Rogue Rookie: 51/18/2 Assassination Spec for Patch 3.3

It’s been a while since patch 3.3 dropped and I often get asked in-game what talents Assassination Rogues should put their points in. My guildies have also been asking this question as some have moved away from Combat and want to give Mutilate a go (I was the only Assassination Rogue in guild over the last 6 months!).

Following the introduction of Tier-10 Rogue Armor sets (with very nice bonuses) and various buffs (overall) to Assassination Rogues we are moving away from using Rupture. Now it’s all about poisons and getting as many poison procs as possible during a fight.

The standard raiding spec for Mutilate Rogues is now 51/18/2; we’ve dropped the Rupture-related talents like Blood Spatter and Serrated Blades and picked up +10% melee haste from Lightening Reflexes for more poison procs. Of course, if you are still wearing Tier-8 gear then you should proabably stick with 51/13/7 and continue to use Rupture until you’ve got ToC and Icecrown Gear.

If you’re not sure whether it’s worth changing then go try it out on a target dummy. I noticed a substantial increase in switching to 51/18/2 in full iLevel 245 Tier-9 gear (unfortunately I cannot say for sure with Tier-8 gear).

Admittedly I do still stick a Rupture on now and then but it’s no longer a major source of damage; if I need to get a bleed on for Hunger for Blood or if there’s a lot of movement involved in the fight I might get a Rupture off before I run away.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s the 51/18/2 Assassination spec for you: