Often on this site I’m giving advice and opinions, but when someone asked me “how do i become a better rogue” or “have do I become a better player” I’m usually left without a clear response because its not a simple question. The following is the first in what may become several articles with tips for what I believe it takes to become better. Some of them may be extremely obvious to an experienced player, some may not be helpful to you at all, but hopefully, regardless of your skill or experience, you can get something out of it. I’ll also take this time to give a disclaimer if this article comes off as condescending in any way, it’s not intended. There are a lot of things I myself still have to improve on and I by no means have all the answers.
Bindings and Movement
Movement is an enormous part of this game, and I’d argue it’s more important for rogues than any other class.
Bindings
The first and most important step in improving is to bind your keys. If you already do, great. This is the paramount, first step on your journey to success in game. Look at it this way, if I had to choose between 5000 attack power and having unbound keys, I wouldn’t have to think twice to choose bound keys. I think it’s ridiculous for people to invest countless hours into this game without binding, it’s the equivalent to fighting with one hand behind your back. I often hear the argument that clicking is a choice or you can make it work. I can spec 20 / 21 / 20, kill people and it can work, but it’s far from optimal.
Once you bind your keys you should probably unbind turn, its a waste of good key bindings (there is no reason to have it bound). Your primary movement should be using strafe and your right-most mouse button, combined with the occasional use of forward (default “w”) and strafing. Strafe often, strafe is your friend. In almost any situation where you can back-peddle (s key) you can simply strafe instead (while turning with your mouse). Using the ’s’ or back key is the equivalent of applying hamstring to yourself, it should rare if even be used.
Landing Kidney Shots and Abilities
The majority of a rogue’s burst and utility comes from our stuns. In spite of how much blizzard has done to hurt is in this regard (they don’t go out of the way to give us a great chance for KS to be reliable), landing KS’s is imperative to success in PvP. Ideally of course, you want to chain a KS while the target is still effected by cheat shot, gouge, a fear affect, a horror effect, or any time the opponent can’t dodge, but this isn’t always possible.
When using Kidney Shot (hereafter reffered to as KS) on a target that can dodge, block or parry, you should try to get behind them, negating any chance for your attack to be avoided.. This is a lot easier if they are snared, so try to put up a snare if possible before kidney shotting.
What you have to try doing is jumping through the opponent when you are not snared (preferably you have sprint up), spinning around very quickly, and using ks right as this happens. This works fairly often for preventing KS dodges for a few reasons. Firstly, if you are through them, and tart spamming ks, ability will not be used until you are facing the character. So essentially, as long as you don’t start spamming the ability until you are through them it won’t be a frontal ks. You may be thinking “they are a melee class, they will just turn to me because they are attacking me”, but in reality unless they predict it’s coming, it happens too fast to be countered. You have to jump for this to work properly.
This concept work the same for other abilities. For example, you want to eviscerate a rogue a rogue with evasion that is attacking you. Jump through them and use the ability while spinning in the same manner as described above.
Another easy tip for landing abilities that may seem simple to some, is to use gouge before KS’ing a rogue, druid, warrior, or death knight. Even if they can berserker rage out of the gouge quickly or you have dots on your target, that short gouge guarantees KS will not be dodged. Obviously gouge isn’t worth using against prot warriors or rogues with evasion.
Gouge is your Friend
I have to say that I use this ability far too infrequently. This is a 4.5s+ (if specced into imp gouge) disorient. Yes, it wipes cp and is on shared dr with sap and polymorph, so it is situational to use on another target you are not dpsing, but when you’re playing with another dps it can be amazing. Another way you can use gouge, when playing with another dps, is to gouge your damage target in order to give your team mate time to get to them so you can burst together in a stun. I’m not saying you should just start throwing gouges everywhere but I think rogues don’t utilize this ability to it’s full potential, myself included.
Understand and Know the Opposition
I think one of the biggest things that can make a person better at this game is knowledge and experience, and by that I not only mean knowing your own abilities but the abilities of your oposition as well. You could be amazing at playing rogue but it doesn’t count for much if you don’t know what your opponent can do. The best way to learn this is through practice and experience, there isn’t really any easy tips I can give you here. Duel other classes, ask questions about things you don’t know or understand, don’t just focus on what you can do.
