Assassination Rogue Beginner's Guide

This is intended to be a simple guide to the basic rotation and dynamics of the spec that gets you up and running without requiring more advanced optimization.

Information on hero talents will be coming soon, but in general know that overall they add a minor layer on top of how each spec plays, and most of what’s here should be applicable regardless.

Talent Build #

This is a simplified talent build designed to avoid complex interactions and skip unnecessary abilities. While not optimal in all cases, it should be a great way to get started learning the spec and should work reasonably well in world content, delves, dungeons, and raids. Abilities and talents not chosen in this build are not described here, and the rotation information assumes you’ll be using the build.

Copy the text below to import the recommended build:
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Resources #

Energy – The first of two primary resources all Rogues use. Nearly all of your rotational abilities use some amount of Energy. You’ll regain it over time, and via Venomous Wounds as your Garrotes and Ruptures deal damage. Keeping these DoTs active and spread is the best way to improve your Energy generation.

Combo Points – Rogue’s second primary resource. You’ll generate combo points with basic abilities like Mutilate and Fan of Knives, then spend them on finisher abilities like Envenom and Rupture. Each Combo Point spending ability will consume all available points, becoming stronger the more points are used. You’ll have 5 points baseline and can gain 2 more via talents.

Stealth #

Using Stealth is a central aspect to all Rogue specializations. While in stealth you are undetectable to normal enemies, though some that have glowing eye marker can still detect you and must be avoided. You can freely enter and exit stealth when out of combat. Certain abilities can only be used in stealth, namely Ambush, Sap, and Cheap Shot. Through talents you’ll also gain a number of other bonuses in stealth like increased movement speed and enhanced damage or other effects from various abilities.

Poisons #

Rogues have access to a number of poisons they can use. These are basically 1hr buffs you apply to yourself that give your attacks a chance to affect enemies with the given effect. Poisons are grouped into lethal types that do damage in some way and non-lethal types that have non-damage effects. You can normally only have one lethal and one non-lethal poison applied, but with Dragon-Tempered Blades you can apply two of each.

We’re listing only the poisons that you have available in the recommended build. You’ll want to have Instant Poison, Deadly Poison, Crippling Poison, and Atrophic Poison active at all times in most content.

Lethal Poisons

Instant Poison – Deals immediate bonus damage

Deadly Poison – Applies a DoT, then deals immediate bonus damage if the DoT is already active

Wound Poison – Does bonus damage and applies a debuff that reduces healing the target receives. More niche uses than the first two lethal poisons.

Non-Lethal Poisons

Crippling Poison – Applies a debuff that slows movement speed

Atrophic Poison – Applies a debuff that reduces damage the enemy does

Core Abilities #

Mutilate and Ambush – Mutilate will spend energy to do minor damage and generate Combo Points. Ambush is similar but only usable in stealth and does more damage. You’ll use this in single target as filler.

  • When used on an enemy with Rupture and your poisons active activates Caustic Spatter, which will cause poison damage (including Envenom) to also affect nearby enemies. You’ll use this effect to let you do AoE damage while focusing on a single target.

Garrote – Spend energy to apply a bleed DoT to the target and generate a Combo Point. 6s cooldown. When used from stealth has no cooldown, the bleed will do more damage, and will generate two Combo Points. Also, via Indiscriminate Carnage can apply to multiple nearby enemies when stealthed or for a short time after leaving stealth. You’ll want to keep this active at all times in single target, and on as many enemies as you can in AoE.

Rupture - Combo Point spending finisher that applies a strong bleed DoT to the target. The DoT becomes stronger and has a longer duration with more Combo Points spent. Like with Garotte can apply to multiple enemies from stealth via Indiscriminate Carnage. With Scent of Blood grants additional Agility for each enemy affected, encouraging you to keep multiple active in AoE. Also passively applies Serrated Bone Spike for even more damage. Keep this active as much as you can, using low combo points if needed as your rotation is spinning up, but try to use full combo points later to save yourself from having to re-apply it often.

Envenom – Combo Point spending finisher that does significant damage to the target and applies a debuff that increases the likelihood that poisons are applied via attacks for a short time. Damage and the duration of the debuff increase with more Combo Points. With Rapid Injection it’s damage is enhanced if you use it while the debuff of the last Envenom is still active. Poison Bomb gives it some AoE damage. This will be your primary way to spend Combo Points both in single target and in AoE (through Caustic Spatter).

Slice and Dice – Combo Point spending finisher that gives you a buff increasing your attack speed. Duration of the buff increases with more Combo Points spent. With Recuperator provides some healing while active. You should keep this active all the time, but Cut to the Chase lets you extend your currently active Slice and Dice whenever you use Envenom, meaning once you first activate you generally don’t need to think about it.

Fan of Knives – Spend energy to deal minor AoE damage to surrounding enemies and generate Combo Points. This will replace Mutilate in your AoE rotation.

Cooldowns #

Deathmark – 2m cooldown. Applies a strong bleed DoT for 16s to the target that also doubles damage done by Garrote, Rupture, and your lethal poisons. While normally a single target ability, note that the poison duplicating effect can apply through Caustic Spatter to give some AoE benefit.

