~6 MIN
Introduction
Welcome to the Rogue DPS Leveling Guide for Season of Discovery!
In this guide, we will explore essential strategies for leveling a Rogue DPS character, focusing on overall tips, leveling viability, the best builds, and abilities that can save you gold by avoiding unnecessary training.
Talent Builds & Runes
Best in Slot Gear
General Tips and Tricks for Leveling as Rogue DPS
- Master First Aid – Unlike other classes that run out of mana, a rogue’s main concern is health. The First Aid secondary skill is crucial for quick healing between battles. Every rogue should prioritize leveling up First Aid.
- Gouge and Bandage Technique – When battling one-on-one, use Gouge to stun the enemy, allowing you to heal yourself with a bandage. It’s best to heal before a fight, but this method can be a lifesaver in tough situations.
- Choose Eviscerate Over Slice and Dice – At lower levels with less character power, Slice and Dice doesn’t contribute much to your damage output. While it shines in other scenarios, Eviscerate, or Between the Eyes if you have the rune, is typically more effective for dealing with foes during quests.
Leveling Viability for Rogue DPS
Rogues offer a dynamic and engaging leveling experience due to their stealth capabilities and powerful single-target damage. While leveling, it’s crucial to balance your abilities and optimize your strategy for maximum efficiency. For more advanced leveling tips, explore our gold farming guides tailored for rogues.
For more information on how you can enhance your leveling experience, consider checking our dungeon services to boost your gameplay.
Rogues: Efficient Levelers
Rogues are renowned for their efficiency when it comes to leveling. They boast a high damage output, and since they are not constrained by a mana pool, there’s no need to pause and wait for mana regeneration. This allows them to swiftly deal with foes and minimize downtime, making them ideal for the extensive grind that is classic leveling.
However, rogues don’t have significant multi-target damage skills until they gain access to Blade Flurry. Thus, it’s advisable to focus on engaging one enemy at a time. If you find yourself facing multiple adversaries simultaneously, it is wise to utilize defensive cooldowns like Evasion for added protection.
Optimal Leveling Builds for Rogue DPS – Phase 8
Rogues can utilize a specific build to enhance their leveling efficiency:
Rogue: 2/9/5
- Required level: 25
Assassination
- 2 / 5 points in Assassination talents
Combat
- 9 / 5 points in Combat talents
Subtlety
- 5 / 5 points in Subtlety talents
Talent Order
The optimal talent order involves prioritizing abilities that enhance single-target damage output, followed by those that improve survivability and utility, allowing you to handle the leveling process with maximum efficiency.
Season of Discovery Runes
– Head: Combat Potency
– Back: Blunderbuss
– Chest: Slaughter from the Shadows
– Wrist: Unfair Advantage
– Hands: Cutthroat
– Waist: Shadowstep
– Legs: Between the Eyes
– Feet: Master of Subtlety
– Ring 1: Dagger Specialization
– Ring 2: Defense Specialization
Rogue Talent Build: 5/21/5
– Talent Calculator Link
– Class Abilities
– Required Level: 40
Assassination
– 5 / 5
– 10 / 50
– 53 / 52
– 20 / 30
– 20 / 30
– 30 / 20
– 30 / 10
– 10 / 50
– 10 / 5
Combat
– 21 / 5
– 15 / 55
– 50 / 50
– 55 / 50
– 50 / 23
– 30 / 32
– 20 / 10
– 20 / 50
– 21 / 10
– 50 / 10
– 30 / 2
Subtlety
– 5 / 5
– 10 / 50
– 50 / 30
– 30 / 25
– 50 / 30
– 30 / 20
– 10 / 10
– 10 / 10
– 30 / 20
– 20 / 5
Talent Order
Season of Discovery Runes
- Head: Combat Potency
- Back: Blunderbuss
- Chest: Slaughter from the Shadows
- Wrist: Unfair Advantage
- Hands: Cutthroat
- Waist: Shadowstep
- Legs: Between the Eyes
- Feet: Master of Subtlety
- Ring 1: Dagger Specialization
- Ring 2: Defense Specialization
Rogue Talents: 15/21/5
For those playing as a Rogue, the talent build distribution is 15 points in Assassination, 21 in Combat, and 5 in Subtlety. You can explore the detailed talent allocation with this link.
