Assassination Rogue DPS Artifact Talents/Traits and Relics (Legion 7.3)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.3 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 4. Patch 7.2 Changes
  • 5. Strengths
  • 6. Weaknesses
  • 7. Viability in the Current Patch
  • 8. Contents
  • 9. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resources
  • 3. Basic Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. DPS Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheets
    • 2.1. Raid Encounters
    • 2.2. General Purpose/Leveling
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 10. ChangeLog
• ×Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression — First 35 Points
    • 1.1. Early Point Investment
    • 1.2. Second Golden Trait
    • 1.3. Third Golden Trait
    • 1.4. Final Point Investment
  • 2. Patch 7.2: 35+ Trait Path
  • 3. Relic Choice
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Netherlight Crucible Relic Paths
  • 1. General Optimization Advice
  • 2. Tier 2 Upgrade Priority
  • 3. Tier 3 Upgrade Priority
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Ability Priority List
  • 2. Poisons
  • 3. Important Notes
    • 3.1. The Interaction Between Combo Points and Energy
    • 3.2. Pooling Energy and Combo Points
    • 3.3. Surge of Toxins
    • 3.4. Rupture
      • 3.4.1. Pandemic and Rupture Refresh
    • 3.5. Vendetta Usage
    • 3.6. Kingsbane
    • 3.7. Defensive Utility
  • 4. Core Concepts
    • 4.1. Ability Uptimes
    • 4.2. Cooldown Usage
    • 4.3. Resource Management
    • 4.4. Opening Sequence
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Boss by Boss Strategies
  • 1. Tomb of Sargeras
    • 1.1. Goroth
      • 1.1.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.2. The Demonic Inquisition
      • 1.2.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.3. Harjatan
      • 1.3.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.4. Sisters of the Moon
      • 1.4.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.5. Mistress Sassz'ine
      • 1.5.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.6. The Desolate Host
      • 1.6.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.7. Maiden of Vigilance
      • 1.7.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.8. Fallen Avatar
      • 1.8.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 1.9. Kil'jaeden
      • 1.9.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
  • 2. The Nighthold
    • 2.1. Skorpyron
      • 2.1.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.2. Chronomatic Anomaly
      • 2.2.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.3. Trilliax
      • 2.3.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.4. Spellblade Aluriel
      • 2.4.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.5. Tichondrius
      • 2.5.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.6. Star Augur Etraeus
      • 2.6.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.7. Krosus
      • 2.7.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.8. High Botanist Tel'arn
      • 2.8.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.9. Grand Magistrix Elisande
      • 2.9.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
    • 2.10. Gul'dan
      • 2.10.1. Talents, Trinkets, and Legendaries
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Stat Priority
    • 1.1. Master Poisoner/Toxic Blade
    • 1.2. Elaborate Planning/Alacrity
    • 1.3. Elaborate Planning/Exsanguinate
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
    • 1.1. Master Poisoner/Toxic Blade or Elaborate Planning/Alacrity
    • 1.2. Elaborate Planning/Exsanguinate
  • 2. Enchants
    • 2.1. Master Poisoner/Toxic Blade or Elaborate Planning/Alacrity
    • 2.2. Elaborate Planning/Exsanguinate
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. AddOns
    • 1.1. ElvUI
    • 1.2. Weak Auras
    • 1.3. Boss Mods
      • 1.3.1. BigWigs Bossmods
      • 1.3.2. Deadly Boss Mods
    • 1.4. Name Plates
      • 1.4.1. KUI Nameplates
      • 1.4.2. TidyPlates
    • 1.5. Damage Meters
      • 1.5.1. Skada
      • 1.5.2. Details
    • 1.6. Extra AddOns
      • 1.6.1. Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 1.6.2. Death Note
      • 1.6.3. Doom CooldownPulse
      • 1.6.4. Angry Assignments
  • 2. Macros
    • 2.1. Startattack Macros
    • 2.2. Tricks of the Trade
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Tier 20 Set Bonuses
  • 2. Best in Slot List
    • 2.1. Trinket List
  • 3. Evaluating Upgrades Using Stat Weights
  • 4. Racial Bonuses
  • 5. Legendaries
  • 6. Loot Competition
  • 7. ChangeLog

General Information

This page shows you how to level up the Artifact and how to choose the right Relics for your Assassination Rogues. It is updated for World of Warcraft Legion 7.3.

