Starting a rogue So , you ' re thinking of starting as a rogue ? This page is intended to give a short overview of what to do over the first 10 levels or so , just to get you started on the right path . If you ' re looking for more of an overview of the class ' s abilities , see the rogue article . For more advanced topics , see the rogue tactics . For a more general overview on starting out playing WoW , see the Newbie Guide . Introduction . Rogues are the premier melee damage - dealing class in World of Warcraft . In PvE , rogues specialise in delivering sustained DPS at close range , often topping the damage meters in raids . PvP rogues use stealth and their armory of stuns , interrupts and disengages to take out an enemy before they get a chance to react , or get away clean if they do . The downside of being a rogue is a lack of flexibility . They have no useful way to attack from a distance , their leather armor and lack of healing skills make them vulnerable to counter - attack . If you want to get up close and personal with your enemies and hit them fast and hard , the rogue is a solid choice . If you are looking for a class with a mixture of roles and playing styles , a rogue may not be for you . Primary Attributes . Agility , Attack Power , Haste , and Hit Rating . Agility and Attack Power are the only stats a rogue needs to worry about at lower levels ( 1 to about 50 ) , then Hit Rating will become an important stat to consider . Hit Rating reduces the chance that you miss your target , as this attribute ' s name suggests . Haste reduces the time between attacks at all times , so this attribute is clearly important . Don ' t worry about Haste until you raid , because it ' s a newer addition and few items below high - end content have Haste . Race Selection . You may want to consider the various Racial Traits when choosing your race . You might also consider the racial stats , but after the first 20 levels or so these become largely irrelevant , as the items you ' ve gained will far outstrip any racial bonuses . For more information on these , see here . In the end , your race is your own choice . If you ' re the person that will end up wanting the best race ( " best " being in the eye of the beholder ) , make sure you look into this class ' s end - game expectations , what is expected of you as a rogue in a large raid or PvP , and which racials can make you shine on the Recount report . Leveling and End Game . The easiest way to progress through the early levels is to simply do any and all of the quests you can find . Not only will you breeze through the first 5 to 10 levels , but you ' ll get useful gear and precious money . Money is particularly important so you can purchase your rogue abilities . You will spend levels 1 to 5 in your starting town . Make sure you get all the rogue abilities you can from your trainer . Between level 5 and 6 you ' ll find yourself heading off to your second town and a new trainer who can teach you various things . At the second town , repeat the process - do each and every quest you can find . It ' s important to keep up with your abilities and your gear . Now is also an appropriate time to start training in your chosen professions . Levels 1 - 3 . Rogues start with Sinister Strike , Eviscerate , and Throw . With ( Friendly ) , you can purchase Stealth . If necessary , use Throw to pull a single mob from a crowd . Levels 4 - 5 . At level 4 , you can learn Backstab ( ( Friendly ) ) , and Pick Pocket ( ( Friendly ) ) ( which requires the use of Stealth ) . Before opening combat with an aggressive enemy , enter Stealth and try to Pick Pocket the target if humanoid . Afterwards , open with Backstab and continue to spam Sinister Strike for 2 - 3 combo points . Then try to finish with Eviscerate . Levels 6 - 10 . At level 6 , you can upgrade Sinister Strike to Rank 2 ( ( Friendly ) ) and learn Gouge ( ( Friendly ) ) . Open with Backstab , then use Gouge , run behind the target , and use Backstab again . Finally , use Eviscerate to finish them off . Use Sinister Strike if necessary . Sinister Strike may also be inserted before Gouge for another combo point and added damage to Eviscerate . At level 8 , Eviscerate ( ( Friendly ) ) can be upgraded to Rank 2 and Evasion ( ( Friendly ) can be learned . Use Evasion only when running away , or when facing multiple mobs , due to the long cooldown . Levels 10 - 70 . - Weapon Choice - ( Consider Specialization as well ) - Dagger - Burst PvE : Assassination rogues depend mainly upon Mutilate . Subtlety rogues make heavy use of Backstab . Burst PvP : The most prevalent PvP weapon is daggers . Subtlety and Assassination specs have a reputation for being great for PvP . - Sword - Sustained PvE : very Slice - and - Dice and Attack - Power - dependent due to Sword proc . Sustained PvP : Hemorrhage or Sinister Strike , each hit hard , and depend on spec . - Fist - Sustained / Burst PvE : very crit - rate dependent , you will rely on Agility much more than a sword rogue in raids . Burst / Sustained PvP : larger crits than normal regardless of position due to Fist Specialization and Malice . - Mace - PvE : Not as effective as other weapon choices due to mobs ' armor working differently than players ' . Sustained PvP : Varies due to the diminishing returns of armor . - Attention Combat rogues - Do not mix and match weapon specializations . The waste of talent points is substantial and something you want to avoid . On Soloing and Grouping . Soloing . For the first 10 levels , the rogue shouldn ' t have much trouble soloing up to two mobs at a time around your level . You won ' t be able to Backstab much when soloing , so the main focus will be on Sinister Strike and