Rogues are a very interesting and complex melee class in World of Warcraft. These stealthers are able to stay
out of sight (with a bit of luck and planning), and their surprise attacks are able to bring down soft targets at
an impressive rate. Though challenged and wary of enemies in heavy armor, Rogues grin and strike fear into
the hearts of anyone who isn’t hidden under a veil of steel and mithril.
he night was dark and good, and I was glad for it. As the wind swept over the Barrens, I could hear the Quillboars walking all around me, but they are foolish creatures, and I am Saslen; they could see nothing. All they heard was the grunting of their fellows.
I turned back toward a far hill and used my dagger to refl ect moonlight toward my companions. They could see it well enough to understand my message, “Four Quillboars.” Gothara, Wertala, and Sinsear were ready to go. Moving with speed, Gothara rushed the camp of Quillboars, all shield and metal lashing forth. As the creatures turned to face the Tauren Warrior, she roared and put wariness into their hearts. Those who engaged her struck like children.
I began moving toward the battle, from the side of the fi ghting. Wertala’s voice was steady as she chanted the seven Troll words for pain, and one of the Quillboars was wracked with suffering. Sinsear and his Voidwalker engaged as well, bringing dark shadows to bear. Yet, one of the Quillboars was undaunted.
Standing in the back, this creature started to bring the power of elemental fl ame out of the land. Already heavily engaged, the others wouldn’t be able to bring their full force against this foe. But I had my own plan.
With a fi nal step I placed myself an inch behind the caster. It still knew nothing of my presence, consumed by its spell. I woke it out of its reverie by cutting deeply into its back, four times in quick succession. These sinister blows nearly fell the caster, who turned to look at me with fear-fi lled eyes. Mumbling, trying to fi nish the spell, the Quillboar stumbled over the words, slurring them. The poison was already in full effect.
There were other enemies yet to fell, so I had no time to tarry. A fi nal cut offered rest to the Quillboar. The creature’s companions called for assistance; there wasn’t anyone left to heed their cry.
ATTACKING FROM THE SHADOWS
RACES AND STARTING ATTRIBUTESRACE STRENGTH STAMINA AGILITY INTELLECT SPIRIT
ATTRIBUTES APPLIEDStrength Slightly Increased Melee DamageStamina Higher Hit PointsAgility Substantial Increase in Critical Hit Rate, Improved Melee Damage, Higher Chance to DodgeIntellect Faster Rate for Gaining Weapon SkillsSpirit Improves Hit Point Recovery
INTRODUCTION TO PLAYING ITEMS AND EQUIPMENTRogues love their weapons, as do many melee classes. Whether a Rogue is going to go for daggers, swords, or maces depends heavily on their concept with Talents playing the biggest part. There are a number of issues here, including the fact that some abilities are impossible with heavier weapons. Ambush and Backstab, two hard-hitting attacks in the Rogue’s lineup, are only possible with daggers.
Slower weapons are used more often with Sinister Strike, dealing immediate damage without the worry of position or Stealth. If you prefer the combat aspects of a Rogue, the Sinister Strike model is good for you. If Stealth and massive, sudden damage are your goal, a very slow dagger is absolutely divine.
Slow weapons, regardless of the type, are always the best choice for a Rogue (so long as they are current). The issue here is that Rogues have many immediate-use abilities. Without having to wait for the attack, the issue of weapon speed is avoided. Indeed, heavier weapons hit for more with instant attacks because they have higher total damage. Daggers that are almost up to two-second speeds are good for Stealthy Rogues, while the heaviest one-handed blades/maces suit the Sinister Strike Rogue well.
As for armor, look for Agility and Stamina aplenty. These attributes are needed for just about all Rogue builds. If you plan to do more group work, add more Strength to the mix and lose a bit of the Stamina (since you won’t receive as much direct damage with a good tank around). If soloing, keep as much Stamina as possible; it makes a huge difference in what you can survive.
Ranged weapons are key for pulling if you don’t want to rely on Sap. Get something you’re comfortable using and rely on that for getting creatures out of thick spots. Because these aren’t your primary sources of damage, it isn’t as important to keep ranged weapons fully up-to-date.
