With the upcoming release of Mod 16, all classes and indeed the game will be undergoing some major changes. These are absolutely the biggest changes in the game since Mod 6, when they removed more content than they added:) But these are good changes for once.
As a Rogue (what!? no more acronyms!?) What the heck, just R isn't going work! FINE!
Rogue's have become viable again and are no longer going to be relegated to the back burner or taken along out of pity. In the past few years I've known quite a many TR that was taken along for the ride. In our old Alliance, Unrepentant Guild Lead Doyler had a TR named simply cola. He had to beg his own guild to take him to places like FBI, TonG and such. Leaves of one (insert whatever here) in our current Alliance has one of the most viscous TR's I've seen. But even he has been kicked from groups because of the fact the he was a Rogue.
Well no more.
Rogues have returned to prominence with the new Mod. There will be a nice choice of DPS classes to take along with you now. Gone are the four support classes buffing one dps. This was usually a GWF. Those days will be gone.
With two DPS paths, Rogues have become a jack of all DPS needs. Classic close range and now, a little bait and switch tactics too.
Across the board at-will damage has been reduced but HOLY COW!! has encounter damage increased. Not to mention long forgotten dailies have been reborn.
(based on what I've experienced on preview thus far as of this writing. things may change)
The biggest thing for me was Wicked Reminder. It no longer has three charges, instead its a slightly weaker version of Lashing Blade, except the it applies the debuff in one hit instead of relying on all three charges or being in stealth. In my experiences on preview if it crit, it was a oneshot.
Lashing Blade.....uh oh for the baddies. Even it it doesn't crit, it hits hard...very hard.
Most of the reworked encounters will require cool down management as the cooldowns have been increased, but it is manageable.
Not to mention the bonuses that may happen if your companion is near, so its wise to make certain they are close by.
All of the other powers work very well as well.
But its combat advantage that is the most important thing here. It was a thing in the past, but ever so more important now in the new mod.
Combat Advantage is no joke for a Rogue. Everything ups its game if you have it and Smoke Bomb gives it in droves for its entire duration.
Mobs would last a minute in the Bomb cloud as I slid from enemy to enemy dispatching them...thing is your companion now benefits from it as well, so it's attacks benefit as well and they can be fierce.
The importance of companions cannot be understated. I would have not made it to 80 without dying without that companion.
And Shocking Execution is just that...Execution.
Managing your encounters and combat advantage are key to the Rogues success.
(more to come)