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Mutilate vs Backstab

Overview[]

  • In the following theoretical calculation Mutilate Rank 4 is compared to Backstab Rank 10. The rogue is assumed to have full Seal Fate, Opportunity, Improved Backstab and Mutilate for comparison purposes.
  • The [Gladiator's Shanker] is used in the main and offhand.
  • The Rogue is assumed to have a 25% base Critical chance including talents and 1400 Attack Power.
  • The imagined victim is assumed to have no Mitigation at all and is also assumed to be poisoned all the time.
  • Both Backstab and Mutilate cost the same amount of energy but if glyphed Mutilate will cost a bit less energy.

Calculation[]

Definitions[]

Critical Strike Chance: Crit = 25% = 0.25
Backstab Critical Chance: BSCrit = 25% + 30% = 55% = 0.55

Attack power: AP = 1400
Average weapon damage: AWD = (131 + 197) / 2 = 164
Attack Power modifier: APM = 1400 / 14 * 1.7 = 170

Weapon Damage: WD = AWD + APM = 334

Opportunity multiplier: Opp = 1 + (0.04 * 5) = 1.2

Offhand Weapon Damage Penalty: OffPen = 0.5 + (0.05 * Dual Wield Specialization Rank) = 0.5 + (0.05 * 0) = 0.5

Critical Strike Damage Multiplier: CritMult = 2 + (0.06 * 5) = 2.3

Poison Multiplier: Pois = 1.5

Mutilate Damage[]

Base Mainhand Damage: BMHD =  WD + 101 = 435

Mainhand Damage = BMHD * Pois * Opp = 435 * 1.2 * 1.5 = 783
Mainhand Critical Damage = 783 * CritMult = 783 * 2.3 = 1800.9

Base Offhand Damage: BOHD = WD * OffPen + 101 * (1 + 0.1* Dual Wield Specialization Rank) = 334* 0.5 + 101 * 1 = 268

Offhand Damage  = BOHD * Pois * Opp = 268 * 1.2 * 1.5 = 482.4
Offhand Critical Damage =  482 * CritMult = 482.4 * 2.3 = 1109.5

Chance For Each Possible Event:

Event 1: Mainhand Doesn't Crit AND Offhand Doesn't Crit = 0.75 * 0.75 = 0.5625
Event 2: Mainhand Crits And Offhand Doesn't Crit = 0.25 * 0.75 = 0.1875
Event 3: Mainhand Doesn't Crit and Offhand Crits = 0.75 * 0.25 = 0.1875
Event 4: Mainhand Crits and Offhand Crits = 0.25 * 0.25 = 0.0625

Damage For Event 1: 783 + 482.4 = 1265.4
Damage For Event 2: 1800.9 + 482.4 = 2283.3
Damage For Event 3: 783 + 1109.5 = 1892.5
Damage For Event 4: 1800.9 + 1109.5 = 2910.4

Average Mutilate Damage: 0.5625 * 1265 + 0.1875 * 2282.9 + 0.1875 * 1892.5 + 0.0625 * 2910.4 = 1676.65

Backstab Damage[]

Non-Critical Damage = Opp * ((WD) * 1.5 + 255 ) = 1.2 * ((334) * 1.5 + 255) = 907.2
Critical Damage = 907.2 * 2.3 = 2086.6

Average Backstab Damage = 907.2 * (1 - BSCrit) + 2086.6 * (BSCrit) = 1555.8

Simulation[]

Lets assume that the rogue hits his target 100 times with Mutilate and 100 times with Backstab.

Mutilate[]

Even if both weapons crit, only one extra Combo point is generated.
Total Damage = 1676.65 * 100 = 167,665
Combo points gained: 100 * (CP From Mutilate) + 100 * % of Events With A Single Crit = 100 * 2 + 100 * (.1875 + .1875 + .0625) = 243.75 = 243

Backstab[]

Total Damage = 1555.8 * 100 = 155,580 
Combo points gained: 100 * (CP From Backstab) + 100 * BSCrit = 100 * 1 + 100 * .55 = 155

Summary[]

In 100 attacks:
Mutilate does 167,665 damage to the target and grants 243 Combo points.
Backstab does 155,580 damage to the target and grants 155 Combo points.


NOTE1: The above calculations do not include many talents, notably combat potency, surprise attacks, and relentless strikes.

NOTE2: The above calculations were written by someone that favors mutilate. The main issue would be what spec you would go to maximize backstab (full sub). I would like the original author to reproduce the calculations with the favorable talents included for backstab(20/0/41). The attack power and agility are both increased in sub, as well as 10% bonus to backstab, making crit and dps both higher on the base for backstab to compute these calculations. The difference of 8% that is achieved by these calculations lacking the 10% to AP, 15% to agi, 10% to backstab would clearly be over matched when added in, but then what does the effect of seal fate have on the calculations.

NOTE3: While it is true an all-out subtlety spec would increase the damage of backstab itself, the above calculations also fail to take into account a spec that is designed to optimize total damage output utilizing mutilate. Such a spec includes dual-wield specialization in the Combat tree, not only for its increase to Mutilate but for its increase to white damage as well. In short, for a raw comparison of the two abilities themselves in a situation where they're on approximately even footing, the above calculations are reasonably accurate (theory can only go so far.)


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