World of Warcraft Rogue Armor Tips

[tayman]

Something I found while wading through the spam on the official forums.

Shadowcraft
Some will favor Shadowcraft, and while it's not BAD, it is an armor suit designed for solo PvE moreso than anything else... this means that it has 'points' stocked up in stats which I find undesirable for end-game PvE and PvP...

Shadowcraft is heavy Agility armor with a smattering of Strength and Stamina... This gives a balance of Attack Power, Critical Strike, Dodge and Armor... thing is, Armor doesn't help unless a melee is hitting you, and Dodge is the same except that it also means eating 1000+ crits when it happens against a Warrior...

A commonly used system to compare gear for a Rogue is the AEP or Agility Equivalent Points system - it attempts to give an unbiased comparison of gear based upon how much of a benefit it gives to your character in terms of offense and defense, and the weighting typically used is as follows:
1 Agility = 1 Stamina = 1 AEP
2 Strength = 2 Attack Power = 1 AEP
1% Critical Strike = 10 AEP
1% To Hit = 7.5 AEP (only up to 5%, after that 0)
1% Dodge = 5 AEP
+1 Daggers = 0.7 AEP (.4 comes from crit, .3 from to hit)

The basis for the AEP system is that a point of agility and a point of stamina are roughly equivalent in benefit to your character (because a dead Rogue's DPS is 0.)
From this postulation the rest are derrived based upon how other stats compare to agility
that is to say that for DPS alone, 20 AP = 1% Crit = 12 agi... but agi also adds AC and Dodge... so agi is still worth a little more

AEP is still just a guideline though, as selection of purely the highest AEP pieces available to you may or may not leave you where you desire to take your Rogue - for example my target HP is atleast 4000 - to that end I've selected a few slightly lower AEP value items that have more stamina so I can meet my target value... others may have target values for different stats...


-The Gear-

Everything Rare essentially... Except these:
PvP Armor: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/rewards-armor.html
Alterac Rewards: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/battlegrounds/rewards-alterac.html
PvP rewards not listen on Blizzard's page are included here too, for reference

Head:
Shadowcraft Cap - Drop in Scholomance from Darkmaster Gandling
Ghostshroud - Chest of Seven in Blackrock Depths
Eye of Rend - Drop in Upper Blackrock Spire from Rend Blackhand
Ragefury Eyepatch - Drop in Blackrock Depths from Hurley Blackbreath

Shoulders:
Shadowcraft Spaulders - Drop in Scarlet Stratholme from Cannon Master Willey
Wyrmtongue Shoulders - Drop in Scarlet Stratholme from Balnazzar
Flamescarred Shoulders - Drop in West Dire Maul from Magister Kalendris

Chest:
Shadowcraft Tunic - Drop in Upper Blackrock Spire from General Drakkisath
Nightbrace Tunic - Drop in Upper Blackrock Spire from Solakar Flamewreath
Cadaverous Armor - Drop in Scholomance from 6 Minibosses surrounding the Darkmaster's Study

Bracers:
Shadowcraft Bracers - Drop in Scholomance from Risen Constructs, Also BoE so potentially buyable
Bracers of the Eclipse - Drop in West Dire Maul from Prince Tortheldrin
PvP Reward - First Sergeant's Leather Armguards / Sergeant Major's Dragonhide Armsplints

Gloves:
Shadowcraft Gloves - Drop in Lower Blackrock Spire from Shadow Hunter Vosh'Gajin
Devilsaur Gauntlets - Crafted by Tribal Leatherworking, Also BoE so potentially buyable
Gargoyle Slashers - Drop in Scholomance from Kirtonos the Herald (Summoned)

Belt:
Shadowcraft Belt - Random Drop in Blackrock Spire, Also BoE so potentially buyable
Serpentine Sash - Random World Drop, Also BoE so potentially buyable
Frostbite Girdle - Drop in Scholomance from Ras Frostwhisper
Mugger's Girdle - Drop in North Dire Maul from Captain Kromcrush

Leggings:
Shadowcraft Pants - Drop in Undead Stratholme from Baron Rivendare
Devilsaur Leggings - Crafted by Tribal Leatherworking, Also BoE so potentially buyable

Boots:
Shadowcraft Boots - Drop in Scholomance from Rattlegore
Pads of the Dread Wolf - Drop in Lower Blackrock Spire from Halycon
Mongoose Boots - Crafted by Leatherworking, Also BoE so potentially buyable

Amulet:
Will of the Martyr - Alliance Only Quest in Stratholme (Scarlet then Baron)
Mark of Fordring - Quest in Scarlet Stratholme (Starts in Eastern Plaguelands)
Emberfury Talisman - Drop in Upper Blackrock Spire from Pyroguard Emberseer

Cloak:
Cape of the Black Baron - Drop in Undead Stratholme from Baron Rivendare
Stoneskin Gargoyle Cape - Drop in Undead Stratholme from Stonespine (Rare Spawn)
The Emperor's New Cape - Drop in Blackrock Depths from Emperor Dagran Thaurissan
PvP Reward - Sergeant's Cloak

Rings:
Painweaver Band - Drop in Upper Blackrock Spire from General Drakkisath
Magni's Will - Quest in Blackrock Depths (Chain starts in Ironforge)
Band of Flesh - Drop in Undead Stratholme from Ramstein the Gorger
Band of the Ogre King - Drop in North Dire Maul from King Gordok
Blackstone Ring - Drop in Maraudon from Princess Theradras
Band of Vigor - Drop in West Dire Maul from Lethtendris
Myrmidon's Signet - Epic Random World Drop, Also BoE so potentially buyable

Trinkets:
Blackhand's Breadth - Quest in Upper Blackrock Spire
Hand of Justice - Drop in Blackrock Depths from General Angerforge
Counterattack Lodestone - Gordok Tribute Chest in North Dire Maul
Barov Peasant Caller - Quest in Scholomance
Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas - Quest in North/West Dire Maul

Mainhand Daggers:
Heartseeker - Crafted by Weaponsmithing, Also BoE so potentially buyable
Specter's Blade - Drop in Scholomance from Death Knight Darkreaver (Summoned)
Barman Shanker - Drop in Blackrock Depths from Plugger Spazzring
Demon Blade of _ - Uncommon Random World Drop, Also BoE so potentially buyable

Offhand Daggers:
Bonesc#@!&r - Drop in Undead Stratholme from Baron Rivendare
Distracting Dagger - Drop in West Dire Maul from Prince Tortheldrin
Darrowspike - Quest in Scholomance (Long Chain Quests)
Scarlet Kris - Random World Drop, Also BoE so potentially buyable

Mainhand Swords:
Dal'Rend's Sacred Charge - Drop in Upper Blackrock Spire from Rend Blackhand
Sword of Zeal - Random World Drop, Also BoE so potentially buyable
Krol Blade - Epic Random World Drop, Also BoE so potentially buyable

Offhand Swords:
Dal'Rend's Tribal Guardian - Drop in Upper Blackrock Spire from Rend Blackhand
Mirah's Song - Quest in Scholomance (Moderate Chain Quest)

[tayman]

http://shadowpanther.net/armor.htm