Sabine's Rogue Guide

[Sabine]

DPS Specs:

The three main rogue DPS builds these days are 51MM, Blinkblade, and Asstalker. 51MM will be the top dps only if your ranged weapon is a tier better than your mainhand, but it actually has AOE and utility so it's still often used. Blinkblade will be the best spec pre-T3, but Asstalker pulls ahead once you get the Assassin synergy crystal online with 4-piece Blighted or 2-piece Zardonis.


Asstalker: http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MMpf.MVRcxkfV00M.V0xcuR.x0x0m

Once you get 4-piece blighted or 2-piece HK, this is your single-target spec, putting out numbers significantly higher than MM at the expense of all utility and AOE. Since there's so many short buffs to track here, I highly recommend setting up the nkRebuff addon found here: http://www.riftui.com/downloads/info74-V1.7.0.html. I use it to track Ruthless Stalker, Annihilate, and Impale. Biggest problem with the spec is massive energy starvation. Even with Fervor, you'll hit empty without a tablet. You can adjust your energy consumption by adjusting time between FB's. 2GCD FB's will use more energy, 4GCD FB's will use less.

Buffs:
Baneful Touch
Virulent Poison
Lethal Poison
Stalker Phase
Planebound Resilience

Macros:

Opener Macro
#show Jagged Strike
suppressmacrofailures
cast Expose Weakness
cast Shadow Stalk
cast Jagged Strike

Spam Macro
#show Puncture
suppressmacrofailures
cast Puncture
cast Backstab
cast Savage Strike
cast Swift Shot
cast Poison Malice
cast Cut and Run

#show Annihilate
cast Annihilate
cast Expose Weakness

#show Shadow Assault
suppressmacrofailures
cast Shadow Assault
cast Shadow Blitz
cast Shadow Stalk

Other keybinds:
Impale
Final Blow
Shadow Shift

It's a relatively simple rotation, but hard to nail in practice.

Start in stealth and use the opener.
5cp -> Annihilate -> 5cp -> Impale

3 uses of spam/shift macros (ignore CP) -> Final Blow -> repeat

Keep Ruthless Stalker up 100%, use your shift macro whenever the buff hits 3-2 seconds left. Keep Annihilate up 100%, refreshing with 5CP whenever convenient, waiting as long as possible. Refresh Impale with 5CP only AFTER it falls off. If you can fit another full Final Blow rotation in before it drops, do so.


51 Marksman Neo: http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MfNp.EGtRqdAudR.VMRou

This is a slightly different spec with a very different rotation for use with the Blighted Ranger crystal. My testing showed a moderate 50 DPS gain, a much easier rotation, and greater mobility over MM classic, so this is what I use now.

Buffs
Electric Munitions
Silver Tip Munitions
Predatory Instincts

Spam Button
#show Shadow Fire
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Shadow Fire
Cast Splinter Shot
Cast Piercing Shot
Cast Crippling Shot
Cast Quick Shot

Finisher Button
#show Rapid Fire Shot
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Rapid Fire Shot
Cast Head Shot

Bullseye
#show Bullseye
cast Deadeye Shot
cast Bullseye

AOE
#show Fan Out
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Shadow Fire
Cast Lightning Fury
Cast Fan Out

Other keybinds
Strafe
Quick Reload
Retreat
Shadow Shift

Spam to 5CP -> Finisher
Use Strafe and Bullseye on cooldown in conjunction with Quick Reload

51 Marksman Classic: http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MfN_.EGtRqdAudR.VRR0u

It has fantastic single-target damage at the longest range in the game. Downsides include a marginally complicated rotation and the fact that you lose a chunk of damage if you have to move.

Buffs
Electric Munitions
Silver Tip Munitions
Predatory Instincts

Rending Munitions are also great, and may out-dps EM or STM on fights with high armor or lots of target switching. I'll need to test this.

Macros:

#show Shadow Fire
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Shadow Fire
Cast Piercing Shot
Cast Crippling Shot
Cast Quick Shot

#show Quick Shot
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Empowered Shot (remove if you don't have the MM Synergy Crystal)
Cast Piercing Shot
Cast Crippling Shot
Cast Quick Shot

#show Rapid Fire Shot
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Rapid Fire Shot
Cast Deadeye Shot
Cast Hasted Shot

#show Fan Out
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Lightning Fury
Cast Fan Out

Single Target Rotation: Shadow Fire button to 5 points --> Finisher --> Strafe --> Bullseye --> Finisher --> Quick Reload --> Strafe --> Finisher

Then, just keep Shadow Fire up, use your spam and finisher buttons, and use your abilities on cooldown. Bullseye should always be used with Deadeye Shot. If you so choose, you can take the points out of piercing shot and put them into Bestial Fury. Don't use Piercing shot unless you have 3/3 Improved, however, as it will overwrite better armor debuffs. If you want the Head Shot buff, always use it right before Strafe as it will not trigger your instant Empowered Shot.

AOE Rotation: Shadow Fire --> Fan Out button spam. Keep Shadow Fire up.


Deep Sab:http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MTMb.EVMfEbxkoRz.0VMcxcb

Very respectable damage, dead simple rotation, and functions well on the move. You will gain dps by standing in melee due to Serrated Blades, but you don't lose much from being at range.

