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Hero Talents inThe War Withinintroduce new layers of gameplay and delve deeper into the unique class fantasies related to each specialization. These self-contained talent trees become available at level 71, with players gaining full access to all nodes by level 80.
Rogues have three distinct Hero Talent trees to choose from:Deathstalker,Fatebound, andTrickster. Each specialization can access two of these trees, allowing for tailored gameplay and thematic experiences. Here’s an overview of all three Rogue Hero Talents inWorld of Warcraft: The War Within.
Rogue Hero Talent: Deathstalker
The Deathstalker Hero Talent tree is available to Assassination and Subtlety Rogues, transforming them into lethal harbingers of death, striking with precision from the shadows. This talent tree draws inspiration fromthe Forsaken’s assassin guildand revolves around its keystone node,Deathstalker’s Mark.
Deathstalker’s Mark allows players to apply three stacks of its mark on a target with Ambush (Assassination) or Shadowstrike (Subtlety). Each stack of the mark can then be consumed by a finishing move for increased damage. After all three stacks have been consumed,Darkest Nightempowers the next Envenom or Eviscerate used at maximum combo points, while also reapplying three stacks of Deathstalker’s Mark.
The Deathstalker tree provides incredibly strong priority and funnel damage through the core loop of mark consumption and reapplication. Additionally, it also offers great defensive capabilities throughBait and Switchand increased mobility viaShadewalker.
Keystone Node
Deathstalker’s Mark
[Ambush/Shadowstrike] from Stealth [or Shadow Dance] applies 3 stacks of Deathstalker’s Mark to your target. When you spend 5 or more combo points on attacks against a Marked target you consume an application of Deathstalker’s Mark, dealing (120% of Attack power) Plague damage and increasing the damage of your next [Ambush or Mutilate/Backstab or Shadowstrike] by 50%. You may only have one target Marked at a time.
First Row
Clear the Witness
Your next [Fan of Knives/Shuriken Storm] after applying Deathstalker’s Mark deals an additional (100% of Attack power) Plague damage and generates 1 additional combo point.
Hunt Them Down
Auto-attacks against Marked targets deal an additional (25% of Attack power) Plague damage.
Singular Focus
Damage dealt to targets other than your Marked target deals 5% Plague damage to your Marked target.
Second Row
Fatal Intent
Your damaging abilities against enemies above 20% health have a very high chance of applying Fatal Intent. When an enemy falls below 20% health, Fatal Intent inflicts [(18% of Attack power) * (1 + Versatility)] Plague damage per stack.
Corrupt the Blood
Rupture deals an additional (2.5% of Attack power) Plague damage each time it deals damage, stacking up to 10 times. Rupture duration increased by 3 sec.
[Choice Node] Lingering Darkness
[Choice Node] Symbolic Victory
After Deathmark expires, gain 30 sec of 30% increased [Assassination: Nature/Subtlety: Shadow] damage.
[Assassination] Shiv additionally increases the damage of your next Envenom by 15%. [Subtlety] Symbols of Death additionally increases the damage of your next Eviscerate or Black Powder by 15%.
[Choice Node] Bait and Switch
Cloak of Shadows duration increased by 2 sec.
Evasion reduces magical damage taken by 20%. Cloak of Shadows reduces physical damage taken by 20%.
[Choice Node] Momentum of Despair
[Choice Node] Follow the Blood
If you have critically struck with [Fan of Knives/Shuriken Storm], increase the critical strike chance of [Fan of Knives and Crimson Tempest/Shuriken Storm and Black Powder] by 15% and critical strike damage by 32% for 12 sec.
[Fans of Knives and Crimson Tempest/Shuriken Storm and Black Powder] deal 30% additional damage while 3 or more enemies are afflicted with Rupture
[Choice Node] Shadewalker
[Choice Node] Shroud of Night
Each time you consume a stack of Deathstalker’s Mark, reduce the cooldown of Shadowstep by 3 sec.
Capstone Node
Darkest Night
When you consume the final Deathstalker’s Mark from a target or your target dies, gain 40 Energy and your next [Envenom/Eviscerate] cast with maximum combo points is guaranteed to critically strike, deals 60% additional damage, and applies 3 stacks of Deathstalker’s Mark to the target.
Rogue Hero Talent: Fatebound
The FateboundHero Talent treeis accessible to both Assassination and Outlaw Rogues. Fatebound does not introduce any rotational changes for either specialization, and it leans heavily on the randomness of its keystone node,Hand of Fate.
Each time a finishing move consumes five or more combo points, a Fatebound Coin is flipped. If the coin lands on Heads, the Rogue’s damage is increased, while landing on Tails deals out Cosmic damage to the target. Consecutively landing on the same side of the coin further amplifies the effect of each face, adding another layer of unpredictability.
While Fatebound Rogues have the potential to perform well, the inherent randomness of the specialization can lead to significant variance in performance, particularly when it comes to the capstone node,Fateful Ending. This issue is further compounded in Mythic+ settings, where frequent downtime can make it nearly impossible to consistently capitalize on Fateful Ending’s effects.
Hand of Fate
Flip a Fatebound Coin each time a finishing move consumes 5 or more combo points. Heads increases the damage of your attacks by 10%, lasting 15 sec or until you flip Tails. Tails deals (180% of Attack power) Cosmic damage to your target. For each time the same face is flipped in a row, Heads increases damage by an additional 2% and Tails increases its damage by 10%.
[Choice Node] Chosen Revelry
[Choice Node] Tempted Fate
Leech increased by 0.5% for each time your Fatebound Coin has flipped the same face in a row.
