Rogue PvE

Rotations & Guide · PvE · PvP · Builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Changes vs Classic

Rogues are energy-based melee assassins built around combo points, finishers and stealth openers. Forever gives them Mutilate and the Venom finisher (boosting poison damage and application), Coup de Grace for Deadly Poison Eviscerates, Puncturing Wounds for Backstab and Mutilate crits, and a Flawless Execution passive to cheapen Eviscerate that no trainer teaches yet.

Assassination Rogue PvE guide

At level 20, Assassination in a dungeon is a dagger Backstab spec: Malice and the Forever passive Puncturing Wounds make Backstab crit often, and Improved Eviscerate turns 5 combo points into your biggest hit. Its signature Forever tools, Coup de Grace at 30 and Mutilate and Venom at 40, are still above the cap, so for now you stand behind the tank's target and alternate Backstab with Eviscerate.

Your job in a group

Single-target melee damage from behind the tank's target, and a reliable interrupt: Kick locks a caster out of that spell school. Before a pull, Sap one Humanoid out of the pack from Stealth so the tank faces one fewer mob, and Gouge a loose add that nobody else is hitting. You have no area damage at 20, so kill mobs in the order the tank marks them and use Feint to stay below the tank's threat. Don't pull; stay in Stealth until the tank has the mobs' attention.

Opener

• Stealth: Stay stealthed while the tank sets up; rank 2, trained at 20, slows you by 40% instead of 50%.
• Sap: Before the pull, Sap one Humanoid the group isn't ready to fight. It lasts up to 25 sec and doesn't break Stealth, so you can still open afterwards. Any damage breaks it, so tell the group which mob it is.
• Ambush: Once the tank has the target's attention, Ambush from behind with a main-hand dagger for 250% weapon damage plus a flat bonus.
• Slice and Dice: On any pull that will last, spend the first 1 or 2 points here; the 20% attack speed is the same at every point count, only the duration grows.
• Backstab: Your builder from behind: 150% weapon damage plus a flat bonus, and Puncturing Wounds gives it extra crit chance and a chance at a bonus combo point.
• Eviscerate: Spend 5 points; Improved Eviscerate makes this your biggest hit. Spend points before a mob dies, since they stay on that target.

Cooldowns

• Kick: Interrupt heals and dangerous casts; the target can't cast spells of that school for 5 sec. On caster pulls, keep enough Energy for it.
• Feint: Use it when you're close to the tank's threat, especially right after a big Eviscerate crit.
• Evasion: If a mob turns on you anyway, 50% more dodge for 15 sec keeps you alive until the tank takes it back.
• Gouge: Hold a loose add for 4 sec while the tank picks it up. It must be facing you, and any damage breaks it, so don't use it next to area damage.
• Sprint: 50% more speed for 15 sec to reach a caster standing at range, or to get out of a pull that has gone wrong.

Stats

Hit, Agility, Critical Strike, Attack Power, Strength. Hit first, so Backstab, Eviscerate and Kick land. Agility is the main stat on Rogue gear, and Critical Strike stacks with Malice and Puncturing Wounds on Backstab. Attack Power and Strength come after. Your main-hand dagger matters more than any single stat, because Backstab and Ambush deal a percentage of its weapon damage.

Tips

• Use the hardest-hitting main-hand dagger you can find. Backstab and Ambush deal a percentage of weapon damage, so a bigger dagger hit raises both.
• Puncturing Wounds is a level 1 Forever passive, not a talent: every Rogue with a main-hand dagger gets its Backstab crit bonus, and Malice's crit chance stacks on top.
• Sap doesn't break Stealth in Forever, so you can Sap one mob and still Ambush the tank's target.
• Rupture is weak at 20: rank 1 lists 87 damage over 16 secs at 5 points before Attack Power. Eviscerate is the better finisher on almost every pull.
• Assassination has no area damage at 20. On trash packs, stay on the tank's first target and spend combo points before it dies.

Combat Rogue PvE guide

Combat is the steady, forgiving damage spec. Improved Sinister Strike makes your main builder cheaper, Precision helps you hit, and you can fight with a sword, mace, axe, fist weapon or dagger. At 20 the dungeon build borrows one point of Malice from Assassination; at 30 it reaches Blade Flurry, Combat's cleave and burst cooldown.

Your job in a group

Steady single-target melee damage with any weapon type, and an interrupt: Kick locks a caster out of that spell school. Before a pull, Sap one Humanoid out of the pack from Stealth, and Gouge a loose add that nobody else is hitting. You have no area damage at 20, so follow the tank's kill order and Feint when you get close to the tank's threat. At 30, Blade Flurry adds cleave on pairs of mobs, but it breaks Sap and Gouge on anything nearby.

Opener

• Stealth: Wait in Stealth while the tank pulls; rank 2, trained at 20, slows you by 40%.
• Sap: Before the pull, take one Humanoid out for up to 25 sec; it doesn't break Stealth, so you can still open.
• Garrote: Open from behind once the tank has the mob; the bleed runs for 18 sec, so save it for mobs that will live that long.
• Slice and Dice: First finisher at 1 or 2 points; the 20% attack speed speeds up both weapons.
• Sinister Strike: Main builder with any weapon, cheaper with Improved Sinister Strike.
• Eviscerate: 5-point finisher while Slice and Dice is running.

