Subtlety Rogue DPS Spell Summary in Battle for Azeroth (BfA) 8.0.1

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 8.0.1 Changes for Subtlety Rogue
  • 3. Subtlety Rogue Strengths
  • 4. Subtlety Rogue Weaknesses
  • 5. Subtlety Rogue Viability in the Current Patch
  • 6. Contents
  • 7. Changelog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. Foreword
  • 2. The Basics for Subtlety Rogue
  • 3. Talent Choice for Subtlety Rogue
  • 4. Stat Choice for Subtlety Rogue
    • 4.1. Single-Target Stat Priority
    • 4.2. Multi-Target Stat Priority
  • 5. Basic Rotation for Subtlety Rogue
  • 6. Best Azerite Traits for Subtlety Rogue
  • 7. Changelog
• ×Spell Summary
  • 1. Subtlety Rogue Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resources for Subtlety Rogue
  • 3. Basic Abilities for Subtlety Rogue
    • 3.1. Standard Abilities
    • 3.2. Stealth Exclusive Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. DPS Cooldowns for Subtlety Rogue
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices for Subtlety Rogue
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheets for Subtlety Rogue
    • 2.1. Sustain Damage Single-Target (Raiding)
    • 2.2. Burst Damage Single-Target (Raiding)
    • 2.3. Multi-Target (Dungeons)
    • 2.4. General Use
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents for Subtlety Rogue
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents for Subtlety Rogue
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents for Subtlety Rogue
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents for Subtlety Rogue
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents for Subtlety Rogue
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents for Subtlety Rogue
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents for Subtlety Rogue
  • 10. PvP Talents (War Mode)
    • 10.1. Subtlety Rogue War Mode Talents
      • 10.1.1. General PvP Talents
      • 10.1.2. Recommended Subtlety Rogue PvP Talents
  • 11. Changelog
• +Azerite Traits and Armor
  • 1. Choosing Azerite Gear as a Subtlety Rogue
  • 2. Choosing Azerite Traits as a Subtlety Rogue
    • 2.1. Outer Ring
    • 2.2. Middle Ring
    • 2.3. Inner Ring
  • 3. Azerite Trait Rotation Changes and Details for Subtlety Rogue
  • 4. Relative Strength of Azerite Traits for Subtlety Rogue
    • 4.1. DPS Azerite Trait Ranking for Subtlety Rogue
    • 4.2. Single-Target Outer Ring
    • 4.3. Single-Target Middle Ring
  • 5. Find Azerite Armor By Trait/Power
  • 6. Changelog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Ability Priority List for Subtlety Rogue
    • 1.1. Single Target
    • 1.2. Multiple Targets (2+)
  • 2. Opener Sequence for Subtlety Rogue
  • 3. Important Notes for Subtlety Rogue
    • 3.1. Combo Points and Energy
      • 3.1.1. Pooling
    • 3.2. Shadow Dance
      • 3.2.1. Shadow Dance Rotation on Single-Target
      • 3.2.2. Shadow Dance Rotation on Multi-Target (4+)
    • 3.3. Vanish
    • 3.4. Defensive Utility
    • 3.5. Pandemic
  • 4. Core Concepts for Subtlety Rogue
    • 4.1. Resource Management
    • 4.2. Cooldown Usage
      • 4.2.1. Personal Initiative
  • 5. Changelog
• +Mythic+ Tips
  • 1. Subtlety Rogue in Mythic+
  • 2. Subtlety Rogue Mythic+ Rotation
    • 2.1. Opener Sequence on 4+ Targets
    • 2.2. Opener Sequence on Packs with a Priority Target
    • 2.3. Opener Sequence on Packs with an Infested Mob
    • 2.4. Subtlety Rogue Utility
  • 3. Mythic+ Talents for Subtlety Rogues
  • 4. Mythic+ Affixes
    • 4.1. Tier One Affixes
    • 4.2. Tier Two Affixes
    • 4.3. Tier Three Affixes
    • 4.4. Seasonal Affix
  • 5. Mythic+ Azerite Traits
  • 6. Changelog
• +Common and Worst Mistakes
  • 1. Overcapping Resources
  • 2. Not Pooling Energy
  • 3. Not Getting The Maximum Amount of Shadowstrikes Inside A Shadow Dance
  • 4. Not Using Cooldowns Together
  • 5. Mismanaging Nightblade
  • 6. Not Fully Utilizing Shuriken Combo
  • 7. Not Knowing How To Sim Yourself
  • 8. Analyzing Your Mistakes as a Subtlety Rogue
  • 9. Changelog
• +Frequently Asked Questions
  • 1. Battle for Azeroth Frequently Asked Questions
    • 1.1. Should I Use Fast or Slow Off-Hand Weapons?
    • 1.2. Why Does Haste Have Such High Value in Simulationcraft?
    • 1.3. Does Our Stat Priority Change on Multi-Target?
    • 1.4. What Azerite Traits Should I Aim To Get?
    • 1.5. What Piece is Better, X or Y?
    • 1.6. How Much of X Stat Should I Have?
