Outlaw Rogue DPS Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities — Shadowlands 9.0.5
On this page, you will learn how to optimize the rotation of your Outlaw Rogue in both single-target and multiple-target situations. We also have advanced sections about cooldowns, procs, etc. in order to minmax your DPS. All our content is updated for World of Warcraft — Shadowlands 9.0.5.
If you were looking for WoW Classic content, please refer to our Classic DPS Rogue rotation.
Outlaw Rogue Rotation
Welcome to our Rotation page for Outlaw Rogues. Here you will find out more about your rotational priorities in both single-target and multi-target situations which you will apply in both Raiding and Mythic+ scenarios.
Easy Mode
If you are just starting out you might want to get more comfortable with your Outlaw Rogue by using a more simplified yet still effective build and rotation. You can find out more about it in our Easy Mode section.
Mythic+ Rotation
For information about Mythic+ as an Outlaw Rogue and the rotation you need to use in this game mode, please refer to our Mythic+ page.
PvP
The content on this page is purely PvE-related. If you are looking for PvP Rotation Tips, please visit our PvP page below.
Single Target Ability Priority List for Outlaw Rogue
We have provided rotation switches below that allow you to adjust the priority list based on your talent choices. Simply check the boxes to select the talents you intend on playing with.
- Playing with
Quick Draw.
- Playing with
Ghostly Strike.
- Playing with
Deeper Stratagem.
- Playing with
Marked for Death.
- Playing with
Blade Rush.
- Playing with
Killing Spree.
- Use
Roll the Bones on cooldown unless you have any of the desired buffs (see dedicated Roll the Bones section for details).
- Activate
Adrenaline Rush.
- Cast
Slice and Dice at maximum Combo Points. Use it with 4+ CP whenever you have
Broadside active.
- Cast
Between the Eyes at maximum Combo Points. Use it with 4+ CP whenever you have
Broadside active.
- Use your Covenant ability.
- Cast
Dispatch at maximum Combo Points. Use it with 4+ CP whenever you have
Broadside active.
- Cast
Vanish followed up by
Ambush.
- Cast
Pistol Shot if you have an
Opportunity proc and you have 4 or less Combo Points.
- Cast
Sinister Strike to generate Combo Points.
Multi Target Ability Priority List for Outlaw Rogue
- Cast
Blade Flurry if there are 2+ targets.
- Use
Roll the Bones on cooldown unless you have any of the desired buffs (see dedicated Roll the Bones section for details).
- Activate
Adrenaline Rush.
- Cast
Slice and Dice at maximum Combo Points. Use it with 4+ CP whenever you have
Broadside active.
- Cast
Between the Eyes at maximum Combo Points. Use it with 4+ CP whenever you have
Broadside active.
- Use your Covenant ability.
- Cast
Dispatch at maximum Combo Points. Use it with 4+ CP whenever you have
Broadside active.
- Cast
Vanish followed up by
Ambush.
- Cast
Pistol Shot if you have an
Opportunity proc and you have 4 or less Combo Points.
- Cast
Sinister Strike to generate Combo Points.
Opener Sequence for Outlaw Rogue
Depending on your talents, there are a handful of abilities you will want to
use before the pull actually happens. Roll the Bones should be used
right before engaging the enemy. When talented into
Marked for Death,
you will want to use it ~14 seconds before pulling and then use the Combo Points
for
Slice and Dice as the fight begins.
Single-target Opening Sequence
- Use
Marked for Death ~10seconds before pull if talented.
- Cast
Stealth.
- Use
Roll the Bones 2 seconds before pull.
- Cast
Slice and Dice 1 second before pull.
- Cast
Ambush as well as
Adrenaline Rush.
- Cast
Vanish followed by
Ambush.
- Use
Blade Rush.
- Use your Covenant ability.
- Use
Between the Eyes with 5+ Combo Points, or
Slice and Dice if you are playing without
Marked for Death.
After using Between the Eyes/Slice and Dice you follow the aforementioned single-target priority list.
Important Notes for Outlaw Rogue
Roll the Bones
Roll the Bones is a cooldown that grants one or more
random buffs. The duration of the Roll the Bones (and the buffs it gives you) is
affected by Pandemic (meaning you can safely refresh when Roll the Bones has
less than 30% of its duration remaining). There are 6 different buffs you can
potentially receive, and it is possible to receive multiple buffs from a single
cast, although the chance to receive extra buffs is lessened per extra buff.
