GUIDE SCOPE
Built for repeatable Phase 3 raid execution
This searchable web edition is adapted from the original MCK Boost carrier handbook. It focuses on the included class, specialization and role only; it does not create placeholder coverage for missing specializations.
- Build
- 20 / 41 / 0
- Role
- DPS
- Raid tier
- Phase 3
- Source
- 22-page PDF
TALENT BUILD
20 / 41 / 0
The raid-default allocation takes Improved Expose Armor. Move those points only when another Rogue is explicitly responsible for full armor-debuff coverage.
The exact point allocation is documented in the chapters below. The linked calculator opens the correct TBC class tree for verification.
View chapter index
01 - Raid plan
The definitive Phase 3 Rogue
One raid role, one primary spec, and two clearly separated finishing systems.
Best PvE race. Sword Specialization grants 5 expertise with the weapon family the definitive build wants. This lowers the remaining expertise-rating cap from about 64 to about 44.
Best reliable PvE race. Blood Fury lines up with Blade Flurry, Haste Potion and common two-minute burst windows. Troll can peak higher at low health, but Orc is the controlled min-max choice.
5 expertise with swords.
Reliable AP burst on a two-minute cycle.
Close alternative; value rises at low health.
Energy plus AoE silence utility.
| Decision | Default | Exception |
|---|---|---|
Raid spec | 20/41/0 Combat Swords + IEA | No-IEA only when another Rogue is explicitly assigned. |
Weapons | Slow MH / fast sword OH | Warglaive pair overrides every practical alternative. |
Boss finisher | 5 CP Expose + Slice and Dice | No-IEA uses 5 CP Rupture instead. |
Profession route | LW or Engineering + Enchanting | Choose LW only if your party still needs its drummer. |
02 - Talents
20/41/0 Combat Swords + IEA
The allocation is built around extra main-hand swings, fast off-hand energy, and raid armor reduction.
| Assassination - 20 | Rank | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Malice / Ruthlessness / Murder | 5 / 3 / 2 | Crit, finish-generated combo points, and 2% damage to eligible creature types. |
Relentless Strikes | 1/1 | Up to a guaranteed 25 energy back on a 5-point finisher. |
| 2/2 | Raises a 5-point Expose from 2050 to 3075 armor. | |
Lethality | 5/5 | Raises Sinister Strike critical-damage bonus. |
Vile Poisons | 2/5 | The remaining output points; use 4/5 if not assigned IEA. |
| Combat - 41 | Rank | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Improved Sinister Strike / Lightning Reflexes | 2 / 3 | 40-energy builder and pathing utility. |
Improved Slice and Dice / Precision | 3 / 5 | Longer haste buff and 5% weapon hit. |
Improved Sprint / Endurance | 2 / 1 | Root-break default and cooldown pathing. |
Dual Wield / Blade Flurry / Swords | 5 / 1 / 5 | Off-hand damage, 20% haste/cleave, and extra main-hand attacks. |
Weapon Expertise / Aggression / Vitality | 2 / 3 / 2 | 10 expertise, builder damage and 2% Agility. |
| 1 / 5 / 1 | Energy burst, fast-OH energy and undodgeable finishers. |
Raid-default two points.
Every sword hit can trigger a MH attack.
Fast off-hand drives energy.
Finishers cannot be dodged.
03 - Talents
Why the sword build wins
Every important talent amplifies the next one; weapon speed is part of the spec.
20% haste; copies attacks to one nearby target.
Doubles energy regeneration for 15 seconds.
Restores full off-hand damage contribution.
Finishers recycle energy.
10 expertise before gear/racial.
45% longer buff duration.
| Link | What happens | Min-max consequence |
|---|---|---|
Fast OH -> Potency | More off-hand swings create more 20% chances to gain 15 energy. | Use a 1.4-1.5 off-hand; weapon DPS alone is not the comparison. |
Fast sword OH -> Sword spec | Off-hand sword hits can trigger an extra main-hand attack. | A slow, heavy main hand makes each extra attack valuable. |
SnD -> T6 2pc | Slayer 2pc adds another 5% haste to Slice and Dice. | Dropping SnD becomes an even larger personal loss. |
BF + AR | More attacks and more builders happen inside a duplicated-damage window. | Stack cooldowns when the extra target is legal and stable. |
IEA -> raid | 3075 armor reduction beats five Sunders by 475. | Physical raid damage rises roughly 3-4%; communicate with Warriors. |
Hyjal roots and raid movement can turn the root break into more uptime than a passive filler point. Keep it unless your encounter plan proves it has no value.