Poisons offer a massive boost to your DPS. Rogues are able to use these after reaching Level 20. Invest in quality poisons and use them frequently when fi ghting anything of importance. Instant Poison is good for short fi ghts against low-level monsters. Deadly Poison stacks well, a solid choice against Elites and other long-fi ght targets. Mind-Numbing Poison is a gem for disrupting the activity of casters.
CHOOSING YOUR PROFESSIONRogues have a fair number of choices when it comes to their professions. Skinning and Leatherworking are perfectly fi ne for getting you into some adequate armor; being able to make pouches for ammo isn’t a horrible thing either. At higher levels, your Skinning can also help to offset the cost of constant weapon searching and poison purchases.
For more damage, the combo of Mining and Engineering is suitable for all classes. Rogues benefi t even more from having Bombs because they are in direct combat so often. Coupled with the innate power of this class to stun enemies all the time, Bombs are even better!
Secondary skills are very important to Rogues. Without heavy armor or the ability to heal magically, Rogues usually fall in love with Cooking and First Aid. Rogues kill quickly, but take a lot of damage as well, so reducing downtime greatly improves their experience effi ciency.
CLASS ABILITIES
Rogues have several lines of abilities. Assassination covers a number of Stealth attacks and fi nishing moves. These abilities often do very high damage and are critical for starting and ending fi ghts. The Combat line is what a Rogue brings to melee when they are engaged without Stealth. Poisons offer weapon enhancements to DPS or can give debuffs to enemy casting times/movement speed. Finally, the line of Subtlety controls Stealth itself, Vanishing from encounters, combat control (Sap), and trap disabling.
ASSASSINATIONThe Assassination line lets you deal the most damage coming out of stealth and gives you the most options for stunning an opponent. Build up combo points and Eviscerate for brutal damage, use Cheap Shot as a stunning opener, or hit opponents with Ambush for the best damage.
GENERAL ABILITIESNot parts of a specifi c line of training, these abilities prove invaluable to a Rogue. Keep your Pick Lock skill updated and you can make many friends in groups or in the major cities.
EVISCERATE
CHEAP SHOTRANK LEVEL ENERGY COST TO TRAIN EFFECTS
N/A 26 60 60 1 Stuns the target for 4 seconds. Must be stealthed. Awards 2 combo points.
AMBUSH
PICK LOCK
RANK LEVEL ENERGY COST TO TRAIN EFFECTS
N/A 16 N/A 18 1 Allows opening of locked chests and doors. 5 sec. cast. Requires Thieves Tools.
DUAL WIELD
RANK LEVEL ENERGY COST TO TRAIN EFFECTS
N/A 10 N/A 3 1 Allows one-hand and off-hand weapons to be equipped in the off-hand.
COMBATThe Combat line keeps damage rolling after engagement. From the front, Sinister Strike adds damage and Combo points, Kick interrupts spell casters, while Feint lowers your threat. Use Gouge as a secondary interrupt for casters or as a short stun allowing you to get behind the enemy and deal impressive damage with Backstab. Kidney shot is invaluable for stunning opponents and Sprint gives you that extra speed you sometimes need to catch up to, or get away from, your targets.
SUBTLETYWhile the Rogue’s Combat line is useful, the Subtlety line allows you the most opportunity for doing one of the things Rogues do best: sneaking around. By using Stealth you can catch enemies unaware, use Pick Pocket to clean out their cash and valuables, or even Sap a humanoid opponent to help even the odds in a diffi cult fi ght. Add those resources to abilities like Blind and Hemorrhage and you become a formidable opponent.
BLIND
STEALTH
PICK POCKET
SKILLS LEARNED FROM THE COMBAT TALENT TREEBLADE FLURRY
RIPOSTERANK MINIMUM LEVEL ENERGY RANGE COST TO TRAIN EFFECTS
1 20 10 5 yd — A strike that becomes active after parrying an opponent’s attack. This attack deals 150% weapon damage and disarms the target for 6 sec. 6 sec cooldown.
POISONSThe Rogue’s ability to make and use Poisons is part of what makes them so valuable. While other classes also have ways of slowing movement speed, Crippling Poison is often the best way for groups to keep enemies from getting away and alerting friends. Mind-Numbing Poison slows down casters, which can be vital to defeating tougher enemies. Instant Poison works great at adding extra damage, particularly in short fi ghts, while stackable Deadly Poison really makes a difference in long battles.
