WoW Classic Rogue Guide – All Specs (Combat,Subtlety,Assasination)

Welcome to the ultimate WoW Classic Rogue guide! Whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran player, this comprehensive resource will help you master one of the most versatile and exciting classes in World of Warcraft Classic. Rogues excel at dealing massive burst damage, controlling enemies with crowd control abilities, and dominating both PvE and PvP content.

Why Play a Rogue in WoW Classic?

Rogues are the premier melee DPS class in Classic WoW, offering unmatched burst damage and exceptional utility. With Stealth, you can scout enemy positions, avoid unwanted combat, and initiate fights on your own terms. The class features three distinct specializations—Assassination, Combat, and Subtlety—each with unique playstyles and strengths.

Key Strengths:

Highest single-target burst damage in the game
Excellent crowd control with Sap, Blind, and Kidney Shot
Stealth mechanic provides tactical advantages
Strong in both PvE raids and PvP battlegrounds
Engaging combo point system rewards skillful play

Key Weaknesses:

Gear-dependent performance
Limited AoE damage capabilities
Vulnerable when caught without cooldowns
Requires careful energy and combo point management

Rogue Specializations Overview

Understanding each specialization is crucial for maximizing your effectiveness. Each spec excels in different scenarios.

Assassination Rogue

Assassination focuses on sustained damage through poisons and bleeds. This spec excels at prolonged fights and benefits significantly from critical strikes.

Best For: PvE raiding, sustained damage fights Key Abilities: Deadly Poison, Rupture, Eviscerate

Learn more in our Assassination Rogue Guide, including specialized Assassination PvE and Assassination PvP strategies.

Combat Rogue

Combat is the most straightforward spec, emphasizing weapon damage and consistent DPS. It’s the top choice for raid content in Classic.

Best For: PvE raiding, leveling, consistent damage Key Abilities: Sinister Strike, Slice and Dice, Blade Flurry

Check out our detailed Combat Rogue Guide for talent builds and rotations. We also offer specific guides for Combat PvE and Combat PvP playstyles.

Subtlety Rogue

Subtlety enhances your stealth capabilities and burst damage, making it the premier PvP specialization. This spec rewards skillful play and tactical positioning.

Best For: PvP, world PvP, burst damage Key Abilities: Ambush, Cheap Shot, Preparation

Explore our comprehensive Subtlety Rogue Guide to master this complex spec. We provide dedicated Subtlety PvE and Subtlety PvP resources.

Core Rogue Mechanics

Understanding these fundamental systems is essential for playing Rogue effectively.

Energy System

Rogues use Energy instead of mana. You have a maximum of 100 Energy that regenerates at 20 Energy per second. Every ability costs Energy, so managing this resource efficiently is crucial for maximizing DPS.

For an in-depth analysis of Energy generation, consumption, and optimization strategies, visit our Rogue Energy Guide.

Combo Points

Most Rogue abilities generate combo points (up to 5) on your target. You then spend these points on powerful finishing moves like Eviscerate or Slice and Dice. Timing your finishers correctly is key to optimal damage output.

Master the combo point system with our dedicated Combo Points Guide, which covers advanced techniques and timing.

Stealth Mechanics

Stealth is what defines the Rogue class. While stealthed, you move slower but become nearly invisible to enemies. This allows you to:

Avoid unwanted combat
Scout enemy positions safely
Open fights with powerful ambush abilities
Use Sap to crowd control enemies before pulling

Your stealth detection range varies based on your level versus the enemy’s level. Higher-level enemies can detect you more easily.

Learn everything about stealth mechanics, positioning, and advanced tactics in our Stealth Mechanics Guide.

Poison System

Rogues can apply poisons to their weapons for additional damage or utility effects. You must craft these poisons using reagents and the Poisons skill.

Main Poison Types:

Instant Poison – Direct damage procs
Deadly Poison – Stacking damage over time
Wound Poison – Reduces healing received
Crippling Poison – Slows enemy movement
Mind-numbing Poison – Increases casting time

Our comprehensive Poisons Guide covers crafting, optimal weapon applications, and situational usage.