The buffs are as follows:
True Bearing causes finishing moves to reduce the remaining cooldown of some of your abilities (including
Adrenaline Rush) by 1 second per Combo Point;
Ruthless Precision increases your Critical Strike chance by 20% and the Critical Strike chance of
Between the Eyes by 60%;
Skull and Crossbones boosts
Sinister Strike's chance to strike an additional time by 30%;
Grand Melee now causes your finishers to extend the duration of your
Slice and Dice by 2 seconds per CP spent as well as providing 15% leech;
Broadside causes your Combo Point-generating abilities to generate 1 additional Combo Point and increases their damage by 20%;
Buried Treasure increases your Energy regeneration by 4 per second.
The chance of receiving multiple buffs is as follows:
- 1
Roll the Bones buff: 100.0% chance;
- 2
Roll the Bones buffs: 19% chance;
- 5
Roll the Bones buffs: 1% chance.
Order of buff value for an extended encounter (raid boss):
The value of each buff fluctuates somewhat depending on the combination with other buffs and whether or not cooldowns are available, but this can be used as a rough reference.
Pro Tip: How to Roll the Bones
The basic rule to satisfy regarding Roll the Bones is to keep your
buffs if any of the following conditions are met:
- you have a single buff and it is either
Broadside or
True Bearing OR
- you have 2 buffs, unless it is
Grand Melee and
Buried Treasure OR
- you have 3 or more buffs.
If none of these conditions are met, you will want to re-roll Roll the Bones for a different buff or group of buffs as it comes off cooldown.
This priority changes slightly when you are using Sleight of Hand as
your Potency Conduit. You will always re-roll for 2+ buffs in this case, and
re-roll your 2-buff if it is
Grand Melee and
Buried Treasure.
Vanish and Killing Spree/Blade Rush as DPS cooldowns
Vanish is a useful DPS cooldown thanks to the Potency Conduit
Count the Odds. You should use it on cooldown for an
Ambush.
A key part of maximizing AoE DPS, will come from lining up
Killing Spree /
Blade Rush with time periods when they
are able to hit the maximum number of targets, and making sure that you have
Blade Flurry for those times. Since Blade Flurry does not have 100%
uptime, it will need to be managed a lot more carefully, and sometimes
you will need to miss out on some AoE/cleave, if it means you get better uptime
on it, when there are more enemies.
Combo Points and Energy
As a Rogue, most of your abilities need Energy to be used. Your Energy
bar has a capacity of 100 Energy (150 with Vigor chosen as your
Tier 3 talent and 200 during
Adrenaline Rush) and refills at a rate of
10 Energy per second. Your Energy regeneration is increased by:
- Melee haste (Haste + Haste-enhancing buffs);
- the
Combat Potency passive, which causes your off-hand attacks to have a chance to generate 10 Energy;
- your
Adrenaline Rush cooldown, which temporarily increases your Energy regeneration by 60%;
Vigor, if chosen as your Tier 3 talent.
The faster you regenerate Energy, the more finishers you can cast, which
(via True Bearing and
Restless Blades) will result in
higher
Adrenaline Rush uptimes.
Letting your Energy reach its maximum is something you want to avoid. You
should always try to spend your Energy by (literally) spamming your buttons.
Unlike Subtlety and Assassination Rogues, Outlaw Rogues generally do not
benefit from Energy pooling. There are many situations when you will generate
more Energy than you can spend (Haste trinket procs, Bloodlust /
Heroism /
Time Warp, etc.) and you should spam your
buttons even harder than usual during such times.
Combo Point generation is increased by a variety of factors, such as:
- Tier 1 talents;
Opportunity procs when talented into
Quick Draw;
Sinister Strike striking twice;
Roll the Bones buffs such as
Broadside;
- your
Ruthlessness passive ability, which grants your finishers a 20% chance per Combo Point consumed to grant a Combo Point;
- Energy regeneration, allowing you to cast more generators.
You should never waste Combo Points. Never cast a Combo Point-generating
ability when you are at maximum Combo Points. Be aware of situations where you
are guaranteed to generate 2 Combo Points with your generators, for example
during Broadside or when using
Pistol Shot with an Opportunity
proc when talented into
Quick Draw.
Adrenaline Rush
Adrenaline Rush increases your Energy regeneration by 60%, maximum Energy
by 50 and your attack speed by 20% for 20 seconds. It should be used on cooldown.