Improved Eviscerate 3 None Increases the damage done by Eviscerate by 5% (Per Rank).
Remorseless Attacks 5 None After killing an opponent that yields experience, gives you an 8% critical strike chance (Per Rank) on next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, or Ghostly Strike. Lasts 20 sec.
Malice 5 None Increases your critical strike chance by 1% (Per Rank).
Ruthlessness 3 5 Points in Assassination Gives your fi nishing moves a 20% chance (Per Rank) to add a combo point to your target.
Murder 2 5 Points in Assassination Increases your chance to hit while using your Sap, Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot abilities by 3%. Progression 3%/5%.
Improved Slice and Dice 3 5 Points in Assassination Increases the duration of your Slice and Dice ability by 15% (Per Rank).
Relentless Strikes 1 10 Points in Assassination, 3 Points in Ruthlessness
Your fi nishing moves have a 20% chance per combo point to restore 25 Energy.
Improved Expose Armor 3 10 Points in Assassination Increases the armor reduced by your Expose Armor by 15% (Per Rank).
Lethality 5 10 Points in Assassination, 5 Points in Malice
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of Sinister Strike, Gouge, Backstab, Ghostly Strike and Hemorrhage by 6% (Per Rank).
Vile Poisons 5 15 Points in Assassination Increases the damage dealt by your poisons by 3% (Per Rank).
Improved Instant Poisons 5 15 Points in Assassination Increases the chance to apply Instant Poison to your target by 2% (Per Rank).
Improved Kidney Shot 3 20 Points in Assassination Reduces the cooldown of your Kidney Shot ability by 2 secs. Progression 2/4/5.
Cold Blood 1 20 Points in Assassination When activated, increases the critical strike chance of your next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, or Eviscerate by 100%.
Improved Deadly Poison 5 20 Points in Assassination Increases the chance to apply Deadly Poison to your target by 3% (Per Rank).
Seal Fate 5 25 Points in Assassination, 1 Point in Cold Blood
Your critical strikes from abilities that add combo points have a 20% chance (Per Rank) to add an additional combo point.
Vigor 1 30 Points in Assassination Increases your maximum Energy by 10.
CO
MBA
T M
AST
ERY
TALENT NAME RANKS PREREQUISITES EFFECTS
Improved Gouge 3 None Increases the effect duration of your Gouge ability by 0.5 seconds (Per Rank).
Improved Sinister Strike 2 None Reduces the Energy cost of your Sinister Strike ability by 3. Progression 3/5.
Lightning Refl exes 5 Increases your Dodge chance by 1% (Per Rank).
Improved Backstab 3 5 Points in Combat Increases the critical strike chance of your Backstab ability by 10% (Per Rank).
Defl ection 5 5 Points in Combat Increases your Parry chance by 1% (Per Rank).
Precision 5 5 Points in Combat Increases your chance to hit with melee weapons by 1% (Per Rank).
Improved Evasion 2 10 Points in Combat Increases the duration of your Evasion ability by 2 seconds (Per Rank).
Riposte 1 10 Points in Combat, 5 Points in Defl ection
A strike that becomes active after parrying an opponent’s attack. This attack deals 150% weapon damage and disarms the target for 6 seconds.
Improved Sprint 3 10 Points in Combat Reduces the cooldown of your Sprint ability by 30 seconds (Per Rank).
Improved Kick 2 15 Points in Combat Gives your Kick ability a 50% chance (Per Rank) to silence the target for 2 seconds.
Dagger Specialization 5 15 Points in Combat Increases your chance to get a critical strike with Daggers by 1% (Per Rank).
Dual Wield Specialization 5 15 Points in Combat Talents, 5 Points in Precision
Increases the damage done by your offhand weapon by 10% (Per Rank).
Mace Specialization 5 20 Points in Combat Talents Gives you a 1% chance (Per Rank) to stun your target for 3 seconds with a mace.
Blade Flurry 1 20 Points in Combat Increases your attack speed by 20%. In addition, attacks strike an additional nearby opponent. Lasts 15 seconds.