Move exactly the two IEA points into Vile Poisons. The Combat tree, weapons and core rotation remain the same; only the maintenance finisher changes.
04 - Gear & items
Your off-hand is an energy generator
Weapon family, speed, temporary enchant and poison assignment must agree.
| Slot | Practical Phase 3 order | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Warglaive MH > Vengeful Gladiator's Slicer > Blade of Infamy ~ Talon of Azshara | Slow 2.6-2.8 sword; maximize Sinister Strike and extra-attack damage. | |
| Warglaive OH > Blade of Savagery > Vengeful/Merciless Quickblade | Fast 1.4-1.5 sword; maximize Potency and poison applications. | |
Ranged | Arcanite Steam-Pistol; Twisted Blades for Deadly Throw access | Mostly a stat stick; thrown weapons enable ranged finisher utility. |
Best for the remainder of TBC.
The legendary pair is the ceiling.
Anetheron side-grade to Talon.
Strong Phase 2 carry-over.
Best non-legendary Phase 3 off-hand.
Use a thrown weapon when the tool matters.
| Party state | Main hand | Off-hand | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
Windfury present | Leave unpoisoned | Deadly Poison VII | A temporary weapon coating blocks Windfury on that hand; Shiv preserves Deadly. |
No Windfury | Instant Poison VII | Deadly Poison VII | Direct MH procs plus fast-OH Deadly stacking. |
Very short trash | Windfury or Instant | Instant Poison VII | Deadly may not reach enough ticks; swap only when the pull plan warrants it. |
Use it only on a hand where the raid's temporary-enchant plan allows it.
05 - Gear & items
Hit and expertise without folklore
Combat already supplies 5% hit and 10 expertise; every cap below includes those talents.
| Target | Boss level 73 | Level 72 / trash | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
Special attacks | 64 hit rating | 16 hit rating | Minimum only; white swings still miss heavily. |
White swings | 363 hit rating | 316 hit rating | With 5/5 Precision; absolute no-miss cap before raid buffs. |
White + Faerie Fire | 316 hit rating | 269 hit rating | Common 25-player boss target. |
White + FF + Draenei | 300 hit rating | 253 hit rating | Alliance party with Heroic Presence. |
| Expertise target | Rating from gear | Why |
|---|---|---|
Non-Human / Human with fists or daggers | About 64 | Boss has 6.5% dodge; Weapon Expertise supplies 10 of the 26 expertise required. |
Human using swords or maces | About 44 | Human racial supplies another 5 expertise; only 11 remains from gear. |
Itemize toward 316 hit with Faerie Fire, or 300 with FF + Draenei. Current Icy Veins Tier 6 weights still value Hit highly all the way to the white cap.
Level-72 targets cap 47 rating earlier. For Hyjal trash, stop near the level-72 cap and place the excess in Agility; the Wowhead guide estimates this improves non-boss damage materially.
| Tier 6 EP snapshot | Expertise | Hit | Agility | Haste | Crit | Armor pen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AP-equivalent value | 2.66 | 2.44 | 2.21 | 2.29 | 1.76 | 0.34 |
06 - Gear & items
Cap-aware, movement-aware, fully enchanted
Gems are the tuning layer; the meta and movement-speed rule come first.
Best meta; requires 2 red, 2 yellow, 2 blue.
+5 Agility / +5 Hit; primary tuning gem.
+10 Hit when the cap is still distant.
+10 Agility after hit target.
+5 Agility / +7 Stamina for two blue requirements.
Recalculate before replacing gems.
| Slot | Best Phase 3 enchant |
|---|---|
| Glyph of Ferocity | |
Shoulders | Greater Inscription of Vengeance (Aldor, slightly ahead) |
Back / Chest | Greater Agility / Exceptional Stats |
Wrists / Gloves | Assault / Superior Agility |
Legs | Nethercobra Leg Armor |
Boots | Cat's Swiftness; use Dexterity only if movement speed comes from another non-stacking source |
Weapons | Mongoose on both hands |
Rings | Stats on each ring if Enchanting |
Activate Relentless with exactly the blue requirement in the best-bonus sockets. Use Glinting/Rigid until the chosen encounter cap, then Delicate. Ignore weak bonuses.
