Hi there !
First of all, let me start by saying that I have close to no experience playing a rogue as it is an alt but I have been searching these last days and seeing how I enjoy playing my rogue, I have some thoughts I would like to share with you and some questions you may be able to answer.
First off, there is (sadly) close to no “litterature” on the Combat Swords/Ambush spec except a post on the US forum. I can’t possibly believe that I am the first guy to think of it or the only one to enjoy seeing some insane ambush numbers and yet enjoy being able to face tank everything.
Little side story to show you how I intended to play and what actually happened. I managed to buy a Gut Ripper quite cheap (27.5g) but I have to stop for a few months due to IRL reasons and when I came back it was definitively lost on the nether of the mailing system. So I had the best ambush dagger for 40+ (or some of the best) and I can’t enjoy it unfortunetaly. From the very start, in my mind rogue equaled some nice ambush.
Nevertheless, from 1 to 30, the combat sword spec was really enjoyable as I had decent gear so I’ve grown accustomed to being able to cancel mobs while tanking them so here were my thoughts at first :
classic.wowhead. com/talent-calc/rogue/005-3200550100050150231-05005003]
For the order, I would get ripose asap, then the 5 crit points and then 13 points into Subtlety followed by the rest of the combat tree.
And upon further research, I “discovered” the ghostly strike build (Metagoblin used it) and it seemed that it could better even further the build because I was one point away from picking the ability anyways and I could just take it off the Sword spec making it 4/5 instead of 5/5. Also need to change the gouge point into dodge because I don’t really use gouge that much as a combat sword but this could be open for debate, I haven’t really settled any way :
classic.wowhead. com/talent-calc/rogue/005-0230550100050140231-05005013
I also went and tried to figured how much of a difference in the damage output between Sinister Strike and Ghostly Strike and found these formulas (from classicroguecraft. com/formulas-spreadsheets/). I went ahead and applied those formulas to my lvl 42 :
SS : 183,11
GS : 180,96
Just a question, the weapon damaged mentioned in there is the highest range one right ? I have a Vanquisher’s Sword 46-86, so that would be 86 correct ?
The difference is minimal and the added dodge bonus can’t hurt and I think it’s a good trade-off from 1% of an extra attack.
I hope I was clear enough and I would like to hear your thoughts on this and some advice possibly on which weapons to get (daggers mostly, the sword part seems pretty straightforward)
(for some reason I can’t include links)