Subtlety Rogue DPS Spell List and Glossary — The War Within (Season 1)

Last updated on Sep 09, 2024 at 18:00 by Oxi 68 comments
General Information

On this page, we present you with all spells and procs that you need to understand as a Subtlety Rogue in World of Warcraft — The War Within (Season 1).

If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Subtlety Rogue spells.

1.

Subtlety Rogue Spell Summary

In this section, we will list almost all of the abilities you gain access to either passively or actively. We will also list commonly used abbreviations that you might find in other parts of this guide or when looking for additional information elsewhere on the Internet.

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 and talents. Shadow Techniques Icon Shadow Techniques also provides some bonus Energy, as does Symbols of Death Icon Symbols of Death. Keeping track of your Energy and pooling for windows of increased burst is extremely important to playing Subtlety properly.

Combo Points are another primary resource utilized by Subtlety Rogues. Some of your abilities generate Combo Points while finishing moves spend them. Spending more Combo Points on a finishing move increases the damage it deals or the duration of the effect it applies. Critical strikes generate additional Combo Points, if talented into the Seal Fate Icon Seal Fate talent. Combo Point management is very important to maintaining your abilities and maximizing burst.

3.

Unlocking Abilities

This page lists all the abilities that are available to you on a max-level character. If you have just started your journey by leveling a new Rogue, you can head over to our leveling section to learn more about when you get access to these abilities on your way to max level.

4.

Basic Abilities for Subtlety Rogue

These are abilities that you acquire automatically early on as you level your Subtlety Rogue.

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Stealth Icon Stealth - Turns you invisible until canceled or upon attacking.
Backstab Icon Backstab - 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. Costs 35 Energy.
Shadowstrike Icon Shadowstrike - A Combo Point generator that can only be used from Stealth or Shadow Dance. Generates 2 Combo Points.
Shuriken Storm Icon Shuriken Storm - Your main Combo Point generator in AoE situations.Deals damage to all targets within 10 yards, and generates 1 Combo Point per enemy hit. Costs 35 Energy.
>Shuriken Toss Icon Shuriken Toss - Throws a shuriken at your target from range, dealing low amount of damage and generating 1 Combo Point.
Cheap Shot Icon Cheap Shot CS A Combo Point generator that can only be used from Stealth and against stunnable targets. Generates 1 Combo Point.
Eviscerate Icon Eviscerate - Finishing move that consumes your Combo Points and deals damage based on the number of Combo Points used. Costs 35 Energy.
Rupture Icon Rupture Rup Finishing move that applies a damage over time effect to your target that deals Physical damage, and lasts longer per Combo Point spent.
Black Powder Icon Black Powder BP Finishing move that deals Physical damage to all enemies around you, doing damage based on how many Combo Points was spent. Deals additional 20% damage as Shadow to targets affected by Find Weakness Icon Find Weakness. Costs 35 Energy.
Slice and Dice Icon Slice and Dice SnD Finishing move that spends Combo Points and increases your attack speed by 50%. Lasts longer per Combo Point spent. Also now refreshed for Subtlety thanks to Cut to the Chase Icon Cut to the Chase being added as a baseline for all three Rogue Specs.
Kidney Shot Icon Kidney Shot Kidney/KS Finishing move that consumes your Combo Points and stuns the target for duration based on how many Combo Points were spent, up to a maximum of 6 seconds. 20-second cooldown.
Sap Icon Sap - A crowd control ability that incapacitates an enemy for a long duration. You can run past a sapped enemy without getting into combat. If the enemy takes damage, it breaks free.
Sprint Icon Sprint - 2-minute cooldown that increases your movement speed by 70% for 8 seconds. Usable while Stealthed.
Crimson Vial Icon Crimson Vial CV/Vial Heals you for 20% of your maximum Health over 4 seconds. 30-second cooldown.
Kick Icon Kick - Interrupts targets spellcasting and prevents any spells from that school for 5 seconds. 15-second cooldown.
Distract Icon Distract - Throws a distraction, forcing enemies hit by it to face towards that direction for 10 seconds. Usable while stealthed.
Shroud of Concealment Icon Shroud of Concealment Shroud Provides Stealth for you and your party and raid members for 15 seconds. 6-minute cooldown.
Vanish Icon Vanish - Vanishes you from sight and enters you into Stealth. Breaks all movement impairing effects and usable while in combat. 2-minute cooldown.
Feint Icon Feint - A defensive skill that reduces damage taken from area-of-effect skills.
5.

