WoW Classic Rogue Leveling Guide

Leveling a Rogue in WoW Classic Anniversary or WoW Classic Era from level 1 to 60 is a nice experience. A Rogue with the right talents and rotation is one of the faster classes to level in Vanilla. Learn all about the right talents and weapons to optimize your leveling adventure in our WoW Classic Rogue Leveling Guide.

📂 WoW Classic > Rogue

📅 Last updated on March 7, 2025.

Table of Contents

WoW Classic Rogue Leveling Talents

Use the following build to level your Rogue from 1 to 60 in WoW Classic:

Invest your first 2 talent points into Improved Sinister Strike and then 2 points into Remorseless Attacks. Now continue in the Combat tree. Prioritize Riposte and later Adrenaline Rush. After you’ve spent 33 talent points into the Combat tree, continue to invest points in Assassination for the rest of your levels. You will be using swords with this build.

WoW Classic Subtlety Rogue Talents

While the Combat leveling spec provides the highest damage, you can also use a Subtlety spec with daggers for leveling. This spec has more crowd control which makes this spec popular on hardcore and PvP realms. It also has more emphasis on stealth and feels more like a “Rogue build”. You will open up on enemies from stealth, but you will struggle more while dealing with multiple enemies than the Comabt leveling spec.

This is the Subtlety leveling spec for Rogues:

Invest your first 2 talent points into Improved Sinister Strike and then 2 points into Remorseless Attacks. Now continue in the Subtlety tree. Skip Dirty Deeds in the Subtlety tree and then go into the Combat tree. After you’ve unlocked all talents in the Combat tree, you’ll invest your next points in the Assassination tree to get Relentless Strikes.

WoW Classic Rogue Weapon Progression

While leveling a Rogue the weapon is the single most important piece of gear you have. In the following lists you’ll find the notable weapon upgrades for a Rogue sorted by their DPS.

Sword Progression

Level 4: Gladius
Buy from a weapon merchant in the starting area.
Level 7: Brushwood Blade
Druid of the Claw in Teldrassil.
Level 10: Cutlass
Sold from weapon merchants in all capitals.
Level 14: Daryl's Shortsword
A Hunter's Challenge in Loch Modan.
Level 13: Cursed Felblade.
Drops in Ragefire Chasm.
Level 14: Solid Shortblade
Red Silk Bandanas in Westfall.
Level 12: Elegant Shortsword
Serena Bloodfeather in The Barrens.
Level 18: Butcher's Slicer
Drops in Shadowfang Keep.
Level 14: Talonstrike
Assault on Fenris Isle in Silverpine Forest.
Level 19: Cruel Barb
Drops in The Deadmines.
Level 10: Wingblade
Leaders of the Fang in Wailing Caverns.
Level 21: Outlaw Sabre
Baron Aquanis in Blackfathom Deeps.
Level 33: Sword of Omen
Into The Scarlet Monastery in Scarlet Monastery.
Level 34: Sword of Serenity
In the Name of the Light in Scarlet Monastery.
Level 39: Vanquisher's Sword
Bring the Light in Razorfen Downs.
Bring the End in Razorfen Downs.
Level 45: Thrash Blade
Corruption of Earth and Seed in Maraudon.
Corruption of Earth and Seed in Maraudon.
Level 51: Krol Blade
World Drop / Auction House
Level 58: Dal'Rend's Sacred Charge
Upper Blackrock Spire.

Dagger Progression

Level 4: Jagged Dagger
Skull Rock in Durotar. Quest chain starting with Report to Orgnil. To solo this chain you need to be around level 8.
Level 10: Blade of Cunning
Rogue class quest at level 10.
Level 14: Scrimshaw Dagger
Red Silk Bandanas in Westfall.
Level 16: Thornblade
A Dark Threat Looms in Loch Modan.
Level 17: Tail Spike
Drops in Wailing Caverns.
Level 21: Prison Shank
Drops in The Stockade (rare spawn).
Level 24: Meteor Shard
Drops in Shadowfang Keep.
Level 27: Toxic Revenger
Drops in Gnomeregan.
Level 30: Swinetusk Shank
Drops in Razorfen Kraul.
Level 35: Tok'kar's Murloc Shanker
Threat From the Sea in Swamp of Sorrows.
Level 39: Coldrage Dagger
Drops in Razorfen Downs.
Level 34: Black Menace
In the Name of the Light in Scarlet Monastery.
Level 40: Gut Ripper
World Drop / Auction House.
Level 40: Lifeforce Dirk
The God Hakkar in Sunken Temple.
Level 50: Barman Shanker
Drops in Blackrock Depths.
Level 57: Distracting Dagger
Drops in Dire Maul West.
Level 58: Heartseeker
Crafted with Blacksmithing.
Level 58: Felstriker
Drops in Upper Blackrock Spire.

Early Leveling Professions

During leveling, Blacksmithing gives you an edge at the very beginning since you can craft Rough Sharpening Stone with this profession. These stones provide a significant impact in earlier levels.

Pick Mining and Blacksmithing as your professions, if you play Hardcore Solo Self-Found (SSF) or if you start fresh on a realm. You can buy Rough Sharpening Stone directly instead if you have gold and can use the auction house.

WoW Classic Rogue Quests

Rogues have one of the most significant early game class-specific quests in WoW Classic. With level 20 you can unlock poisons by doing a quest chain. The quest is not soloable at level 20. Finding help or waiting to at least level 22 is recommended. Here you can find a walkthrough WoW Classic Rogue poison quest for both factions.

Additional Resources

You can find more details about Rogues, like profession and race choices, in our WoW Classic Rogue Guide. We’ve also collected Rogue Macros for WoW Classic to enhance your gameplay and efficiency with macros.