#0 - June 4, 2007, 6:09 p.m.
Disclaimer: Thanks for WoWhead and Shadowpanther.net for helping me greatly in compiling this gear list. Credit to those very useful sites. However, I felt it would be more accessible in a list like this rather than a table etc, and a more human outlook on what to get when. I will be listing easily obtainable blues followed by farmable blues followed by epics most of the time. That should see you from 70 to Magtheridon’s Lair farming, I didn’t include any SSC and beyond drops in here because it’s fairly far on and you should know what you’re doing by then anyway.
First of all, items of each type are listed in order of strength for raiding, with most rubbish ones missed out. These, however, are not necessarily contingent with the difficulty of acquiring the aforementioned item. For example, Hourglass of the Unraveller is significantly better than the stupid exalted crappy trinket rubbish that they just released, but doesn't require a silly rep grind.
Some people will prefer certain stats, obviously this is my opinion and not definitive. However, some things are just better than others, no matter which way you slice it. Sorry :D
Having spoken to a lot of rogues and suchlike I feel that starting off stacking hit over crit over AP is the best raid DPS method, while keeping your HP up to a safe level (whatever you feel that may be and how much you trust yourself on potions/healthstone use). Emphasising one stat has diminishing returns for sure, so just do what you feel. These are above all guidelines for the bewildered 70 rogue with a load of quest reward greens, or the blue-geared kara rogue wondering what to do when they’re not raiding.
As for myself, I’ve done Gruul and Mag and cleared Kara. I still need a fair few of the drops, wish me luck :)
A note about socketing: If you really want to top the DPS meters, you will need to hit between 200 and 308 hit rating (with 2/2 weapon expertise) as soon as possible. +8 hit gems (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=24051) are great for this, and remember that often the set bonus isn't worth having to use different gems (good example is the assassination tunic, where you could have 24 hit rating and no 4 dodge bonus). For red sockets, 4hit/4agility gems are great though http://www.wowhead.com/?item=24061, or the hit/AP ones.
Weapons
Enchants: Mongoose on everything you can, it’s the best main hand and offhand enchantand it looks badass. Put 15 agility on offhands you don’t want to put mongoose on. Crusader, 15 agility (or 7 weapon damage for backstabbing maybe) in the main hand until you get a fair mongoose weapon.
The “only” raid specs are 41/20/0 mutilate, 15/41/5 combat daggers and combat swords/fists/lollermaces with something like 17/44/0. Your weapon makes a very large difference to your DPS so it’s your primary focus. I would start off with the high warlord weapons or a 70DPS blue drop from one of the many instances that drop them.
An example of a pure raiding swords build would be this:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=f0ebovZMIVb0VzxRGot
You have all of the major DPS talents, make sure you use deadly in the offhand (that's what you have vile poisons for, increasing the dmg, instant poisons does 0 dps increase once you have a 5 stack assuming windfury is in the main hand). 1/2 blade twisting is a filler but it helps the tank build aggro and hunters' steady shot do more damage.
There are a few things you can do to get a decent set straight after hitting 70:
Riftmaker
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=29182
or The Night Blade
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=31331 paired with
Warp Splinter’s Thorn
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28345 ,
Retainer’s Blade
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=29125 or
Gladiator’s Shiv
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28310
makes a very powerful combat daggers pairing.
Blinkstrike
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=31332 or
Vindicator’s Brand
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=29124 paired with
Latro’s Shifting Sword
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28189 ,
Fireguard
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28425 (not recommended as it’s 1.6 but hey) or Gladiator’s OH sword is very strong for combat swords.
Drakefist Hammer
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28437 with Gladiator’s OH mace or shiv or Blackout Truncheon is decent for combat maces.
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=27901
Beyond that:
Moroes (second kara boss) drops a nice 1.8 dagger: Emerald Ripper http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28524
Big Bad Wolf (opera event, fourth kara boss) drops a nice 2.5 fist: Big Bad Wolf’s Paw http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28584
Juliet (also opera) drops a 1.6 dagger: Blade of the unrequited
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28572
Netherspite (seventh boss in Kara) drops a nice 2.7 sword that looks cool: Spiteblade http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28729
Prince Malchezeen (last/second last boss in Kara) drops a great 1.8 dagger: Malchezeen http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28768
Any gladiator weapon is very good too.
