Combat Rogue Leveling Guide From 1 to 70 for TBC Classic

Your first talent point unlocks at Level 10. From here on out, this guide will give you an overview of recommended talent point spending for leveling, as well as some alternatives depending on gameplay preference.

• Levels 10 to 11 — 2 points in Improved Sinister Strike
• Levels 12 to 14 — 3 points in Improved Gouge
• Levels 15 to 19 — 5 points in Deflection

All of your first 10 talent points here are very important. Improved Sinister Strike is one of your strongest abilities as you will be using this ability as your main combo point builder. Improved Gouge can be interchanged for Lightning Reflexes, but it is recommended you keep Gouge for the utility. Deflection is very important to get up early, given that it unlocks Riposte at Level 20. This will also give you 5% avoidance against physical attacks.

• Level 20 — 1 point in Riposte
• Levels 21 to 25 — 5 points in Precision
• Level 26-29 — 4 points in Dual Wield Specialization

Riposte will be one of your favorite abilities leveling up. This ability costs only 10 Energy and is usable after a parry. It also disarms the enemy so it is all around very strong. From here, you start putting points into Precision and also Dual Wield Specialization.

• Level 30 — 1 point in Blade Flurry
• Levels 31 — 1 point in Dual Wield Specialization
• Level 32-34 — 3 points in Improved Slice and Dice
• Level 35-36 — 2 points in Weapon Expertise
• Level 37-39 — 3 points in Aggression

In this level range you start to get extremely powerful offensive talents, such as Blade Flurry and Weapon Expertise. Blade Flurry allows for you to cleave mutliple mobs down, allowing you to do multi-mob pulls.

• Level 40 — 1 point in Adrenaline Rush
• Levels 41-42 — 2 points in Vitality
• Level 43-44 — 2 points in Endurance
• Level 45-49 — 5 points in Combat Potency

In this level range, you get your strongest offensive ability, Adrenaline Rush. This increases Energy regeneration rate by 100%, granting you 40 Energy every 2 seconds rather than 20. Paired with Blade Flurry, you can DPS almost anything down quickly. Something to note is that, if you have weapons lined up in advance while leveling and are not relying on quest rewards or random drops, then you can opt to put in to Sword Specialization or another weapon specialization over Vitality and Endurance.

• Level 50 — 1 point in Surprise Attacks
• Levels 51-55 — 5 points in Malice
• Level 56-58 — 3 points in Ruthlessness
• Level 59-60 — 2 points in Murder

Here you will get no huge talents except for Surprise Attacks. This talent gives a strong boost to your Sinister Strike damage, as well as make it undodgeable.

• Level 61 — 1 point in Relentless Strikes
• Levels 62-66 — 5 points in Lethality
• Level 67-70 — 3 points in Vile Poisons

Your most notable talents here are Relentless Strikes and Lethality. Relentless Strikes is very useful for every time you use a finishing move. Lethality is just a nice overall damage increase.

1. Cheap Shot
2. 2 combo point Slice and Dice
3. Sinister Strike to build combo points
4. Kidney Shot if you do not want the mob to run away or if it deals high damage. Eviscerate if the mob is expected to die quickly. Rupture should only be used leveling on high HP mobs that are expected to live a long time.
5. Use Adrenaline Rush and Blade Flurry when available. Preferrably hold them for multi-mob pulls.

1. Cheap Shot
2. 2 combo point Slice and Dice
3. Blade Flurry and Adrenaline Rush. Add in Evasion if the mobs deal high damage.
4. Sinister Strike to build combo points.
5. Eviscerate while Blade Flurry is still active to hit both targets.

• Level 61 — Garrote - At Level 61, Garrote finally gains more utility. It silences the target for 3 seconds, making it a very powerful opener against Mages in PvP so they cannot Blink or against spellcasting mobs.
• Level 62 — Envenom - This ability hits much harder than Eviscerate, but should only be used with heavy stacks of Deadly Poison and if the mob you are fighting is near death.
• Level 66 — Cloak of Shadows - Cloak of Shadows is one of your strongest defensive abilities. It clears all magic debuffs from you and provides a 90% chance to resist all spells for 5 seconds.
• Level 70 — Shiv - This ability instantly strikes, applying a poison with your off-hand. It is useful for keeping up Deadly stacks to 5 if it is about to fall off or in PvP, when you need to stack Wound or apply Crippling Poison to a target quickly.

You might also want to check out our full class guides, which teach you how to play your class at the new Level 70 cap!

• Combat Rogue Guide