Subtlety Rogue

Shadow Dance windows with Secret Technique and Shadow Blades, finishing at 6+ combo points.

Damage

Gear: Method.ggBuilds: Archon consensus, M+ This Week (+7–+19)Updated 10/29/2026 by Guild guides

Playing

Subtlety packs its damage into short Shadow Dance windows, where Shadowstrike, Secret Technique and Goremaw's Bite all land together. Shadow Dance has two charges on a short cooldown, and every 90 seconds Shadow Blades doubles combo point generation for two of those dances. Outside the windows you build with Backstab. Symbols of Death and Rupture are no longer part of the rotation.

Difficulty: Damage is packed into Shadow Dance windows that must line up with Secret Technique and Shadow Blades, and the apex talent rewards banking Shadow Techniques stacks before each window.
Resource: Energy and Combo Points
Hero talents in keys: Trickster
Standing this patch: BRaid
Brings to the group: InterruptKick (15s)
StunKidney Shot, Cheap Shot
Dispelnone
PurgeShiv (enrage, talent)
Battle resnone
Lustnone
MobilitySprint, Shadowstep

Pick any button below to follow it through the guide: where it sits in the opener, which rung of the priority fires it, and every mistake it is part of.

Backstab
Shadowstrike
Shuriken Storm
Eviscerate
Black Powder
Coup de Grace
Secret Technique
Shadow Dance
Shadow Blades
Goremaw's Bite
Vanish

Kick
Feint
Cloak of Shadows
Evasion
Crimson Vial
Kidney Shot
Tricks of the Trade
Shroud of Concealment
Shadowstep
Sprint

Press order

1Shuriken Storm0.0s
2Shadow Blades1.0s
3Shadow Dance2.0s
4Goremaw's Bite3.0s
5Secret Technique4.0s
6Shuriken Storm5.0s
7Black Powder6.0s
8Shuriken Storm7.0s
9Coup de Grace8.0s
10Shuriken Storm9.0s
11Black Powder10.0s
12Shuriken Storm11.0s
13Black Powder12.0s

Shuriken Storm0.0s

The filler, once the bigger buttons are down.

One press per global at base haste (1s), longer for casts. Real pulls drift with haste and procs; the order is what matters.

Cooldowns and when to use them

Two charges. Enter at 6+ combo points with Secret Technique ready; hold two charges for Shadow Blades.

What the simulations press

Executed every time the actor is available.

Stealth
Shuriken Stormbuild at max for apex and targets>=3 and (supercharge 1.up or secret technique.ready)
Gloombladebuild at max for apex and targets<=2 and (darkest night.up or (unseen blade and supercharge 1.up) or secret technique.ready) and lingering shadow.stack>=35
Shadowstrikebuild at max for apex and targets<=2 and (darkest night.up or (unseen blade and supercharge 1.up) or secret technique.ready)
combo points>=cp max spend-not darkest night.up
stealth or energy>60
not stealth

From SimulationCraft's rogue_subtlety.simc, changed Aug 19, 2026. This is what the simulations behind most guides press; conditions are shown as SimC writes them.

What top players actually cast

Encounter

Below are the opening rotations from a small sample of recent top Subtlety Rogue rankings for Altar of Fangs. You can use this to compare to your own opener and find potential points of improvement. Note that the opener for some specs may vary based on when certain buffs proc.

48 castsover 75.0sSource log ↗

Rotation

BackstabBuilderInstant · -40 Energy, +1 Combo PointBuilder outside stealth; stronger from behind, and crits apply Find Weakness with Improved Backstab.
ShadowstrikeBuilderInstant · -50 Energy, +2 Combo PointsBuilder from stealth or Shadow Dance; teleports behind the target and hits much harder.
Shuriken StormBuilderInstant · -50 Energy, combo points per targetArea builder on 2+ targets.
EviscerateSpenderInstant · -35 Energy, spends Combo PointsSingle-target finisher at 6+ combo points; extra Shadow damage on targets with Find Weakness.
Black PowderSpenderInstant · -35 Energy, spends Combo PointsArea finisher on 2+ targets.
Coup de GraceProcInstant · -35 Energy, spends Combo PointsTrickster: after four Unseen Blade strikes your next Eviscerate acts as if it spent 5 extra combo points. Always cast it, even in area fights.
Secret TechniqueSpenderInstant · 25s cd · -30 Energy, spends Combo PointsFinisher with shadow clones that hits everything near the target; the cooldown is hasted. Cast it inside Shadow Dance.

Cooldowns

Shadow DanceCooldownInstant · 20s cd ×2 · 6s longSix seconds of stealth abilities without stealth. Two charges with Double Dance; enter at 6+ combo points with Secret Technique ready.
Shadow BladesCooldownInstant · 1m 30s cd · 16s longDoubles combo point generation and adds Shadow damage; fit two Shadow Dances inside it.
Goremaw's BiteCooldownInstant · 45s cd · -25 EnergyHits three targets with a big bleed and makes your finishers repeat part of their damage. Cast it inside Shadow Dance.
VanishCooldownInstant · 2m cdOutside Shadow Dance at low combo points, for an extra Shadowstrike.