Cat's Swiftness usually beats a small stationary stat gain because a carrier loses more to late contact, ground effects and target swaps than a spreadsheet assumes.
Keep BOSS, TRASH and SHADOW sets separate and verify each cap in combat gear.
07 - Gear & items
The target sheet, not a mandatory costume
Four-piece Slayer is non-negotiable; Cursed Vision is the only superior non-tier primary-slot piece.
| Slot | Phase 3 target | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cursed Vision of Sargeras | Illidan, Black Temple | |
Neck | Choker of Endless Nightmares | Supremus, Black Temple |
Shoulders | Slayer's Shoulderpads | Mother Shahraz token |
Back | Shadowmoon Destroyer's Drape | Teron Gorefiend |
| Slayer's Chestguard | Illidan token | |
Wrists | Insidious Bands | Teron Gorefiend |
Hands | Slayer's Handguards | Azgalor token |
Waist | Belt of One-Hundred Deaths | Lady Vashj; Phase 2 carry-over |
Legs | Slayer's Legguards | Illidari Council token |
Feet | Shadowmaster's Boots | Mother Shahraz |
Rings | Stormrage Signet + Band of the Eternal Champion | Illidan + Scale of the Sands Exalted |
Trinkets | Dragonspine Trophy + Warp-Spring Coil | Gruul + Void Reaver |
Best Phase 3 helm.
Tier and expansion-long value.
Tier anchor from Illidan.
Hyjal tier anchor.
Council tier anchor.
Best Rogue trinket across TBC.
4pc. Wear four pieces; if Cursed Vision is unavailable, all five Slayer primary pieces are excellent.
08 - Gear & items
Boosted character to raid carrier
Prioritize systems that unlock uptime and rotation stability before chasing isolated item level.
| Priority | Acquire | Why |
|---|---|---|
1 | Two raid-quality swords: slow MH, fast sword OH | The spec does not function at ceiling without correct weapon speed/family. |
2 | 64+ special hit, then build toward the chosen white cap | Missed builders and auto attacks lose damage, poison and energy opportunities. |
3 | Expertise pieces toward 44 Human / 64 others | Dodged white hits and builders suppress every downstream system. |
4 | Relentless meta + Cat's Swiftness | Critical-damage and real encounter uptime. |
5 | Two-piece then four-piece Slayer | Permanent Slice haste first, then 6% Sinister Strike damage. |
6 | DST / Warp-Spring, then Warglaive chase | Older trinkets remain best; glaive pair is a transformational upgrade. |
Badge gear, Phase 2 tier, Talon of Azshara, Belt of One-Hundred Deaths, Ring of Lethality/Ranger-General and Bloodlust Brooch can enter Phase 3 without waiting for perfect BT loot.
Vengeful Slicer and Quickblade are competitive Phase 3 weapon solutions. Arena rating/time may be more predictable than raid drops, but do not delay progression for a side-grade to an existing Talon.
Rogue-only Phase 2 trinket; still BiS.
Best non-legendary off-hand.
No need to force Blade of Infamy.
Build around bonuses, not raw item level.
09 - Consumables
Consumables, professions and party buffs
Pre-pull preparation turns cooldowns into a repeatable system.
Reliable death-resistant default.
Battle-elixir alternative.
Exceptional on demon targets when allowed.
+20 hit; use Agility food when capped.
Default offensive potion.
40 energy at 70; shares the Healthstone-family cooldown.
One Leatherworker per party after Tinnitus.
Hyjal AoE; shares cooldown family with drums.
| Layer | Default | Min-max note |
|---|---|---|
Long buff | Flask of Relentless Assault | Major Agility + guardian elixir can edge it when deaths are unlikely. |
Food | Spicy Hot Talbuk until target hit; then Warp Burger/Grilled Mudfish | Do not waste 20 hit above cap. |
| Haste Potion | Align with Blade Flurry, Bloodlust and procs; do not energy-cap. | |
Extra | Agility/Strength Scroll V, Flame Cap where rules permit | Confirm stacking and raid policy. |
Survival | Healthstone, Nightmare Seed, bandage, healing potion | A living Rogue deals auto-attack damage; carry all. |
Enchanting gives ring enchants. Pair with Leatherworking if your party needs its Drums user; otherwise Engineering adds Sapper damage and utility.
