Build Introduction
Rogue leveling is a breeze as you fly through Sanctuary with the 
Rapid Fire and 
Flurry leveling build. This is your leveling guide for Diablo 4, with the maximum Skill Point allocation at Level 50. We currently believe this build to be the best option for leveling a new Rogue character in Season 4. Let us go over the build mechanics, character progression, and playstyle!
This Dual Core Skill build is perfect for players who want the best of both single-target Damage Per Second (DPS) and Area of Effect (AoE) clearing. Rapid Fire deals high single-target damage to snipe elite and bosses, while Flurry hits every enemy around the Rogue with AoE damage.
Unlike builds using 
Shadow Imbuement or other Cooldowns to clear packs of enemies, this hybrid build has unlimited AoE available for every engagement. Another key advantage is having both Cutthroat and Marksman Skills to activate 
Close Quarters Combat for more Attack Speed and Damage.
Once your Rogue character reaches Level 50 or enters World Tier 3, switch to the endgame guide for Dual Core Rapid Fire Flurry to continue this build.
Check the Rogue leveling page for a comparison of all the leveling builds and general tips.
Video Overview and Gameplay Footage
Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar
Rapid Fire 
Puncture Flurry 
Dash 
Shadow Step 
Concealment The following table shows the order in which to allocate your Skill Points for the Rapid Fire and Flurry Rogue leveling build. You gain 48 points at Level 50 and 2 points from completing Renown in each Act zone, for a total of 58.
Alternative Skills
All 3 Mobility Skills, Dash, Shadow Step, and Concealment, are utilized to speed up the leveling process. Alternatively, Concealment can be replaced with any other utility skill, such as an Imbuement Skill.
Dual Core Rogue Specialization
The Rogue Specialization can be unlocked at Level 15. Complete the True Potential questline as soon as possible to gain access to the first Specialization option, Combo Points. This is the preferred Specialization for leveling a Rogue.
Build Combo Points with Puncture to unleash additional damage and arrows for Rapid Fire. Combo Points can also be used to gain additional damage and an Attack Speed buff with Flurry.
Build Mechanics and Playstyle
Rapid Fire has high single target damage, but normally lacks Area of Effect (AoE) for clearing groups of enemies. 
Aspect of Repeating does not provide enough additional targets, and Shadow Imbuement has a cooldown that is not always available for every pack. Therefore, Flurry is utilized in this build for unlimited AoE.
All 3 Mobility Skills, Dash, Shadow Step, and Concealment, are utilized to speed up the leveling process. Alternatively, Concealment can be replaced with any other utility skill, such as an Imbuement Skill.
This hybrid build has an arsenal of both Cutthroat Skills (Flurry, Shadow Step and Dash) and Marksman Skills (Rapid Fire and Puncture) to activate damage increases from Close Quarters Combat and eventually Tricks of the Trade after obtained in Paragon.
Spam Flurry in the middle of a group of enemies to deal AoE damage, while Advanced Flurry Stuns them. Once you have a clear line of sight, snipe Elite enemies with Rapid Fire.
Vulnerable
Fundamental Puncture easily applies Vulnerable to a target with a single Basic attack. Aim Puncture at the toughest enemies in a pack. Once at least one enemy is Vulnerable, cast Improved Flurry to spread the status to the rest of the enemies. In group play, apply this debuff to Elites and Bosses so your teammates deal 20% more damage.
Animation Cancel Technique
Evade immediately after using Rapid Fire or Flurry to cancel their casting animations. This technique is important to quickly dodge incoming attacks while activating Advanced Flurry and Advanced Rapid Fire. Boots with the implicit effect, attacks reduce Evade’s cooldown by 1.2 seconds, allow for an animation cancel after using 3 Basic Attacks and a Core Skill. Practice hitting Evade after every Core Skill to build muscle memory.
AoE Damage Rotation
Explode groups of mobs with the following rotation.
- (Optional) Dash through tougher enemies to apply Enhanced Dash if necessary.
- Evade through at least 1 enemy if using Advanced Flurry.
- Build 3 Combo Points with Puncture.
- Cast Flurry to deal AoE damage and Stun enemies.
- Immediately animation cancel Flurry with an Evade
- Restart the rotation.
Single Target Damage Rotation
Use the following rotation against Elites and Bosses for high single target Damage Per Second (DPS).
