To me it seems like rogues have real trouble executing utility and knowing what it means to play their class these days.
Gone are the days of good PVE rogues in raids and dungeons that helped their raids secure world firsts and break down mechanics for their parties. When we didn’t have guides and instances journals to provide us all with the mechanics of fights.
I see so many rogues idle waiting to do something for their party. That truly knows what to look for and why. Interestingly I see so many rogues trying desperately to beat other melee on damage and though it’s nice to see high meters and contribution.
Utility still has its places and execution is everything, ultimately with how the class can bounce around, along with the silences and stuns it has at its disposal. Let alone how fast these cool downs return. Too the addiotion of slowing, damage reductions and misdirection to add. I can’t believe players can’t put it together.
Your primary focus should be casters. Always. You should look for healers and range in that order, before you even begin to strike melee. With the goal to corral casters to your tank and party so that they can deal with them promptly if required.
The only time you don’t want to do this, is if they cast an AoE spell on themselves that would wipe your party. Then your probably want to CC this target with a sap.
Why? Many rogues would ask.
It’s really simple, actually you as a damage benefit from attacking casters with lower resistance to melee damage. Over Mobs with more plate and armor. Meaning you can get more attacks to land both criticals, with lower misses or have reduced damage. Which means more energy, more combos, more damage. Denying casters the ability to pummel and barraging your party with spells is key and killing them and cleaning them up allows casters to focus on mobs that have lower weakness to their effects, like Melee.
Trust me this sings through to PVP too. There is no excuses, a rogue should be in melee. Unless it’s a boss fight or there is nothing left at distance for them to deal with, and when they are to be in melee. Rogues specifically want to be standing behind the boss or target as much as possible. Just like any other melee DPS.
Assassination and Subtlety can perform this well. Outlaw is made for one thing only consistent Melee DPS with lower utility. Which has its places of being tricky for plates in PVP, but truly rogues shine when they play to their specialization, making them unique from other dps roles and doing that job to a tee. Believe me your party will thank you because you can do what no one else can.
Infiltrate, disrupt, isolate, eliminate and staggering your enemies’ assault.
That’s what it really means to be a rogue and it hurts me as a main tank, who alternatively plays a rogue from time to time, seeing that thrown away in almost every. BG, Dungeon and Raid. Stop being lazy, you get a damage buff for interrupting too. If you want to be lazy and hit something without much expectation of providing utility.
Play a warrior. Only surprise. Warriors have been begging for utility and now even we have a job to do.