Enhancement Shaman is mandatory-value: Windfury, Unleashed Rage and Bloodlust. Add Feral crit, Warrior Battle Shout and a physical-DPS flex according to roster.
10 - Abilities
Raid-default: Improved Expose Armor
The priority is 100% Slice and Dice plus 100% five-point IEA - in that order at the opening second.
| Priority | Action | Failure prevented |
|---|---|---|
1 | Keep Slice and Dice active at all times | Loss of white damage, poison, Potency and Sword procs. |
2 | Refresh only 5 CP Expose Armor before it falls | Loss of 3075 armor reduction for every physical attacker. |
3 | Use Sinister Strike as the builder | Weapon-family and talent engine stays coherent. |
4 | Use Shiv if five-stack Deadly is about to fall | Preserves poison without waiting for the next random OH proc. |
5 | Fit 2-3 CP Rupture only with safe timers | Adds personal damage without risking either maintenance effect. |
40-energy builder.
Personal uptime priority.
Five points only; 3075 with talent.
Guaranteed off-hand poison application.
Small filler only after maintenance is safe.
Plan for the energy refund.
It takes roughly 16 seconds to build five points from zero in ordinary conditions. Begin the IEA cycle early enough that bad Ruthlessness/Potency luck cannot create a gap.
Combo points are target-bound. If the boss will return soon, preserve its IEA/SnD plan and use direct damage on short adds; do not donate the boss's finisher cycle to a dying target.
CP -> Expose Armor. Wait for tank control, attack from behind, and do not spend so fast that the first energy tick or Relentless refund caps you.
11 - Abilities
No-IEA personal-DPS mode
Use this only when a second Rogue owns IEA; otherwise it is a raid-DPS loss.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
Open | Sinister Strike x2 -> 2 CP Slice and Dice -> activate the planned cooldown stack. |
Cycle | Maintain 2-3 CP Slice and Dice depending current gear/energy; spend 5 CP on Rupture. |
Overflow | Use Eviscerate only when Rupture will not receive enough remaining ticks or timers leave excess points. |
Two targets | During Blade Flurry prefer Eviscerate over Rupture because the instant finisher is copied and the bleed is not. |
Execute | Envenom only on a target about to die; consuming five Deadly stacks is otherwise a loss. |
Primary damage finisher when it can tick.
Short targets and Blade Flurry.
Only when Deadly stacks no longer matter.
Never let it fall.
| Fight length | Cooldown rule |
|---|---|
Under 2 minutes | One Blade Flurry and one Adrenaline Rush: overlap with Bloodlust, Haste Potion, Blood Fury and procs; start before Bloodlust has under 15 seconds left. |
Over 2 minutes | Use Blade Flurry early enough to guarantee the next use. Save only the final use for the strongest proc/mechanic window. |
Two legal targets | Stack every available offensive cooldown; duplicated attacks make each energy and haste effect more valuable. |
Unstable targets | Hold Blade Flurry until both are in range and will live. A 15-second button used into one target cannot be recovered. |
12 - Abilities
Energy, UI and macros
A Rogue who spends every point immediately loses more than a Rogue who pools with a plan.
| Energy state | Rule |
|---|---|
Normal pooling | Do not cross about 65 energy just before a 20-energy tick, or about 85 immediately after one. |
Before finisher | Account for Relentless Strikes: a five-point finisher may return 25 energy. |
Adrenaline Rush | Spend aggressively without clipping maintenance. Every cap during AR wastes doubled regeneration. |
Timer ready, buff alive | Pool instead of refreshing early; spend at the last safe second and enter the next cycle with energy. |
Slice and Dice, Expose Armor, Deadly stacks, energy tick, combo points, Blade Flurry/AR, Mongoose, Windfury range, threat and the assigned interrupt cast.
Do not castsequence finishers, attach Adrenaline Rush to Sinister Strike, or automate Expose refresh. Haste and random energy make the next correct action dynamic.
Focus Kick
#showtooltip Kick
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][] Kick
Emergency stop + Vanish
#showtooltip Vanish
/stopattack
/cast Vanish
Cooldown stack - press once per GCD
#showtooltip Blade Flurry
/use 13
/use 14
/cast Blood Fury
/cast Blade Flurry
13 - Abilities
Survival is an offensive cooldown
Rogue defensives preserve melee uptime when used before the mechanic, not after the death.
Off the global cooldown; lock the assigned school.
Removes many debuffs; 90% spell resist for 5 sec.