Talented Abilities

As part of the Talent Tree re-design in Dragonflight, every class and specialization now has a multitude of possible choices to spend up to 31 Class Talent Points and 30 Specialization Talent Points. We will break down most of them into individual sections based on the Rows in which you can unlock them, while providing some commonly used abbreviations and explanations as to their functionality.

If you are simply looking for a quick guide on which talents to play, you can head over to our dedicated Talent page instead!

5.1.

Talent Tree Rows 1-4

5.1.1.

Active Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Shiv Icon Shiv - 25-second cooldown ability that removes Enrage effects from your target applies a stronger version of your non-lethal Poison and generates 1CP.
Blind Icon Blind - A crowd control ability that makes a mob wander around blindly for a long duration. Running close to a blinded enemy will put you in combat. If the enemy takes damage, it breaks free.
Cloak of Shadows Icon Cloak of Shadows Cloak Makes you immune to most magic effects, and also removes a variety of different debuffs, including poisons, curses, and diseases. Some effects cannot be immuned, resisted, or removed, however, especially if they are key aspects of a boss encounter
Evasion Icon Evasion - Increases your chance to dodge enemy attacks by 100%. You are still required to face the enemy hitting you to be able to dodge.
Gouge Icon Gouge - A crowd control ability that incapacitates an enemy for a short duration. If the enemy takes damage, it breaks free. Requires your target to face you.
Shadowstep Icon Shadowstep Step A mobility skill that allows you to teleport a target enemy or ally, and granting a very short movement speed increase when cast.
Tricks of the Trade Icon Tricks of the Trade Tricks/TotT Allows you to transfer any threat you generate over the next 6 seconds after hitting an enemy to a target of your choosing. It is best used on the tank.
Shadow Blades Icon Shadow Blades SB Causes your Combo Point generators to generate an additional Combo Point and makes them deal additional 50% damage as Shadow. 3-minute cooldown.
5.1.2.

Passive Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Airborne Irritant Icon Airborne Irritant - Reduces the cooldown of Blind Icon Blind and turns it into an AoE spell.
Master Poisoner Icon Master Poisoner MP Improves the effects of your non-lethal Poisons.
Elusiveness Icon Elusiveness - Changes your Evasion Icon Evasion to reduce all damage you take by 20% and also enhances your Feint Icon Feint to reduce all damage you take by 20%. This is a choice node shared with Cheat Death Icon Cheat Death.
Cheat Death Icon Cheat Death Cheat/CD A defensive skill that saves you from death, as long as the damage taken does not surpass twice your health pool. Any killing blow will instead bring you to 7% hp, and for 3 seconds, you will take 85% reduced damage.
Blackjack Icon Blackjack - Enemies have 30% reduced damage and healing after Blind Icon Blind or Sap Icon Sap expire. Works great together with Airborne Irritant Icon Airborne Irritant.
Improved Wound Poison Icon Improved Wound Poison - Increases the maximum stacks of your Wound Poison Icon Wound Poison by 2, improving the healing reduction effect.
Nimble Fingers Icon Nimble Fingers - Reduces the Energy cost of Feint Icon Feint and Crimson Vial Icon Crimson Vial.
Improved Sprint Icon Improved Sprint - Reduces the cooldown of Sprint Icon Sprint.
Shadowrunner Icon Shadowrunner - Grants extra movement speed while stealthed, i.e. when using Stealth Icon Stealth, Vanish Icon Vanish or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance.
Find Weakness Icon Find Weakness FW Causes your Shadow Strike Icon Shadow Strike and Cheap Shot Icon Cheap Shot to apply a debuff to your target that allows your abilities to bypass 30% of the targets armor.
Quick Decisions Icon Quick Decisions - Reduces the cooldown of Shadowstep Icon Shadowstep by 20% and increases its maximum range by 20%.
Ephemeral Bond Icon Ephemeral Bond - Increases healing received by 8%.
Night Terrors Icon Night Terrors - Causes your Shuriken Storm Icon Shuriken Storm to reduce enemies movement speed by 50%.
Terrifying Pace Icon Terrifying Pace - Shuriken Storm Icon Shuriken Storm increases your movement speed by 30% for 3 sec when striking 3 or more enemies.
Exhilarating Execution Icon Exhilarating Execution - Your finishing moves heal you for 5% of damage done. At full health, gain shielding instead, absorbing up to 10% of your maximum Health.
Improved Shuriken Storm Icon Improved Shuriken Storm - Increases Shuriken Storm Icon Shuriken Storms Critical Strike chance by 15% and causes its Critical Strikes to apply Find Weakness Icon Find Weakness.
Improved Backstab Icon Improved Backstab - Increases Backstab Icon Backstabs (and Gloomblade Icon Gloomblades) Critical Strike chance by 15% and causes it to apply Find Weakness Icon Find Weakness when it critically strikes from behind the target.
Shot in the Dark Icon Shot in the Dark - Causes your next Cheap Shot Icon Cheap Shot to cost no Energy after entering Stealth Icon Stealth or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance.
Shrouded in Darkness Icon Shrouded in Darkness - Causes your Shroud of Concealment Icon Shroud of Concealment to increase movement speed of affected party and raid members by 100%.
Shadow Focus Icon Shadow Focus SF Reduces Energy costs by 10% while Stealth Icon Stealth or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance is active.
Cloaked in Shadows Icon Cloaked in Shadows - Causes your Vanish Icon Vanish to grant you a shield absorbing 30% of your maximum Health for 6 seconds. This is a choice node shared with Fade to Nothing Icon Fade to Nothing.
Fade to Nothing Icon Fade to Nothing - Increases your movement speed by 20% and reduces damage taken by 10% for 8 seconds when casting Stealth Icon Stealth, Vanish Icon Vanish, or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance.This is a choice node shared with Cloaked in Shadows Icon Cloaked in Shadows.
5.2.

