Assassination Rogue DPS Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities — The War Within (11.2)

Welcome to our Rotation page for Assassination Rogues. Here you will find out more about your rotational priorities in both single-target and multi-target situations, which you will apply in both Raiding and Mythic+ scenarios.

If you have been playing the game throughout TWW, you might already be familiar with most of the rotational priorities. As such, we have summarized the most important aspects of the changes to the rotation for you here, assuming you have acquired the new Tier set:

• Deathstalker only:
• You will want to avoid using Shiv when Darkest Night is active, in order to not waste Deathstalker's Mark-advancement charges from Rogue Deathstalker 11.2 Class Set 4pc.
• Fatebound only:
• You are now a 90-second CD spec.
• You can macro Kingsbane and Cold Blood together.
• You will get Fateful Ending automatically in your opener by simply using your cooldowns in order.
• Use 2 charges of Shiv with your Deathmark, 1 charge with your Kingsbane outside of DM, and 1 Charge between this individual KB and your next DM to avoid overcapping.
• Use Shiv ➜ Deathmark instead of Deathmark ➜ Shiv for your cooldown burst.

Each of the sections below explains the rotation for different environments. Click the boxes to switch to the desired situation and Hero Talent choice.

4.

Assassination Rogue Rotation

Assassination Rogue
Rotation Quick Guide Deathstalker
Single-Target Rotation Fatebound
Single-Target Rotation Deathstalker
Multi-Target Rotation Fatebound
Multi-Target Rotation Assisted Highlight &
Single-Button Assistant

3.1.

Simplified Assassination Rotation

This is a simplified version of the Rotation that leaves out some minor min-maxing gameplay.

• Open from Stealth with Ambush if you are playing Deathstalker.
• Use Mutilate as your single-target builder, and Envenom as your single-target spender. Ensure to cast Envenom with 7 CP if you have Darkest Night up.
• Use Fan of Knives as your AoE builder, and maintain Crimson Tempest as your AoE spender. Use Mutilate or Ambush once every 10 seconds in AoE to apply Caustic Spatter.
• Maintain Rupture and Garrote at all times.
• Use Kingsbane and Deathmark on cooldown.
• Use Cold Blood (with Fatebound) alongside Kingsbane.
• Use Thistle Tea alongside Shiv.

Your cooldowns should always be used in this order: Deathmark, Shiv, Kingsbane.

Use Vanish ➜ Ambush to apply Deathstalker's Mark in case it drops from your target or you need to switch targets and do not have Darkest Night active already.

3.1.

Deathstalker Single Target Ability Priority List for Assassination Rogue

This is the general priority list on how to use your abilities. This is NOT a list that should be followed step by step; it simply serves as a good idea of which things to prioritize in your moment-to-moment gameplay, as you will often be faced with multiple choices on which buttons to press. The priority list simply highlights which buttons are more important than others. You can find a sample opener sequence further below on this page.

1. Make sure to open from stealth with Ambush to apply Deathstalker's Mark.
2. Maintain Garrote, casted from Stealth when possible.
3. Maintain Rupture with 5+ Combo Points.
4. Activate Deathmark when available.
5. Use Kingsbane on cooldown. Make sure to sync it with all the other buffs.
6. Use Shiv as follows: Use one charge right after Deathmark, then extend the debuff with a second charge. Once Deathmark is over, cast another Shiv before using your next Darkest Night empowered Envenom. Without Deathmark active, only use one Shiv charge in the last 8 seconds of Kingsbane.
7. Cast Envenom with 5+ Combo Points. Cast it with 7 CP when Darkest Night is active.
8. Cast Ambush to generate Combo Points whenever it is usable.
9. Cast Mutilate to generate Combo Points.
10. Use Thistle Tea alongside Shiv.
11. Use Vanish ➜ Ambush to apply Deathstalker's Mark in case it drops from your target or you need to switch targets.

3.2.

Fatebound Single Target Ability Priority List for Assassination Rogue

This is the general priority list on how to use your abilities. This is NOT a list that should be followed step by step; it simply serves as a good idea of which things to prioritize in your moment-to-moment gameplay, as you will often be faced with multiple choices on which buttons to press. The priority list simply highlights which buttons are more important than others. You can find a sample opener sequence further below on this page.

Please bear in mind that acquisition of the Rogue Fatebound 11.2 Class Set 2pc and Rogue Fatebound 11.2 Class Set 4pc changes the usage of your abilities slightly. See above for specifics.

