Rogue talent calculator

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Rogue spellbook

Every Rogue trainer spell to level 60, every rank. 42 spells, 124 ranks. ShowHide
Level 1
  • Eviscerate Rank 1
  • Sinister Strike Rank 1
  • Stealth Rank 1
Level 4
  • Backstab Rank 1
  • Pick Pocket
Level 6
  • Gouge Rank 1 Reworked
  • Sinister Strike Rank 2
Level 8
  • Evasion
  • Eviscerate Rank 2
Level 10
  • Sap Rank 1 Reworked
  • Slice and Dice Rank 1
  • Sprint Rank 1
Level 12
  • Backstab Rank 2
  • Kick Rank 1
Level 14
  • Expose Armor Rank 1 Reworked
  • Garrote Rank 1
  • Sinister Strike Rank 3
Level 16
  • Eviscerate Rank 3
  • Feint Rank 1 Reworked
Level 18
  • Ambush Rank 1
  • Gouge Rank 2 Reworked
  • Poised Passive New
Level 20
  • Backstab Rank 3
  • Crippling Poison Rank 1
  • Instant Poison Rank 1 Reworked
  • Premeditation Reworked
  • Riposte
  • Rupture Rank 1 Reworked
  • Stealth Rank 2
Level 22
  • Distract Reworked
  • Garrote Rank 2
  • Sinister Strike Rank 4
  • Vanish Rank 1
Level 24
  • Detect Traps Passive
  • Eviscerate Rank 4
  • Mind-numbing Poison Rank 1 Reworked
  • Shank Rank 1 New
Level 25
  • Cold Blood Reworked
  • Ghostly Strike Reworked
Level 26
  • Ambush Rank 2
  • Cheap Shot
  • Expose Armor Rank 2 Reworked
  • Kick Rank 2
Level 28
  • Backstab Rank 4
  • Feint Rank 2 Reworked
  • Instant Poison Rank 2 Reworked
  • Rupture Rank 2 Reworked
  • Sap Rank 2 Reworked
Level 30
  • Blade Flurry Reworked
  • Deadly Poison Rank 1 Reworked
  • Disarm Trap
  • Garrote Rank 3
  • Hemorrhage Reworked
  • Kidney Shot Rank 1
  • Preparation
  • Sinister Strike Rank 5
Level 32
  • Eviscerate Rank 5
  • Gouge Rank 3 Reworked
  • Wound Poison Rank 1 Reworked
Level 34
  • Ambush Rank 3
  • Blind
  • Blinding Powder
  • Sprint Rank 2
Level 36
  • Backstab Rank 5
  • Expose Armor Rank 3 Reworked
  • Instant Poison Rank 3 Reworked
  • Rupture Rank 3 Reworked
Level 38
  • Deadly Poison Rank 2 Reworked
  • Garrote Rank 4
  • Mind-numbing Poison Rank 2 Reworked
  • Sinister Strike Rank 6
Level 40
  • Adrenaline Rush
  • Death Mark New
  • Eviscerate Rank 6
  • Feint Rank 3 Reworked
  • Mutilate Rank 1 New
  • Mutilate Rank 2 New
  • Safe Fall Passive
  • Stealth Rank 3
  • Wound Poison Rank 2 Reworked
Level 42
  • Ambush Rank 4
  • Kick Rank 3
  • Slice and Dice Rank 2
  • Vanish Rank 2
Level 44
  • Backstab Rank 6
  • Instant Poison Rank 4 Reworked
  • Rupture Rank 4 Reworked
  • Shank Rank 2 New
Level 46
  • Deadly Poison Rank 3 Reworked
  • Expose Armor Rank 4 Reworked
  • Garrote Rank 5
  • Gouge Rank 4 Reworked
  • Sinister Strike Rank 7
Level 48
  • Eviscerate Rank 7
  • Sap Rank 3 Reworked
  • Wound Poison Rank 3 Reworked
Level 50
  • Ambush Rank 5
  • Crippling Poison Rank 2
  • Kidney Shot Rank 2
  • Mutilate Rank 3 New
Level 52
  • Backstab Rank 7
  • Feint Rank 4 Reworked
  • Instant Poison Rank 5 Reworked
  • Mind-numbing Poison Rank 3 Reworked
  • Rupture Rank 5 Reworked
Level 54
  • Deadly Poison Rank 4 Reworked
  • Garrote Rank 6
  • Sinister Strike Rank 8
Level 56
  • Eviscerate Rank 8
  • Expose Armor Rank 5 Reworked
  • Wound Poison Rank 4 Reworked
Level 58
  • Ambush Rank 6
  • Kick Rank 4
  • Sprint Rank 3
Level 60
  • Backstab Rank 8
  • Backstab Rank 9
  • Deadly Poison Rank 5 Reworked
  • Eviscerate Rank 9
  • Feint Rank 5 Reworked
  • Gouge Rank 5 Reworked
  • Instant Poison Rank 6 Reworked
  • Mutilate Rank 4 New
  • Rupture Rank 6 Reworked
  • Stealth Rank 4

