With the new 2.3.2 patch, many Rogues are left wondering which spec will be the replacement of AR/Prep. The spot light is on one of the abilities that has been deemed ‘worthless’ for almost 1 year, Shadowstep.

This ability has been receiving the most attention and buffs in the last couple patches. Going from only usable in Stealth and giving no bonus aside from the teleport effect, to the current usable outside of Stealth, grants 20% damage to next special attack as well as giving a 3 seconds mini sprint per use.

We all know the sacrifice you have to make in order to pick up Shadowstep…
You basically limit yourself to 20 points for the Assassination tree and/or Combat tree. This leaves out very nice talents like Cold Blood, Mace Weapon Specialization, Improved Kick, etc… The question remaining, is the latest buffs to Shadowstep and to some extend, Cheat Death & Sinister Calling, enough to make up for the lost of talents in 21+ Combat or Assassination?

Through testing and feedbacks from me and Neilyo, we have reached some interesting results. While AR/Prep allowed for very strong rush down styles to be available by providing 30 seconds of abnormal DPS and mobility, Shadowstep build calls for a much different playing style. With the ability to ‘zoom’ distance, you can now interrupt spells from up to 25 yards away on demand. This in particular combats Frost Mage extremely well. You will be able to kick all the Shatter combos and sheep attempts, as well as giving them no breather from Blinking. The usage of Shadowstep, however, isn’t limited to these.

We should all thank the Blind change which made it a physical attack. Now just about every class is forced to use their Trinket for Blind in fear of the dreaded Blind > Sap combination that’ll put them out of the game for 20 seconds. This opens up for amazing target switching strategy.

Scenerio 1 – Running Rogue/Mage/Priest, you’re on the primary target with your Mage, while it’s harder to drop your target as Shadowstep comparing to AR/Prep, it isn’t hard to force their healer to trinket your Blind. Soon as the healer trinkets, have either your Mage or Priest CC the 3rd person and provide breather for the Mage to free cast briefly. Soon as everything is under control, you can Vanish > ShS to the healer that already blew trinket and proceed with CS > KS > Counterspell for 14 seconds of lockout. It’s pretty much a sure kill as long as your Mage can land a Shatter combo during this time.

Scenerio 2 – Same tactics as above, except instead of going for the healer, you interrupted the healer while your Mage unloads on the primary focus. Premed+CS > Gouge > KS > Gouge > Counterspell is already a 20+ seconds lockout with the possibility of another Garrote or CS towards the end. Meanwhile, your Mage and Priest can DPS the main target assuming LoS is available.

Obviously, both scenarios are situational and you have to decide which one will fit the best at the given time. Shadowstep makes it so much harder to avoid being ambushed by the strategy listed above and it’s workable with many different lineups. Just insert whatever CC your partners have in replacement of Counterspell (IE. KS > CS > Bash > Spell Lock x 2 for Druid Warlock Rogue).

Now, there are 2 variations of Shadowstep build that I personally consider are the best at the moment.

0/20/41
Coming from AR/Prep, most Rogues are used to 2 Improved Sprints, Vanishes as their snare breakers. The closest variation to AR/Prep of Shadowstep build would be 0/20/41. Even through you lose AR, Mace Stun, and Improved Kick, you do gain Shadowstep and higher sustained DPS outside of AR. You keep the 2 Improved Sprints and added Shadowsteps which can be reset by Preparation on demand. You still have the ability to pull off surprise attacks as well as playing outlasting with your superior sustain DPS. Although this spec has absolutely no burst what so ever, it is the highest mobility and Mage’s nightmare from the sheer amount of snare breaks and Shadowstepping after Blinks.

17/3/41
This is my current favored spec. Even through it doesn’t have Improved Sprints, I haven’t ran in to any mobility issues when using the Shadowsteps correctly. Unlike the 0/20/41 from above, you can actually do moderate burst damage from using Premeditation and Eviscerate under the right situation. The spec also has 5% more Crit and Lethality, combined with getting energy back from Relentless Strike (seemed like forever ago since I had that talent) on 5 CP KS, it’s not hard to chip in your 3-4k damage during a lockout burst. Some people might favorite 20/0/41 over this but I believe Improve Gouge is amazing when combined with Shadowstep > Kick as well as during lockout combos; thus, I am willing to sacrifice 3 Poison talents for it.

