option for this slot and drops off of 25 man hardmode Freya.
Combatant’s Bootblade is not incredibly far off of Bladetwister, and drops from the underwhelming Thorim 10 man hardmode.
As for offhands, Fang of Oblivion is far and away the best. This drops from both hardmode 25 man Iron Council as well as Algalon The Observer.
Perilous Bite and Golem-Shard Sticker are good alternatives if you’ve been unlucky, or your guild is struggling to kill those two very challenging bosses above.
Fresh 80
Item | Source |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Heroic + Dungeons (Former Naxxramas 10 Drop) | |
Engineering – BoE |
Your ranged slot should not be very difficult to check off. There are two viable options from Heroic+, the Accursed Bow of the Elite and Nerubian Conquerer.
If you’re struggling to find drops in Heroic+, Nesingwary 4000 is fairly cheap on the auction house.
Pre-Ulduar
Envoy of Mortality is far and away the best choice for this slot before Ulduar. Unfortunately, it is also very good for hunters, and should be prioritized to them.
Nerubian Conquerer is a good alternative which can be farmed in Heroic+ dungeons.
Arrowsong is very accessible, as it drops from multiple bosses in 10 and 25 man Naxxramas.
Best-in-Slot
Item | Source |
Thorim (25 HM) Algalon The Observer (25) | |
Flame Leviathan (10 HM) | |
XT (10 HM) | |
Auriaya (25) |
Skyforge Crossbow is the best ranged weapon in the game for rogues, but is unfortunately contested by hunters and warriors. Luckily, if you are full clearing Ulduar each week, you will have two chances to get this weapon as it drops from both Thorim & Algalon The Observer.
Twirling Blades is very close alternative, and drops from 10 man Flame Leviathan hardmode. This is also contested by warriors, and is their BIS, so consider passing to them.
Magnetized Projectile Emitter and Siren’s Cry are distant options in comparison to the ranged weapons above, but they’re relatively uncontested and easy to obtain.
About the Author
when can we expect a phase 2 update
It will be uploaded very soon 🙂
This was 23 days ago.. any update on a p2 update?
Hey I’ll ask the authors, as I currently am not playing rogue I didn’t get assigned this spec!
Have you looked at the Wowhead guide? It disagrees on what the BiS for phase 1 is and I was wondering your take on it. I generally think this site is better but would like to hear from the one writing it since I know very little myself.
They are identical apart from him going for 4 set, and mine going for stats, I don’t think the 4pc is even close to good enough to warrant giving up 2x ilvl 226 items for.
The other only difference I can see are the trinkets, this should speak for itself – with mirrors lowish procrate and you being able to build up stats of FoTFF quick since muti rogues attack quick its better aslong as it doesn’t perma drop stacks
That being said the set I put together sims 45 DPS higher, but is harder to obtain
Correction, mirror appears to be proccing pretty fast on assa rogues, for the same reason : D
Any news regarding the wep? ( talking about the dmg difference?
I have not played rogue enough in classic to factually answer that question, sorry. – but it appears double webbed death is not the play here, weither thats because sinisters revenge has higher ilvl or slower dagger is better we’ll get to see in next patch 🙂
Hey is the 4.Set legit weaker? 😀
It simmed SLIGHTLY weaker for me personally, (talking literal 45 dps here which is around 0.6% of your dps) – you’re literally just trading stats for the 4 set bonus. I don’t particularly like the bonus, but if you do like it. use it. the difference is neglectable, its easier to get and is likely better on non patchwerk style bosses.
Can you give us a BiS list for Phase 2?
Thanks for the guide! I noticed a couple things:
The pre-BiS list recommends the mail engineering goggles instead of (I assume) the leather ones. Also, it may be strictly true that 2pc T6 is best, but I imagine most people will not actually pursue those on a fresh character. Finally, it may be worth noting in the guide that Bonescythe pieces can be sourced from Heroism badges. I had to think about that a little bit before commenting.
Thanks again!
Yeah – I guess they share similar IDs 😛 – T6 is BiS indeed it’s actually pretty important but alternatives are present. – I noted the heroism badges part before the guide went out but was told to remove it to avoid clutter.
After doing some sims it turns out the combination I put together sims 45 DPS higher, mirror and fury are about the same but the procrate on mirror seems lower than the sims put it at
what is the BIS pre raid headpiece then?
