Combat/Assassination

[orderofmaken]

Just a quick query based off Shadowcraft's sims; they seem to rate Combat as much higher than my Assassination results on there. Some sort of bug I take?

But on that note; does Combat ever over take Assassination in sims in this tier if you were using higher weapons for one spec? E.g say if you were using a Hc 535 weapon for combat and only 522 normal MH for Assassination.

That aside, I know a good majority of the fights plain suck for Combat's mechanics with using Killing Spree, but I was just curious how much of a difference it was simming outside of Shadowcraft.

[Squirl]

I think a lot of the discrepancy comes from it being nearly impossible to use every global during AR+SB 100% optimally and those globals being a good portion of combat's DPS. RNG (Mastery and Combat Potency) can cause serious energy capping during AR and KSp as well, which I'm not sure is simmed for. I've heard Feint has a larger impact on combat's DPS than mutilate's too, but I haven't seen any actual numbers on that.

For me, the difference between 535/522 combat weapons and 510/496 assassination weapons left a pretty big gap in the specs not just in sims, but in practice. Now that I finally have a 535 dagger, I've swapped back to assassination even though it's simming lower and my DPS is more or less the same depending on the fight, but the execute is pretty valuable on a number of fights. Plus I find it more enjoyable to raid as assassination, though I eventually warmed up to combat and learned to not destroy my tendons with a .5s GCD.

Having done 11/13H as combat, I can say it's not as bad as most people seem to think. BF is actually really well utilized on a few fights as well. Not being able to use KSp exactly on cooldown is not the biggest deal in the world either and it adds some nice flavor to the spec. It does require some additional awareness though (discussed in this thread).

[orderofmaken]

I'm currently 9/13 hc playing assassination all the way through just using my 522 MH and SS 517 hc OH. Despite not having any weapon drops on hc mode until today when a combat weapon dropped, I was just wondering if it would be a big gap to warrant switching for the most part, until a hc dagger drops anyway.

Do you use heavy Rupture despite the energy capping, even during AR?

[Verain]

I don't know what he does, but a rupture should be more damage than an eviscerate if it will go the full duration- it isn't a matter of efficiency with the 5.X combat rupture.

That COULD have changed, of course, but I don't believe it has been contingent on energy capping since cata.

[Squirl]

I'm currently 9/13 hc playing assassination all the way through just using my 522 MH and SS 517 hc OH. Despite not having any weapon drops on hc mode until today when a combat weapon dropped, I was just wondering if it would be a big gap to warrant switching for the most part, until a hc dagger drops anyway.

I'm not sure on that kind of gap. My weapon gap was ENORMOUS. Drop 20k or so from the ShC combat numbers and that will give you a pretty good idea of what you'll be pulling.

Do you use heavy Rupture despite the energy capping, even during AR?

Rupture is strictly more damage with the t15 2pc. I'm pretty sure it's just better DPE without it, but I'm unsure. Given that the difference is only 10 energy, I'll usually throw up Rupture during AR if I'm in Deep Insight; otherwise just Eviscerate.

[orderofmaken]

Combat is showing 191234 dps with a 535 and Assassination with 522 MH 163160 with my current gear on Shadowcraft so.. reason why I was mainly curious.

Do you go full haste gems out of curiosity? Or stick with Agility gems?

[Enhshamanlol]

Combat is showing 191234 dps with a 535 and Assassination with 522 MH 163160 with my current gear on Shadowcraft so.. reason why I was mainly curious.

Do you go full haste gems out of curiosity? Or stick with Agility gems?

Well haste is normaly higher and its more trinket procs and meta gem procs sooo i'd go with haste

[Squirl]

Combat is showing 191234 dps with a 535 and Assassination with 522 MH 163160 with my current gear on Shadowcraft so.. reason why I was mainly curious.

Do you go full haste gems out of curiosity? Or stick with Agility gems?

I'd just follow ShC. Gemming one stat wasn't optimal; had to have some pure agi, pure haste, haste/hit, agi/hit, etc.