Damage optimised rogue

[acidjax]

A group can survive with out a rogue having improved sap. On PvP servers many/most rogues dont have it(contrary to another poster here - sap is worthless now in PvP). You get complaints for not having it but groups use different tactics and gets by but not quite as well.[right][snapback]69174[/snapback][/right]

I agree that an instance group can survive without improved sap. In the same light, a group can survive with a shadow priest as their healer and a warrior without protection or tactical mastery. Improved sap simply makes certain instances more convenient, just as other classes can take talents that do the same.

In PvP the reason why a lot of rogues might not have improved sap is because there seem to be quite a large amount of combat rogues (at least on my server) who opt for lethiality/cold blood with their leftover points rather then going down subtlety. However, for a rogue that plans to be using daggers while boosting ambush and/or backstab talents anyways, improved sap is a pretty good buy.

The cap of 15 seconds duration on sap in PvP changes things but 15 seconds is still a long time. It is enough time to sap a warlock and kill his succubus that could mesmerize you. It also helps in preventing healers from healing and keeping you in stealth after the sap.

[Quark]

While it's possible to save the rogue if he breaks stealth early in earlier instances, it becomes wipe-endangering in later instances.  We had this happen to us in an UBRS run.  A rogue failed to go back to stealth after sapping, and a priest reflexively started healing him.  We soon had 15 very angry elite mobs tearing through our groups.  After me and the other two tanks went down, it ended pretty fast.
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One thing I've told my party over and over since level 50: If I fail on a sap, don't help me. I'll try to get out with Vanish, but if I die please make sure it's only me that dies.