Do not hesitate to stack it with
Bloodlust,
Heroism, or
Time Warp as you will still benefit from the increased attack speed,
though you will likely Energy cap (this is not a problem).
Adrenaline Rush has a 3-minute cooldown, but this can be reduced by
the
True Bearing buff and
Restless Blades.
Optimizing Ghostly Strike
While Ghostly Strike is the best choice for single-target, it
bears mention that it slightly changes the rotational priorities. In order to
maximize its benefits, you will want to consume your
Opportunity procs
only when you are below 70 energy.
True Bearing Cooldown Reduction
True Bearing reduces the cooldowns of the following abilities by
2 seconds per Combo Point consumed by a finisher:
Roll the Bones
Adrenaline Rush
Sprint
Between the Eyes
Vanish
Grappling Hook
Killing Spree
Marked for Death
Blade Rush
Ghostly Strike
Blade Flurry
Blade Flurry
It is worth reiterating that the source of Blade Flurry cleave
is you, not the target. Therefore, you can stand with one mob directly in front
with another directly behind you, and your
Blade Flurry will
still cleave both, as the player is the source of the cleave.
Defensive Utility
All Rogues come ready made with a dizzying phalanx of defensive cooldowns, which make them the best candidate for soaking required mechanics and dealing with heavy incoming damage.
Feint reduces AoE damage taken by 40% for 5 seconds for only 35 Energy. When talented into
Elusiveness it also reduces all other damage by 30%. This is one of the most overpowered abilities in the game and a huge asset on fights with heavy raid damage. Do not forget about this button!
Cloak of Shadows provides magic immunity for a second, followed by 4 seconds where all spells will miss. This spell is mostly used for clearing debuffs that might otherwise force you out of melee range. Cloak of Shadows is also a fantastic tool for soaking abilities that do not pierce immunities.
Cheat Death is a talent that allows you to escape lethal damage once every 6 minutes. The damage cannot exceed more than twice your maximum health. Cheat Death is great for soaking mechanics that pierce immunities and damage reductions, as it guarantees your survival. It is also great for encounters with bursty damage that might take you by surprise, as you get a get out of jail free card once every 6 minutes.
Crimson Vial provides a respectable amount of healing on a very short cooldown. Use this often in boss encounters.
Evasion provides a 100% increased chance to dodge enemy attacks as long as you are facing them. This can sometimes be used to avoid physical spells as well.
Poisons
Your Lethal Poison should always be Instant Poison.
You have two choices for your non-lethal poison, Crippling Poison and
Numbing Poison. For raiding you will generally use Numbing Poison
unless your raid wants you to slow a specific group of targets. For
Mythic+ you will want to use the poison that best suits your tank's needs.
Crippling Poison allows your tank to more easily kite enemies,
whereas Numbing Poison slows their attack speed instead. You will also
need to have Numbing Poison applied if you want to soothe Enrage effects
when you use
Shiv as the enrage dispel does not happen when you have
Crippling Poison active.
Core Concepts for Outlaw Rogue
This specialization involves a lot of fast finger work, particularly during cooldown periods. Learning to focus on what is important and master the core concepts of a specialization is what leads to strong overall performances on the damage charts. Outlaw features 2 major concepts that form the central tenets of optimizing for success:
- practical usage of
Roll the Bones;
- resource management.
Practical Usage of Roll the Bones
You will want to re-roll for new Roll the Bones buffs once your
previous ones are about to run out. Any 2-buff or 5-buff should be kept until
they have run their full duration, with the exception of Grand Melee in
combination with Buried Treasure.
Resource Management
Unlike the other Rogue specialization, Energy management is incredibly easy
for Outlaw Rogues as
you have a very high rate of regeneration. It can be very easy, however, to
overcap Combo Points if you are not careful. Pay close attention to your
current Roll the Bones buffs along with your Combo Point tracker. Do
not waste
Opportunity procs when you are already capped on Combo
Points.
Extended Outlaw Rotation
The fully inclusive rotation, is a lot more extensive than the one listed above, but gives only marginal gains at best, as such, it is included here (in raw simc format), but it does not need to be memorized.