1. Maintain Garrote, casted from Stealth when possible.
2. Maintain Rupture with 5+ Combo Points.
3. Activate Deathmark when available.
4. Use Kingsbane on cooldown. Make sure to sync it with all the other buffs.
5. Use Cold Blood alongside Kingsbane.
6. Use Shiv as follows: Use one charge right after Deathmark (before DM with 11.2 2pc), then extend the debuff with a second charge. Once Deathmark is over, cast another Shiv during the last 8 seconds of your next Kingsbane. Use another charge between this Kingsbane and your next Deathmark, to avoid overcapping.
7. Cast Envenom with 5+ Combo Points.
8. Cast Ambush to generate Combo Points whenever it is usable.
9. Cast Mutilate to generate Combo Points.
10. Use Thistle Tea alongside Shiv.

3.3.

Deathstalker Multi-Target Ability Priority List for Assassination Rogue

1. Make sure to open from stealth with Ambush to apply Deathstalker's Mark. Skip this if you already have Darkest Night active.
2. Maintain multiple Garrote, casted from Stealth when possible.
3. Maintain at least five Rupture's with 5+ Combo Points.
4. Maintain Crimson Tempest.
5. Maintain Caustic Spatter by using Mutilate once every 10 seconds to generate Combo Points.
6. Activate Deathmark when available.
7. Use Kingsbane (if talented) on cooldown. Make sure to sync it with Deathmark if it is ready.
8. On AoE with Arterial Precision, use Shiv on cooldown, and make sure you have at least one charge available for your next Kingsbane, and two charges for your next Deathmark.
9. On bosses, use Shiv as follows: Use one charge right after Deathmark, then extend the debuff with a second charge. Once Deathmark is over, cast another Shiv before using your next Darkest Night empowered Envenom. Without Deathmark active, only use one Shiv charge in the last 8 seconds of Kingsbane
10. Use Vanish to re-apply Garrotes and Ruptures if your initial set of DoTs are close to running out, and the pack is going to live for another ~20+ seconds.
11. Cast Envenom with 5+ Combo Points. Cast it with 7 CP when Darkest Night is active.
12. Cast Ambush to generate Combo Points whenever it is usable.
13. Cast Fan of Knives to generate Combo Points on 2+ targets. This becomes 3+ targets when talented into Blindside.
14. On single-target, cast Fan of Knives if you just re-applied your Deathstalker's Mark. You can also use FoK when you're at 6 Combo Points and have the Darkest Night buff.
15. Use Thistle Tea alongside Shiv.
16. Use Vanish ➜ Ambush to apply Deathstalker's Mark in case it drops from your target or you need to switch targets.

3.4.

Fatebound Multi-Target Ability Priority List for Assassination Rogue

1. Maintain Garrote, casted from Stealth when possible.
2. Maintain at least five Rupture's with 5+ Combo Points.
3. Maintain Crimson Tempest.
4. Maintain Caustic Spatter by using Mutilate once every 10 seconds to generate Combo Points.
5. Activate Deathmark when available.
6. Use Kingsbane on cooldown. Make sure to sync it with all the other buffs.
7. Activate Vanish on cooldown. Use it to refresh Garrote when it is about to run out, then sync it with your subsequent Deathmark casts.
8. Use Shiv as follows: Use one charge right after Deathmark (before DM with 11.2 2pc), then extend the debuff with a second charge. Once Deathmark is over, cast another Shiv during the last 8 seconds of your next Kingsbane. Use another charge between this Kingsbane and your next Deathmark, to avoid overcapping.
9. Use Cold Blood alongside Kingsbane.
10. Cast Envenom with 5+ Combo Points.
11. Cast Ambush to generate Combo Points whenever it is usable.
12. Cast Fan of Knives to generate Combo Points on 2+ targets. 3+ if talented into Blindside.
13. Use Thistle Tea alongside Shiv.

4.

Assisted Highlight & Single-Button Assistant for Assassination Rogue

The Single-Button Assistant system offers an easy introduction into the spec and its many buttons, but it comes at a cost. Due to the increase of the Global Cooldown you will naturally do lower DPS already. The One-Button rotation is also missing out on some of the finer nuances of the rotation in order to make it more accessible for players who have just started their journey into the game, so even when using the Assisted highlight feature, you will be trailing a little behind those who have already mastered the ins and outs of the spec.

