Rogue PvP

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 PVP guide

Assassination PvP at 20 is about burst: Malice and Improved Eviscerate make your Ambush and a 5-point Eviscerate hit hard, and three points in Combat's Improved Gouge lengthen the only incapacitate you can use mid-fight. You have no stuns, Vanish or Blind yet, so choose fights you can end quickly and leave the rest. At 30 the build becomes Cheap Shot, Kidney Shot and Cold Blood burst.

Burst

• Stealth: Approach from behind a target that is busy with a mob or already hurt; rank 2 slows you by 40%.
• Ambush: With a main-hand dagger, open from behind for 250% weapon damage plus a flat bonus; Malice adds crit chance.
• Backstab: Keep hitting from behind while the target turns around; Puncturing Wounds gives it extra crit chance and a chance at a bonus combo point.
• Sinister Strike: Build from the front once the target faces you; it works with any weapon.
• Eviscerate: Finish at 4 or 5 points, or earlier if the target is low enough to kill before a heal lands.

Control

• Sap: Sap an out-of-combat player for up to 25 sec to take a second enemy out before you engage, or to slip past. Blizzard's notes say Sap flags you for PvP when the target is PvP-flagged.
• Gouge: Stops the target for 4 sec, longer with Improved Gouge. Use it to cut off a cast when Kick is on cooldown or to let Energy refill. The target must face you, and any damage breaks it.
• Kick: Save it for a heal or a key spell; that school stays locked for 5 sec, so a Priest Kicked out of a heal can't Smite either.

Staying alive

• Evasion: 50% more dodge for 15 sec. Use it as soon as a melee class or a pet starts landing hits, not when you're already low.
• Sprint: 50% more speed for 15 sec, and it doesn't break Stealth. At 20 it's your main way out of a lost fight.
• Gouge: Gouge, then run: the target can't chase you for 4 sec, and Sprint carries you out of range.

Battlegrounds

Your job in a battleground is to remove healers and casters, not to trade blows with a Warrior. Stay in Stealth at the edge of the fight, pick a healer or the healer keeping an enemy flag carrier alive, and open with Ambush; Kick the next heal and Gouge the one after. When your team defends a flag or a control point, wait there in Stealth: Sap the first enemy who walks in out of combat and fight the second, which buys time for help to arrive. Don't carry flags as Assassination at this level; without Vanish or stuns you drop quickly once you're focused. Blizzard has announced Darkspear Islands, a new 15 vs 15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor that mixes control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures, and the client also has Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley maps, but which battlegrounds and level brackets open in the beta hasn't been confirmed.

Open-world PvP

On the PvP ruleset you choose most fights, so choose well. Look for enemies fighting a mob or low on health, approach in Stealth from behind and Ambush; if they're at full health and you can't win fast, let them pass. When you're jumped, don't spend Energy on damage first: Evasion against a melee class, Gouge, then Sprint away and break line of sight around trees and buildings against casters. At 20 you have no Vanish, so an escape means outrunning them. Near quest mobs, wait until your target is busy with a mob before you open, so they can't turn and fight you at full strength. On a Normal ruleset realm, Blizzard's note applies: sapping a PvP-flagged player flags you for PvP too.

