I find a lot of rogue/mages (including my own until about a week ago) are struggling with the rise in druid/plate teams. While these teams will never by any means be easy, once you have the right strat they feel very much beatable. The use of deadly poison makes the “train the druid and cc the dps” strat very much viable. I’ll briefly go over some strategy but this video should give you a better idea of what I’ve found works against them. Also included a few reaction time clips because I’ve gotten a few people questioning if I react to stuff or just guess, I don’t really care what people think but the clips are just here for fun anyway.
Poisons: First things first, you want to have deadly poison on one hand and wound on the other. IMO wound should be on offhand if possible, so that you can shiv it on if it falls off, and it also allows you to shiv cripple.
Druid Warrior: What we do is have our mage run in and get a nova on the warrior. Open at this time with cheap shot and have your mage deep freeze. This will allow for a clean ToT shatter on the druid with your overkill opener. After the sheep, the warrior will likely trinket –> bladestorm. If the warrior tries to save trinket through 3 sheeps and 2 freezes the druid should die. Once he trinkets, get ready for bladestorm. Feint if possible and immediately get the fuck out. Regardless of your health, once you get away find a safe place and eat / bandage situationally.
Your mage should have enough time here to kite, block the storm if necessary. Wait for Sheep DR to expire if possible and get a full sheep, if for whatever reason your mage runs into trouble cheapshot the druid and blind the warrior. The warrior should, at this point, eat a full blind, 2 sheeps and a deep freeze possibly. This should be enough time to kill the druid. If you are going to die to thorns, don’t, bandage and eat, mage can evocate if necessary. Save your cloak for nature’s grasp or if thorns is about to kill you.
In terms of damage rotation on the druid, I suggest cheapshot –> kidney shot –> imp counterspell — > garrote –> evis. Save at least one vanish for the bladestorm. Don’t forget, mage also has nova to keep that warrior off of you. Resetting is always possible if things get sloppy so long as your mage still has the mana and hp to kite. A frost mage can live for a very long time against druid warrior alone.
Druid / Deathknight
A bit more tricky than druid warrior. I notice most DK / Druids will let the rogue beat on the druid, deathgrip them when possible and do their best to shut down the mage, letting thorns wear the rogue down so that a swing or two will finish them off. What you want to do is if the deathknight rushes your mage, you can cc them as far away as possible from the rogue. Mage should focus on cc off the start while the rogue opens and goes through an initial damage rotation on the druid. Mage should then be able to catch up and finish the druid. It’s really difficult due to lichborn, but the mage can use nova, deep freeze, and rank 1 frostbolt to control the deathknight and take as little damage as possible during this time. Eventually you hope to get a sheep off. If the DK trinkets at any point, blind as soon as possible.
I talked about Druid / Ret here.
Phishy Solo’s Onyxia
Congrats to Phishy (great pvp’r as well) who just posted this video on wcm solo’ing onyxia! You can find his explanation below, something I didn’t think I’d get to see at level 80, cool achievement for the class! Best of luck to all those out there looking to complete this as well.
Hi. This is simply a pve video showing how the rogue class can solo the Onyxia encounter.
Blizzard may have nerfed the “untouchable” rogue by greatly reducing the amount of dodge we get from agility, but they did make a key change to feint(grants 50% less aoe dmg taken for 6 seconds)that ultimately made it possible to solo this fight.
The spec used is 22/16/33 for QR(20% more healing done), riposte(20% less target attack speed), and enveloping shadows(30% less aoe dmg taken). Ive tried other specs as well, but this one seemed to work the best for me. Also, for the kill the buffs i used was a defense and agility elixir, expertise/stam food and stamina scroll.
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Burning+Blade&n=Phishyz
^ (ill try to remember to log out with the spec + gear used)Music:
Low Life – Front Line Assembly
Passive – A Perfect Circle
Come Clarity – In Flames
Loui – Ronald JenkeesSorry about the poor quality, but i simply couldnt fraps at better settings as it was unplayable fps lag. I even get some lag during the video as you’ll notice
Afaik this would be a world first for a rogue, but i dont spam search the internet 24/7 so i could be wrong.
Related posts:
If I’m not mistaking then he’sthe first rogue who killed Onyxia solo. Cause I remember smth like maes and rogues were the only ones who didn’t do it, but then rogues were alone in this list. Anyway grats to Phishy
Comment by AlexSmith — May 17, 2009 @ 11:48 pm
Hey akrios, its Srscat from your server, thanks for sharing your stratergies as mage rogue against certain teams they help a lot, I appreciate the time and effort you put in for these blogs and looking after your site. Stating openers and dps rotations helps a great deal in arena especially if the reading player isn’t quite so experienced at mage/rogue 2v2.