Threat reset and emergency disengage.
Physical survival if a loose mob turns.
Contact time and ground-effect escape.
Emergency trash control when legal.
Stun dangerous non-boss trash.
Control patrol direction before combat.
| Situation | Correct tool | Mistake |
|---|---|---|
Threat climbs | Stop attacks or Vanish before the boss turns | Feinting repeatedly as a substitute for tank/threat planning. |
Magic debuff | Cloak only if it is removable/resistible and not needed for the next lethal event | Assuming Cloak removes physical or encounter-flagged debuffs. |
Loose melee add | Evasion + move to tank; Vanish if safe | Standing still and turning the pack toward the raid. |
Interrupt | Focus Kick exactly by assignment | Overlapping three Kicks and leaving the next cast uncovered. |
Ranged downtime | Thrown attack/Deadly Throw if useful | Chasing through lethal ground effects for one white swing. |
14 - Encounter
Eight-wave carrier protocol
Hyjal rewards target discipline, interrupt ownership and arriving at the boss with cooldowns ready.
| Target type | Rogue job |
|---|---|
Necromancer / caster | Focus Kick the assigned cast; Kidney/Gouge/Blind only if the control plan permits. |
Banshee | Respect anti-magic/curse mechanics and interrupt priority; avoid breaking assigned control. |
Abomination | Stay behind; move from frontal danger; use Blade Flurry only when the second target is tanked beside it. |
Ghoul pack | Let the tank establish control, then Blade Flurry and Sapper if assigned. Vanish/Evasion before a loose pack kills you. |
Infernal / Fel Stalker | Follow kill order and resist positioning; do not chase out of Windfury/healing range. |
Exactly two stable targets.
Tank control first; drums cooldown considered.
Caster waves are your real raid value.
Move to spawn/contact early.
Loose physical add insurance.
Reset new-wave threat safely.
Use Blade Flurry on waves only if it will return for the boss or the wave is the actual wipe point. Hold Adrenaline Rush for the boss unless the raid's speed plan assigns it.
Short trash dies before 5-point IEA pays. Slice early, Eviscerate short targets and preserve boss consumables. IEA durable elites only when physical uptime justifies it.
15 - Encounter
Winterchill through Kaz'rogal
Melee uptime is free only after positioning, immunity and damage windows are understood.
| Boss | Combat Rogue execution |
|---|---|
Rage Winterchill | Stay behind and leave Death and Decay immediately. His Frost Armor chills attackers: time the major stack after it ends when possible. Cloak can clear relevant magic effects, but do not rely on it as the only Icebolt survival plan. |
Anetheron | Stay outside the Carrion Swarm cone. Maintain boss IEA/SnD; Blade Flurry an Infernal only if the raid intentionally tanks it in range. Do not chase adds through fire or out of melee-group buffs. |
Kaz'rogal | You use no mana, so Mark is not your constraint. This is a clean behind-the-boss damage check: stack cooldowns, maintain IEA/SnD and avoid front-facing War Stomp/cleave positioning errors. |
Winterchill magic cleanup; mechanic-specific.
Infernal only when legal and stable.
Full boss uptime after opener.
Orc burst with the main stack.
Do not spend a 15-second cooldown into Frost Armor if its melee-slow/retaliation window will suppress attacks. Use the encounter timer and your raid's strategy to place the stack.
A mana-less class is ideal here, but survival still wins. Use Healthstone for burst, remain behind and do not let a simple stomp/front error waste the best Rogue target in Hyjal.
16 - Encounter
Azgalor and Archimonde
The correct parse begins by not dying to Rain, Doom, Fear, Doomfire or the landing.
| Boss | Before | During | Never |
|---|---|---|---|
Azgalor | Doom spot and Rain path known; health consumables ready. | Maintain IEA/SnD from behind, leave Rain instantly, and move to the assigned Doom location before expiry. Silence does not stop melee attacks. | Cloak as a substitute for handling Doom, or remain in Rain for finishers. |
Archimonde | Tears of the Goddess, spread position and fear plan ready. | Maintain boss effects when contact is safe. Sprint around Doomfire, use Tears for Air Burst, and Cloak can remove Doomfire's burn after leaving the fire. | Stand in Doomfire, use Cloak before leaving it, land without Tears, or risk a death that triggers Soul Charge. |
Reposition without losing the next contact window.
Archimonde Doomfire burn removal after escape.
