Rogue

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Classes
Class races	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Ev	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Quests	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evuid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Abilities	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evuid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Trainers	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Armor sets	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evuid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Useful macros	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Class Halls	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior

For related articles, see Category:Rogues.

The last thing you'll see is my blade through your chest and the malice in my eyes.

The rogue class is the premiere melee damage dealer, approached in sustained DPS capability only by well-geared Fury-specced warriors and Feral-specced druids. They have access to a wide range of special abilities, which mostly depend upon energy. The mantra of the Rogue is "fastest to kill, fastest to die." Unlike Hunters and Mages who have the ability to deal damage from distance, Rogues must be in close, which often subjects them to tank-like damage input when caught out of stealth.

Rogues rely on agility, but should also aim for gear with additional stamina. At the later levels, some Rogues opt to use Attack Power.

Rogues can only wear leather or cloth armor, are unable to use shields, can only wield 1-handed weapons (daggers, swords, maces and fist weapons) and ranged weapons. At level 10, they can dual wield two one-handed weapons. At level 20, they gain access to Poisons through a quest.

This class is best suited for players who like to quickly dish out large amounts of damage, sneak up on enemies and can [Vanish] from sight if problems arise.

Background

The rogues of Azeroth are the masters of subterfuge, skilled and cunning adversaries of those who dare not look into the shadows to see what lurks there. Roguery is a profession for those who seek the adventures of stalking and silent forests, dimly lit halls and heavily guarded strongholds. Using trickery in combat and able to vanish at the slightest distraction, the rogue is a welcome addition to any group of adventurers. Ideal spies, deadly to those they can catch unaware, rogues have no problem finding a place in the world. Deadly masters of stealth, rogues are the whispers in shadowy corners and the hooded figures crossing dark fields. Skilled with daggers and the art of silent death, these vagabonds and bandits skulk about Azeroth seeking targets and profit. A member of almost any race can learn the tricks necessary to become a skilled rogue. Still, for the tauren and draenei, such a profession is an alien concept and therefore rare (if not non-existent) among those peoples.Template:Cite Rogues can be found among all races on Azeroth. Whether they are diplomats, spies, thieves, scoundrels, entertainers, or simply adventurers, you can find them plying just about any trade from Mount Hyjal to Ratchet.Template:Cite

For as long as there were dark alleys and needs for dark services, there have been rogues, and thus they are one of the oldest professions in Azeroth. Rogues are a diverse class, and they are typically made up from the dredges of society -- cutthroats, pirates, robbers and low-lifes. The only code rogues live by is the contract, and their word is only as good as the money their services are bought for. The diverse aspects of their trade requires rogues to be well versed in lockpicking, toxicology, rudimentary alchemy and brawling. In combat, rogues rely on the element of surprise, and tactics which are regarded by most as vile and cowardly. They are rarely seen entering a fight without weapons laced in poisons and ample supplies of blinding powder. Their attacks concentrate on weak points in the body in an attempt to finish fights brutally and quickly. Rogues play prominent roles in every aspect of society -- albeit, they will rarely be written in history books because their involvements will be largely unknown to the common person, but they are always there, greatly affecting the flow of events from the shadows.

From the high-contract assassin hired in secret by respected noblemen to the lowly street mugger, rogues are the ones called upon when maintaining the status quo requires a questionable solution -- and by fulfilling it, are branded as outcasts by the very society that calls upon their service.

In Azeroth several rogues are free agents, though most prefer to join a guild for safety and ease of employment. Ravenholdt and the Syndicate are examples of said guilds. Other recognized rogue organizations include the Shattered Hand, the Deathstalkers and SI:7.

Races

The Rogue class can be played by the following races: (See more Rogue races)

Alliance

• Template:Race Icon Dwarf Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Dwarf Female Small Dwarves
• Template:Race Icon Gnome Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Gnome Female Small Gnomes
• Template:Race Icon Human Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Human Female Small Humans
• Template:Race Icon Night Elf Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Night Elf Female Small Night Elves

Horde

• Template:Race Icon Orc Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Orc Female Small Orcs
• Template:Race Icon Undead Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Undead Female Small Undead
• Template:Race Icon Troll Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Troll Female Small Trolls
• Template:Race Icon Blood Elf Male SmallTemplate:Race Icon Blood Elf Female Small Blood Elves

All races can play the rogue with equal efficiency, but like any class in World of Warcraft, one should take a deeper look into the Racial Traits and how they affect the gameplay of a Rogue.

