Rogue Class Overview & Changes

On first look, the Rogue might seem like one of the more ‘conservative’ class updates in WoW: Forever, but there are actually some major changes inside all three talent trees.

Blizzard is definitely keeping the core Vanilla Rogue intact with energy, combo points, Stealth, poisons and finishing moves, but it's adding a bunch of very intriguing and playstyle defining changes to try and improve the existing specs, and bring the weaker and less popular specs into viability. One major quality of life change is that combo points no longer reset after changing targets.

As with all classes, Blizzard’s design philosophy is to keep the seven row structure whilst adding a new 1 point milestone talent at 16 points. 

Assassination Summary

Assassination in WoW: Forever is leaning heavily into that poison focused fantasy built around Mutilate and Venom. The whole idea is increasing Poison damage and damage to poisoned targets, with the focus on applying, maintaining, and improving Poisons whilst using finishers to amplify sustained damage! It’s hard to say how Assassination will perform exactly, but in terms of its identity, it looks considerably more like a genuine spec option, rather than a collection of fairly unintuitive talents.

Combat Summary

Combat is likely going to continue being an amazing spec for leveling and endgame PvE content. It still has many of the traits from Vanilla but now has some Quality of Life changes including the Hack and Slash talent which means you don’t need to worry as much about getting the perfect weapons and instead can keep it flexible when you get new drops, without having to respec each time.

This talent also demonstrates Axe's being a NEW weapon choice now for the Rogue!

Subtlety Summary

Subtlety arguably is getting the biggest changes out of all 3 specializations but still leans heavily into that improved Stealth gameplay. There’s some very intriguing parts of this talent tree which open up PvE opportunities for this spec that hasn’t really been at all viable in the history of the class in the Vanilla which could make all 3 specs options to play in PvE depending on your preference.

No new baseline abilities have been confirmed for the Rogue just yet. For now, Rogues appear to retain their familiar Classic toolkit of Combo Point builders, finishing moves, and the classic poison system.

One thing to note though, is that Combo Points now no longer drop off your target when you change targets, unless you start building Combo Points on another enemy.

Assassination

Mutilate - Instantly attacks with both weapons for 75% weapon damage plus an additional 13 with weapon. Damage increased by 20% against Poisoned targets. Awards 2 Combo Points.

Venom - Finishing Move that increases the damage of your Poisons by 30% and your chance to apply Poisons by 10%. Lasts longer per combo point (9/12/15/18/21 seconds).

Combat

Flawless Execution - Reduces the Energy cost of your Eviscerate ability by 10.

Hack and Slash - Gives your melee weapons attacks a benefit depending on the weapon:

• Axe/Sword: Your successful melee attacks have a 1% chance to trigger an extra attack on the target.
• Dagger/Fist: Increases your critical strike chance by 1%
• Mace: Your attacks ignore 3% of your target’s armor.

Subtlety

Dirty Tricks - Reduces the Energy cost of your Sap and Blind abilities by 25/50%

Improved Distract - Increases the radius of your Distract ability by 3yds, and further reduces the Stealth detection of distracted enemies as though they were an additional 1 level lower.

Quietus - Your Sinister Strike, Ghostly Strike, and Hemorrhage abilities cause 2% more damage against targets below 35% health.

Cutthroat - Your Backstab has 3% chance to cause your next Ambush within 10 secs to not require Stealth. (5 Ranks)

Thousand Cuts - When your Rupture ability deals periodic damage, the Energy cost of your next Hemorrhage or Backstab ability within 10 sec is reduced by 3, stacking up to 5 times.

One of the biggest structural Rogue changes is that two of the three original 31 point talents are no longer capstones.

Vigor moves down Assassination and becomes a two rank talent, while Premeditation moves much earlier into Subtlety. Their old positions are replaced by Venom and Thousand Cuts.

There is also some talent swapping between trees. Improved Gouge moves from Combat to Assassination, while Improved Eviscerate moves from Assassination to Combat.

Combat receives perhaps the biggest cleanup. The separate Dagger, Fist Weapon, Mace and Sword Specialization talents are removed and combined into Hack and Slash. Improved Backtab is also replaced by Puncturing Wounds, while Precision and Deflection require fewer talent points to max. Overall Subtlety loses Improved Sap, Sleight of Hand and Deadliness, but gains five new talents in their place.

