WoW Classic Rogue Leveling Guide - World of Warcraft Classic Leveling Guide Guide - IGN (2024)

This page contains information on World of Warcraft Classic's Leveling Guide for the Rogue class, from level 1 to level 60. This includes information on tips for leveling solo (and with a group), the best talents to specialize in, which skills and spells to purchase - and much more.

For more information on leveling, be sure to check out our WoW Classic Horde Leveling Guide and Alliance Leveling Guide to figure out the best places to quest and travel to - and the best places to avoid.

Almost all races can become a rogue in World of Warcraft classes, the only exception being the Tauren.

Humans are seen as a great pick for Rogues, especially in PvE situations due to having better hit chance when using swords, while Perception can give them the edge in PvP against other rogues. Gnomes are generally seen as the weaker pick as Intellect does little and the only boon they get is Escape Artist (and a Rogue can get Improved Sprint instead).

For Horde, Both Orcs and Undead are seen as good picks for a Rogue. Orcs can combine their Blood Fury trait to boost their damage output for finishers, and Hardiness lets them endure stuns from other Rogues and Warriors better. Meanwhile, Undead's Will of the Forsaken allows them to defeat Priests and Warlocks with little to fear.

Whether you're new to the game, have only played during the expansions since Cataclysm, or are returning to WoW Classic after a long time away, there are many things you should know before getting into the optimal paths for leveling from 1 to 60.

The most important thing to remember is that many quality of life changes and streamlined leveling systems are not in place in WoW Classic - quests aren't always thrown in your face, and fighting against mobs may not be as easy and quick, especially for a Rogue.

Rogues often have a more difficult time leveling compared to other classes - especially when flying solo. Since so much of a Rogues array of skills often rely around positioning, sneak attacks, and staying out of the fight, you'll find it harder to constantly go up against mobs face to face (and taking on multiple opponents) until you start to get deeper into your talents. Your spells and talents can be a boon and a curse - as your ability to stealth can let you pick your targets for questing a lot easier than other classes, and with moves like Vanish, you'll be able to dictate when to retreat from a fight and save yourself time wasting precious time dying. Try to avoid taking on enemies at a higher level than your own, and be cautious when pulling multiple mobs - you'll need to employ various tricks to keep yourself alive.

Still, Rogues can be a fun and rewarding class to level. Even before you'll end up one as one of the highest damage-dealing classes at 60. If you aren't concerned about rushing to 60 as fast as possible, you should also have a decent time finding groups for dungeons, as a Rogues damage output is always a boon, as is their ability to sap, lockpick, and navigate dangerous areas easily. They are also right at home leveling on PvP servers, as stealth allows you to opt in and out of world PvP as much as you want - and bypassing hostiles while questing is much easier than with other classes.

Below you'll find a few general tips to keep in mind when trying to level as a rogue:

• As a melee class, you'll want to be on the lookout for the absolute best weapons you can get for your level. Other stats and gear always come second. Always. Even purchasing common-tier weapons from vendors can improve the speed and efficiency at which you level, so always check at vendors when at town, look for quests that offer weapon rewards, or - if you have money to spare - browse the Auction House. If playing with friends or in a guild, don't be afraid to have them be on the lookout for weapon drops you can use that aren't Bind on Pickup.
• As a general rule of thumb, you'll want to either focus on swords or daggers as you level up, and your talent specialization should reflect that. Swords are generally considered the easier route as there is much less positioning involved, but it may also feel a little stagnant. Daggers will require a bit more thought - using Backstab whenever possible - which means you'll have to put a lot more work in, but if you plan to play with friends, daggers are considered much more versatile when used in groups.
• Rogues learn Pickpocket at a very early level, and can prove extremely valuable in terms of farming gold. Remember that you can only pickpocket from enemies that have pockets (no animals) - and at higher levels, you'll begin to find junkboxes that can be lockpicked to reveal random contents that can further boost the rate at which you make gold.
• Always make sure you have full stacks of Blind Powder, Vanish Powder, and Poisons on hand before leaving town to quest or grind. A rogue is nothing without their tools, and being able to control the fight or escape at a moment's notice is how you'll survive. Utilize attacks like Gouge and Blind to nullify additional enemies while you focus on your main target, or distract a group before sprinting away to Vanish to fight another day.
• Stealth allows you to bypass certain well-defended areas and head straight for your target. While it's generally recommended that you kill everything in your path while questing to maximize experience gained, know that in a pinch you can bypass problem areas that have too many guards at close range, or if a quest demands it - quickly assassinate a high-profile quest target, loot, and Vanish before adds come to ruin the fun.
• If you're not racing to 60, Stealth also allows you to fully explore dangerous areas to access loot that would otherwise be too troublesome to get to. Herbalism and Mining nodes lying behind groups of mobs are now possible, and using Blind or Gouge can let you loot items and open chests that would normally be much harder to reach.
• It goes without saying, but leveling with a friend can make the journey all the more quicker. Leveling with a healer like a Shaman or Paladin can be a huge boon, as you can benefit from a Windfury Totem or the Blessing of Might to take down targets all the more faster, and heal out of dangerous situations.
• Since Rogues can have a hard time taking on enemies only a level or two above them, it can be more worthwhile to take advantage of multiple zones in the same level-range, and hop between them when you encounter quests that start to outpace your own level. In most all cases, the experience you gain from quests will be better than simply grinding in an area until you can complete a pesky quest.
• Quest over Grind - unless you're carving a path to a quest target, you should try to avoid mindlessly grinding monsters just to level up. Questing offers much better rewards at a quicker pace with more experience, and also readies you for dungeons should you choose to find a group, allowing you to bank even more experience along with better quest rewards. You'll also gain reputation with other factions which should not be overlooked.

