This guide was written by Sativ. If you’d like to seem more by Sativ check him out on Youtube and on Twitter.

The 6.0.2 Warlords of Draenor Pre-Patch is here: There have been drastic changes to the game in this patch. So lets start with breaking down the changes to the game in general. Then move onto Rogues: There will be a Video covering all this linked at the END of these posts.

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Game Mechanic Changes: MoP->6.0
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Stat Squish: 500k~ Health Pools to 70k~

https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/content_entry_media/UWOGFNFX8ACJ1393539234638.jpg

  • Basically this means health pools and damage have been squished down to early Cataclysm numbers.
  • While this might feel confusing at lvl 90. Health is considerably higher at level 100. So don’t get too comfortable.

Game Responsiveness: Faster Server to Client Interaction

  • In the past: data was sent and received in batches of 400ms(Milliseconds)

Basically in a situation where you Gouge a druid Cyclone Cast: There’s a 400 millisecond window of opportunity where your action and his action can both be registered at the same time. Leaving you Cycloned and the Druid Gouged.

  • In 6.0.2 and onward: Data is accepted as soon as it arrives. Which is generally 1-10ms according to Celestalon

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/13087818929?page=6#114

This means it’s still possible for that situation to occur. Only it’s much less likely
It also effects other players position on your client in relation to their position on the server. Making those ‘I’m on top of you but out of range?’ situations rarer.
Additional Information about how this effects various aspects of Gameplay can be found here (By NCPRicket)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj8SUETfb1I

Agility in Warlords: No longer grants Critical Strike Chance, Less Attack Power 

  • In warlords all main stats have been homogenized to be slightly less effective and shifted some of that strength into secondary stats.

Each point of Agility or Strength now grants 1 Attack Power (down from 2). 
Attack Power now increases Weapon Damage at a rate of 1 DPS per 3.5 Attack Power (up from 1 DPS per 14 Attack Power)

Hit and Expertise Removed: 

  • All Hit and Expertise on your gear has been turned into Haste
  • All characters now have a 100% chance to hit, 0% chance to be dodged, 3% chance to be parried,
  • Dual Wielding still imposes a 19% chance to miss, to balance it with two-handed weapon use.*

*This only effects auto attacks.

Changes to PvP

  • Base Resilience has been reduced to 0%.
  • Battle Fatigue has been reduced to 20% (down from 60%).
  • Critical Damage and Critical Heals in PvP combat now deal 150% of the normal spell/ability effects (down from 200%)
  • Multistrikes can only Trigger Once instead of Twice

Racial Traits
There’s been a lot of changes to Racial in Warlords of Draenor I suggest you view the patch notes, as they would clog up this post.

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/15682579/602-ptr-patch-notes-sep-18-9-18-2014#racials

I’ve also made my own Video about Racials from a PvP Rogue Perspective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aku82__mrRI&list=PLBMButhAK6tt8Fo3R2E4JqD8UVKCCUiTr

Professions

  • They have removed the direct combat benefits of Professions.
  • There is no Best Profession for PvP or PvE anymore

Well that’s the basics of things you’ll notice for the next month at level 90 in relation to Game Mechanics. Lets move onto Rogues.

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Rogue Related Changes: MoP->6.0
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Combo Points

  • Combo Points for Rogues are now shared across all targets and they are no longer lost when switching targets.
  • Redirect has been removed.

At long last brothers and sisters- we’ve got combos not restricted to a single target. Much like any skilled Assassin.

Abilities Pruning

  • Disarm Trap has been removed(*).
  • Mind Numbing Poison has been Removed(*)
  • Shadow Blades has been removed.
  • Shadow Walk has been removed.
  • Fan of Knives is no longer available to Combat Rogues.
  • Rupture is no longer available to Combat Rogues.
  • Tricks of the Trade now has no energy cost and no longer increases damage caused by the target by 15%.

(*)All Similar effects have been stripped from other Classes

Ability Refinement

  • Swiftblade’s Cunning now grants 5% Haste & Multstrike (instead of 10% attack speed)
  • A lot of Passive effects you’re used to seeing in your spell book have been merged into the abilities they effected
  • Examples include Find Weakness, Master of Subtlety, Venomous Wounds, and Blindside.
  • Unless otherwise stated in Patch Notes. All Rogue passives remain intact.

Talents and Glyphs

  • Subterfuge has been reworked

Instead of allowing you to remain in stealth. You instead gain access to your Stealth Skill-set for 3 seconds. Making you vulnerable to peels. But stills relatively easy to get your opener, or multiple openers off

  • Burst of Speed now 30 Energy. (up from 15)

This makes Burst of Speed way weaker when you tunnel vision a target. But still extremely strong for restealthing, or escaping enemies

  • Deadly Throw only interrupts at 5 combo points
  • Cheat Death now procs at 7% (down from 10%)
  • Leeching Poison’s Shiv effect was nerfed but the direct healing was raised by 5%
  • Paralytic Poison replaced by Internal Bleeding which places a strong bleed on the target when they are stunned with Kidney Shot.
  • As for Glyphs we do not have access to the three new options. So keep utilizing what you have been in the past, or explore new options!

Specialization Changes
Specs generally play the same with the exception of damage being shifted to or from abilties, changing the priority of them. This thread is aimed at covering what’s changed. Not Explaining how to play each spec.

Assassination

  • Rupture Ticks vs Poisoned Targets now have 100% Chance to Generate 10 Energy
  • Envenom now increases Poison Application rate by 30% (up from 15%)
  • Wound Poison’s Direct Damage is higher than Deadly Poison. Making it more burst Damage

These three changes alone make Assassination a lot smoother and comfortable to play. Once you gain access to Perks at level 100 the spec becomes one of strongest and easier to play of the three Rogue Specs

Combat

  • Main Gauche now hits with your Off-Hand Weapon. Making two slow 2.6 weapons important for Combat Rogues
  • Revealing Strike no longer advances Bandit’s Guile

in the past players would use Revealing Strike to quickly advance to Deep Insight as it was a cheaper alternative to Sinister Strike

  • Killing Spree no Longer Increases all Damage done by 50%

Killing Sprees damage has been increased to compensate. Though this hurts combat’s overall pressure out side of Deep Insight All in all combat has a very similar flow to it. Though It depends a lot more on Deep Insight now due to the Killing Spree ‘nerf’

Subtlety

  • Sinister Calling: Now causes successful Multistrikes with Backstab or Ambush to advance your Bleeds by 2 seconds, casusing them to instantly deal damage
  • Ambush can now be used from any position. Yes that means FACE AMBUSH! HIYA!
  • Backstab’s positional requirement has been loosened. Though still can’t be used from the front
  • [Cloak and Dagger] once again is working with Shadow Dance
  • Rupture’s Damage is a lot stronger and should be utilized for more than Sanguinary Vein

All in all the only note worthy change here is how much Damage Rupture deals… It’s very strong at level 100 and I assume the same for 90s.

As this guide is designed to be quick and simple: I’ve also included a video covering the entirety of these posts as well as a bit more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7I21nZUb_A

-This video is going live Tuesday the 14th- Though is viewable from the direct link exclusive for the next few hours here on Ravenholdt.

Thanks for Reading.