Cataclysm Subtlety 85 Rogue Leveling Build Guide

This is the Subtlety Rogue Leveling build guide updated for Cataclysm patch 4.0.6.  This spec talent tree guide features 1-85 talent points along with a recommended glyphs sheet.

As with all builds, there is no perfect way to play.  A build that fits your playstyle can be better then the “best” build.  This also goes for glyphs.  If you see something that you would prefer, go right ahead.

If you have a favorite rotation, add it in the comments below and we may feature it in the guide!

These are the best 1-85 talent points to go along with the best leveling route guide: Zygor’s Leveling Guide.

Level 85 Rogue (10/0/31) (Link)

Subtlety (31 Points)

Nightstalker – Rank 2/2
Increases your speed while stealthed by 15% and reduces the cooldown of your Stealth ability by 6 sec.

Improved Ambush – Rank 3/3
Increases the critical strike chance of your Ambush ability by 60% and its damage by 15%.

Relentless Strikes – Rank 3/3
Your finishing moves have a 20% chance per combo point to restore 25 energy.

Elusiveness – Rank 2/2
Reduces the cooldown of your Vanish and Blind abilities by 60 sec and your Cloak of Shadows ability by 30 sec.

Waylay – Rank 1/2
Your Ambush and Backstab hits have a 50% chance to unbalance a target, increasing the time between their melee and ranged attacks by 20%, and reducing movement speed by 50% for 8 sec.

Opportunity – Rank 3/3
Increases the damage dealt with your Backstab, Mutilate, Garrote and Ambush abilities by 30%.

Initiative – Rank 2/2
Gives you a 100% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.

Energetic Recovery – Rank 3/3
Empowers your Recuperate ability, causing its periodic effect to also restore 12 Energy.

Find Weakness – Rank 2/2
Your Ambush, Garrote, and Cheap Shot abilities reveal a flaw in your target’s defenses, causing all your attacks to bypass 50% of that enemy’s armor for 10 sec.

Hemorrhage – Rank 1/1
An instant strike that deals 110% weapon damage (159.5% if a dagger is equipped) and causes the target to take 30% additional damage from bleed effects for 1 min. Awards 1 combo point.

Honor Among Thieves – Rank 1/3
Increases the critical strike chance of all party and raid members by 5%. When any player in your party or raid critically hits with a spell or ability, you have a 33% chance to gain a combo point on your current target. This effect cannot occur more than once every 4 seconds.

Premeditation – Rank 1/1
When used, adds 2 combo points to your target. You must add to or use those combo points within 20 sec or the combo points are lost.

Preparation – Rank 1/1
When activated, this ability immediately finishes the cooldown on your Evasion, Sprint, Vanish, and Shadowstep abilities.

Sanguinary Vein – Rank 2/2
Increases your damage dealt to targets who are afflicted with a Bleed effect by 10%.

Slaughter from the Shadows – Rank 3/3
Reduces the energy cost of your Backstab and Ambush abilities by 20, and the energy cost of your Hemorrhage and Fan of Knives abilities by 6.

Shadow Dance – Rank 1/1
Enter the Shadow Dance for 6 sec, allowing the use of Sap, Garrote, Ambush, Cheap Shot, Premeditation, Pickpocket and Disarm Trap regardless of being stealthed.

Assassination (10 Points)

Coup de Grace – Rank 2/3
Increases the damage done by your Eviscerate and Envenom abilities by 14%.

Lethality – Rank 3/3
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Sinister Strike, Backstab, Mutilate and Hemorrhage abilities by 30%.

Quickening – Rank 2/2
All healing effects on you are increased by 20% and your movement speed is increased by 15%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.

Puncturing Wounds – Rank 3/3
Increases the critical strike chance of your Backstab ability by 30%, and the critical strike chance of your Mutilate ability by 15%.

Combat (0 Points)

None

Glyphs

Glyph of Hemorrhage (Prime Glyph)
Your Hemorrhage ability also causes the target to bleed, dealing 40% of the direct strike’s damage over 24 sec.

Glyph of Shadow Dance (Prime Glyph)
Increases the duration of Shadow Dance by 2 sec.

Glyph of Backstab (Prime Glyph)
Your Backstab critical strikes grant you 5 energy.

Glyph of Sprint (Major Glyph)
Increases the movement speed of your Sprint ability by an additional 30%.

Glyph of Preparation (Major Glyph)
Your Preparation ability also instantly resets the cooldown of Kick, Dismantle, and Smoke Bomb.

Glyph of Cloak of Shadows (Major Glyph)
While Cloak of Shadows is active, you take 40% less physical damage.

Glyph of Poisons (Minor Glyph)
You apply poisons to your weapons 50% faster.

Glyph of Blurred Speed (Minor Glyph)
Enables you to walk on water while your Sprint ability is active.

Glyph of Safe Fall (Minor Glyph)
Increases the distance your Safe Fall ability allows you to fall without taking damage.

Do You Want To Level Faster Like The Pros?

If you are having trouble leveling or need to level faster in WoW Cataclysm I highly suggest you check out Zygor’s Leveling Guide. It has the perfect leveling path that gets you to 85 faster and easier than any other way. No matter what level you are, you load the guide and it points with an arrow to the direction of each monster, quest giver, trainer etc. Its pretty crazy. It also has an in game box that tells you exactly what to do, like kill 5 boars, run west 10 miles, etc. If you dont have this in game add on guide, honestly, you are missing out. You can find out more here or check out the Zygor Cataclysm Leveling Guide Review.