Skip to content
Mists of Pandaria Classic
GuidesMetaBuildsTiersNewsWeeklySpecializationsTalentsItemsEnchants & gemsDungeons & raidsTop playersCollectionsAchievementsProfessionsGear sets
A full specialization guideTalents and gearSpecializations S to D
All games

Subtlety Rogue · Melee DPS

Subtlety Rogue guide · MoP Classic

Complete guideData-drivenMediumPatch 5.5.4
5KUpdated

More Subtlety Rogue guides

This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

Subtlety Rogue is a melee DPS specialization of the Rogue in Mists of Pandaria Classic. It is A tier on our ladder: 3.1% of the top players, average rating 1947, average item level 520.

Strengths

  • Wins 71.4% of its rated games among the top players.
  • Top players stack PvP Power (47.6% of their secondary stats).

Weaknesses

  • Rare at the top: only 3.1% of the 816 top players we read play it.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Builds

Subtlety Rogue · 3v3 Arena

More damagePvP
Open build

When to use it

What the 5 top 3v3 Arena players we read are using. Average item level 521. Glyphs: Glyph of Poisons, Glyph of Hemorrhaging Veins, Glyph of Cheap Shot.

3v3 arena build

5 top profilesAverage item level 521

Talent trees

Level15NightstalkerSubterfuge100%Shadow Focus
Level30Deadly ThrowNerve Strike60%Combat Readiness40%
Level45Cheat DeathLeeching PoisonElusiveness100%
Level60Cloak and DaggerShadowstepBurst of Speed100%
Level75Prey on the Weak40%Paralytic Poison60%Dirty Tricks
Level90Shuriken TossMarked for Death100%Anticipation

Major glyphs

  • Glyph of Hemorrhaging Veins100%
  • Glyph of Cheap Shot100%
  • Glyph of Blind60%
  • Glyph of Garrote40%

Minor glyphs

  • Glyph of Poisons100%
  • Glyph of Blurred Speed60%
  • Glyph of Distract40%
  • Glyph of Detection20%

Gold, what most of the top players take (with its rank); the rest shows the share of players who take it.

Secondary stat split

  1. 1. PvP Power 48%
  2. 2. Mastery 17%
  3. 3. Critical Strike 16%
  4. 4. Haste 9%
  5. 5. Expertise 5%
  6. 6. Hit 5%

Most socketed gems

  • 400%Delicate Primordial Ruby+160 Agility
  • 280%Adept Vermilion Onyx+80 Agility and +160 Mastery
  • 200%Assassin's Imperial Amethyst+80 Agility and +80 PvP Power
  • 100%Perfect Assassin's Roguestone+80 Agility and +80 PvP Power
  • 80%Agile Primal Diamond+216 Agility and 3% Increased Critical Effect
  • 20%Deadly Vermilion Onyx+80 Agility and +160 Critical Strike

Gear by slot

  • Main hand

    • Grievous Gladiator's Shankerilvl 522 · 100%

    ✦ Bloody Dancing Steel (100%)

  • Off hand

    • Grievous Gladiator's Shankerilvl 522 · 100%

    ✦ +600 PvP Power, Disarm Duration Reduction (60%)

  • Trinket

    • Grievous Gladiator's Badge of Conquestilvl 522 · 100%
    • Grievous Gladiator's Insignia of Conquestilvl 522 · 100%

  • Head

    • Neck

      • Grievous Gladiator's Necklace of Prowessilvl 522 · 100%

    • Shoulders

      • Grievous Gladiator's Leather Spauldersilvl 522 · 100%

      ✦ +200 Agility and +100 Critical Strike (100%)

    • Back

        ✦ Swordguard Embroidery (100%)

      • Chest

          ✦ +80 All Stats (100%)

        • Wrists

          • Grievous Gladiator's Armwraps of Alacrityilvl 522 · 100%

          ✦ +180 Agility (100%)

        • Hands

          • Tyrannical Gladiator's Leather Glovesilvl 496 · 20%

          ✦ +170 Mastery (100%)

