• Great survivability, typical for this spec

•  High mobility

Cons:

• Rotations may be random, thus affecting your damage

• The lack of DoT results in poor DPS when you can’t attack the target

Basic information on the spec:

The Rogue is a lightly armored class that specializes in melee damage and has 2 main resources: Energy and Combo Points (CP). Accordingly, there are abilities that spend these resources, or, vice versa, allow you to gain them. The correct use of these abilities and wise rotations are your keys to success.

TIER 1 LVL 15 TALENTS THAT AFFECT DPS.

Weaponmaster – Sinister Strike has a 10% increased chance to strike an additional time.

Quick Draw – half-cost uses of Pistol Shot granted by Opportunity now generate 1 additional combo point, and deal 50% additional damage. Good Talent for any situation, standard choice in M+ and cleave fights. Has a good synergy with some of our Legendaries.

Ghostly Strike – strikes an enemy, dealing Physical damage and causing the target to take 10% increased damage from your abilities for 10 sec. Dynamic CD 35 sec due to Restless Blades. At the moment, this Talent grants slightly more damage to single targets than the second Talent in this tier, but over time its relevance will drop. Also, if you have any additional targets, the use of this Talent no longer makes sense.

TIER 2 LVL 25 TALENTS THAT AFFECT MOBILITY.

Acrobatic Strikes – increases the range on all your melee attacks by 3 yards. Your choice by default, as it covers a huge zone for AoE damage and grants a long range.

Retractable Hook – reduces the cooldown of Grappling Hook by 15 sec, and increases its retraction speed.

Hit and Run – increases your movement speed at all times by 15%.

TIER 3 LVL 30 TALENTS THAT AFFECT RESOURCES.

Vigor – increases your maximum Energy by 50 and your Energy regeneration by 10%. Your optimal Talent in most situations both for single targets and in cleave fights.

Deeper Stratagem – you may have a maximum of 6 combo points, your finishing moves consume up to 6 combo points, and your finishing moves deal 5% increased damage.

Marked for Death – marks the target, instantly generating 5 combo points. CD 60 sec (dynamic), duration 60 sec. Cooldown reset if the target dies within 1 min. Due to its cooldown mechanics, this Talent can be very useful in M+ if you know how to use it properly.

TIER 4 LVL 35 DEFENSIVE ABILITIES.

Iron Stomach – increases the healing you receive from Crimson Vial healing potions, and healthstones by 30%. Mediocre Talent, but can be used in solo-content.

Cheat Death – fatal attacks instead reduce you to 7% of your maximum health. For 3 sec afterward, you take 85% reduced damage. Cannot trigger more often than once per 6 min. Always take this Talent, as there’s nothing better than a second life!

Elusiveness – Feint also reduces all damage you take from non-area-of-effect attacks by 30% for 5 sec. Keep in mind that Feint costs 35 Energy and lasts only 5 sec (CD 15 sec), so maintaining Feint high uptime is quite impossible, while frequent use negatively affects your damage. Questionable Talent, as it’s very specific.

TIER 5 LVL 40 CONTROL TIER.

Dirty Tricks – your control abilities no longer cost Energy.

Blinding Powder – reduces the cooldown of Blind by 30 sec and increases its range by 15 yards.

Prey on the Weak – enemies disabled by one of your stuns take 10% increased damage from all sources for 6 sec.

This is the most frequent choice in this tier, as sometimes you have to use stuns in raids and in M+.

TIER 6 LVL 45 TALENTS THAT AFFECT DPS.

Loaded Dice – activating Adrenaline Rush causes your next Roll the Bones to grant at least two matches. Not the best choice at the moment.

Alacrity – your finishing moves have a 20+ % chance per combo point (up to 100% with 5 CP) to grant 2% Haste for 20 sec, stacking up to 5 times. It is the best choice in any situation, as 10% Haste is a very good buff. In raids, the buff rarely goes off, while in M+ you have to keep an eye on it, maintaining the buff between fights, for example, by casting Slice and Dice a few seconds before Alacrity ends.

Dreadblades – this new Talent is similar to Pirate artifact weapon in WoW:Legion. Strike at an enemy, dealing Physical damage and empowering your weapons for 10 sec, causing your next combo generator to fill your combo points, but your finishing moves consume 5% of your current health. Sounds interesting, but in practice it’s not as effective as, say, Alacrity.

TIER 7 LVL 50 TALENTS THAT AFFECT DPS.

