The test notes for patch 4.1 have some pretty jaw dropping changes lined up for rogues. Not only do rogues have no movement penalty when stealthed, but with the revised nightstalker talent a rogue will have no cooldown on stealth at all. Not only that but with nightstalker a rogue will move 10% faster when stealthed, which also stacks with sprint. Which means that a rogue will be able to catch a mounted player while in stealth. Think about that for a moment; a rogue will be able to catch a mounted player while in stealth. That’s unbelievable.
These changes will have a few effects. PvE won’t see any big changes, particularly for combat rogues who are normally better off starting a fight while out of stealth anyway. It will definitely make manoeuvring into position while stealthed much easier, particularly so with Tricks of the Trade having its range extended from 20 to 100 yards. But the real changes will be in the PvP environment. These buffs are going to make rogues the most feared class in battlegrounds and arenas. There will be no reason at all for a rogue not to be stealthed at all times. In fact, I will go so far as to say that I think these changes have been poorly thought out. Rogue players are going to have a fantastic time with these improved abilities, but everyone else will have a giant headache. I cannot for the life of me think why this is being implemented. Were rogues broken that much in PvP? If this change is coming in to counter other classes being too powerful in respect to rogues then where does it stop? Why not bring other classes back into line? But that is not fun. The classes that have been nerfed will cry and wail, and thus we are locked into a continuous inflation of ability powers.
The only reason that I could maybe, just maybe think of for this change to stealth is to attract more people to play the most under represented class. If that is the case then this change will definitely boost rogue numbers on the battlefield. Experienced rogue players however will have a field day with this change. We are used to having to make all the compensations required on the battlefield for the movement restrictions associated with stealth. With those restrictions blown out of the water experienced rogues are going to be very, very deadly indeed.
March 7, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Minimal advantage for PVE except that we can get to the target in stealth as fast as everyone else (we do need to open in stealth by the way think Overkill). But it is going to be so good for PVP that I’m tempted to go back to it.
I suspect they will nerf it in time though, already the stream of tears is counteracting the ocean levels effected by global warming.
Why have they done it ? No idea… maybe there’s a new lead rogue designer at Blizzard who shouts louder than most.
March 7, 2011 at 4:51 pm
I read that yesterday and my jaw dropped. Having you mention the Nightstalker talent + sprint resulting in chasing down a mounted person….I’m going to have to have facial reconstruction. I haven’t done much PVP, but this might just make me more confident. Recup is getting a buff, as well, from 2% to 3% per tick. PVP is going to be more fun until we get nerfed.
March 7, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Ghostcrawler switched from his frost mage to a rogue.
March 7, 2011 at 9:34 pm
As a warlock main, I already know I’m going to hate this change. And I’m with you, I have no idea why they’re implementing it. Pick pocket farming will be a lot more fun and profitable on my alt, however!
March 8, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Blizzard does not think about things anymore… You can see it from the Cata release.. while good.. it seems like it was “incomplete”.. with parts missing or partially implemented.. just another sign that Blizz is becoming Activision and does not care anymore about what made them special. Remember that company that made us wait for like a zillion years because their product was just not ready?
March 9, 2011 at 9:34 pm
“the most under represented class”
Sure thats not the Hunter…
March 10, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Considering the massive aoe going on that breaks stealth anyway, and just how vital it is for rogues to get an opener off (most of the time).
Also, people tend to overlook the fact that it will still take 6 seconds on not attacking/being attacked to leave combat. I think at the end of the day, this won’t have a huge of an impact as people think it will.
March 22, 2011 at 5:29 pm
I have been sitting happy v rogues ever since I read on the rogue forums that rogue stuns function as a ranged attack, thats why stealthed rogues cant stun a camo’d hunter. Well I just had a tol barad where the rogue ran up to me hit fan of knives (popped me out) then vanished and went to town. As a ghost at the graveyard I pondered this new change.