Survival

FeintDefensiveInstant · 15s cd · 6s long · -35 Energy40% less area damage; costs energy, so use it on real hits.
Cloak of ShadowsDefensiveInstant · 2m cd · 5s longRemoves harmful magic and resists spells.
EvasionDefensiveInstant · 2m cd · 10s longDoubles dodge for 10 seconds.
Crimson VialDefensiveInstant · 30s cd · -20 EnergyHeals 20% of your health over 4 seconds.

Utility

KickInterruptInstant · 15s cdInterrupt that locks the school for 6 seconds.
Kidney ShotUtilityInstant · 30s cdFinisher stun, up to 8 seconds.
Tricks of the TradeUtilityInstant · 30s cdSends your threat to the tank.
Shroud of ConcealmentUtilityInstant · 6m cd · 15s longStealths the group to skip packs.
ShadowstepMovementInstant · 30s cd ×2Teleport behind a target; Subtlety gets a second charge.
SprintMovementInstant · 2m cd · 8s long70% movement speed for 8 seconds.

TricksterRaid and Mythic+Method recommends it: same single-target damage as Deathstalker, easier to play, stronger area and burst. 48 of the top 50 Mythic+ Subtlety Rogues on Murlok run it.
DeathstalkerSituationalShadowstrike applies Deathstalker's Mark and Darkest Night empowers Eviscerate. It funnels damage into one target and plays its Shadow Dance windows from low combo points; strong for players who master its setups.

49 of the top 50 Mythic+ players run Trickster (4176–4358 rating). Murlok.io

Mythic+

278,105 logs · 2026-11-05T12:00:00Z

Consensus loadoutRecommended

Popularity 100% heatmap match · 100% heatmap match

Paste in-game: Talents → Import

CUQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgx2MAAAAAwsMGLTMbLjxMMjhZmZGzMbzYmZbZMzMzMjBjZ2GAAAAGMGwYWMMwAzCL0iNMDYmBzYA

Sample Warcraft Logs report ↗

Recommended loadout is the closest match to Archon’s aggregate popularity across top parses — not a single one-off key.

Sample size: 278105 top parses. Only talents in the recommended loadout are drawn.

Class

Specialization

Hero

Only talents in this loadout are drawn (Trickster). Hover a node for its Wowhead tooltip.

Across 278,105 logs. A talent has to show up in at least 40% of them before it is part of the build.

Stats for Mythic+

1Agility

2Mastery

3Crit

4Haste

5Vers

Left to right — highest priority first. Sim your character when secondaries are close.

Based on data in the last 2 weeks, the stat priority for Subtlety Rogue looks to be Agility > Mastery > Crit > Haste > Vers. However, there may be bias based on what gear is available to players.

What the top Mythic+ players actually have

Mastery85% +1235
Critical Strike32% +927
Haste22% +833
Versatility3% +180

Average secondary stats of the top 50 Mythic+ players (4176–4358 rating), from Murlok.io, updated 23 minutes ago.

4piece set: Subtlety Rogue16slots

Best in slot from Method.gg. Every slot is on the figure. Point at a piece to light it.

Wear 4 tier pieces. The 4-piece bonus is what this spec is tuned around.

2-piece: Backstab costs 10 less energy and has 100% increased damage, Shuriken Storm costs 5 less energy and does 60% increased damage.

4-piece: Lingering Shadow now also benefits Eviscerate and Black Powder at 60% effectiveness

Patch 12.1.5

HeadTierBiS
Chosen Bloodslayer's Spirit Shroud
Ula'tek (Catalyst)
NeckBiS
Aqirbane Reliquary
Ula'tek
ShoulderTierBiS
Chosen Bloodslayer's Voodoo Guards
Vashnik the Maligant (Catalyst)
BackBiS
Silken Voodoo Drape
The Coiled Altar
ChestTierBiS
Chosen Bloodslayer's Banded Poncho
Kith'ix (Catalyst)
WristBiS
Silvermoon Agent's Deflectors
Leatherworking

HandsTierBiS
Chosen Bloodslayer's Fanged Grips
Sszorak (Catalyst)
WaistBiS
Sash Of The Forlorn Vessel
The Coiled Altar
LegsTierBiS
Chosen Bloodslayer's Reinforced Pants
The Coiled Altar (Catalyst)
FeetBiS
Arctic Explorer's Legwraps
Den of Nalorakk
Finger 1BiS
Lightwarden's Bind
Blinding Vale
Finger 2BiS
Band Of The Swarmcaller
Kith'ix
Trinket 1BiS
Voracious Heart Of Ula'tek
Ula'tek
Trinket 2BiS
Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique
The Coiled Altar

Main HandBiS
Zatha'tek, Breath Of Corruption
Ula'tek
Off HandBiS
Farstrider's Mercy
Blacksmithing

Log meta from Archon · updated 2026-11-05T12:00:00Z

Embellishment

The combo the most logs are running.