Use early when mechanics combine.
Threat only; never transfer a mechanic.
Doom is scripted death at expiry; move to the assigned location. Keep damage rolling until the safe movement point, but no parse survives ignoring placement.
The enrage is not the usual problem. Movement and survival decide the kill. Cancel the finisher, run early, land correctly, then rebuild the cycle from the correct side.
Before During
17 - Encounter
Naj'entus through Teron Gorefiend
Immunity, movement, add lifespan and personal mechanics change the correct finisher.
| Encounter | Combat Rogue execution |
|---|---|
High Warlord Naj'entus | Full IEA/SnD outside Tidal Shield. Stop wasting damage into immunity, pool for the break, and use Healthstone/Seed for the raid burst. Cloak does not remove the physical Impaling Spine; handle extraction by assignment. |
Supremus | P1 is full behind-the-boss damage. P2 is survival and contact: Sprint to safe melee only when volcano/charge paths permit; otherwise throw and preserve life. |
Shade of Akama | Use Blade Flurry on stable paired targets, Kick priority casters and Eviscerate short adds. Vanish as new waves activate if threat is unstable. Rebuild SnD before the boss burn. |
Teron Gorefiend | Near-perfect turret uptime until Shadow of Death. If selected, stop the normal rotation and execute the ghost-control script exactly; practice the construct kit before raid. |
Naj'entus shield-break recovery.
Supremus safe contact.
Akama add pairs.
Akama caster control.
Use the shield to pool energy, verify IEA/SnD timers and queue the first post-break action. The damage burst lands on the raid; survival consumes override offensive potion greed on progression.
A perfect Rogue cycle cannot compensate for failed constructs. Mechanical practice is the largest DPS upgrade on the encounter because success prevents a wipe.
18 - Encounter
Gurtogg and Reliquary
Threat resets, reflection and interrupts make utility part of the damage rotation.
| Reliquary phase | Rogue plan |
|---|---|
P1 - Essence of Suffering | Healing is suppressed. Maintain SnD/IEA, use health tools before the phase, and do not expect ordinary recovery. Armor behavior makes raid debuffs valuable; obey tank positioning. |
P2 - Essence of Desire | Damage reflection punishes every hit. Use the raid's stop/start thresholds, interrupt Spirit Shock exactly, and avoid stacking AR/BF into an unsafe reflect window. Cloak is not permission to ignore reflection. |
P3 - Essence of Anger | Threat accelerates sharply. Vanish early enough to matter, keep Kick rotation, and spend remaining cooldowns only after tank control. A turned boss or missed cast ends the burn. |
Fel Rage/physical emergency.
Gurtogg transition and Reliquary P3 threat.
Spirit Shock assignment.
Mechanic-specific only; reflection remains.
A larger personal burst can become a larger self-damage spike. Follow the raid's DPS throttle and use cooldowns in the approved window, not simply when ready.
Vanish wipes accumulated threat; use it before the boss turns. Resume behind the boss only after the new tank lead is visible.
Rage, use Evasion/Cloak only for effects they actually answer, Healthstone/Seed early, and prioritize survival. Vanish on a threat reset only when the raid's current tank handoff is secure.
19 - Encounter
Mother Shahraz and Illidari Council
Resistance, spacing and interrupt ownership decide whether melee uptime is legal.
| Encounter | Combat Rogue execution |
|---|---|
Mother Shahraz | Equip the required Shadow Resistance set, then recheck caps. Stay behind and outside tank Saber Lash geometry. On Fatal Attraction, run away from linked players immediately. Cloak can help resist subsequent spell damage, but it does not replace separation and the mechanic is not a normal dispel. |
Illidari Council | Focus the assigned target and maintain IEA only where the raid's shared-health plan benefits. Kick Lady Malande casts by rotation. Move instantly from Blizzard, Flamestrike, Consecration and other ground effects; Blade Flurry only when two legal targets are safely stacked. |
| Check | Mother | Council |
|---|---|---|
Set | Raid-leader SR target + viable hit/expertise | Boss set; interrupt focus visible |
Primary failure | Slow Fatal Attraction separation | Missed heal/reflect interrupt or ground damage |
| Resistance help after immediate movement | Clear/resist approved magic while moving | |
| Single target | Only on legal stacked targets | |
Vanish | Threat reset if required | Use around transition/threat, never to dodge assignment |
Support the mechanic; do not replace it.
