Rogue PVE Basics

Which Build is Better for a Rogue?

This is a very common question which has no straightforward answer. Blizzard have carefully fine tuned the builds of most classes to bring them up to the same level of standards so that players can choose a build based on their own personal preference. Typically speaking Subtlety and mixture builds are held in high regard for PVP situations but are not so useful for a PVE build. For a Player versus Environment build a rogue has two main choices, Mutilate (Assassination tree) or Combat. Both of these builds have been shown to produce excellent results in PVE situations with very high DPS output. Overall it no longer really matters which build you choose out of these two as they are both quite similar in terms of DPS. Combat builds with dual sword wielding used to be the recommended build of choice but in modern Wrath WoW both builds have now expanded to bigger and better horizons. Assassination rogues received a massive boost recently to bring them up to speed with combat rogues and the ability to utilise any one handed weapon was added to the combat rogue abilities. It is therefore simply a matter of which build you have more fun playing with as all builds are viable options.

Which Glyphs Should I Use?

This again depends entirely on your needs and preferences whilst playing your rogue class. You should choose glyphs that yield an increase in DPS or help to maintain a good rotation such as [Glyph of Slice and Dice] or [Glyph of Rupture]. You should definitely include the [Glyph of Sinister Strike] which has a significant positive effect on DPS and energy. Other Glyphs such as [Glyph of Killing Spree] can be used if you do not have rotation concerns and can significantly increase your Fan of Knives damage in AOE situations. While this is not so useful for the Trial of the Crusader raid it can have positive results for whelps handling on the Onyxia raid. It may also be worth adding the [Glyph of Safe Fall] to your minor glyph collection as this can be handy in some PVE situations where an enemy ability also includes fall damage.

What Gems Should I be Using?

The types of gems you will need to use will depend on the gear level of your rogue. Whilst levelling your rogue to 80 you don’t need to worry about gems or enchants too much but once you hit level 80 you will need to start gemming and enchanting all of your gear appropriately ready for raiding. Firstly, if you wish to join a serious raiding guild that makes real progress within wrath raids, you will need to gem your gear will full epic Northrend gems. When you just hit 80 you will first need to make sure you are expertise and hit capped before you begin raiding. Raids have a higher hit requirement than heroic instances so make sure you know what your hit caps are based on your talents beforehand. You will encounter five different types of sockets while gemming:

Meta Sockets – Only available in special head armour, meta gems require you to have a certain number of other gems in your gear in order to become active. You should use [Relentless Earthsiege Diamond] in this slot or if you are low on critical strike rating choose [Chaotic Skyflare Diamond].
Blue Sockets – Blue sockets are quite commonly found in rogue gear and are not ideal for most situations. The first blue socket you encounter should be filled using a [Nightmare Tear] which gives +10 to all stats and is therefore superior to other gems that fit that slot. After this blue sockets can be filled with [Shifting Dreadstone] which provides +10 Agility and +15 stamina. If the blue socket bonus is low it may be worth sacrificing it for a full Agility Gem however this may contradict your meta gem requirements so be careful.
Red Sockets – Red sockets can be filled with the expertise gem [Precise Cardinal Ruby] until you reach 26 expertise skill. Once you have 26 expertise and more you can start swapping out these gems for the Agility Gem [Delicate Cardinal Ruby] as you gain better gear.
Yellow Sockets – Yellow sockets can be filled with the hit rating gem [Rigid King’s Amber] until you reach the poison hit cap for your build. Do not attempt to reach the full hard hit cap as a rogue, it is near to impossible and not as beneficial as working on other stats. Generally speaking this means once your hit reaches approximately 210 hit rating you can stop stacking hit in gems and enchants and start swapping them out for critical strike rating gems.

Learn to be a Rogue master. Zygor's Guide has what you need to level up quickly and master the techniques of the Rogue.