Rogues & 5-mans: How to Get Reinvited Part I

On some servers rogues are overpopulated, on other servers rogues demand may be well balanced to other classes, but on most servers rogues are simply not lacking in numbers.

So how does us rogues become the one people PST when they're looking for a good group? Here's my 3 part recommendation to building a good reputation for being a good rogue and getting reinvited:
1) Good Performance
2) Good Attitude
3) Good Networking

The following article covers Part I: Good Performance.

People will re-invite rogues that "know how to play" their class. This means in a 5-man we maximize the value of rogues and make sure we accomplish the following 4 points:

1) DPS/Total Damage
The main job of a rogue is to deal massive quantities of damage to kill the mob quickly. How a rogue will accomplish massive damage depends on the spec and play style. The short list is to have proper spec, proper poison usage, usage of specials, rotation of combo moves, and quick reaction time to yield great damage.

I recommend running stats meters & reports like WWS to keep track improvements needed in DPS. Short list of minimum dps to accomplish is, if your gear is:
Blues = 500+ dps
Kara gear = 700+ dps
SSC/TK gear = 850+ dps
Hyjal/BT = 1k+ dps

Also, never pull aggro off the tank. Wait if you have to, but a rogue's job is to DPS, not tank.

2) CC/Crowd Control
Sap, blind, gouge, and kidney shot are all great CC abilities. Being able to CC mobs may mean success or failure. And on the successes, it makes 5-mans an easy breeze to complete. Develop a good approach to distract & sap, and always re-sap if the puller doesn't initiate the group after a few seconds. Use blind when sap targets the break out if the tank is not ready to pick it up.

3) Coordination (i.e. don't be an idiot)
Coordination goes into taking less damage, and preventing accidents from happening. If you accomplish both, it will be the #1 preventer of wipes by a rogue.

Always position your rogue behind the mob, even if you are combat spec. Often mobs have frontal attacks like cleaves that is unnecessary for a rogue to take damage from. If a healer has to focus on healing you, then it means risking the tank's death, and thus a wipe.

Be aware of your surroundings, swerve your camera to watch for on coming pats, and look around to make your position behind the mob isn't going to pull more. And always get out of the AOE unless you can cloak it. Oh and also, get out of the fire.

4) Save the Day
Rogues ability to gouge, kidney shot, evasion tanking, and kick (spell interrupt) are all great for saving the day and preventing a loose mobs from eating the healer. If there is another assigned CC'r on a mob that breaks loose - for example sheep - better not touch it, because in 1.5 secs or less your mage should resheep it. However, if there is no designated CC on the mob and it starts going for your healer, stop it to buy some time so tank can pick it up or pick up aggro and bring the mob back to tank. Tank at your own risk though. Sometimes it doesn't work, mobs hit too hard, you die, and the pally healer gets mad at you.

Saving the day takes quick decision making based on situation. To improve, take the time to reevaluate each wipe and think: what could I have done better? or what CC techniques could have worked to stall the mob?

Those are 4 great things rogues bring to 5-mans. Looking for an invite? Make sure you can do all four performance points and show your value in the group.