Shiv – 30s cooldown with two charges via Lightweight Shiv. Spends energy to do minor damage, dispel any enrage effects, but most importantly with Improved Shiv increase nature (IE poison) damage to the target for 8s. Because of the damage buff you’ll want to keep this active as much as possible, especially on targets you’re about to do significant damage to.

Vanish – 2m cooldown. When used puts you into stealth while in combat and lets you stay in stealth for 3s even while using damage abilities. You’ll use this as a damage cooldown to re-apply Garrote and Rupture via indiscriminate carnage in AoE, or to get in a stealth-empowered Garrote in single target.

Effects #

These are some of the more notable effects, interactions, and passive talents that you should be aware of. It’s not covering effects (even if they’re very strong) that provide flat bonuses or that don’t require much thought to use, and it only includes those used in our recommended build.

Mastery: Potent Assassin – Assassination’s Mastery provides a straightforward increase to damage from your poisons that increases with more Mastery points. Other than underscoring the importance of applying and maintaining your poisons it doesn’t require active thought.

Sudden Demise – Enemies affected by any of your bleeds that are very near death will be instantly killed. Helpful to speed up the end of a fight but otherwise doesn’t affect your rotation.

Rotation Overview #

This is an overview of the core rotation. It’s not a strict priority order but rather an outline of how the different abilities interact and are used. It assumes you’re using the recommended talent build above.

Single Target:

  • Start in stealth and open with Garrote
  • Keep Garrote active
  • Keep Rupture active with as many combo points as you can spare
  • Ensure Slice and Dice is active, though after the first time Envenom will do this for you
  • Have Shiv active as much as possible, especially ahead of doing major damage
  • Use full-combo Envenom whenever possible
  • Build combo points with Mutilate
  • On enemies you expect to live for a while
    • Make sure you’ve got Shiv, Garotte, Rupture, and your poisons applied
    • Use Deathmark
    • Prefer using Vanish before re-applying Garrote when it’s available
    • Continue with your normal rotation

AoE:

Defensives #

Feint – Spend a small amount of energy to substantially reduce damage from area of effect attacks for 6s. 15s cooldown with 2 charges. This is a powerful defensive on a short cooldown so look for every opportunity to benefit from it.

Evasion – 2m cooldown. Substantially increases your dodge chance for 10s. A major defensive on a longer cooldown, though it only affects melee damage so use it if you’re solo or otherwise have enemies attacking you directly.

Cloak of Shadows – Removes all harmful spells from you and makes you immune to spells for 5s. 2m cooldown. This is a very powerful effect that lets you outright ignore many boss abilities and mechanics so look for good opportunities to benefit from it.

Crowd Control #

Kick – Melee interrupt on a 15s cooldown. Use this whenever an enemy is casting something dangerous.

Kidney Shot – Combo Point spending finisher that stuns the target for an increasing duration with more Combo Points. 30s cooldown. Useful in a pinch if you urgently need a stun or interrupt, but otherwise your combo points are better spent on damage abilities.

Cheap Shot – Stuns the target for a short while and generates a Combo Point. Only usable from stealth. Situationally useful if you really need combat to start with an enemy stunned, or along with Vanish as another emergency stun/interrupt.

Sap – Incapacitates the target for 1m, but damage will break the effect. Only usable from stealth. Helpful when solo to keep an enemy you don’t want to deal with out of your hair, but less commonly used in groups since it requires substantial coordination so people don’t break the effect with damage.

Mobility #

Sprint – Doubles your movement speed for 12s on a 1m cooldown. Can be used while in stealth. Useful for getting around the world more quickly, or if you need to move somewhere in a hurry mid-combat.

Shadowstep – Teleports you behind the targeted enemy. 30s cooldown with 2 charges. Great to jump from enemy to enemy without spending time moving around so try to get in the habit of using it.

Utility #

Poisoned Knife – Spend energy to do minor damage to a target at range and apply your poisons to them. Occasionally useful if you’re stuck outside of melee range or when solo and pulling enemies, but costs too much energy and does too little damage to be useful rotationally.

Crimson Vial – Heals you for a decent amount over 4s. 30s cooldown. This is a strong self-heal that should be used anytime you’re taking damage to keep yourself alive and help your healer out.

Shroud of Concealment – Grants stealth to all out-of-combat allies in an area around you for 15s. 6m cooldown. Very powerful to skip enemies in coordinated groups that can plan where/how to use it and keep everyone in the affected area, but tricky to use otherwise.

Quality of Life #

Distract – Makes nearby out-of-combat enemies stop what they’re doing and face the targeted point for 10s. Usable in stealth. Niche utility to help you sneak by enemies while solo since they’re less likely to detect you when they’re facing away, or to help keep a patrolling enemy away from you or your group.

Pick Pocket – While in stealth, steals a small amount of gold or other minor junk item from the enemy. The amount of gold gained is pretty trivial so this is mainly a flavor ability.

Pick Lock – Lets you open locked chests and doors. There’s not too many of these around these days so this is ultimately another flavor ability.

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