This isn't exclusively true until you're doing HUGE pulls in really high level keys. Combat's AoE via Blade Flurry over really long trash pulls at very high health is absolutely insane, and it's why the M+ leaderboard currently looks like this.
At lower levels, Assassination is completely fine and totally competitive with it (assuming you're in a typical lower end group and you're not pulling multiple packs and speed plowing the dungeon).
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I literally only play Rogue and sometimes Prot Warrior, so I really dunno. Off the top of my head I can tell you that any tank or healer specc is super easy to level as, Hunters and Warlocks are still pretty good at soloing. I leveled a Ret Paladin alt to play with a friend who ended up not playing the game, and while I wouldn't say Ret was exactly an amazing solo class, it's pretty funny to pull a shit load of mobs and then pop divine protection and light them up with multiple AoE proccs. Prot Paladin would've been 10 times easier to level as, though.
As someone who played all 4 of these specs here's my 2 cents on Outlaw:
The gameplay feels typically slower than that of a Fury or Havoc, Ret felt slower to me tho.
Unlike the 3 specs you listed, Outlaw has no burst damage. This spec is all about the sustained output. You can help that with some talents, but it will never be like 'true burst' that an Assa opener can do for example.
Gameplay wise, you don't have a clean rotation. You spam 2 combo generators and 2 combo users. It's all about utilizing your current buffs with Roll the Bones. It takes some time getting used to it.
As for world content, Stealth and Vanish are the best things that a class can have. The on-demand combat exit is priceless.
Neither of the rogue specs are stealthy tbh. I mean, neither can weave in and out of stealth on demand. Subs use shadow dance but that's not the same thing, it's more like a 'stance switch' than stealthy gameplay.
You're right in your assesment of Outlaw being the least stealth-focused of the three trees. You can go in guns blazing against mobs just fine out of stealth; its just a really nice tool to let you avoid doing it till its on your own terms. Like Nazjatar pre-flight for example is a dream for a rogue. Hells bells, with Grappling Hook, you still even have Heroic Leap
My favorite combo is to hit blade flurry and then use killing spree. I also suggest taking the talent that increases the range of your melee attack by a few yards. It makes a big difference in packs of trash especially. Its also good practice to use Tricks of the Trade on the tank before you open up in dungeons especially if you have a cooldown you're planning to use, like Adrenaline Rush. In case you draw aggro you can always hit vanish if its off CD, but who wants to spend a GCD on having to do that when you can still be laying down your moves? If Tricks is on CD you don't have to wait for it to be up before you attack or anything absurd like that, its just decent practice in general.
You're probably gonna find that the biggest thing to get used to is the difference in leather and plate gear. Once you get some reasonable armor on yourself, it'll feel much better overall. Try giving your toon some of that Benthic swag, for example. Even with as comparitively easy as the overworld is nowadays in general, Making mistakes on a rogue will still punish you ingame--but that's alright. Gives you a base of comparison for after you get familiar with things.
Cloak of Shadows is fantastic and valuble. It will clear most debuffs, protect you from big Aoe's in boss fights if you don't want to move away and stop attacking, or even to cover 'oh shit' moments if you have to cross a puddle of w/e on the floor. We have the longevity of cockroaches in raids especially if you get the Cheat Death talent. This matters more in group content then when you're on your own doing stuff--because naturally in a group an extra second is all a healer can need to get a heal on you. We also have feint (to reduce the damage of incoming aoe) and another move that helps you parry stuff, i don't remember what its called but the icon is two swords. That can help in case you're trying to facetank a rare or if extra mobs pull or stuff like that.
Pistol shot is awesome. Between the eyes is too, but its got a little CD. The stun is really useful and can often count as an interrupt--with some raid mobs the rules on that can vary though. It was great against the raptors in the Conclave fight, but I don't remember if BtE was able to interrupt the spellcast by the ghost add that appeared during the Grong fight, for example. Don't forget to put 'kick' on your bar someplace. You'll be using it--guaranteed.
Another thing that I've found really good in raids and just left on my toon full-time is the Alactricity talent. It speeds up your gameplay quite a bit--once you get a taste you can't really go back. Plus on boss fights when you know you're gonna be on that twit for awhile, it adds up.