- Use Evade to activate Advanced Rapid Fire.
- Build 3 Combo Points with Puncture. Make sure you are close enough for Fundamental Puncture to apply Vulnerable.
- Cast Shadow Step on the toughest Elite to Stun them. Alternatively, Dash can be used through a Boss to apply Enhanced Dash.
- Cast Rapid Fire at the target.
- Immediately animation cancel Rapid Fire with an Evade to restart the rotation.
Gear, Gems, Elixirs, and Stats
Season 4 brings an incredible shift in character progression systems. The major rework to itemization and crafting in Patch 1.4.0 changes the core mechanics of Diablo 4, and the changes will remain in effect beyond Season 4. The following sections cover the important systems that are essential to improving the power of your character during the leveling process.
Legendary Aspects
Aspect of Encircling Blades can be unlocked in the Codex of Power by completing the Forsaken Quarry in Fractured Peaks. It is located right above the first major town of Kyovashad. The dungeon is part of the Rogue Specialization Quest, so follow it after it unlocks at Level 15. Immediately visit the Occultist to imprint this Aspect onto an item to increase the AoE range of Flurry.
Higher Tier Aspects with stronger effects can be found on dropped Legendary Items. Salvage unwanted Legendary Items at the Blacksmith to unlock these Aspects in the Codex of Power, and the imprint them onto well-rolled Rare Items. Check the in-depth Aspect and Codex of Power guide for more information.
Listed below are all the Aspects found on Legendary Items that are important for the Rapid Fire and Flurry Rogue leveling build. They are listed in order of priority. The best-in-slot Aspects List is in the Endgame Guide for Dual Core Rogue.
| Aspect Name | Legendary Aspect Power | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect of Encircling Blades | Flurry damages enemies in a circle around you and deals [15 – 22%] increased damage. | Forsaken Quarry, Fractured Peaks |
| Aspect of the Expectant | Attacking enemies with a Basic Skill increases the damage of your next Core Skill cast by [5 – 10%], up to 30%. | Underroot, Scosglen |
| Edgemaster’s Aspect | Skills deal up to [10 – 20%] increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource. | Oldstones, Scosglen |
| Aspect of Retribution | Distant enemies have a 8% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds when they hit you. You deal [10 – 20%] increased damage to Stunned enemies. | Abandoned Mineworks, Kehjistan |
 Ravager’s Aspect | Shadow Step has an additional Charge. Killing an enemy with Shadow Step refunds a Charge and increases the damage of Shadow Step by [1 – 6%] for 2 seconds, up to [5 – 30%]. | Random Drop Only |
 Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant 20% Damage Reduction for [2 – 6] seconds | Dark Ravine, Dry Steppes |
| Rapid Aspect | Basic Skills gain [15 – 30%] Attack Speed. | Buried Halls, Dry Steppes |
| Accelerating Aspect | Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by [15 – 25%] for 3 seconds. | Random Drop Only |
Gems
Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each item type.
| Slot | Gems |
|---|---|
| Weapon |  Royal Sapphire for increased Vulnerable Damage. |
| Armor |  Royal Ruby for increased Maximum Life. |
| Jewelry | Any Resistance Gems needed or  Royal Skull for Armor (up to 9,230 Armor cap). |
Elixirs
Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants and pick up the necessary crafting materials during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world. Elixirs can also drop randomly from enemies and chests during many activities in Diablo 4. Listed below are the best Elixirs to consume, ranked by importance.
Elixir of Resource greatly helps with Energy issues, if you do not already have the appropriate Energy gear. This elixir is highly recommended for starting characters to maintain casting of Core Skills.
Elixir of Precision provides the highest damage output increase, if not already capped at 100% Critical Strike Chance.
Elixir of Advantage increases damage output, if not already capped at 100% Attack Speed bonus from gear and Paragon.
Elixir of Fortitude is the best general purpose option for survivability.
Return to the Alchemist again when you reach Level 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80 and 90, to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.
Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes
Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear during early leveling of a Dual Core Rapid Fire Flurry Rogue. Each line of affixes are listed in order of importance. Affixes on the same line are considered to be equally important, but their benefits may vary depending on how much is stacked or other character stats.