Talent Rows 5-7

5.2.1.

Active Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Secret Technique Icon Secret Technique ST finishing move that deals Physical damage to to your main target and reduced damage to other targets. Cooldown is reduced by 1 second for every Combo Point spent. 1-minute cooldown. Costs 30 Energy.
Gloomblade Icon Gloomblade - Replaces Backstab Icon Backstab. Damage type changes to Shadow and removes the positional requirement of Backstab.
Shuriken Tornado Icon Shuriken Tornado Tornado Causes you to release a Shuriken Tornado Icon Shuriken Tornado every second for 4 seconds. Costs 60 Energy and has 1-minute cooldown.
5.2.2.

Passive Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Superior Mixture Icon Superior Mixture - Improves the effectiveness of Crippling Poison Icon Crippling Poison.
Fleet Footed Icon Fleet Footed - Increases your unmounted movement speed.
Iron Stomach Icon Iron Stomach - Improves the effectiveness of Health Potions, Health Stones, and Crimson Vial Icon Crimson Vial.
Unbreakable Stride Icon Unbreakable Stride - Reduces the duration of movement slowing effects.
Featherfoot Icon Featherfoot - Improves the bonus movement speed provided and duration of Sprint Icon Sprint.
Rushed Setup Icon Rushed Setup - Reduces the Energy cost of your crowd-control abilities.
Shadowheart Icon Shadowheart - Leech increased by 2% while Stealthed.
Deadened Nerves Icon Deadened Nerves - Causes you to take reduced Physical damage.
Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance - Shadow Dance has 1 additional charge.
Graceful Guile Icon Graceful Guile - Grants Feint Icon Feint an additional charge.
Stillshroud Icon Stillshroud - Reduces the cooldown of Shroud of Concealment Icon Shroud of Concealment.
Deadly Precision Icon Deadly Precision - Increases the Critical Strike chance of all abilities that generate at least 1 Combo Point, including DoT effects caused by them.
Virulent Poisons Icon Virulent Poisons - Increases the damage of your weapon poisons by 10%. Only Poisons that appear as a 60-minute duration buff are affected.
Recuperator Icon Recuperator - While Slice and Dice Icon Slice and Dice is active, you will heal for 1% of your max HP every 2 seconds.
>Improved Ambush Icon Improved Ambush - Causes your Ambush Icon Ambush to generate 1 additional Combo Point.
>Tight Spender Icon Tight Spender - Reduces the Energy cost of your finishing moves.
Swift Death Icon Swift Death - Reduces the cooldown of Symbols of Death Icon Symbols of Death by 5 seconds.
Improved Shadow Techniques Icon Improved Shadow Techniques - Causes Shadow Techniques Icon Shadow Techniques to generate additional 3 Energy.
The First Dance Icon The First Dance - Causes you to gain 4 Combo Points when you cast Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance. This is a choice node shared with Master of Shadows Icon Master of Shadows.
Master of Shadows Icon Master of Shadows - Causes you to gain 25 Energy over 3 seconds when entering Stealth Icon Stealth or casting Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance.
Relentless Strikes Icon Relentless Strikes - Causes your finishing moves to generate 5 Energy per Combo Point spent.