  • 2. Changelog
• +Boss by Boss Strategies
  • 1. Disclaimer
  • 2. Subtlety Rogue in Uldir
    • 2.1. Talent Cheatsheet
  • 3. Taloc
    • 3.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on Taloc
    • 3.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on Taloc
      • 3.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 3.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage and Important Targets
  • 4. M.O.T.H.E.R.
    • 4.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on M.O.T.H.E.R.
    • 4.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on M.O.T.H.E.R.
      • 4.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 4.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage and Important Targets
  • 5. Fetid Devourer
    • 5.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on Fetid Devourer
    • 5.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on Fetid Devourer
      • 5.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 5.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage and Important Targets
  • 6. Zek'voz, Herald of N'Zoth
    • 6.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on Zek'voz, Herald of N'Zoth
    • 6.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on Zek'voz, Herald of N'Zoth
      • 6.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 6.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage and Important Targets
  • 7. Vectis
    • 7.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on Vectis
    • 7.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on Vectis
      • 7.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 7.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage and Important Targets
  • 8. Zul, Reborn
    • 8.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on Zul, Reborn
    • 8.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on Zul, Reborn
      • 8.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 8.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage and Important Targets
  • 9. Mythrax the Unraveler
    • 9.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on Mythrax the Unraveler
    • 9.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on Mythrax the Unraveler
      • 9.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 9.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage
  • 10. G'huun
    • 10.1. Suggested Talents for Subtlety Rogue on G'huun
    • 10.2. Subtlety Rogue Playstyle on G'huun
      • 10.2.1. Mechanics to be Aware of
      • 10.2.2. DPS Cooldown Usage and Important Targets
  • 11. Changelog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. The Basics of Stats for Subtlety Rogue
    • 1.1. Single-Target Stat Priority
    • 1.2. Multi-Target Stat Priority
  • 2. Important Notes About Stat Priorities
  • 3. Subtlety Rogue: Getting a Better Understanding
  • 4. Changelog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems for Subtlety Rogue
  • 2. Enchants for Subtlety Rogue
  • 3. Consumables for Subtlety Rogue
  • 4. Changelog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. AddOns for Subtlety Rogue
    • 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 for Subtlety Rogue
    • 2.1. Spammable Dance to Shadowstrike
    • 2.2. Startattack Macros
    • 2.3. Tricks of the Trade
• +Gear and Best in Slot
  • 1. Best in Slot Items for Subtlety Rogue from Uldir
  • 2. Azerite Gear for Subtlety Rogue
  • 3. Trinkets
    • 3.1. Single-Target
    • 3.2. Single-Target with Add Waves
  • 4. Gearing Up for Raiding
    • 4.1. Heroic Dungeons
    • 4.2. World Quests
    • 4.3. Professions
    • 4.4. Reputation
    • 4.5. Dungeon Trinkets
    • 4.6. World Quest Trinkets
    • 4.7. Raid and World Boss Trinkets
  • 5. Pre-Raid Azerite Gear
    • 5.1. Azerite Helms
    • 5.2. Azerite Shoulders
    • 5.3. Azerite Chests
  • 6. Changelog
• +Simulations
  • 1. Disclaimer Page
  • 2. Subtlety Rogue Outer Ring Azerite Trait Single-Target Simulation
  • 3. Subtlety Rogue Outer Ring Stacked Azerite Trait Single-Target Simulation
  • 4. Subtlety Rogue Middle Ring Azerite Trait Single-Target Simulation
  • 5. Subtlety Rogue Outer Ring Azerite Trait 3+ Target Simulation
  • 6. Subtlety Rogue Middle Ring Azerite Trait 3+ Target Simulation
  • 7. Subtlety Rogue Racial Bonus Simulation
  • 8. Changelog

General Information

On this page, we list the spells that you will often use as a Subtlety Rogue.

