Feint: The Long Lost Skill
Posted by 
Admin on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 34 Comments Tags: Rogue, Ulduar, raid strategy, raiding, skills
Admin on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 34 Comments Tags: Rogue, Ulduar, raid strategy, raiding, skills 
Feint, the forgotten skillMy fellow raiding Rogues, we've been neglecting one of the biggest buffs to our beloved class that we've had in a while. No it doesn't improve DPS, directly at least, but falls in line with the number one rule of being a raiding rogue, staying alive so you can still DPS! Patch 3.0.8 released on January 20th which is coming up on six months old now. The buff (or change depending on your view) on this skill that generally has been laughable, has now been made a very viable skill, especially in high-end raiding.
Feint: Rank 8 now reduces the damage taken from area of effect attacks by 50% for 6 seconds in addition to its existing effects.
Now, go back and read that again; reduces damage of AoE attacks by HALF for 6 seconds. To be honest I had forgotten about this skill until a few weeks ago, it has been on my bar of course but has been on the further side of the keyboard away from more important skills. Now while this may not be a huge deal even in heroic Ulduar, once you start hitting the hard modes this redone skill really shines and a really great example of great use is on XT-002 Deconstructor.
I was running normal Ulduar (10 man) with my guild and we went for the hard version of XT-002 Deconstructor. Basically once you activate the hard mode the damage put on the raid (and thus stress on the healers) is increased by 40%! The spell from XT you should be most be worried about is the Tympanic Tantrum, which everyone in the raid needs to be healed from; if you can cut this in half you reduce the stress on your healers and they can worry about getting other people (tanks, other healers) topped off before you (and if you have healing potions and healthstones, you should be using those too). Giving your healers an extra 4-6 seconds to worry about others before you, can be invaluble in a healing intensive fight such as hard mode XT. The skill only has a 10 second cooldown which is very nice as it's only four seconds that you are without the 50% damage reduction, although it is highly recommended to NOT put this into your rotation as it is merely a situation skill at this point.
With that said though, am I the only one who forgot about this spell? Have you raiding rogues been using it for a while? Or did it take something drastic like not wanting to stress out your healers during a hard mode? What other fights do you find this to be a good fit for?
Reader Comments (34)
I laugh whenever I see "Rogue" and "Skill" used in the same sentence. *faceroll*
Those who can... do. Those who can't... roll Rogues.
Mike, nothing in this game takes skill. Go ahead and keep laughing while you faceroll across your keyboard.
Feint has saved my rogue numerous times in Ulduar, and I use it just to ensure that my threat doesn't go over the tank's.
Very much agreed statusquo. Everyone says oh this is over powered this is so easy and takes no skill. The truth is that all toons that you can roll are a face roll character.
Man, I remember hiting feint everytime it was off CD while I was running instances before Blizzard made tanks hold threat alot easier.
Those were the days ^.^
yea i've been using feint ever since they added the damage reduction. i still am amazed when i meet rogues who didn't even knew it did that now. kinda makes me feel like im the only person who reads patch notes.
when am I EVER gonna transfer my rogue to another server so i can use those abilities again...
Its things like this that make me really start contemplating rolling a rogue alt once i can get some heirloom items.
I usually use feint only when my threat is nearing that of the tanks, which isn't much of a problem now. The damage reduction is cool though. BTW how many of you like the new overkill mechanic. I personally don't.
Feint + Phase 1 of Sara = Ftw
No need to run out when the adds are about to explode and no reason for the healers to yell at you over the vent any more. 2 ticks from a renew heals you back to full.
:> saying rogues need no skill.....its practically the only class u need skill for. dumb ass.
Affliction warlocks take a lot more skill then rogue, even with the recent changes.
I would respond to that, but I cannot do that while stunned.
Oh.. now I'm dead.
Thinking a rogue takes skill is just too funny.
Everyone sayin that a certain class takes no skill to play are just tryin to make themselves feel better for sucking ASS against those classes. So why dont you guys stop QQ and learn to play your class. Idk, call me crazy, but isnt that what you're supposed to do? Or do we just give up and bitch about the classes we cant beat online?
LOL rogues and skill should never be said together i have played a Rogue, Druid, and DK.
When my druids Feral gear is worse than my rogues Combat gear, and i put out more DPS in Cat form Its time to do what i did PVP Rogue style its what they are born for no other class is ike a Rogue in PVP
STUN, RUN, and HIDE
lather, rinse, and repeat
Rogues have become useless in PVE but they make up for it in PVP who cares if its cheap.
LoL thats right Weeney do what it takes to win. Stun them blind them kill them stealth and do it again. Rogues got pvp down to such a simple and easy form that they can kill any class.
What's with all the rogue blogs.... some of us play other classes you know.
They're certainly not dull or written badly, but I'm getting tired of blog after blog about raiding tips for rogues.
you know playing a rogue in pvp is not just stun pewpew run away stun pewpew again . No every class has a counter its just you people do NOT know how to play your class.
A rogue is a difficult class to play In pve saying that it takes no skill is bs. Stop QQing just co skilled rogues are owning you in pvp and pve. Rogues are just as hard or harder to play than other classes if you want to be OP roll a pally
@thedpsking
I think it's because, oddly enough, so many of us have rogues as mains and they're the class we (hopefully) know how to play best.
Personally, I hope that talking about my mage breaks things up a little bit for all of you.
I disagree with Rulaberry.
I play a Rogue and they are the easiest class i have been there is nothing you can do to there rotations in dps to make them better you spam hit alot of abilities ther is no real rotation....Just because u cloak of shadows or feint dose not mean u have a rotation
spam,spam,spam,spam,finisher.
LATHER RINSE AND REPEAT
If you have a rogue i say lvl him go roll PVP
if u hate PVP then PVE u wont be very good but your doing what you want.
I would just like to request that when anyone throws in the OP pally comments, add "RET". Because I fully agree as long as you're talking about a RET pally. I play a Holy Pally and to be honest I get spanked when it comes to PVP, thank you guys for listening. That will be all... Peace !
I would thing that the only two classes with any remote chance of surviving a rouge (if you actually know its there...)
is a pally, and a mage, im talking AoE, pally's have consecration, and mages have the the ice and fire hail spells (wow i need to play WoW again....), and after that... good luck :D
as for feint, ive never used it cause ive never rolled a rouge, but it looks like an amazing skill that any raid running rouge should at least have on a hotbar
*think*
i would "thing" that ...
first off Rogues are not bad in PVE, I see plenty of great dps rogues raiding.
Its just that good pve dps takes a rotation and actually taking the time to research your abilities, paying attention to your spec and knowing what buttons to click
PvE rogues take some of the most preparation to get good at raiding out of any of the classes
notice i do not say skill. IMO none of the dpser classes require any skill beyond the ability to push buttons in the correct order and move out of the pretty stuff that hurts
@XcrashX
Well, if AOE is the problem, all classes, vitually, can kill a rogue. Hunters have volley, Warlocks have rain of fire, DKs have their AOEs, Shamans have fire nova totem...
If an AOE is required to kill rogues, so, they're really screwed.