Assassination Rogue 10.0 Guide
Introduction
Welcome to our guide on the Assassination Specialization for the Rogue Class in WoW Dragonflight patch 10.0! This article covers the Assassination spec, such as the leveling, gearing, and min-maxing your Rogue for the most challenging PvE content in World of Warcraft - Mythic Raiding and Mythic+ Dungeons.
First, we'll check out the specialization's particularities and see how well the Assassination Rogue performs in Dragonflight, Season 1. Then you'll learn how to gear your Assassination Rogue, what stats to prioritize, and the best leveling spec, talents, and rotation that will get you to max level in no time.
Finally, we'll go deep into min-maxing your character for the end-game content and teach you what gear to use for Mythic Raiding and Mythic Plus dungeons. By the end of the guide, you will become a master of Rogue's Assassination specialization! Sounds good, right? Let's get started!
Table of Contents
- Assassination Rogues: Strengths and Weaknesses
- How to gear an Assassination Rogue
- How to level an Assassination Rogue. Assassination Rogue leveling tips
- Best Assassination Rogue talents for end-game content
- Assassination Rogue in Dragonflight - FAQ
Assassination Rogues in Dragonflight: Strengths and Weaknesses
In World of Warcraft, the Rogue class comes with three DPS specializations: Outlaw, Subtlety, and Assassination. The rogue's spending resource is called Energy. All three specializations revolve around a fast-paced melee-oriented playstyle.
Compared to its other 2 specs that stand out in end-game tier lists, the Rogue's Assassination specialization performs just decently in Mythic Dungeons and Mythic Raiding in Dragonflight Season 1. Like any rogue spec, the Assassination rogues use the energy to attack targets and generate combo points with the builder abilities. Then, they consume these combo points for more powerful strikes with their finisher abilities. The whole spec revolves around providing damage over time (DoT) by applying bleed and poisons.
In terms of weapons, the Assassination Rogues use daggers to deal damage. However, they can still equip fist weapons, one-handed axes, maces, and swords. As for raid gear, rogues share the Vanquisher Tier Token with Death Knights, Mages, and Druids for legacy content. In the Dragonflight expansion, the Vault of the incarnates raid, the rogue shares the Zenith Tier Token with Monk, Warriors, and Evokers.
In the table below, we present the Assassination Rogue's strengths and weaknesses:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| + Easy-to-play spec, especially for beginners | - Weak AoE compared to the other 2 specs |
| + Good single-target and multi-target damage | - No special group utility |
| + Poison and Bleed DoTs | - Lack of burst damage |
| + Great survivability | - Lack of AoE cooldowns |
| + Great mobility |
How to gear an Assassination Rogue
In World of Warcraft, gearing is one of the most important aspects that enhances your character's overall performance by providing massive amounts of stats, armor, procs, and set bonuses. This guide will teach you how to properly gear up for the most challenging content in WoW Dragonflight, Mythic Raiding, and Mythic+ Dungeons.
We'll start with the basics and cover the Assassination Rogue's stats priority, check out the tier set bonuses, and finally, the best in slot gear you can get from mythic raids and dungeons.
Assassination Rogue stat priority
Regardless of the class and spec you roll into in World of Warcraft, the stats are a key component when gearing up and min-maxing your character for the end-game content. Assassination Rogues wear Leather gear with Agility as the main stat.
As a rogue, the Agility stat increases the attack power of your abilities, in other words - the damage you are dealing to the enemies. Also, please note that a higher and adequate item level will better impact your character's performance than a perfect stat distribution, so always keep an eye on the gear's item level!
Outlaw Rogues' stats priority looks like this:
- 1. Agility
- 2. Critical Strike
- 3. Mastery
- 4. Haste
- 5. Versatility
So as an Assassination Rogue, you will primarily value item level for Agility as the primary stat, then Critical Strike, followed by Mastery, Haste, and Versatility as secondary stats.
In other words: Agility > Critical Strike > Mastery > Haste > Versatility. And here's why:
Agility: Increases your attack power and, therefore, all the damage you are dealing to your enemies
Critical Strike: Increases the chances of dealing double damage with your attacks
Mastery: Increases the damage of DoTs (bleeds and poisons)
Haste: Increases your attack speed, the energy regen rate, and the tick rate of the DoTs
Versatility: Increases damage dealt and reduces damage taken
Assassination Rogue Tier Set Bonus
To start with, what is a tier set in World of Warcraft?
In WoW, a tier set is a unique class armor set with powerful 2-set and 4-set specific bonuses for each specialization of that particular class. Tier set bonuses change based on the character's active talent specialization, ensuring that the bonus is appropriate and useful to that spec.
So to recap, tier sets are unique pieces of armor that, when equipped simultaneously, provide you with a bonus, different for each spec of the chosen class. This bonus is based on the number of pieces from the set you have equipped, with most tier sets providing bonuses when equipping 2 or 4 pieces.
How to get the Assassination Rogue Tier Set in Dragonflight Patch 10.0
There are three ways you can get tier set items in WoW in the Dragonflight expansion:
- Vault of the Incarnates Raid: You can get tier set items from specific bosses in the Vault of the incarnates raid.