Silent Storm Icon Silent Storm - Increases the Critical Strike chance of your next Shuriken Storm Icon Shuriken Storm by 100% when you enter Stealth Icon Stealth, Vanish Icon Vanish or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance.
Premeditation Icon Premeditation Premed After entering Stealth, your next combo point-generating ability generates full combo points.
Planned Execution Icon Planned Execution - Causes your Symbols of Death Icon Symbols of Death to increase your Critical Strike chance by 6%.
Warning Signs Icon Warning Signs - Symbols of Death increases your Haste by 6%.
Improved Shadow Dance Icon Improved Shadow Dance - Increases the duration of Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance by 1/2 seconds.
Shadowed Finishers Icon Shadowed Finishers - Causes Eviscerate Icon Eviscerate and Black Powder Icon Black Powder to deal an additional 40% damage as Shadow to targets affected by Find Weakness Icon Find Weakness.
Secret Stratagem Icon Secret Stratagem - Increases your maximum Combo Points by 1 and causes your finishers to deal 5% increased damage.
Replicating Shadows Icon Replicating Shadows - Causes your Rupture Icon Rupture to deal an additional 20% damage as Shadow and applies to 1 additional enemy within 8 yards.
Weaponmaster Icon Weaponmaster WM Causes your Backstab Icon Backstab and Shadowstrike Icon Shadowstrike to have a 15% chance to strike twice.
Shadow Focus Icon Shadow Focus SF Reduces Energy costs by 10% while Stealth Icon Stealth or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance is active.
Deepening Shadows Icon Deepening Shadows - Increases the cooldown reduction on Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance by 0.5 seconds per Combo Point spent.
Veiltouched Icon Veiltouched - Causes your abilities to deal 5% increased magic damage.
5.3.

Talent Tree Rows 8-10

5.3.1.

Active Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Echoing Reprimand Icon Echoing Reprimand ER Combo Point generator that deals a high amount of initial damage, and charges up a Combo Point. Using a finisher with this exact amount of Combo Points will cast the Finisher as if it was cast with 7 Combo Points instead.
Thistle Tea Icon Thistle Tea - A cooldown that immediately grants you 100 Energy and also increases your Mastery for 6 seconds. It has multiple charges.
Cold Blood Icon Cold Blood CB Increases the critical strike chance of your next ability cast by 100%.
Sepsis Icon Sepsis - deals high Nature damage-over-time. If the target survives the full duration of this DoT, and once when cast, you gain a buff that allows you to use one ability that requires Stealth, and all stealth-based benefits affect it.
Flagellation Icon Flagellation Flag Causes each of your finishing moves used within next 12 seconds to deal additional Shadow damage to the target and increasing your Mastery by 2.5% per Combo Point spent. The Mastery bonus remains for additional 12 seconds after Flagellation ends. 1.5-minute cooldown.
Goremaw's Bite Icon Goremaw's Bite Goremaw Lashes out at the target, inflicting (270% of Attack power) Shadow damage and causing your next 3 finishing moves to cost no Energy.
5.3.2.

