Combat vs. Shadowstep Arena Spec

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This post is in response to a question I received from a fellow rogue. It’s posted here in the event other rogues encounter similar questions.
Rogue Arena Questions…
I started with shadowstep and for the longest time loved it. After playing arenas for a few weeks as combat when I go back to shadowstep it feels like its much harder to kill geared players. Currently,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], my gear is all season and my weapons are maces.
What am I missing?
Perhaps im missing something, but with a geared paladin or shaman spamming heals in shadowstep spec most of my energy is used kicking or kidney shotting to stop him from healing. Thus reducing in barely enough energy to hemo. If I focus on the healers partner, even with cyclone (from my partner) the shadowstep build seems hard to override the healing ability of the healer.
My partner (druid) and I can win most of these games but it always ends in one of the other team running out of mana. With combat spec, we can time a 3 cyclone cycle from the druid with my adrenaline rush when my target is 50-60 percent and its almost guarenteed to kill him.
Except for 5s, I am having a hard time seeing how anyone can feel a shadowstep build is superior, even though its 4 times more popular than combat maces.
Even when I am shadowstep,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], its not hard to stay on target enough to justify the points in the talent tree. The extra stats are great +attack pwer and agility but I still do way less damage, so to what benefit?
Rogue Arena Strategy Answers..
It’s hard to judge without really watching a match all the way through. Generally speaking I would guess it just comes down to managing your energy consumption a bit better.
One of the big strengths of combat spec is the raw damage output, while shs doesn’t have quite as good of output it’s still solid. But you absolutely must keep your slice and dice up, without it you’re really going to have difficult time taking out healers.
In my experience when fighting healers virtually 100% of my energy goes to stopping heals, because I know if I can get ahead briefly I can immediately send the healer into a panic mode situation.
So I basically open up,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], get a slice and dice going with my initial CPs then just play the position game making certain to always stop the healer.
Here’s the interrupt sequence I use.
1) kick
2) KS
3) gouge
4) vanishCS
blind
preferably I’d rather not get to 4 and 5, but If it means stopping a heal in a clutch situation it’s something I have to do.
Additionally you might enlist the help of your druid here to help stop heals. You can very easily just cyclone one target, go through all your rogue CC…kick, into, ks, into gouge…then you switch targets, pressure the other guy with just good auto attacks, get another slice and dice going.
Meanwhile your druid is putting a 3 cyclone combo on your previous target. Once DRs are up on the cyclones you can switch back to your previous targets,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], now you’ve got a SND cooking, hopefully full energy and all your CDs.
I would say with virtually any rogue spec keeping a constant slice and dice up is an absolute must. There just is no better use of energy or combo points.
Even though you don’t have imp. snd and not as much +hit,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], it’s still an insane amount of damage. Consider the fact that your rupture does…well just using round numbers let’s say 2000 damage over it’s duration.
If you get just 4-5 extra attacks you’ve probably already exceeded the damage of your rupture. Toss a trinket + mongoose proc on that…you’ve got some serious white damage coming out.
About the only time I think rupture is the better finisher is vs. a defensive stance warriorferal spec’d bear druidprotection paladin.
Similarly the only time I really use expose as shs is vs. priests and some warlocks.