- Revival Catalyst: You can craft Tier armor from non-set pieces of the same item level using the Revival Catalyst crafting system.
- Great Vault: You can obtain tier set items from all activities that normally give Great Vault rewards, such as raiding, Mythic+ dungeons, and PvP.
The fastest way to obtain tier set items is to take advantage of these three sources that can reward you with the Assassination Rogue Tier Set items. The best advice is to complete the Vault of the incarnates raid weekly - this is probably the fastest way to get your hands on the desired tier armor. In case you don't have a team to raid with, complete some Mythic+ Dungeons or some PvP matches.
Mythic dungeons and PvP are highly beneficial because even if you can't drop the set items while participating in these activities, you increase the chances of getting your set items at the Great Vault or the Revival Catalyst console in Thaldraszus. At the revival catalyst console, you can convert the non-set pieces obtained in dungeons or PvP into tier set items.
Let's have a closer look at the Great Vault feature:
And this is what the Revival Catalyst looks like:
Back to our Assassination Rogue Tier Set. Now that you learned how to obtain the tier set, let's see some set bonuses and particularities, shall we?
The Assassination Rogue Tier set is called Vault Delver's Toolkit. It comes with the following bonuses for two pieces and four pieces equipped:
- 2-Set: Rogue Assassination Class Set 2pc - Envenom also increases your weapon poisons’ damage by 20%.
- 4-Set: Rogue Assassination Class Set 4pc - When your weapon poisons deal direct damage, you have a 50% chance to gain Septic Wounds, increasing your Bleed damage by 4% for 8 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.
In the table below, we present you the sources for Assassination Rogue Tier Set items:
| Slot | Tier Piece | Source |
| Helm | Vault Delver's Vizard | Raszageth |
| Shoulders | Vault Delver's Epaulets | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Chest | Vault Delver's Brigandine | Kurog Grimtotem |
| Gloves | Vault Delver's Lockbreakers | Dathea, Ascended |
| Legs | Vault Delver's Pantaloons | Sennarth |
The remaining tier set items (Cloak, Wrists, Waist, and Boots) can be obtained by using the Revival Catalyst in Thaldraszus.
As previously stated, you unlock the tier set bonuses for your Assassination Rogue when you equip any two or four pieces of the Vault Delver's Toolkit set. Your four pieces of tier set as an Assassination Rogue will be the Gloves, Shoulders, Chest, and Legs for itemization and build optimization.
Raid Best in Slot (BiS) Gear for Assassination Rogues
In the table below, you can find the best item to use in each slot from the raid as an Assassination Rogue:
| Slot | Item Name | Encounter |
| Helm | Flaring Cowl | Crafting |
| Neck | Elemental Lariat | Crafting |
| Shoulders | Vault Delver's Epaulets | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Cloak | Acid-Proof Webbing | Sennarth |
| Chest | Vault Delver's Brigandine | Kurog Grimtotem |
| Wrists | Loyal Flametender's Bracers | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Gloves | Vault Delver's Lockbreakers | Dathea, Ascended |
| Waist | Fused Shale Waistband | Terros |
| Legs | Vault Delver's Pantaloons | Sennarth |
| Boots | Ice-Climber's Cleats | Sennarth |
| Ring #1 | Seal of Filial Duty | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Ring #2 | Seal of Diurna's Chosen | Eranog |
| Trinket #1 | Manic Grieftorch | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Trinket #2 | Controlled Current Technique | Kurog Grimtotem |
| Main Hand | Ornamental Drakonid Claw | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Off Hand | Ornamental Drakonid Claw | Broodkeeper Diurna |
Mythic+ Best in Slot (BiS) Gear for Assassination Rogues
In the table below, you can find the best item to use in each slot from the Mythic+ Dungeons as an Assassination Rogue:
| Slot | Item Name | Location |
| Helm | Flaring Cowl | Crafting |
| Neck | Elemental Lariat | Crafting |
| Shoulders | Vault Delver's Epaulets | Catalyst |
| Cloak | Wind-Soaked Drape | Temple of the Jade Serpent |
| Chest | Vault Delver's Brigandine | Catalyst |
| Wrists | Biornskin Bracer | Halls of Valor |
| Gloves | Vault Delver's Lockbreakers | Catalyst |
| Waist | Bjorn's Hunting Strap | Halls of Valor |
| Legs | Vault Delver's Pantaloons | Catalyst |
| Boots | Footpads of the Swift Balestra | Court of Stars |
| Ring #1 | Jeweled Signet of Melandrus | Court of Stars |
| Ring #2 | Platinum Star Band | Algeth'ar Academy |
| Trinket #1 | Algeth'ar Puzzle Box | Algeth'ar Academy |
| Trinket #2 | Hunger of the Pack | Halls of Valor |
| Main Hand | Fenryr's Bloodstained Fang | Halls of Valor |
| Off Hand | Fenryr's Bloodstained Fang | Halls of Valor |
Best in Slot (BiS) Trinkets for Assassination Rogues
The best Assassination Rogue trinkets for end-game content are:
| Tier | Item Name | Drop Location |
| S | Manic Grieftorch | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| S | Algeth'ar Puzzle Box | Algeth'ar Academy |
| A+ | Controlled Current Technique | Kurog Grimtotem |
| A+ | Whispering Incarnate Icon | Kadros Icewrath |
| A | Storm-Eater's Boon | Dathea, Ascended |
| B | Hunger of the Pack | Halls of Valor |
| B | Windscar Whetstone | Court of Stars |
| C | Horn of Valor | Halls of Valor |
| C | Windswept Pages | Temple of the Jade Serpent |
| C | Bottle of Spiraling Winds | The Nokhud Offensive |
This wraps up everything you should know about gearing your Assassination Rogue: the stats priority, how to obtain the tier set, and what items to use in the end-game activities. Moving on to the next section of our guide, we'll teach you how to level your Assassination Rogue in Dragonflight patch 10.0. Sounds good, right? Let's dive in!
