Outlaw 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.

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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 automatically over time, and through a variety of other talent interactions.

Combo Points – Rogue’s second primary resource. You’ll generate combo points with basic abilities like Sinister Strike and Pistol Shot, then spend them on finisher abilities like Dispatch and Between the Eyes. 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.

For Outlaw rogues the most significant in-combat interaction with stealth is via Crackshot, where you’ll want to use Vanish to empower Between the Eyes.

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 only have one lethal and one non-lethal poison applied.

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

Lethal Poisons

Instant Poison – Deals immediate bonus damage

Wound Poison – Does bonus damage and applies a debuff that reduces healing the target receives. More niche uses than instant poison since enemy healing is rarely a major problem.

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 #

Sinister Strike and Ambush – Sinister Strike spends energy to do minor damage to the target and generate a combo point. Ambush is the from-stealth version of the same that does more damage and generates more points. Via Opportunity using Sinister Strike has a chance to empower your next Pistol Shot. With Fan the Hammer these bonuses to Pistol Shot can stack and then be applied several at a time. This interaction is fundamental to your rotation and you’ll use Sinister Strike both to build up these stacks and to generate combo points.

Dispatch – Combo Point spending finisher that does damage to the target, with damage increasing as more points are spent. You’ll use this to spend combo points when Between the Eyes isn’t available. Via Cut to the Chase Dispatch will also extend your currently active Slice and Dice.

Blade Flurry – 30s cooldown. Does damage to the target and nearby enemies, but more importantly for 10s lets all single-target attacks do reduced AoE damage to surrounding enemies. This is the focus of your AoE rotation since once it’s active you can just proceed with the normal single target rotation.

Pistol Shot – Spends energy to do damage to the target from range and generate a combo point. As mentioned above Sinister Strike will build stacks of Opportunity that can be consumed with Pistol Shot to attack multiple times and generate several combo points. You’ll want to prefer using it when it’s empowered this way.

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 Dispatch, meaning once you first activate you generally don’t need to think about it.

Cooldowns #

Roll the Bones – 45s cooldown. The signature ability for Outlaw Rogues, provides one or more random bonuses. There’s a number of possible effects, but they’re all reasonably powerful. Optimizing your rotation based on which benefit you get gets pretty advanced, but to start you’ll mainly just want to make sure you’re using it on cooldown.

• With Count the Odds you can gain additional bonuses when using Dispatch.

Between the Eyes – 45s cooldown. Combo Point spending finisher that does substantial damage and provides a crit bonus, with the damage and the duration of the crit buff increasing with more points spent. Via Crackshot when used from stealth Between the Eyes won’t incur a cooldown and triggers a free Dispatch. Because of this a key rotational goal is to try to fit in these stealth-empowered Between the Eyes, usually by using Vanish.

Adrenaline Rush – 3m cooldown. Speeds you up for 20s, improving attack speed and energy regeneration. With Loaded Dice also causes your next Roll the Bones to give multiple bonuses, and with Improved Adrenaline Rush fills your combo points when used. Use this on enemies that are likely to live for a while, and try to line up other effects and cooldowns to benefit from it.

Vanish – 2m cooldown with 2 charges. When used puts you into stealth while in combat and lets you stay in stealth for 3s even while using damage abilities. Given how easily you can access stealth abilities via Shadow Dance this isn’t often used for that purpose, but via Invigorating Shadowdust it will also reduce all your cooldowns by 30s, so should be used whenever you have several cooldowns waiting.

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: Main Gauche – Outlaw’s Mastery gives a chance for your auto-attacks and damaging abilities to trigger a bonus attack. The damage of that attack increases with more Mastery points.

Restless Blades – All finishing moves reduce the cooldowns of most of your abilities per combo point spent. This will passively accelerate cooldowns as you do your rotation, so know that the remaining time might not be a great reflection of when they’ll be available.

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:

• Open from stealth
  • Use Roll the Bones before starting combat
  • Attack with Ambush
  • Activate Slice and Dice
• Normal rotation
  • Use Roll the Bones whenever available
  • Build combo points and Opportunity stacks with Sinister Strike
  • Spend combo points on full-combo Dispatches
  • If you have Opportunity stacks and need more combo points use Pistol Shot
• On enemies that are expected to live for a while
  • Use Adrenaline Rush once you have Roll the Bones and Slice and Dice going
  • Whenever both Vanish and Build up full combo points, then use Vanish followed by Between the Eyes. Continue trying to get in more full-combo Between the Eyes while Subterfuge is still active.

AoE:

• Identical to your single target rotation, but use Blade Flurry whenever available to spread your single target abilities the the whole group of enemies.

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 #

Grappling Hook – 45s cooldown. Leap to the targeted location. Great to quickly relocate during combat or move around the world more quickly.

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 #

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.