WoW Forever Rogue leveling guide, the talent order from 64,042 builds

This Rogue leveling guide is about talents: where each point goes from level 10, read from the builds people plan here; quests and zones are not part of it. 38.5% of Rogue leveling builds lead in Subtlety, 31.8% in Combat and 29.7% in Assassination. That matches level 60, where 46% of Rogue builds with 41 or more points lead in Subtlety too, by count. Each order below is what most builds hold by the end of each level bracket; the share says how many of the builds that got there agree. Every order opens in the Rogue calculator, and the most popular Rogue builds page shows where they end up at 60.

Counted on 7 Oct 2026 from the builds made between 18 Sep and 6 Oct 2026; recounted after each backup of the counter's day files.

• Subtlety 38.5%
• Combat 31.8%
• Assassination 29.7%

Subtlety Rogue leveling order 38.5% of Rogue leveling builds, 24,649

The order more Rogues level in than any other. The order runs to level 39: Camouflage ×5, Opportunity ×2, Improved Ambush ×3, Elusiveness ×2, Initiative ×3, Ghostly Strike, Serrated Blades ×3, Premeditation, Hemorrhage, Preparation, Dirty Deeds ×2, Master of Deception, Cutthroat ×5. Open this Subtlety order in the calculator or its first 21 points at level 30.

What the first points do: At 5/5, Camouflage: Reduces your speed penalty from your Stealth ability by 15% and reduces its cooldown by 6 sec. At 2/2, Opportunity: Increases the damage dealt by your Backstab, Garrote, Ambush, and Mutilate abilities by 10%. At 3/3, Improved Ambush: Increases the critical strike chance of your Ambush ability by 45%. (talent text, beta client)

Combat Rogue leveling order 31.8% of Rogue leveling builds, 20,347

The order runs to level 29: Improved Sinister Strike ×2, Improved Eviscerate ×3, Deflection ×3, Precision ×3, Riposte, Endurance ×2, Improved Sprint, Flawless Execution, Dual Wield Specialization ×4. Open this Combat order in the calculator.

What the first points do: At 2/2, Improved Sinister Strike: Reduces the Energy cost of your Sinister Strike ability by 5. At 3/3, Improved Eviscerate: Increases the damage done by your Eviscerate ability by 20%. At 3/3, Deflection: Increases your Parry chance by 6%. At 3/3, Precision: Improves your chance to hit by 3%. (talent text, beta client)

Assassination Rogue leveling order 29.7% of Rogue leveling builds, 19,046

The order runs to level 39: Malice ×5, Ruthlessness ×3, Murder ×2, Improved Gouge ×3, Lethality ×5, Relentless Strikes, Cold Blood, Mutilate, Vigor ×2, Improved Kidney Shot ×2, Seal Fate ×5. Open this Assassination order in the calculator or its first 21 points at level 30.

What the first points do: At 5/5, Malice: Increases your critical strike chance with all attacks and Poisons by 5%. At 3/3, Ruthlessness: Gives your finishing moves a 60% chance to add a Combo Point to your target. At 2/2, Murder: Increases all damage dealt by 4% against Humanoid and Giant targets. (talent text, beta client)

Spells a Rogue trains on the way to 60

The level each Rogue spell is first trained at, from the beta client's spellbook and its spell text (build 70170).

• Lv 1Eviscerate, Sinister Strike and Stealth
• Lv 4Backstab and Pick Pocket
• Lv 6Gouge
• Lv 8Evasion
• Lv 10Sap, Slice and Dice and Sprint
• Lv 12Kick
• Lv 14Expose Armor and Garrote
• Lv 16Feint
• Lv 18Ambush
• Lv 20Crippling Poison, Ghostly Strike (from its talent), Instant Poison, Riposte (from its talent) and Rupture
• Lv 22Distract and Vanish
• Lv 24Detect Traps and Mind-numbing Poison
• Lv 25Cold Blood and Premeditation (each from its talent)
• Lv 26Cheap Shot
• Lv 30Blade Flurry (from its talent), Deadly Poison, Disarm Trap, Hemorrhage (from its talent), Kidney Shot, Mutilate (from its talent) and Preparation (from its talent)
• Lv 32Wound Poison
• Lv 34Blind and Blinding Powder
• Lv 40Adrenaline Rush (from its talent), Safe Fall and Venom (from its talent)

Beta client spellbook, build 70170. A spell marked with its talent comes with it, at the level its row opens. Every rank's level is in every Rogue spell by level.

Changed on the beta for this order

What the beta builds changed in the talents these orders place and in the spells above, from the beta build tracker, newest first.

• Lethality: now Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Sinister Strike, Gouge, Backstab, Mutilate, Ghostly Strike, and Hemorrhage abilities by 4%. Was: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Sinister Strike, Gouge, Backstab, Mutilate, Ghostly Strike, and Hemorrhage abilities by 6%. (build 69876, 16 Sep 2026)
• Precision: now Improves your chance to hit by 1%. Was: Increases your chance to hit with all attacks and Poisons by 1%. (build 69876, 16 Sep 2026)

Every build's changes are on the beta build tracker.

Questions

Which spec do Rogues level as in WoW Forever?

38.5% of the 64,042 Rogue builds with a recorded order lead in Subtlety, 31.8% in Combat and 29.7% in Assassination. That matches level 60, where 46% of Rogue builds with 41 or more points lead in Subtlety too, by count.

What are the first Rogue talents to take?

The leading Subtlety order puts its first points, levels 10 to 19, in Camouflage, Opportunity and Improved Ambush, more than any other ten points: 6.5% of the 24,649 Subtlety builds that reach level 19 hold exactly those ten points.

Where does this Rogue leveling order come from?

From the builds people make on this site's Rogue calculator, which records the order every point was placed in. 64,042 Rogue builds with ten or more ordered points, made, shared or saved between 18 Sep and 6 Oct 2026, counted once per visitor per day, no identities. Each bracket is the ten points most builds hold by its last level among the builds that hold the earlier brackets; the order stops where fewer than 25 agree.

Can I follow this Rogue order in game?

Yes. The free Talents Forever addon shows a build from this site in the game's talent window and follows it as you level.

Builds whose finished ranks today's trees refuse (a row not open, an arrow not met) are left out. Also for Rogues: the most popular builds, every talent in words, what changed since Classic, the abilities, new and changed, the races and their racials, questions answered from the data, and the Rogue calculator. Leveling builds for every class.