Combat Rogue WotLK Guide
Combat Rogue DPS guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: rotation, cooldowns, the 20/51/0 talent build, glyphs, stat priority and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
Combat is the Rogue spec that asks you to play actively. You cannot go half-asleep and still perform: energy, combo points and buff uptime punish you at once, and reward you just as fast. It is a high-damage melee spec, and it brings real utility to the raid: Tricks of the Trade, a physical damage debuff from Savage Combat, crowd control and defensive cooldowns.
This guide covers the priority, the cooldowns, the talents and glyphs we run, the stats to reach and the mistakes that cost the most. It is written for Icecrown Citadel 25 and Ruby Sanctum on 3.3.5a. The short overview is in the class guide.
1.How the Combat Rogue plays
The rotation is small and strict. You keep Slice and Dice up all the time, because it is a large attack speed buff. You build combo points with Sinister Strike, and you spend them on Rupture at five points and on Eviscerate as your main finisher when Slice and Dice and Rupture are up.
Your energy is the resource you have to watch. Capped energy is wasted damage, and starving for energy means you lost a buff. That is what people mean when they say Combat is a spec you cannot play on autopilot. Weapon choice matters too: the Sword/Axe build and the Fist/Dagger build in the calculator each match a set of weapon talents.
2.Rotation and priorities
- Slice and DiceKeep it up at all times. Refresh it before it ends, not after.
- RuptureAt five combo points, when it is not on the target.
- EviscerateAs your finisher, when both of the above are up.
- Sinister StrikeYour main builder, and the way you spend energy.
- CooldownsUse Adrenaline Rush, Blade Flurry and Killing Spree at the right moment, not as soon as they are ready.
Use Blade Flurry whenever there is a second target close by, and keep it off when there is not. Killing Spree works best when you have energy to spare and no important finisher to press.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
Combat has three damage cooldowns, and a group of tools the raid needs.
A large energy boost for a short time. Use it together with your other cooldowns and with Bloodlust when you can.
Makes your attacks hit a second target and increases your attack speed. Use it when two or more targets are close.
A short burst of attacks with both weapons. Use it when you have energy to spare and no important finisher to press.
Gives a damage increase to another player for a short time, and the threat goes to them. The raid leader will tell you who.
A large increase to your dodge for a short time. Your personal defensive cooldown.
Removes harmful magic effects and gives you resistance to spells for a short time. Learn which fights ask for it.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Combat build is the 20/51/0 in the calculator, in two versions: Sword and Axe and Fist and Dagger, which match the weapon specializations you use. The talents that define the spec are Killing Spree, Savage Combat, Adrenaline Rush, Blade Flurry, Combat Potency and Surprise Attacks.
The Glyph of Sinister Strike is essentially mandatory. The other major glyphs depend on the raid: Killing Spree, Rupture and Tricks of the Trade are the usual choices.
Requires Melee Weapon. Step through the shadows from enemy to enemy within 10 yards, attacking an enemy every 0.5 sec with both weapons until 5 assaults are made, and increasing all damage done by 20% for the duration. Can hit the same target multiple times. Cannot hit invisible or stealthed targets.
Increases your total attack power by 4% and all physical damage caused to enemies you have poisoned is increased by 4%.
Increases your Energy regeneration rate by 100% for 15 sec.
Increases your attack speed by 20%. In addition, attacks strike an additional nearby opponent. Lasts 15 sec.
Gives your successful off-hand melee attacks a 20% chance to generate 15 Energy.
Your finishing moves can no longer be dodged, and the damage dealt by your Sinister Strike, Backstab, Shiv, Hemorrhage and Gouge abilities is increased by 10%.
Your Sinister Strike critical strikes have a 50% chance to add an additional combo point.
Reduces the cooldown on Killing Spree by 45 sec.
The bonus damage and threat redirection granted by your Tricks of the Trade ability lasts an additional 4 sec.
5.Stats, gems and gear
The priority is hit, then expertise, then critical strike, then haste and attack power, and armor penetration after that. You need a lot of hit, at least around 315 rating without a group bonus, and the 26 expertise cap. Aim for a critical strike chance of thirty-five percent or more on a boss without buffs.
The best weapons for the build are in the BiS list below. Your weapon type decides which of the two talent builds you use.
- Hit (poison threshold)
- Expertise
- Armor Penetration
- Agility
~237 rating (poison hit threshold)
The important end-game threshold comes from poison application, not the flat 263 melee cap — melee hit keeps providing value afterward through white attacks though.
132 rating with 2/2 Weapon Expertise
Human sword/mace: 107. Orc axe / Dwarf mace: 91.
1400 rating (theoretical cap)
Extremely strong in ICC BiS — actual optimization depends on trinket procs and the full gear set, not just raw rating.
Blood Fury is the standard pick. Axe Specialization also covers fist weapons (+5 expertise), which matters for Combat fist builds — daggers get nothing from it.
Sword / Mace Specialization suits Combat sword builds with +3 expertise; Every Man for Himself for utility. Night Elf’s Quickness (+2% dodge) is DPS-neutral flavour.
Havoc's Call, Blade of Lordaeron Kings *
Scourgeborne Waraxe
Fal'inrush, Defender of Quel'thalas
Sharpened Twilight Scale
Deathbringer's Will
Sanctified Shadowblade Helmet
Ikfirus's Sack of Wonder
6.Common mistakes
• Letting Slice and Dice fall off.
• Sitting at capped energy, and wasting damage.
• Using your cooldowns as soon as they are ready instead of at the right moment.
• Forgetting to turn Blade Flurry off when there is only one target, or on when there are two.
• Not using Tricks of the Trade on the player your raid leader asked for.
7.On the bosses
A few notes for Icecrown and Ruby Sanctum:
Keep your damage on the boss, and switch to the Blood Beasts when your raid leader calls for it. Blade Flurry helps when they are close together.
Keep your damage on the target you are assigned, and plan your burst around the ooze phases as your raid leader asks.
Use Cloak of Shadows and Evasion where the raid plan asks for them, and Tricks of the Trade on the tank or the top damage dealer.
Use Blade Flurry on the adds in the first phase, and keep your finishers up. See the Lich King guide.
8.Questions people ask
It is one of the two top choices. It is the more active one, and it brings a physical damage debuff and Tricks of the Trade.
They are two builds in the calculator, and the choice depends on the weapons you have. Pick the one that matches your weapon type.
A lot: around 315 rating without a group bonus, and the expertise cap of 26.
The Glyph of Sinister Strike. The others depend on the raid.