How It Feels
Subtlety is the ninja. You vanish into the shadows mid-fight, reappear behind your enemy and strike before they understand what happened. Shadow clones fight at your side, and for a brief moment you feel unstoppable.
It is all about windows. Between the big moments you set everything up, and when the window opens, your strongest attacks follow in a few seconds. When such a window lands perfectly, it is one of the most satisfying feelings in WoW.
How Subtlety Works
Subtlety uses energy and combo points and builds around shadow windows:
- Prepare: outside of windows you build combo points with Backstab and keep energy ready.
- Shadow Dance: for a few seconds you can use Stealth abilities in the middle of combat.
- Shadowstrike: from the shadows you teleport behind your target and deal extra damage.
- Finishers: Eviscerate spends combo points, Secret Technique summons shadow clones that strike with you.
- Empower: Symbols of Death and Shadow Blades make your window even stronger.
Key Abilities
- Shadow Dance: lets you use Stealth abilities in the middle of combat.
- Shadowstrike: strikes from the shadows behind your target and generates two combo points.
- Backstab: your basic attack, stronger when you stand behind the enemy.
- Eviscerate: your main finisher, stronger with every combo point.
- Symbols of Death: restores energy and empowers your finishers.
- Shadow Blades: your weapons deal extra Shadow damage and you generate double combo points.
- Secret Technique: a finisher in which shadow clones attack alongside you.
Lore: Spies and Shadows
Subtlety stands for the Rogues who work in secret: spies, saboteurs and shadow warriors. For the Alliance that is the intelligence service SI:7 under spymaster Mathias Shaw, for the Horde the scouts and agents who work in the dark for their leaders.
A well-known shadow fighter is Valeera Sanguinar, a Blood Elf who went down in history as a gladiator at the side of Varian Wrynn. In WoW Midnight, set in her homeland of Quel'Thalas, the spec of Blood Elf Rogues is more topical than ever.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- explosive burst windows, very satisfying with good timing,
- a strong ninja fantasy with shadow clones,
- Stealth and lots of control over enemies,
- traditionally very dangerous in PvP.
Weaknesses
- demanding, bad timing costs a lot of damage,
- little damage outside of windows,
- leather, less sturdy than plate wearers.
Who Is the Subtlety Rogue For?
A good fit if you …
- love timing and perfectly prepared moments,
- enjoy the ninja and spy fantasy,
- are interested in PvP.
Probably not if you …
- prefer even damage without windows, in which case Outlaw fits,
- want a beginner friendly spec.
Subtlety, Assassination or Outlaw?
Assassination is the calm assassin with poisons, Outlaw the pirate with dice and pistols. Subtlety is the choice for everyone who wants to strike from the shadows.
More about the class on the Rogue in WoW Midnight page. Which classes shine in PvP is covered in the best WoW class for PvP guide.
Images: © Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Source: worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com