Arcanoweave Lining+Hunter's Ritual Stone56.8%

Enchant on each piece

Slot	Enchant	Popularity
Legs	Forest Hunter's Armor Kit	87.6%
Chest	Mark of the Worldsoul	86.3%
Main-Hand	Rite of the Hash'ey	85.1%
Rings	Eyes of the Eagle	84.8%
Off-Hand	Rite of the Hash'ey	82.2%
Feet	Lynx's Dexterity	60.1%
Shoulders	Amirdrassil's Grace	60.0%
Head	Empowered Rune of Avoidance	58.1%

Gem in each socket

Socket	Gem	Popularity
Epic Gem	Indecipherable Eversong Diamond	70.7%
Gem	Flawless Deadly Amethyst	52.4%

Flasks, potions & food

Midnight tier picks for Subtlety — match flask to your simmed best secondary.

FlaskFlask of the Magisters
Combat potionTempered Potion or Potion of Unwavering Focus on burn windows
Health potionConcentrated Silvermoon Health Potion
FoodFeast or best personal food matching your sim
NotePre-pot before pull; second potion during lust or boss burn
NoteVoid-Touched Augment Rune for raid prog and high keys

More trinket options

1Voracious Heart of Ula'tekBiS pick · 344 · Raids
2Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique344 · Raids
3Keeper's Seething Core344 · Raids
4Font of Venomous Rage344 · Raids
5Sapling of the Dawnroot344 · Dungeons
6Lustrous Golden Plumage344 · Dungeons

Best-to-good single-target order from Liquid Armory (Oct 12, 2026). Filled marks = higher on the list. Your own gear can change the order — sim before you buy.

What top players wear

Trinkets

Embellishment

Arcanoweave Lining61

Players of the top 50 using each, from Murlok.io.

Interrupts

Kick every 15 seconds.
Kidney Shot stuns stunnable casters; Cheap Shot from stealth or Shadow Dance does too.

Staying alive

Feint for predictable area damage; it costs energy, so do not overuse it.
Cloak of Shadows for the biggest magic damage or debuffs in a fight.
Evasion and Crimson Vial round it out; Cheat Death is a passive safety net.

Utility

Tricks of the Trade on the tank on pull.
Shroud of Concealment for group skips.
Shadowstep has two charges for Subtlety; it can also dodge knockbacks.

In Mythic+

Use Shuriken Storm and Black Powder from 2 targets, but always spend Coup de Grace when it lights up.
Save a Shadow Dance charge for the start of each pack so Secret Technique hits everything.
Vanish outside dance gives a free Shadowstrike; use it at low combo points.

Dance with Secret Technique ready
Wrong
1. Shadow Dance
2. Secret Technique on cooldown
Right
1. Wait for Secret Technique
2. Shadow Dance
3. Secret Technique
Secret Technique and your dance bonuses multiply; a dance without it loses most of the window's value.
Enter Dance with combo points
Wrong
1. 1 combo point
2. Shadow Dance
3. Shadowstrike
Right
1. 6 combo points
2. Shadow Dance
3. Secret Technique
4. Shadowstrike
As Trickster you want a finisher ready the moment the dance starts so more of the 6 seconds is spent on empowered hits.
Shadow Blades inside Dance
Wrong
1. Shadow Blades
2. Backstab
3. Backstab
Right
1. Shadow Blades
2. Shadow Dance
3. Shadowstrike
Doubled combo points are worth most on Shadowstrike, which already gives two.
Always spend Coup de Grace
Wrong
1. Coup de Grace lit
2. Black Powder
Right
1. Coup de Grace lit
2. Coup de Grace
It acts as if it spent 5 extra combo points; even in area fights it wins.

How it plays

Enter Shadow Dance at 6+ combo points with Secret Technique ready (Trickster).
Fit two Shadow Dances inside each Shadow Blades and hold charges for it.
Finish at 6+ combo points; always spend Coup de Grace when it lights up.
Vanish outside Dance at low combo points for an extra Shadowstrike.
From two targets, Shuriken Storm and Black Powder replace Backstab and Eviscerate.

Strong at

Very high burst inside Shadow Dance
Strong area burst with Secret Technique and Black Powder
Excellent mobility with two Shadowstep charges

Weak at

Lower damage between windows
Cooldown alignment takes practice
Punished by downtime during a dance

Subtlety Rogue

Rotation

Cooldowns and when to use them

What the simulations press

What top players actually cast

Abilities

Rotation

Cooldowns

Survival

Utility

Builds / Talents

Mythic+

Gear

Stats for Mythic+

What the top Mythic+ players actually have

Embellishment

Enchant on each piece

Gem in each socket

Flasks, potions & food

More trinket options

What top players wear

Trinkets

Embellishment

Utility

Interrupts

Staying alive

Utility

In Mythic+

Mistakes

Dance with Secret Technique ready

Enter Dance with combo points

Shadow Blades inside Dance

Always spend Coup de Grace

Playstyle

How it plays

Strong at

Weak at

Further reading