Eviscerate . Try to find a weapon with high end damage for hitting those big Sinister Strikes , as this will help more than a weapon with high DPS . After level 6 , you might start using Gouge to stun your opponent briefly to get behind and do a Backstab . This is one of the staple early strategies . If you ' re interested in solo grinding your way to level 70 , then stick to the Combat Tree and focus on low - HP mobs that you can form a route around . This will allow the rogue to excel at what they do best : consistent damage . Grouping . Grouping isn ' t all that different from soloing . At these levels any class can pretty much look after itself , but be ready to help out a weaker caster class if you see them under attack - always protect your healer ! Remember to " assist " the warrior or paladin if you have one in your group , to ensure you focus your party ' s firepower on one mob . You can do this by selecting the tank ( use the F1 - F5 keys to target group members ) and then pressing " F " . This way , mobs will die faster . If you don ' t have a tank in the group , agree amongst yourselves whom to assist . Although it ' s not all that important now , it ' s an important habit to get used to for later levels . Roguecraft . Your rogue is your character . With talent points , you have to decide how you want to build your rogue . Assassination , Combat , and Subtlety are the specializations that are available . Many , many rogues decide to invest their points in Subtlety at lower levels . In the beginning , Subtlety is a build that flows well with PvP and PvE Combat . But , if you pick Combat , and get good at it in any situation , you will be a force to be reckoned within any encounter at any time . Subtlety rogues won ' t present a huge threat when they can ' t get behind the enemy for Backstab ( assuming they use daggers ) , or are out of their cooldowns that allow them to escape , and engage again or flee . But a Combat rogue , with Combat - based cooldowns is not dependent on an escape to gain an edge on their opponent . Useful Professions . The rogue can benefit directly and indirectly from many of the professions available . Primary Professions . Gathering . If you are beginning your first character , consider taking two gathering professions . Crafting professions rarely provide any useful items before the end - game , while taking gathering professions ( and selling the proceeds on the Auction House ) will provide you with a much - needed income as you level . Once you reach the level cap you will find gold much easier to come by , and can quickly power - level a crafting profession . Crafting . Start your professions early ! It ' s usually not too expensive , and you want to ensure that the gear you create with your skills is applicable to your rogue ' s level . All of the crafting professions offer several items only they can use that are good for almost any class and spec , if you wish to maximize your personal gains with your profession you should look through the endgame recipes to see which of these items appeal to you the most . Lockpicking . With the Cataclysm expansion , the Lockpicking skill now increases on its own without the need for training as you level . Each time you level your skill will increase automatically by five skill points . In the past , rogues would have to travel around Azeroth to various locations to find appropriate objects to unlock or mobs to pickpocket for lockboxes to skill up their Lockpicking . Long - Term Goals . In raids , rogues generally are not considered crowd control due to the risk of sapping . Many mobs have True Sight as well . There are situations where saps are needed , however . As the primary melee DPS and more often than not , the main assist , you have a pretty tough job to make sure the raid can safely assist off you to the next target . Since you are right there with the tanks and the enemies , you have to be on your toes 110 % , making sure Blade Flurry won ' t hit poorly placed Polymorphs or Seductions and you are attacking the main tank ' s target , or the target your raid master has designated aside from the tank ' s . Keeping Slice and Dice and Rupture up 100 % of the time is the most essential skill of a Combat rogue . Remember , hunters want to be just like us , so they will not hesitate to take the trinket you have been farming for the past three months . So when you lose that roll to a hunter ( oh , yes , it will happen ) be prepared to count to ten . Don ' t stress about not topping DPS ; look at Damage Done . When the warlock is using Seed of Corruption and the mage is using all of his nifty AoE Spells , don ' t freak out about them leaving your single - target DPS in the dust . Heals : You are not a tank , you are not a major form of crowd control , and you are squishy . You are not a priority . Accept this fact and move on . Enchants : Dual Mongoose . It does stack , and it is wonderful . Learn to love your Goosey . When choosing a set of weapons to raid with , there are a few basic guidelines . A : For your main hand , look at the maximum damage the weapon can strike for . Since Sinister Strike is an instant ability , the DPS isn ' t applicable . The slower the weapon in your main hand , the harder your melee swings and Sinister Strikes will land for . B : For your off - hand , look at the speed and the DPS . When you get Combat Potency the speed becomes a major stat to look at . A good weapon for a rogue ' s off - hand is generally going to have to be very fast . When looking at a new piece that just dropped off the huge boss your guild downed , remember that balancing your stats is key . Ask a fellow rogue , or someone you know won ' t lead you astray .