        • Waist

          • Tyrannical Gladiator's Waistband of Crueltyilvl 496 · 20%

        • Legs

          • Grievous Gladiator's Leather Legguardsilvl 522 · 100%

          ✦ +285 Agility and +165 Critical Strike (100%)

        • Feet

            ✦ +140 Agility & Minor Speed Increase (100%)

          • Ring

            • Grievous Gladiator's Ring of Crueltyilvl 522 · 100%

          Abilities

          • Shuriken TossA ranged attack that deals 0 Physical damage to an enemy target. If the enemy is farther than 10 yards away, your autoattacks will be replaced with ranged shuriken for up to 10 sec, granting them a 30 yd range. Shurikens are coated in your Lethal Poison. Awards 1 combo points. Replaces Throw.Key talent of the specialization.
          • Marked for DeathMark the target, instantly generating 5 combo points on them. If the target dies within 1 min Marked for Death's cooldown is reset.Key talent of the specialization.
          • AnticipationWhen one of your attacks generates a combo point on a target that already has 5 combo points, you gain an Anticipation charge, up to a maximum of 5. When you perform an offensive finishing move on an enemy, any Anticipation charges are consumed to grant you an equal number of combo points on that target.Key talent of the specialization.

          Strategy

          1Your job in the group

          As a melee dps, your job is to deal damage from behind the target while watching your threat and staying out of the cleave.

          • Wait for the tank's threat before attacking: in Classic, pulling aggro early is the most common melee death.
          • Keep your resource from capping and stay on the target: melee damage is lost every time you walk away.
          • Use your cooldowns and potions on the execute phase of the boss.

          2Talents

          The talents the top players pick most:

          • Elusiveness (rank 1) — 100%
          • Burst of Speed (rank 1) — 100%
          • Subterfuge (rank 1) — 100%
          • Marked for Death (rank 1) — 100%
          • Nerve Strike (rank 1) — 60%
          • Paralytic Poison (rank 1) — 60%
          • Combat Readiness (rank 1) — 40%
          • Prey on the Weak (rank 1) — 40%

          3Glyphs

          The glyphs the top players use most:

          • Glyph of Poisons (minor) — 100%
          • Glyph of Hemorrhaging Veins (major) — 100%
          • Glyph of Cheap Shot (major) — 100%
          • Glyph of Blurred Speed (minor) — 60%
          • Glyph of Blind (major) — 60%
          • Glyph of Distract (minor) — 40%
          • Glyph of Garrote (major) — 40%
          • Glyph of Detection (minor) — 20%

          4Stats and gear

          Secondary stat split of the top players: PvP Power 47.6% > Mastery 17.3% > Critical Strike 16.1% > Haste 9.5% > Expertise 4.8%.

          • Main hand: Grievous Gladiator's Shanker (100%) · Bloody Dancing Steel
          • Off hand: Grievous Gladiator's Shanker (100%) · +600 PvP Power, Disarm Duration Reduction
          • Trinket: Grievous Gladiator's Badge of Conquest (100%)
          • Head: Grievous Gladiator's Leather Helm (100%)
          • Neck: Grievous Gladiator's Necklace of Prowess (100%)
          • Shoulders: Grievous Gladiator's Leather Spaulders (100%) · +200 Agility and +100 Critical Strike

          5Common mistakes

          • Tunnelling the boss while ignoring the adds that must die first.
          • Pulling threat off the tank: in Classic, threat is slow to build and a dead damage dealer deals no damage.
          • Running out of consumables: potions, flasks and food are part of the build in Classic raids.
          • Ignoring crowd control assignments: sheep, sap and fear the packs you are asked to, and don't break them.

          Tips

          • Bring weapon enhancements and buff food to every raid.
          • Reach the hit cap for your content before stacking other stats.
          • Spend your talent points in the order of this guide and only change the rows the content asks for.

          Changelog

          1. Guide created for patch 5.5.4.

          Was this helpful?

          Your vote helps other players find the best guides.