When comparing Legendary weapons with similar item levels, Crossbows are preferred over Bows for the Vulnerable Damage implicit stat. Daggers are preferred over Swords for the slightly stronger implicit stat and faster Combo Point generation.
Prioritize Boots with the implicit effect, attacks reduce Evade’s cooldown, for constant Evades to activate Advanced Rapid Fire and 
Advanced Flurry.
Tempering Manuals are randomly dropped while leveling, and they need to be found to unlock their usage at the Blacksmith. Highlighted affixes are the most beneficial temper to prioritize while leveling. All other tempers may not be worthwhile during early levels if you are consistently replacing gear with new item upgrades.
| Slot | Gear Affixes | Tempering Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | 1. Maximum Life 2. Dexterity, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage |  Core Augments — Rogue (Weapon): Flurry SizeSpecialist Evolution (Offensive): Damage per Combo Point Spent |
| Helm | 1. Cooldown Reduction, Energy per Second 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity, Lucky Hit Chance | Worldly Fortune (Utility): Lucky Hit Chance to FreezeRogue Recovery (Defensive): Flurry Healing |
| Chest | 1. Energy per Second 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Worldly Fortune (Utility): Lucky Hit Chance to FreezeRogue Recovery (Defensive): Flurry Healing |
| Gloves | 1. Ranks to Core Skills, Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Resource Cost Reduction, Maximum Life, Lucky Hit Chance | Specialist Evolution (Offensive): Damage per Combo Point SpentWorldly Fortune (Utility): Lucky Hit Chance to Freeze |
| Pants | 1. Resistances, Armor 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity | Worldly Fortune (Utility): Lucky Hit Chance to FreezeRogue Recovery (Defensive): Flurry Healing |
| Boots | Implicit Stat: Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown 1. Movement Speed, Energy per Second 2. Resistances, Armor 3. Ranks to Dash, Maximum Life, Dexterity | Natural Motion (Mobility): Movement SpeedWorldly Fortune (Utility): Lucky Hit Chance to Freeze |
| Amulet | 1. Ranks to Exploit, Critical Strike Chance, Cooldown Reduction, Attack Speed 2. Movement Speed, Armor | Rogue Recovery (Defensive): Flurry HealingNatural Motion (Mobility): Movement Speed |
| Rings | 1. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Resource Cost Reduction, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage, Resistances, Maximum Life 3. Dexterity, Lucky Hit Chance | Worldly Stability (Resource): Resource Generation or Resource Cost ReductionSpecialist Evolution (Offensive): Damage per Combo Point Spent |
Paragon
Paragon unlocks after reaching Level 50, and the progression system offers a considerable boost to character power. The images below provide a visual of an early Paragon board setup for the Dual Core Rogue.
The Paragon boards in this leveling guide are designed as a temporary setup for characters that have recently reached Level 50. Continue your progress with the fully optimized Paragon setup in the Dual Core endgame guide.
Important Notes:
- Make sure you select the correct Legendary Boards and rotate them into the correct orientation.
- Attach Legendary Boards in the correct order, as bonus requirements of Rare Nodes increase with their placement order.
- Additional bonus requirements on Rare Glyphs may not be obtainable until they gain increased radius range at Level 15.
1. Starting Board (Exploit)
Socket 
Exploit in the starting board. Prioritize leveling Exploit to 15 for increased radius, as it is needed to allocate enough Strength to activate the additional bonus.
2. Tricks of the Trade (Turf)
Rotate the 
Tricks of the Trade board 2 times before attachment. Immediately obtain the Legendary node, and then Socket Turf for some valuable Damage Reduction. Prioritize leveling Turf to 15 for increased radius, as it is needed to allocate enough Strength to activate the additional bonus.
3. Cheap Shot (Control)
Rotate the 
Cheap Shot board 2 times before attachment. Immediately obtain the Legendary node on this board. Socket 
Control to gain Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies for an increased damage bonus on 
Close Quarters Combat.
Paragon Board images courtesy of d4builds.gg. Click this link for the Paragon planner.
Changelog
- May 15th, 2024: Priority Affixes updated with game changes made since the Season 4 PTR.
- May 14th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4 (Patch 1.4.0).
- March 5th, 2024: Guide updated for the Mid Season 3 Update (Patch 1.3.3).
- January 22nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 (Patch 1.3.0).
- October 17th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2 (Patch 1.2.0).