You have a chance equal to your critical strike chance to absorb 10% of any damage taken, up to a maximum chance of 40%.
Mean Streak
Fatebound Coins flipped by [Envenom/Dispatch] multiple times in a row are 33% more likely to match the same face as the last flip.
[Choice Node] Inexorable March
[Choice Node] Death’s Arrival
You cannot be slowed below 70% of normal movement speed while your Fatebound Coin flips have an active streak of at least 2 flips matching the same face.
[Shadowstep/Grappling Hook] may be used a second time within 3 sec with no cooldown, but its total cooldown is increased by 5 sec.
Deal Fate
[Mutilate, Ambush, Fan of Knives/Sinister Strike, and Ambush] generate 1 additional combo point when they strike an additional time.
Edge Case
Activating [Deathmark/Adrenaline Rush] causes your next Fatebound Coin flip to land on its edge, counting as both Heads and Tails.
Fate Intertwined
Fate Intertwined duplicates 30% of [Envenom/Dispatch] critical strike damage as Cosmic to 2 additional nearby enemies. If there are no additional nearby targets, duplicate 30% to the primary target instead.
Third Row
Delivered Doom
Damage dealt when your Fatebound Coin flips tails is increased by 30% if there are no other enemies near the target.
[Choice Node] Inevitability
[Choice Node] Destiny Defined
Cold Blood now benefits the next two abilities but only applies to [Envenom/Dispatch]. Fatebound Coins flipped by these abilities are guaranteed to match the same face as the last flip.
[Assassination] Weapon poisons have 5% increased application chance and your Fatebound Coins flipped have an additional 5% chance to match the same face as the last flip. [Outlaw] Sinister Strike has 5% increased chance to strike an additional time and your Fatebound Coins flipped have an additional 5% chance to match the same face as the last flip.
Double Jeopardy
Your first Fatebound Coin flip after breaking Stealth flips two coins that are guaranteed to match the same face.
Fateful Ending
When your Fatebound Coin flips the same face for the seventh time in a row, keep the lucky coin to gain 7% Agility until you leave combat for 10 seconds. If you already have a lucky coin, it instead deals (360% of Attack power) Cosmic damage to your target.
Rogue Hero Talent: Trickster
The Trickster Hero Talent tree, available to Outlaw and Subtlety Rogues, centers aroundUnseen Blade, which routinely causes Dispatch (Outlaw) and Eviscerate (Subtlety) to becomeCoup de Grace. To maximize the potential of this tree, players must invest a talent point in Killing Spree (Outlaw) and Secret Technique (Subtlety) to fully engage with the core gameplay loop.
A key buff in the Trickster tree isFlawless Form, which provides a stackable damage increase for finishing moves. Flawless Form is primarily maintained through Unseen Blade, Killing Spree or Secret Technique, and Coup de Grace. Unlike the more passive nature of the Fatebound tree, Trickster offers interesting rotational changes that hinge on the timing of Coup de Grace.
Additionally,Nimble Flurryallows Subtlety Rogues to strike additional nearby enemies with some of their abilities, similar to howBlade Flurryfunctions for Outlaw. Trickster also introduces a quality-of-life improvement with theSo Trickytalent, which is especiallyvaluable in Mythic+.
Unseen Blade
[Sinister Strike and Ambush/Backstab and Shadowstrike] now also strike with an Unseen Blade dealing (320% of Attack power) damage. Targets struck are Fazed for 10 sec. Fazed enemies take 5% more damage from you and cannot parry your attacks. This effect may occur once every 20 sec.
Surprising Strikes
Attacks that generate combo points deal 25% increased critical strike damage to Fazed targets.
[Choice Node] Mirrors
You take 5% reduced damage from Fazed targets.
Feint reduces damage taken from area-of-effect attacks by an additional 10%
Flawless Form
Unseen Blade and [Killing Spree/Secret Technique] increase the damage of your finishing moves by 3% for 12 sec. Multiple applications may overlap.
[Choice Node] So Tricky
[Choice Node] Don’t Be Suspicious
Tricks of the Trade’s threat redirect duration is increased to 1 hour.
Blind and Shroud of Concealment have 10% reduced cooldown. Pick Pocket and Sap have 10 yd increased range.
[Choice Node] Thousand Cuts
[Choice Node] Flickerstrike
Slice and Dice grants 10% additional attack speed and gives your auto-attacks a chance to refresh your opportunity to strike with Unseen Blade.
Taking damage from an area-of-effect attack while Feint is active or dodging while Evasion is active refreshes your opportunity to strike with Unseen Blade. This effect may only occur once every 5 sec.
Disorienting Strikes
[Killing Spree/Secret Technique] has 10% reduced cooldown and allows your next 2 strikes of Unseen Blade to ignore its cooldown.
[Choice Node] Cloud Cover
[Choice Node] No Scruples
Distract now also creates a cloud of smoke for 10 sec. Cooldown increased to 90 sec. Attacks from within the cloud apply Fazed.
Finishing moves have 10% increased chance to critically strike Fazed targets.
Nimble Flurry
[Outlaw] Blade Flurry damage is increased by 20% while Flawless Form is active. [Subtlety] Your auto-attacks, Backstab, Shadowstrike, and Eviscerate also strike up to 7 additional nearby targets for 50% of normal damage while Flawless Form is active.
Coup de Grace
After 4 strikes with Unseen Blade, your next [Dispatch/Eviscerate] will be performed as a Coup de Grace, functioning as if it had consumed 5 additional combo points. If the primary target is Fazed, gain 5 stacks of Flawless Form.