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

About Our Author

This guide has been written by Ashine, European Champion of the second Mythic Dungeon Invitational and a member of two top 60 guilds, Wiping as Intended and Group Therapy. He is regarded as one of the top Subtlety Rogues in the world and contributes a fair bit to the spec's theorycrafting. You can watch him play on Twitch.

1. Subtlety Rogue Spell Summary

If you are new to Subtlety, it is recommended you read this before proceeding! In this section we will discuss what abilities you have, what they are used for within the specialization, and how they interact with important cooldowns. If you have played this spec before or have already achieved a level of comfort playing this spec in a practical environment, it is recommended you skip this section and move on to the rest of the guide.

2. Main Resources for Subtlety Rogue

Energy is the main resource of Subtlety Rogues. Energy is generated passively, the rate of which can be increased by Haste, active abilities, talents, and procs.

Combo Points are another primary resource utilized by Subtlety Rogues. Some of your abilities generate Combo Points, while finishing moves spend them, dealing increased damage per Combo Point.

Cooldowns such as Shadow Dance and Vanish also function as rotational "resources" for Subtlety, as they enable you to use unique abilities that can only be activated in Stealth. Keeping careful track of these abilities, which will be discussed at greater length later in the guide, is just as important as managing your Energy and Combo Points.

3. Basic Abilities for Subtlety Rogue

3.1. Standard Abilities

These abilities are available no matter what talents you chose, and form the bread and butter of this specialization.

Backstab is your main filler and Combo Point generator. It generates a single Combo Point per cast and deals 20% extra damage if you are behind your target.

Eviscerate is your main finisher, and deals increased damage per Combo Point consumed.

Nightblade is a finishing move that applies a damage over time effect that deals Shadow damage, and lasts longer per Combo Point consumed. It also makes the target take 15% more damage from you. This should be maintained on your primary target at all times.

Shuriken Storm deals damage to all targets within 10 yards, and generates 1 Combo Point per enemy hit. Shuriken Storm deals 50% increased damage if you are in Stealth or Shadow Dance. You should use this as your primary Combo Point generator on 2 or more targets, and only on 3 or more targets in Shadow Dance. Shuriken Storm also has important passive to us Shuriken Combo which helps our single target when fighting multiple targets.

3.2. Stealth Exclusive Abilities

Some of your abilities can only be used in Stealth, or while your Shadow Dance is active.

Shadowstrike is your main filler when Shadow Dance is active. Shadowstrike generates 2 Combo Points.

You should still spend Combo Points if you cap while Shadow Dance is active. Eviscerate is usable at all times.

4. Important Procs

Deepening Shadows causes your finishers to reduce the cooldown of Shadow Dance by 1.5 seconds per Combo Point spent.

Shadow Techniques grants your auto attacks a chance to generate a Combo Point and grant 8 Energy.

Relentless Strikes guarantees an Energy refund of 6 Energy per Combo Point spent on finishers.

5. DPS Cooldowns for Subtlety Rogue

Shadow Dance is your main DPS cooldown. It allows you to shift into a state of Stealth, accessing unique abilities. It has 2 charges with a 60-second recharge time. This ability is used strategically with Symbols of Death to maximize damage output. You should keep careful track of your Energy and Combo Points before entering Shadow Dance so you can maximize the short time available to you.

Symbols of Death generates 40 Energy and increases damage done by 15% for 10 seconds, on a 30-second cooldown. This is one of our primary cooldowns, and we like to pair it with a Shadow Dance when possible.

Shadow Blades is a powerful cooldown that causes your Combo Point-generating abilities to generate 1 additional Combo Point and deal 50 % additional damage as Shadow. This lasts for 20 seconds, and has a lengthy 3-minute cooldown. This ability does not need to be thought about too much and can safely be used on cooldown.

Vanish instantly puts you in Stealth. This is essentially a poor man's Shadow Dance and can be used to get an extra Shadowstrike.