New new in WoW Forever · Reworked changed from Classic · small numbers are the level each rank is learned at · tooltips show level 60 values with no gear.

Rogue class guide

Best spec, leveling build, talents, rotations, stats and FAQ. ShowHide

WoW Forever Rogue Guide: Best Spec, Leveling Build, Talents and Rotation

Updated · Patch: Launch (post 2–3 November rework)

Quick answer: Rogue got a big rework two days before launch, and it's better for it. Blizzard has said it wants Rogue to be one of the best single-target damage dealers in WoW Forever. Level as Combat: Shank, Poised and smoother energy make leveling faster than ever. At 60, Combat and Assassination (now with a stronger Mutilate) are the raid picks, and Subtlety gets the brand new Death Mark finisher and rules world PvP.

Is Rogue good in WoW Forever?

Yes. The 2 November rework touched all three trees and brought two big baseline changes. Shank (level 24) is a new off-hand strike that can't miss and gives you energy back, and Poised (level 18) makes your first ability out of combat cost less. Energy also refills smoothly now instead of in ticks, so the class feels much less clunky.

Poisons are stronger too. They now scale with your Attack Power (Instant and Deadly Poison's scaling was doubled at launch), carry far more charges, and stack with sharpening stones and weightstones. A few classic annoyances are gone as well: Sap no longer breaks your stealth, Feint drops twice as much threat, and Expose Armor now matches five Sunder Armors without blocking them.

At a glance:

  • Role: melee damage
  • Best leveling spec: Combat
  • Hardest part: surviving when things go wrong, since you have no healing of your own
  • Best for: players who like picking their fights, big burst, and outplaying people in PvP

Rogue strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

  • Top single-target damage. Blizzard has said it wants Rogues near the top of single-target damage, and the launch rework backs that up.
  • You choose every fight. Stealth lets you skip mobs, pick your openers and escape with Vanish.
  • The best PvP toolkit. Cheap Shot, Kidney Shot, Sap, Blind, Gouge and Kick give you control over almost any fight.
  • Gold. Pick Pocket, lockboxes and opening locked chests make Rogues one of the best gold makers while leveling.

Weaknesses:

  • No self-healing. Bandages and food are all you have, so bad pulls hurt.
  • Melee only. You compete with Warriors for melee spots in groups.
  • Gear-hungry. Your damage depends a lot on your weapons.

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What's new for Rogues in WoW Forever?

  • Shank (level 24): strike with your off-hand for 50% weapon damage and gain energy. It can't miss and has a 10-second cooldown, and rank 2 at level 44 gives more energy.
  • Poised (level 18): out of combat at full energy, your next ability costs 10 less.
  • Death Mark (Subtlety capstone): a finisher that marks the target and stores part of your damage, then releases it.
  • Mutilate (Assassination capstone): hit with both weapons at once. It's stronger and higher up the tree than before.
  • Flash of Steel (Combat): Shank gives more energy and comes back faster.
  • Boot Knife (Subtlety): Shank also adds 2 combo points.
  • Venom (Assassination): Shank boosts your poison damage and poison chance for 6 seconds.
  • Blood Splatter (Assassination): longer Rupture and Garrote.
  • Composure (Combat): makes Poised even cheaper.
  • Quick Getaway (Subtlety): Sap a second target and get a burst of speed afterwards.
  • Ghostly Strike now lets you use Ambush or Garrote without stealth for 7 seconds.
  • Relentless Strikes, Seal Fate and Lethality were all reworked.

