How many Rogue's out there are keyboard turners? mouse clickers? Put your hands down it doesn't matter... this week. I want to illustrate the benefits of tab targeting. Regardless of your ssytem of mobility with in the world... of warcraft tab targeting is something you need to consider working with. It has uses in PVP as well as PVE aspects of the game. In PVE it makes it extremely easy to cycle through a series of NPC's that are stacked on top of each other.

But I don't really care about the PVE aspect atm. I want to talk about PVP. As a competent Rogue playing in the arenas or even the world pvp scene you need to be able to switch targets quickly and switch back. Often times I will open up on the CC target with Sap Tab Target to the primary DPS target and cheapshot, build combo points and then tab target back to the CC target and Blind before passing CC off to my teamate. Sometimes its a matter of seconds before they break the sap and I have to target back and blind.

The only way to do this reliably each time is with tab targeting. Clicking your target you will miss click in the heat of battle and blind your DPS target wasting your cooldown. Sometimes I knowingly waste my combo points in PvP by tab targeting away from my primary and gouging the secondary. Just to give me a couple of seconds to drop another mutilate on primary.

The first time you try tab targeting if you have never before, you will find it takes a certain amount of practice to keep you from tab targeting past the target you want. This isn't a huge concern if there is only 2 but doing so in Alterac Valley with 20 other enemies near you will require you to click your target or force you through an agonizing tab target circle.

Of course I say tab targeting because thats the default key. You can bind to any key that fits the way you play. I personally have Tab bound to a mouse button on the side of my MX1000 mouse. A fun excersize is to fly on your mount, preferably elite and low to the ground and tab target. Hit stealth right as you fly up to an enemy and hit cheapshot before you land. I dont think there is anything more satisfying. :-)

Labels: notebook, pvp, rogue

Ahhh... Diminishing Returns. The enemy of every good stunlock if your not careful. Ever watched a video of a Rogue PvPing and seen him blind his opponent only to restealth and then sap his target as the blind wears off? Is the undead rogue simply playing with his food at this point? Hardly...

Many learned rogues understand the concept of diminishing returns. Here is an excerpt from wowwiki.com explaining the process.

• When a spell with diminishing returns is used against a target in PvP, the first effect has full duration.
• On the second use of the same category of spell (e.g. slowing), that spell's duration is reduced by 50%.
• On the third use, the duration is reduced by 75%.
• On the fourth attempt, the target becomes immune to the spell.
• Spells must be used on the same target within 15 seconds of the *end* of the duration in order to be diminished. In other words, if a target hasn't had a slowing spell active on them for more than 15 seconds, the next slowing spell will have full effect.

So the rogue described above is not simply toying with his opponent. He wants to get the full effect of his cheapshot and kidneyshot. Restealthing in a duel against a DPS class has the same effect. Wait your 15 seconds (as long as they cant heal) and then start back in against them with the full effect of your stunlock. If they are a healer blind, heal yourself, restealth and sap to elimanate diminishing returns on your opponent.

This concept is something I consider finesse. Sure you can power through a 50% shorter stunlock and kill your opponent but knowing this concept makes your moves that much more debilitating. This is the tool of a skilled Rogue acting with precision not one jumping up and down behind you flailing their weapons hoping for the best.

Labels: notebook, rogue

The PVP Notebook is something new that I plan to keep up on. It is simply the random things that I note while dueling or playing arena. At the very least it is reinforcement for me as some of you may already know to do these things. For others it may be helpful.



One of the things that annoys me in a duel with a priest is his shield. He can keep it up indefinitely and that takes a lot of the bite out of your attack if you front load a lot of your dps. I was contemplating this problem the other day while I was circle strafing a priest outside of Orgrimar. We we're dueling and I didn't want my ambush or my first mutilate to be absorbed. I thought about trying to time it for when his shield died but he was able to keep it up over lapping his shields. I sat there for what seemed like a minute before slapping myself in the forehead.

Approaching him cautiously... i smacked him over the top of the head with the blunt end of my dagger with exactly 3-5 seconds remaining on his shield. Since he normally tries to overlap by less then 1-2 seconds I was able to sit out the remainder of his shield and open up on him with ambush or cheapshot into mutilate. Very simple yet highly effective in duels.

Labels: notebook, priest, rogue, sap