Sword Specialization 5 20 Points in Combat Gives you a 1% chance (Per Rank) to get an extra attack on the same target after dealing damage with your Sword.
Fist Weapon Specialization 5 20 Points in Combat Increases your chance to get a critical strike with Fist Weapons by 1% (Per Rank).
Throwing Weapon Specialization 2 25 Points in Combat Increases the range of your throwing weapons by 3 yards (Per Rank).
Aggression 3 25 Points in Combat Increases the damage of your Sinister Strike and Eviscerate abilities by 2% (Per Rank)
Adrenaline Rush 1 30 Points in Combat Increases your Energy regeneration rate by 100% for 15 seconds.
TALENTSRogue Talent lines are all about damage and setting yourself up to do more damage. The pivotal point between these lines is to fi gure out when you want to deal said damage. Assassination brings better poison possibilities and hits very hard coming out of Stealth. Look here to have the best burst of DPS early in the fi ght, including a move to start a fi ght with a critical Ambush at enhanced damage.
Combat allows you to do a steady stream of damage. Ignoring the short burst, the Combat line focuses on dealing its best damage over longer fi ghts. Better weapon abilities, improvements to Dual-Wielding, and more effi cient special attacks are here.
Subtlety is indeed a modest line for raw damage, but it reveals its strength through improvements to Stealth movement, anti-detection, reduced costs to several attacks, and better combat control. This is not a soloer’s line; rather, Subtlety is for Rogues who want to engage in large amounts of scouting, PvP and infi ltration.
Rapid Concealment 5 None Reduces the cooldown of your Stealth ability by 1 second (Per Rank).
Master of Deception 5 None Reduces the chance enemies have to detect you while in Stealth mode.
Camoufl age 5 None Increases your speed while stealthed by 3% (Per Rank).
Elusiveness 5 5 Points in Subtlety Reduces the cooldown of your Evasion, Vanish, and Blind abilities by 15 seconds (Per Rank).
Opportunity 5 5 Points in Subtlety Increases the damage dealt when striking from behind with Backstab, Garrote, or Ambush by 4% (Per Rank).
Initiative 5 10 Points in Subtlety Gives you a 15% chance (Per Rank) to add an additional combo point to your target when using Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot.
Ghostly Strike 1 10 Points in Subtlety A strike that deals 125% weapon damage and increases your chance to dodge by 15% for 7 seconds. Awards 1 combo point.
Improved Garrote 2 10 Points in Subtlety, 5 Points in Opportunity
Increases the duration of your Garrote ability by 3 seconds (Per Rank), but reduces the damage by 5% (Per Rank).
Improved Ambush 3 10 Points in Subtlety, 5 Points in Opportunity
Increases the critical strike chance of your Ambush ability by 15% (Per Rank).
Improved Vanish 3 15 Points in Subtlety Increases your movement speed while Vanished by 10% (Per Rank).
Improved Rupture 3 15 Points in Subtlety Increases the damage dealt by your Rupture ability by 10% (Per Rank).
Improved Sap 3 15 Points in Subtlety Gives you a 30% chance (Per Rank) to return to stealth mode after using your Sap ability.
Preparation 1 20 Points in Subtlety When activated, this ability immediately fi nishes the cooldown on your other Rogue abilities.
Improved Cheap Shot 2 Reduces the Energy cost of your Cheap Shot ability by 10 (Per Rank).
Improved Distract 2 20 Points in Subtlety Increases the radius of your Distract ability by 3 yards. Progression 3/5.
Setup 3 25 Points in Subtlety, 1 Point in Ghostly Strike
Gives you a 15% chance (Per Rank) to add a combo point to your target after dodging their attack.
Hemorrhage 1 25 Points in Subtlety An instant stride that damages the opponent and causes the target to hemorrhage, increasing any Physical damage dealt to the target by up to 3. Lasts 30 charges or 15 seconds. Awards 1 combo point.
Premeditation 1 30 Points in Subtlety When used, adds 2 combo points to your target. The target must become engaged in combat within 10 seconds or the combo points are lost.
STRATEGIES
Rogue strategies rely heavily on the Talent line that they favor, but there are some tricks that are universal to the class. Many of these can be mastered early in the Rogue’s career and become even more devastating as you gain experience.