Matchups

• vs Warrior: Warriors hit hard, Charge in with a short stun and Hamstring you so you can't leave. Charge can't be used in combat, so opening from Stealth takes it away. Overpower only works after you dodge, so Evasion helps less against a Warrior than against other melee; keep it for when you're low. Retaliation, from level 20, strikes back at melee attacks for 15 sec but not at attacks from behind, so stay behind them or Gouge and wait it out. They can Disarm you from 18, so burst early, before their Rage builds.
• vs Mage: Mages freeze you in place with Frost Nova, sheep you with Polymorph and, from level 20, Blink out of stuns and roots; Ice Lance hits Frozen targets far harder. Open with Ambush so the fight starts in melee, Kick the Frostbolt or Polymorph when you reach them, and Gouge the next cast. If you're frozen, don't burn Sprint while you can't move: wait out the freeze, then Sprint to close the gap.
• vs Priest: Priests absorb damage with Power Word: Shield, heal, and at close range Psychic Scream sends up to 2 nearby enemies fleeing. Break the shield with Ambush and Backstab, then Kick the first heal: the Holy lockout stops Smite as well. Expect Psychic Scream when they're low, and keep your Eviscerate until you're back in range.
• vs Warlock: Warlocks Fear you for up to 10 sec, stack Corruption and Bane of Agony, and let their demon chew on you. Kill the Warlock, not the demon. Kick the Fear: it's Shadow like Shadow Bolt, so one Kick locks out both. Open from behind and keep them in melee, because every second you spend feared or at range, their damage keeps ticking.
• vs Hunter: Hunters want range: Concussive Shot and Wing Clip slow you, their pet holds you, and from level 20 Freezing Trap can lock you down for up to 10 sec. Open from Stealth as close as you can and stay on the Hunter. Use Evasion when the pet and the Hunter are both hitting you, and Gouge the Hunter, not the pet. A Hunter running in Aspect of the Cheetah is dazed when damaged, so they're easy to catch.
• vs Shaman: Shamans heal, interrupt with Earth Shock, slow you with Earthbind Totem and, from level 20, Frost Shock, and can remove your poisons with Cure Poison. Kick Healing Wave: the Nature lockout stops Lightning Bolt too. Earthbind Totem has only 5 health, so one hit frees you, or step out of its range. Keep the pressure on; a Shaman who gets free casts will out-heal you.
• vs Paladin: Paladins are the hardest fight at 20. Hammer of Justice stuns you, Divine Protection makes them immune to your attacks for 6 sec, Lay on Hands heals them to full, and from level 20 Voice of Truth makes them immune to interrupts for 6 sec. Don't Kick into Voice of Truth and don't burst into Divine Protection; they can't attack while it lasts, so back off and let it run out. Purify can remove your poisons. Once Divine Protection and Lay on Hands are used, they have few answers left.
• vs Druid: Druids root you with Entangling Roots, stun with Bash, and from level 20 prowl in Cat Form. Shifting form frees them from slows, and Faerie Fire stops you from using Stealth while it's on you. Kick Healing Touch: the Nature lockout stops Wrath too. Against a Cat, the rule is the same as against a Rogue: whoever opens first usually wins.
• vs Rogue: Another Rogue at 20 has the same Sap, Gouge, Kick, Evasion and Sprint, and no stuns or Vanish either. Whoever opens first usually wins, so move slowly in Stealth where fights happen. If you're opened on, Evasion at once, Gouge them, step behind and Backstab when your Energy is full.

Stats

Agility, Stamina, Critical Strike, Hit, Attack Power, Strength. Stamina matters far more than in dungeons: with no Vanish or stun at 20, surviving the counterattack is what lets you finish the kill. Agility and Critical Strike feed the burst that Malice and Puncturing Wounds build on, and some Hit keeps Gouge and Kick from missing. Among weapons, a hard-hitting main-hand dagger still comes first, for Ambush and Backstab.

Tips

• At 20 you have no Cheap Shot, Kidney Shot, Vanish or Blind; they arrive between levels 22 and 34. Only start fights you can finish with an opener, a few builders and one or two Eviscerates.
• The client lists Crippling Poison from level 20. How Forever players get poisons hasn't been confirmed, but if you have it, keep it on a weapon so runners and kiting casters can't get away.
• Garrote is the opener without a dagger, or against a target you expect to run: its bleed ticks for 18 sec whatever they do.
• Blizzard's notes say Sap flags you for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged player, so on a Normal realm, sapping one opens you to attack.
• Spend combo points before switching targets. They stay on the target you built them on.

Combat Rogue PVP guide

Combat is the sturdiest Rogue in PvP at 20. Endurance brings Evasion and Sprint back far sooner, Lightning Reflexes adds dodge, and Improved Gouge lengthens your only mid-fight incapacitate. The dungeon build's Improved Sinister Strike and Malice point go into control and survival instead, so you deal a little less damage but win longer fights and get away more often.