.
Thanks for helping me and the other readers become not just better players, but better rogues
Comment by Cam — May 18, 2009 @ 12:46 am
:O Was this post for my question? If so tyvm. That frost nova–> Deep Freeze trick sounds great. Ill tell my partner to use deadly poison too.
Comment by Kaymordius — May 18, 2009 @ 4:21 am
Lol get em phishy… pnad everyday!
Comment by koalayummies — May 18, 2009 @ 4:23 am
shit wrong post >.>
Comment by koalayummies — May 18, 2009 @ 4:24 am
lol nvm
Comment by koalayummies — May 18, 2009 @ 4:28 am
Bit disappointed you put the proof in. Don’t feed the trolls
The rest was pretty helpful 
Comment by Sneakeh — May 18, 2009 @ 8:52 am
Sick how much dmg you took from thorns just by hitting that druid.
Comment by Dea — May 18, 2009 @ 10:13 am
who
who
who
who
Comment by Xcizor aka Kross — May 18, 2009 @ 10:32 am
MY BRO PHISHY PRO MUSIC AS USUAL
Comment by Talbadar - Cho'gall — May 18, 2009 @ 10:58 am
When you blinded the vanishing rogue. That’s like a confirmation about a not 100% working vanish >.<
Comment by Noriar — May 18, 2009 @ 1:35 pm
Not really. Vanish can never work over 70-80% due to player to player and player to client lag that’s unavoidable. The combat log decides how everything goes, so, due to the lag, if you see someone vanish, if you blind quick enough, it occurs after the vanish, and breaks it.
It’s the same with expecting a blind, and vanishing so that the vanish immune happens first and immunes the blind.
Comment by omegatrigun — May 18, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
Why deadly poison?
Comment by Juxx — May 18, 2009 @ 3:11 pm
really fun to watch the rogue/mage vs druid/plate strats.
Comment by delux — May 18, 2009 @ 3:27 pm
i think deadly poison on druid’s it’s realy nice.
he have 5stacks deadly poison on the druid an woundpoison the druid need to dispelln the woundpoison but the problem is the 5stack deadly poison. i like it thanks akrios for all this nice strats, but one question goes this tactic with priest rogue equally ?
Comment by Falus — May 18, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
What if Im not pve geared and the druid doesnt die?
Comment by Handless — May 19, 2009 @ 12:12 am
akrioss im playing with Priest on 2v2. druid/warrior druid/dk teams realy so hard for us. what u think if u play with priest agains these teams? mana burn useless,death grip ofc not allow to kill druid,dk or warrior killed priest so easyly,druid has amazing kite advantage so what u think about that? i should chance my partner? ffs.
Comment by eveon — May 19, 2009 @ 1:35 am
Make the video downloadable
thanks
Comment by Mac — May 19, 2009 @ 1:38 am
It seems all cool.But i have 1 request can some one tell me a working StunLock timer or something like that becouse all i have DL das not wor or they work and they FAIL all the time…So can some one help me? Thx
Comment by Rogue — May 19, 2009 @ 5:04 am
what are u saying? mana burn useless? the easiest way to counter a druid is manaburning him until they dont have mana anymore to heal her partner well, so u can take the game
Comment by Kpetasemrumo — May 19, 2009 @ 5:10 am
well priest cant do mana burn when warrior or dk on him. +druid has inervate
Comment by eveon — May 19, 2009 @ 7:12 am
Stunwatch.
Comment by Padmasana — May 19, 2009 @ 7:54 am
i’d love to see more videos showing reaction.. that is a fun watch =) cheers
Comment by twinhat — May 19, 2009 @ 8:17 am
akrios a question to your necb what have you for a necb ?
on my necb i don’t see more sap dr or sheep dr :/
and the new necb (natur)it’s nothing where see the dr from sap, sheep etc. please help me.
Comment by Falus — May 19, 2009 @ 9:18 am
Hey akrios or any1 with a Arena and PVP experience. I got enought arena points today to buy 1850 rating dagger. Anyways, I got the Twilight Mist as main hand and webbed death as Offhand, its obvious I will replace the Webbed Death. My issue is that I dont know if I should keep my twilight mist in main hand and get the Furious Gladiator Mutilator which is the Offhand, or change my twilight mist to offhand and buy Furious Gladiator’s Shanker as main hand. Help PLS!!! tks alot, great post as usual AKrios
Comment by Torton — May 19, 2009 @ 9:30 am
Torton, you should buy the MH weapon and put twilight mist on OH. 2 1.8 daggers does more damage than 1.8 and 1.4 OH!