Neilyo has a few words to add as well:

“I think 8/12/41 is a non-factor spec because it combines the weaknesses of both 20/0/41 and 0/20/41, and between the two latter specs I believe 20/0/41 is the stronger contender. The spec (Shadowstep based specs) is already weak on demand damage so giving up lethality is pretty significant. That in addition to when your Imp Sprints are down, 20/0/41 will actually out damage combat Sstep because at that point it comes down to doing as much damage as possible after the Shadowstep, before they get away again.”

So there you have it, the week 1 conclusion of Shadowstep testing on BG9. If you have significant different results, feel free to voice your comments and opinions.

Special thanks to Neilyo and his teammates in assisting the testing of different Shadowstep specs.

Tags: Rogue · Articles

18 Responses to “2.3.2 Shadowstep Week 1 Conclusion”

1. dagnabber Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 12:28 am

   how about 11/9/41??

   gets u relentless strikes (good for a quik gouge or kik)

   and u can keep SnD up

   or any thoughts on deep combat or 11/26/24 ??

2. Tavu Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 1:59 am

   Great conclusion. Very insightful.

3. Gusty Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 9:59 am

   Ziss,

   I understand that most rogues got shafted with s3 maces after the nerf kick in the balls we received and are stuck at the moment with them. I just met the min. rating requirement and am about to pick up my s3 weapon. How much testing(honest effort testing as you did above with different strats and not —wow this build has no cp generation,it sux) has been done with daggers for SS? I can see how the combo point generation will be dismal, but the constant complaint I hear about lack of burst with SS I would imagine would benefit most from having daggers with that spec. You can still lock out opponents as you mentioned above and would be able to provide some burst damage via SS ambush bs evis combos on low health targets. I am currently running a heavy poison mutilate build with a lock for 2s and am worried about missing the train again (never spec’d maces until s3) and would hate to pick maces up only to find the masses will later migrate back to daggers. Thanks

4. Reinhold Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

   Blink - 15 secs

   Shadowstep - 30 secs

   How exactly is shadowstep allowing you to keep up with mages who blink? You are a warrior in greens with this spec. Only with less damage.

   I can’t believe this is what the class has come to. A crappy DPS active CC machine. Why not just run a warrior and use passive CC measures like cyclones and sheeps? Much more affective.

   I do appreciate the massive efforts for most of the community to try to paint this in the a positive light and keep a happy glass is half full outlook on it all…. but man, there is just no denying that this sucks right now.

5. Deadx Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

   @ Reinhold, most mages blink out of KS or CS, so thats when you ShS and put out a 5cp KS and wack on their face.

   thanks for the info guys, im running with 17/3/41 right now and its great and fun.

6. Winter Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 8:56 pm

   Yea if the mage blinks Shadowstep, kindey/cheapshot him. And if he blinks kidney/cheapshot, shadowstep him and put a crippling on him.

7. Saya Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 9:11 pm

   how come no improve EA in your 17/3/41 build?

   and how is improve poison better than vile poison?

8. Rive Says:
   January 12th, 2008 at 10:36 pm

   This is the spec I’m rolling with currently. Its perfect for Rogue Rogue 2v2…
   link to spec
   Its 24/13/24
   Thats right, a trispec. Has the best of everything; Cold Blood, Imp. KS, Riposte, Imp Sprint, Prep, DD, Hemo.
   Hes specced ShS so he has the mobility and I have vile poisons/imp expose armor/imp KS.

9. Ive Says:
   January 13th, 2008 at 1:20 am

   @gusty

   Shadowstep daggers has just about the lowest sustain of any rogue build, which is why it’s bad.

   If rogues go back to daggers it will be as mutilate, but as is, maces are still stronger IMO(everyone has an opinion right? ;p)

   @reinhold

   I agree, but I love playing rogue and every other class either bores or frustrates me to death. So I’m taking the opportunity to switch from NE rogue on a PVE server(lawl) to UD on PVP

   leveling is fail

10. Ive Says:
    January 13th, 2008 at 1:25 am

    oh, and @Rive

    why, WHY, are you taking imp evicerate over 2 in murder and 1 more in lethality? and drop 3 more from vile poisons to fill out lethality, you aren’t playing outlast as double rogue, dispell spam won’t be your main problem…

    And drop that worthless point in heightened senses to fill out imp sprint, giving your 5 min CDs a 50% chance to fail is lose.