Burst

• Stealth: Approach from behind; rank 2 slows you by 40%.
• Garrote: Opener with any weapon: an 18 sec bleed that keeps ticking while you fight. Use Ambush instead if you carry a main-hand dagger.
• Sinister Strike: Main builder from any angle, so a target that turns to face you doesn't slow you down.
• Eviscerate: Finish at 4 or 5 points; in a quick fight, don't wait for 5.
• Slice and Dice: Only in longer duels: 1 point already gives 20% attack speed for 9 sec.

Control

• Gouge: 4 sec, longer with Improved Gouge. Gouge a caster mid-cast when Kick is on cooldown, or to let Energy refill; then wait, because damage breaks it.
• Kick: Lock a healer out of that school for 5 sec; Kick the heal, not the first damage spell.
• Sap: Up to 25 sec on an out-of-combat player, to remove a second enemy before you engage. Blizzard's notes say it flags you for PvP if they're PvP-flagged.

Staying alive

• Evasion: 50% more dodge for 15 sec; Endurance brings it back quickly, so use it as soon as a melee fight starts.
• Sprint: 50% more speed for 15 sec, back sooner with Endurance; use it to escape or to run down a target that flees.
• Gouge: Gouge, then Sprint: 4 sec is a head start most melee can't close.

Battlegrounds

Combat is the Rogue that can stay in a fight. Guard your healers: Gouge and Kick the melee or caster who dives them, and use Evasion when Warriors and Rogues turn on you. With Endurance, Evasion and Sprint come back often enough to chase down an enemy flag carrier or to escort your own, and at 30 Improved Sprint clears the slows used to catch you. On a control point, Combat is the Rogue build most able to hold off a single attacker until help arrives. Blizzard has announced Darkspear Islands, a new 15 vs 15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor with control points and Arathi Basin-style flag captures, and the client has Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley maps, but which battlegrounds and level brackets open in the beta hasn't been confirmed.

Open-world PvP

Combat is the build for surviving ganks on the PvP ruleset. When someone opens on you, press Evasion at once against a melee class, fight back with Sinister Strike and Eviscerate, and Gouge to reset. Against casters, close the gap and Kick; if you can't reach them, break line of sight and Sprint away. When you're the one hunting, open from Stealth with Garrote on a target already fighting a mob, and keep Sprint ready so they can't walk away. Endurance means you'll usually have Evasion and Sprint again for the next fight. On a Normal ruleset realm, Sap flags you when the target is PvP-flagged.

Matchups

• vs Warrior: Warriors want a long melee fight, and Combat can give them one. Opening from Stealth stops their Charge, which can't be used in combat. Overpower only works after you dodge, so Evasion helps less against them than against a Rogue. Retaliation, from level 20, strikes back at your melee attacks for 15 sec unless you're behind them: Gouge and step behind, or stop attacking until it ends. From 18 they can Disarm you for 10 sec; Gouge and wait rather than fighting at a loss.
• vs Rogue: The mirror match: the same Sap, Gouge, Kick, Evasion and Sprint, with no stuns or Vanish at 20. Endurance brings your Evasion back sooner than theirs, so a long fight favours you. When they press Evasion, Gouge them and wait it out, then attack again once it ends.
• vs Mage: A Mage wants you frozen and far away. Frost Nova holds you in place, Polymorph takes you out for up to 20 sec, and from level 20 Blink frees them from stuns and roots. Open close with Garrote, Kick the first Frostbolt or Polymorph, and Gouge the next cast. Mana Shield soaks your physical damage by draining their mana, so keep hitting.
• vs Priest: Priests shield, heal and scatter you with Psychic Scream, which sends up to 2 nearby enemies fleeing. Kick the heal: the Holy lockout stops Smite too. Keep Sprint to get back on them after the Scream, and Gouge the next heal.
• vs Warlock: Warlocks Fear you for up to 10 sec and stack Corruption and Bane of Agony while their demon attacks. Kill the Warlock first. Kick the Fear: it's Shadow like Shadow Bolt, so one Kick locks out both. Combat's staying power helps here, because the fight is decided by how long you stay in melee.
• vs Hunter: Stay in melee. Concussive Shot and Wing Clip slow you, Freezing Trap from level 20 can hold you for up to 10 sec, and Scorpid Sting from 22 lowers your hit. Use Evasion when the pet and the Hunter are both on you, and Sprint to close the gap once a slow wears off. At 30, Improved Sprint clears their slows when you press it.
• vs Shaman: Kick Healing Wave; the Nature lockout stops Lightning Bolt as well. Earthbind Totem has only 5 health, so kill it, and expect Frost Shock from level 20. Shamans can remove poisons with Cure Poison, so don't count on them staying on.
• vs Paladin: A long fight against a Paladin at 20 is hard. Hammer of Justice stuns you, Divine Protection makes them immune for 6 sec, Lay on Hands heals them to full, and Voice of Truth, from level 20, makes them immune to interrupts for 6 sec. Don't waste Kick into Voice of Truth. Let Divine Protection run out, since they can't attack during it, then press again.
• vs Druid: Druids root you with Entangling Roots, stun with Bash and shift out of slows. Faerie Fire stops you from using Stealth while it's on you. Kick Healing Touch, which locks out Wrath too, and use Evasion against a Druid in Cat or Bear Form.