Fatal Attraction separation.
Lady Malande rotation.
Council only when target rules permit.
Shadow Resistance is an encounter requirement, not a parse concession. Cap-aware gems and four-piece planning recover output after the survival target is met.
A Rogue's highest-value global may be Kick. Never trade an assigned interrupt for one Sinister Strike, and never cleave a target the strategy keeps separated.
20 - Raid plan
Five phases, five uptime rules
Rebuild target, threat, poisons and maintenance effects at every transition.
| Phase | Combat Rogue plan |
|---|---|
P1 | Wait for tank control, establish SnD then five-point IEA. Stay behind; move parasites away by assignment and do not Cloak/vanish scripted responsibilities without a call. |
P2 - Flames | Melee the assigned Flame from safe geometry, avoid Eye Beam/Blaze, and use Blade Flurry only if both Flames are legally in range. During forced downtime, use thrown attacks rather than crossing fire. |
P3 | Rebuild boss IEA/SnD after landing, respect parasite placement and save Cloak for the raid's agreed Agonizing Flames/transition use. |
P4 - Demon | Respect Warlock-tank threat and Shadow Blast spacing. Usually remain at assigned range; use thrown attacks and preserve melee cooldowns for the next legal contact. |
P5 | Execute trap and frenzy plan, rebuild after every transition, then spend remaining Haste Potion/BF/AR/Blood Fury in the final stable melee window. |
Every ground phase and target reset.
Ranged downtime tool with thrown weapon.
Agreed magic window; not scripted immunity.
Ground/Demon threat transition.
A two-target Blade Flurry is exceptional only if both targets, Blaze and Eye Beam geometry are safe. Target assignment and survival override the cleave opportunity.
Do not race the Warlock tank. Combo points and IEA do not justify moving into Shadow Blast or pulling Illidan; prepare the next ground-phase opener instead.
| Failure | Next-pull correction |
|---|---|
IEA gap | Start five-point rebuild earlier; track target-bound combo points and resist/transition time. |
SnD gap | Prioritize it above every damage finisher; pool and refresh at last safe second. |
Energy cap | Watch tick and Relentless refund; spend faster in AR. |
Low active time | Pre-position, Cat's Swiftness, Sprint, safe thrown uptime and faster mechanic exits. |
Death / missed Kick | Move earlier, reserve energy, and treat utility as the damage check. |
Tears/Healthstone/Seed - phase cooldown map.
21 - Raid plan
Research trail and scope
Current class guides anchor mechanics and gear; encounter guidance is cross-checked against Phase 3 raid references.
| Topic | Source | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Wowhead - Rogue talents | Updated 13 May 2026; Combat Swords, IEA and weapon variants. | |
| Wowhead - Rotation & abilities | SnD/IEA priority, Rupture/Eviscerate and cooldown stacking. | |
| Wowhead - Rogue stats | Hit/expertise conversions and boss/trash cap choice. | |
| Icy Veins - Tier 6 stats | 2026 cap table and Tier 6 EP weights. | |
| Wowhead - Phase 3 BiS | Updated 14 Feb 2026; every slot and weapon order. | |
| Wowhead - Gems & enchants | Relentless meta, Agility/Hit gems, Cat's Swiftness and Mongoose. | |
| Wowhead - Buffs & consumables | Updated 10 Feb 2026; Windfury group, flask, potion, drums and Sapper. | |
| Wowhead - Rogue overview | Race and profession foundation. | |
| Wowhead - Slayer armor | 2-piece and 4-piece set-bonus verification. | |
| Wowhead - Hyjal overview | Phase 3 raid/wave context and boss sequence. | |
| Icy Veins - Black Temple | Boss sequence and Mother resistance context. | |
| Wowhead - Archimonde | Doomfire, Tears and Cloak-removable burn verification. |
Single definitive raid-role volume.
Raid-DPS identity.
Phase 3 legendary ceiling.
Mechanic knowledge becomes uptime.
Used for Build
2026. Live hotfixes, raid-leader assignments, kill times and combat logs override generic advice. All Wowhead icon labels are clickable.
Prepared for the MCK Boost Raid Performance Series.
ORIGINAL MCK BOOST HANDBOOK
Download the complete PDF edition
Keep the original designed handbook for offline reference. It includes the full layout, linked identification references and printable preparation cards.
PDF - 22 pages - 306 KB