Passive Effects

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Leeching Poison Icon Leeching Poison - Grants 10% Leech. Leech allows you to heal for all your damage and healing, in this case, for 10% of it.
Lethality Icon Lethality - Increases the critical strike chance and critical strike damage bonus of combo-point generating abilities.
Acrobatic Strikes Icon Acrobatic Strikes - Increases the range of all your attacks by 3 yards, including the radius of AoE spells.
Alacrity Icon Alacrity - Grants your finishing moves a chance per Combo Point spent to increase your Haste.
Soothing Darkness Icon Soothing Darkness - Provides a Healing over time effect when using Vanish Icon Vanish or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance.
Vigor Icon Vigor - Increases your maximum Energy and Energy regeneration.
Nightstalker Icon Nightstalker NS Increases your damage dealt while Stealth Icon Stealth or Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance are active. This damage bonus snapshots for the entire duration of any DoT cast while it was active.
Resounding Clarity Icon Resounding Clarity RC Causes your Echoing Reprimand Icon Echoing Reprimand to Animacharge 3 additional Combo Points. This is a choice node shared with Reverberation Icon Reverberation.
Reverberation Icon Reverberation - Increases the damage of Echoing Reprimand Icon Echoing Reprimand by 75%. This is a choice node shared with Resounding Clarity Icon Resounding Clarity.
Deeper Stratagem Icon Deeper Stratagem DS/Deeüer Increases your maximum Combo Points by 1 and causes your finishers to deal increased damage.
Inevitability Icon Inevitability - Causes your Backstab Icon Backstab and Gloomblade Icon Gloomblade to extend the duration of your Symbols of Death Icon Symbols of Death by 0.5 seconds per cast.
Perforated Veins Icon Perforated Veins PV After striking 4 times with Backstab Icon Backstab or Gloomblade Icon Gloomblade, your next attack that generates combo points deals 50% increased damage.
Lingering Shadow Icon Lingering Shadow - After Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance ends, causes your Backstab Icon Backstab and Gloomblade Icon Gloomblade to deal additional 50 damage as Shadow, fading by 2.8 per second.
Invigorating Shadowdust Icon Invigorating Shadowdust - Causes your Vanish Icon Vanish to reduce remaining cooldown of your other abilities by 15 seconds.
Dark Shadow Icon Dark Shadow - Causes your Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance to increase your damage by an additional 15/30%.
Finality Icon Finality - Causes your Eviscerate Icon Eviscerate, Rupture Icon Rupture and Black Powder Icon Black Powder to increase damage of the next same finishing move by 15/30%.
The Rotten Icon The Rotten - After activating, causes your next 2 Shadowstrike Icon Shadowstrike, Backstab Icon Backstab or Gloomblade Icon Gloomblade deal 35% increased damage and are guaranteed to critically strike.
Shadowcraft Icon Shadowcraft - While Symbols of Death Icon Symbols of Death is active, your Shadow Techniques triggers 40% more frequently, stores 1 additional combo point, and finishing moves can use those stored when there are enough to refresh full combo points.
Danse Macabre Icon Danse Macabre DM Causes your Shadow Dance Icon Shadow Dance to increase the damage of your attacks that generate or spend Combo Points by 6%, increased by an additional 6% for each different attack used. Bonus resets when an attack is repeated.
Dark Brew Icon Dark Brew DB Increases your Shadow damage by 10% and causes all of your abilities that deal either Nature or Bleed damage to deal Shadow damage instead.
Subterfuge Icon Subterfuge Subt/Subter Abilities and combat benefits requiring Stealth remain active for 3/6 sec after Stealth breaks.
Without a Trace Icon Without a Trace - Gives you an additional charge of Vanish Icon Vanish.
6.

Poisons for Subtlety Rogue

You can only have one Lethal and one Non-Lethal Poison active at a time. These are the only abilities affected by talents that improve "Weapon Poison" damage or efficacy.

Ability Type Description/Effect
Instant Poison Icon Instant Poison Lethal Deals Nature damage whenever it procs. You always have access to it. You always have access to it.
Wound Poison Icon Wound Poison Lethal Deals a small amount of damage and reduces the efficacy of healing and absorb effects on your target, depending on how many stacks you have applied. You always have access to it.
Crippling Poison Icon Crippling Poison Non-Lethal Applies a slowing effect to the targets it is applied to. Bosses are immune to it. You always have access to it.
Numbing Poison Icon Numbing Poison Non-Lethal Reduces the target's attack and cast speed. You can talent into it in the Class tree. Does not stack with similar effects from other classes.
Atrophic Poison Icon Atrophic Poison Non-Lethal Reduces the damage the target deals, not just to you, but also all your allies, as long as your target is the source of the damage dealt. You can talent into it in the Class tree.
7.

Changelog

  • 09 Sep. 2024: Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 22 Aug. 2024: Reviewed for The War Within.
  • 23 Jul. 2024: Reviewed and Updated for The War Within pre-patch.
  • 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 22 Apr. 2024: Reviewed for Season 4
  • 20 Mar. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Reviewed and Updated for patch 10.2.
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 01 May 2023: Page reviewed and updated for Patch 10.1.
  • 20 Mar. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
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