Leveling Your Rogue

Leveling as a Rogue requires careful planning. You’ll rely heavily on Stealth to avoid dangerous encounters and Gouge for emergency crowd control.

Quick Leveling Tips:

Combat spec is fastest for leveling
Always keep Slice and Dice active during combat
Use Stealth to skip unnecessary fights
Complete your class quests for poison recipes
Keep your weapons upgraded regularly

For detailed talent progressions, rotation priorities, and zone-by-zone strategies, check our Rogue Leveling Guide. We also offer spec-specific leveling guides for Assassination, Combat, and Subtlety.

Essential Rogue Abilities

Understanding when and how to use your core abilities separates good Rogues from great ones.

Offensive Abilities

Combo Point Builders:

Sinister Strike – Your main combo builder (Combat spec)
Backstab – High damage from behind (Assassination/Subtlety)
Garrote – Stealth opener with bleed damage

Finishers:

Eviscerate – High burst damage
Slice and Dice – Increases attack speed (maintain this buff!)
Rupture – Strong bleed effect
Kidney Shot – Stuns target based on combo points

Crowd Control Abilities

Rogues have some of the best CC in the game:

Sap – Incapacitate a humanoid from Stealth (doesn’t break stealth)
Blind – Disorient for 10 seconds (requires Blinding Powder)
Gouge – 4-second incapacitate (must be facing target)
Cheap Shot – 4-second stun from stealth
Kidney Shot – Stun based on combo points used

Defensive Cooldowns

Evasion – Massively increases dodge chance for 15 seconds
Vanish – Enters stealth instantly (drops combat)
Sprint – 70% movement speed increase
Feint – Reduces threat generation

Utility Abilities

Kick – Interrupts spellcasting (5-second lockout)
Expose Armor – Reduces target armor (useful when no warrior)
Pick Lock – Opens locked chests and doors
Pick Pocket – Steals items from enemies
Distract – Turns enemies away from you
Disarm Trap – Disarms traps on objects
Detect Traps – Reveals nearby traps

Rogue Class Quests

Rogues have several important class quests that unlock essential abilities and recipes. Completing these quests is mandatory for endgame viability.

Important Quests:

Poison quest chain (unlocks poison crafting)
Lockpicking skill quests
Thistle Tea recipe quest
Slice and Dice ability quest

For locations, requirements, and step-by-step walkthroughs of all Rogue class quests, visit our Rogue Quests Guide.

Talent Builds and Calculator

Choosing the right talents dramatically impacts your performance. Different content types require different builds.

Standard Builds

PvE Raiding (Combat Swords): Focuses on maximizing sustained weapon damage with sword specialization. This is the highest DPS build for raid content.

PvP (Subtlety): Emphasizes burst damage and survivability with improved stealth and cooldown reduction through Preparation.

Leveling (Combat): Prioritizes sustained damage and survivability for solo questing and grinding.

Use our interactive Rogue Talent Calculator to experiment with all three specializations and find the perfect build for your playstyle.

Pre-Raid Best in Slot Gear

Before entering raid content, you’ll want to collect the best possible gear from dungeons, quests, and crafted items. Proper itemization makes a huge difference in your DPS potential.

Stat Priorities:

Combat: Hit Cap (9%) > Attack Power > Critical Strike > Agility
Assassination: Hit Cap (9%) > Critical Strike > Attack Power > Agility
Subtlety: Attack Power > Critical Strike > Agility > Hit

Key Pieces to Farm:

Dungeon set pieces from Scholomance and Stratholme
Devilsaur leather set from Un’Goro Crater (crafted)
Blackstone Ring from LBRS
Mask of the Unforgiven from Stratholme

Check our comprehensive Pre-Raid BiS Guide for complete gear lists across all three specializations, including alternatives and upgrade paths.

Macros for Rogues

Macros significantly improve your gameplay by combining actions, reducing button presses, and ensuring abilities fire correctly.

Essential Macro Functions:

Stealth + opener combinations
Weapon swap macros for backstab
Mouseover Sap and Blind
Weapon poison applications
Defensive cooldown stacking

Visit our Rogue Macros Guide for ready-to-use macros, explanations of how they work, and customization tips.