Dancing Steel – increases the duration of Blade Flurry by 3 sec and its damage by 5%. At the moment, this Talent isn’t relevant, as cleave uptime in Shadowlands is already extremely high, while other options grant more damage.

Blade Rush – charge to your target with your blades out, dealing Physical damage to the target and to all other nearby enemies. While Blade Flurry is active, damage to non-primary targets is increased by 100%. Generates 25 Energy over 5 sec. CD 45 sec. This is the best option in this tier, good for single targets and in M+.

Killing Spree – teleport to an enemy within 10 yards, attacking with both weapons for Physical damage over 2 sec. While Blade Flurry is active, also hits up to 4 nearby enemies for 100% damage. In Shadowlands, this Talent isn’t as bad as it was at the end of BfA, however, Blade Rush is still better in most cases.

HERE ARE YOUR COMMON BUILDS

Single Target:

1. Ghostly Strike
2. Acrobatic Strikes
3. Vigor
4. Cheat Death
5. Prey on the Weak
6. Alacrity
7. Blade Rush

Cleave/AoE:

1. Quick Draw
2. Acrobatic Strikes
3. Vigor
4. Cheat Death
5. Prey on the Weak
6. Alacrity
7. Blade Rush

M+:

1. Quick Draw
2. Acrobatic Strikes
3. Marked for Death
4. Cheat Death
5. Prey on the Weak
6. Alacrity
7. Blade Rush

THE KYRIAN

Echoing Reprimand – deal Arcane damage to an enemy, extracting their anima to Animacharge a combo point. Damaging finishing moves that consume the same number of combo points as your Animacharge deal damage as if they consume 7 combo points. Costs 30 Energy, CD 45 sec.

Sometimes hard to implement, but still grants a solid boost.

Summon Steward – call your steward to bring you a Phial of Serenity. CD 4 min.

It may seem useless, but don’t underestimate the extra heal. It also removes all Curse, Disease, Poison, and Bleed effects – very useful throughout the game.

THE VENTHYR 

Flagellation – lash the target 3 times, dealing Shadow damage and adding a stack of Flagellation for each lash. The target remains tormented for 20 sec, receiving an additional lash for each combo point you spend. Reactivating Flagellation cleanses their torment, increasing your Haste by 0.5% per stack, up to a maximum of 15% Haste for 20 sec.

Good DPS ability, but it can be fairly inconvenient when used against squishy targets.

Door of Shadows – castable blink.

Can be used to skip some enemies or shorten the distance, but overall a Rogue is mobile enough even without it.

THE NIGHT FAE 

Sepsis – infect the target’s blood, dealing Nature damage over 10 sec. If the target survives its full duration, they suffer an additional damage and you Vanish from sight.

Cooldown reduced by 60 sec if Sepsis does not last its full duration.

This ability has a nice synergy with Mark of the Master Assassin, but since this Legendary isn’t your priority at the moment, it shouldn’t affect your choice.

Soulshape – turn into a Vulpin, teleporting 15 yards forward and increasing your movement speed by 50%. You may reactivate Soulshape every few sec to teleport again. Lasts 12 sec, or indefinitely while in a rest area. When Soulshape is active, you can’t cast spells.

It’s a useful ability both for mobility out of combat and for quick repositioning in fights.

THE NECROLORDS

Serrated Bone Spike – embed a bone spike in the target, dealing Bleed damage every 3 sec until they die. Deals damage and generates 1 Combo Point per active bone spike. Refunds 1 charge when the target dies or is healed to full. Costs 10 Energy, CD 30 sec.

Can be used on single or multiple targets.

Fleshcraft – form a shield of flesh and bone over 4 sec that absorbs damage equal to 20% of your maximum health for 2 min. Channeling near a corpse claims their essence to grow the shield, up to 50% of your maximum health. The spell is most effective against powerful enemies. Besides, it gives you a combat buff, depending on the race of the monster. 

It’s a pretty good utility ability, but it’s channeled, so you can’t always use it in fights.

Ambidexterity – Mastery: Main Gauche has an additional 3% chance to strike while Blade Flurry is active.

The current rating of Potency Conduits:

Count the Odds > Triple Threat >=  Sleight of Hand > Covenant Conduit > Ambidexterity

When upgrading your Soulbind, the most beneficial option is to take 2 slots for Potency Conduits and use the Conduits according to their rating above. However, in some situations, you can take 1 Potency Conduit, if a particular Soulbind has a strong DPS Talent that leads to a Conduit of another type.

