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Beta, level cap 30 · data read 13 Oct

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Subtlety Rogue guide

Melee DPS · our guide of 13 Oct 2026 Recommendation

Talent trees, every tier list's rating and the sim: the Subtlety tab.

In short

  • A melee damage dealer who opens from Stealth; Ghostly Strike and Hemorrhage hit harder with a dagger in your main hand. Sourced: Talent database
  • Number 15 of 20 damage specs in our newest sim run, at 667 DPS. Sourced: Sim · 11 Oct run
  • Resets for PvP: Preparation instantly resets the cooldowns of your other Rogue abilities, and Elusiveness makes the cooldowns of Vanish and Blind 90 sec shorter. Sourced: Talent database
  • Weak spot: nothing in this build hits more than one enemy, so packs are slow.

How it plays

Up to level 30. Open from Stealth with Ambush, then Sinister Strike, Slice and Dice, and Eviscerate to finish; Gouge to step away. Master of Deception makes enemies spot you in Stealth as if you were 3 levels higher, Improved Ambush adds 45% to Ambush's crit chance, and Initiative gives Ambush, Garrote and Cheap Shot a chance of an extra combo point, 100% at 3 of 3. At 30 the build adds Ghostly Strike, which raises your dodge chance 15% for 7 sec, and Premeditation, which puts 2 combo points on the target; Serrated Blades 3 of 3 opens Hemorrhage for later. Your 21st point buys Preparation. In PvP: Premeditation, then Cheap Shot, Kidney Shot and Gouge.

Sourced: Talent database

At level 60. Theory Premeditation, Cheap Shot, Hemorrhage and Kidney Shot to open. Hemorrhage builds combo points, and for 15 sec the target takes 15% more damage from your Rupture. Keep Slice and Dice up, finish with Eviscerate or Rupture, and Vanish to open again, with Preparation to reset it. Thousand Cuts is passive: Rupture ticks make Hemorrhage and Backstab cheaper. Dirty Deeds lets you Garrote from any side, and Cutthroat gives Backstab a 15% chance to let you use one Ambush outside Stealth. From Assassination: Malice and Lethality for crits, and Cold Blood for a sure crit on your next Eviscerate or Ambush.

Sourced: Talent database

Talents at a glance

  • Level 20: Master of Deception 3, Opportunity 2, Improved Ambush 3, Elusiveness 2, Initiative 1

    Stealth depth, Ambush damage, Elusiveness for Vanish; Initiative (row 3 at 10) for a combo point on the opener.

    Recommendation · See the trees · Open in the calculator

  • Level 30: Master of Deception 3, Opportunity 2, Improved Ambush 3, Elusiveness 2, Dirty Tricks 2, Initiative 3, Ghostly Strike 1, Premeditation 1, Serrated Blades 3, Preparation 1

    Ghostly Strike and Premeditation (row 4 at 15), Serrated Blades 3/3 (Hemorrhage's prerequisite), Preparation with the 21st point (row 5 at 20).

    Recommendation · See the trees · Open in the calculator

  • Level 60: Master of Deception 3, Opportunity 2, Improved Ambush 3, Elusiveness 2, Dirty Tricks 2, Setup 1, Initiative 3, Ghostly Strike 1, Premeditation 1, Serrated Blades 3, Preparation 1, Hemorrhage 1, Dirty Deeds 2, Cutthroat 5, Thousand Cuts 1, Malice 5, Remorseless Attacks 2, Ruthlessness 3, Murder 2, Relentless Strikes 1, Lethality 5, Cold Blood 1, Vile Poisons 1

    Thousand Cuts requires Preparation; Hemorrhage requires Serrated Blades 3/3; one point of Setup lifts rows 1–5 to 25 for Cutthroat. Assassination: Malice, Remorseless Attacks, Ruthlessness, Murder, Relentless Strikes, Lethality 5/5, Cold Blood (row 4 at 15), one Vile Poisons.

    Theory · See the trees · Open in the calculator

Rotation at level 30

Recommendation

Single target

Open with Premeditation, Cheap Shot, Ghostly Strike.

  1. Premeditation, then Ambush or Cheap Shot
  2. Ghostly Strike (dodge buff)
  3. Hemorrhage as builder once taken
  4. Kidney Shot (30) / Eviscerate
  5. Preparation resets Vanish/Sprint

Groups

Nothing stored yet.

Tip

PvP: Cheap Shot, Kidney Shot, Gouge, then Blind (34) is the stunlock chain.

Stats

Each guide's stat order as it gives it, the sim's stat weights, then ours. Guides dated before the last big tuning are shown but not counted.

Guides agreeSame order on 2 guides for the stats they all name.

WhereStat order
Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctWeapon damage › Hit and Expertise › Agility › Attack power › Crit › Strength
Guide · 1 Oct PvP, level 30 · read 12 OctNot ranked
Guide · 7 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctWeapon damage › Hit › Agility › Crit › Strength › Stamina
Guide · 22 Sep PvP, level 30 · read 12 Oct · dated before 1 Oct, not countedNot ranked
Sim · stat weights level 60 · run 12 Oct, 5,000 iterations

Per 1%: Expertise 5.15 › Crit 4.45 › Hit 4.24 › Attack speed 2.76

Per point: Main-hand weapon DPS 2.48 › Physical damage 1.82 › Off-hand weapon DPS 0.524 › Agility 0.412 › Strength 0.246 › Attack power 0.224 › Armour penetration 0.0614

No DPS change in this run: Stamina.

The DPS each stat adds, for a level-60 character on the engine's preset gear in a 2-minute fight on a beta engine: a direction, not a verdict. = marks a tie: stats within each other's margin. Not counted toward "Guides agree".

Where they differ: ours puts Hit before Crit, which the sim weighs higher per 1%.

Ours RecommendationDagger damage, main hand › Hit › Crit › Agility › Attack power › Stamina for PvP

Where ours differs: ours puts Crit before Agility, which both guides rank higher.

Race

Each guide's race picks for Subtlety, then our pick for the Rogue.

Alliance

One guideGnome on 1 guide.

Horde

Guides differTroll on one guide, Orc on another.

Professions

One guideOnly one guide names professions.

  • Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctNot given
  • Guide · 1 Oct PvP, level 30 · read 12 OctNot given
  • Guide · 7 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctSkinning, Leatherworking
  • Guide · 22 Sep PvP, level 30 · read 12 Oct · dated before 1 Oct, not countedNot given
  • Ours, for the Rogue RecommendationMining + Engineering; or Skinning + Leatherworking

What changed for Subtlety

  • 1 Oct: Expose Armor missing no longer eats combo points; Subtlety's Setup only adds combo points on the target you dodged/resisted.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 1 Oct

  • Sap now correctly flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

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