That being said, the DPS difference compared to the most complex and detailed rotational gameplay is not as big as you might think. You can expect to do ~25-30% less DPS than you would do with perfect rotational gameplay, so if you want to get your bearings before moving on to the Beginner DPS Rotation, using the Assisted Highlight or even the Single-Button Assistant is a great starting point if you have just taken your first steps into World of Warcraft.

Assassination has a fairly long opener sequence that aims to maximize its 2-minute burst potential. It differs ever so slightly between Deathstalker and Fatebound.

Hero Talent
Deathstalker	Fatebound

1. Start from Stealth.
2. Cast Ambush.
3. Cast Garrote.
4. Cast Mutilate.
5. Cast Rupture.
6. Cast Mutilate until 5+ CP.
7. Cast Envenom.

1. Start from Stealth.
2. Cast Garrote.
3. Cast Mutilate.
4. Cast Rupture.
5. Cast Mutilate up to 5+ CP.
6. Cast Envenom.

This is your set-up, followed by your cooldowns.

1. Cast Deathmark together with your DPS potion and your on-use trinket, if you have one. If you are the recipient of Power Infusion, ask for it here.
2. Cast Shiv.
3. Cast Shiv. If you have the new Tier-Set, use this before Deathmark instead.
4. Cast Kingsbane.
5. Cast Kingsbane, Vanish and Cold Blood.
6. Use Mutilate and Ambush as builders.
7. Use Envenom with 7 CP when Darkest Night triggers.
8. Spam Envenom with 5+ CP.
9. Use Shiv after Deathmark expired, but before casting your next Darkest Night empowered Envenom.

After your Kingsbane expires, your opener is finished, and you continue with your regular rotation until the next Kingsbane window.

The Tier Set from Manaforge Omega has different effects based on which Hero Talent tree you have active.

For Deathstalker, Rogue Deathstalker 11.2 Class Set 2pc and Rogue Deathstalker 11.2 Class Set 4pc have almost no bearing on our rotation whatsoever; they simply further boost our passive damage bonuses, and slightly alter the usage of our Shiv due to its extended duration. Make sure to not use Shiv when Darkest Night is active, so you can benefit from the 4pc bonus and advance your mark faster.

For Fatebound, Rogue Fatebound 11.2 Class Set 2pc and Rogue Fatebound 11.2 Class Set 4pc turn the spec into a 90-second DPS spec, with massive burst every 90 seconds. Make sure to use your Shiv as outlined in the section above!

The Fatebound tier set also guarantees the proc of the Fatebound capstone, and the cooldown reduction to Kingsbane and Deathmark apply retroactively, so you do not have to worry about getting the coin before using your CDs.

• You will never cast Slice and Dice manually. You will naturally maintain it whenever you cast Envenom as a regular part of your rotation, thanks to Cut to the Chase.
• Optimal usage of finishers is at 5+ Combo Points, even with Deeper Stratagem and Sanguine Stratagem.
• If Rupture is about to fall off, it can be reapplied with any number of Combo Points to maintain uptime. It is best to apply it with 5+ Combo Points, however, for maximum Energy efficiency and rotational fluidity.
• When talented into Indiscriminate Carnage, you will want to make sure to use Improved Garrote empowered Garrotes to spread it to all targets, and using maximum Combo Point Rupture as well.

Your Lethal Poison should always be Deadly Poison and Amplifying Poison.

You have three choices for your non-lethal Poison; Crippling Poison, Atrophic Poison, and Numbing Poison. For raiding, you will want to use Atrophic Poison unless your raid wants you to slow a specific group of targets. For Mythic+, you will want to use the Poison that best suits your tank's needs. Crippling Poison allows your tank to more easily kite enemies, whereas Numbing Poison slows their attack speed instead, while Atrophic Poison reduces the damage the group takes from enemy attacks and spells.

The damage buff from Improved Garrote is removed when you overwrite the bleed you empowered by re-applying an unempowered bleed. Therefore, it is best to let the DoT run its full duration before refreshing it. This bonus damage gets duplicated during Deathmark.

When you refresh Rupture, Garrote, Crimson Tempest, Envenom or Slice and Dice before they expire, the remaining duration is added to the newly applied effect, up to 30% of the newly applied base duration. This mechanic is called "Pandemic".

Example — You can safely refresh a 5-Combo Point Rupture when it has 7.2 seconds or less remaining because its base duration is 24 seconds. Deeper Stratagem allows for 6 Combo Point Ruptures, which last 28 seconds. 6-Combo Point Ruptures can be refreshed safely when they have 8.4 seconds or less remaining. With Sanguine Stratagem and 7 maximum Combo Points, this changes to 9.6 seconds.

