Rogue builds

A Sinister Strike build for questing to 60 with swords, axes or maces. It goes deep into Combat for Blade Flurry, Hack and Slash and Adrenaline Rush, and uses Assassination for crit and finisher combo points. It is simple to play: build combo points with Sinister Strike, keep Slice and Dice up and finish with Eviscerate.

• Improved Sinister Strike and Flawless Execution make the Sinister Strike and Eviscerate loop cheaper on Energy.
• Hack and Slash gives a bonus for whatever weapon you find while leveling, so you do not have to respec when you swap weapons.
• Lightning Reflexes, Deflection, Riposte and Endurance (shorter Evasion and Sprint cooldowns) help you survive bad pulls.
• Blade Flurry cleaves for two-mob pulls; Adrenaline Rush doubles Energy regen for hard fights.
• Assassination: Malice and Lethality for crit, Ruthlessness and Relentless Strikes to keep finishers flowing, Murder for humanoids.

A Sinister Strike build for raids and dungeons at 60. It takes Combat to Adrenaline Rush with Hack and Slash and Weapon Expertise, and fills Assassination with crit and Slice and Dice duration. It works with any main-hand weapon type and gets cleave from Blade Flurry.

• Precision, Weapon Expertise and Dual Wield Specialization cover hit, fewer dodges and parries, and off-hand damage.
• Hack and Slash replaces the old weapon specializations: extra attacks for swords and axes, crit for daggers and fists, armor ignore for maces.
• Flawless Execution and Improved Eviscerate make Eviscerate the main damage finisher.
• Blade Flurry adds attack speed and cleave; Adrenaline Rush is the main burst cooldown.
• Assassination: Malice and Lethality for crit, Improved Slice and Dice and Relentless Strikes to keep it rolling.

The early Combat survival talents are filler to unlock the lower rows; swap them for Improved Kick if your group needs interrupts.

A poison build for two daggers that goes to Venom at the bottom of Assassination. Mutilate builds combo points, and finishers go mainly into Venom and Slice and Dice. The Combat points add Puncturing Wounds for Mutilate crit and some hit.

• Mutilate strikes with both daggers, awards 2 combo points and hits harder on poisoned targets.
• Venom is a finisher that raises poison damage and application chance; Blizzard expects Assassination to prioritise Venom and Slice and Dice over Rupture and Eviscerate.
• Vile Poisons and Improved Poisons make poisons hit harder and spend fewer charges.
• Malice, Lethality, Cold Blood and Seal Fate turn crits into extra damage and extra combo points.
• Combat: Puncturing Wounds adds Mutilate crit chance and Precision adds hit for melee and poisons.

Mutilate needs a dagger in each hand.

A stealth and control build for PvP that goes to Thousand Cuts at the bottom of Subtlety. It opens from stealth with Premeditation, Improved Ambush and Initiative, then fights with Hemorrhage and Rupture. Preparation resets your cooldowns for a second round of Vanish, Sprint and Evasion.

• Premeditation and Initiative give extra combo points from the opener, so you can Kidney Shot or Rupture straight away.
• Hemorrhage builds combo points and boosts your Rupture; Serrated Blades adds armor penetration and more Rupture damage.
• Quietus raises Hemorrhage and Ghostly Strike damage on targets below 35% health, and Thousand Cuts makes Hemorrhage cheaper after Rupture ticks.
• Preparation, Elusiveness and Dirty Tricks give more Vanish and Blind uses; Heightened Senses helps against other stealth players and ranged damage.
• Assassination adds Malice, Lethality and Cold Blood for burst, and Improved Gouge for control.