PvE Assassination Rogue DPS Talents, Builds, & Glyphs

Assassination Rogues in Mists of Pandaria have one solid talent build that is functional for most PvE environments! However, while one of the builds is stronger than most other alternatives, some of their talents have niche uses that offer them a certain amount of versatility as well.

Talent Build

As mentioned earlier, Assassination Rogues have a single solid build that works in most PvE scenarios thanks to strong talents such as Shadow Focus, Leeching Poison, Shadowstep, and Anticipation. The rest of their talents are niche and mostly situational. This means that as an Assassination Rogue you will find yourself swapping some of the talents depending on the tactics of the encounter. Some examples of such changes are Elusiveness, which is a great talent for fights where you must soak damage, or Marked for Death, which is great for short-duration encounters and burst sequences. Another example is Burst of Speed, which may prove to be a great repositioning tool for encounters where you require more than Sprint to survive.

Level 15 – Tier I

• Nightstalker✅
  Theoretically, this talent is viable for extremely short fights where you can kill a mob in under 5-10 seconds. The reality is that you won’t pick this option in either dungeon or raid environments simply due to how strong Shadow Focus generally is.
• Subterfuge❌
  Subterfuge is simply not viable, once again, due to the strength of Shadow Focus. While the idea that you can spam Ambush even after entering combat may seem entertaining, the problem is the Energy Cost involved. Since you won’t stack a high amount of Haste, this talent won’t boost your DPS as Shadow Focus does.
• Shadow Focus✅
  By far the best option from the first tier, Shadow Focus massively reduces the cost of all abilities while you are in Stealth. This also applies to abilities that are not considered traditional openers, meaning that it even functions with Mutilate.

Level 30 – Tier II

• Deadly Throw❌
  Simply put, Deadly Throw is a PvP talent that has no place in PvE. Avoid it at all costs.
• Nerve Strike✅
  This is the most common option for this talent row, as it is useful in all PvE environments. Since it directly reduces all the damage done by the target by up to 50%, it can either massively improve your survivability or reduce the stress placed on Tanks/Healers.
• Combat Readiness✅
  This option is only viable for solo fighting powerful mobs, making it a niche talent that you will want to take against strong elites. You should avoid taking this in dungeon or raid environments since you won’t be tanking, meaning that you can’t benefit from its effect.

Level 45 – Tier III

• Cheat Death✅
  A viable talent for dangerous encounters or progression runs, Cheat Death can prevent many wipes! This option is overall less desirable than the survivability provided by Leeching Poison or the soaking potential of Elusiveness if the encounter doesn’t have any One-Shot Wipe mechanics.
• Leeching Poison✅
  The default option from this talent tier, Leeching Poison, provides the highest amount of consistent value, giving you access to the best Non-Lethal Poison by far. Since the talent provides constant healing, many players prefer this option for both solo and group content.
• Elusiveness✅
  This is a niche talent that is particularly useful in fights where you must soak damage. You will want to use it explicitly for this purpose and avoid it for any other type of encounter.

Level 60 – Tier IV

• Cloak and Dagger❌
  This talent can be considered the inferior version of Shadowstep, as it allows you to achieve the same effect, only in a less convenient way. This talent may have a better success rate in PvP rather than PvE, but even then, Shadowstep is usually the superior option.
• Shadowstep✅
  The best option for most PvE encounters, Shadowstep grants you both mobility and repositioning potential, allowing you to teleport from one target to another, whether you are in Stealth or not. Simply put, the best option from this tier is as long as there is an available target that you can teleport to.
• Burst of Speed✅
  This talent is a niche option that is functionally better than Shadowstep if there is no target to teleport to and you need more than Sprint to escape deadly mechanics.

Level 75 – Tier V

• Prey on the Weak✅
  Arguably one of the strongest Utility tools for both yourself and your group, Prey on the Weak is the best option from this tier. Since you will want to use Crowd Control tools as often as possible on adds during dungeon and raid environments, this talent will provide a considerable amount of value.
• Paralytic Poison❌
  Non-viable option that is PvP-oriented and should be avoided in PvE. The only real reason to pick up this talent is for soloing deadly elite mobs, as it can create a powerful CC-chain when combined with Kidney Shot and Cheap Shot. The problem with Paralytic Poison is that it is subject to the same Diminishing Returns effect as all other CC tools.
• Dirty Tricks❌
  This option is far better suited for PvP than for PvE, given the niche scenarios in which it could be used in PvE. You will only want to take this option if you must immediately Blind dangerous adds during encounters, since it removes its Energy Cost.

Level 90 – Tier VI

• Shuriken Toss❌
  A PvP option that should be avoided in PvE at all costs, considering the alternatives. Considering that you will be behind your target at all times, the prospect of becoming a ranged Rogue should only be maintained for PvP.
• Marked for Death✅
  This is one of the two viable options from the sixth tier, providing you with a powerful opener tool for very short durations that may be used in either the Open-World or dungeon environments to kill mobs quickly. You will want to avoid taking this talent in raid environments, considering how strong of an alternative Anticipation is!
• Anticipation✅
  The second viable option from this talent tier, and arguably the strongest, Anticipation, is the default choice for any raid environment! The talent allows you to manage your Combo Points easier and benefit from both Blindside and Seal Fate procs without worrying about wasting any Combo Points.

Glyphs

Major Glyphs

• Glyph of Vendetta
  • Glyph of Vendetta is the only mandatory glyph for Assassination Rogue, extending the duration of your burst sequence by a considerable amount!
• Glyph of Expose Armor
  • An amazing glyph for 10-man raid content or dungeons! This glyph allows you to instantly place 3 stacks of Weakened Armor with just one Expose Armor cast.
• Glyph of Cloak of Shadows
  • An ideal glyph for encounters that feature high Physical Damage, granting Cloak of Shadows an additional effect that reduces all incoming Physical Damage by 40%.
• Glyph of Redirect
  • One of the best glyphs for Cleave scenarios where you need to move Combo Points around.
• Glyph of Evasion
  • A great glyph for solo content! Extends the duration of Evasion by 5 seconds. Quite useless in raid environments.
• Glyph of Sharpened Knives
  • Great for short AoE-oriented encounters where you can also spam Crimson Tempest!
• Glyph of Stealth
  • A glyph that is advised for solo farming the open world. Reduces the cooldown of Stealth by 4 seconds!
• Glyph of Sprint
  • This glyph is advised for encounters that require consistent repositioning to avoid deadly mechanics!

Minor Glyphs

• Glyph of Blurred Speed
  • A glyph that allows you to traverse water while Sprint is active. Great for escaping, or roleplaying a Ninja!
• Glyph of Pick Pocket
  • A glyph that increases the range at which you may cast Pick Pocket. Great for farming!
• Glyph of Safe Fall
  • A glyph that significantly improves your Safe Fall ability.
• Glyph of Pick Lock
  • Reduces the cast time of Pick Lock by 100%. Very useful for opening a lot of boxes!
• Glyph of Poisons
  • An effective glyph for considerably reducing the cast time of applying your poisons. Especially useful if you must change poisons in combat.