Important: There are two paths you should consider when choosing your talent builds for leveling: Daggers or Swords. This can depend on preference, but can also favor leveling in groups vs solo!

Choosing to specialize in swords means you'll be forgoing position-based skills like Backstab to focus on whittling down enemies in rapid succession. This is viewed as the best path for new players or those going solo. Note that you can also swap out swords with any other one-handed weapon so long as the damage output is considered an upgrade (until you get high enough to put points into sword specialization).

Choosing to go with daggers means that you'll want to attack from behind whenever possible - which can be harder when playing alone, as you'll need to spring an Ambush and use Gouge to get behind targets to use your Backstab skill. Otherwise, this build is better favored when you plan to always be grouped up when leveling.

• For tips on the best builds for endgame raiding and PvP, see our guide to the Best Rogue Talent Builds!

Sword Specialization Build

• Assassination - 19
• Combat - 32
• Subtlety - 0

This build relies on maximizing damage output with your bread and butter skills - while maintaining a fast speed of attack at all times. Note that there are a few changes you can make depending on personal preference:

• Starting with Improved Sinister Strike and Improved Gouge in Combat is generally a good place to start, as you'll be using Sinister Strike as much as possible. While a longer gouge is more important for daggers, you can still take advantage of the ability to lock down a target before switching to another - or taking the time to heal.
• Precision is the next important talent to max out in Combat as you'll want to ensure you land as many of your hits as possible, and finding ways to increase your hit this early in the game can be tricky.
• With Precision maxed,you have a couple choices making your way down the Combat Tree. You can put everything into Deflection to unlock Riposte to give yourself more defenses - but in a PvP server you may not find this as advantageous against foes like Warriors, and instead save these points for Sword Specialization later down the line. Since you still need points to get farther down the Combat Tree, pick up Endurance and Improved Sprint, and if you aren't getting Deflection, put one point in Lightning Reflexes to open up the path further down the tree.
• At this point, whichever option you've gone with, you should be able to put everything in Dual Wield Specialization to increase your offhand damage immensely, which will then clear the way for Blade Flurry - giving you a higher damage output and the ability to take on multiple foes that much easier.
• With Blade Fury in the bag, you'll need to get Sword Specialization if you didn't get Deflection and Riposte. Otherwise, finish off the tree by getting Weapon Expertise to further increase your hit rate, Aggression for the flat damage boost to your bread and butter skills, and finally Adrenaline to maximize your damage output alongside Blade Fury.
• With Combat completed, you can then begin in the Assassination tree by putting all the points in Malice to raise your crit chance.
• Similar to the other skill tree, there are multiple ways you can attack this tree depending on your tastes. Most will either go for Improved Eviscerate and Murder to output more damage - but you can also put your points into Improved Slice and Dice to raise the speed of your attacks for longer periods of time, letting you get many more hits and crits while using the extra time its active to focus back on getting more Eviscerates. This is especially useful in later game dungeons and raids, and can still help while leveling.
• After picking either option, finish off the Assassination tree with Ruthlessness to keep your combo point gain consistent, as well as Relentless Strikes to restore energy quicker to keep your combos going. Your last points should go into Lethality to increase your crit damage output.