How to level an Assassination Rogue. Assassination Rogues leveling tips
Before leveling your Assassination Rogue, you must first create and customize the character. That brings us to the first question: what race should you go for when creating the character? Let's find out, shall we?
Best Assassination Rogue Races
When it comes to racials, with so many options to choose from, you are probably wondering what would be the best race for your rogue. In World of Warcraft, each race has different racial abilities and spells, but no races offer an immediate advantage compared to others regarding the Assassination spec. I highly recommend choosing the race you like the most, aesthetically speaking.
However, in the table below, you can see the top 10 best races for Assassination Rogues based on performance gain:
| Race | Performance Gain |
| Void Elf | +1.45% |
| Mechagnome | +0.89% |
| Human | +0.84% |
| Orc | +0.76% |
| Dark Iron Dwarf | +0.72% |
| Dwarf | +0.62% |
| Gnome | +0.60% |
| Blood Elf | +0.57% |
| Zandalari Troll Paku | +0.56% |
| Goblin | +0.55% |
Now, if you want to make an idea of what race players generally choose for their Assassination Rogues:
- For Alliance: Night Elf, Human, Gnome.
- For Horde: Blood Elf, Undead, Goblin, Orc.
Best Assassination Rogue Leveling Talents and Rotation in Dragonflight 10.0
The best talents to use while leveling to level 60 as an Assassination Rogue are:
Now let's check out how you should prioritize your abilities. Here is what most people consider to be the best rotation for Assassination Rogues:
- 1. Use Garrote from stealth when available.
- 2. Use Ambush to build combo points, Mutilate if unavailable.
- 3. Serrated Bone Spike and Marked for Death are your core burst, use them as often as possible.
- 4. Use Rupture or Kidney Shot.
- 5. Use Envenom for filler damage.
- 6. In bigger pulls, make sure to utilize Crimson Tempest and Fan of Knives.
Deathmark and Shiv should be used on any bigger targets for extra damage.
Follow the rotation, and you'll get to max level in no time! Now that we've covered the leveling part, it's time to move on to the end-game.
In the next section of our Assassination Rogue Guide, we'll present the best talents to use for PvE end-game content, such as raiding and Mythic+ dungeons. In the end game, it's crucial to use the right talents and prioritize the skills you use depending on the activity. Choosing the best talents will significantly impact your performance as a DPS!
Best Assassination Rogue End-game Talents
From the PvE perspective, there are two main end-game activities we'll take into consideration: Mythic raiding and Mythic+ Dungeons. We'll treat them separately to keep things clear and avoid confusion.
Best Talents for Mythic Raiding in Season 1 (patch 10.0)
In the picture below, you can see the best talents for mythic raiding as an Assassination Rogue:
Best Talents for Mythic+ Dungeons in Season 1 (patch 10.0)
As an Assassination Rogue, these are the talents you should use to maximize your damage in M+ Dungeons:
Assassination Rogues in Dragonflight - FAQ
1. Are Assassination Rogues good in Dragonflight 10.0?
Yes, Assassination Rogue represents one of the strongest specs in WoW Dragonflight in Season 1.
2. Is Assassination Rogue easy to play?
Yes. The Assassination Rogue specialization qualifies as one of the beginner-friendly specs in WoW Dragonflight.
3. What is the stats priority for Assassination Rogues?
The stats priority for Rogue's Assassination specialization looks like this: Agility > Critical Strike > Mastery > Haste > Versatility.
4. Which rogue spec is best for leveling in 10.0?
Overall, the Outlaw Rogue Specialization is the best spec for rogue leveling, especially for beginners.
5. What is the best race for Assassination Rogues in Dragonflight?
- Alliance's best Assassination Rogue races are Void Elf, Mechagnome, Human, and Dark Iron Dwarf.
- For Horde, the best Assassination Rogue races are Orc, Blood Elf, and Goblin.
Final thoughts
This wraps up everything you should know regarding the Rogue's Assassination specialization in World of Warcraft Dragonflight for Season 1, patch 10.0. By reading this guide, you should now better understand the Assassination Rogues' spec and particularities and how they perform in certain circumstances and different end-game activities. It's one of the coolest DPS specs in Dragonflight, so you should definitely try it!