The other pages of our Assassination Rogue guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been written by Furty, who has an illustrious history in the World of Warcraft raiding scene and race for World First. He has been a member of guilds such as Serenity, Midwinter, and many more, and is currently raiding in Future. He plays most classes at the highest level. You can follow him on Twitter and watch him play on Twitch.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Perfecto, an Outlaw/Assassination Rogue who raids in Method.

1. Artifact Progression — First 35 Points

1.1. Early Point Investment

After acquiring the initial point, Assassin's Blades, head left into Toxic Blades and grab Urge to Kill. This is useful as you no longer have to pool Energy in anticipation of Vendetta and allows you to dump all your Energy in the opener before popping Vendetta. Moving into Master Assassin will allow you to use Vendetta more often, which boosts your single target noticeably and has much better synergy with Exsanguinate. Gushing Wound is one of the best traits on the tree as Rupture comprises a large majority of your damage. Snag your first Golden Trait, Blood of the Assassinated, which is a huge boon to your over damage on both single target and cleave.

1.2. Second Golden Trait

Move up from Gushing Wound into Master Alchemist for the increase to poison damage. Grab your second Golden Trait, Bag of Tricks, which is a nice boost to single target and cleave and procs about once a minute.

1.3. Third Golden Trait

Going back to the starting point, Assassin's Blades, head downwards into Poison Knives. Head into Surge of Toxins and grab the juicy Rupture critical chance in Serrated Edge. Acquire your final Golden Trait, From the Shadows, which is a nice boost to round out your Kingslayers.

1.4. Final Point Investment

Balanced Blades should be your first pickup after grabbing all the Golden Traits. It is largely personal preference after this point, but I personally like to head upwards from Blood of the Assassinated into Fade into Shadows for the cooldown reduction on Cloak of Shadows. Shadow Swiftness is a good pickup for 1 point as well, especially for players that are quick to jump the trigger on the opener and end up getting instantly killed on the pull (you know who you are). Finally, the cooldown reduction on Sprint next to Bag of Tricks is a good choice for your final points as it is not very helpful.

2. Patch 7.2: 35+ Trait Path

Patch 7.2 has replaced the 35-54 Paragon system with several additional new traits becoming available upon acquisition of the 35th point. All of the previous Relic traits will also unlock a 4th rank, along with a new Paragon system becoming available after all traits have been filled (via Concordance of the Legionfall) which all additional Artifact Power will be spent on.

Detailed below is our suggested maxing order after 35 traits:

1. Silence of the Uncrowned
2. Strangler
3. Dense Concoction
4. Sinister Circulation
5. Fourth rank of Master Assassin
6. Fourth rank of Gushing Wound
7. Fourth rank of Toxic Blades
8. Fourth rank of Balanced Blades
9. Fourth rank of Serrated Edge
10. Fourth rank of Poison Knives
11. Fourth rank of Master Alchemist
12. Fourth rank of Shadow Walker
13. Fourth rank of Fade into Shadows
14. Concordance of the Legionfall

3. Relic Choice

1. Master Assassin
2. Master Alchemist
3. Toxic Blades
4. Strangler (With Tier 20 4-piece bonus)
5. Gushing Wound
6. Strangler
7. Serrated Edge
8. Balanced Blades
9. Poison Knives

It is recommended you use at least one Master Assassin relic as it offers a large DPS boost. The second Master Assassin relic only adds a negligible boost, however, having all 3 Master Assassin relics results in the best possible setup.

4. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 10 Sep. 2017: Updated Relic Priority and added a note about the 3-Master Assassin relic setup.
• 28 Jun. 2017: Updated Relic Priority.
• 12 Jun. 2017: Updated Relic Priority.
• 17 May 2017: Updated Relic Priority and 7.2 pathing slightly.
• 27 Mar. 2017: Added path for new 7.2 traits.
• 05 Mar. 2017: Added further exposition in the Duskwalker's section.
• 13 Feb. 2017: Updated Relic priority, added additional explanation for Master Assassin Relics.
• 26 Jan. 2017: Updated Relic priority; Toxic Blades roughly on par with Gushing Wound with Tier 19 4-piece bonus.
• 14 Jan. 2017: Added a new Relic priority for players with Duskwalker's Footpads.
• 09 Jan. 2017: Checked and confirmed for Patch 7.1.5.
• 09 Dec. 2016: Updated Relic priorities (Master Assassin/Master Alchemist).
• 07 Oct. 2016: Updated Relic choice.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Added.