Rogues who really want to get into the WoW Classic Phase 5 raid content should definitely get the complete Tier 0 set from Dungeons in the coming weeks. Current simulations show that the Tier 0.5 set outshines current armor pieces thanks to the enormously strong 4 bonus, and can even keep up very well with the best possible armor composition from Phase 5.
While it was quite common in vanilla WoW more than 15 years ago to farm the blue Tier 0 armor set first before visiting a raid instance for the first time, we now know that there are better item alternatives for most playstyles to look good on the first visit to Molten Core and co.
However, there is one exception: due to the powerful 6-piece bonus, rogues with six pieces from the Shadowcraft set can outperform their peers with the standard pre-BiS (BiS = Best in Slot, the best option for the armor slot) build and even five dwarven pieces from the Tier 1 set and two pieces from the Tier 2 set – see also this very informative forum post . Only the parts from BWL and Zul’Gurub can’t keep up with Shadow Art.
Tier 0 Set in Classic Stage 5
Still, you shouldn’t throw the Shadow Art set in the garbage can now. And rogues who haven’t picked up the eight pieces from the dungeons yet should do so in time – at least if they want to do as much damage as possible at the start of Stage 5. Because with Phase 5, it will be possible to upgrade the Tier 0 set to the Tier 0.5 variant via a long quest line. The Shadowcraft set will then become the Armor of Darkness for the rogue, and this armor will not only have better stats than the original, but also the same set bonuses, just in a more interesting order for rogues:
2 parts: +8 on all resistance types.
4 parts: You have a chance to restore 35 energy on a melee attack.
6 pieces: +40 attack power.
8 pieces: +200 armor.
With the darkness set, rogues only need four pieces to activate the enormously powerful bonus that always grants you extra energy. And in fact, current simulations show that armor combinations with four pieces of level 0.5 will easily outperform the best item combinations currently available at the start of Phase 5. More glaringly, the bonus even rivals the best armor available in the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj. Both of these apply equally to sword and dagger rogues.
Here are some simulation results from Classic Roguecraft (a website we recommend for any classic rogue):
Daggers and 4-piece Phase 4 BiS Tier 0.5 (in different combinations): 1207 to 1211 damage per second
Four-piece Tier 0.5 Daggers and Phase 4 BiS (with Shadowflame Boots , Old Hidehide Gloves , 2-piece Zul’Gurub Set (Trinket and Shoulders) and rest Tier 2): 1198 damage per sec.
Swords and 8 Tier 2 pieces: 1,225 damage per second
Swords and Clown Set (with Boots of Shadow Flame , 2-piece Zul’Gurub Set (Trinket and Shoulders) and Mix Tier1/Tier 2): 1224 damage per second
Swords with Clown Set and four pieces Tier 0.5 (different combinations): 1248 to 1251 damage per second
Daggers and Phase 5 BiS without Tier 0.5 and 2 x Pugio: 1303 dps (With death spike in main hand: 1336 dps)
Daggers and Phase 5 BiS with four pieces Tier 0.5 and 2 x Pugio: 1300 dps (With death spike in main hand: 1337 dps)
Swords and phase 5-BiS without tier 0.5: 1320 dps
Swords and four-part Phase 5 BiS Tier 0.5: 1316 DPS
If you’ve read our article on how to best prepare for Phase 5, you know that it takes a lot of effort to get the Tier 0 set and then completely upgrade to the Tier 0.5 variant when Phase 5 begins. You need numerous materials and some gold. However, in our opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages:
You can get the materials and gold now, so you’ll already have the full darkness set in your inventory shortly after Phase 5 begins. It will take you much, much longer to get five Tier 2.5 set parts from the temple. You will share the tokens needed for these set pieces with several other classes, you will need a good reputation with the brood of Nozdormu and several idols and scarabs from the raid.
Since you only need four of the eight Tier 0.5 parts for the 4 bonus, you are extremely flexible. Sword Rogues can combine these with two pieces from the Zul’Gurub set and three pieces from the Tier 2 set to take advantage of the extra attack power as well as the damage increase for the poisons from the respective set bonuses. Dagger rogues, on the other hand, can stick with the old leather gauntlets with a clear conscience. Simply combining five pieces from the Tier 2.5 and four pieces from the Tier 0.5 set will not work, unfortunately.
Finally, let’s answer the question of which four parts of the Tier 0.5 set are optimal for your rogue.
Dagger Rogues without Death Spikes will continue to use the Elder’s Hideout gloves and therefore wear the bracers, tunic, cap, and boots from the set. Dagger rogues with death spikes swap the MC gauntlets for the Tier 0.5 gauntlets and can put the Shadowflame boots, or better yet, boots over their feet.
Sword rogues best equip bracers, gloves, tunic and cap from the darkness set.
What is WoW Classic?
World of Warcraft Classic is a true recreation of the original WoW as you know it from 2006. All parts of the game – from combat mechanics and talent trees to character models and zones – have been recreated, contributing to the authentic experience.
Getting Started
All players with an active World of Warcraft subscription or game time on their accounts have access toWoW Classic at no additional cost.
- Open the Blizzard Battle.net Desktop App and select World of Warcraft from the menu.
- Select World of Warcraft Classic from the Version menu. If you have more than one World of Warcraft account, you’ll see a second Account drop-down list. In this column, select the active account you want to play with.
- Click the Install button. The progress bar will tell you when your game is ready to play.
- Click the Play button when the installation is complete.
You will need to select the realm you want to play on from several different realm types. Make sure you choose the same realm as your friends – in World of Warcraft Classic, you can only group with characters that are on the same realm as you!
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