• The Undead have the racials [Will of the Forsaken] and [Cannibalize]. Will of the Forsaken allows an Undead rogue to get rid of fear, sleep and charm spells, and is a huge benefit in PvP when fighting priests, warriors or warlocks. Cannibalize can be used on humanoid or undead corpses to regain health, which helps to minimize downtime without wasting food, bandages or potions. The Undead can also stay under water four times as long as other races, thus undead rogues have an extra dimension in stealth and escape in PvP.
• Night Elves have increased dodge (an extra +1%), increased [Stealth] (equal to a +1,67 with 5/5 [Master of Deception]) and have the highest base agility in the game. Furthermore, Night Elves possess [Shadowmeld], an ability which functions like a weaker, stationary stealth. Shadowmeld adds a new dimension in tactics for night elf rogues.
• Gnomes have the racial Escape Artist, which allows a gnome to escape from a root/snare once every 1 minute 45 seconds without the use of [Vanish]. Gnomes' small stature also can make them difficult to hit when combined with the jumping and spinning seen in PvP.
• Dwarves have the racials Find Treasure and [Stoneform]. Find Treasure puts chests, clams, footlockers, etc. on the minimap when active. Since Find Treasure reveals footlockers, it makes the Rogue's [Pick Lock] skill much easier to level. Find Treasure does not stack with other tracking abilities such as find minerals, and other forms of tracking provided by gathering professions. Find Treasure offers no significant advantage in PvP or PvE. Stoneform, an activated ability, clears poison, disease, and bleed effects (also makes you immune to those effects while Stoneform is active) while also slightly increasing armor for 5 seconds. Stoneform can be situationally useful against any class that uses poisons or bleed effects, such as hunters, rogues, and warriors.
• Humans have a 5% increase in spirit, as well as a 10% bonus to faction reputation gain. Humans also receive a +1% critical strike bonus to their swords and maces. Finally, Humans have Perception, an activated racial that greatly increases their stealth detection for 20 seconds.
• Trolls have the racials Regeneration and [Berserking]. Regeneration allows a Troll to maintain 10% of their health regeneration while in combat, increasing survivability and minimizing downtime. Berserking is an activated racial ability that increases attack speed relative to the amount of health remaining. Berserking, combined with [Slice and Dice], can increase a rogue's attack speed by 45% to 55% (depending on rank). This greatly increases a Troll Rogue's DPS and poison applications. Berserking requires 10 Energy to activate. Trolls also have a +1% critical strike bonus to thrown and bow skills.
• Orcs have the racial abilities Blood Fury and Hardiness. Blood Fury increases an orc rogue's DPS while reducing their healing received by 50%. Hardiness increases the rogue's stun resistance by 15%.
• Blood Elves have the complementary racial abilities [Mana Tap] and [Arcane Torrent]. Mana Tap is used to burn an enemy's mana. Arcane Torrent, on the other hand, is a dual use racial. It provides a 2 second, area of effect silence as well as refilling up to 30 energy. These two abilities allow a Blood Elf to be more effective against enemy casters. It also allows them to recover from energy-expensive finishes very quickly. Blood Elves also have a passive +5 to arcane, nature, fire, frost, and shadow resistance.

Starting Attributes

A male Undead Rogue.

Race	Strength	Agility	Stamina	Intellect	Spirit
Human	21	23	21	20	21
Gnome	16	26	20	24	20
Dwarf	23	19	24	19	19
Night Elf	18	28	20	20	20
Orc	24	20	23	17	23
Troll	22	25	22	16	21
Undead	20	21	22	18	25
Blood Elf	18	25	19	24	19

Tauren and Draenei race are races that does not have rogues because they believe that the methods of the rogues are "dishonorable".

Weapons

Although rogues excel at melee combat, they may only learn to use four types of melee weapons: daggers, fist weapons, one-handed maces and one-handed swords. For ranged weapons, rogues may learn to use bows, crossbows, guns and throwing weapons.

A rogue's choice of weapon depends upon a number of factors, such as style of play and desired role within a raiding group. Rogues who wish to serve as front-line fighters alongside tanks typically wield swords or maces, which afford higher sustained DPS during raids and instances. Rogues who prefer hit-and-run tactics often rely on daggers, which permit use of various burst damage abilities and are therefore usually favored in battlegrounds and for PvP.

As with warriors, a rogue's choice of weapon typically affects distribution of talent points, and vice versa. For example: since rogues may specialize in any of the four melee weapons available to them, a rogue who primarily or exclusively uses daggers is likely to spend talent points in [Dagger Specialization]. Similarly, a rogue who relies on one-handed maces or swords will probably not spend points on [Improved Ambush], since the [Ambush] ability requires use of a dagger in the rogue's main hand.