For Mythic+:

Celerity >= Mark of the Master Assassin > Greenskin’s Wickers

Also, the choice of Legendary Item Effects can be affected by your Covenants, Talents and equipment.

Based on the above-mentioned characteristics and your own simulation results, let’s move on to Gems, Enchants and Consumables.

Gems:

Deadly Jewel Cluster (crit) / Versatile Jewel Cluster (Versatility)

Enchants:

• Boots: Enchant Boots – Eternal Agility
• Chest: Enchant Chest – Eternal Skirmish / Enchant Chest – Eternal Stats
• Cloak: Enchant Cloak – Soul Vitality / Enchant Cloak – Fortified Leech
• Rings: Enchant Ring – Tenet of Versatility
• Weapons: Enchant Weapon – Celestial Guidance + Enchant Weapon – Sinful Revelation / Enchant Weapon – Lightless Force (AoE) x 2

Consumables:

• Stones: Shaded Sharpening Stone
• Flasks: Eternal Cauldron / Spectral Flask of Power
• Potions: Potion of Spectral Agility / Potion of Phantom Fire / Potion of Empowered Exorcisms (AoE)
• Heal pots: Spiritual Healing Potion
• Food: Feast of Gluttonous Hedonism (+20 Agility) / Spinefin Souffle and Fries (+ 30 Crit) / Steak a la Mode (+30 Versatility)
• Armor kits: Heavy Desolate Armor Kit

• Head –Sadist’s Sinister Mask – Sire Denathrius
• Neck –Noble’s Birthstone Pendant – The Council of Blood
• Shoulder –Wicked Flanker’s Gorget – General Kaal
• Cloak –Crest of the Legionnaire General – General Kaal
• Chest –Corset of the Deft Duelist – The Council of Blood
• Wrist –Precisely Calibrated Chronometer – Artificer Xy’mox
• Hands –Bleakwing Assassin’s Grips – Kael’thas Sunstrider
• Waist-Spell-Woven Tourniquet –  Huntsman Altimor
• Legs –Chiropteran Leggings – Shriekwing
• Feet –Enchanted Toe-Tappers – The Council of Blood
• Ring #1 –Hyperlight Band – Lady Inerva Venaoscura
• Ring #2 –Most Regal Signet of Sire Denathrius – Sire Denathrius
• Trinket #1 –Macabre Sheet Music – The Council of Blood
• Trinket #2 –Stone Legion Heraldry – Stone Legion Generals
• Weapon #1 –Zenith Anima Spherule – Sire Denathrius
• Weapon #2 –Zenith Anima Spherule – Sire Denathrius

/cast [@targettarget, help, exists] Tricks of the Trade

Tricks of the Trade macros for M+ (pull to the leader, usually a tank)

#showtooltip

/cast [@party1] Tricks of the Trade

Blade Rush / Killing Spree depending on your Talent

#showtooltip

/cast [talent:7/2] Blade Rush; [talent:7/3] Killing Spree;

Marked for Death at the cursor position (mouseover macro)

#showtooltip

/cast [@mouseover] Marked for Death

Grappling Hook at the cursor position

#showtooltip

/cast [@cursor] Grappling Hook

Details! Damage Meter is the most up-to-date and advanced damage meter at the moment.

Plater Nameplates – an addon from the author of Details that changes enemy nameplates. Fully customizable design and a huge number of available features, as well as the ability to import profiles and mods from wago.io – what else do you need?

Dominos is a customizable panel addon.

Basic Chat Mods – addon for chat customization.

Deja Character stats – adds more information about the character.

Shadowed unit frames – an alternative to ElvUI for unit frames.

• Roll the Bones buff rerolls:

SinceRoll the Bones now has a cooldown and costs 25 Energy, your rerolls are limited.

Nevertheless, ifRoll the Bones is up, and you have one of these buffs –Skull and Crossbones /Grand Melee /Buried Treasure – you should reroll it. This works both for single-target and AoE damage.

• In M+, try to keep upAlacrity between pulls, stacking combo points for the kills, for example, to refresh Slice and Dice. You can also use Marked for Death on this purpose.
• CastMarked for Death on the most squishy targets using the mouseover macro.
• Also, try to useRoll the Bones before the pull / activatingBlade Flurry to save GCD and Energy in combat.