For example, KS is a 20 second cooldown (21 seconds with DR for 5 point ks), hand of freedom is on a 25 second cd. If you know this it means you know you can get a KS stun between freedom cds. Furthermore you know not to kidney shot when the game is going to end in less then 20 seconds if freedom is off cooldown. Even more on freedom, you should know that a paladin can use it while incapacitated (sapped) but not while sheeped on themselves or a friendly target, so its a better idea to start with sheep on a paladin to prevent freedom from stopping shatter. This is just one ability from one class, but knowing it can change the outcome of a lot of arena matches or pvp encounters in general. Knowing the effects of paladin abilities like aura mastery, the cooldown and range of hoj, what a paladin has to sacrifice in terms of talents to get instant flash of light on critical heals (freedom out of stuns and more), if the paladin has beacon of light can they freedom? These are just a few examples from a single class.
Know your enemy through experience, it is a staple for success in this game. Other than playing against a plethora of opponents and learning that way, another tip is to fight against more experienced people than you. Watch videos from other classes, or if possible, play other classes. There are tons of resources out there to understand the game more, use them!
Make Connections; this is an MMO for a reason!
WoW is more than most games because of its huge player base and scope. Obviously you can play the game how you want, and if that’s alone or with a small group of friends then that’s your choice, but a great way to improve is to meet new people, talk, make friends and connections. You can do five mans with RL friends, and arena with them, you can solo bg, if that’s what you enjoy by all means do it. But if you really want to improve and be better, be open, talk to people and get yourself out there. This is as true in life as in game, open up and make connections and it will almost certainly pay off.
How so? Just like in life it’s a lot easier to find a job from a friend or family member than from a stranger. Finding a guild can be really hard, but having a friend get you in can solve that. I think I’ve met the majority of the great players that I’ve been lucky enough to play with through dueling or just talking. If you want to elevate yourself as a player it’s going to go a lot faster if you’re open to networking than if you do it alone. It’s an MMO for a reason.
This article will probably be the first in a series of more general tips, strategy, and things of that nature.
Elitiest Jerks 3.1 PvE Mutilate Guide
Well I was going to go about making a new PvE mutilate guide but this one is already far superior to what I can put out. I posted it on the site, check it out here.
Related posts:
great tips. that last part about making connections is so true.
Comment by bankrupt — April 30, 2009 @ 10:04 am
Great guide, very helpful, thank you
Comment by Voxy — April 30, 2009 @ 10:56 am
Very nice Akrios, I can hardly wait for General Tips for Improving Gameplay part II. Finally a rogue hero steps up and actually explains how to improve yourself even if means you gotta explain it like rogue for dummies tutorial kinda stuff. I like it. GJ!!! Keep it coming. I would also like to know what UIs do you use. I mean Proximo is a given but am sure there are many more that can help us. Knowing opponents skills and CDs after they use them for ex. Do you recommend engineering better than any other profession do to increase stealth on helm and nitro boosts plus rocket gloves? Just some thoughts.
Comment by Torton — April 30, 2009 @ 11:04 am
I never knew about the jump method. I’d find myself not using KS if gouge isn’t up, which can cost a game. Wondering on how Eviscerate 10 and Eviscerate Arenas 5 is coming along. Any chance we’ll see Shadow Dance anytime soon?
Comment by Gaust — April 30, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
Exelent tips, the basic stuff is usually the most important, which is the case here, especially part about movement, which I fully agree, is essential for any class. Good work looking forward to your future articles.
Comment by Exelence — April 30, 2009 @ 1:33 pm
Nice article.
I think the binding of the turn keys is something personal though.
I find the strafe keys kinda useless myself, since I strafe by using the forward key(“W” or both mouse buttons) and a turn key, wich is just as easy if you get used to it.