PvE Raiding as a Rogue

Rogues are among the top DPS classes in Classic raids. Your primary role is dealing consistent single-target damage while managing threat and executing mechanics.

Raiding Fundamentals:

Maintain Slice and Dice uptime above 95%
Stay behind bosses for increased damage
Watch your threat meter constantly
Use Feint to manage threat
Apply Expose Armor if no warrior is available
Keep poisons active on both weapons
Pool energy before boss abilities

Consumables to Bring:

Juju Might and Juju Power
Elixir of the Mongoose
Thistle Tea for energy bursts
Dense Sharpening Stones or Elemental Sharpening Stones

PvP as a Rogue

Rogues dominate PvP through superior burst damage and crowd control. Your goal is to control the fight’s pace and eliminate targets before they can react.

PvP Core Tactics:

Open from Stealth with Cheap Shot or Ambush
Chain crowd control abilities to control enemies
Use Kidney Shot before targets can react
Save Vanish for escapes or resets
Sprint away from dangerous situations
Apply Crippling Poison to prevent escapes

Target Priority:

Healers (disable them first)
Cloth DPS (easy to burst down)
Hunters (dangerous if kited)
Plate wearers (save for last)

Rogue Professions

Choosing the right professions enhances your effectiveness and generates gold income.

Best Profession Combinations:

Engineering + Mining Engineering provides powerful PvP gadgets like bombs, grenades, and trinkets. Mining supplies materials for Engineering.

Leatherworking + Skinning Craft your own armor upgrades and generate steady income from skinning. Some leather sets are BiS for pre-raid.

Herbalism + Alchemy Create consumables for raids and PvP while generating excellent gold income from selling potions.

Enchanting + Any Disenchant unwanted gear and create powerful weapon enchants. Highly profitable at endgame.

Race Selection Guide

Your race choice impacts your effectiveness through racial abilities and base stats.

Alliance Races

Human ⭐ Top PvE Choice

Sword and Mace specialization (+5 weapon skill)
Perception (stealth detection increase)
The Human Spirit (spirit regeneration)

Dwarf

Stoneform (removes bleeds and poisons)
Gun specialization
Frost resistance

Gnome ⭐ Top PvP Choice

Escape Artist (breaks movement impairment)
Engineering specialization
Intelligence bonus

Night Elf

Shadowmeld (stealth while standing still)
Quickness (+1% dodge)
Nature resistance
Wisp Spirit (faster corpse runs)

Horde Races

Orc ⭐ Top PvE Choice

Blood Fury (attack power cooldown)
Axe specialization (+5 weapon skill)
Stun resistance (25% reduction)

Undead ⭐ Top PvP Choice

Will of the Forsaken (breaks fear, charm, sleep)
Cannibalize (free health regeneration)
Underwater breathing
Shadow resistance

Troll

Berserking (attack speed increase)
Bow specialization
Regeneration (health regen bonus)
Beast slaying damage

Rotation and DPS Optimization

Maximizing your DPS requires understanding optimal ability priorities and energy pooling.

Basic Rotation Priority

Maintain Slice and Dice (highest priority)
Build to 5 combo points with Sinister Strike or Backstab
Use Eviscerate at 5 combo points
Repeat the cycle

Advanced Techniques

Energy Pooling: Save energy before major DPS windows or boss phase transitions to maximize burst damage when needed.

Combo Point Banking: Generate combo points right before Slice and Dice expires so you can refresh it immediately.

Cooldown Usage: Use Adrenaline Rush and Blade Flurry together during hero/bloodlust or execute phases.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using finishers at low combo points – Always wait for 5 combo points unless refreshing Slice and Dice.

Letting Slice and Dice drop – This is your most important buff. Never let it expire during combat.

Poor energy management – Don’t spam abilities. Let energy pool when needed.

Ignoring threat – Rogues generate massive threat. Watch your meter and use Feint.

Wrong poison application – Main hand should have fast-proccing poisons. Off-hand depends on your spec.

Fighting from the front – Always position behind enemies for increased damage and to enable Backstab.

Wasting Vanish – Save this cooldown for emergencies or mechanic skips, not for minor DPS gains.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Rogue spec for PvE raiding?

