Assassination Rogue DPS Easy Mode — Shadowlands 9.2

If you are new to the class or spec, it is best advised to start slow by starting with a straightforward build to get a better handle on the core mechanics and interactions. This build is only marginally worse than the most optimal way to play the spec, so there is no need to worry at all about potentially lacking behind fellow Rogue players while you get to know the foundations of Assassination.

Assassination primarily focuses on maintaining damage over time effects for potent sustained damage and cleave. In this section, we will be focusing on a setup that minimizes the amount of buttons and reactivity necessary without unduly compromising overall damage output.

If you are completely new to Assassination and need more information on the abilities available to you, you can check out our Spell Summary page.

These choices are optimized for ease of use. While some talents can be better in certain situations, this build works very well in all types of content while being not nearly as punishing for unfamiliarity with the core principles of the spec.

• Level 15: Elaborate Planning
• Level 25: Subterfuge
• Level 30: Vigor
• Level 35: Cheat Death
• Level 40: Iron Wire
• Level 45: Alacrity
• Level 50: Poison Bomb

For more in-depth analysis on each of the talent choices and the reasoning behind the aforementioned build as the go-to for ease of use, check out the Talent section below.

All Covenants are viable choices for Assassination Rogue. We recommend selecting Venthyr as your Covenant and Nadjia the Mistblade as your Soulbind for the best overall performance, switching to Night Fae once you unlock the ability to wear two legendaries as well as acquired your new 2-piece and 4-piece set bonuses. The Venthyr Covenant offers the highest single-target damage out of all the covenant choices with only one legendary and no set bonus, and it is only worth switching to Night Fae once you have the appropriate gear for it. Necrolord remains the best choice for cleave and sustained AoE encounters.

Choose these Conduits for your Assassination Rogue:

• Potency: Well-Placed Steel and your Covenant specific Conduit. Lethal Poisons is your third strongest Potency Conduit.
• Finesse: Quick Decisions and Fade to Nothing.
• Endurance: Recuperator and Nimble Fingers.

You can find out more about all four Covenants, as well as all Soulbinds and Conduits in our comprehensive Covenant section:

Currently, you will want to prioritize secondary stats as follows:

1. Critical Strike;
2. Haste;
3. Mastery;
4. Versatility.

For Mythic+, you will want to prioritize stats as follows:

1. Critical Strike;
2. Mastery;
3. Haste;
4. Versatility.

You can learn more about what each stat does for you and which stats are the best for each situation by heading to our stats page.

As you complete the chapters of the new Quest Campaign in 9.2, you will eventually unlock the ability to wear two legendaries thanks to Unity. Unity will always grant you the benefit of your covenant specific legendary power.

Which legendary to play also depends on whether or not you have already gained access to new Assassination Rogue 2-Piece and Assassination Rogue 4-Piece bonuses.

Both Unity and the set bonuses might not be immediately available to you, so make sure to adjust your choice of talents, covenant and legendary power.

When not running the new set bonus, you will be playing Obedience as Venthyr, Dashing Scoundrel when playing Kyrian and Doomblade when playing Night Fae or Necrolord.

Once you acquire your 4-piece set bonus, you will be playing Duskwalker's Patch for every covenant.

For Mythic+ you will be playing Zoldyck Insignia regardless of covenant choice.

Since you will always be using Unity as one of your two Legendaries, we will not mention them here specifically.

Without a set bonus, you will be running Dashing Scoundrel as Venthyr and Kyrian, and Doomblade as Night Fae or Necrolord.

Once you have acquired the 4-piece set bonus, you will be playing Duskwalker's Patch for every covenant.

In Mythic+ you will have to decide between Zoldyck Insignia for more AoE damage, or Duskwalker's Patch for higher priority target and single-target damage.

For more information on other legendary powers and a more detailed explanation as to why these are the best legendary powers available to Assassination, check out our dedicated legendary page:

Always make sure to have Deadly Poison applied.

1. Keep Rupture and Garrote applied to the main target at all times.
2. Maintain Slice and Dice at all times.
3. Use Vendetta on cooldown.
4. Use your Covenant ability on cooldown.
5. Activate Vanish on cooldown and reapply Garrote.
6. Use Shiv on cooldown.
7. Cast Envenom to dump Combo Points and extend Slice and Dice.
8. Use Mutilate to generate Combo Points on 1-3 targets. Use Fan of Knives to generate Combo Points on 4+ targets. Use Ambush instead of Mutilate whenever you are able to.

By following the link you will be able to find a more detailed version of this priority list for both single-target and AoE, as well as deeper explanation into some of the core concepts of Assassination gameplay. If you'd like to know more about how to pool energy properly or how different talents require a different opener, check out the Rotation section of this guide.

• Refresh Rupture and Garrote before activating Vendetta and Shiv, so you do not have to cast these abilities while it is active.
• Always cast finishers at 4-5 Combo Points.
• Maintain Slice and Dice by using Envenom. Cut to the Chase will automatically extend your Slice and Dice duration.
• Try to cast Envenom with 4-5 Combo Points at least twice during each Shiv.