Cooldowns

• Kick: Interrupt heals and dangerous casts; the target can't cast spells of that school for 5 sec.
• Feint: Lower your threat when you're close to the tank's, before a mob turns on you.
• Evasion: If a mob turns on you, 50% more dodge for 15 sec buys time for the tank.
• Gouge: Hold a loose add for 4 sec while the tank picks it up; any damage breaks it.
• Sprint: 50% more speed for 15 sec to reach a caster at range or get out of a pull gone wrong.

Stats

Hit, Agility, Critical Strike, Attack Power, Strength. Hit first, so Sinister Strike, Kick and both weapons' swings land. Then Agility and Critical Strike, then Attack Power and Strength. Your main-hand weapon's damage matters most, since Sinister Strike adds to it; the off-hand gains value at 30 with Dual Wield Specialization.

Tips

• Refresh Slice and Dice before it drops. At 20 Combat has no Energy regeneration talents, so faster swings from both weapons are a steady share of your damage.
• Backstab works for Combat too: with a main-hand dagger and Puncturing Wounds, a level 1 Forever passive, it crits often from behind the tank's target. With a sword, mace, axe or fist weapon, stick to Sinister Strike.
• The Combat tier 2 talent next to Deflection is server-side, and its effect isn't in the client. Leave it empty until its tooltip appears.
• Kick costs 25 Energy and has a 10 sec cooldown, so on caster pulls don't drain your Energy right before a cast you need to stop.
• At 30, never press Blade Flurry next to a Sapped or Gouged mob: the extra hits break it.

Subtlety Rogue PvE guide

Subtlety at 20 is an opener and dagger spec. Opportunity makes Backstab, Garrote and Ambush hit harder, and Ghostly Strike is an extra builder that works from any angle and raises your dodge. Dungeons suit it, because you can stay behind the target; at 30 the dungeon build reaches Serrated Blades and Hemorrhage, and Rupture becomes a real finisher.

Your job in a group

Single-target melee damage from behind the tank's target, interrupts with Kick, Sap on a Humanoid before the pull and Gouge on a loose add. Sleight of Hand makes Feint stronger, so you can keep your damage up closer to the tank's threat, and Camouflage lets you restealth between pulls for another Ambush. You have no area damage at 20; kill targets in the tank's order.

Opener

• Stealth: Stay stealthed while the tank sets up; rank 2 slows you by 40%, and Camouflage reduces that further.
• Sap: Before the pull, remove one Humanoid for up to 25 sec; it doesn't break Stealth, so you can still Ambush.
• Ambush: With a main-hand dagger once the tank has the target: 250% weapon damage plus a flat bonus, and Opportunity adds more.
• Ghostly Strike: Use it whenever it's available: 180% weapon damage with a main-hand dagger, from any angle, plus 15% dodge for 7 sec.
• Slice and Dice: 1 or 2 points on longer pulls for 20% attack speed.
• Backstab: Your filler builder from behind: 150% weapon damage plus a flat bonus, boosted by Opportunity.
• Eviscerate: 5-point finisher; spend points before a mob dies, since they stay on that target.

Cooldowns

• Kick: Interrupt heals and dangerous casts; that school stays locked for 5 sec.
• Feint: Sleight of Hand makes each Feint drop more threat; use it when you're close to the tank.
• Evasion: If a mob turns on you, 50% more dodge for 15 sec, on top of Ghostly Strike's bonus.
• Gouge: Hold a loose add for 4 sec while the tank picks it up; any damage breaks it.
• Stealth: Between pulls, re-enter Stealth as soon as Camouflage's shorter cooldown allows, so every pull starts with Ambush.

Stats

Hit, Agility, Critical Strike, Attack Power, Strength. Hit first, so your Ambush, Backstab and Kick land. Agility and Critical Strike next; Critical Strike pairs with Puncturing Wounds on Backstab. The main-hand dagger's damage matters most, because Ambush, Backstab and Ghostly Strike are all percentages of it.

Tips

• Every pull can start with Ambush: Camouflage shortens Stealth's cooldown by 6 sec, so you're usually back in Stealth before the tank pulls again.
• The client doesn't show Ghostly Strike's cost or cooldown; press it whenever it's available, and lean on its dodge if a mob turns on you.
• Rupture is weak at 20 (87 damage over 16 secs at 5 points before Attack Power). Use Eviscerate until Serrated Blades and Hemorrhage at 30.
• Opportunity boosts Backstab, Garrote and Ambush, so Subtlety wants a main-hand dagger even more than Assassination does.
• Sap doesn't break Stealth in Forever: Sap one Humanoid, then Ambush the tank's target.

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70009.

Rogue abilities

• Flawless Execution
• Vanished
• Eviscerate (level 1)
• Puncturing Wounds (level 1)
• Sinister Strike (level 1)
• Stealth (level 1)
• Backstab (level 4)
• Pick Pocket (level 4)
• Gouge (level 6)
• Evasion (level 8)
• Sap (level 10)
• Slice and Dice (level 10)
• Sprint (level 10)
• Kick (level 12)
• Expose Armor (level 14)
• Garrote (level 14)
• Feint (level 16)
• Ambush (level 18)
• Rupture (level 20)
• Distract (level 22)
• Vanish (level 22)
• Detect Traps (level 24)
• Cheap Shot (level 26)
• Coup de Grace (level 30)
• Disarm Trap (level 30)
• Kidney Shot (level 30)
• Blind (level 34)
• Mutilate (level 40)
• Safe Fall (level 40)
• Venom (level 40)