Which Rogue spec should you pick?

Combat (steady damage). The leveling spec and a top raid spec. Swords or fists, Sinister Strike, Slice and Dice and Eviscerate, with Shank and Flash of Steel feeding you energy. Blade Flurry and Adrenaline Rush give big burst. It's the most forgiving Rogue spec.

Assassination (poisons and crits). Dual-wield daggers, Mutilate, stacked poisons and Seal Fate combo points. Cold Blood plus Eviscerate is a classic burst combo. Strong in raids and very satisfying to play.

Subtlety (stealth and control). Ambush, Premeditation, Hemorrhage and the new Death Mark. Preparation resets your cooldowns, which makes Subtlety a menace in PvP. It levels slower than Combat but is the most fun for world PvP.

Best Rogue leveling build in WoW Forever

Level as Combat with an Assassination dip.

Combat Leveling Build (16/35/0)

Talent order, roughly:

  1. Malice (5) first, then Efficient Strikes (2) for cheaper Sinister Strikes.
  2. Precision (3) for hit, Deflection (3) and Coup de Grace (3).
  3. Riposte, Composure (2) and Endurance.
  4. Aggression (3), Flawless Execution and Weapon Expertise (2).
  5. Blade Flurry, Hack and Slash (5) and Dual Wield Specialization (2).
  6. Flash of Steel (5), then Adrenaline Rush at level 40.
  7. Finish in Assassination: Remorseless Attacks (2), Ruthlessness (3), Improved Slice and Dice (3), Vigor (2) and Lethality.

Key levels to look forward to:

  • 1: Sinister Strike, Eviscerate and Stealth.
  • 4: Backstab and Pick Pocket.
  • 6: Gouge.
  • 8: Evasion.
  • 10: Sprint, Slice and Dice and Sap.
  • 12: Kick.
  • 14: Garrote and Expose Armor.
  • 16: Feint.
  • 18: Ambush and Poised.
  • 20: Rupture and poisons (Instant and Crippling Poison).
  • 22: Vanish.
  • 24: Shank.
  • 26: Cheap Shot.
  • 30: Kidney Shot and Deadly Poison.
  • 34: Blind.
  • 40: your capstone (Adrenaline Rush for Combat).

How to level as Combat: stealth up, open with Cheap Shot or Garrote (Poised makes it cheaper), then build combo points with Sinister Strike. Use a 1 or 2 point Slice and Dice early, then Eviscerate at 5 points. Hit Shank whenever it's ready for free energy. If two mobs come at you, pop Blade Flurry, and if it goes wrong, Evasion, Gouge and Sprint are your escape. Bandage or eat between pulls, and keep your poisons up.

Combat guide: rotation and tips

  • Keep Slice and Dice up at all times. It's the biggest part of your damage.
  • Sinister Strike builds combo points, and Shank refunds energy. With Flash of Steel it gives a lot and comes back fast.
  • Eviscerate at 5 combo points. Coup de Grace and Aggression both make it hit harder.
  • Blade Flurry on 2 targets, and Adrenaline Rush for burst or emergencies.
  • Weapons: swords or fists for Hack and Slash, with a fast off-hand. Dual Wield Specialization adds 50% off-hand damage.
  • Riposte after a parry disarms the target for 6 seconds.

Assassination guide: rotation and tips

Assassination Build (34/17/0). It takes Mutilate, Seal Fate, Venom, Vile Poisons, Improved Poisons and Cold Blood, plus Precision and Puncturing Wounds from Combat.

