~6 MIN
Introduction
Welcome to the Rogue Tank Leveling Tips and Tricks Guide for Season of Discovery!
This guide provides essential strategies, highlights the effectiveness of rogue tank leveling, recommends optimal builds, and identifies abilities where you can save gold by avoiding unnecessary training.
For more detailed guidance, explore our resources on Talent Builds & Runes and Best in Slot Gear.
General Tips and Tricks for Rogue Tank Leveling
- Level up First Aid – Unlike other classes that may struggle with mana, a rogue’s primary concern is maintaining health. Mastering the First Aid secondary skill offers rapid healing between battles. Every rogue should prioritize leveling First Aid.
- Gouge and Bandage – In one-on-one encounters, using Gouge allows you to bandage and heal yourself. Ideally, you should heal before engaging, but this technique can be a lifesaver in critical moments.
- Dual Wield & Mutilate – At level 10, train Dual Wield at the Rogue Trainer. Equipping two daggers enables the use of Mutilate, a highly potent attack.
- Use Eviscerate Instead of Slice and Dice – At lower levels and with limited character power, Slice and Dice doesn’t significantly boost damage. Though it shines in other contexts, Eviscerate or Between the Eyes (if you possess the rune) are more effective for quickly eliminating enemies.
For those interested in optimizing their gaming experience, check out our dungeon services for enhanced gameplay.
Leveling Viability for Rogue Tank
Rogues excel at leveling due to their high damage output and lack of dependency on a mana pool, allowing for minimal downtime between battles. However, when considering the tank role, it’s essential to remember that tanking is primarily designed for group play, focusing on damage mitigation and threat generation—skills that aren’t optimal for solo questing or quick mob kills.
During the Season of Discovery, the primary distinction between a tank and a regular leveling setup lies in the choice of runes, which are thankfully easy to adjust. Should you choose to tank using a DPS Rogue leveling build, ensure you adapt your runes accordingly to enhance your effectiveness.
Rogues can efficiently take down enemies quickly, making them ideal for the demanding grind of classic era leveling. Yet, they initially lack multi-target damage abilities until the acquisition of Blade Flurry, necessitating a focus on single-target combat. When faced with multiple foes, employing defensive cooldowns like Evasion can be crucial for survival.
Best Leveling Builds for Rogue Tank – Phase 8
Level 25-40
- Rogue Leveling Builds: Level 25-40
- Rogue Leveling Builds: Level 40-50
- Rogue Leveling Builds: Level 50-60
Rogue: 2/9/5
Talent Calculator Link
Class Abilities
Required Level: 25
Assassination
- Points: 2/5
- 10/50/50/52/20/30/20/30/30/20/30/10/10/50/10/5
Combat
- Points: 9/5
- 11/50/50/50/55/50/50/23/30/30/20/10/20/50/20/10/50/10/30/2
Subtlety
- Points: 5/5
- 10/50/50/30/30/25/50/30/30/20/10/10/10/10/30/20/20/5
Talent Order
Here, we are focusing on maximizing your Rogue’s potential through a well-balanced distribution of talent points. Ensure to follow the talent order to optimize your gameplay efficiently.
Season of Discovery Runes
- Head: Combat Potency
- Back: Blunderbuss
- Chest: Just a Flesh Wound
- Wrist: Unfair Advantage
- Hands: Mutilate
- Waist: Shuriken Toss
- Legs: Blade Dance
- Feet: Rolling with the Punches
- Ring 1: Dagger Specialization
- Ring 2: Defense Specialization
Rogue Talent Build
Required Level
- Level 40
Talent Distribution
Assassination
- 5/5
- 10/50/53/52/20/30/20/30/30/20/30/10/10/50/10/5
Combat
- 21/5
- 15/50/50/50/55/50/50/23/30/32/20/10/25/50/21/10/50/10/30/2
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: Just a Flesh Wound
- Wrist: Unfair Advantage
- Hands: Mutilate
- Waist: Shuriken Toss
- Legs: Blade Dance
- Feet: Rolling with the Punches
- Ring 1: Dagger Specialization
- Ring 2: Defense Specialization
Rogue Talent Build
- 15/21/5 Rogue: Link
- Required level: 50
Specializations
| Specialization | Points Distribution |
|---|---|
| Assassination | 15 / 5 / 10 / 54 / 55 / 52 / 20 / 32 / 20 / 31 / 30 / 20 / 30 / 11 / 10 / 50 / 10 / 5 |
| Combat | 21 / 5 / 15 / 50 / 50 / 50 / 55 / 50 / 50 / 23 / 30 / 32 / 20 / 10 / 25 / 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
Ensure you allocate your talent points in the specified order to maximize your Rogue’s performance in the game. Adjustments may be required based on your specific playstyle and the challenges you face.
Season of Discovery Runes
The following runes are recommended for tanking in dungeons:
– Head: Combat Potency
– Back: Blunderbuss
– Chest: Just a Flesh Wound
– Wrist: Unfair Advantage
– Hands: Mutilate
– Waist: Shuriken Toss
– Legs: Blade Dance
– Feet: Rolling with the Punches
– Ring 1: Dagger Specialization
– Ring 2: Defense Specialization
While leveling as a Tank, the primary source of damage comes from Mutilate. This differs from raids where finishing moves, poisons, and auto-attacks play significant roles in damage output. Each of the three talent trees offers early talents that significantly enhance the effectiveness of Mutilate.
Unlocking Blade Flurry is highly beneficial, enabling you to handle multiple enemies efficiently whenever it is active.
The rune configurations detailed above are tailored for dungeon tanking. These talents are versatile, suitable for both solo leveling and tanking scenarios. However, it’s advisable to switch runes for solo play. For more details, check this guide: Rogue DPS Leveling Tips and Tricks – Season of Discovery.
If you’re just starting out with your rogue, consider the following talent path:
– 2 points in Remorseless Attacks
– 5 points in Opportunity
– 5 points in Lightning Reflexes
– 3 points in Improved Backstab
Then, progress down the combat tree towards Blade Flurry. Both Blade Flurry and Shuriken Toss are vital for gaining threat on multiple targets, a common challenge for rogue tanks until they reach maximum level.
From levels 50 to 60, allocate points in Dagger Specialization, two ranks in Weapon Expertise, and the final point in Lethality. At level 59, the available options are limited, so place your last point as you see fit. Upon reaching level 60, it’s recommended to switch to a build more suited for raiding or dungeons.
Abilities to Skip While Leveling for Rogue Tank
When leveling as a Rogue Tank, certain abilities can be skipped or trained to a minimal level, as they don’t significantly contribute to your role. Below is a list of abilities you can consider skipping or limiting to the initial rank:
Training Recommendations
Kick and Gouge
Training rank 1 of Kick and Gouge is essential, as these abilities are useful for interrupting and controlling enemies. However, higher ranks mainly increase damage, which is not the primary purpose of these spells when tanking. Therefore, additional ranks can be skipped.
Rupture
This ability is useful for Horde rogues to complete the poison quest, but only rank 1 is necessary. Beyond that, it doesn’t significantly enhance your tanking capabilities during leveling.
Feint
If you’re planning to tank, consider training rank 1 of Feint. It transforms into Tease with the Just a Flesh Wound talent, which can be beneficial for managing threat.
Expose Armor and Sinister Strike
These abilities are rarely used or needed during the leveling process. Expose Armor and Sinister Strike may be skipped as they don’t align with the primary focus of a rogue tank and are seldom required in typical leveling scenarios.