MONEY!Rogues must spend piles of money on weapons, slightly better armor, enchantments, poisons, and potions. Add this to the needs and the lost income of keeping cloth for making bandages with the First Aid skill, instead of selling it, and Rogues can often seem very poor. Luckily, there are skills to counter this.
Skinning, if taken, offers one route to greater cash. After even a short time, Skinning shines as a way to make considerable funds, especially when materials are sold through the Auction House instead of to a vendor.
Pick Pocketing Humanoid monsters is a good way to fi nd extra items that vendor well. Beyond that, there are sometimes higher quality items on these creatures, so this is a skill worthy of using often. Humanoid monsters are already a fairly good source of income since they often drop money in the fi rst place; combining this with Pick Pocketing is a pleasant boost and goes a long way to offsetting the cost of making poisons. Pick Pocketing also infrequently yields junk boxes that allow you to practice your lock picking and often contain useful items and cash. Grind against these mobs to make up for money shortfalls.
Many humanoid targets will let you know when they sense your presence before actually aggroing you. They may turn towards you slightly and make a small noise of surprise. If this happens back up a bit and try approaching from a different angle or use your Distract ability.
STEALTHStealth is both offensive and defensive in nature, depending on who is creeping out in the bushes. Defensively, Stealth takes you away from harm by keeping your Rogue hidden from monsters and dangerous players. At longer range, things simply won’t be able to see you; the exact distance of this varies tremendously, so it’s wise to test often to get a feel for your “safe” range. Offensively, Stealth allows you to surprise unwary foes, giving you a decisive advantage when engaging in combat.
Three main things control Stealth Detection Range
• Subtlety Rating of the Rogue
• Level Difference Between the Rogue and the Viewer
• Line of Sight (Creatures don’t “see” behind themselves)
Be wary of approaching targets that are higher level than you without getting behind them fi rst. If you stand in a target’s line-of-sight, it takes much higher Subtlety to stay hidden. Once revealed, you are a sitting duck for spells, abilities, ranged attacks, and general monster aggro.
SLAPPING ON COMBO POINTSMany Rogue builds, regardless of Talents, use combo points heavily. These are required for all fi nishing moves, whether you are trying to score damage, reduce enemy armor, or keep those fi ends out of commission as long as possible.
Using Ambush and Backstab isn’t going to bring in the points quickly (these abilities use too much Energy). Instead, moves like Sinister Strike and Hemorrhage are faster. If these moves fi t your style of play already, use them heavily to accrue combo points. Sinister Strike can be used well with swords to deal high damage while working toward potent Eviscerates. Feint can get a monster off you in a group situation while you prepare for a stun or deadly fi nishing move. To stay low profi le, Hemorrhage raises group damage against a foe on the whole while giving you a cheap point.
Adds are bad for Rogues because of the low damage this class can take. This isn’t to say that you can’t take a few hits, but having a couple of mobs beating on you while you dispatch another is not good for your health. Avoid adds by using ranged weapons to pull, being aware of your grinding area, and starting a fi ght with Sap if two enemies are guaranteed to be involved.
