rogue advice

[gprater]

29 rogue.
MH: http://wiki.project1999.com/Kelorek%60Dar_Spine_Razor
OH: SBD
STR: 120
most armor slots are without stats. I have some jewelry slots filled but nothing great.
I have about 3k to spend. What should be my first goal?

I was thinking STR.

thanks in advance

[Legidias]

Get a 13 dmg piercer. The 9 dmg one is poops.

13 dmg (with like 0.5 ratio or close) + haste

(like a frozen shard or something + SCHW)

[gprater]

thanks.

So, dont worry about STR yet?

[stebbins99]

I have to second getting some form of haste item, ie SCHW

[Legidias]

Getting 13 dmg (for BS) and haste (for pure DPS increase) will trump any gain in STR at only 3k plat. You might get like 20 str out of that plat ignoring everything else for very minimal increase in dps.

[jolanar]

Thirding that a higher damage mainhand and haste is what you need. After that you are pretty much set until 51+. If you don't plan on joining a guild and going for epic that way, then start saving for a MQ after you have the above.

[gprater]

thanks. So, shard and SCHW top on the list
.

[deven1313]

I would also recommend a see invis item. It sucks hide/sneaking around without seeing yourself.

[pink grapefruit]

stick 'em with the pointy end xD

[Ravager]

Doesn't matter, no Rogue is ever satisfied with their dps. Go for fashion and illusion clickies.

[Cecily]

Doesn't matter, no Rogue is ever satisfied with their dps. Go for fashion and illusion clickies.

I’ve been happy with my DPS this year so far.

[enjchanter]

at level 39 i realized i forgot to train double attack

[Snaggles]

Main hand weapon damage > haste > offhand weapon ratio

If soloing, regen and MH ratio/speed are more important but I doubt you are doing much of that (and regen is very costly).

Yea, stats are important but you can spend 30k filling slots OR just get by and bank that 30k for a Ragebringer MQ. I wouldnt mind being grouped with a 55 rogue in banded if he/she had an epic...they arent supposed to get hit anyways.

[gprater]

so, since posting i have acquired SCHW, but still working on a shard( seems no one is selling yet) I have also grouped with another rogue twice (in a HHK goblin group) who is 2 levels lower with a rapier of Oriin and backstabbing for over 200 fairly consistently. I asked him his STR and it was buffed at the time at 213. So, am i to understand that the differences in our weapons made up for the huge difference in our BS values and not the STR? No doubting the advice here but when i read the math of BSing in the mechanics section STR is integral it seems. I also understand that the haste helps with overall DPS and not BS damage. Thanks again

[Legidias]

Weapon dmg (even 1 more weap dmg on rogue will >>> 50+str, if the ratio is reasonable)

[Snaggles]

so, since posting i have acquired SCHW, but still working on a shard( seems no one is selling yet) I have also grouped with another rogue twice (in a HHK goblin group) who is 2 levels lower with a rapier of Oriin and backstabbing for over 200 fairly consistently. I asked him his STR and it was buffed at the time at 213. So, am i to understand that the differences in our weapons made up for the huge difference in our BS values and not the STR? No doubting the advice here but when i read the math of BSing in the mechanics section STR is integral it seems. I also understand that the haste helps with overall DPS and not BS damage. Thanks again

You are not giving us enough information to help with a concise answer. How much your backstab max is for example.

Weapon damage is pound for pound the best modifier for backstab damage. To close the gap in backstab damage (just bs) between a 13dmg and 15dmg weapon you likely would need avatar.

Strength is definitely a modifier and is always welcome. Likewise your skills and damage will continue to climb past level 29 so trying to figure out balance mid-way through your journey isn't really needed.

Once you can find a shard it's a very cheap upgrade for the damage you will get from it in groups. If you are soloing, or trying to solo, having a fast primary (even at loss of pure ratio) makes sense once you start getting a damage bonus on the mainhand. On live I had a Locustlure for most my rogue's life. That and a Shadowrager are pretty great even post-epic for certain situations.

If you want to gear on the cheap get a Trak's tooth for like 300p. At least that way you can objectively see what one more damage would do for your overall dps without any change to the delay.

https://wiki.project1999.com/Trakasaur%27s_Tooth

[Saisu]

I have also grouped with another rogue twice (in a HHK goblin group) who is 2 levels lower with a rapier of Oriin and backstabbing for over 200 fairly consistently. I asked him his STR and it was buffed at the time at 213. So, am i to understand that the differences in our weapons made up for the huge difference in our BS values and not the STR? No doubting the advice here but when i read the math of BSing in the mechanics section STR is integral it seems.

Simplifying a bit, if both of you were level 30 and were buffed to 200 strength:
Your damage: (355 * 9 * 5.1) / 100 = 163 damage
His damage: (355 * 12 * 5.1) / 100 = 217 damage
So yes, by him using the Rapier of Oriin, he could backstab for 54 more damage than you, all other things equal. A big difference!

Some further math on strength and weapons:

With your current 9/20 main hand weapon:
((155 + 100) * 9 * 5.1) / 100 = 117 damage
((155 + 150) * 9 * 5.1) / 100 = 140 damage
((155 + 200) * 9 * 5.1) / 100 = 163 damage
===================================
+1 STR = +0.46 Backstab Damage

With increasingly powerful weapons:
((155 + 100) * 9 * 5.1) / 100 = 117 damage
((155 + 100) * 11 * 5.1) / 100 = 143 damage
((155 + 100) * 13 * 5.1) / 100 = 170 damage
===================================
+1 top end damage = +13 Backstab Damage

For 1,000pp you can get:
Frozen Shard (13/26) = +53 Backstab Damage
Gauntlets of Potence (+15 STR) = +7 Backstab Damage

So to answer your question, strength is indeed important. But for a young Rogue, getting a strong backstab weapon is the best use of your limited funds.

On top of that, nobody can "buff your weapon damage". But they can cast +25 STR on you. Especially with diminishing returns above 200 Strength (+1 Strength = +0.09 Damage), you get lousy results at a certain point. Max damage is "always on" and will always help you.

[7thGate]

If you're still looking for a mainhand upgrade, I can give you a frozen shard if you're willing to make the trip to Kael. I run the quest periodically for XP, and vendor the shards because there's no market in ALS for a 0.5 rogue only piercer at that level.

Feel free to message me if you're interested and we'll work out a time that's convenient.

[Muggens]

Doesn't matter, no Rogue is ever satisfied with their dps. Go for fashion and illusion clickies.


This

[Cecily]

I’ve been happy with my DPS this year so far.