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TBC Classic Rogue macros are the difference between a Rogue who reacts and one who dictates the fight. Between the Vanish resets, the split-second Kick interrupts, the Shadowstep openers, and the burst windows that need three cooldowns firing in half a second — playing Rogue well in Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary is a game of setup and execution. The right macros compress that into single button presses.
This guide covers the most important macros for all three Rogue specs: Combat for PvE raiding, Subtlety for arena and PvP, and Assassination for dungeon burst. Each macro is explained so you know not just what it does, but when to actually use it.
How to Create a Macro in TBC Classic
- Press Esc to open the Game Menu and select Macros.
- Click New, give it a name, and choose an icon (the ? icon auto-selects based on the first spell).
- Paste your macro text into the command box.
- Click Save, drag to your action bar, and assign a keybind.
🎯 TBC Classic allows 36 account-wide macros and 18 character-specific macros. With Dual Talent Specialization available in the Anniversary Edition, use character-specific slots for spec-dependent macros so they don’t clash when you swap between Combat PvE and Subtlety PvP builds.
Universal Rogue Macros (All Specs)
These are useful regardless of spec and should be on every Rogue’s bar from day one.
Sinister Strike + Start Attack
The simplest and most important PvE macro for any Rogue. Combining Sinister Strike with /startattack means you never accidentally stop auto-attacking between casts — which can quietly cost you DPS over a long fight.
#showtooltip Sinister Strike
/cast Sinister Strike
/startattackVanish + Stop Attack
Vanish can be broken by your own auto-attack landing in the same tick it fires. Adding /stopattack prevents this and keeps your Vanish clean every time.
#showtooltip Vanish
/stopattack
/cast VanishKick — Focus Interrupt
Kick on your focus target lets you interrupt a caster without switching off your main target. Essential in both PvP arenas and PvE dungeons where you’re DPSing one target while watching another cast.
#showtooltip Kick
/cast [target=focus] KickSet your focus with /focus or by right-clicking a nameplate. You can swap the ability name to Blind, Gouge, or Sap using the exact same format.
Blind — Mouseover
Cast Blind on any target you hover over without dropping your current target. The go-to CC tool in arenas and useful for redirecting threats in dungeons.
#showtooltip Blind
/stopcasting
/cast [target=mouseover, exists] Blind; BlindCancel Blessing of Protection
If a friendly Paladin throws Blessing of Protection on you during combat, you’re locked out of all abilities. This macro drops it instantly so you can keep attacking.
/cancelaura Blessing of Protection⚡ Keep this somewhere accessible — nothing is more frustrating than a well-meaning Paladin bubble locking you out mid-burst window.
Combat Rogue Macros (PvE — Raids & Dungeons)
Combat is the dominant PvE Rogue spec in TBC Classic Anniversary. Your macro setup is built around maximizing your burst window, keeping Slice and Dice up, and syncing Blade Flurry with every cooldown you have.
| Macro | Purpose | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Blade Flurry + Racial + Trinkets | Full burst window in one button | Essential |
| Sinister Strike + Start Attack | Clean combo point generation | Essential |
| Kick on Focus | Interrupt without target swap | High |
| Evasion + Cloak of Shadows | Emergency defensive stack | Situational |
| Weapon Swap + Shiv | Quick poison application swap | Situational |
Blade Flurry Burst Macro (All-in-One)
This is your biggest DPS button. Blade Flurry lines up with 2-minute cooldowns — your racial (Blood Fury for Orc, Berserking for Troll) and both trinket slots fire together. Note that Adrenaline Rush shares the GCD with Blade Flurry, so it needs its own separate button.
#showtooltip Blade Flurry
/cast Blood Fury
/cast Blade Flurry
/use 13
/use 14Swap Blood Fury for Berserking if you’re playing Troll. Human and Night Elf Rogues can remove that line entirely or replace it with a consumable like Haste Potion.
Adrenaline Rush Macro
Adrenaline Rush doubles your energy regeneration for 15 seconds and is your other major DPS cooldown. Keep it as a separate button from Blade Flurry due to the shared GCD.
#showtooltip Adrenaline Rush
/cast Adrenaline Rush
/use Flame CapWeapon Swap + Shiv
Rogues often carry multiple off-hand weapons with different poisons. This macro swaps your off-hand and immediately fires Shiv to apply the poison — useful for switching between Wound Poison and Deadly Poison mid-fight.
#showtooltip Shiv
/equipslot [nomodifier] 17 Your-Main-OffHand
/equipslot [modifier:alt] 17 Your-Alt-OffHand
/cast Shiv
/startattackReplace Your-Main-OffHand and Your-Alt-OffHand with the exact item names. Use /equipslot 16 for main-hand swaps.
