I have a rogue, and while my stealth isn't quite high enough to get in close enough for backstab yet, it will be soon.

I'm wondering opinions rogue players have on their best backstab weapon of choice. I have read that the blunderbuss is really good for it.

I'd like to specialize each team member in certain weapons at level ups, but I'm worried about wasting a choice because I don't know which great special weapons I'll find later. This is especially important for my rogue, I think.

Right now he is ranged with a fine crossbow, and I already took the marksman perk. I'd really like to have a gunslinger rogue (I've read even guns work for backstab if within 2 meters).


I welcome all opinions for those who've played rogue and had success with backstab. I don't mind a spoiler if you recommend a weapon class based on a great weapon you found later either ;)

Thanks


Also: I guess there may be enough great special weopons of each type, so it may not matter what I choose to specialize each character in. I have duel weilding for one fighter, and I'm already planning the sabre specialization for her; my other fighter is more my tank, specialized in sword and shield

Using ranged weapons on a rogue in PoE, if you want to get the best out of him/her, seems rather odd. My rogue dual wields rapier and dagger (pierce and slash, both fast weapons), and she's awesome at it. She has a backup bow and pistol, and she's nowhere (and I mean nowhere) near as effective as the dual wield. Remember that rogues have the highest DPS of any class, so why confine them to slow weapons?

[Typo]

Yeah, I can see it seeming weird. I just remembered reading that the blunderbuss was great for backstab multiplier because it fires 6 rounds at once, each for 6-9 damage. Roughly how much damage are you getting backstabbing with the rapier and dagger?

Also, while I do want to duel wield also, my rogue gets torn to shreds quickly in melee.


EDIT:
I believe I read that about the blunderbuss on the wiki page (in regards to the backstabbing ability).

That's an unanswerable question. Or rather, it's a question that depends entirely upon which enemy is being attacked. All enemies have their own stats, with their own DR, Deflection etc. I have never taken notes, but I *know* that she can quickly bring a foe to it's knees with melee, and needs support when ranged. Then you're not using your rogue ideally, and/or you're stats are possibly wrong. Your rogue needs lots of deflection, and don't break off (because of penalties and retribution), use your priest to support and heal. It's true that your rogue cannot stand toe-to-toe in the same manner as a heavily armed sword/shield fighter, but they also have 'get out of jail' abilities, like Escape etc. My rogue has been knocked out more than any other member, BUT she's also got the highest number of kills.

Ah.

So in a rogue build, I'd want RES and PER (the main deflection increasing stats) as high as possible, along with DEX ...........

Is INT a dump stat for rogues? And if so, do you sacrifice MIG for higher CON, vice-versa, or about even on the numbers?

You absolutely need MIG and DEX, with secondary stats being PER and RES. You can put two or three points in INT so that he/she has some benefit from lasting potions, etc., and CON for a tad more endurance, but that's all -- don't waste valuable points on stats that a rogue needs elsewhere.

Hmmm. Something closely related that I'm struggling with: strapping on armor, which any character can do, ups your deflection but slows you down. If you have a pure tank character and you don't care how much damage he does then the decision is easy to make. But for characters that you need dps from (everyone *but* the tank) how do you solve the problem? Are there natural cut-off points where more deflection is not enough of a benefit to justify a decrease in speed?

As you say, tanks == best armour available. Other than that, a rule of thumb: if a character is exclusively ranged, no armour whatsoever. If a melee character needs to be quick (rogue) lightest armour that affords the best protection -- no higher than leather for a rogue. Melee support characters, such as priests/chanters, go for middle ground, ie. good scale or chain.

There are no backstabs; not like in D&D.
Any status effect that causes distraction will allow it; it's in the description for the rogue ability.

My rogue used a warbow and disabling attacks; she still did crits frequently and was NEVER exposed to melee.
Stats don't matter for combat, so long as you do ranged.
You can use a warbow or hunting bow that attacks with at normal speed and still out-dps your mages & druids.

Once you figure out the enchanting system, you can tailor weapons to do what you want for each character.
Eg: The unique hunting bow that causes DoT's with every hit, makes a ranger do an extra 75% damage, with the right perks. The reasonable cutoffs depend on their combat likelyhood.
Second row characters should always have medium armour, since large groups WILL get to them frequently.
Mages & Druids only need leather or robes since they only get hit a few times; use enchantments to protect against piercing.