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Spec guide

Combat Rogue — guide and builds

WoW Forever Combat is the most complete and simplest Rogue spec: Hack and Slash covers every weapon, and Blade Flurry brings the Rogue’s only real area damage.

Class: RogueData 1.60.1.70009By ForeverGuide team · updated Sep 26, 2026

Overview

Combat is the Rogue spec that changes the least: it was already the most complete one in PvE. Hack and Slash merges every weapon specialization into a single talent. Axes and swords grant a chance at an extra attack, daggers and fist weapons grant crit, and maces ignore 15% of armor. You no longer need to change talents when you change weapons.

You depend on neither poisons nor bleeds: immunities never get in your way. Blade Flurry makes Combat the only Rogue spec with real area damage, and many Rogues will probably keep it as a second spec for that reason.

It is the most accessible spec: you only maintain Slice and Dice, and everything else goes into Eviscerate. At level 20, it is also the most complete, with Sinister Strike, Slice and Dice and Eviscerate, even though Blade Flurry is not reachable yet and rank 2 of Slice and Dice only arrives at level 42. The class sits in A tier among DPS at that level.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

  • No immunities
    Neither poisons nor bleeds: nothing stops you.
  • Multiple targets
    Blade Flurry: the Rogue’s only real area damage.
  • Decent burst
    Blade Flurry, Adrenaline Rush, your racial ability.
  • Survival tools
    Evasion, Vanish, Feint.

Weaknesses

  • No raid buff
    Your spot rests on your damage.
  • Energy
    It feels a little slow.
Read the details

No immunity stops you, you hit several targets well with Blade Flurry, and your burst is decent with Adrenaline Rush and your racial ability. Evasion, Vanish and Feint keep you alive.

On the other hand, you bring no raid buff, and your energy feels a little slow.

Key spells

Key talents

Rotation and priorities

Single target:

  1. Priority 1: Sinister Strike
    Builds your combo points; Backstab with daggers.
  2. Priority 2: Slice and Dice
    Keep it up and refresh it as late as possible.
  3. Priority 3: Expose Armor
    Only if the target lives long enough.
    When: Physical group, sturdy target
  4. Priority 4: Eviscerate
    Spend your combo points.
    When: The rest of the time

In dungeons, Sap is now risk-free. Alternate Kick and Gouge on casters.

Stats

  1. 1Hit
  2. then 2Agility
  3. then 3Attack power
  4. then 4Weapon damage
1 Hit
Precision, an essential talent
4 Weapon damage
a slow main-hand weapon

Order to be confirmed: the exact priority is not settled yet.

No list is established. Hit comes through Precision, an essential talent; then aim for Agility, attack power and the damage of a slow main-hand weapon. The order is still to be confirmed.

Leveling

Level 20 sword build: Improved Sinister Strike 2/2, Improved Eviscerate 3/3 and Precision 3/3 form the core. Solo, put 2 points in Remorseless Attacks and 1 in Malice; in a group, 3 points in Malice. Dagger build: replace Malice with Puncturing Wounds 3/3, with Opportunity 2/2 in Subtlety.

Find a slow weapon early, axe, mace, sword or fist weapon, and train its skill. Upgrade your main-hand weapon first. The Deadmines, Wailing Caverns and Shadowfang Keep have pieces for you.

Changes compared to Classic

Builds

The 3 guide builds open in the calculator below, with the point order. You can then change points there.

Calculator

“Level 20 — sword (beta)” build · level 20 view

Calculator page

Talents

Split: Assassination 3, Combat 8, Subtlety 0

Points left:0

Level needed:20

Point 11/51, Malice 3/5, Assassination

Assassination

next row at 5
3 points of 51

Combat

next row at 10
8 points of 51

Subtlety

next row at 5
0 points of 51
  • Available
  • In progress
  • Maxed
  • Locked
  • New
  • Planned · 1st point
  • Taken · 1st point lv. 18

Spellbook

The Rogue spellbook, open on the Combat tab. It follows the calculator: its level, never above the max level, and the talents of the build. Switch tabs, pages or views as in the game.

Level shown: 2029 spells known

Combat

  • A talent spell joins the book when its talent gets a point.
  • Tooltip numbers are the beta client’s at level 60, with no gear.

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