Safe Pandemic refresh timing is based on the newly applied base duration and not the original length of the effect. Therefore, a 2 Combo Point Rupture can benefit from full Pandemic if it is refreshed by a 5-7 Combo Point Rupture.

As an Assassination Rogue, many of your abilities require Energy to be utilized. Your baseline rate of Energy regeneration is 10 Energy per second. However, you can generate more Energy through the following means:

• Current Haste rating (Haste and Haste-enhancing buffs);
• Venomous Wounds talent;
• Dashing Scoundrel talent;
• Thistle Tea active ability talent;
• Darkest Night proc from Deathstalker;
• Passive regeneration increase of Vigor.

Higher Energy generation allows for higher uptimes on Envenom, which awards much higher DPS over an extended encounter.

It is very important to avoid resource overflow. Capping Energy and overcapping Combo Points (unless caused by Seal Fate procs) is an egregious error. Special care should be taken to avoid wasting precious resources. "Pooling" higher levels of Energy, however, can be very beneficial (provided you do not overcap), as it allows you to store resources in anticipation of a window of burst damage. This can help reduce the patchiness of your debuff/buff uptimes, which will result in more consistent and smoother damage output.

Combo Point generation is increased by Seal Fate, which causes your critical hits with melee Combo generators to add Combo Points to your target per critical hit. This means Mutilate can generate up to 4 Combo Points (5 as Fatebound) if the main hand and the off-hand both critically strike. Fan of Knives can generate the maximum number of Combo Points with a single cast if it critically strikes 6 or more targets. You should never cast a Combo Point generator at or above 5 Combo Points, unless it is Garrote or Poisoned Knife (as neither of these benefits from Seal Fate), or if you need to hit 7 Combo Points to trigger Darkest Night. Do not use Poisoned Knife to reach maximum Combo Points unless you are out of range of the boss and in danger of hitting the Energy cap.

It can be very beneficial to "pool" your Energy and Combo Points, which involves auto-attacking while your Energy regenerates. The advantage this provides is variable, meaning that pooling does not always result in damage gained. Situations where pooling Energy and Combo Points is beneficial include:

• before the cooldown on Shiv recharges, to allow for immediate use and optimized burst;
• before an important add spawns so that you can apply as much instant pressure as possible;
• to assist with Envenom uptime by clipping two Envenoms or finishers so that the buff does not drop;
• An encounter-specific buff or damage phase is imminent.

Pooling Energy is not a magical DPS gain by itself. It allows you to slightly adjust the timing of your abilities so that you fit more attacks during periods of increased damage, provided you can properly identify when such periods are going to happen.

Kingsbane is a talent that applies a DoT effect that increases in strength for every lethal poison application. It is incredibly powerful, and large parts of our burst will rely on maximizing its damage output.

Try to maintain a 100% Envenom and Shiv uptime during its entire debuff duration.

All Rogues have a solid number of defensive cooldowns, making them the best candidate for soaking required mechanics and dealing with heavy incoming damage.

• Feint reduces AoE damage taken by 40% for 6 seconds for only 35 Energy. When talented into Elusiveness, it also reduces all other damage by 20% and grants Evasion a 20% damage mitigation. This is one of the most overpowered abilities in the game and a huge asset in fights with heavy raid damage.
• Cloak of Shadows provides magic immunity for 1 second, followed by 4 seconds where all spells will miss you. Cloak of Shadows has a variety of uses, both pre-emptive and reactive, such as solo soaking mechanics or clearing debuffs that would force you out of melee range.
• Evasion increases your Dodge chance by 100% for 10 seconds. This can be useful if you have to tank some adds or the boss for a few seconds. In rare cases, it can be used to negate physical ranged attacks or spells.
• Cheat Death is a talent that allows you to escape lethal damage once every 6 minutes. The damage cannot exceed more than twice your maximum health. Cheat Death is great for soaking mechanics that pierce immunities and damage reductions, as it guarantees your survival. It is also great for encounters with bursty damage that might take you by surprise, as you get a free get-out-of-jail-free card at least once in the encounter.
• Crimson Vial provides a respectable amount of healing on a 30-second cooldown.

Do not forget about this defensive toolkit, as it can be a major asset for both individual and raid-wide survivability.