  • Weapons: daggers in both hands. Mutilate hits with both.
  • Rotation: Mutilate to build combo points (Seal Fate crits add extra ones), keep Slice and Dice up, and finish with Eviscerate or Rupture on longer fights. Blood Splatter makes Rupture last 6 seconds longer.
  • Shank with Venom gives 30% more poison damage and a higher poison chance for 6 seconds, so use it on cooldown.
  • Cold Blood makes your next Eviscerate or Mutilate a guaranteed crit.
  • Poisons: Instant or Deadly on both weapons in PvE. Vile Poisons and Improved Poisons make them hit harder, more often, and harder to dispel.

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Subtlety guide: rotation and tips

Subtlety Build (0/20/31). It takes Death Mark, Boot Knife, Preparation, Hemorrhage, Premeditation and Initiative, with Coup de Grace and Puncturing Wounds from Combat.

  • Open big: Premeditation for 2 free combo points, then Ambush (Improved Ambush adds 45% crit, Initiative adds a combo point).
  • Hemorrhage is your main builder. It also boosts your Rupture and Garrote damage.
  • Shank plus Boot Knife adds 2 combo points every time, which is huge for Death Mark.
  • Death Mark marks the target and stores part of the damage you deal, then hits for all of it. Coup de Grace makes it store more.
  • Ghostly Strike lets you Ambush or Garrote without stealth for 7 seconds, and boosts your dodge.
  • Preparation resets Vanish, Evasion, Sprint and your other cooldowns. That's two of everything in PvP.

Poisons

  • Instant Poison for burst damage, and Deadly Poison for damage over time.
  • Crippling Poison slows, which is great in PvP and for kiting runners.
  • Mind-numbing Poison slows casting, so use it against healers and casters.
  • Wound Poison reduces healing on your target.
  • Poisons now scale with Attack Power, last 30 minutes, carry more charges and stack with sharpening stones.

Energy and combo points explained

  • Energy now refills smoothly instead of in two-second ticks, so you can press buttons as soon as you have the energy.
  • Combo points build on your target with Sinister Strike, Backstab, Mutilate, Hemorrhage and others, up to 5. Finishers like Eviscerate, Slice and Dice, Rupture and Kidney Shot spend them.
  • Poised (level 18) makes your first ability out of combat cost 10 less, so opening from full energy is always worth it.
  • Shank (level 24) refunds energy and can't miss, so press it on cooldown.
  • Vigor adds 10 maximum energy, Relentless Strikes can refund energy from finishers, and Ruthlessness adds a combo point after finishers.
  • Adrenaline Rush doubles your energy regeneration for 15 seconds, making it a huge burst cooldown.

Rogue weapons

  • Combat: a sword or fist weapon in your main hand for Hack and Slash, ideally a slower one (around 2.6–2.8 seconds), and a fast off-hand. Sinister Strike and Eviscerate both get more out of a slow main hand.
  • Assassination: daggers in both hands. Mutilate hits with both weapons, so the off-hand dagger matters more than for other specs.
  • Subtlety: a dagger in your main hand for Backstab, Ambush and the bigger dagger bonus on Ghostly Strike and Hemorrhage.
  • Leveling: don't be afraid to swap between swords and daggers. Use whatever has the best damage, and pick the matching talents when you respec.
  • Thrown weapons let you pull from range or finish a runner, so keep one equipped.
  • Weapon upgrades are your biggest power boost, so check quest rewards and dungeon drops often.

Rogue leveling tips

  • Stealth past fights you don't need. It's often faster to skip mobs than kill them.
  • Pick Pocket humanoids before you kill them. It's free gold and lockboxes.
  • Distract turns enemies around and lowers their stealth detection for 10 seconds, which is perfect for sneaking behind them.
  • Vanish resets a fight that's going wrong, and Sprint gets you out.
  • Bandages (First Aid) are your main healing, so keep them up to date.
  • Lockpicking lets you open chests and lockboxes, and groups will want you for locked doors.