Stats

Agility, Stamina, Hit, Critical Strike, Attack Power, Strength. Stamina is worth far more than in dungeons, because Combat's plan is to outlast the enemy. Hit comes next, so Gouge and Kick land when they matter. Agility stays your main stat, and Dodge on gear stacks with Lightning Reflexes and Evasion. Weapon damage still matters most for Sinister Strike.

Tips

• Endurance cuts Sprint's and Evasion's cooldowns by 60%, so use them early in a fight instead of saving them; they'll be back for the next one.
• Gouge, then wait: any damage breaks it, so let your Energy refill and strike just before it ends. With a main-hand dagger you can step behind the target during the Gouge and hit it with Backstab.
• Slice and Dice is optional in PvP. Use it in a duel that will last; in a quick kill, put every point into Eviscerate.
• A sword, mace, axe or fist weapon lets you fight from any angle with Sinister Strike. A dagger adds Ambush and Backstab but needs you behind the target, which players rarely allow for long.
• Precision's rank 1 text reads only 1% hit and the other ranks aren't in the client, so still value Hit on gear.

Subtlety Rogue PVP guide

Subtlety is the stealth opener spec. At 20 the PvP build takes Master of Deception and Camouflage to reach a target unseen, Opportunity and Improved Ambush so the opener hits hard and crits often, and Sleight of Hand so you take fewer crits back. It trades the dungeon build's Ghostly Strike for Improved Ambush: the plan is to win in the first few seconds, and to leave if you don't.

Burst

• Stealth: Get behind a busy or hurt target; rank 2 slows you by 40%, and Camouflage reduces that.
• Ambush: 250% weapon damage plus a flat bonus with a main-hand dagger; Improved Ambush makes it crit far more often and Opportunity adds damage.
• Backstab: Keep striking from behind while the target turns: 150% weapon damage plus a flat bonus, and Puncturing Wounds adds crit chance.
• Sinister Strike: Build from the front once they face you.
• Eviscerate: Finish as soon as your points can kill; don't hold out for 5 while a heal might land.

Control

• Sap: Up to 25 sec on an out-of-combat player, and it doesn't break Stealth, so you can Sap one enemy and Ambush another. Blizzard's notes say it flags you when the target is PvP-flagged.
• Gouge: 4 sec to stop a cast or refill Energy; the target must face you, and any damage breaks it.
• Kick: A 5 sec lockout on a heal or a key spell; save it for the cast that matters.

Staying alive

• Evasion: 50% more dodge for 15 sec when a melee class catches you after a failed opener.
• Sprint: 50% more speed for 15 sec without breaking Stealth: use it to reach a target unseen, or to escape.
• Gouge: Gouge and run when the opener fails: 4 sec is a good head start with Sprint.

Battlegrounds

Subtlety is the battleground hunter. Roam in Stealth, pick off healers and casters who drift away from their group, and Sap a defender waiting at a flag or control point so you can deal with the defenders one at a time. Camouflage lets you restealth quickly after a kill, so you can choose the next target. Stay out of big melee brawls; your damage comes in bursts and your defences are thin. Blizzard has announced Darkspear Islands, a new 15 vs 15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor that combines control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures, and the client has Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley maps, but which battlegrounds and level brackets open in the beta hasn't been confirmed.

