Gnome Rogue 1–60: Combat solo leveling

Your goal: reach level 60 as a Gnome Rogue, solo, with as little downtime (eating, running back from the graveyard) as possible. This guide picks Combat because it is the most forgiving, works with whatever weapon you find and gives you the defensive tools a lone Rogue needs.

Version note (4 November 2026): The game launched today. The talent order has been checked against client data 1.60.1.70755 and can be clicked in the tree according to the site's validation. Ability levels come from the same client data. Everything about quests, zones and XP is assumed from Classic or taken from beta guides (the beta had a level cap of 30) – everything above 30 is effectively theory. This applies especially to levels 41–60, where no source has played Forever. See Sources and quality.

Short version

• Spec: Combat, 0/31/0 at 40 and 18/33/0 at 60 – no respec, just more points.
• Loop: Sinister Strike to 3–5 combo points (points on the target) → Eviscerate (finisher).
• Race: your racial for burst or emergencies – see the race box under The race.
• Panic buttons: Evasion, Sprint, Gouge, Vanish – Endurance makes them available more often.
• Level 20: poisons (class quest). Level 40: Adrenaline Rush, dual spec and riding.
• 41–60: Weapon Expertise, then Assassination for crit (Malice, Lethality) and more combo points (Ruthlessness, Relentless Strikes). No new abilities at the trainer – just higher ranks and new poisons.

Read this in 60 seconds

1. Combat, 0/31/0 at 40, 18/33/0 at 60. No respec needed. Adrenaline Rush at level 40.
2. Replace the starting dagger as soon as you can with a fast weapon with higher damage (sword, axe or mace). Combat does its damage with Sinister Strike, which does not require a dagger.
3. Level 10–14: Improved Sinister Strike 2/2 (cheaper SS) and Improved Eviscerate 3/3 (harder-hitting finisher).
4. Level 15–21: Precision 3/3, Deflection 3/3, then Riposte – more hits and more parry counterattacks.
5. The basic loop: pull the mob (throw or attack) → