Assassination Rogue
Poison everything. Mutilate the rest.
The poison rogue: daggers, Cold Blood, Seal Fate, and new in WoW Forever: Mutilate as the 31-point talent and Venom to supercharge your poisons.
Three things to remember
Poisons on both weapons
Mutilate hits 20% harder on a poisoned target, and Venom boosts your poisons.
Shank feeds Venom
Shank adds 30% poison damage and more poison procs for 6 sec. Use it on cooldown.
Mutilate at 40
Your 31-point talent: hits with both weapons and gives 2 combo points.
What changed for you
Shank
New: an off-hand strike that cannot miss, cheap, on a 10-sec cooldown, and it gives you energy back. Several talents build on it.
Poisons are a secondary skill
Like First Aid, and Lockpicking is its own skill too. Train them up as you go.
Poised
New: at full energy out of combat, your next ability costs 10 less. Free value on every opener.
Blood Splatter
Rupture lasts 6 sec longer and Garrote 9 sec longer.
Venom
Shank boosts your poisons for 6 sec.
Low-level tips and what to press as you level
- Sinister Strike to build combo points, Eviscerate at 3 to 5 points.
- Open from Stealth when you can; it is your free first hit.
- Use the fastest dagger or sword you find in the main hand.
- Take Malice (+1% crit) and Improved Slice and Dice.
- Slice and Dice at 1 to 2 combo points, then Eviscerate.
- Pick up Shank and use it on cooldown.
- Train poisons and put Instant Poison on both weapons.
- Take Lethality (bigger crits), Vile Poisons and Improved Poisons.
- Cold Blood before a big Eviscerate.
- Mutilate (31-point) with two daggers.
- Take Seal Fate, Venom and Relentless Strikes.
- Rupture on bosses with Blood Splatter.
Your priority
A simple order for Assassination at 60.
- Garrote or Ambush from stealth to open.
- Slice and Dice keep it up all fight.
- Shank on cooldown (Venom).
- Rupture at 5 combo points on bosses.
- Eviscerate at 5 combo points when Rupture and Slice and Dice are up. Cold Blood first.
- Mutilate to build combo points.
Talents that matter
| Talent | Tree | Why take it |
|---|---|---|
| Malice | Assassination | +1% crit with attacks and poisons. |
| Improved Slice and Dice | Assassination | Longer Slice and Dice. |
| Blood Splatter | Assassination | Longer Rupture and Garrote. |
| Lethality | Assassination | Bigger crits. |
| Vile Poisons | Assassination | Stronger poisons. |
| Cold Blood | Assassination | A guaranteed crit. |
| Relentless Strikes | Assassination | Finishers can refund energy. |
| Venom | Assassination | Shank boosts your poisons. |
| Seal Fate | Assassination | Crits give an extra combo point. |
| Mutilate | Assassination (31) | Two-weapon strike, 2 combo points. |
Best race for this spec
Artisan's Precision gives +1% hit, so fewer misses on every attack. Human (+1% crit, stun break) is a fine second.
Berserking gives 15 sec of faster attacks. Orc is close.
| Race | Side | Racials |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Alliance | Ruthless: +1% crit. The Human Spirit: +10% Spirit. Will to Survive: break out of a stun. Perception: spot stealthed players. |
| Dwarf | Alliance | Artisan's Precision: +1% hit with attacks and spells. Stoneform: removes bleeds, poisons and diseases and cuts physical damage taken by 10% for 8 sec. Big Game Hunter: +5% damage to Beasts. |
| Night Elf | Alliance | Elune's Light: +10% crit for 15 sec. Shadowmeld: hide when standing still. Quickness: +1% dodge and a little extra run speed. |
| Gnome | Alliance | Eureka!: 10% more damage and cheaper abilities for 8 sec (also boosts Power Word: Shield). Expansive Mind: +5% maximum mana (rage for Warriors, energy for Rogues). Escape Artist: break out of roots and slows. |
| Skyborne (High Order) | Alliance | Wind Blessed: +2% attack and casting speed. Elemental Insight: +5% damage to Elementals. Walk on Air. Read Leyline: +50% mana and health regeneration for 15 sec (+100% while Attuned from a Ley Line; Attuned ends when you enter a raid). Paid race. |
| Orc | Horde | Blood Fury: +10% attack power and spell power for 15 sec, every 2 minutes. Command: +5% damage for Hunter and Warlock pets. Shatter Curse: 5% less magic damage taken for 8 sec. |
| Undead | Horde | Touch of the Grave: your hits can drain health from the target (30% chance for casters, 20% for Paladins, Rogues and Warriors; once every 15 sec). Will of the Forsaken: break fear, charm and sleep. Cannibalize: eat a corpse to heal. |
| Troll | Horde | Berserking: faster attacks and casts for 15 sec. Beast Slaying: +5% damage to Beasts. |
| Skyborne (Windshaper) | Horde | Wind Blessed: +2% attack and casting speed. Elemental Insight: +5% damage to Elementals. Walk on Air. Skysight: +15% run speed for 15 sec (+30% while Charged from an elemental convergence; Charged ends when you enter a raid). Paid race. |
These are small edges, about 1 to 2 percent. Play the race you enjoy and the side your friends are on. Skyborne needs the paid Skyborne Heroic Pack.
Play it better
Two daggers
Mutilate needs a dagger in each hand. Hold on to good daggers while you level.
Keep Slice and Dice up
It is your biggest damage boost. Refresh it before it drops.
Shank every 10 seconds
It cannot miss, refunds energy and powers Venom.
Open with Garrote
With Blood Splatter, Garrote ticks 9 sec longer.
When something seems off
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Running out of energy | Do not spend energy on finishers at 1 or 2 combo points, and use Shank: it gives energy back. |
| My poisons are gone | Poisons are a secondary skill now: train it, buy the reagents, and put poison on both weapons. |
| Mutilate is grey | It needs daggers in both hands, and the 31-point talent. |
| Pulling aggro | Use Feint, and let the tank build threat first. |
Let Bonkr Compass+ call your buttons
Compass+ shows your next button and follows Slice and Dice, Rupture and your combo points. Type /cplus why to see why it picked a spell.