Buffs:
Lethal Poison
Virulent Poison
Baneful Touch

Macros:

#show Spike Charge
suppressmacrofailures
cast Expose Weakness
cast Spike Charge
startattack

#show Blast Charge
suppressmacrofailures
cast Expose Weakness
cast Blast Charge
startattack

#show Shrapnel Charge
suppressmacrofailures
cast Expose Weakness
cast Shrapnel Charge
startattack

#show Detonate
suppressmacrofailures
cast @focus Incriminate
Cast Detonate

Start by selecting the tank and pressing Shift-F to focus target him.

Single Target Rotation: Spike x5 --> Detonate macro --> Blast x5 --> Detonate Macro --> repeat

AOE Rotation: Spike x5 --> Annihilation Bomb --> Shrapnel x5 --> Detonate macro

Keep using Shrapnel until Annihilation Bomb is up again, then do another round of Spike.


BlinkBlade: I haven't tried this spec, but it looks like loads of fun. Shamelessly stealing Hoko's guide from the forums:

Hoko's Blink'blade/Shadowdancer guide for 1.5

Due to all the nerfs/changes I am making a new thread with this guide with all the aoe macros rotations, original macros have also changed so ignore the old discussion threads. I also do not care what you call this spec, nor do I care who came up with it first, I am posting the guide because that is what I do.

Spec: 27sin/20rs/19bd Defaults at 2/3 combat efficiency, can drop to 1/3 if you like to spam tablets, but imo 3% dex is worth the money you save by not using tablets. http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MMpV.0VRcxodV00M.VzxchR.Vf0I0R

Macros:
Hoko Button™
#show Backstab
cast Backstab
cast Puncture
cast Precision Strike
cast Quick Strike
cast Keen Strike
cast Expose Weakness
cast Blade Tempo
cast Poison Malice

Blink Macro (note it changed due to the first 2 blinks giving 2cps)
#show Shadow Assault
cast Shadow Assault
cast Shadow Blitz
cast Shadow Stalk

AoE Macro
#show Rift Disturbance
cast Shadow Blitz
cast Rift Disturbance
cast Twin Strike
(rift disturbance may be a dps loss now that it does not add a cp, but it by itself hits harder than twin strike so I left it in macro for now, take it off if it becomes a dps loss, also it hits more targets than twin strike, so up to your personal preference here)

Hotkeys: Deadly Strike, Flash of Steel, Shadow Shift, Weapon Barrage, Annihilate

Rotation: keep shadow buffs and Annihilate up, spam hoko button to deadly dance as usual, getting 2cps will be confusing, but im sure a new optimum rotation will arise, if not, who cares, ignore the extra cp and play as normal (what i do anyways as going from 4-6cps is rarely a dps loss). May keep keen strike on bar to use at 4cps tho, probably a dps gain in most situations. I like to start fight with shadow shift>flash of steel, jumping forward 35m in 1 second is very cool! AoE rotation is simple, spam aoe button and deadly strike, keep up shadow assault but ignore shadow stalk, having 5 seconds of no buff is fine, since you want to shadow blitz off cooldown anyways.

Imo this build will be the winner for most movement fights, especially those with any adds at all since it has good aoe and very high single target. use the t1 BD crystal for this one and don't worry about getting the hk crystal.

Credits go to Potis, Igenous and anyone else who helped make this build what it is today.


Tank Specs:

THE spec: http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MpVN.EItIuRdqkkR.x0d.xb

Buffs:
Guardian Phase
Planebound Resilience
Predatory Instincts
Combat Pose if no Bard

Macros:

#show Planar Strike
suppressmacrofailures
Cast Rift Disturbance
Cast Phantom Blow
Cast Planar Strike
Cast Quick Shot

The most dangerous part of Rogue tanking is on the pull. Normally you should be chain-pulling the instance in order to keep your buffs up, but if they fall off there's a few things you can do. If you can afford to pull the boss to you, open with Splinter Shot and spam quick shot for combo points, popping Rift Guard right before he connects. If the boss can't move for whatever reason, again open with Splinter Shot, but follow it with Shadow Assault into a 3-point Rift Guard.

The order of importance of your finishers is Rift Guard >> Guarded Steel > False Blade > Annihilate.

Don't forget our brand new interrupt in Planar Disruption, and AOE threat is a breeze just from spamming your teleports. Keep your taunt readily available, as you usually have less than a second before someone dies. I keep mine on a mouse button. Do not pull with a taunt, as they don't generate threat.


Bard Specs

http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0Mcpf.EIdqiqskqz.V.x0x

Buffs:
Planebound Resilience

Split your fanfares using the Line of Sight trick. Your default Anthem should be Fervor, unless the group needs the speed buff. Use Verse of Joy when the boss hits roughly 98%, and then on cooldown thereafter. Keep motifs up, and spam Cadence into Coda of Restoration or Coda of Wrath/Fury, depending on the situation. On fights with spike AOE damage, don't use finishers so you have Coda of Restoration available when needed. Don't use Coda of Distress/Cowardice, as the Archon version is better.

Motif macroing guide to come in a separate post.


Hope this has been helpful!
Sabine[url][/url]

[Sabine]

Added Asstalker and 51 Marksman Neo builds.

[diabetis]

what are good pvp rogue specs??

[Sabine]

diabetis wrote:

what are good pvp rogue specs??

That's not something I know much about. Common ones I've heard are 44MM/RS/? and 46NB/20RS.