Assassination is clearly undertuned right now - I think that’s a fairly common and objective assessment. I am expecting the specialization to receive a generous buff either prior to Mythic raids releasing or shortly thereafter. My concern is the nature of the buff(s) and to what extent they might ameliorate Assassination’s current Mythic dungeon concerns as well.
In my experience, Assassination in Shadowlands is monstrously struggling with the removal of the abundance of “Borrowed Power” it received in BFA; azerite traits (shrouded suffocation and vendetta especially), azerite essences (constant energy procs) and corruptions were absolutely vital to Assassination’s viability and with their global removal I feel some specs were more negatively impacted than others. Right now, we feel energy starved and our AoE potential feels extremely limited. Here are two possible solutions to consider when re-tuning this obviously underperforming spec:
Slice and Dice Rework - unlike the majority of Sin rogues I have been discussing these issues with, I do not have a problem with the return of Slice and Dice; I am “all for” more buttons, and having an ability that increases our attack speed (and by-proxy poison procs) is a welcome re-addition to our toolkit. But I think we can all agree its current iteration is not working. We’re too energy starved to be spending 5 points refreshing this maintenance buff. I would like to see (For Assassination specifically), Slice and Dice to get the same treatment that Roll the Bones just received - make it a 45sec CD, 25 energy buff that does not require combo points. Furthermore, I would like to see the attack speed brought down in favor of the energy regeneration being buffed. Something like 30% attack speed and 30% energy regeneration would alleviate the problems we’re experiencing with “new-expansion” secondary glut AND the new underwhelming scaling for Haste specifically.
Poison Bomb Rework - This is such an aggravating ability, Blizzard. It’s completely RNG and stationary. Imagine if Bilescourge Bombers was changed to a LAST ROW talent, and had a 5% chance to proc per Soul Shard spent… What warlock in their right minds would take that? Poison Bomb needs to be an ON-USE ability with a 30sec CD. It’s miserable when you do a big pull in Mythic and don’t even get a proc, or it procs in the last 5sec of the pull with one or two mobs alive. It’s also miserable with how immobile it is - you frequently proc a bomb only for the tank to need to move the pack instantly out of its effect (although this problem is shared by most ground-targetable AoEs). I suggest you significantly buff Poison Bomb’s damage, make it a ground-targetable AoE with a 30sec cooldown and if you want to be VERY generous, make it put the debuff on mobs when it explodes so that movement would not impede it.
TL:DR - Although Sin’s current problems are numerous, and a tuning pass is desperately needed for the spec, I’d love to see both Slice and Dice and Poison Bomb reworked at the same time as the numbers-pass.
Most people are expecting sin buffs the first week when mythic releases.
Blizz probably haven’t done buffs yet because I don’t think anyone tried raiding as sin in the raid testing.
I don’t agree with your slice n dice rework because to change SnD that drastically means they would have to change it for the other two specs. Also sin is supposed to be a low APM spec and they probably won’t buff the energy anymore.
Sin honestly just needs damage tuning to be brought in line with the other specs.
“Assassination rogues will now receive a Rank-2 of Slice and Dice at level 58; Slice and Dice no longer requires combo points, it costs 25 energy to cast and has a 45sec cooldown”
In the broad scheme of huge specialization reworks we have seen for Shadowlands, I don’t think that change would take the development team more than an afternoon to implement. Furthermore, there is a precedent for Slice and Dice being spec-specific as Outlaw was the only spec to have it as a talent option for the previous 4 years.
I doubt either of these changes will ever happen. I doubt pretty much any feedback given on the forums whatsoever is ever even read by Blizzard, let alone considered and certainly not acted upon. But I’ll try anyway
Assassin feels so weak. My much lower ilvl enhance shaman feels 100x better and it’s incredibly frustrating. And is leveling much faster and easier too. I’m already regretting my choice.
I’ve stuck with this Rogue pretty much since Wrath. It feels extra bad this time.
We need tuning sooner. Torghast is seriously a chore as is. Seriously the 2nd level boss was so stupidly hard I wanted to leave and just abandon all progress. I feel like the amount of effort I put into killing it, it should have been like 10 levels later. Then I have tanks telling me the same fights were laughable.
Not just tanks actually, because everyone else can kill it just fine. Rogues have always struggled with solo content, especially killing big elite mobs.
Assassination could use damage tuning. Otherwise it’s fine. I have no problem keeping up SnD.
The poison bomb thing is annoying not just cause it fails to proc when you need it. It also makes the other talents in that row redundant unless you really need an AOE boost. But this isn’t killing the spec, it’s just an annoying talent.
I had zero problems leveling, and I am not some elite player with elite experience. People who are struggling leveling as Assassination are either bad at the game or bad at rogue.
I would actually like to see crimson tempest apply venemous wounds or just rework it into the equivalent of an aoe rupture like feral druids got. Also remove garrote as a damage button and funnel the damage into rupture. it makes zero sense that rupture on sub does way more than rupture on sin which has been converted to the Dot spec.
I cleared upper reaches 3 and Soulforges 2. Soulforges 3 was the first time I actually failed, and only cause of the last boss. I came close but couldn’t beat him with the anima powers I had.
Assassination is tuned low, but it’s not as bad as many are pretending.
Edit: I just cleared layer 3 of Soulforges on only my second attempt, 156 ilvl. It’s not that bad…
