PvE Subtlety Rogue DPS Talents, Builds, & Glyphs

Subtlety Rogues in Mists of Pandaria only have three talents considered mandatory, with all others being entirely situational, depending on the encounter. This gives them some versatility, making them fit for many group layouts.

Talent Build

As previously mentioned, Subtlety Rogues have 3 distinct talents that are considered mandatory: Subterfuge, Shadowstep, and Anticipation. The remaining talents are situational and depend entirely on the environment you find yourself in. Some talents, such as Nerve Strike and Dirty Tricks, have more utility value, while Elusiveness, Cheat Death, and Leeching Poison fill a defensive role.

Level 15 – Tier I

• Nightstalker ❌
  This option is not viable for Subtlety Rogue simply due to how strong Subterfuge is. Theoretically, this option is only viable if you plan on fighting weak targets in the open world. It should be avoided for any dungeon or raid environment as it only empowers the initial opener ability.
• Subterfuge ✅
  This talent is the best option from the Tier I row for Subtlety Rogues, providing them with a way of extending the duration of Find Weakness & Master of Subtlety and allowing them to utilize up to two extra Ambush casts during their opener. This will be the default option for most PvE encounters.
• Shadow Focus ❌
  While treated as the best talent for the two other Rogue specializations, Shadow Focus is not viable for Subtlety Rogue since it messes up the duration of Find Weakness & Master of Subtlety, resulting in a direct DPS loss by not offering the same choice of casting 2x additional Ambush during the opener.

Level 30 – Tier II

• Deadly Throw ❌
  Simply put, Deadly Throw is a PvP talent that has no place in PvE. Avoid it at all costs.
• Nerve Strike ✅
  This option is the best utility choice from the Tier II talent row as it can directly reduce the damage output of any target not immune to Cheap Shot or Kidney Strike, effectively helping your Tank and Healers. This option is weaker in solo play than the alternative, Combat Readiness.
• Combat Readiness ✅
  This option is the default PvE solo choice, viable in fights against powerful elites or reducing damage taken by adds that you may have to facetank during dungeon or raid encounters. The effect gradually increases with each melee hit received, capping at 50% damage reduction. What is impressive about this effect is that the stacks can be refreshed even at the very last second, meaning you can effectively benefit from 30 seconds of damage reduction.

Level 45 – Tier III

• Cheat Death ✅
  A viable talent for dangerous encounters or progression runs, Cheat Death can prevent many deaths! This option is overall less desirable than the survivability provided by Leeching Poison or the soaking potential of Elusiveness if the encounter doesn’t have any one-shot mechanics.
• Leeching Poison ✅
  One of the strong contenders from this tier, Leeching Poison, provides consistent value, giving you access to the best Non-Lethal Poison by far. Since the talent provides constant healing, many players prefer this option for both solo and group content.
• Elusiveness ✅
  This talent is arguably the best for raid environments, as it grants a consistent 30% damage reduction buff that can lessen the burden of healers, especially for fights where passive AoE damage is guaranteed. However, if you don’t have the habit of consistently using Feint, Leeching Poison is a better option until you reflexively add Feint into your rotation & muscle memory.

Level 60 – Tier IV

• Cloak and Dagger ❌
  This talent can be considered the inferior version of Shadowstep, as it allows you to achieve the same effect, only in a less convenient way. This talent may have a better success rate in PvP rather than PvE, but even then, Shadowstep is usually the superior option.
• Shadowstep ✅
  The best option for most PvE encounters, Shadowstep grants you both mobility and repositioning potential, allowing you to teleport from one target to another, whether you are in Stealth or not. Simply put, the best option from this tier is as long as there is an available target that you can teleport to.
• Burst of Speed ✅
  This talent is a niche option that is functionally better than Shadowstep if there is no target to teleport to and you need more than Sprint to escape deadly mechanics.

Level 75 – Tier V

• Prey on the Weak ✅
  Arguably one of the strongest Utility tools for both yourself and your group, Prey on the Weak is the best option from this tier. Since you will want to use Crowd Control tools as often as possible on adds during dungeon and raid environments, this talent will provide a considerable amount of value.
• Paralytic Poison ❌
  Non-viable option that is PvP-oriented and should be avoided in PvE. The only real reason to pick up this talent is for soloing deadly elite mobs, as it can create a powerful CC-chain when combined with Kidney Shot and Cheap Shot. The problem with Paralytic Poison is that it is subject to the same Diminishing Returns effect as all other CC tools.
• Dirty Tricks ❌
  This option is far better suited for PvP than for PvE, given the niche scenarios in which it could be used in PvE. You will only want to take this option if you must immediately Blind dangerous adds during encounters, since it removes its Energy Cost.

Level 90 – Tier VI

• Shuriken Toss ❌
  A PvP option that should be avoided in PvE at all costs, considering the alternatives. Considering that you will always be behind your target, the prospect of becoming a ranged Rogue should only be maintained for PvP.
• Marked for Death ❌
  This option is considerably better in PvP! It only works in PvE for extremely short fights in the open world where you want to farm mobs fast, one after another. For any dungeon or raid environment, Anticipation is by far the superior option that directly synergizes with the rest of your kit.
• Anticipation ✅
  The only viable dungeon/raid option from this talent tier, and arguably the strongest, Anticipation, is the default choice! The talent allows you to manage your Combo Points more easily and not overcap Combo Points from your openers or Shadow Dance bursts.

Glyphs

Major Glyphs

• Glyph of Vanish
  One of the two DPS-increasing glyphs for Subtlety Rogue, Glyph of Vanish, can be considered mandatory to extend the duration of Vanish and manage to use additional Ambush casts.
• Glyph of Hemorrhaging Veins
  This is the second DPS-increasing glyph for Subtlety Rogue, with many considering it essential for maintaining maximum DPS output. The idea behind the glyph is that it makes up for any Rupture/Garrote/Crimson Tempest downtime that might occur.
• Glyph of Expose Armor
  • An amazing glyph for 10-man raid content or dungeons! This glyph allows you to instantly place 3 stacks of Weakened Armor with just one Expose Armor cast.
• Glyph of Cloak of Shadows
  • An ideal glyph for encounters that feature high Physical Damage, granting Cloak of Shadows an additional effect that reduces all incoming Physical Damage by 40%.
• Glyph of Redirect
  • One of the best glyphs for Cleave scenarios where you need to move Combo Points around.
• Glyph of Evasion
  • A great glyph for solo content! Extends the duration of Evasion by 5 seconds. Quite useless in raid environments.
• Glyph of Sharpened Knives
  • Great for short AoE-oriented encounters where you can also spam Crimson Tempest!
• Glyph of Stealth
  • A glyph that is advised for solo farming the open world. Reduces the cooldown of Stealth by 4 seconds!

Minor Glyphs

• Glyph of Blurred Speed
  • A glyph that allows you to traverse water while Sprint is active. Great for escaping, or roleplaying a Ninja!
• Glyph of Pick Pocket
  • A glyph that increases the range at which you may cast Pick Pocket. Great for farming!
• Glyph of Safe Fall
  • A glyph that significantly improves your Safe Fall ability.
• Glyph of Pick Lock
  • Reduces the cast time of Pick Lock by 100%. Very useful for opening a lot of boxes!
• Glyph of Poisons
  • An effective glyph for considerably reducing the cast time of applying your poisons. Especially useful if you must change poisons in combat.