Updated November 3, 2026.
Rogues level with high single-target damage and no real AoE. Assassination jumps forward with Mutilate at 30, Combat picks up Riposte at 20 and Blade Flurry at 30, and Subtlety spends its first points on reaching Hemorrhage at 30. At level 60 the damage builds are Mutilate Assassination, Sinister Strike Combat and Subtlety Bleed. PvP has a build for each of the three trees. WoW Forever launches on November 4, so all of these come from the beta, and we will update them as players reach 60.
Rogue build planner
Pick a build and set your level: the planner shows the talents you should have now, where the next point goes and what to press.
Talents, spells and their numbers come from the game client. Every build and rotation comes from a published guide or plan, named under the planner. Where we changed an order or carried one over from leveling, the rotation says so. Nothing at level 60 is tested in play yet.
Rogue leveling builds
Assassination Leveling
Remorseless Attacks, Malice and Ruthlessness take the first ten points. Relentless Strikes at 20 gives Energy back, and Lethality by 24 makes your crits hit harder. Mutilate at 30 is the big jump: it replaces Sinister Strike and Backstab as your builder and needs a dagger in each hand. Seal Fate from 35 adds Combo Points, and Venom at 40 raises your poison damage. Some enemies are immune to poison, so your damage is lower on them.
Talent points: 38 Assassination, 11 Combat, 2 Subtlety.
Rotation: in the fight: Stealth, Cheap Shot, Mutilate, Backstab, Sinister Strike, Venom, Slice and Dice, Eviscerate; when it helps: Cold Blood, Evasion, Gouge, Blind.
Open Assassination Leveling in the planner
Combat Leveling
Improved Sinister Strike and Improved Eviscerate come first, then Precision and Deflection lead to Riposte at 20, a hard strike after you parry. Flawless Execution at 25 makes Eviscerate cheaper. Blade Flurry at 30 adds attack speed and a second target, and Adrenaline Rush at 40 raises your Energy regeneration for 15 seconds. When you spend points, take cooldowns and new abilities first. From 43 the points go to Assassination for Malice, Ruthlessness, Relentless Strikes and Lethality.
Talent points: 18 Assassination, 33 Combat.
Rotation: in the fight: Stealth, Cheap Shot, Riposte, Sinister Strike, Slice and Dice, Eviscerate; when it helps: Blade Flurry, Adrenaline Rush, Cold Blood, Evasion.
Open Combat Leveling in the planner
Subtlety Leveling
All your points go to Subtlety until Hemorrhage at 30, the main reason to play this tree while leveling: a cheap builder for any weapon, from any side. Many talents between 20 and 30 add little damage and are there to unlock it. Improved Ambush comes early, even though you only learn Ambush at 18. Premeditation at 25 gives you extra Combo Points to open with, and Preparation at 31 finishes your cooldowns, including Evasion and Vanish. From 33 the points go to Assassination, then Combat.
Talent points: 19 Assassination, 9 Combat, 23 Subtlety.
Rotation: in the fight: Ambush, Hemorrhage, Backstab, Sinister Strike, Rupture, Slice and Dice, Eviscerate; when it helps: Premeditation, Gouge, Evasion, Vanish.
Open Subtlety Leveling in the planner
Rogue raid builds
Mutilate Assassination
This is the Assassination build for dungeons and raids. Everything runs on Mutilate, so you need two daggers. Venom and Improved Poisons raise your poison damage and how often poisons apply. Precision adds hit chance, Puncturing Wounds adds crit chance on Mutilate, which means more Combo Points through Seal Fate, and Flawless Execution makes Eviscerate cheaper. The two Subtlety points go to Opportunity, for more Mutilate damage.
Talent points: 31 Assassination, 18 Combat, 2 Subtlety.
Rotation: keep up: Venom; in the fight: Slice and Dice, Cold Blood, Eviscerate, Mutilate.
Open Mutilate Assassination in the planner
Sinister Strike Combat
This is the Combat build for dungeons and raids, and it assumes you are not using a dagger. It plays much like Combat at lower levels: Sinister Strike builds Combo Points for Slice and Dice and Eviscerate. Adrenaline Rush raises your Energy regeneration by 100% while it runs, so you get more Sinister Strikes. Blade Flurry adds attack speed and, with a second enemy near, hits it too for 15 seconds. The attack speed alone helps on a single target.
Talent points: 18 Assassination, 33 Combat.
Rotation: in the fight: Slice and Dice, Adrenaline Rush, Blade Flurry, Eviscerate, Sinister Strike.
Open Sinister Strike Combat in the planner
Subtlety Bleed
This is the Subtlety build for dungeons and raids, built around bleeds: Rupture is the core and Garrote adds some damage. Hemorrhage is your cheap builder. Ambush sees no use here, because you open with Garrote from Stealth. The 12 Assassination points make Slice and Dice last longer and add Ruthlessness and Relentless Strikes. The Combat points add hit chance and Eviscerate damage for spare Combo Points. The deep Subtlety talents lower your Energy costs and add damage in the execute phase.
Talent points: 12 Assassination, 8 Combat, 31 Subtlety.
Rotation: in the fight: Premeditation, Garrote, Rupture, Hemorrhage, Backstab; when it helps: Slice and Dice, Eviscerate, Vanish.
Open Subtlety Bleed in the planner
Rogue PvP builds
Assassination PvP
Malice comes first, then Improved Gouge, which adds 1.5 seconds to bandage or get behind your target. Cold Blood at 25 makes your next strike or Eviscerate a sure crit, and from 30 you use a dagger in each hand for Mutilate. Venom at 40 raises your poison damage. Improved Kidney Shot by 43 makes targets stunned by Kidney Shot take 10% more damage from your attacks and poisons. After that the points go to Combat, ending with Improved Sprint and Improved Kick.
Talent points: 34 Assassination, 17 Combat.
Key moves: burst: Cheap Shot, Mutilate, Kidney Shot, Cold Blood, Eviscerate; keep for the right moment: Sap, Gouge, Vanish, Blind.
Open Assassination PvP in the planner
Combat PvP
Improved Sinister Strike and Improved Eviscerate come first, then Precision and Deflection lead to Riposte at 21, which also disarms the target for 6 seconds. Improved Sprint by 25 lets Sprint remove slows, and Improved Kick by 27 adds a 2-second silence. Blade Flurry comes at 30 and Adrenaline Rush at 40. From 44 the points go to Assassination for Malice, Improved Gouge, Ruthlessness, Relentless Strikes and Lethality.
Talent points: 17 Assassination, 34 Combat.
Key moves: burst: Cheap Shot, Kidney Shot, Adrenaline Rush; keep for the right moment: Kick, Blade Flurry, Vanish, Blind.
Open Combat PvP in the planner
Subtlety PvP
Opportunity, Camouflage and Improved Ambush come first, then Ghostly Strike at 20 gives a Combo Point and a short dodge bonus. Initiative by 23 can add a Combo Point to your openers, and Elusiveness by 26 brings Vanish and Blind back 90 seconds sooner. Preparation at 30 gives you a second Vanish, Evasion and Sprint, and Hemorrhage follows at 31. Dirty Deeds by 33 makes Cheap Shot and Garrote cheaper. From 42 the points go to Assassination, starting with Malice and Improved Gouge.
Talent points: 19 Assassination, 32 Subtlety.
Key moves: burst: Premeditation, Cheap Shot, Kidney Shot; keep for the right moment: Sap, Vanish, Evasion, Preparation.
