If you intend to raid seriously, it is your obligation to show up with consumables. As a rogue, you have the potential to top the meters, particularly in the expansion’s later content. In this guide, we list all the necessary consumables so that you can perform best.

A rogue doesn’t deal much damage solo but it benefits a great deal from other classes’ utility…
Around T4, by yourself, you will do around 700-800 DPS (assuming 1400ap, 23%crit, 270hit). However, in a raid with a shaman’s Windfury Totem, a feral druid’s Aspect of the Pack, a warrior’s Battle Shout, a hunter’s Trueshot Aura, a retribution paladin’s Judgement of the Crusader and a balance druid’s Faerie Fire applied on your target can easily allow a rogue to reach over 1100 DPS. The difference between a rogue’s damage solo and in a raid environment is tangible and satisfying.

When to use your consumables largely depends on the raid’s circumstances and expectations. Sometimes during progression trash mobs require the use of consumables, while other times when content is on farm you can get away with using consumables during boss fights only, if at all.

We split the necessary consumables into 5 categories: poisons, flasks and elixirs, food buffs, profession buffs, and scrolls.

Poisons

We examine poisons in more depth elsewhere. For the scope of this guide, it is noteworthy that if not used properly, a rogue can miss a lot out of its DPS efficiency. A quick reminder of the poisons you should use :

– If there is a shaman in your group

→ Twisting totem / Windfury totem: main-hand without poison and Deadly Poison on off-hand. Note that this applies only if using 2/5 Improved Poisons instead of 2/5 Vile Poisons Talent. If you use Deadly on offhand with 2/5 Vile Poisons, it will drop multiple times during a fight, resulting in a big loss compared to Instant poison.
→ Agility totem: You have multiple options: Adamantite Sharpening stone (crafted from Blacksmithing) and Deadly Poison on off-hand is a good pick but note that, generally, you don’t want to use Adamantite Sharpening Stone unless the boss is immune to Poison (ie. Curator during T4, Void Reaver during T5). Instead, you want to run Instant Poison Mainhand and Instant Offhand (If 2/5 Vile Poisons. If you are playing 2/5 Improved Poisons, then Deadly offhand)

– No shaman in your group:

– Adamantite Sharpening stone (crafted from Blacksmithing craft) and Deadly Poison on off-hand. Same as above you may use it only if you’re fighting a poison immune target. If not, you want to run Instant Poison Mainhand and Instant Offhand (If 2/5 Vile Poisons. If you are playing 2/5 Improved Poisons, then Deadly offhand)

– No Adamantite Sharpening stone: Instant Poison on the main hand.

The value of Instant Poison increases when a rogue acquires more gear, due to haste and hit cap. (and by extension more sword procs also means more chances to proc poisons again)
Against poison immune boss, note that the value of the Adamantite Sharpening stone buff becomes more significant; sharp weapon increases damage by +12 and adds +14 melee critical strike rating for 1 hour).

Flask and Elixirs

Flasks count as both Battle and Guardian Elixirs.
Flasks are more expensive but last longer and persist through death.

There isn’t a lot of diversity for rogues when it comes to flasks and elixirs.

– Flask of Relentless Assault: +120 attack power for 2 hours.
– Swiftness of Zanza: A strong guardian elixir choice as it provides faster movement speed, meaning less time running, more time attacking
– Elixir of Major Agility (Battle): +35 agility and +20 critical strike rating for an hour.
– Elixir of Demonslaying (Battle): +265 attack power against demons for 5min (expensive to make)
– Elixir of Major Fortitude (Guardian): +250 maximum health for an hour.

The Elixir of Major Agility is generally the less expensive choice. 

We highly recommend leveling up an alt with gathering professions.
By crafting Elixirs, Potions, and food buffs by yourself, you will not only save a lot of gold but also make a lot of it as well on the auction house.

Food and Drinks

The choice of food buffs is less limited. We recommend leveling up Cooking and Fishing. It’s easy, it saves gold, and just laying back and fishing can be relaxing. There is a hidden benefit to it which is covered further in this guide.

– Spicy Hot Talbuk: +20 hit rating (and spirit). Must have if not capped yet.
– Warp Burger: +20 agility (and spirit). Once hit capped, you will only use this food in raids.
– Haste potion: +400 haste rating for 15sec. Without a doubt, one of the most satisfying features of the game!
– Thistle Tea: Instantly restores 40 energy and is on a 5 minutes cooldown shared with a warlock’s healthstone, but also Flame Cap. Use it when you need the energy to avoid a gap in your cycle. Time it correctly so as you don’t miss 20 energy on the next tick.
– Flame Cap: Chance to deal 40 fire damage on hit (also increases fire spell damage by 80). Great on single target fights! As the Thistle tea, it shares a CD with Heal stone. Flame cap’s damages are also improved by Scorch stacks (Talent Improved Scorch)
– Oil of Immolation: Deals 50 fire damage to enemies within a 5-yard radius every 3 seconds for 15 seconds. 3-second cooldown. We recommend spamming it in Hyjal to feel the power of multi-target DPS! That being said, it has a diminished effect on targets above level 60 and will therefore only tick for 10 damages per target.

Profession consumables

Alongside our guide on optimal TBC rogue professions, it is worth mentioning a few consumables that can be obtained from professions here.

Besides alchemy (for Flasks, Elixirs, and Potions) there are two particular professions that grant interesting if not essential consumables on Classic TBC: 

Leatherworking

– Drums of Battle: +80 haste for you and your party members in range for 30sec.
– Drums of War: +60 Attack power and spell damage for you and your party member in range for 30 sec.

Engineering

– Any kind of grenade you have is an increase of DPS in AoE fights.
Every little thing adds up to the damage you deal. For example, using The Bigger One during trash mob waves in Hyjal is very effective.
– Gnomish Battle Chicken which occasionally procs Battle Squawks, buffing the entire group with +5% attack speed for 5 minutes!

Scrolls

Remember when we mentioned Fishing? Enjoying the view, relaxing and stuff… Mmmmh?  You can also get loots! And I’m talking about juicy ones.
Fishing is one of the most efficient ways to get scrolls on Classic TBC such as Scrolls of Agility V. Crazy, right? 

On pools, you have a 3% chance to loot an Inscribed Scrollcase and inside of them, you have a 17% chance of having either Agility or Strength scrolls.

When it comes to being the raid’s top DPS, these bad boys can make a difference.

– Scrolls of Agility V: +20 agility for 20min.
– Scrolls of Strength V: +20 strength for 20min.

Now you have no excuses to slack on damage during raiding. You’re a silent shadow, yes, but a very prepared one! We wish you a marvelous time farming, be it for professions skilling, materials, or gold (for you auction house farmers). Before jumping in your next raid, make sure you are using the correct rogue spec for PVE on TBC !

 

Editor’s note: Thanks to Staydown for his inputs about the Poisons and Adamantite Sharpening Stone.