Subtlety Rogue DPS Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot (Legion 7.2.5)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2 Changes
  • 4. Strengths
  • 5. Weaknesses
  • 6. Viability in the Current Patch
  • 7. Contents
  • 8. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resources
  • 3. Basic Abilities
    • 3.1. Standard Abilities
    • 3.2. Stealth Exclusive Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. DPS Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheets
    • 2.1. Raid Encounters
    • 2.2. For General Use
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 10. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression — First 35 Points
    • 1.1. Early Point Investment
    • 1.2. Second Golden Trait
    • 1.3. Third Golden Trait
      • 1.3.1. Single Target/Raid Oriented Build
      • 1.3.2. AoE/Dungeon Oriented Build
    • 1.4. Final Point Investment
  • 2. Patch 7.2: 35+ Trait Path
  • 3. Relic Choice
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Ability Priority List
    • 1.1. Single Target
      • 1.1.1. Correctly Using Death from Above with Dark Shadow
    • 1.2. Multiple Targets (2+)
  • 2. Important Notes
    • 2.1. Combo Points and Energy
      • 2.1.1. Pooling
    • 2.2. Shadow Dance
      • 2.2.1. During Shadow Blades
    • 2.3. Vanish
    • 2.4. Defensive Utility
    • 2.5. Pandemic
  • 3. Core Concepts
    • 3.1. Resource Management
    • 3.2. Cooldown Usage
      • 3.2.1. Personal Initiative
  • 4. Opening Sequence
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
    • 1.1. Stat Weights
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
  • 2. Enchants
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. AddOns
    • 1.1. ElvUI
    • 1.2. Weak Auras
    • 1.3. Boss Mods
      • 1.3.1. BigWigs Bossmods
      • 1.3.2. Deadly Boss Mods
    • 1.4. Name Plates
      • 1.4.1. KUI Nameplates
      • 1.4.2. TidyPlates
    • 1.5. Damage Meters
      • 1.5.1. Skada
      • 1.5.2. Details
    • 1.6. Extra AddOns
      • 1.6.1. Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 1.6.2. Death Note
      • 1.6.3. Doom CooldownPulse
      • 1.6.4. Angry Assignments
  • 2. Macros
    • 2.1. Startattack Macros
    • 2.2. Tricks of the Trade
  • 3. ChangeLog
• ×Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Tier 20 Set Bonuses
  • 2. Best in Slot List
  • 3. Evaluating Upgrades Using Stat Weights
  • 4. Racial Bonuses
  • 5. Legendaries
    • 5.1. Mantle of the Master Assassin
  • 6. Loot Competition
  • 7. ChangeLog

General Information

This page is a gear reference for Subtlety Rogues. It lists your best items and Legendaries, gives you gearing advice, and shows you how you will be competing for loot with other classes.

The other pages of our Subtlety Rogue guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been written by Furty, who has an illustrious history in the World of Warcraft raiding scene and race for World First. He has been a member of guilds such as Serenity, Midwinter, and many more, and is currently raiding in Future. He plays most classes at the highest level. You can follow him on Twitter and watch him play on Twitch.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by impý, a Subtlety Rogue who raids in The Unnamed, a top German guild.

1. Tier 20 Set Bonuses

The Tier 20 set bonus augments your Symbols of Death to provide even greater benefits when used.

• 2-piece bonus: Symbols of Death increases your damage done by an additional 10%.
• 4-piece bonus: Symbols of Death has 5 sec reduced cooldown and generates 2 Energy per second while active.

Both of these bonuses are great for increasing our burst windows with Shadow Dance, something we already excel at. The 2-piece in particular really amps up your opener and each dance thereafter (paired with Symbols), and you will see some pretty ludicrous numbers if playing with Dark Shadow. The 4-piece bonus helps you sustain these burst windows and reduce the emphasis on premeditated pooling while also increasing the frequency of your Symbols of Death. It is also beneficial for players using Death from Above, as they will not receive the Energy returns from Master of Shadows. No matter what talents you use, both set bonuses are worth acquiring and using, even over slightly higher level offpieces.

2. Best in Slot List

With the existence of Titanforged and Mythic+ dungeons, there is no such thing as a hard Best in Slot anymore. This is more of a guideline for the best pieces to keep an eye out for in your raid or dungeon (if applicable). Be smart, and if you find higher item level pieces with valuable stat combinations do not hesitate to upgrade to them.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Fanged Slayer's Helm	Demonic Inquisition
Neck	Locket of Splintered Souls	The Desolate Host
Shoulders	Fanged Slayer's Shoulderpads	Fallen Avatar
Chest	Fanged Slayer's Chestguard	Maiden of Vigilance
Cloak	Shroud of the Drowned Adherent	Mistress Sassz'ine
Wrists	Sinew-Stitched Wristguards	Demonic Inquisition
Gloves	Moonfire Stranglers	Sisters of the Moon
Belt	Waistguard of Profane Duplicity	Kil'jaeden
Legs	Fanged Slayer's Legguards	Mistress Sassz'ine
Boots	Felscape Pathfinders	Fallen Avatar
Ring #1	Band of Rescinded Truths	Maiden of Vigilance
Ring #2	Scaled Band of Servitude	Harjatan
Trinket #1	Specter of Betrayal	Kil'jaeden
Trinket #2	Convergence of Fates*	Grand Magistrix Elisande