Comment by Carpedies — April 30, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
I have used this method before. It is not the same as a strafe since you’re moving foward at an angle (both mouse + turn). When you turn your vision with your mouse to face the enemy, you are, in a sense, strafing. However, since you’re still moving foward, you’ll have to turn your mouse away from your enemy, thus turning your character as well. While you can still hit the enemy from the side, it does increase your chances of missing or “facing the wrong direction”.
If you truly wanted to strafe with this method, you would hold the turn key(A or D) with the back key (S) while also holding both mouse buttons, but that’s just way to cumbersome, is it not?
Comment by Feight — April 30, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
“making more friends”
yeah, I’ve got a problem with that =/
Comment by AlexSmith — April 30, 2009 @ 8:06 pm
“I would also like to know what UIs do you use. I mean Proximo is a given but am sure there are many more that can help us. Knowing opponents skills and CDs after they use them for ex. Do you recommend engineering better than any other profession do to increase stealth on helm and nitro boosts plus rocket gloves? Just some thoughts.”
First off, UI is almost completely preference. A good ui can help somewhat, and certain addons are nice, but nothing is mandatory to make an exceptional player.
Second: Best way to learn a class is to play it, or play against it enough to recognize the animations/icons.
Third: Professions are also a preference and depend on your own play style and comp for arenas. There have always been all kinds of prof’s used by the top rated rogues.
Most of the time, it comes down to what do you want, and how do you play.
Comment by Dalazar — April 30, 2009 @ 8:31 pm
Also:
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/categories/rogue.aspx
just look around there
Comment by Dalazar — April 30, 2009 @ 8:34 pm
The last part about making connections is probably the hardest for many more than we care to admit. There are a lot of smart players out there, but they can’t learn from others about pvp or arena when they’re closed up. I think, too, that the closing up may have to do with how admitting you’re not good but want to and can get better can get you flamed or put down, or at least that’s the fear. Also, good pvpers who isolate themselves (I’m thinking Neilyo) may do so selfishly because they want to garner ALL of the renown and take all of the credit. Overall, opening up = not an easy prospect, but definitely rewarding.
Comment by gnomie — May 1, 2009 @ 2:01 am
Akrios <3
Comment by Coolguy — May 1, 2009 @ 6:05 am
I stumbled on this blog a couple weeks ago, and I got to give you major kudos. This last posting is a good summary of why I enjoy it so much: Friendly, Informative and Fun. Great guide. Some good common sense things that can always bear repeating and reinfocing. Keep it up!
Comment by Buthaleirus — May 1, 2009 @ 8:00 am
i got a problem with jeybinding..how can i keybind the SECONDARY bars in wow??i know how to keybind the one with numbers but not the one on top of it (the scondary) can somen tell me how to do it?? and please dont say like in my realm…go download bartender….i already used it but i never realli liked it..i like how the standar ine looks
Comment by silencedeath — May 1, 2009 @ 9:22 am
Nice Tips, but Ive got one question:
How da fuck do i kill a heal drood ? I get them to 50% of their Hp and then Im outta energy, hes healing himself instantly too 100% and its nearly over cuz hes killing me with Thornes…
Comment by TheTruth — May 1, 2009 @ 12:27 pm
Silence
In the game menu there is an option “Keybinds”. One selected scroll down through the list that comes up there are options available to set up the keybinds for each of the bars given by Blizzards default UI. Just click on one of the red boxes next the the button you want to bing then hit the key or key combination you want bound and you are GTG.
Comment by Edondia — May 1, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
hey, thx for adding this. its something i have rly been wanting.
but about the keybindings and strafing, my strafe keys (q and e)
r now my kidney shot and vanish keybindings, but i still use right click
mouse and ‘a’ and ‘d’ to strafe. is this optimal oris there something else ic an be doing
Comment by frobroh — May 1, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
Really great post, I love the general tips. People overlook a lot of things.
Comment by Croagunk — May 1, 2009 @ 3:13 pm
You can actually do that to (i’ve done it before) or you can just simply make “A” and “D” your strafe by changing it in the keybinding menu
Comment by Malnic — May 1, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
Devote a section on how to make connections. I’ve been friendless for over five years now. Both online and in real life.
