Assassination Rogue DPS Guide & Best Runes – Phase 4 Season of Discovery (SoD)

Welcome to the SoD Phase 4 Assassination Rogue DPS Guide!

This guide focuses exclusively on the Assassination specialization, exploring key components such as Runes, Talent Trees, Stat Priorities, Rotations & Abilities, Best Professions, BiS (Best in Slot) items, and Race Choices. The new Rune System introduced in the Season of Discovery has granted Assassination Rogues multiple new tools to dispose of their enemies, now having access to multiple new AoE abilities, Single-Target Direct Damage abilities, and passive effects. Season of Discovery has also brought many utility tools to Assassination Rogues, among which, is a plethora of new poisons for varied situations.

Talents

• Mutilate Build
• Saber Slash Build

Runes

• Helm: Combat Potency/Honor Among Thieves
• Cloak: Fan of Knives/Crimson Tempest
• Chest: Deadly Brew
• Wrist: Carnage
• Hands: Mutilate/Saber Slash
• Waist: Poisoned knife
• Legs: Envenom
• Feet: Master of Subtlety
• Ring: Nature Specialization
• Ring: Sword Specialization

Stat Priority

1. Hit Chance
2. Agility
3. Attack Power
4. Critical Strike Chance
5. Strength
6. Stamina

Rotations & Abilities

Assassination Rogues in Phase 4 of the Season of Discovery have two main builds that they can utilize, the Mutilate build and the Saber Slash build. Both builds have a similar rotation, yet, the main difference between the two is the main combo points generator ability. Since each build generates a different amount of combo points based on the main ability, the play style feels unique for each of them, even if most of their abilities are similar.

Mutilate Single-Target Rotation

1. Start combat from Stealth to benefit from Master of Subtlety
2. Cast Vanish to trigger Master of Subtlety and receive 6 seconds of increased damage for Burst Phases
3. Cast Slice and Dice and upkeep it 100% of the time
4. Cast Expose Armor and upkeep it 100% of the time if nobody else can provide a similar effect
5. Prioritize casting Cold Blood followed up by Mutilate on cooldown
6. Cast Blade Flurry on cooldown to gain increased Attack Speed
7. Cast Rupture and prioritize upkeeping it 100% of the time
   • Upkeep Rupture to maintain the damage buff received by Carnage
8. Cast Poisoned Knife on cooldown after stacking 5 x stacks of Occult Poison/Deadly Poison
9. Cast Envenom whenever you have 5 x Combo Points (Main Finishing Move)
   • Cast Envenom when you don’t need to refresh Slice and Dice or Rupture
10. Cast Mutilate (Main Combo Points Generator)

Saber Slash Single-Target Rotation

1. Start combat from Stealth to benefit from Master of Subtlety
2. Cast Vanish to trigger Master of Subtlety and receive 6 seconds of increased damage for Burst Phases
3. Cast Slice and Dice and upkeep it 100% of the time
4. Cast Expose Armor and upkeep it 100% of the time if nobody else can provide a similar effect
5. Prioritize casting Cold Blood followed up by Saber Slash on cooldown
6. Cast Blade Flurry on cooldown to gain increased Attack Speed
7. Cast Poisoned Knife on cooldown after stacking 5 x stacks of Occult Poison/Deadly Poison
8. Cast Envenom whenever you have 5 x Combo Points (Main Finishing Move)
   • Cast Envenom when you don’t need to refresh Slice and Dice
9. Cast Saber Slash (Main Combo Points Generator)
   • Maintain Saber Slash stacks to increase Saber Slash‘s damage output
   • Maintain Saber Slash‘s bleed effect on the target to maintain the damage buff received by Carnage

AoE Rotation

1. If you pick the Fan of Knives rune
   • Spam Fan of Knives as much as possible in the initial moments of the encounter and throughout it
2. If you pick the Crimson Tempest + Carnage runes
   • Cast either Mutilate or Saber Slash to build up combo points
   • Cast Crimson Tempest as quickly as possible to deal damage and heal off Carnage
   • Cast Slice and Dice and upkeep it after the initial Crimson Tempest cast
3. Cast Blade Flurry on cooldown for Cleave and AoE Scenarios

Best Professions

Leatherworking

Leatherworking is among the top professions for a class such as Rogue, providing the ability to craft Leather Armor. Moreover, Leatherworking provides access to special epic recipes in the Season of Discovery, granting Assassination Rogue powerful equipment that will increase its overall performance.

Engineering

Being known as one of the top professions in both PvE and PvP in the Classic Era, Engineering’s reputation remains true in the Season of Discovery as well. It grants access to powerful bombs, various gadgets, and even specially crafted equipment that can be used to enhance your overall performance.

Skinning

Skinning is a viable alternative for gold and material generation in case you pick Leatherworking. This profession is one of the easiest to grind as all you have to do is kill mobs in the world and skin their pelts.

Best Races

For the Alliance, the best race for Assassination Rogue is a choice between Human and Gnome, with Human providing  Sword Specialization and Mace Specialization while Gnome provides Escape Artist. Meanwhile, for the Horde, the best race is a choice between Troll and Orc, with Orcs having a slight advantage thanks to Blood Fury. Trolls are also very strong, however, they need to be injured to fully benefit from Berserking.

Human

• The Human Spirit, Sword Specialization, Mace Specialization, Perception, Diplomacy

Dwarf

• Stoneform, Frost Resistance, Gun Specialization, Find Treasure

Night Elf

• Nature Resistance, Quickness, Shadowmeld, Wisp Spirit

Gnome

• Expansive Mind, Escape Artist, Engineering Specialization, Arcane Resistanc

Orc

• Blood Fury, Command, Hardiness, Axe Specialization

Undead

• Will of the Forsaken, Shadow Resistance, Cannibalize, Underwater Breathing

Troll

• Berserking, Beast Slaying, Bow Specialization, Throwing Specialization, Regeneration