11. Rive Says:
    January 13th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    @ Ive;
    Thats the wrong link. I’ve tried editing it 3 times now.

12. Zhonya Says:
    January 13th, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    I really like what Reinhold has pointed out. It really has become pathetic that rogues are trying to be this mobile CC machine that tries to be annoying rather than a high dps lockdown class. I know blizzard isn’t making it any easier for you rogues, but seriously…

13. None Says:
    January 14th, 2008 at 12:49 am

    @Zhonya - Yes, that’s all blizzard will let us do. They gave warriors the burst damage (I have 400 resil and got executed for 5k in damage yesterday). We got interrupts that are all on the GCD.

    @Saya - Because energy regen sucks in ShS, and you never have more cp’s for anything other than KS and either rupture or SnD (I prefer rupture until I burst with evis)

    11/9/41? No. I’ll try to explain:
    S&D isn’t as good without combat potency… without DW, without precision, and without a weapon spec. Imp poisons offsets some of the lack of S&D. People go combat for DW and Imp Sprint and Precision. You either go to that level or you leave combat alone.
    That old standby of S&D always being the best finisher after KS? Not so much when you don’t have the rest of combat.

14. Fendranor Says:
    January 14th, 2008 at 5:08 am

    I specced 17 2 42 with the release of 2.3.2. I’m also one of the mace-spec people who used and loved daggers for almost 3 years now.

    Using my spec for Ambush, then switch to Hemo Maces. However i wondered how the improvement on Backstab works out.

    Do you have any insights on Backstab? Is it viable for Arena or should i stick to spamming Hemo with maces after my Ambush?

15. Ziss Says:
    January 14th, 2008 at 5:13 am

    For all those that’s wondering about how viable Backstab is:

    As much as I love Backstab myself, it’s just not usable in the current state of Arena.

    It’s vital that you keep Combo Points handy as there are many finishers you need to keep up at all times to increase DPS or limit the target’s.

    Backstab variations simply does not generate enough Combo Points and leave you very energy starved at times when you need to spam Shiv.

    Hopefully there’ll be a savior in the future patches for Backstab builds, but until then stay away from it. And yes, I have tested it throughly.

16. Sepron Says:
    January 14th, 2008 at 7:34 am

    I currently use s2 maces and working my way to s3 weapons… After blizz HARP nerf I cant se why every one is still going for mace..?? Why doesnt ppl pick up swords insted? If you have no intention what so ever going down to mace stun in combat , whouldent it be better with swords hens the higher “all over” dmg?(214-322 sword vs 187-349 mace) or am I wrong?

17. Feelpain Says:
    January 14th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

    Well I went for 0.20.41. I belive It’s got most of goof abilities I had in my old spec (AR / Prep ofc) I got imp sprint, imp kick, riposte, imp gouge. imp CDs on basicly everything, more AP, Cheat death and shadow step ofc. What I lose from AR / Prep is obviously AR, mace spec, chance to resist stuns and fears and blade fury.

    On 2k+ ratings in 2v2 and 3v3 atm in Cyclone BG and I feel Shadow step as ntb spec. Still AR/Prep is NOT nerfed that much for arenas I say.

18. purplethreat Says:
    January 20th, 2008 at 12:35 am

    Well after a couple of weeks of testing in PTR I decided to go 16/0/45. With the use of Setup along with Evasion+GS on melee classes and Setup along with CoS against casters I haven’t had a problem with CP generation. Plus with the buff in AP and crit from Deadliness, Sinester Calling and Malice I can confidently say that I really don’t miss AR/Prep. Even greater with the abilities of ShS, CoS, Vanish, 1650 AP and 30% crit from the above mentioned abilities from the Subtlety and Assassination tree I really haven’t found myself having trouble with frost mages. I have yet to test this spec in high rating arenas due to lack of knowledgable pvp’ers on my server, but just last night we had a real good turn out from a new 3v3 setup I formulated which alot of people haven’t been really optimistic about. We went 9-1 last night starting fresh from 1500, losing a mirror match; (resto druid, holy/disc priest, rogue). I will futher on be posting the outcome and analogy of my spec in high rating arenas and new 3v3 setup as we learn more about it. Be on the look out.