Revamped Rogue Class Guides 10.2 Update: AoE Enhancements, Outlaw Utility, and Shadow Blades Revamp

The long-anticipated rogue rework has finally arrived with Patch 10.2, bringing rogues into a highly promising position for Season 3. This rework has addressed numerous issues and complaints across all three rogue specializations - Assassination, Outlaw, and Subtlety. In this blog post, we will delve into each spec's rework and explore the major changes and talents to keep an eye on.

Assassination Rogue Rework in Patch 10.2

Assassination Rogues have received several updates in Patch 10.2 to improve their cleave and area-of-effect (AoE) capabilities. Along with various talent tree adjustments, here are the key talents to pay attention to in 10.2:

• Sudden Demise - A potent tool for open-world and mythic+ content, particularly against targets susceptible to heavy bleed damage.
• Indiscriminate Carnage - A reworked version of an old favorite in mythic+ now providing a passive effect from stealth.
• Sanguine Blades - This redesign of the previous Sanguine Blades talent introduces a powerful tool for AoE situations where Assassination typically has excessive energy.
• Caustic Spatter - A new talent akin to Outlaw Rogue's Blade Flurry, allowing for a fresh approach to Assassination's AoE priorities and cooldowns.
• Path of Blood and Vigor - When combined, these talents grant Assassination rogues the potential for a maximum of 300 Energy. This presents interesting decision-making opportunities regarding resource expenditure, which we will discuss further in our Assassination Rogue Rotation Guide.
• Crimson Tempest - The instant cast damage has been removed from Crimson Tempest, resulting in simplified usage.
• Shadow Dance - Although not new to the tree, Shadow Dance has become more accessible with the changes in 10.2 and holds a vital place in Talent Builds.
• Kingsbane - Also not a new addition, Kingsbane has regained strength in 10.2 due to its newfound accessibility in the spec tree.

Outlaw Rogue Rework in Patch 10.2

Season 3 brings a revamp of the Outlaw Rogue tree, while the core gameplay loop remains largely intact. The focus in this class tree was predominantly on removing uninteresting damage nodes and replacing them with utility options that no longer require sacrificing damage nodes for access. Let's highlight some standout changes:

• Graceful Guile, Iron Stomach, and Nimble Fingers - These talents provide stronger self-sustain and defensive options.
• Improved Sprint paired with Featherfoot - Enhances your speed significantly, and with the addition of Restless Blade, your Sprint uptime can approach 100%.
• Fan the Hammer and Audacity with Hidden Opportunity - These remain the core focus of the gameplay loop, rotating between Pistol Shot and Ambush procs. However, the main addition and new core focus of the spec is Crackshot, which alters the usage of Vanish and Shadow Dance to maximize Between the Eyes casts.
• Ace Up Your Sleeve - A fun and powerful talent that allows for multiple consecutive Between the Eyes casts. Some builds may also prioritize Keep It Rolling instead of Hidden Opportunity.

It's worth noting that while these changes may introduce more synergy and variance to the spec, it remains consistent enough for progression content. Don't let the myth that Outlaw Rogue is unviable for prog discourage you!

Subtlety Rogue Rework in Patch 10.2

Subtlety Rogue underwent significant talent rework in Patch 10.2, addressing several long-standing issues within the specialization. The standout change is the enhancement of Shadow Blades, which now refills your combo point bar every time you use a combo builder, transforming it into a potent burst cooldown. Both trees saw substantial changes in layout, talent positions, and pathing options, enabling new talent combinations while minimizing the need to choose between utility and damage nodes. Here are some highlights:

• Shadow Techniques - Reworked to become a stacking buff on the player. Combo point builders will now add combo points from these stacks whenever possible.
• Goremaw's Bite and Shadowcraft - Two new damage capstone nodes introduced.
• Shadowstep and Black Powder - Now baseline abilities that enhance mobility and provide AoE capacity.
• Perforated Veins and The Rotten - Reworked to allow for damage effects with a variety of combo builders.
• Exhilarating Execution and Ephemeral Bond - Two new strong utility options alongside easier access to utility nodes in the Subtlety tree.
• Airborne Irritant - An exciting new option providing AoE blind.

All three specializations received massive reworks and got exciting new instruments to blow the dps meters. It's a good time to get your rogue ready for the new patch.