WoW Classic 19 Twink Rogue Guide

You know them, you love to hate them and even if they aren’t your main, you’ve likely got an alt one.  Probably the most unique character choice in World of Warcraft, especially in Classic where they are one of only two characters that don’t use mana, the Rogue is a solid and tested choice for anyone interested in PvP.  They are especially useful when on their own, making them a great choice for arenas.

The inherent benefits in being the only class that can truly Stealth is pretty obvious, but the rogue also has a number of other useful and fun abilities.  They are also the only class that can Pick Locks, making them invaluable to groups that want to get into places without having to go acquire the key.  Rogues can also Sap targets, taking them temporarily out of the picture and can Kick spell casters to stop them from their nasty spell casting.  All in all, there’s a lot to love about the Rogue.

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Contents

• Races:  Which of the seven available races is the best choice for your Twink Rogue?
• Professions:  Which Professions and Skills should you focus on to get the most out of your Twink?
• Spells:  Which of the Rogue’s Spells and abilities are the best to use for PvP?
• Talents:  Which Talents should you choose to get the best bonus
• Gear:  Which gear is BiS (Best in Slot) for a level 19 Twink Rogue?
• Buffs:  What potions, scrolls, elixirs and other buffs are best in level 19 PvP?

Races

To see a general overview of all of the races, their traits and a bit of their lore, click here.  The Rogue has the second most choices of race per class, the first being Warriors, which all races can play.  Your choices are both varied and nuanced, and there aren’t really any bad choices, though some are better than others.  But who’s the best? Who’s got the most buff for your buck and what racial abilities are important to a Rogue Twink? That’s what we’re going to discuss.

Alliance

Dwarves:  The best dwarven racial trait for any PvP Rogue is Stoneform, as it allows you to counter the bleed abilities of the Hunter, Rogue and Warrior.  Not to mention the increase in armor, however short lived. Frost Resistance is good for keeping Frost Mages off your back, but not much else.  Another trait with a minor, but definite benefit is Find Treasure.  Now that might seem like bunk, but Twinking costs money and every little bit helps.

Gnomes:  Gnomes are amongst the best choices for any PvP, because two of their racial traits are amongst the best available for that endeavor.  Escape Artist counters the CC effects of four other classes and Engineering Specialization gives access to a number of incredibly useful weapons and gadgets that all give a distinct edge in any kind of PvP.  Arcane Resistance is negligible, but any kind of damage resistance is good.

Humans:  Perception is great for getting the drop on other Rogues and Druids.  You can see them…but they can’t see you.  The Human Spirit and Sword Specialization offer great passive edges to health regeneration and your chance to hit, which never hurts.

Night Elves:  Quickness and Nature Resistance offer decent protection that are of negligible value to the discerning Rogue Twink, although Nature Resistance will come in handy when farming for BiS gear in Wailing Caverns.  Another racial trait of Night Elves, which might seem useless to any Rogue is Shadowmeld, however, there are two important factors that can make this ability incredibly useful in PvP.  Shadowmeld does not share a cooldown with Stealth, giving you the ability to immediately stealth after downing an enemy, as long as you down move and you can eat and drink while in Shadowmeld as well, allowing you to swiftly regain health in safety after a difficult fight.

Horde

Orcs:  The absolute best racial trait that orcs offer and the one that makes them one of the best candidates for being a rogue is Blood Fury.  A damage increase of 25 percent can really make the difference, especially in a desperate fight and the short cooldown doesn’t hurt either.  Hardiness is probably the only other trait that would useful to a rogue and that usefulness is debatable.  It does only have a 25 percent chance to work, but we were just talking about how 25 percent came make all the difference.  All of that being said, it is a passive ability with no cooldown, which is always a good thing.

Trolls:  The Berserking trait is of particular usefulness, especially when things are looking grim and Regeneration will add a level of survivability.  Particularly if you couple it with a regeneration buff to increase its efficacy.

