Koraa promised us some more damage in Combat and Blizzard delivered.  The following was reported by MMO Champion in their list of changes in the 9014 beta build.

Vitality increases your Energy regeneration rate by 8/16/25%. (Up from 3/6/10%).  This is 2.5 times the Energy regeneration before.  Combined with Combat Potency and Adrenaline Rush, Combat Rogues are going to swimming in Energy which I’m very excited for.

Blade Twisting has been changed to not only grant damaging melee attack a 10% chance to Daze your target for 4 sec, but also now increases the damage dealt by Sinister Strike and Backstab by 5/10%. 

Aggression was also moved down in the tree and boosted by 50% from 10% at maximum purchase to 15% for 5 talent points. 

So, with Blade Twisting (+10%), Aggression (+15%), and Surprise Attacks (+10%), Rogues can boost Sinister Strike damage up to almost 140% of normal.  Combined with the Energy regeneration and Improved Sinister Strike, we should see a large increase in our sustained DPS through Combat.

These changes are very promising but I still hope to see if the developers address Killing Spree as well to make it more in line with the sustained damage theme of Combat. 

Either I’d like to see Killing Spree improved somehow, or Hunger for Blood and Killing Spree switch places.  This would make a lot more sense than where either ability sits in their current states.  Killing Spree fits more with the Mutilate dual weapon attack and the burst damage of the Assassination tree, and Hunger for Blood seems like it would fit better into the theme of Combat with its damage boost.

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