A rogue's most fundamental abilities, such as [Sinister Strike], [Eviscerate] and [Backstab], are instant attacks which inflict damage based on the weapon damage of the rogue's main-hand weapon. Many rogues therefore find it desirable to use a slow main-hand weapon to maximize their DPS, since slow weapons typically offer higher damage ranges than fast weapons.

Weapon speed does not affect the damage bonus provided by a rogue's attack power. Instead, damage is calculated according to the following formula:

Normalized Damage = Base Weapon Damage + (Base Multiplier × Attack Power ÷ 14)

The "base multiplier" depends on weapon type: 1.7 for daggers, and 2.4 for fist weapons, swords and maces. Although weapon speed for normalized attacks does not contribute to the bonus damage from attack power, slower weapons generally have higher base damage and thus cause more damage overall. The exception to this rule involves [Hemorrhage] and [Ghostly Strike]. Neither ability is normalized, meaning that slow weapons with high damage ranges will inflict greater overall damage than fast weapons with low damage ranges.

Weapons held in the off hand have only two instant attacks: [Shiv] and the off-hand component of Mutilate. Otherwise their damage contribution is reasonably straightforward. Off-hand attacks suffer a standard damage penalty. Fast off-hand weapons increase the application rate of poisons, since they will hit more frequently than a slow weapon and therefore increase the chances of applying poison to a target. Most players choose to use the same type of off-hand as the main hand in order to benefit from weapon specialization, but some prefer to use the fastest weapon available in order to quickly apply poisons and interrupt spellcasters. Faster weapons are also sometimes favored for by those rogues who rely heavily on [Combat Potency], since that talent affords the opportunity to regain up to 15 energy on a successful off-hand hit.

Notable weapons

See Rogue equipment

Abilities

This section provides a brief overview of the abilities of the rogue. For more a detailed assessment of rogue abilities, see the "Detailed Rogue Abilities" article.

Stealth

Main article: [Stealth]

File:ArtGnomeRogue.jpg

A gnome Rogue in art.

Rogues have the ability to stealth and become essentially invisible, while moving at slower speed. Stealthed rogues are detectable at close range, though will remain stealthed and appear translucent. Many rogue abilities require stealth, and others require being behind the target, which is often achievable (while solo) only in stealth. Other rogue abilities, notably [Sprint] and [Distract], interact well with stealth, although some actions, like lockpicking, will break stealth.

Stealth opens up a range of tactics and roles for rogues. Groups often rely on a rogue's stealth ability to scout dungeons, and to use [Sap] for added crowd control. In PvP, stealth combined with burst damage gives an element of surprise that can be especially effective against cloth-wearers.

Stealth can be improved through talents, items, and enchantments, both to decrease the chance of being detected, and to increase movement speed.

Poisons

Main article: Poisons

The Poisons skill is a secondary skill, similar to Cooking or First Aid, that is available only to Rogues.
The Alliance's poison quest can be obtained at level 20 in Westfall from Agent Kearnen called  [24] Klaven's Tower; if you drop by S1:7 in Stormwind, Master Mathias will send you to Kearnen when the time is right by giving you the  [20] Mathias and the Defias quest.
The Horde's version is in Orgrimmar from Shenthul called  [20] Deep Cover; which sends you to The_Barrens to talk to Taskmaster Fizzule for a quest called  [24] Mission: Possible But Not Probable.

The Poisons skill allows the Rogue to brew poisons, which can then be applied to their weapons. Poisons generally either cause damage to the target (either instantly or as damage over time) or cause other effects (slowing the target, removing the effectiveness of healing on the target, etc.). Different weapons can have different poisons applied, and faster weapons cause the poison to proc more often.

Poisons are a temporary weapon buff, and as such do not stack with other enhancements such as sharpening stones or buffs from shaman totems.

All poisons have a timer, which formerly lasted 30 minutes but as of patch 2.3 was raised to 60 minutes. As of patch_2.1.0 a Rogue's poisons no longer have charges. The poison timer is displayed on the weapons properties when you mouse over the weapon. As of patch 1.10 applying poison will not break [Stealth] or [Shadowmeld]; previously to this, applying poisons would break these states. As of Patch 2.0.1, poisons remain on weapons through zoning between continents or into instances.

A variety of talents in the Assassination skill tree enhance the use of poisons. Wearing 3 or more pieces of the Bloodfang Armor set increases the chance to apply poisons by 5%.