Comment by Jammno — May 2, 2009 @ 2:13 am
thanks edondia but that is not what i mean..
i know ho ot keybind but not how to keybind the SECONDARY bars…i cant find them in the keybind section…only action bar 1,2,3..etc and special action bar 1,2,3…etc (or something liek that) can soneome tell me how is it call the section to keybind the SECONDARY action bars? sorry for my engilsh im from europe
Comment by silencedeath — May 2, 2009 @ 4:01 am
England = in Europe
Anyway, what do you mean by secondary actionbars? If you play by default bar UI, I believe they’re just called 1,2,3 etc as you said, and upper left, upper right etc. It should all be there in the “keybindings” section in-game.
Comment by Sulf — May 2, 2009 @ 5:01 am
Ive seen you use strafe before in your videos, the thing ive been wondering is how you use mutilate or any other attacks when strafing. I have those keys bound to 1 and 2 so strafing is kinda hard for me. Do you have them bound to your mouse?
Comment by Riva — May 2, 2009 @ 6:01 am
i dunno…i just tried using key bindings for the first time…i seem to do alot better when i click
Comment by chuge — May 2, 2009 @ 7:09 am
tbh i really liked it , most of skilled ppls whom has high rating and stuff , wont normaly share their experience easy and free , so tnx Akrios for doing it
and second : i would like to know how to figth against Ret Paladins , Resto druids are insane now a days , and about rogue vs rogue that is most skill-required fight for rogues , what if im not opener? in arena with Mage , you prefer to run with Rapture on u or u try to trinket immiedtly out of stun with high risk of getting cought again?
btw Vanish fails :>
Comment by Curtis — May 2, 2009 @ 11:54 am
Hey, just wondering what keybinds you use for Strafe left/right and auto run.
I use R for auto run and Q for strafe right and E for strafe left, do you think something else is better?
thanks
Comment by gostop — May 2, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
can ya give me tip about playing pve on arena
because I get blown up in 2 hits, its stupid
its like a judgment + swing gets me to half hp
any tips?
Iam doing arenas with a mage btw.
Comment by lolwut — May 2, 2009 @ 7:30 pm
oh also
why are you so low on crit?
Comment by lolwut — May 2, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
If u play with mage then u should allways Turtle.Sap then Let ur mage perform shatter.then Open instantly with a Defensive cd such as Evasion to Minimaze dmg output.If things go bad vanish.
Comment by Desolator — May 3, 2009 @ 3:27 am
I think he means bind the strafe keys to your normal turn keys (A and D) if your using W,A,S,D to move.
Comment by Feight — May 3, 2009 @ 3:57 am
If you get opened on, trinket + Blind works well.
Comment by Feight — May 3, 2009 @ 4:01 am
Immense amounts of AP for a mutilate rogue – I’ve seen geared combat rogues with less than 3800. This means you can produce reliable damage and put a lot of pressure on a target without needing to rely on the usually “bursty” dps of mutilate.
Comment by Naobi — May 3, 2009 @ 5:09 am
Nice and useful, plz continue the serie, as is a unvaluable source of knowledge for rogue comunity, and very well explained btw.
thanks
Comment by rr — May 3, 2009 @ 2:15 pm
I think you mean invaluable!
Comment by Kalara — May 3, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
When i attack a tree i open with garrote into KS, then rupture and evis and ks when its up, or CS into rupture, then KS and evis. Basically, silences, stuns, and keeping rupture on will be the key to takin down a tough tree.
Comment by Bendickson — May 3, 2009 @ 2:43 pm
Is Nition dead? His armory link says hes not over level 10.
Comment by Centh — May 3, 2009 @ 8:27 pm
VERY nice guide Akrios, general tips from a skilled rogue like you are welcomed eagerly.
P.S.
thanks again.
Id also like to know what happened to Nition…
Name change maybe?
Haven’t seen any posts regarding this so im just wondering
Comment by Anark — May 3, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
Hi.
Nice guide idd. Gouge is really a nice ability and I use it like allways when I do 2v2 with my friend (I play for fun Combat rogue and Prot pala- healing geared). It’s awesome to use on healers and/or the dps if my healer have to drink. And since I’m combat I don’t have to worry about dodges from my finishers
but it’s a really good trick to not get it dodged.