Rogues always seem more weak before they have gear to back them up, but most of the time, being picky about how many adds you engage and learing your tools is the path to seeing through this tricky period. My main is 413 ilevel and I can get away with quite a bit.
I gotta take this time to point out though that since you're used to a warrior, you're probably used to just rolling into the Bloodfin encampment in Naz and leaving 50 murlocs behind you. If you get too popular you're still gonna get wrecked, so hit vanish if things look that bad. If its up and you have a debuff its probably smartest to do Cloak first and Then Vanish for insurance. Some debuffs can knock you out of stealth.
First: Join Ravenholdt Discord
Second: ask there.
Third: YOU WILL BE USING STEALTH STILL WITH OUTLAW. The opener will always be "adrenaline rush 2 sec pull, stealth, prepot, Ambush, vanish, ambush, roll the bones, essence, Blade Rush, "roll the bones/BTE"
Fourth: you need specific azerite traits more than any other classes, BECAREFULL.
Fifth: join the discord...
You can think whatever wrong thing you want, it's cool.
For the record, Outlaw is only marginally better at AoE than Assassination until you're talking 6-7+ targets with large health pools, then Blade Flurry's consistent damage gets pretty fucking ridiculous.
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The problem with Ravenholdt is literally everyone in it is a bootlicking asshole who will answer every question with LOOK AT DA STICKY1111 even when your question is absolutely not answered, at all, in any fucking stickied message.
Ok, thank you everyone who replied with good posts, I appreciate it.
So...for someone like me a casual player, only doing low M+ keys and LFR, and WQs, etc...and the Rogue being an alt. Should I play Assassin or Outlaw?
Alright. Show me your big Outlaw bursts. And I don't mean 5+ targets Blade Flurry ofc. Outlaw has literally no burst on single target, and by burst we compare burst damage to specs that actually do burst dmg. Ofc it has 'some' compared to no-cd dps but please.
Then Affli lock is really good at burst AoE too I guess.
https://www.wowhead.com/spell=51690/killing-spree
Here's a video of some guy demonstrating single target Outlaw burst https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huoZQmverRk
Like, just stop posting.
Ignoring that your entire shitpost was one big reeeee session, I'll address it as if it has some merit.
Yes, Killing Spree is a pretty strong burst ability lol. It's easily like 100kish as of the publishing of that video, which is, you know, pretty fucking strong? I'm not sure what it's hitting for right now as I don't play Combat at the moment, but I'm assuming it's higher than 100k.
We're done here. You've been proven wrong, no one needs to see any further shitposting. Ignored.
What are you talking about?
You posted a shitty fckin video with a guy who can't play for shit.
Here, actual data:
https://www.noxxic.com/wow/dps-simul...445-fight-max/
https://www.noxxic.com/wow/dps-simul...445-fight-max/
Look at the graphs. Tell me which has burst and which doesn't.
Outlaw had god burst in Legion. Those days are gone. Our sustained dps is still very good. But not burst.
Edit: And of course you're trying to act tough while not even playing the game. What did I expect from the average bullshit expert on MMO-c. I give actual feedback based on experience. You saw a fckin video from a YEAR AGO where a guy can't even fckin play the class and be like "oh dayum he haz sum gud burstz".
Grow the fuck up and learn to read data. Or play the game. Either or.
Edit2: The guy in the video also says the Dancing Steel is fucking trash. What a fuckin joke kind of a video is this? Infuriatingly incompetent.
Last edited by Garymorilix; 2019-08-09 at 12:33 AM.
That dude in the video is talking about pvp outlaw and that killingspree thing is not a thing anymore.
In raid enviroments outlaw has no singletarget burst and that is a fact.
The opener from outlaw is so luck dependant that it can take you a good amount of time until you do your first dispatch.
BtE is used on cd with deadshot traits.
Outlaws opener is mainly fishing for buffs and AR is a tool to fish for buffs faster.
Once you get the desired rolls its showtime, but you also can have streaks of single skull and crossbones.
Dying could endanger your health!
So???? What the fuck does that have to do with Killing Spree doing burst damage? Did you have a stroke when you tried to make this argument?
So let me get this straight: Killing Spree does not do burst damage because... facts?In raid enviroments outlaw has no singletarget burst and that is a fact.
Yeah, I think we need to call 911 for you. Strokes are no joke.