WotLK Classic Assassination Rogue Spec, Builds, Talents, and Glyphs

Assassination Rogues have 2 builds available to them: one focuses on their strong single-target damage, while the other functions as a potential Hybrid build for the dual talent specialization feature that arrives with Wrath Classic.

If you were looking for a leveling-oriented build, please refer instead to our Rogue leveling guide.

The 51/13/7 build is the main Assassination build that seeks to focus on bolstering the already impressive single-target sustained damage that the specialization has.

There is another build that Assassination can use that sims almost the same damage as the 51/13/7 build, so you can choose which of these you would like to play for single-target damage. The first build deals more damage via Mutilate and Envenom, while the second build, shown below, focuses more on auto attacks and poison damage.

The Hybrid build focuses on finding a balance for Assassination with the Combat tree to forego single-target boss damage in favor of strong AoE. It takes talents to focus your build on funneling as much damage as possible into Fan of Knives and your Energy regeneration for as many casts of it as possible.

Despite losing out on boss damage, the AoE potential of this build is absolutely enormous and it places within the top damage dealers for AoE on large pulls.

The traditional Assassination build features a number of talents that are integral to not only their damage output, but their role in the raid as well.

Master Poisoner is a massively important talent to pick up for the traditional build, as it is not only a large boost to your single-target damage, but is also a vital part of your group utility.

Cut to the Chase helps to further your reliance on Envenom, as well as the power of it, by allowing it to automatically maintain your Slice and Dice for you, without you ever having to cast it again.

Vile Poisons and Improved Poisons both buff your Poison damage even further, rounding out the build for a huge amount of consistent damage.

The AoE Hybrid build foregoes the utility of Master Poisoner and instead opts into full AoE damage.

Blade Flurry is a key part of this build, along with Adrenaline Rush, allowing you to push high amounts of burst AoE damage, with massive amounts of Energy regeneration through Vitality, Focused Attacks, and more.

With enough enemies around you, spamming Fan of Knives with the Focused Attacks talent will simply keep you constantly topped up with Energy to keep spamming it.

For the single-target build, your major glyph choices are fairly simple, with a cost reduction on your main generator, bonus damage on an ability you are going to be casting regardless of the glyph, and even more utility being added on to your Tricks of the Trade.

For the AoE build, again, the choices are fairly straightforward, buffing the damage of your main damage source, as well as using the Vigor glyph for a large pool of Energy to burst with.

The Minor glyph choices for both builds are fairly lackluster in their effects and are simply quality of life improvements that we would recommend.