DPS Rotation & Cooldowns

This rotation offers a general priority list for Subtlety Rogue abilities, along with key cooldowns at the bottom. It's based on a standard build and is here to help while we work on a smarter, build-aware system. If you are very new to the game or this class, we added info on the new assisted rotation features at the bottom of this guide. Updated for the latest patch in World of Warcraft: Midnight Pre-Patch (12.0.0).

Single Target

Ensure Instant Poison and Atrophic Poison are applied before combat.

• ShadowstrikeView detailsUse to open combat or as a builder during Shadow Dance.
• EviscerateView detailsUse as a finisher with 6+ Combo Points.
• Secret TechniqueView detailsUse as a finisher during Shadow Dance.
• BackstabView detailsUse as a builder outside Shadow Dance.
• Shadow DanceView detailsActivate with low Combo Points or when Secret Technique is ready.

Start with Shadowstrike, then prioritize Eviscerate or Secret Technique as finishers. Use Shadow Dance strategically to maximize damage during burst windows.

AoE

Ensure Instant Poison and Atrophic Poison are applied before combat.

• Shuriken StormView detailsUse as a builder with 2+ targets.
• Black PowderView detailsUse as a finisher with 6+ Combo Points.
• EviscerateView detailsUse instead of Black Powder with Darkest Night.
• Secret TechniqueView detailsUse as a finisher during Shadow Dance.
• Shadow DanceView detailsActivate with low Combo Points or when Secret Technique is ready.

For AoE, prioritize Shuriken Storm as a builder and Black Powder as a finisher. Use Eviscerate with Darkest Night and maximize burst with Shadow Dance.

Cooldowns

• Shadow DanceView detailsUse with low Combo Points or during Shadow Blades.
• Shadow BladesView detailsPair with Shadow Dance for maximum burst.
• Secret TechniqueView detailsUse during Shadow Dance for optimal damage.
• VanishView detailsUse on cooldown with low Combo Points.
• Goremaws BiteView detailsUse on cooldown outside Shadow Dance with low Combo Points.

Coordinate Shadow Dance and Shadow Blades for burst phases. Use Secret Technique during Shadow Dance and Vanish or Goremaws Bite to maintain Combo Points.

New to Class? Try Assisted Rotation

Patch 11.1.7 introduced new features that make it eaiser to pick and play new characters. These new settings can be enabled from settings » gameplay enhancements:

• Single-Button Assistant
• Assisted Highlight
• Cooldown Manager

If you are new to World of Warcraft or a certain class, enabling Assisted Highlight and Cooldown Manager can help you learn which abilities to prioritize and use.

While the Single-Button Assistant can be a much easier and more accessible way to play the game, it does come with a slight performance hit due to a small GCD penalty, as you will have to wait 25% longer in between spells and abilities.

To see which specs are best with the Single-Button Assistant feature, you can check out our DPS Rankings which uses SimC to sim every class using this feature.