Subtlety Rogue Macros (PvP — Arena & Battlegrounds)
Subtlety is the premier PvP spec for Rogues in TBC Classic Anniversary. Shadowstep gives you unmatched mobility, Cloak of Shadows shuts down casters, and Preparation resets your cooldowns for a second round of openers. Your macros are built around speed and sequencing — the arena window is tight.
Premeditation + Cheap Shot Opener
Premeditation adds 2 combo points before your opener for free. Pairing it with Cheap Shot means you enter the fight with 2 combo points already stacked, setting up a faster Eviscerate or Kidney Shot.
#showtooltip Cheap Shot
/cast Premeditation
/cast Cheap Shot🗡️ This macro requires Premeditation talented in the Subtlety tree. Fire it from Stealth at the very start of every engagement.
Shadowstep + Kick
Close the gap to a caster and immediately interrupt them in one button press. Particularly effective against Mages, Warlocks, and Healers who are trying to kite you.
/cast [target=focus] Shadowstep
/cast [target=focus] KickCloak of Shadows + Vanish
The signature Subtlety escape sequence. Cloak of Shadows removes all debuffs and makes you immune to magic for 5 seconds, then Vanish drops you into stealth for a full reset. Chain these when you’re in trouble — this is what makes Subtlety so resilient in arenas.
/cast Cloak of Shadows
/cast VanishVanish + Focus Cheap Shot
Vanish into stealth and immediately open on your focus target (typically the enemy you’re prioritizing for CC). Useful in 2v2 and 3v3 to reset into a second opener without manually re-targeting.
/cast Vanish
/cast [target=focus] Cheap ShotKidney Shot — Focus Target
Stun your focus target directly with Kidney Shot without switching off your current attack target. Gives you control over two enemies simultaneously.
#showtooltip Kidney Shot
/cast [target=focus] Kidney ShotGouge — Mouseover
Gouge on mouseover lets you disorient a target by hovering your cursor over their frame. Clean, fast, no target switching required.
#showtooltip Gouge
/cast [target=mouseover, exists] Gouge; GougeAssassination Rogue Macros (Dungeons & Dagger PvE)
Assassination excels in dungeon environments where you’re always behind the target and can consistently land Mutilate and Backstab. The macros focus on clean burst openers and poison maintenance.
Mutilate + Start Attack
Mutilate is your primary combo point builder as Assassination. Requiring you to be behind the target means in a dungeon with a tank holding aggro, you’ll nearly always meet the condition. Add /startattack to keep auto-attacks rolling between casts.
#showtooltip Mutilate
/cast Mutilate
/startattackBackstab + Start Attack
Before you unlock Mutilate or when speccing into a Backstab-heavy build, this is your main combo generator. Same logic — keep those auto-attacks going.
#showtooltip Backstab
/cast Backstab
/startattackCold Blood + Eviscerate
Cold Blood guarantees your next finishing move critically strikes. Pair it directly with Eviscerate for a massive burst hit on a 5-combo-point window.
#showtooltip Cold Blood
/cast Cold Blood
/cast EviscerateSap Macro — Crowd Control Setup
This is one of the most popular utility macros for Rogue across all specs. It auto-targets the nearest out-of-combat enemy and Saps them — spammable, and useful for quickly controlling a pack before a pull even when you haven’t manually targeted anyone yet.
#showtooltip Sap
/stopattack
/cleartarget
/targetenemyplayer [noexists, nocombat, nodead]
/cast [exists, nocombat, nodead] Sap🎯 For dungeons, swap /targetenemyplayer to /targetenemy to also catch NPCs, not just players.
Distract + Sap Combo
Distract turns enemies to face away from you, which opens a clean Sap window on targets that would otherwise be facing the wrong direction. Press once to Distract, then position your cursor and Sap on the second press.
#showtooltip Distract
/cast DistractKeep this on a separate button from Sap and use them in sequence rather than a castsequence macro — Distract has a small travel time and you want visual confirmation before committing the Sap.
Recommended Addons for Rogue in TBC Classic Anniversary
| Addon | Spec | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Quartz | All | Cast bar with latency display for stop-cast accuracy |
| OmniCC | All | Cooldown timers on ability icons — essential for tracking Vanish, Evasion, Preparation |
| GladiatorlosSA | PvP | Announces enemy cooldown usage — know when Cloak of Shadows is safe to use |
| Poisoner | All | Tracks poison timers on both weapons so you never go into a fight half-poisoned |
| Energy Watch | All | Larger, more visible energy bar — makes timing ability casts much easier |