Dagger Specialization Build

• Assassination - 15
• Combat - 31
• Subtlety - 5

This build follows a similar route to the the Swords build, with a few slight detours to maximize your damage using Backstab. There are many more choices you can make when building out this tree that depend heavily if you plan to be in a group, as talents like Remorseless Attacks will help much more if your team is constantly killing enemies. If not, take this path:

• Start by putting the only 5 points into Subtlety tree to increase the damage you deal from behind with Opportunity, as the rest of your attacks will be maximizing this kind of damage.
• Now its time to mimic the Sword progression for a bit by putting points into Improved Sinister Strike and Improved Gouge in the Combat Tree. However, using Improved Gouge will be a huge deal as it will allow you get off more Backstabs in combat.
• Follow this with 5 points into Precision to increase your hit rate, which is sorely needed in early levels. Instead of getting Deflection, you'll want to put points into Improved Backstab to further boost of the damage output from Opportunity.
• After this, you can grab Endurance and Improved Sprint and clear up the next tier.
• Deviating from the Sword tree, you'll want to invest 5 points into Dagger Specialization to raise your crit rate, as well as Dual Wield Specialization to increase your overall damage output with your second weapon.
• Get Blade Flurry, which is just as important for improving your damage and taking additional enemies on as it is for Swords, and follow up with Weapon Expertise for increased hit. Since we needed 5 points for Opportunity, you'll likely have to pass on Aggression and go straight for Adrenaline Rush for another damage burst on cooldown.
• Now it's time to move to the Assassination tree, starting with 5 points in Malice.
• You'll have a few options from here on out, depending on what you want to prioritize. As mentioned early, Remorseless Attacks are great with a group, but otherwise you may want to consider picking up Murder and Improved Slice and Dice for faster and deadlier hits, and finish up with Lethality to boost your crit damage even higher.

With your talent trees mapped out, you'll still need to reach the levels need to unlock them. In the meantime, knowing which skills and spells to pay for and unlock can save you time - and more importantly money

As a general rule of thumb, any skills and spells that become available between level 1 and 10 are worth picking up, if for no other reason than they won't put a big dent in your wealth accumulation by this point. This includes Sinister Strike (Rank 1,2), Eviscerate (Rank 1,2), Pick Pocket, Backstab (if going Daggers), Gouge, Evasion, Dual-Wield, Sprint, and Slice and Dice.

• If using Daggers, purchase all other Backstab ranks at level 12, 20, 28, 36, 44, and 52
• Dagger Rogues should also return to purchase Ambush ranks at level 18, 26, 34, 42, 50, and 58.
• For either build, purchase all ranks of Sinister Strike at level 14, 22, 30, 38, 46, and 54. The same goes for Eviscerate at level 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, and 56.
• Even if you don't use Daggers, it's worth investing in every rank of Stealth at level 4, 20, 40, and 60.
• While poisons are nice for the occasional damage boost, you may not want to waste the money on all the different types if you'd rather focus on saving money for a mount.
• Get Kick at level 12 for its use in shutting down magical opponents - PvE OR PvP!
• If playing with Swords and unable to use Ambush, consider investing some money to get Garrote at level 14 (unless you want to save the money) to get a stealth opener, as you'll have to rely on Sinister Strike otherwise.
• Both Feint and Expose Armor aren't worth it, so pass on them. The same goes for Rupture at level 20.
• Be sure to grab Vanish at level 22, as its incredibly useful for getting out of unwanted scenarios and avoiding death and a potentially long corpse run.
• Once you reach Cheap Shot at level 26 and Kidney Shot at level 30, you may want to consider them, but their uses are much more prevalent at interrupting opponents in PvP scenarios - so choose what makes sense for your progression.
• Similarly, getting Blind at level 34 has more uses in PvP, but like Gouge, it also gives you time to curb additional enemies, or bandage up in a tough fight.

Thankfully, with either specialization, Rogues have a straightforward rotation of attacks that you'll use to get into a groove early on.

In fact, Sword Rogues can get away with using Sinister Strike to get 5 combo points before using Eviscerate, and later you can open with Garrote, and then activate Slice and Dice when you obtain Rank 2 before falling back into the pattern.

