Combat/Ass are they close enough that better weapons win?

[Triscone]

I know that Ass is the better single target spec and Combat wins out on a few fights due to mechanics. My question is, when first gearing up should weapon availability win out? Does 489/483 combat win out over 480/476 Ass even on single target fights? I realize I could sim this out, but my faith in sims is starting to slack so I'm looking for anecdotal evidence if anyone has any.

[Demeia]

I know that Ass is the better single target spec and Combat wins out on a few fights due to mechanics. My question is, when first gearing up should weapon availability win out? Does 489/483 combat win out over 480/476 Ass even on single target fights? I realize I could sim this out, but my faith in sims is starting to slack so I'm looking for anecdotal evidence if anyone has any.

I think most of us would just plug the question into shadowcraft for our gear and accept the answer. Shadowcraft is at worst in the ballpark when it comes to my dps this time around. Don't know if it's due to me or somewhat better composition/raid dps.

For my gear it would be about a 1k advantage to assassination on single target--I would just play combat in that case. I suspect you usually go for the spec that you have the weapons for. Personally, I cannot buy a fist--I'm 0-50 on bosses, haven't seen one drop [I'd win it] and no bonus loot rolls even for 476. I'd feel sorry for myself but blizzard was in general brutal with weapons this tier (poor hunters and the casters don't seem much better). It would be worse if I was screwed over with daggers since I prefer assassination so I shouldn't complain.

[Kael]

Tris - Demeia's right that ShadowCraft is really the go-to, but the comprehensive answer is that, for single target, gear matters more to combat than assassination; if you're getting up there "overall", you have more of a choice on single target, and if you just like combat that much... it depends on what your gear is and what an "acceptable margin of loss" is to play your ideal spec.

In LOW raid gear (~465), I found 463 dagger assassination ~2k > 489/463 combat, but in mid 480s, 489/489 combat is almost caught up to 489/471 assassination, so expect change over time.

[Deleted]

Tris - Demeia's right that ShadowCraft is really the go-to, but the comprehensive answer is that, for single target, gear matters more to combat than assassination; if you're getting up there "overall", you have more of a choice on single target, and if you just like combat that much... it depends on what your gear is and what an "acceptable margin of loss" is to play your ideal spec.

In LOW raid gear (~465), I found 463 dagger assassination ~2k > 489/463 combat, but in mid 480s, 489/489 combat is almost caught up to 489/471 assassination, so expect change over time.

Not sure we can say that for sure at the current time. It will be clearer in 5.2 when new gear ships. I would guess that actually assassination was scaling better with gear and that that the Vitality and Sanginary Veins buffs were to keep it in check. Could be wrong of course - i doubt (m)any here have plugged arbitrary new/increased numbers into the shadowcraft backend to check results...

[Kael]

I was referring specifically to gearing up through this tier, where combat doesn't catch up until near the end, but the two become nearly equal. Walking into a raid in 465 gear, the difference between combat and assassination is MASSIVE, but the gap drops a bit later on.

[Linzo]

do u guys actually call Assassination Ass?

[Carp The Fish]

do u guys actually call Assassination Ass?

No, we call it Mut.

[Deleted]

I interchange I think

[jetflash]

Don't forget Ass has a much easier rotation with a lot of breathing room for error whereas combat doesn't.

[Sesshou]

Don't forget Ass has a much easier rotation with a lot of breathing room for error whereas combat doesn't.

Does it? I think pooling energy/cp and lining up cp generators to coincide with the envenom buff as much as possible is just as hard as combat's rotation. Not that either of them are hard in the slightest though...

[Lushious]

Does it? I think pooling energy/cp and lining up cp generators to coincide with the envenom buff as much as possible is just as hard as combat's rotation. Not that either of them are hard in the slightest though...

Easy to learn hard to master.

[Kael]

Easy to learn hard to master.

Not especially. Mut to build, don't let rup drop, save to ~90 energy before using envenom.

Barring "dealing with blindside," fight mechanics/reacting to likely upcoming procs/"apply SnD at the start," this is the entire complexity of assassination. Worse, making mistakes in the "reacting to upcoming procs" is miniscule, so SnD --> keep rup --> pool energy before envenom --> use appropriate builder (there are only 2 choices!) is the entire system.