I should clarify, that nw vs the disaster of Nightmare and Nightstrike is the great danger to non-insulated provinces.
Elf could pull it off last age provided a faery tac in kingdom. As a human in the war tier I'd have a margin of specs, but I'd rather rely on tactical prowess over a full spec ideal.

The rogue has always been a "dial in nw" personality, and halfer offers this flexibility. Still, it's very susceptible to Nightmare if only to diminish thief population prelude to prime activity.