Dagger Rogues follow a similar beat, but you'll want to try to open with Ambush or Backstab whenever possible. In addition to the standard rotation of Sinister Strike and Eviscerate, Dagger Rogues can use Gouge to stun an enemy and get behind them for another Backstab before returning to the regular moves. Once you have them, activate Blade Flurry and Adrenaline Rush whenever possible to maximize your damage. If you're pulling mobs one after the other - take note of your combo meter. If an enemy is nearly dead and you're at a full combo, you can spare wasting a 5 point Evisceration by using Slice and Dice instead to keep the speed buff active on your next target.

Finding ways to improve yourself is always tough in a game like World of Warcraft, due to the nature of random drops. That said, there are certain things you should look out for, and a few items you should make sure to try to obtain along the way to make sure your Rogue is always at their best.

Any gear you obtain should prioritize Agility, with Strength and Stamina being your secondary goal. Spirit can still be useful for increasing your health regeneration, and Intellect is the least useful stat. Be on the lookout for green gear with the suffix "Monkey" or "Tiger" to get AGL+STAM or AGL+STR.

As a physically-oriented class, Rogues need a good weapon at all times, and you'll want to do whatever possible to make sure you have good weapons at the ready. At early levels, don't be afraid to go ahead and buy common tier weapons from weapon merchants, like a Stiletto or Gladius.

Other weapons to keep an eye out include:

Best Swords for Leveling

• Daryl's Shortsword - A Hunter's Challenge Quest in Loch Modan (Alliance)
• Elegant Shortsword - Serena Bloodfeather Quest in The Barrens (Horde)
• Solid Shortblade - Red Silk Bandanas Quest in Westfall (Alliance)
• Wingblade - Leaders of the Fang Dungeon Quest for Wailing Caverns (Horde)
• Sword of Serenity - In the Name of the Light Dungeon Quest for Scarlet Monastery (Alliance)
• Vanquishers Sword - Into The Scarlet Monastery Dungeon Quest for Scarlet Monastery (Horde)
• Linken's Sword of Mastery - It's Dangerous to Go Alone Quest in Un'goro Crater
• Valiant Shortsword - Mission Accomplished Quest in Western Plaguelands (Alliance)
• Thrash Blade - Corruption of Earth and Seed Dungeon Quest for Maraudon

Best Daggers for Leveling

• Compact Fighting Knife - Supervisor Fizsprocket Quest in Mulgore (Horde)
• Blade of Cunning - Level 10 Class Quest
• Kris of Orgimmar - Hidden Enemies Quest in Orgimmar (Horde)
• Thornblade - A Dark Threat Looms Quest in Loch Modan (Alliance)
• Silent Hunter - Call to Arms Quest in Arathi Highlands (Horde)
• Black Menace - In the Name of the Light Dungeon Quest for Scarlet Monastery
• Tok'kar's Murloc Shanker - Threat from the Sea Quest in Swamp of Sorrows
• Fiendish Shiv - Challenge Overlord Mok'Morokk Quest in Dustwallow Marsh
• Ceremonial Elven Blade - A Hero's Welcome Quest in Feralas (Alliance)
• Beasthunter Dagger - Shy-Rotam Quest in Winterspring

In addition the notorious Barman Shanker is a low percent drop chance from killing Plugger Spazzring in the Blackrock Depths dungeon. If done right, this can be solo'd or done with other Rogues/Druids at high levels - but it is a risky endeavor for a low drop rate.

As a class, Rogues have a somewhat easier time with class quests than other classes (though they don't get their own mount like Warlocks and Paladins). The only quests Rogues have to contend with to unlock abilities for their class both come at level 16 and 20: One rewards you with weapon poisoning, while the other allows you to brew Thistle Tea, and each will help you as you level to 60.

While the quest to obtain Poisons start at level 20, the difficulty can vary based on your faction. Alliance Rogues don't actually have to defeat anyone, and can stealth and use Sap to get what they need. However, for Horde Rogues, you'll have to contend with a horde of level 22 mobs and a boss - which may require a friend or some healing potions. Regardless of your faction, you'll want to have leveled up your Lockpicking skill to around 75-85.

At level 16, Horde rogues are directed to Orgimmar's class trainers to meet Wrenix the Wretched located in The Barrens at the port called Ratchet. You'll take on the quest Plundering the Plunderers - and you must make sure to obtain both the Thieves' Tools and E. C. A. C. from the nearby robot. Locate the docked pirate ship along the coast and get down to the hull where a lone locked box is. If you lack the skill to open it, look for a row of lockboxes on the upper level of the ship to quickly train up your skill, and then return to unlock the main objective. Once you do, quickly turn around to find a high level elite parrot named Polly coming at you. Use the E.C.A.C to transform it into a regular level 18 mob and kill it, then return to get the Thistle Tea recipe.