# Default consumables potion=phantom_fire flask=spectral_flask_of_power food=feast_of_gluttonous_hedonism augmentation=veiled temporary_enchant=main_hand:shaded_sharpening_stone/off_hand:shaded_sharpening_stone # This default action priority list is automatically created based on your character. # It is a attempt to provide you with a action list that is both simple and practicable, # while resulting in a meaningful and good simulation. It may not result in the absolutely highest possible dps. # Feel free to edit, adapt and improve it to your own needs. # SimulationCraft is always looking for updates and improvements to the default action lists. # Executed before combat begins. Accepts non-harmful actions only. actions.precombat=apply_poison actions.precombat+=/flask actions.precombat+=/augmentation actions.precombat+=/food # Snapshot raid buffed stats before combat begins and pre-potting is done. actions.precombat+=/snapshot_stats actions.precombat+=/marked_for_death,precombat_seconds=10,if=raid_event.adds.in>25 actions.precombat+=/roll_the_bones,precombat_seconds=2 actions.precombat+=/slice_and_dice,precombat_seconds=1 actions.precombat+=/stealth # Executed every time the actor is available. # Restealth if possible (no vulnerable enemies in combat) actions=stealth # Interrupt on cooldown to allow simming interactions with that actions+=/kick # Reroll single buffs early other than True Bearing and Broadside actions+=/variable,name=rtb_reroll,value=rtb_buffs<2&(!buff.true_bearing.up&!buff.broadside.up) # Ensure we get full Ambush CP gains and aren't rerolling Count the Odds buffs away actions+=/variable,name=ambush_condition,value=combo_points.deficit>=2+buff.broadside.up&energy>=50&(!conduit.count_the_odds|buff.roll_the_bones.remains>=10) # Finish at maximum CP but avoid wasting Broadside and Quick Draw bonus combo points actions+=/variable,name=finish_condition,value=combo_points>=cp_max_spend-buff.broadside.up-(buff.opportunity.up*talent.quick_draw.enabled)|combo_points=animacharged_cp # With multiple targets, this variable is checked to decide whether some CDs should be synced with Blade Flurry actions+=/variable,name=blade_flurry_sync,value=spell_targets.blade_flurry<2&raid_event.adds.in>20|buff.blade_flurry.remains>1+talent.killing_spree.enabled actions+=/run_action_list,name=stealth,if=stealthed.all actions+=/call_action_list,name=cds actions+=/run_action_list,name=finish,if=variable.finish_condition actions+=/call_action_list,name=build actions+=/arcane_torrent,if=energy.deficit>=15+energy.regen actions+=/arcane_pulse actions+=/lights_judgment actions+=/bag_of_tricks actions.build=sepsis actions.build+=/ghostly_strike actions.build+=/shiv,if=runeforge.tiny_toxic_blade actions.build+=/echoing_reprimand actions.build+=/serrated_bone_spike,cycle_targets=1,if=buff.slice_and_dice.up&!dot.serrated_bone_spike_dot.ticking|fight_remains<=5|cooldown.serrated_bone_spike.charges_fractional>=2.75 # Use Pistol Shot with Opportunity if Combat Potency won't overcap energy, when it will exactly cap CP, or when using Quick Draw actions.build+=/pistol_shot,if=buff.opportunity.up&(energy.deficit>(energy.regen+10)|combo_points.deficit<=1+buff.broadside.up|talent.quick_draw.enabled) actions.build+=/pistol_shot,if=buff.opportunity.up&(buff.greenskins_wickers.up|buff.concealed_blunderbuss.up) actions.build+=/sinister_strike actions.build+=/gouge,if=talent.dirty_tricks.enabled&combo_points.deficit>=1+buff.broadside.up # Blade Flurry on 2+ enemies actions.cds=blade_flurry,if=spell_targets>=2&!buff.blade_flurry.up # Using Ambush is a 2% increase, so Vanish can be sometimes be used as a utility spell unless using Master Assassin or Deathly Shadows actions.cds+=/vanish,if=!runeforge.mark_of_the_master_assassin&!stealthed.all&variable.ambush_condition&(!runeforge.deathly_shadows|buff.deathly_shadows.down&combo_points<=2) # With Master Asssassin, sync Vanish with a finisher or Ambush depending on BtE cooldown, or always a finisher with MfD