CLASS QUESTS
ALLIANCE
QUEST LEVEL QUEST LAUNCHER QUEST COMPLETER CHAIN? MAX XP
Encrypted Memorandum
1 Sten Stoutarm Solm Hargrin N 40
Encrypted Rune 1 Sten Stoutarm Solm Hargrin N 40
Encrypted Letter 1 Marshal McBride Jorik Kerridan N 40
Encrypted Sigil 1 Conservator Ilthalaine Frahun Shadewhisper N 40
Seek Out SI:7 10 Keryn Silvius Mathias Shaw S 210
Snatch and Grab 10 Master Mathias Shaw Master Mathias Shaw Y 850
The Apple Falls 10 Jannok Breezesong Y 420
The Road to Salvation
10 Hogral Bakkan Hulfdan Blackbeard S 420
Simple Subterfugin’ 10 Hulfdan Blackbeard Onin Machammar Y 850
Onin’s Report 10 Onin Machammar Hulfdan Blackbeard Y 850
To Hulfdan! 16 Hogral Bakkan Hulfdan Blackbeard S 120
Kingly Shakedown 16 Hulfdan Blackbeard Renzik “The Shiv” Y 120
Erion Shadewhisper 16 Jannok Breezesong Erion Shadewhisper S
Erion’s Behest 16 Renzik “The Shiv” Y 575
SI:7 16 Keryn Sylvius Renzik “The Shiv” Y 120
Redridge Rendezvous 16 Renzik “The Shiv” Lucius Y 120
Alther’s Mill 16 Lucius Lucius Y 1550
Mathias and The Defi as
20 Master Mathias Shaw Agent Kearman S 390
Klaven’s Tower 24 Agent Kearman Master Mathias Shaw Y 2100
Touch of Zanzil Part 1
20 Master Mathias Shaw Doc Mixilpixil Y 1150
Touch of Zanzil Part 2
20 Doc Mixilpixil Doc Mixilpixil Y 1150
HORDE
QUEST LEVEL QUEST LAUNCHER QUEST COMPLETER CHAIN? MAX XP
Encrypted Tablet 1 Gornek Rwag N 40
Encrypted Parchment 1 Gornek Rwag N 40
Encrypted Scroll 1 Shadow Priest Sarvis David Trias N 40
Therzok 10 Kaplak Therzok S 210
The Shattered Hand Part 1
13 Therzok Therzok Y 675
The Shattered Hand Part 2
13 Therzok Therzok Y 460
The Death Stalkers Part 1
11 Mennet Carkad Mennet Carkad S 675
The Death Stalkers Part 2
13 Mennet Carkad Andron Gant Y 230
The Death Stalkers Part 3
13 Andron Gant Mennet Carkad Y 230
The Death Stalkers Part 4
13 Mennet Carkad Varimathras Y 900
To Orgrimmar! 16 Kaplak Shenthul S 120
Find the Shattered Hand
16 Mennet Carkad Shenthul Y 70
Zando’zan 16 Shenthul Zando’zan Y
Wrenix of Ratchet 16 Zando’zan Wrenix the Wretched Y 120
Plundering the Plunderers
18 Wrenix the Wretched Wrenix the Wretched Y 1350
The Shattered Salute 20 Shenthul Shenthul S
Deep cover 20 Shenthul Taskmaster Fizzule Y 1150
Mission: Possible but not Probable
24 Taskmaster Fizzule Shenthul Y 2100
Hinot’s Assistance 26 Shenthul Serge Hinott Y 1050
Fenwick Thatros 20 Mennet Carkad Mennet Carkad S
Tools of the Trade 20 Mennet Carkad Mennet Carkad Y
SHARED
QUEST LEVEL QUEST LAUNCHER QUEST COMPLETER CHAIN? MAX XP
The Manor, Ravenholdt 24 Elegant Letter Fahrad S 1950
Syndicate Emblems 24 Fahrad Fahrad Y
A Simple Request 52 Ormok Lord Jorach Ravenholdt S 2000
Sealed Azure Bag 52 Lord Jorach Ravenholdt Archmage Xylem 2050
The Azure Key 52 Archmage Xylem Lord Jorach Ravenholdt 6350
Garona: A Study on Stealth and Treachery 62 Dire Maul Lorekeeper Kildrath N 7050
THE BEST TARGETSThe best targets are found in enemies who die quickly. This is true of almost everyone, but Rogues have the ability to take many foes down quickly if the enemy has light armor. Using high DPS to its fullest, the Rogues can do so much damage that few enemies can stand up to their full capabilities.
Part of this rests in going after lower-level targets when you are grinding for experience. Anything of higher level is going to keep you missing a moderate amount of the time, and this is a bad thing for a Rogue (you can’t afford to whiff those early attacks). Stick to enemies two or three levels lower than you and go through them quickly.
Anything that isn’t wearing heavy armor is a good target, but casters are the best. Stealth up to casters and hit them with Cheap Shot. This leads to stuns and you can get in a few strikes before they can even think about casting. By using Kick, Gouge, and Kidney Shot you can keep a caster immobilized for most of the fi ght. To make matters worse for casters, include Mind Numbing Poison to give yourself more leeway. Wait a moment before interrupting slow spells; get and extra slice or two in before using your abilities. This effectively “wastes” the caster’s time with a spell that is going to fail anyway.
