Rogue: Assassination and Subtlety

Rogue spends energy. The independent database names a demon hunter model, which is a single source and a strange fit, so I am stating it as their label rather than as lore. Assassination’s names are Mutilate, Envenom, Vendetta, Marked for Death and Crimson Tempest. Subtlety’s are Shadowstep, Shadow Dance, Ambush, Symbols of Death, Premeditation, Preparation, Backstab, Hemorrhage and Ghostly Strike. Shared tools: Sinister Strike, Eviscerate, Kidney Shot, Cheap Shot, Kick, Gouge, Sprint, Vanish, Sap, Blind, Evasion and Cloak of Shadows.

Subtlety was rebuilt in 0.7, then adjusted in 0.21: several damage figures rise, while Premeditation trades a longer cooldown for use outside stealth. The 0.21 figures I will print, because the changelog prints them: Shadow Focus costs 40 percent less during Shadow Dance, Premeditation’s cooldown is 30 seconds, Waylay slows 30 percent for 8 seconds from every combo builder, Backstab is 440, Hemorrhage is 245, Ghostly Strike is 240. Version 0.13 puts Kidney Shot on its own diminishing-returns category so it can follow Cheap Shot for a full duration. Sap is single-target from 0.21, with Polymorph, Fear and Cyclone.

Ramonrtj’s 29 Oct clip is a first rogue-versus-mage match. It is a creator’s game, not a sample size. I am not calling Subtlety the best spec after the buff. No public source found as of 2026-10-30 for a rogue win rate.

0.21.1: Stealth and Deadly Throw

The public client notes remove Stealth’s movement penalty and give both specs Deadly Throw, a ranged combo-point finisher with a short slow. Find it in Spells & Talents and drag it onto the bar. The note describes a way to reach a fleeing enemy, not proof that either spec is now strongest.

Assassination

Assassination’s named tools include Mutilate, Envenom and Vendetta. It also receives the shared Deadly Throw and Stealth movement changes in 0.21.1.

Subtlety

Subtlety uses Shadow Dance and its builder choices. Distinguish the 0.7 redesign from mixed 0.21 balance changes: higher builder damage does not cancel Premeditation’s longer cooldown.

These are single-source kit descriptions from the public client and its derived database, not ranked builds. For editorial role examples, see comp planning; for published changes, see patch notes.