WotLK Classic Combat Rogue Spec, Builds, Talents, and Glyphs
On this page, you will find out the best PvE talent choices and builds for your Combat Rogue in WotLK Classic, as well as advised glyphs.
Talent Builds for Combat Rogue
Combat Rogues have 2 builds available to them: one focuses on single-target damage, with potential for AoE, while the other functions as a potential Hybrid build for the dual talent specialization feature that arrives with Wrath Classic.
Leveling Builds
If you were looking for a leveling-oriented build, please refer instead to our Rogue leveling guide.
Standard Combat Talent Build
The 20/51/0 build is the main Combat build that seeks to focus on solid single-target damage with the potential for AoE as necessary.
Your third glyph choice is dependent on whether you need to apply Expose Armor
or not. If you do, you should use its glyph, and if you do not, you should glyph
for
Sinister Strike.
AoE Hybrid Talent Build
The Hybrid build focuses on finding a balance for Combat with the Assassination
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.
Important Talents for Combat Rogue
Boss-Damage Combat Build
The traditional Combat build features a number of talents that are integral to not only their damage output, but their role in the raid as well.
Combat Potency gives a solid boost to your Energy regeneration and
works perfectly with the optimal weapon setups for Combat.
Savage Combat is one of the main pieces of raid utility this build brings
in the form of a debuff that buffs all Physical damage dealt to a target.
AoE Hybrid Build
The AoE Hybrid build foregoes the utility of Savage Combat 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.
Weapon Choice
The standard builds for Combat use Close Quarters Combat due to the ideal
BiS setup for Combat, but if you are still gearing up, it may be worth choosing another
talent that buffs the damage dealt by the weapons you have available to you.
You should always tailor your talent choices to the weapons you have available to you, as it is far easier to swap your talents around.
Glyphs
Major Glyphs
For the single-target build, your major glyph choices are fairly simple, with
a cooldown reduction on an important cooldown, bonus damage on our Fan of Knives
for the moments where you need to AoE, 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.
Minor Glyphs
The Minor glyph choices for both builds are fairly lackluster in their effects and are simply quality of life improvements that we would recommend.
Changelog
- 18 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
- 27 Sep. 2022: Added note regarding weapon choice.
- 22 Sep. 2022: Page added.
This guide was written by Valks and reviewed by Simonize.
Simonize is a long time rogue player and WoW Classic enjoyer focused on PvE content. He has developed spreadsheets and gear analysis tools for Vanilla, Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King PvE rogues.
- Blizzard Discusses WoW Token in Classic
- WoW Token Added to Wrath Classic
- Wrath Classic Joyous Journeys 50% Experience Buff Is Back!
- Wrath Classic Patch 3.4.2 PTR Notes: May 18th
- Death Heat Map for Hardcore Characters and Their Killers
- BlizzCon 2023 in Coming on Nov 3-4
- Blizzard Announces Hardcore Classic
- Icy Veins is Getting a New Look