Undead:  Undead have got one of the best racial traits for PvP and that’s Will of the Forsaken.  The ability to just shrug off three different CC effects is such a boon.  Shadow Resistance is great in any situation, but it, coupled with WoTF seems to have made the Undead the best race to frustrate Priest and Warlock players as well.  There is one other ability that is of particular interest to Rogues: Cannibalize is basically a free somewhat weak bandage, but most importantly – it can be used while Stealthed.

So which race is the best choice?  Well that is, as you can see above, a complicated question and the answer will depend on your play style.

• For the Horde the two best choices are the Undead and the Orc, depending on whether you are playing defensively, or offensively, respectively.  
• For Alliance players, the answer is a lot more nuanced, as each race has decent abilities for a Rogue, but the best is likely a balanced play style with the Gnome.

Professions

So what professions and skills are the most beneficial to a Twink Rogue? For this section, actually, the answer is pretty simple:
Because there are no stat increases from professions in Classic WoW, the only profession useful to a PvP Rogue is also a necessity for a twink. Engineering.

Don’t let that make you think that your second profession isn’t important though.  While it will depend on how you are funding your Twink Rogue, you other profession is still a vital decision.

Engineering:  To a level 19 Twink of any class, Engineering is an absolute must have profession.  Pick an explosive:  Big Bronze Bomb, Heavy Dynamite, Explosive Sheep.  All of these are items you’re going to want to mitigate your damage when your low on energy, or just to stun a bunch of enemies for a moment, so that you can gain the advantage.  The Flame Deflector, while having a huge cooldown, can be very much worth the trouble, as it counters damage done by Fire Mages, and Shamans. It also counters the damage of all those explosives previously mentioned, which other Twinks will be using.

There’s also a slight racial benefit to anyone playing a Gnome Rogue here, with the Discombobulator Ray and the Portable Bronze Mortar.  The ray offers a slight CC by slowing opponents and does a bit of damage, while the mortar functions exactly as the Big Bronze Bomb, but can be crafted with cheaper and more readily available materials.

Enchanting:  If you are funding your Twink with another character, then Enchanting is the way to go, because you are going to need to enchant all of your gear if you want the best advantage and doing it yourself is a lot cheaper and easier than trying to get someone else to help you.  You will also be able to disenchant any non BiS gear that you come across and a large portion of the time, some of those disenchanted materials will sell better on the Auction House than any of the items will.

Other Professions:  Herbalism, Mining and Skinning should only be taken if you are not being funded by your main.  If that is the case, Mining, or Skinning are a good choice, as they compliment Engineering.  The only other profession useful to a level 19 Twink Rogue is Alchemy and only if you are being funded.  Having access to making the potions and elixirs your will need, rather than having to pay exorbitant prices, is a welcome boon.  Some might argue that leatherworking is a viable choice, but this is only if you are not playing a Twink and/or you plan to level past level 19, as none of the level 19 BiS items are acquired through leatherworking.

Secondary Skills

Something to remember, in general, about your secondary skills is that the cap for them at level 19 (255) is much higher than your primary professions(150).

Cooking:  Cooking is fun and if you want to spend the time leveling it, go for it, but the foods that offer benefits are easy to simply purchase on the AH.  That being said, the stamina buff offered by the foods you can cook at level 15 offers a solid buff, so if you are going to do some cooking, get one them as soon as you can .  The easiest of these recipes to acquire for both factions is definitely Recipe: Curiously Tasty Omelet, which can be purchased from Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind and Nerrist at the Grom’ gol Outpost.