At level 20, you must start The Shattered Salute quest in Orgimmar and salute Shenthul after he salutes you, and then take on the Deep Cover quest to find Taskmaster Fizzule in The Barrens, using a Flare Gun to draw him out, and then salute him so you can talk with the NPC. Obtaining the quest Mission: Possible But Not Probable, you'll need to kill various monsters, while also pickpocketing a key from Foreman Silixiz (but not killing him). Then, defeat Grand Foreman Puzik Gallywix and open his lockbox - this will put a poison debuff on you. After completing the quest and getting the Thistle Tea recipes, you'll be sent to find Hinott in the Hillsbrad Foothills to remove your debuff and teach you how to make poisons.

The Alliance has a much easier questline, starting with Mathias and the Defias in Stormwind, which will send you to meet an agent near the bottom of Westfall. Speak to Agent Kearnen for the quest Klaven's Tower, and infiltrate the tower by pickpocketing (not killing) the Malformed Defias Drone for the key. Then, you can stealth your way up the tower, and use Sap on Klaven Mortwake, allowing you to loot Klaven Mortwake's Journal from the nearby chest without having to fight for it. This will give you a poison debuff, so hightail it back to complete the quest and learn how to make Thistle Tea and Poisons. To remove your own debuff, take the quest The Touch of Zanzil, and follow Doc Mixilpixil's instructions to get the poison removed.

As a high focused DPS class, the Rogue can usually find themselves as fairly desirable to have in groups for questing and dungeons (but note that Rogues are also a very popular quest, which may increase your competition).

Depending on your build, you may find that working in groups can bring out more of your skills. In particular, Dagger Rogues can take advantage of better positioning with Backstab and Ambush (so long as you don't gain too much threat away from the tank in charge). For tougher enemies like bosses, having Slice and Dice constantly up will improve your overall DPS dramatically (and remember that Vanish can be used to remove threat and lead enemies back to your tank).

Rogues also have a bit of crowd control in disabling a few adds when pulling group, but are mostly limited to Sap and Blind. Note that without specializing in the Improved Sap talent for a chance to remain in stealth when using Sap, you'll run the risk of drawing too much attention when trying to pull a group by sapping.

Rogues don't much to offer in terms of party support buffs that other Classes do, but instead can offer unique services instead. With stealth, Rogues can scout out incoming threats and better dictate pulling enemies by spotting ambushes ahead of time. Rogues also have access to lockpicking, which can be used on chests you may encounter or lockboxes your group may find.

Lastly, Rogues are near unique in that a well-informed and over-leveled Rogue can sneak through a dungeon meant for a group and isolate targets that would otherwise be impossible without stealth. This includes certain chests or quest targets, and sometimes even weak bosses or enemies that can drop crucial rewards.

Rogues have a lot of choices for which Professions they'd like to focus on in Classic WoW, and can lean heavily on what you're looking to get out of Professions.

For those looking to make money, Skinning plus Herbalism or Mining is an easy way to maximize profits - since you'll be killing at close range, skinning will come naturally. Rogues also have the ability to stealth past hostile areas to reach rare plants or mining nodes that would take other classes longer to reach - and Vanish can also help you mine these nodes and be on your way without being involved in a lengthy fight.

As for Professions that craft items, Engineering is largely considered a must-have for Rogues looking to maximize their offense both in PvP or PvE. In particular, crafting Dynamite can help increase your damage output even more, and Iron Grenades can stun targets like pesky ranged Classes in PvP, making up for a Rogues weakness to being kited.

Each of the Engineering paths has its own perks - Gnomish Engineering includes the Gnomish Battle Chicken that can help out in combat as a pet that also has the chance to increase your melee attack speed. On the other hand, Goblin Engineering can net you the Goblin Rocket Helm, which is crucial for closing the distance on enemies in PvP trying to kite you around.

Leatherworking can also be considered if you either plan to boost your income from Skinning by crafting items to sell, or if you really want to get into crafting your own armor - just note that for Rogues, their weapons and base damage output will matter much more than the stats on their armor, but you should choose what most interests you!

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