Engineering goggles, but the leather version, if no engi (you should be) then Mask of the Watcher
Lost the roll first run, the one time it dropped. It hasn’t dropped once since. Bought Greatness and Mirror, just got Fury, still never seen the Whetstone again. Mirror gives bigger windows for timing Mutilate/Envenom casts with your buffs, resulting in higher real-practice dps than Whetstone, I believe.
truesight ice blinders are mail. Did you link correctly?
Hey David, thanks for pointing that out. We’ve updated the guide so that it correctly links to Weakness Spectralizers. Thanks again!
In the Stat priority, it is mentioned that Expertise cap of 26 is second-highest priority. But the BiS list only gets you to like 13. What am I missing here?
It’s not persé a BiS list but more of a ”best item per slot” list
that being said – you can and will probably end up gemming some expertise, be it scarlet ruby or twilight opal (both most likely the former) and alternatives are listed (an example is the blue expertise cloak, instead of BoE LW cloak) it’s a lot of mixing and matching but I felt like stating the best stand alone items was better in this situation
Hi,
With your P1 build, I noticed that even if you were to gem all your available sockets to have expertise gems in them, you still wouldn’t be able to hit the cap and the max you could get would be 205. Infact, by opting into this build, you would be overdoing the hit cap by 55
points. This necesarily is not a terrible thing, however I am sure that those points could be allocated elsewhere.
I do agree with you that not everyone will be able to obtain all the pieces in this build throughout the phase and that the displayed items are the best case scenario, however for the sake of optimality, I think that swapping Dawnwalkers for Footwraps of Vile Deceit as the main build would be the best solution. Below is what I’ve worked out: I have highlighted the two important stats here, Hit and Expertise, for clarity.
Hit: 237
Exp: 214
Helmet: 58C, 42EXP, 170AP META + BLUE
Neck: 31ARP, 110AP, 41C BLUE
Shoulders: 58C, 43H, 100AP RED
Cape: 49C, 31H, 126AP
Chest: 83EXP, 232AP, 63ARP
Bracers: 41C, 24H, 96AP RED
Gloves: 58HIT, 53C, 174AP
Belt: 62C, 36H, 126AP
Legs: 66HIT, 65H, 196AP RED BLUE
Boots: 50HIT, 57C, 148AP
R1: 32HIT, 43C, 112AP
R2: 28HIT, 41H, 82AP
T1: X
T2: X
WEP1: 21HIT, 31C, 66AP
WEP2: 37HIT, 24H, 98AP
WEP3: 26C, 72AP
Total /w no sockets:
Crit: 519
Haste: 240
Hit: 292
Expertise: 125
ARP: 94
With gems for EXP cap:
5x Precise Scarlet Ruby (16EXP)
1x Enchanted Tears (+6 all stats)
125 + 80 = 205EXP
Recommended changes:
Swap Dawnwalkers (50HIT, 57C, 148AP) for Footwraps of Vile Deceit (49H, 30EXP, 112AP)
242 Hit, 235EXP + 1 yellow socket
Exchange 1 socket for AP = 219 EXP, 242 Hit
This only makes it so that both the hit and expertise rating are only slight above the softcap, but I believe it is better than what you have showing up right now. I also think that the Footwraps are a better item overall since haste has a higher stat priority than crit so you just get more overall out of this combination.
Let me know what you think and if you have any recommendations to other parts of the build being tinkered in order to reach both of the caps.
I will look deeper into the content of your comment tomorrow, – but just came to say that it seems mirror is infact better than fury of the five flights in a simulated situation.
It being easier to get is an added bonus.
So don’t grief players that actually want this! (Darkmooncard still ranks as #1 though) – heavily underestimated the procrate which is a lot shorter for assa rogues since they hit so much faster.. should be fixed soon 🙂
It’s a solid idea, but it does not sim higher atm (note: sims are not always correct, and neither are stat weights always linear – so it might as well be better now or at some point) I agree with the haste being better than crit for obvious reasons.
I also agree with the fact that expertise from gear > gemming expertise- although for assa right now what you really gain is AP, which is on pretty much every piece of gear regardless not really making THAT much of a benefit. (though of course items with both expertise and AP are very valuable, like the boots you linked) Рthe list (esp the pre-raid one) was merely a best-in-slot, per-slot list not a package pers̩ (this is where the alternatives list comes in that often shows items that do have expertise)
While I often feel like sims are incorrect it is sadly the only tool we have in our grasp.
