Rogue / Rogue Vs. Druid / Rogue 2v2 Arena Strategy

Rogue / Rogue vs. Druid / Rogue is no easy match, typically any team with a druid is going to be a tough match for a double rogue team. That said, using systemic decision making and quick reflexes we can learn how to effectively counter these 2v2 teams.

Ideal Strategy, Jump the Druid in Stealth

Ideally what we’re going to try and do is find the druid in stealth and immediately open on him. This serves 2 purposes.

1. Gets you into combat and prevents you from being sapped
2. Puts immediate pressure on the druid

If everything goes as planned you’ll kill the druid straight up, but for any of you who have played double rogue for any stretch of time you know this is rarely how it happens.

The Druid is in Bear form, what do I do?

Often times druids are wise to double DPS teams and will immediately exit stealth as soon as they realize there are rogues and enter bear form. This is when this combo can be very difficult.

Let’s be frank, you probably aren’t going to burst a druid in bear form out. So you have a few options. First, and probably the most effective is going to be attack the open and drop a bomb on the rogue. If you get a solid opener and / or if the druid is out of position you can immediately red line the rogue. Make sure you have your rupture up on the rogue as you know he’ll be going for a vanish.

Once you’ve got the opener going on the rogue you need to be looking to crowd control the druid. Either via gouge, kick, or if the druid is dumb enough a blind / sap combo. Most games the druid is still going to get a few HoTs and the NS off, but this doesn’t mean you lose. Keep up the damage, evasion tank the rogue and keep working to get the druid out of the fight. You’ve got 2 blinds, a potential sap combo, kick and gouge to punish the druid with.

Is Switching Targets a Good Strategy?

I think many double DPS teams really are reluctant to try a target switch, in some cases this fear is rational. However, if a switch is handled in the proper way it can be very effective. For example, many rogues may panic when they see a two other rogues attacking them. In the event he trinkets a CS or  KS you’ve got him right where you want him.

What if the rogue trinkets my blind?

At this point you should throw the blind, which you’re going to transition into at least 1, probably 2 saps. This will give you a minimum of 20 seconds to have unrestricted damage on the druid. Even if the druid is sitting in bear form 20 seconds is a long period of time, especially if you can evasion tank the rogue for an additional 15 seconds after your crowd controls have ended.

Final Points on Avoiding Crowd Control

On a double DPS team every second counts, it is absolutely crucial you avoid being crowd controlled at all times. In the case of this team you are going to want to save your trinket for a blind, the only scenario you wouldn’t want to use your trinket on blind is if the rogue was just reeling on you and caught you medium / low health in a KS.

It’s very helpful to set the druid as your focus target, this will allow you to watch incoming crowd control on you so you can take the appropriate action to avoid being taken out of the fight. These actions include:

• Preemptive Cloak of Shadows on cyclone / root
  
• Vanish immune on cyclone / root
• Vanish immune on feral charge
• Preemptive evasion if you believe the druid may attempt to bash you
• Preemptive evasion if you believe the rogue is about to blind you (if your trinket is down, note: This is very hard to watch for, especially if you don’t have your focus on the rogue)

Looking for more rogue / rogue strategies? Check out the complete rogue / rogue 2v2 arena guide!

Druid Macro Guide

When it comes to macros, the druid class has seen both extremes. From the classes initial conception, which literally required dozens of macros to effectively operate in both PvP and PvE environments, to the more simplistic druid we see today. After years of tweaking and adjustment this type of mass macro creation is no longer environment (thank God!), as many shifting abilities are now automatic.

Also, if you’re interested in druid focus macros, make sure you check out my other guide here.

Restoration Druid Macros

Nature’s Swiftness Heal
/cast Nature’s Swiftness
/stopcasting
/cast Healing Touch

Mouseover Healing Macros
/cast [target=mouseover] Healing Touch

/cast [target=mouseover] Rejuvenation

/cast [target=mouseover] Lifebloom

Simply adjust the spell and you’re good to go. These macros are simply amazing and I’ve used them on my shaman as a raid healer to incredible effectiveness. This allows you to simply hover over frames and pop heals off as fast as your mouse can move to the next raid frame (as opposed to having to click the frame).

This method of raid healing really gets awesome when you take advantage of another user interface mod for raids called grid. Grid is pretty simplistic, but that’s even better for us. It’s simple, it’s easy…simply hover and start dropping heals and HoTs across the raid. Checkout the full Grid user interface guide.

In addition, you could also handle other spells, buffs, etc. in this same manner.

Innervate Protection Macro

/castsequence reset=30 [target=player] Innervate, Thorns(Rank 1), Mark of the Wild(Rank 1), Rejuvenation(Rank 1)

Feral Druid Macros

Taunt + Auto Attack Macro
/startattack
/cast Growl

Mangle + Auto Attack Macro
/startattack
/cast Mangle

This type of macro helps druid’s to overcome one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen while raiding…failure to quickly engage auto attack. Simply putting a one line /startattack line before each of your primary attack abilities will do a world of good…not only for feral DPS, but for feral tanking. Many player’s view these as “unnecessary”, and believe me, those are the players who aren’t topping the DPS charts and are letting other player’s in the raid die due to their tanking failures.

Take Potions in Bear Form Macro
#show Super Healing Potion
/use Master Healthstone
/use Super Healing Potion
/cast !Dire Bear Form

I really like this macro simply because it’s so damn fast. Even if you are tanking this is a nice macro to have for those panic situations. Simply take a step away from the boss, spam this macro and you’ll be healed to full in a snap.

Replace the master health stone / super healing potion with what ever potions you’d like to consume, or add additional consumables in there. Since the first /use macro will pull you out of bear and take the pot, you consolidate several steps together, making this macro nearly instantaneous.

Mangle Trinket Macro
/startattack
/use Moroes’ Lucky Pocket Watch
/cast Mangle

Just replace Moroes’ Lucky Pocket Watch for your current tanking trinket(s). Also, for cat druids check out the macro below.

Feral DPS Trinket Macro
/startattack
/use Bloodlust Brooch
/cast Claw

Same as the above macro, change the trinket name / attack name to those of your choosing. The same will apply to any spec. These are great macros to help put several button combinations together.

General Druid Macros

Totem Sniping Macro
/targetexact Wrath of Air Totem
/targetexact Mana Spring Totem
/targetexact Poison Cleansing Totem
/targetexact Windfury Totem V
/targetexact Mana Tide Totem
/targetexact Grounding Totem
/cast Moonfire(Rank 1)

Hilarious macro to really piss off shamans. Spam this while you’re kiting in PvP situations to really punish a shaman’s totem forest.

Self Druid Buffing Macros
/castsequence [target=player] reset=10 Thorns, Omen of Clarity, Mark of the Wild

Simple Druid Buffs
/castsequence reset=target Mark of the Wild, Thorns

Balance Druid Macros

Trinket + Starfire Bomb
/use Hex Shrunken Head
/cast Starfire

Just change the name of the trinket to your own spell damage trinket.