If there's versatility to the rogue class, it doesn't lend itself to their primary function. Rogues are excellent melee attackers, and specialize in different flavors of attacking fast, and disappearing when necessary. They are especially effective for solo play, but also great as the primary damage-dealers in a group.

Draenei and Tauren characters may not be rogues (probably because they lack the nimbleness and stealth necessary!). Every other race has access to this class.

Customizing your rogue

Choosing one tree (or a hybrid of two) over the other(s) is mostly dependent upon playing style: some people prefer carefully-sequencing their moves, while others wand consistency.

• Assassination skills improve your rogue's burst damage, as well as poison efficacy. This skill tree is similar to the Combat tree below, but has greater benefit to the power of specific moves.
• Combat is the skill tree to emphasize if you want your rogue to perform more consistently. Many of the effects that this skill tree provides are passive, or simply improve the overall sustained damage dealt by your rogue.
• Subtlety improves your rogue's ability to sink into the shadows and disappear when necessary. This skill tree mixes fairly well with the other two, depending on your preferred play style.

Both the Assassination and the Subtlety trees require a bit more micromanagement when entering battle, as your opening move, as well as the sequence of moves you select, may be more influential than the same set of moves for a Combat-spec'd rogue. Regardless of the strategy you choose, remember that your main goal is to maximize the amount of damage you can dish out.

Gear choices

Most of the gear that is best suited for rogues will improve agility, critical strike rating, and stamina. Many rogues, especially at later levels, give preference to gear that benefits attack power. This is especially true for rogues who have most of their points spent in the Combat skill tree.

Unlocking stuff

Rogues also have the ability to open locked boxes and chests, as well as apply poison effects to weapons. Lockpicking is specifically popular in cities, as other classes will be unable to open the lockboxes they find in quests.

More rogue resources

To learn more about various aspects of rogue characters, check out the following links.

• WoW Wiki Rogue Guide
• Guide to Starting a Rogue
• Encrypted Text (a rogue blog)