The following compares the current state of Arcane Mages to Subtlety Rogues using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Arcane Mage
+8.52%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Arcane Mages averaged 8.52% more DPS than Subtlety Rogues (+136K DPS).
Subtlety Rogue
+24.95%
When simulating AoE DPS, Subtlety Rogues averaged 24.95% more DPS than Arcane Mages (+257K DPS).
Arcane Mage
+19.63%
Arcane Mages have higher spike damage potential, achieving +1.9M more DPS than Subtlety Rogues.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Subtlety Rogue
+2.69%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Subtlety Rogue DPS improved the most, +2.69% more than Arcane Mage. In total, Subtlety Rogues DPS increased by 70.45% and Arcane Mages by 67.76%.
Subtlety Rogue
+7.05%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 22.73% for Subtlety Rogues.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 29.78% for Arcane Mages.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Subtlety Rogues performed better, as Arcane Mages suffered a +7.05% DPS loss.
Arcane Mage
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Arcane Mages had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Arcane Mage and Subtlety Rogue in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Arcane Mage
Subtlety Rogue