Lockpicking

Main article: Lockpicking

Rogues have the ability to obtain the important skill Lockpicking. This ability allows them to open locked chests, lockboxes, and doors, depending on the Rogue's skill in lockpicking and the level of the locked object (note that blacksmiths can create keys to open locked chests and engineers can manufacture explosive charges that can open locked doors, in the case that a skilled Rogue is unavailable.) Lockboxes can be pickpocketed from mobs or found as loot and are essential to Rogues trying to level their lockpicking skill -- their color (grey - red) represents the skill necessary to open them (red means the Rogue's lockpicking skill is too low to open the object and must increase his/her skill level before attempting again.) Your lockpicking increases at the same rate as weapon skills (5 * Level) to a maximum skill of 350 at level 70.

Early training in lockpicking for Alliance rogues can be obtained at level 16 by completing the Alther's Mill quest, obtained from Lucius, who skulks around the docks of Lakeshore in the Redridge Mountains; Keryn Silvius in the Goldshire Inn will send you to see Renzik at SI:7 in Stormwind who will send you to see Lucius (however, you can probably go direct to Lucius...)

Some high-level dungeons (like the Arcatraz in Tempest Keep or the Shattered Halls in Hellfire Citadel) can be opened by a Rogue with a skill level of 350 in lockpicking. This can be a real time-saver for a group since the alternative to picking the locks to these dungeons is to complete several long quest chains resulting in a key reward.

Stuns, Incapacitates and/or Disorients

• [Cheap Shot]

Stuns a target for 4 seconds and awards 2 combo points for use on a finishing move. This is a very useful opener that requires [Stealth] and usually allows the Rogue to get 1 or 2 instant attacks off in addition to auto-attacks before an opponent can recover.

• [Kidney Shot]

Kidney shot is an excellent finishing move which stuns for up to 6 seconds depending on skill rank and number of combo points. It can keep a PvP opponent stunned long enough for you to kill them (especially if you master stun-locking). But in PvE it's also a great ability to help keep your group mates alive or to interrupt a spell being cast.

• [Gouge]

Gouge is not a stun, but is a very important skill that incapacitates your target. This is used frequently to stall an opponent allowing you time to regenerate energy and get behind your opponent to allow a [Backstab]. Since it is considered an incapacitating effect, any damage caused afterwards breaks the gouge. This ability turns off auto-attack when used.

• [Blind]

Allows you to stop an opponent for 10 seconds. More than enough time to bandage and restealth in pvp.

• [Mace Specialization].

Placing talent points in mace specialization under the combat tree gives your maces a chance on hit to stun your opponent for 3 seconds. With one point in this talent you have a 1% chance of stunning your target and with 5 points you have a 6% chance.

Please note that diminishing returns apply to all effects that cause players to lose control of their character (stun, incapacitate, fear, etc.). Stuns are split into 2 categories, controlled and uncontrolled. Cheap Shot is an example of a controlled stun and other stuns of this class, such as a Warrior's Charge and Intercept or Paladin's Hammer of Justice, will diminish each other's stun duration on a target. Mace specialization is an example of an uncontrolled stun and other stuns of this class, such as a Mage's Impact or a Priest's Blackout, will diminish each other's stun duration on a target. Gouge is not a stun, but is in a class of its own, called incapacitate, which also includes Sap, Paladin's Repentance, Goblin Rocket Helm, and Horned Viking Helmet.

Passive Threat Reduction

All Rogues generate reduced threat, compared to most classes. While attacks from most classes generate 1.0x threat per damage, Rogues generate 0.71x threat per damage.

Prior to v1.12, Rogue's threat reduction was 0.8x, but was additive with other threat modifiers. The reduction was increased because threat modifiers are now multiplicative.

Talents

• Note: Rogue Talents have been reviewed and revamped as of Patch 1.12.

Rogue Talents are split into 3 categories:

• Assassination
• Combat
• Subtlety

Talent builders can be found at Official Blizzard site, WoW Den's Talent Calculator, WorldofWar.se, WoW Vault, ThottBot, Merciless and Wowhead.

See the Rogue talents page for further details.

See the common Rogue Builds for some ideas to building your Talent Tree.

Suggested Professions

Leatherworking and Skinning are very helpful at lower levels to make leather armor that may be more useful than some drops you get at equivalent levels. Plus, at the low levels most of the animals you kill are able to be skinned which means you will level up in both quickly. A specialty in Elemental Leatherworking is also suggested since it is the best specialization for Melee fighters. Most leatherworking recipies fall behind the benefits of other professions. Pre-60 the Devilsaur set from Tribal Leatherworking has been call "Blue Epix" because it is such a solid set (2 pieces).

Another alternative is Blacksmithing with the swordsmithing specialization. This opens up for crafting the  [Fireguard]. This weapon can further be upgraded to  [Blazeguard], and finally  [Blazefury]. Or you could go the alternate route of mace specialization and get the  [Drakefist Hammer]. This weapon upgrades to Dragonmaw, and then finally to  [Dragonstrike].