Class Abilities
For a comprehensive list of Rogue class abilities, refer to this guide. The required level for the optimal performance of these abilities is 50.
Assassination
15 points are allocated here, focusing on skills that enhance the ability to deal significant damage through poisons and finishing moves.
Combat
In Combat, 21 points are invested to improve the Rogue’s effectiveness in direct combat situations, enhancing their attack power and combat abilities.
Subtlety
5 points in Subtlety are aimed at enhancing the Rogue’s stealth capabilities and increasing the effectiveness of surprise attacks.
Talent Order
This section guides the sequence in which talents should be selected to optimize the Rogue’s performance.
Season of Discovery Runes
In the Season of Discovery, certain runes enhance your abilities in unique ways. Here’s a list of runes that can be applied to various gear slots to boost your rogue’s performance:
- Head: Combat Potency
- Back: Blunderbuss
- Chest: Slaughter from the Shadows
- Wrist: Unfair Advantage
- Hands: Cutthroat
- Waist: Shadowstep
- Legs: Between the Eyes
- Feet: Master of Subtlety
- Ring 1: Dagger Specialization
- Ring 2: Defense Specialization
While leveling your rogue, your primary source of damage will be Backstab. This contrasts with raiding, where finishing moves, poisons, and auto-attacks provide substantial damage contributions. Each talent tree offers powerful talents early on that significantly enhance the damage of Backstab. Unlocking Blade Flurry is particularly beneficial, as it allows you to efficiently defeat multiple enemies when it’s active.
For those just starting with a rogue, it is advisable to allocate talent points as follows: begin with 2 points in Remorseless Attacks, then 5 in Opportunity, another 5 in Lightning Reflexes, followed by 3 in Improved Backstab, and finally move down the combat tree towards Blade Flurry. Mastering the use of Backstab while playing solo necessitates acquiring the Cutthroat ability, which enables you to perform Backstab without the need to be positioned behind your target.
As you advance from levels 50 to 60, it’s recommended to invest points in Dual Wield Specialization, two ranks of Weapon Expertise, and the last point in Lethality. Upon reaching level 59, there are not many impactful options for your final talent point, so feel free to allocate it according to personal preference. Once you attain level 60, it’s a good idea to redistribute your talent points into a build that is more suited for raiding or dungeon runs.
Abilities to Skip While Leveling for Rogue DPS
When leveling as a Rogue DPS, it’s crucial to focus on the abilities that offer the most value for your playstyle. However, there are certain abilities you might consider skipping or not upgrading beyond the initial ranks. Here’s a guide to help you make those decisions:
Abilities to Consider
– **Kick and Gouge**: These abilities are essential for their utility rather than damage. While it’s important to train rank 1 for both, you can skip higher ranks as they only offer slight increases in damage, which is not their primary purpose.
– **Rupture**: For Horde rogues, training rank 1 is recommended to assist with your poison quest. Beyond rank 1, higher levels aren’t necessary unless you have a specific need for them.
– **Feint**: Consider training rank 1 if you plan on tanking. The “Just a Flesh Wound” talent transforms Feint into Tease, providing a useful utility in certain scenarios.
– **Expose Armor and Sinister Strike**: These abilities can usually be skipped during your leveling process. Their use is situational, and most players won’t find themselves in need of them frequently.
Focusing on optimizing your ability choices can significantly enhance your leveling experience. For more information on how to boost your Rogue’s performance or guidance on advanced strategies, consider checking out our WoW Raids services to further enhance your gameplay.