If anyone new to keybindings want some help I suggest looking at my post on the PvP forum (EU). I’ve made a post about keybindings in general and some examples. Hope it’s ok that I post the thread link here, and hopefully I can help someone.
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=8246767766&sid=1
Cheers!
Comment by Iw — May 4, 2009 @ 12:02 am
Exept, i believe that backpedalling is necessary sometimes, when kiting etc
(most likely in duels tho)
Comment by Zig — May 4, 2009 @ 1:06 am
If you bind A and D to strafe then wont you still have to click cast instead of what i do atm which is hitting 2 and 1 for mutilate and KS
Comment by Riva — May 4, 2009 @ 8:59 am
@Riva
You simple bind A and D to strafe since and since you can use your mouse to turn you don’t have to worry about that. Then you unlock Q and E and have more bindings close to the hand. Hope that’s what you wanted to know.
Cheers!
Comment by Iw — May 4, 2009 @ 9:50 am
Hadn’t thought of that thanks.
Comment by Riva — May 4, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
@ Akrios, in regard to your reference to predictions being usually bad (gouging CS for trinket) don’t you think that your run behind before blink in prediction to them not only blinking, but going backwards is pretty bad? I’ve dueled alot of (decent) rogues who have copied your style and can be faked pretty easily by just turning around and not blinking at all.
P.S DICKS 8=========D~~~~~~
Comment by Brutal Gladiator — May 5, 2009 @ 2:59 am
I couldn’t agree more about key bindings. What you bind and where you bind it is crucial in winning games. I leveled a rogue for the first time recently and I just started playing arena with him. For five years I’ve been moving with ESDF in video games. It feels more natural than WASD especially when you have to type all the time. I have ctrl and shift bound to the tilt of my mouse wheel so that every key around ESDF can have triple functions. This is overkill on a rogue but for other classes, especially in PVE, it’s a great thing to have.
My vanish is bound to ‘x’. One of my major concerns was what should I have [i]underneath[/i] my vanish when I am stealthed. I saw how you have it yourself in one of your videos and the answer was so simple it hit me in the face with a loud THUD! Sap of course!
On a side note, what kind of sap macro(s) do you use? I’ve been experimenting with them and I can’t seem to find one that I like.
Comment by Monument — May 5, 2009 @ 7:40 am
great guide, but i was just wondering what are some of the add-ons you have in your video?
Comment by Chris Maher — May 6, 2009 @ 11:23 am
Haha condescending or not, the tips are still phenomenal. And even if it is condescending, you’re one of the few people who have the right to do so
Keep up the good movies etc.
Oh, and where has Nition been?
Comment by Fiare — May 6, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
Well, good stuff. you predict people amazingly. i would like to thank whoever said they binded their strafes to A and D, never thought of that. Akrios your a beast.
Comment by meow — May 6, 2009 @ 7:17 pm
I prefer Trinket -> Vanish -> Cheap Shot, that’s better in all situations because it switches the scenarios around and you have a chance to blind him if he uses his trinket on Cheap Shot or Kidney Shot. Generally after Cheap Shot, wait a GCD because that will give you a chance to blind REALLY QUICKLY.
~Everhate
Comment by Everhate — May 7, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
i agree pretty much
Comment by Akrios — May 8, 2009 @ 11:36 am
Hi just wanted to say i love all your vids but also wanted to ask a question..
Do u always have cheap shot macro’ed to switch your weapons so u dont break sap with wound when doing cheap shot over it?
Or do u have a specific bind only for that when opening on mages etc. ?
Comment by Enfo — May 9, 2009 @ 3:07 am
about 40 bucks will buy u a Z-board (gamers dream keyboard)
Comment by Immensible — May 10, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
Just simply talk to people. Help people out, join guilds, join arena teams, make a blog/website, duel people in the Dal sewers, duel people anywhere, help lowbies (who most always have an 80), respond to trade chat requests in a helpful manner.