Rogue dungeon tips

  • Sap a humanoid before the pull. It no longer breaks your stealth, and Quick Getaway lets you Sap two.
  • Kick dangerous casters. Improved Kick silences them for 2 seconds.
  • Feint drops a lot of threat (twice as much as in Classic), so use it before you pull aggro.
  • Expose Armor now equals five Sunder Armors and doesn't block them, so it's a real raid debuff.
  • Stay behind your target for Backstab and Ambush, and use Blade Flurry on packs.

Best stats for Rogues

Most guides agree on roughly these priorities:

  • Combat: weapon damage (especially main hand), then hit, then Agility and crit, then Attack Power.
  • Assassination: dagger damage, then hit and crit (for Seal Fate), then Agility and Attack Power.
  • Subtlety: Agility and crit for big Ambushes, then hit and Stamina for PvP.

Best race for Rogue

The differences are small, so pick what you like. Most races can be Rogues in Forever.

  • Human (Alliance): a crit racial (Ruthless) and The Human Spirit. Great for Combat.
  • Night Elf (Alliance): Shadowmeld and extra dodge. Excellent for PvP.
  • Gnome (Alliance): Escape Artist breaks roots and slows.
  • Dwarf (Alliance): Stoneform removes bleeds, poisons and diseases.
  • Orc (Horde): Blood Fury for burst and Hardiness against stuns.
  • Undead (Horde): Will of the Forsaken breaks fear, charm and sleep. A top PvP pick.
  • Troll (Horde): Berserking for burst.
  • Skyborne (both factions): the new race, with Wind Blessed haste and Walk on Air.

Best professions for Rogue

  • Skinning and Leatherworking: make your own leather gear.
  • Engineering: stuns, nets and gadgets make you even scarier in PvP.
  • Herbalism and Alchemy: potions for raids and PvP.
  • First Aid: bandages are your only healing, so level it.

Rogue PvP tips

  • Open with Cheap Shot, then build to a 5-point Kidney Shot. Improved Kidney Shot adds 10% damage while they're stunned.
  • Sap a second enemy before a fight. It no longer breaks your stealth, and Quick Getaway lets you Sap two.
  • Blind buys you time to bandage or deal with someone else.
  • Kick with Improved Kick silences casters for 2 seconds.
  • Vanish, Evasion and Sprint get you out, and Preparation gives you a second set.

Common Rogue mistakes

  • Using a build from before the 2 November rework. Most beta videos show talents that no longer exist, like Murder and Thousand Cuts.
  • Forgetting Shank. It's free energy and should be pressed on cooldown.
  • Letting Slice and Dice drop.
  • Leveling without poisons after level 20.
  • Ignoring First Aid. Bandages are your main healing.
  • Opening on a fight you can't finish without Vanish ready.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Rogue spec in WoW Forever?

For leveling, Combat. At level 60, Combat and Assassination are the main raid specs, and Subtlety is the strongest for world PvP thanks to Preparation and the new Death Mark.

What is Shank in WoW Forever?

Shank is a new Rogue ability learned at level 24. It strikes with your off-hand for 50% weapon damage, generates energy and can't miss. Rank 2 at level 44 generates more, and talents like Flash of Steel, Boot Knife and Venom build around it.

What does Death Mark do?

Death Mark is the new Subtlety capstone. It's a finishing move that marks your target and stores part of the damage you deal per combo point, then releases it. Coup de Grace increases how much it stores.

Is Rogue good for leveling in WoW Forever?

Yes. Combat is fast and safe, especially with Shank and Poised feeding you energy. Stealth lets you skip fights you don't want, and Sprint and Evasion get you out of trouble.

Do Rogue poisons scale with Attack Power in WoW Forever?

Yes. Poisons now scale with your Attack Power, and the launch patch doubled the scaling of Instant and Deadly Poison. They also have more charges and stack with sharpening stones and weightstones.

What is Poised?

Poised is a Rogue passive learned at level 18. When you're out of combat at full energy, your next energy ability costs 10 less. The Combat talent Composure makes it even cheaper.

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