See our tier list for a ranked look at Assassination, Combat and Subtlety.

Rogue can be played by Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, Gnomes, Orcs, Undead, Trolls and the new Skyborne Race for both factions. There were no new Race/Class combos that present Rogues with a new Race to play, aside from the Skyborne.

Alliance

Human

Human’s have the ability to remove stuns with Will to Survive and Perception grants stealth detection allowing Human Rogues to get the upper hand on enemy stealthed players. With openers being such an important part of Rogues ability to win fights, It’s safe to say that Humans will be a very popular choice for this class. That’s not even considering the additional benefit of Sword Specialization that humans have, granting 2% crit with abilities whilst using a Sword.

Gnome

Gnome’s have Escape Artist which provides brief immunity to Roots and Snares to add to the classes slippery toolkit, and the new Eureka! burst cooldown which makes the next 3 abilities by the Rogue cost 20% less energy AND deal 10% more damage.

They also have Expansive Mind giving 5% extra max Energy, AND Engineering Specialization, which has always been a Vanilla Rogue's ideal profession to make them even more potent in World PvP. 

Dwarf

Dwarves have Stoneform to remove and grant immunity to Bleeds whilst removing Physical damage taken by 10%, along with Mace Specialization providing Crit whilst using maces. They do also have the ability to track nearby Treasure chests with Find Treasure which Rogue's can unlock.

Night Elf

Night Elf now has a racial ability called Elune's Light which provides 10% increase Critical Strike chance for 15 seconds whilst Quickness provides Dodge and Movement speed. Though Shadowmeld is not particularly that effective for the Rogue.

Horde

Undead

For Horde Rogue, Undead has always been one of the most recognisable races to pick when playing the Rogue and with Will of the Forsaken removing Charm, Fear and Sleep effects, it’s still a great button to have in your toolkit, even though it no longer provides that immunity after the cast.

Undead also now have a new racial called Touch of the Grave which gives attacks a chance to drain health. Alongside that, Cannibalize is always nice after killing your enemy in PvP, to add a little bit more disrespect, as well as regaining some health back and helping with leveling sustain.

Orc

Orcs also have had some changes to their Racial abilities, with their Hardiness passive now reducing the duration of stuns by 20% rather than having a 25% chance to resist them.

Aswell as that their new Shatter Curse racial grants immunity to curses and banes, and reduces magical damage taken for 8 seconds, giving Rogues a bit more durability against casters.

Blood Fury has been nerfed for physical classes, as the attack power boost is now 10% rather than 25% however it no longer gives the reduced healing effects debuff.

Finally, Rogue's now have a benefit to using Axes added to their Combat talent tree in the form of Hack and Slash which have a chance to trigger an extra attack on the target, which means Orcs are a more attractive option due to their Axe Specialization racial passive.

Troll

Trolls have some big changes too, with a new Racial called Rapid Regeneration that regens 50% of max health over time, which can be used by Rogues mid combat after a gouge or blind to heal back some health! They also have Berserking still, though it has been changed to simply increase casting and attack speed by 10% for 10 seconds but it no longer has an increased benefit if you are lower on health.

Aside from that, Trolls also have Regeneration which allows 10% of your health regen to continue during combat and 5% increased damage dealt to beasts.

Skyborne

Skyborne is the new race in WoW: Forever, and they have Walk on Air which is basically an improved shorter slowfall, along with the Wind Blessed passive for 1% increased haste, and 5% increased damage to elementals through Elemental Insight. Alliance Skyborne will also have Read Ley Line which grants the player 100% increased health and mana regeneration, whilst Horde Skyborne will receive Skysight, giving a boost to movement by 10% for 30 seconds.

What will be the best Race for Rogue in WoW: Forever?

For Alliance Rogues, Humans & Gnomes will likely be the more optimal choices and for Horde Rogues, Undead for PvP or Orcs or Trolls are both solid options for PvE, so it depends on your preference.

Overall, the Rogue keeps much of its class identity from Vanilla, but with new quality of life changes, improvements, and interesting additions to all three specs. If you enjoyed the Rogue previously, I’d imagine it’ll feel much the same, but now with more flexibility and opportunities in any spec that you prefer!

Check our Rogue Leveling Guide for the exact talent build, rotations to use and starting progression.

18/09 - Updated all new Rogue Tooltips, Talents, Racial Abilities & More.