3. Evaluating Upgrades Using Stat Weights

You can evaluate upgrades side by side using a simple napkin math formula:

For example, using the stat weights from our Stats page, a pair of boots with 380 Mastery, 1150 Haste, and 976 Agility, we can calculate a DPS value of:

This does not give an exact DPS value, but can be used to calculate the relative value versus another piece. For example, if we have a second pair of boots with 450 Haste, 970 Versatility, and 976 Agility, we can compute the DPS value for that second item using the same formula, before comparing the results:

We can clearly see that 1826.0 > 1660.0, and therefore, the second pair of boots are the stronger upgrade. This is the quickest, best, and most reliable way of determining whether or not you should use one upgrade or another, despite the fact that stats weights are very approximate and change with respect to fight type, fight length, and the values of your other stats (synergetic scaling).

4. Racial Bonuses

Racial benefit is pretty minimal for Subtlety so it is recommended you just play whatever makes you happiest. If you choose to play Night Elf, you should be sure to take advantage of Shadowmeld for an extra Stealth when it is off cooldown.

5. Legendaries

The best combination of legendary items, assuming perfect play, is currently Mantle of the Master Assassin + Denial of the Half-Giants.

Denial of the Half-Giants, the best legendary for single target damage, is good for adding an extended burst window if you need to push damage checks more aggressively.

Shadow Satyr's Walk is a strong legendary. It awards great single target sustain and high single target benefit.

The Dreadlord's Deceit is a great legendary for any situation, particularly for fights with intermittent cleave or AoE. Perhaps the second best choice after the Shoulders/Bracers combo.

Cinidaria, the Symbiote causes your attacks to deal 50% extra physical damage when your targets are above 90% health. This legendary is exceptional in situations where an early damage check is paramount and amounts to a large overall DPS increase.

The First of the Dead is an interesting legendary. For 2 seconds after activating Symbols of Death, Backstab generates an additional 4 Combo Points and Shadowstrike generates an additional 3 Combo Points. For overall damage this legendary is somewhat average, but when paired with Dark Shadow it can offer some serious burst.

Soul of the Shadowblade grants the Vigor talent. Mediocre legendary overall.

Insignia of Ravenholdt adds shadow cleave to all targets up to 15 yards in front of you when you use abilities that generate combo points. This is good for sustained cleave.

Kil'jaeden's Burning Wish is an underwhelming legendary, as it takes up a valuable trinket slot and has very low impact for sustained damage. It could be useful if there are a horde of stacked adds, but is otherwise lacklustre in every way.

5.1. Mantle of the Master Assassin

Mantle of the Master Assassin grants 100% increased Critical Strike while in Stealth, and for 6 seconds after breaking Stealth. Unfortunately, this does not work with Shadow Dance which devalues this legendary considerably. It does, however, benefit from Subterfuge's extended duration, but only when used from Vanish. When using this legendary, the player should aim to use it in a window where Nightblade will not be refreshed. The player should also aim to have a Finality buff ready, as well as 5 Combo Points ready (10 with Anticipation). You should then vanish, spend your pooled up Eviscerate, then continue with the regular rotation. Perfect use of this mechanic results in a very large dps gain when used with Mantle of the Master Assassin, which can make Mantle far and away the strongest legendary for Subtlety rogues.

6. Loot Competition

Regarding the loot you will get from raid or dungeon bosses, you will compete with other classes in the following cases:

Item Type	Competing Classes
Tier Tokens	Death Knights, Druids, Mages, and Assassination/Combat/Outlaw Rogues
Leather Armor	Demon Hunters, Druids, Monks, and Assassination/Combat/Outlaw Rogues
Amulets Cloaks Rings	Everyone
Trinkets	Havoc Demon Hunters, Feral Druids, Windwalker Monks, Hunters, Assassination/Combat/Outlaw Rogues, and Enhancement Shamans

7. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 24 Jun. 2017: Made some tweaks to the legendary item section.
• 18 Jun. 2017: Added Tomb of Sargeras Best-in-Slot and Tier 20 set bonus, updated legendaries.
• 14 Jun. 2017: Added The Soul of the Shadowblade and The First of the Dead to the Legendary items section.
• 27 Mar. 2017: No changes needed for Patch 7.2.
• 24 Jan. 2017: Fully updated Best-in-Slot for Nighthold.
• 23 Jan. 2017: Added a separate section dedicated to Mantle of the Master Assassin further explaining its use.
• 14 Jan. 2017: Added new legendary items.
• 11 Oct. 2016: Updated trinket list.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Updated for Legion's launch.
• 19 Jul. 2016: Removed the trinket sims and added BiS recommendations.
• 18 Jul. 2016: Updated for the Legion pre-patch.