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Subtlety Rogue Guide — Class Guides · WoW Forever

Stealth and openers, with control and burst for player-versus-player fights.

A leather-wearing melee fighter who builds combo points with Energy and spends them on finishing moves. Rogues open from stealth, stun and blind enemies, and poison their weapons. More about the rogue

Class
Rogue
Roles
Damage
Used for
Player versus player
Top talent
Thousand Cuts
Popular builds
1
Version
WoW Forever

How to play

Subtlety in WoW Forever is the player-versus-player tree: Premeditation and Improved Ambush make strong openers, Preparation gives a second Vanish, Dirty Tricks makes Sap and Blind cheaper, and Cutthroat lets Backstab occasionally enable an Ambush outside stealth.

Thousand Cuts makes your Hemorrhage and Backstab cheaper while Rupture ticks, and Quietus adds damage to low-health targets. Open, build with Hemorrhage or Backstab, Kidney Shot, and finish with Eviscerate.

In groups Subtlety deals less damage than Assassination or Combat.

At a glance

Single-target damage
Damage to groups
Survivability
Utility for the group
Solo play and leveling
Ease of play

Rated 1 to 5 against the other specs in WoW Forever.

Rotation and priorities

  1. 1Sap one enemy; open on another with Premeditation and Cheap Shot or Ambush.
  2. 2Rupture to start Thousand Cuts.
  3. 3Hemorrhage or Backstab to build combo points.
  4. 4Ambush again whenever Cutthroat allows it.
  5. 5Kidney Shot, then Eviscerate.
  6. 6Vanish when losing; Preparation for a second round.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

  • The strongest openers and control.
  • Cutthroat and Thousand Cuts reward Backstab play.
  • Preparation for a second Vanish.

Weaknesses

  • Weaker in groups.
  • Demanding to play well.
  • Little area damage.

Stats and gear

Stat priority

Most valuable first. Bars compare each stat with the best one; a cap in the note means the stat drops off once you reach it.

  1. 1

    Agility

  2. 2

    Staminafor player-versus-player play

  3. 3

    Critical strike

  4. 4

    Hit

  5. 5

    Attack power

  6. 6

    Strength

What to look for

  • A dagger main hand for Backstab and Ambush.
  • Stamina and Agility for battlegrounds.
  • Crippling and Mind-numbing Poison against players.

Builds

Each bar splits the build's talent points by tree.

  • Assassination
  • Combat
  • Subtlety

  • Preparation Shadow

    DamagePvP
    5/17/29

    Subtlety for PvP: Premeditation and Improved Ambush for a strong opener, Preparation for a second Vanish, and Improved Kick to silence the reply.

    • Ghostly Strike 1/1
    • Premeditation 1/1
    • Dirty Deeds 2/2
    • Preparation 1/1
    • Hemorrhage 1/1

    Open in the talent calculatorTheorycrafting

Key talents

  • Thousand Cuts · top talent, up to 1

    When your Rupture ability deals periodic damage, the Energy cost of your next Hemorrhage or Backstab ability within 10 sec is reduced by 3, stacking up to 5 times.

  • Setup · tier 2, up to 3

    Gives you a 100% chance to add a Combo Point to your target after Dodging one of their attacks or fully resisting one of their spells.

  • Initiative · tier 3, up to 3

    Gives you a 100% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.

  • Ghostly Strike · tier 3, up to 1

    A strike that deals 125% (180% if a Dagger is equipped in your Main Hand) weapon damage and increases your chance to dodge by 15% for 7 sec. Awards 1 combo point.

  • Heightened Senses · tier 4, up to 2

    Increases your Stealth detection as if you were 3 levels higher and reduces your chance to be hit by spells and ranged attacks by 4%.

  • Premeditation · tier 4, up to 1

    Adds 2 Combo Points to your target. You must add to or use those combo points within 20 sec or the combo points are lost.

  • Serrated Blades · tier 4, up to 3

    Causes your attacks to ignore 9% of your target's Armor and increases the damage dealt by your Rupture ability by 30%.

  • Dirty Deeds · tier 5, up to 2

    Reduces the Energy cost of your Cheap Shot and Garrote abilities by 20, and your Garrote ability no longer requires you to be behind your target.

  • Preparation · tier 5, up to 1

    When activated, this ability immediately finishes the cooldown on your other Rogue abilities.

  • Hemorrhage · tier 5, up to 1

    An instant strike that deals 100% weapon damage (145% if a Dagger is equipped) and causes the target to take 15% increased Rupture damage from the Rogue. Lasts 15 sec. Awards 1 Combo Point.

Subtlety abilities by level

When each ability arrives: trained abilities at the level a trainer first teaches them, talent abilities (gold frame) at the first level the talent can be taken.

What WoW Forever changed

New talents in this tree

  • Dirty TricksReduces the Energy cost of your Sap and Blind abilities by 50%.
  • Improved DistractIncreases the radius of your Distract ability by 5 yds, and further reduces the Stealth detection of distracted enemies as though they were an additional 2 levels lower.
  • QuietusYour Sinister Strike, Ghostly Strike, and Hemorrhage abilities cause 10% more damage against targets below 35% health.
  • CutthroatYour Backstab has a 15% chance to cause your next Ambush within 10 sec to not require Stealth.
  • Thousand CutsWhen your Rupture ability deals periodic damage, the Energy cost of your next Hemorrhage or Backstab ability within 10 sec is reduced by 3, stacking up to 5 times.

Classic Era talents the class no longer has

  • Sleight of Hand
  • Improved Sap
  • Deadliness

Spells

Changed: Ghostly Strike, Distract, Premeditation, Hemorrhage.

Related

Other rogue specs: Assassination, Combat