Open-world PvP

Subtlety is built for open-world hunting on the PvP ruleset. Move in Stealth, let your target pull a mob or drop to half health, then Ambush from behind; Master of Deception makes you harder to spot as you close in. If the first seconds don't go your way, leave: Gouge, Sprint and find another target. When you're ganked yourself, press Evasion first against melee, and remember you have no Vanish at 20. Around quest hubs and mob camps, Sap one of a pair of enemy players before you open on the other. On a Normal ruleset realm, Sap flags you for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged player.

Matchups

• vs Mage: The opener decides this one. Ambush from behind and keep hitting before the Mage can Frost Nova and step away; Blink, from level 20, frees them from roots and stuns. Kick the first Polymorph or Frostbolt and Gouge the next cast. Ice Lance hits Frozen targets far harder, so a Mage who freezes you will try to burst you down.
• vs Priest: Power Word: Shield absorbs part of your Ambush, so follow up fast with Backstab. Kick the first heal, which locks out Smite too, and expect Psychic Scream, which sends up to 2 nearby enemies fleeing, when they get low. Sprint back in after the Scream.
• vs Warlock: Open on the Warlock, not the demon, and stay in melee. Fear lasts up to 10 sec and Corruption and Bane of Agony keep ticking while you run. Kick the Fear: it's Shadow like Shadow Bolt, so one Kick locks out both.
• vs Hunter: Hunters are strongest at range with their pet on you. Open as close as you can, stay on the Hunter, and Evasion when the pet and the Hunter are both hitting you. Freezing Trap, from level 20, holds you for up to 10 sec, so don't chase a Hunter back over ground they've had time to prepare.
• vs Warrior: A crit Ambush takes a big bite out of a Warrior before their Rage builds, and opening from Stealth stops Charge, which can't be used in combat. Overpower punishes your dodges, so Evasion is weaker here. If the opener doesn't put them low, don't trade blows: Gouge, Sprint and leave before Hamstring lands.
• vs Paladin: Divine Protection makes them immune for 6 sec, Lay on Hands heals them to full and Hammer of Justice stuns you, so a single burst rarely kills a Paladin at 20. Don't Ambush into a Paladin at full health unless you can outlast those cooldowns. Voice of Truth, from level 20, makes them immune to Kick for 6 sec.
• vs Shaman: Ambush, then Kick the first Healing Wave; the Nature lockout stops Lightning Bolt too. Kill Earthbind Totem, which has only 5 health, and expect Frost Shock from level 20. Cure Poison can remove your poisons.
• vs Druid: Druids from level 20 can prowl in Cat Form, and Faerie Fire stops you from using Stealth while it's on you. Entangling Roots and Bash hold you, and shifting form frees them from slows. Kick Healing Touch, which locks out Wrath as well.
• vs Rogue: Whoever opens first usually wins. Master of Deception makes you harder for them to spot, but it doesn't help you spot them, so move slowly through contested areas. If you're opened on, Evasion at once, then Gouge and Backstab once your Energy is full.

Stats

Agility, Stamina, Critical Strike, Hit, Attack Power, Strength. Stamina matters because a failed opener means taking the counterattack with no stun or Vanish at 20. Agility and Critical Strike make Ambush and Backstab land harder and crit more often, and Hit keeps the opener, Gouge and Kick from missing. A hard-hitting main-hand dagger comes before any stat.

Tips

• Improved Ambush only pays if Ambush lands: approach from directly behind, and use Sprint in Stealth to close the last stretch before the target moves.
• After a fight, restealth as soon as you can; Camouflage's shorter Stealth cooldown means nobody catches you standing at half health for long.
• Master of Deception's effect beyond rank 1 isn't in the client, so the build takes just one point and puts the rest into Opportunity.
• Sap doesn't break Stealth in Forever: against two enemies, Sap one and Ambush the other.
• If your openers keep failing against melee classes, swap Improved Ambush for Ghostly Strike: its dodge bonus and front-facing hits are better in long fights.

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)