First Aid:  First Aid is really important, especially for PvP Rogues, because they are in the thick of the fighting much of the time.  Something to remember, in general, about your secondary skills is that the cap for them at level 19 (255) is much higher than your primary professions(150).  That being the case, you will, if you max out your First Aid, be able to use, but not craft the Heavy Runecloth Bandage.  You will either need another character, or a friend that fulfills the requirements to make these bandages, but the benefit is overwhelming, as they heal you for 2000 HP, well over what even your possible max health could be at level 19.  Now that being said, if you don’t have a friend or a main that can make the bandages for you, you can still create a Mageweave Bandage, which isn’t at all bad either.  Another very important aspect of First Aid is that it lets you create Anti-Venom, which allows you to counter the poisons of fellow Rogues.

Fishing:  More than invaluable to most players in general, Fishing is vital to Twink Rogues, because it is the only manner of acquiring your BiS head slot item, the Lucky Fishing Hat.  Not to mention being able to sell Deviate Fish and Savory Deviate Delight, if you are lucky enough to get the recipe in the Barrens.  Both of these sell very well on the AH.

Pick Lock:  Another important skill for Rogues that is sometimes forgotten by players, especially in modern WoW, is Pick Lock.  This is extremely important when farming for your BoE (Bind on Equip) gear, as being able to access Chests and Lunchboxes will increase the likelihood of acquiring that BiS gear and the extra income from it doesn’t hurt either.  This is also true for Pick Pocket, so don’t forget about that either.

In the end, you’re going to want to give a good amount of time to your Professions and Skills, as they will aid you heavily in creating the perfect Twink Rogue for level 19.

Spells & Abilities

The rogue has a LOT of abilities that you need to consider before engaging the enemy.  You’re always going to want to begin combat from a position of stealth and often want to be the first to strike.  This is how you will quickly whittle down an opponent’s defenses and HP, to ultimately win the day. The important thing is to not get complacent, or comfortable with any one, or one set, of moves.  You will want to switch between a number of abilities in a given fight and not every fight will use the same abilities.

Opening moves

• Stealth:  Pretty straight forward and kind of a no brainer.  You want to begin EVERY fight from stealth, so that you can surprise and confuse their enemies.
• Sap:  This one might be a bit situational, as any damage dismisses its effect, but if you are engaging a group, especially with a group of your own, this ability can mean the difference between victory and defeat.  Sap a tank or damage dealer and then quickly take out critical foes, like healers, or anyone who can do crowd control.  A Rogue and a Druid tank that are stealthed can use this to great effect.
• Garrote:  This is a great way to initiate combat, because it does a lot of damage over a long time, adding to the damage you’re already dealing.  Try using this on your main target after sapping the CC target, or on a foe that a comrade is already engaged with.
• Ambush and Backstab:  Both of these abilities are fantastic, but are only available to players that use two daggers and not a sword and dagger.  They can also only be used from behind a target. If you decide to go for two daggers, then use Ambush in lieu of Garrote and Backstab as your combo builder  instead of Sinister Strike.

Combos and Finishers

• Sinister Strike:  This is going to be your work horse for much of your fighting.  When not actively engaging from stealth, or activating the charges you’ve built up with it, use this ability.
• Expose Armor:  Use this finisher on any opponent with plate armor (i.e. Warriors and Paladins).  The more points you add to it with Sinister Strike, the more vulnerable your foe will become, so lay down those combos!
• Eviscerate:  Like Sinister Strike, this is going to be your go to ability.  Use this finisher on anything that is not heavily armored, like healers and other Rogues.

Interrupts

• Gouge:  This is perfect for when you’re in the thick of it and need a reprieve, to pop a potion, let another cooldown finish, or just run away.  It turns off your attack, allowing you to activate other abilities, like Sprint and Stealth.
• Kick:  Kick is such a great ability, because it not only stops a caster from getting a spell off, but it stops that caster from using any spell in that school for long enough to make it matter.  This means that healers can’t heal and damage dealers are preoccupied with switching up their style to counter you. Take this advantage whenever you find the opportunity.

