PvE Combat Rogue DPS Rotations & Cooldowns

In Mists of Pandaria, Combat Rogues have an improved rotation compared to their previous version. They enjoy a far more dynamic and simplified playstyle, emphasizing ability spamming and powerful burst sequences.

Poisons

Poisons in Mists of Pandaria have been overhauled, no longer acting as independent effects that you place on weapons, but rather as static buffs. They have now been divided into two separate categories: Lethal and Non-Lethal Poison. You may only have one of each type active at a time.

Lethal Poison:

• Deadly Poison (Best PvE Option)
• Wound Poison (PvP Option)

Non-Lethal Poison:

• Leeching Poison (Ideal Survivability Option)
• Mind-numbing Poison (Best Against Caster Mobs)
• Crippling Poison (Best Kiting Option)

Combat Rogue Basics

Combat Rogues are built around a few mechanics that make their playstyle functionally different than their brethren. Unlike the other Rogue specializations that actively seek not to Energy Cap themselves, Combat Rogues thrive on increasing their Haste as much as possible, benefiting from even further Energy Regeneration through Vitality. In addition, they also gain Energy from Combat Potency, which is triggered by both their normal attacks and their Mastery: Main Gauche effect.

Their kit design facilitates a very proactive playstyle, spamming their abilities as much as possible. This is further emphasized by the Bandit’s Guile mechanic, which makes them shift through different states of empowered damage (Shallow Insight, Moderate Insight, & Deep Insight). While the cycles happen automatically, the first two can be indefinitely refreshed while the last one can’t and resets the entire cycle. Four casts of either Revealing Strike or Sinister Strike trigger each cycle.

Veteran players use the enhanced Energy Regeneration and Bandit’s Guile cycles to deliver powerful burst sequences besides their consistent ability spam. A clear example would be timing Adrenaline Rush with Deep Insight and other offensive effects, or using Killing Spree during either Moderate Insight or Deep Insight.

Lastly, Restless Blades is a core mechanic that intertwines with all of the ones above, making Combat Rogues adapt their playstyle based on the encounter they are facing. The mechanic allows them to reduce the duration of Killing Spree and Adrenaline Rush by 2 seconds every time they use a Finishing Move, incentivizing them to spam as much as possible and use both effects early on in the fight to ensure multiple uses throughout the fight.

Single-Target Rotation

1. Start in Stealth.
2. Use Tricks of the Trade on the strongest DPS in your group before engaging in combat.
   • Recast Tricks of the Trade on cooldown on the strongest player in the group!
3. Open with Ambush
4. Cast Slice and Dice with the initial Combo Points.
5. Cast Revealing Strike to debuff your target and empower Finishing Moves & Sinister Strike
   • Always have Revealing Strike active on the target!
6. Cast Sinister Strike as the main Combo Points generator
7. Prioritize refreshing Slice and Dice when it’s about to expire.
   • Prioritize refreshing Slice and Dice with 5 Combo Points.
8. Cast Rupture
   • Refresh Rupture whenever possible
   • Avoid using Rupture in the Open World against mobs that are easy to kill
9. Cast Eviscerate as the main damaging tool while Rupture & Slice and Dice don’t need to be refreshed.
10. Prioritize casting Killing Spree when Bandit’s Guile reaches the second or third stage (Moderate Insight & Deep Insight)
    • If you can’t wait until Bandit’s Guile is stacked to the second stage (Moderate Insight), cast Killing Spree immediately to benefit the most from Restless Blades.
    • Only use Killing Spree during the third stage of Bandit’s Guile (Deep Insight) if Adrenaline Rush is unavailable.
11. Prioritize using Adrenaline Rush in the last stage of Bandit’s Guile (Deep Insight) for maximum Damage Output.
    • Spam Sinister Strike and Eviscerate while Adrenaline Rush is active.
12. Prioritize using Shadow Blades with Trinket Procs & Adrenaline Rush
13. Use Shiv to apply special effects such as Mind-numbing Poison.
14. If nobody else can apply the Weakened Armor debuff, prioritize using Expose Armor after the first time you extend Slice and Dice‘s duration.

AoE Rotation

1. Start in Stealth if you can.
2. Cast Blade Flurry and always keep it active!
3. Use Tricks of the Trade on the strongest DPS in your group before engaging in combat if not solo.
4. Open with Ambush.
5. Cast Slice and Dice with the initial Combo Points.
6. Perform the normal Single-Target Rotation for 5 or fewer targets.
   • Avoid using Rupture since it doesn’t spread through Blade Flurry.
   • Use Killing Spree together with Blade Flurry.
7. Use Fan of Knives for more than 5 targets.
8. Use Crimson Tempest as a finishing move for more than 5 targets.
   • Avoid using Crimson Tempest while there are 5 or fewer targets!

Utility, Crowd Control, & Major Cooldowns

• Crowd Control
  • Garrote – DoT ability that also places a Silence effect on the target, lasting for up to 3 seconds.
  • Sap – Incapacitate effect that works on a variety of targets, lasting up to 1 minute. The effect is broken by damage.
  • Kidney Shot – Finishing Move that stuns a target. Duration based on the number of Combo Points used.
  • Cheap Shot – Opener Move that stuns a target up to 4 seconds.
  • Blind – Ability that disorients a target for up to 1 minute, causing it to wander around. The effect is broken by damage.
• Buff
  • Swiftblade’s Cunning – Increases the Melee & Ranged Attack Speed of all party/raid members in a 100-yard radius by 10%.
  • Recuperate – Finishing Move that grants you a HoT which heals you for 4% max HP per tick. Duration depends on the Combo Points used.
• Utility
  • Shroud of Concealment – AoE ability that grants Stealth to all nearby party or raid members in a 20-yard radius for up to 15 seconds.
  • Smoke Bomb – Creates an area that obscures vision, preventing enemies from targeting in or outside the area while it lasts.
  • Tricks of the Trade – Transfers Threat that you generate to the targeted player, increasing their Damage Output by 15% while the effect is active.
  • Master Poisoner – Increases all Spell Damage taken by a target you have poisoned by 5%.
  • Expose Armor – Applies the Weakened Armor effect, reducing the target’s armor by 4% per stack. May stack up to 3 times.
  • Dismantle – Disarms a target for up to 8 seconds, preventing them from using a Weapon or Shield.
• Major Cooldowns
  • Vanish – Instantly activates Stealth, even in combat. This ability is used either as an escape tool or as a way of using opener abilities, such as Ambush or Garrote, mid-fight.
  • Preparation – Ability that instantly resets the cooldown of Vanish, Sprint, Evasion, and Dismantle.
  • Evasion – Increases your Dodge Chance by 100% for 10 seconds.
  • Sprint – Increases your Movement Speed by 70% for 8 seconds.
  • Shadow Blades – Empowers your weapons, causing your Auto-Attack to deal Shadow Damage and your Combo Points generators to generate one additional Combo Point.
  • Adrenaline Rush – Most powerful Energy Regeneration tool in your kit that also reduces GCD for some of your offensive spells.
  • Shadow Walk – Increases the effectiveness of Stealth for 6 seconds. Very useful for sneaking past elites.
  • Cloak of Shadows – Ability that removes any harmful spell effects and provides brief immunity to Magical Damage. This causes you to resist all spells for up to 5 seconds while the effect is active.
  • Shadowstep – Ability used to teleport behind targets, granting 70% Movement Speed for 2 seconds after the teleportation occurs.