Subtlety Rogue Talent Build & Glyphs
The 20/0/51 Subtlety Rogue build for WotLK 3.3.5a, point by point. It is already loaded in the calculator below, so you can change a talent, try another build or copy a link to share it.
- 20/0/51 main build
- 2 builds
- Glyphs included
- Free · no login
Class Armory
3.3.5a · LEVEL 80
Save, share & build options
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Major Glyphs
Minor Glyphs
Glyph recommendations aren't compiled yet for this build — the talent split above is still fully real and verified against actual WotLK 3.3.5a game data.
Build snapshot
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About the Subtlety Rogue build
Subtlety Rogue is a 20/0/51 build with a Hemorrhage variant at 23/0/48. The spec is defined by Shadow Dance, Shadowstep, Honor Among Thieves, Slaughter from the Shadows, Premeditation and Preparation. The two builds differ by only a few points: the Hemorrhage variant takes Vile Poisons, Improved Poisons and Filthy Tricks and gives up part of Slaughter from the Shadows.
- 20/0/51main build
- 2builds to compare
- 6glyphs
- 71points at level 80
Subtlety Rogue builds compared
The calculator above has 2 builds for this spec. Pick one from the Build menu to load it. Every build totals 71 points, and the last column shows what it changes compared with the main build.
| Build | Split | Use it when | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard main build | 20/0/51 | Our recommended build and the one to load first. | the reference |
| Hemorrhage | 23/0/48 | The Hemorrhage-heavy variant. It moves points out of Slaughter from the Shadows into poisons and Filthy Tricks, and it comes with the Glyph of Hemorrhage. | Slaughter from the Shadows 5 → 2 Vile Poisons 1 → 3 Filthy Tricks 1 → 2 Improved Poisons 4 → 5 Shadow Dance 1 → 0 Glyph: Glyph of Hemorrhage |
Every talent in the main Subtlety Rogue build
This is the 20/0/51 build, talent by talent, with what each one does at the rank the build takes. Talents are listed from the top of each tree to the bottom. The Combat tree gets no points in this build.
Assassination20 points
| Talent | Rank | What it does at this rank |
|---|---|---|
| Improved Eviscerate | 3/3 | Increases the damage done by your Eviscerate ability by 20%. |
| Malice | 5/5 | Increases your critical strike chance by 5%. |
| Ruthlessness | 3/3 | Gives your melee finishing moves a 60% chance to add a combo point to your target. |
| Blood Spatter | 2/2 | Increases the damage caused by your Garrote and Rupture abilities by 30%. |
| Vigor | 1/1 | Increases your maximum Energy by 10. |
| Lethality | 1/5 | Increases the critical strike damage bonus of all combo point-generating abilities that do not require stealth by 6%. |
| Vile Poisons | 1/3 | Increases the damage dealt by your poisons and Envenom ability by 7% and gives your damage over time poisons an additional 10% chance to resist dispel effects. |
| Improved Poisons | 4/5 | Increases the chance to apply Deadly Poison to your target by 16% and the frequency of applying Instant Poison to your target by 40%. |
Subtlety51 points
| Talent | Rank | What it does at this rank |
|---|---|---|
| Relentless Strikes | 5/5 | Your finishing moves have a 20% chance per combo point to restore 25 energy. |
| Opportunity | 2/2 | Increases the damage dealt with your Backstab, Mutilate, Garrote, and Ambush abilities by 20%. |
| Sleight of Hand | 2/2 | Reduces the chance you are critically hit by melee and ranged attacks by 2% and increases the threat reduction of your Feint ability by 20%. |
| Camouflage | 1/3 | Increases your speed while stealthed by 5% and reduces the cooldown of your Stealth ability by 2 sec. |
| Elusiveness | 2/2 | Reduces the cooldown of your Vanish and Blind abilities by 60 sec. and your Cloak of Shadows ability by 30 sec. |
| Serrated Blades | 3/3 | Causes your attacks to ignore up to 9% of your target's Armor and increases the damage dealt by your Rupture ability by 30%. |
| Initiative | 3/3 | Gives you a 100% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability. |
| Improved Ambush | 2/2 | Increases the critical strike chance of your Ambush ability by 50%. |
| Heightened Senses | 1/2 | Increases your Stealth detection and reduces the chance you are hit by spells and ranged attacks by 2%. |