Defensive Tactics

• Evasion:  This ability is for when you are almost down, but not out.  Rogue always struggle with HP, but one thing they don’t struggle with is agility.  So if you have some of that agility upping gear, you can turn that 50 percent into 60, or even 70 percent.  That’s 15 seconds with no one hitting you and you can do a lot in 15 second, can’t you?  Of course you can.
• Sprint:  The absolute best thing for when you’ve started a fight that you can’t finish.  Drop a Gouge, or a kick, or maybe even a Discombobulator Ray, then activate this ability to escape to safety, Stealth, heal with a bandage, or food and get back at it!

At the end of the day, you’re going to be using just about all of your abilities for your level in a given fight, though there are two exceptions.  Feint is useless in PvP and Slice and Dice is only Rank one at level 19 and not at all as powerful as your other abilities right now.  Make sure to always build your combos up to at least three, before letting loose a finisher and always engage the enemy from Stealth.

Talents

Unlike a lot of classes at this level, the Rogue has a lot of versatility, even within the niche hobby of twinking.  Choosing your talents is, perhaps, your most critical decision for creating a Twink and will shape how you play them.  It is for this reason that this decision will depend largely on your preferred play style and make no mistake, there are strengths and weaknesses to every play style.  Don’t let anyone tell you that one way is the right way, especially if you have a preferred way of playing.

Ambush/Backstab/Dagger

This is a pretty popular style of play, especially in PvP and is pretty dead simple:  Get behind a guy and stab the crap out of him a lot. That being said, there are a surprising number of talent builds for this style of play.  Try them all out and see which works for you.

• Malice and Opportunity:  5 ranks in each is a pretty standard way to go and has clear benefits and staying power.  Within the Ambush Rogue play style, it has neither weakness, nor advantage.
• Remorseless Attacks/Malice/Opportunity:  Take both ranks of RA and all 5 of Malice, then the rest in Opportunity.  This is a good build if you plan on engaging groups of enemies and moving from enemy to enemy as they fall.
• Improved Gouge/Improved Backstab:  This is a great build for when you know Backstab is going to be your combo builder and have plenty of interference and CC.  Take two ranks in Lightning Reflexes to help you get to IG and IB, then max them both out.  Use the last two points in either Opportunity, or Remorseless Attacks, depending on whether you want flat, sustained damage, or the chance of a burst of critical.  Your choice.

Alternatively, you could go for versatility and use Improved Sinister Strike to get you to IB and then put all of your remaining points in Malice.

• Master of Deception:  For those who never want to be caught sneaking, this build is somewhat unorthodox, but excels in survivability.  Put 5 points in MoD while putting the other 5 in either Malice, or Opportunity. Alternatively, you could go completely defensive and place your other points in Lightning Reflexes.  Another alternative is to place 3 points in Improved Gouge and 2 in Lightning Reflexes, if you want to be able to quickly escape from a fight that’s going south.

Combat/Sword

This is another popular style that is decently effective in PvP, but also offers a little more versatility.  With the combat style, you are not limited to having to be behind an opponent to be effective, though you do lose the use of Ambush and Backstab.  That being said, you do have a few more options for talents.

• Improved Eviscerate:  A pretty common way to go is to just max out Improved Eviscerate, Improved Sinister Strike and Malice.  This is the most straight forward way to get the most damage out of using a sword and dagger.
• Improved Gouge/Lightning Reflexes:  If you’re wanting to be a bit more defensive and have some staying power, this is a great build that also gives some personalizing flexibility.  Just max out IG and LR and then put the last two points into Improved Eviscerate, Improved Sinister Strike, or Malice, as you like.
• Precision:  Another unorthodox build that is good for arena battles.  Start off by taking the 2 points needed to max out Improved Sinister Strike, then take either 3 ranks in Lightning Reflexes, or max out Improved Gouge.  Either way, max out Precision completely. This is good for ensuring that no matter how high your damage is, you always cause damage.
• Deflection:  This one is going to seem highly unorthodox to some, but it is a very viable build.  Putting 5 points each into both Lightning Reflexes and Deflection effectively gives you over a 10 percent chance to simply not take damage.  No, it doesn’t do as much damage as any of the other builds on this list and you won’t be dropping enemies like flies, but you might just be surviving longer than those that do.
• Master of Deception:  For those of us wanting to be commandos, max out MoD, Improved Eviscerate and Remorseless Attacks.  This build is for if you want to play a sword rogue, but also plan on engaging groups of opponents alone.