As for what to say? I don’t think anyone can help you there.
Comment by Feight — May 11, 2009 @ 6:52 am
Depending on the situation, if you trinket + blind and run away, you can get a free stealth and make it back before blind is off. No one way is ‘THE’ way, just different options.
As the poster stated (and I agree) vanish is broke. He’ll most likely KS you after you trinket.
Comment by Feight — May 11, 2009 @ 7:13 am
Just to extend the key bindings thing. I currently use the numbers 1-5 + z,x,c,v,g for my bindings, and alt + all of those keys. (I use bartender for my hotbars, if that matters to you)
I tend to keep the moves that I need to use while strafing on g or v (for example, I keep backstab on g (subtlety at the moment), as these are easy to hit regardless of the direction in which I’m strafing (mouse move + a or d key).
I’m thinking about switching this up slightly and using some other keys that are easy to press with my index finger while holding down either a or d.
With this setup, I have 20 abilities bound all within quick reach. I don’t use macro’s yet (will be soon), and that will probably free up a few keys.
Could you perhaps go into specifics on what keys you use Akrios?
Comment by Phace — May 12, 2009 @ 11:38 am
Hey Akrios, I’d like to suggest a topic of discussion for your next sequel. I often find myself running out of energy at the worst times. From watching your videos, you don’t seem to have that problem. Any tips?
Comment by Feight — May 13, 2009 @ 8:35 am
It’s easy…dont spam attacks, watch your energy, and try to predict the fight to conserver the energy you think you’ll need.
Comment by Davidson — May 13, 2009 @ 8:50 am
akrios, i was just curious i switched from clicking to binding just recently and i see it just takes time to get used to but movement with the mouse? any tips? and when binding keys is that your own personal preference or do you have a generalized area for most? ty
Comment by neighborhoodrogue — May 19, 2009 @ 9:39 pm
Newbie question here. As gouge costs 45 energy, does it really worth firing before a ks? As to my logic the more energy you pooled before ks the better?
Comment by bird — May 21, 2009 @ 9:57 pm
i might be a lazy rogue if it comes to movement keys
got strafes on Q and E and W as autowalk and turn with mouse, simple and easy 
<3 this site btw. nice work
Comment by Graveyárd — June 2, 2009 @ 5:54 am
Well i personally don’t have a problem with binds and movement, since i’ve done it for a while now. My biggest concern is gear/weapons. I find myself not having big enough high-end damage to inflict alot of damage in my stuns. High-end damage is a vital aspect for a rogue and if you find it difficult to down players with high resilience, that may your problem. That is pretty much self-explanatory, i’m moreso targeting this at players who don’t have good gear benefits.
More or less i’m saying that in some circumstances, don’t attack yourself thinking your playstyle is bad.
That just reminded me of something, i have my AP trinket in my vanish macro (stop attack vanish) to increase high-end damage (do more damage when you re-open). Just something else to consider. 2 minute cd, so it’s there to use!
Comment by Septicflesh — June 14, 2009 @ 7:42 am
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In duels i let other rogues get the opener because it just increases my skill experience for situations such as rogues getting opener in arena. What i do is just simply trinket CS and Blind, RIGHT when they’re about to trinket and i know this, i wait about 2-3 seconds into blind then i vanish and CS, ALWAYS works 4 me you gotta work on timing though. Another thing you can do which is kinda risky is if you know they’re right bhind you as soon as you get sapped, trinket/FoK/Vanish/CS as soon as he trinkets (which usually takes em a while because they’re still shocked about what happened) Blind him.
Comment by istealthudie — September 6, 2009 @ 10:41 am
oops, i mean trinket, then blind not CS xD
Comment by istealthudie — September 6, 2009 @ 10:44 am
Thank you very much Akrios.
Comment by pve_vs_lag — November 5, 2009 @ 1:49 am
So I had some weird habits going into the game like I switched and used q and e for turning and a and d for strafe. I want to go full bindings and am currently in the process and I remembered I did switch. What do you think I should use for strafe, since I am going to unbind my turn buttons?
Comment by Ninny — November 27, 2009 @ 9:36 am