Edit: Nevermind, I found a combo that indeed sims better than the current one I was using. – though I did put them up as an alternative I did not think they were BiS at the time due to the number of hit Dawnstalkers offer, but this proves me wrong in every way.
That said, the extra stats gained from x2 226 items still sims higher than the 4 set bonus where you were to use ilvl 213.
Whether this is a sim error or not is up in the air but to me the 4 set feels underwhelming personally
Since you also mention that hit cap is 237 (like many sites do).
If you need 17% hit chance, and 3% comes from Boomie/SP, 5% from Precision.
Then you would need 9% from stats (which 237 hit rating dont provide)
Can you help out here? 😀
Hey there! Spellhit has a better ratio from hit rating than melee/ranged hit, and poisons use spellhit. 237 is for spellhit cap (with Precision+Boomie/SP bonus).
Hello, i understand that as game move on before patch we may get new item either from previous old dungeon perhaps or HorseMan. this Finger is missing
[Ring of Ghoulish Glee]
This item has already passed and was from the halloween event
True, but it didn’t disappear. For those who have it, it’s like 3rd-place BiS. Worth putting it on the list with a footnote, imo.
I somewhat agree but in the new format we will be introducing (that is already active in the Marksmanship Hunter section) focuses on obtainable items
Hi, for how long will the Greatness trinket be bis for rogues? is it replaceable in ulduar?
I think for assassination it will stay bis through Ulduar. For combat however (which a lot of rogues will be looking to transition into) it might be replaced by rocking the double ArP trinkets (grim toll and mjolnirs)
The problem you will face here is that together with your already passive armor pen you will be severely overcapping yourself when they both proc at the same time.
Assa will likely want Comets Trail + Dark Matter, they care far less about agi, and both have big Attack Power and some of their favourite secondary stats.
Combat likely the same, but they can make use of mjolnirs as you said, just not in combination with grim toll, rather to get decently close to the arp softcap, depending on which ilvl they will end up being.
That being said, I have seen people use the combo (tho it was a marksman hunter) – It didn’t seem terrible but it wasn’t anything special either, just a bunch of overcapped stats for the most part, I wouldn’t take it over DMC with it’s unrivaled uptime and all
TL;DR DMC still very good during and after ulduar, Grim Toll and Runestone TOGETHER has a niche if you have like literal 0 armor pen and they keep proccing at the same time.
Most likely outcome is you will be using DMC + Runestone until something better comes along you can snatch
This is talking about Combat btw, not Mutilate before I confuse people 🙂
It will not be BiS in Ulduar, but it will be high up there, due to how hard it is to get the alternatives.
Think it safe to say with the ilvl increases and DMC being relatively weaker than other STR/AGI users it will be replaceable in ulduar by most trinkets that drop there with Comets Trail (ilvl 252) and Dark Matter (ilvl 238) being bis, wrathstone is another (ilvl 232) on use trinket and yogg saron 25 normal drops an (ilvl 232) hit trinket with AP procc, – I expect all these to be better – with Dark Matter and Comets Trail being BiS with this scaling though the yogg trinket is interesting as well if you need hit
It’s trinket alternative #4 in the soon-to-be-coming bis list, so yes, it can be replaced – however mirror of truth (or fury of the five flights) whichever one you are using is probably the first one to go.
I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise (spoiler) that Comet’s Trail and Dark Matter are the best choices for Phase 2.
Followed by Blood of the Old Gods > Wrathstone=Pyrite Infuser > Darkmooncard Greatness, note DMC is still very close and easy to obtain nowadays, while the top 3 trinkets are pretty rare. So it’s still worth the gold imo, but no it’s not going to remain bis.
With the 2 set bonus being basically unused with assasination build if you have a bleeding effect already, would it be better to use the hood of exodus and the concealment shoulderpads that give you an extra 60 expertise rating?
only the shoulders*
Good question, as far as I know, the tier shoulders are also the best stand alone item, so for those it shouldn’t count.
The best thing you could do is simulate it and check the results, – I have not played rogue since classic so I wouldn’t know from the top of my head.
no