actions.cds+=/variable,name=vanish_ma_condition,if=runeforge.mark_of_the_master_assassin&!talent.marked_for_death.enabled,value=(!cooldown.between_the_eyes.ready&variable.finish_condition)|(cooldown.between_the_eyes.ready&variable.ambush_condition) actions.cds+=/variable,name=vanish_ma_condition,if=runeforge.mark_of_the_master_assassin&talent.marked_for_death.enabled,value=variable.finish_condition actions.cds+=/vanish,if=variable.vanish_ma_condition&master_assassin_remains=0&variable.blade_flurry_sync actions.cds+=/flagellation actions.cds+=/flagellation_cleanse,if=debuff.flagellation.remains<2 actions.cds+=/adrenaline_rush,if=!buff.adrenaline_rush.up actions.cds+=/roll_the_bones,if=master_assassin_remains=0&(buff.roll_the_bones.remains<=3|variable.rtb_reroll) # If adds are up, snipe the one with lowest TTD. Use when dying faster than CP deficit or without any CP. actions.cds+=/marked_for_death,target_if=min:target.time_to_die,if=raid_event.adds.up&(target.time_to_die<combo_points.deficit|!stealthed.rogue&combo_points.deficit>=cp_max_spend-1) # If no adds will die within the next 30s, use MfD on boss without any CP. actions.cds+=/marked_for_death,if=raid_event.adds.in>30-raid_event.adds.duration&!stealthed.rogue&combo_points.deficit>=cp_max_spend-1 # Attempt to sync Killing Spree with Vanish for Master Assassin actions.cds+=/variable,name=killing_spree_vanish_sync,value=!runeforge.mark_of_the_master_assassin|cooldown.vanish.remains>10|master_assassin_remains>2 # Use in 1-2T if BtE is up and won't cap Energy, or at 3T+ (2T+ with Deathly Shadows) or when Master Assassin is up. actions.cds+=/killing_spree,if=variable.blade_flurry_sync&variable.killing_spree_vanish_sync&!stealthed.rogue&(debuff.between_the_eyes.up&energy.deficit>(energy.regen*2+15)|spell_targets.blade_flurry>(2-buff.deathly_shadows.up)|master_assassin_remains>0) actions.cds+=/blade_rush,if=variable.blade_flurry_sync&(energy.time_to_max>2|spell_targets>2) actions.cds+=/dreadblades,if=!stealthed.all&combo_points<=1 actions.cds+=/shadowmeld,if=!stealthed.all&variable.ambush_condition actions.cds+=/potion,if=buff.bloodlust.react|fight_remains<30|buff.adrenaline_rush.up actions.cds+=/blood_fury actions.cds+=/berserking actions.cds+=/fireblood actions.cds+=/ancestral_call # Default conditions for usable items. actions.cds+=/use_items,slots=trinket1,if=!runeforge.mark_of_the_master_assassin&debuff.between_the_eyes.up&(!talent.ghostly_strike.enabled|debuff.ghostly_strike.up)|master_assassin_remains>0|trinket.1.has_stat.any_dps|fight_remains<=20 actions.cds+=/use_items,slots=trinket2,if=!runeforge.mark_of_the_master_assassin&debuff.between_the_eyes.up&(!talent.ghostly_strike.enabled|debuff.ghostly_strike.up)|master_assassin_remains>0|trinket.2.has_stat.any_dps|fight_remains<=20 actions.finish=slice_and_dice,if=buff.slice_and_dice.remains<fight_remains&refreshable # BtE on cooldown to keep the Crit debuff up, unless the target is about to die actions.finish+=/between_the_eyes,if=target.time_to_die>3 actions.finish+=/dispatch actions.stealth=dispatch,if=variable.finish_condition actions.stealth+=/ambush
Changelog
- 09 Mar. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
- 13 Feb. 2021: Updated rotational priorities, added Ghostly Strike information.
- 15 Jan. 2021: Updated sample opener.
- 24 Dec. 2020: Updated Roll the Bones priorities.
- 21 Dec. 2020: Added Poison section.
- 02 Dec. 2020: Updated rotational priorities and re-roll logic.
- 23 Nov. 2020: Page updated for the Shadowlands release, updated Roll the Bones and rotational priorities, added rotational switches.
- 24 Oct. 2020: Updated rotational and Roll the Bones priorities.
- 12 Oct. 2020: Page updated for the Shadowlands pre-patch.
More Rogue Guides
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This guide has been written and reviewed by Seliathan, who has been playing Rogue since the first day of Classic. He currently raids in Familiar with Drama, and is one of the foremost Mythic+ Rogue players. You can often find him streaming on Twitch, or follow him on his personal Discord server.
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