Combat is the best spec for PvE raiding in WoW Classic. Specifically, Combat Swords with sword specialization provides the highest sustained DPS in raid environments. This build focuses on maximizing weapon damage through talents like Sword Specialization, which gives you extra attacks, and Blade Flurry for cleave situations.

Which race should I choose for my Rogue?

For Alliance, Humans are best for PvE due to sword and mace specialization, while Gnomes excel in PvP with Escape Artist. For Horde, Orcs are top for PvE with axe specialization and Blood Fury, while Undead dominate PvP thanks to Will of the Forsaken breaking fear effects.

How does the hit cap work for Rogues?

Rogues need 9% hit chance (305 hit rating) to never miss special attacks against level 63 raid bosses. This is reduced to 6% if you have 305+ weapon skill from racial bonuses or talents. Hit chance is the most important stat until you reach the cap, as missing attacks wastes energy and combo points.

What poisons should I use in raids?

For most raid encounters, use Instant Poison on your main hand weapon (fastest weapon) and Deadly Poison on your off-hand. If you need to reduce healing on specific encounters, coordinate with your raid leader about applying Wound Poison. Crippling Poison is rarely used in raids but essential for PvP.

When should I use Eviscerate vs Slice and Dice?

Always maintain Slice and Dice first—it should have 95%+ uptime. Only use Eviscerate after Slice and Dice is active. Never let Slice and Dice drop to cast Eviscerate. The attack speed bonus from Slice and Dice provides more damage over time than any Eviscerate cast.

How do I manage threat as a Rogue?

Install a threat meter addon immediately. Use Feint when approaching 80% of the tank’s threat. Pool energy before boss pulls so the tank can establish threat. Avoid using all cooldowns at the pull. If you pull aggro, stop attacking and let the tank taunt. Vanish can drop threat in emergencies.

What professions are best for Rogues?

Engineering with Mining is best for PvP, providing bombs, grenades, and utility items. For PvE raiders, Leatherworking with Skinning works well for crafting pre-raid gear. Herbalism with Alchemy generates excellent gold and provides raid consumables. Enchanting is profitable but requires significant gold investment.

Should I level as Combat, Assassination, or Subtlety?

Combat is the fastest and most efficient leveling spec. It provides consistent damage, better survivability with Riposte, and works well with any weapon type. Assassination and Subtlety are viable but slower. Save Subtlety for PvP at max level and Assassination for specific raid builds.

What weapons should Rogues use?

Weapon choice depends on your talents. Combat Swords uses swords in both hands. Combat Daggers uses daggers. Assassination typically uses daggers for Backstab. Always prioritize slow, high-damage weapons for your main hand to maximize Sinister Strike and instant poison procs. Faster weapons go in your off-hand.

How important are consumables for Rogues?

Consumables are crucial for maximizing DPS in raids. Essential consumables include Juju Might, Juju Power, Elixir of the Mongoose, and weapon oils or sharpening stones. Thistle Tea provides energy bursts during critical phases. While expensive, consumables significantly increase your damage output and benefit the entire raid.

Can Rogues tank in WoW Classic?

Rogues can tank some dungeons while leveling using Evasion and defensive cooldowns, but they lack the tools for endgame tanking. Rogues have no taunt ability, limited AOE threat generation, and wear leather armor. Warriors, Druids, and Paladins are designed for tanking roles.

What addons should Rogues use?

Essential addons include a threat meter (Omen or Details), energy/combo point tracker (NugComboBar), buff tracker for Slice and Dice (WeakAuras), and a swing timer. ClassicCastbars helps interrupt enemy casts. DBM or BigWigs for raid warnings. These addons dramatically improve your effectiveness.

Conclusion

Mastering the Rogue class in WoW Classic requires dedication, practice, and deep understanding of game mechanics. From managing energy and combo points to perfecting your rotation and utilizing Stealth effectively, every aspect contributes to your success.

Remember to check our specialized guides for detailed information on specific topics. Whether you’re interested in perfecting your PvE rotation, dominating PvP battlegrounds, or simply leveling efficiently, we have comprehensive resources available.

Good luck in Azeroth, and may your blades strike true! 🗡️

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