| Preparation | 1/1 | Instant · 8 min cooldownWhen activated, this ability immediately finishes the cooldown on your Evasion, Sprint, Vanish, Cold Blood and Shadowstep abilities. |
| Dirty Deeds | 2/2 | Reduces the Energy Cost of your Cheap Shot and Garrote abilities by 20. Additionally, your special abilities cause 20% more damage against targets below 35% health. |
| Hemorrhage | 1/1 | 35 Energy · Melee range · Instant · Requires Melee WeaponAn instant strike that deals 110% weapon damage (160% if a dagger is equipped) and causes the target to hemorrhage, increasing any Physical damage dealt to the target by up to 13. Lasts 10 charges or 15 sec. Awards 1 combo point. |
| Master of Subtlety | 3/3 | Attacks made while stealthed and for 6 seconds after breaking stealth cause an additional 10% damage. |
| Deadliness | 5/5 | Increases your Attack Power by 10%. |
| Premeditation | 1/1 | 30 yd range · Instant · 20 sec cooldown · Requires StealthWhen used, adds 2 combo points to your target. You must add to or use those combo points within 20 sec or the combo points are lost. |
| Cheat Death | 1/3 | You have a 33% chance that an attack which would otherwise kill you will instead reduce you to 10% of your maximum health. In addition, all damage taken will be reduced by up to 90% for 3 sec (modified by resilience). This effect cannot occur more than once per minute. |
| Sinister Calling | 5/5 | Increases your total Agility by 15% and increases the percentage damage bonus of Backstab and Hemorrhage by an additional 10%. |
| Honor Among Thieves | 3/3 | When anyone in your group critically hits with a damage or healing spell or ability, you have a 100% chance to gain a combo point on your current target. This effect cannot occur more than once every second. |
| Shadowstep | 1/1 | 10 Energy · 25 yd range · Instant · 30 sec cooldownAttempts to step through the shadows and reappear behind your enemy and increases movement speed by 70% for 3 sec. The damage of your next ability is increased by 20% and the threat caused is reduced by 50%. Lasts 10 sec. |
| Filthy Tricks | 1/2 | Reduces the cooldown by 5 sec and energy cost by 5 of your Tricks of the Trade, Distract and Shadowstep abilities and reduces the cooldown of Preparation by 1.5 min. |
| Slaughter from the Shadows | 5/5 | Reduces the energy cost of your Backstab and Ambush abilities by 20 and the energy cost of your Hemorrhage by 5, and increases all damage done by 5%. |
| Shadow Dance | 1/1 | Instant · 1 min cooldownEnter the Shadow Dance for 6 sec, allowing the use of Sap, Garrote, Ambush, Cheap Shot, Premeditation, Pickpocket and Disarm Trap regardless of being stealthed. |
Subtlety Rogue glyphs
Major glyphs
Glyph of Tricks of the TradeThe bonus damage and threat redirection granted by your Tricks of the Trade ability lasts an additional 4 sec.
Glyph of RuptureIncreases the duration of Rupture by 4 sec.
Glyph of Shadow DanceIncreases the duration of Shadow Dance by 2 sec.
Minor glyphs
Glyph of VanishIncreases your movement speed by 30% while the Vanish effect is active.
Glyph of Safe FallIncreases the distance your Safe Fall ability allows you to fall without taking damage.
Glyph of DistractIncreases the range of your Distract ability by 5 yards.
Subtlety Rogue talents FAQ
QWhat is the best Subtlety Rogue talent build in WotLK 3.3.5a?
Our main build is 20/0/51: 20 points in Assassination, 0 in Combat and 51 in Subtlety. The deepest talents it takes are Shadow Dance, Slaughter from the Shadows, Honor Among Thieves and Shadowstep. The calculator on this page loads it, and you can change any point to see what it costs.
QWhich glyphs should a Subtlety Rogue use?
The main build uses Glyph of Tricks of the Trade, Glyph of Rupture and Glyph of Shadow Dance as major glyphs and Glyph of Vanish, Glyph of Safe Fall and Glyph of Distract as minor glyphs.
QHow should a Subtlety Rogue split talent points?
Level 80 gives 71 talent points. The main build spends them as 20/0/51 across Assassination, Combat and Subtlety. The other 1 build (Hemorrhage 23/0/48) move some of the points, and the table above shows which ones.
QWhich Subtlety Rogue build should I pick?
Standard (20/0/51): Our recommended build and the one to load first. Hemorrhage (23/0/48): The Hemorrhage-heavy variant. It moves points out of Slaughter from the Shadows into poisons and Filthy Tricks, and it comes with the Glyph of Hemorrhage.