Hope this helps.
Comment by Anonymous — May 19, 2009 @ 9:45 am
thanks alot dude i just needed confirmation of this. Appreciate it.
Comment by Torton — May 19, 2009 @ 10:08 am
Stunwatch hasnt been updated since dec 29th according to curse.com, hasnt worked for me for a long time, i really liked that addon. Does anyone know a different place to get an updated version if their is one?
Comment by Bendickson — May 19, 2009 @ 12:39 pm
wow… i mean *if THERE is one… sry, couldnt let that be lol
Comment by Bendickson — May 19, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
yo, Akrios, why do u use the highend damage weapon in OH? because of Dual Wield Talent or something else? can someone explain?
Comment by Xcizor aka Kross — May 19, 2009 @ 4:00 pm
oh…Eviscerator is offhand dagger…nvm..
Comment by Xcizor aka Kross — May 19, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
http://www.descipe.net/forum/wow-model-editing/3131-collection-old-school-rogues-old-poison-proc-old-stealth-old-sounds.html
try this if you like old school
Comment by Naiton — May 19, 2009 @ 9:59 pm
This is some good stuff. Thanks for the tips! Ah, deadly poison, is there anything it CAN’T make a little better?
Comment by Fnordrick — May 20, 2009 @ 7:40 am
sorry for flaming but they have removed nitro boost from arena now
Comment by shaddyd — May 20, 2009 @ 8:29 am
Could somebody tell me what addons he is using.
1) Moving your name plate and enemy name plate.
2) Showing timers on dots, cds etc.
Comment by Adds — May 21, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
Ironically, that’s the exact same build I came up with, I just have an ancient PoS computer so couldn’t run any recording device.
Good job.
Comment by The Lords Breed — May 22, 2009 @ 4:28 am
Hey, Ive a fast question, are you specced to ambush, as i see you open, and sometimes finish with ambush?
And great job with the strats, helped me already.
Comment by Neimad — May 23, 2009 @ 1:41 am
This actually might be MUCH easier with the Blood Draining enchant. I think I’ll get that and try it out. Post back at a later date, but I recommend other people try it as well.
Comment by Akoto — May 23, 2009 @ 11:39 am
hey akrios just was wondering y do u use deadly posion ? also should it be used be used only running mage /rogue becuz of the mages glyph?
Comment by mike — May 29, 2009 @ 11:19 pm
hey why do you choose a fast dagger in off-hand?
Comment by Arzonas — June 2, 2009 @ 5:08 am
hey why do you choose a fast dagger in off-hand?
Comment by Arzonas — June 2, 2009 @ 5:08 am
Whats the song in the video? *Arena one
i like it
Comment by Sanguel — June 4, 2009 @ 2:35 am
[...] Druid + Plate – click here [...]
Pingback by Eviscerate Arenas Volume VI | Rogue-Rogue — June 20, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
nice ill definetely try this strat
Comment by Acronox — July 11, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
beacuse his wound/crip poision is on OH for shiv and he wants wound to proc after the dispels
Comment by chickenfillets — August 5, 2009 @ 7:53 pm
Hey just wanted to say that was amazing. i looked u up and your not there anymore!? did u quiet or somthing. and could someone give me a link or somthing to what weps she is using and spec! thanks
Comment by vanemy — October 1, 2009 @ 6:10 pm
Hi, Im playing envenom rog + disc priest… And we hav rly big problem with war + hpala comp… Anything i will do, or my priest do, we always lose (like 7/10 lose).
I cant sap war cuz of bers rage, if i sap pala war can easily stand my burst with shield block etc. But when i go for pala i cant kill him without dispell, my priest can do that…
But war dmg him so much that he hav to healing, healing self…
Plz for any tactics for war + hpala comp, i will be thankful.
P.S.
Sry for my bad english.
Comment by Buczacz — April 30, 2010 @ 9:04 am
You got great honest points here. I done a search on the issue and learnt most peoples will agree with your blog. The light is not too bright to keep them up, but will entertain them while they are trying to go to sleep, or can soothe them when they wake up in the night.
Comment by Mitch Filipponi — August 5, 2010 @ 10:05 pm