Engineering is also a viable profession which opens up various useful (and fun) items to your rogue. Perhaps the most notable items for a rogue are  [Goblin Jumper Cables] and  [Deathblow X11 Goggles].

Another pair of professions to consider is the combination of Herbalism and Alchemy. The Alchemy profession allows the Rogue to manufacture powerful potions, like agility enhancement and healing for example, that can come in handy in a variety of situations. This also opens up for crafting an  [Assassin's Alchemist Stone], which adds a decent amount of attack power in addition to the 40% bonus to healing potions.

• NEEDED ENGINEERING EDIT

Edited by ZeroAccend

I'd like to add that as someone who's done all of the mentioned professions, engineering is by far and hands down the best rogue profession in the game. I feel that the original poster hasn't had a chance to appreciate engineering on a rogue so these are some core points I'd like to add:

While a bit more expensive then the average profession, it's benefits are invaluable.

-- Grenades make for an easy caster stun when they're just out of reach or if the person is trying to flee. If these were the only usable thing from engineering I'd still take this profession on my rogue.

--  [Gnomish Death Ray] = mad damage at the cost of some of your life. Great to get off during a gouge.

--  [Gnomish Rocket Boots] and  [Goblin Rocket Boots] are a free sprint for rogues with a small chance for backfire.

-- The reflectors are disgusting against casters, especially the  [Ultra-Flash Shadow Reflector] when playing with a warlock or shadow priest.

--  [Gnomish Net-o-Matic Projector] is a god send as well. For those rogues that don't choose shadow step, this makes catching people quite easy. While it sometimes will net you to the ground (low chance) it will also sometimes snag on your clothes and drag you to your opponent before it nets them. There's nothing worse then being netted to a rogue.

--  [Goblin Rocket Launcher] is a higher level engineering trinket that's also great for doing 1k damage out of nowhere. The added bonus is the trinket also gives +45 stam. Yet another great addition to any rogue's arsenal.

While there's many other engineering marvels out there, these are just a few to name off the bat. If you have the money, take this profession and enjoy the heck out of it's toys.

Useful Add-ons

This section lists some of the more helpful mods specifically for the Rogue class.

EnergyWatch V2

Displays a progress bar that fills, empties, and refills in time with your energy recharge tick. This can be extremely useful for timing that Cheapshot or Ambush so you tick immediately and have extra energy for a Gouge etc.

RogueFocusClassic

An all in one addon that keeps track of energy ticks, combo points, AND total energy. As much as I loved EnergyWatch, this is a much better addon.

Poisoner

This mod allows for extremely easy application of poisons. It creates a small minimap icon that can be hovered over to display all the poisons you currently have. Just left click the desired poison to apply to the main hand weapon, or right click to apply to the offhand.

PoisonMaster

Takes the math out of those Shady Dealer visits by allowing you to preselect the number and types of poisons you want to carry, and then automating the materials purchasing / creation of those poisons.

Natur Enemy Cast Bars (NECB)

Notifies the player when someone begins to cast a spell. This is great since it lets you know when to kick, blind or stun the opponent; quite handy if you prefer not to be polymorphed.

These and more Rogue-add-ons can be downloaded from Curse Gaming.

End-Game Expectations

Your main priority in raiding is melee DPS. You will need to use your aggro reducing abilities (such as [Feint] and [Vanish]) effectively. Unfortunately, Rogues often will not receive heals, so expect to use your bandages, potions, and other consumables for healing. Healthstones are ideal as you can carry a few (different ranks, and/or the improved versions) so long as the Warlocks are willing to conjure them. It is essential that Rogues attain the highest level of First Aid (300 at level 60 and 375 at level 70) for raiding.

Unfortunately, most of your stunning abilities are not useful in end-game situations since many mobs are immune to stuns.

Since the release of the Burning Crusade expansion, most raid instances were built to accommodate rogue poisons and the immunity to them has all but been outlawed. There are exceptions such as Void Reaver is immune to poisons.

See also

• List of rogues - List of important NPC rogues and rogues from lore.
• Rogue Gear Guide - Information about choice of Rogue equipment.
• Rogue Sets - Discussion of set items for Rogues.
• Stealth Run - Solo or Duo-able dungeons.
• Stealth Chests - Soloable chests in instances.

External links

WowInsider Encrypted Text — Rogue weekly feature at WoW Insider

• Flintlocke's Guide To Azeroth for a glimpse of what the world would be like if there were no Rogues.