In the end, it will seriously depend on your preferences and you might find that none of the builds suggested here suit your tastes.  If that’s the case, don’t take some random guide writer’s word for it. Check out the Talent Calculator and come up with a build of your own great build!

BiS Gear

This is where it gets hard.  Kitting out your level 19 Twink Rogue is going to take luck, determination and most of all patience.  This is the part you will likely need a bit of help with, either from other players, or from alts. It is not an impossible task though and anyway, if you weren’t looking for a bit of a challenge, you wouldn’t be playing a twink in the first place.  Here is a list of all of the BiS items you’ll be looking for, along with how and where to acquire them, and which enchantments are the best for each item.

* This item is difficult to acquire with the suffixes that make it useful and may be more easily acquired on the Auction House.

**  These are an alternative to the definite BiS item, but are far easier to acquire and almost as good

Buffs

Before heading out to murder folks (from stealth!) you are going to want to pick up as many of the buff granting consumables as you can carry.  These items can, more often than not, tip the balance in your favor and are often not that difficult to acquire.  So why not, right?

Elixirs

Great long term buff providers, these.  Only one Guardian and one Battle Elixir can be active at one time and if you die they expire, but they offer bonuses that cannot be ignored.

• Elixir of Defense:  Pretty simple.  Gives you 150 armor.  When you have it and your opponent doesn’t, you will notice.  So will they, frankly.
• Elixir of Lesser Agility:  A great boost to both Attack Power and Armor, not to mention your chance to dodge.

Potions

Potions are your best option for a quick tactical buff, or a last minute, instant heal.  Don’t underestimate them, or forget them.

• Healing Potion:  Don’t leave home without it.  Ever.
• Minor Magic Resistance Potion:  This is a great unsung hero of potions.  If you plan on having a throwdown with a bunch of casters, pop one and watch the hope die in their eyes as you resist spell after brightly colored spell.
• Swiftness Potion:  Your best friend when you are being chased across a battleground by a gank squad.  Enjoy in good health.

Scrolls

Great for preparing for a lengthy engagement.  Don’t forget about these, oft ignored blessings.

• Scroll of Agility:  Every Rogue in the history of Azeroth could have benefited from 5 more agility points.  So could you.
• Scroll of Stamina:  Now you might be thinking that this is bad advice, especially considering the entry immediately preceding this, but trust me, this is a viable choice.  If you’ve already maxed out your ability to separate your opponents from their blood, a little extra health and protection isn’t a bad idea.

Other Consumables

Aside from the bombs and other gadgets discussed in the section on Professions above, there are a hand full of other items you might want to check out as well.  Food, drink, weird magic fairy sprinkles. Check ’em out.

• Curiously Tasty Omelet:  We discussed getting the recipe for these earlier, so you’ve no excuse!  Make sure you sit through the whole meal, so that you are Well Fed.
• Thistle Tea:  A Rogue exclusive and well worth the work (and likely death) to get.  It instantly restores 100 energy.
• Fishliver Oil:  Increases your speed by 10 percent for 30 seconds.  Available only to Alliance players, but such a worthy buff it must be mentioned.
• Heavy Sharpening Stone:  This easy to acquire from the AH Blacksmithing item adds 4 damage to a weapon when applied to it.  So get two and do both of your weapons.

You now possess all that you need to craft the perfect level 19 Twink Rogue.  So armed, skulk into the alleys and dark shadows of Azeroth, to meet new people and kill them as fast as you can.  Have fun!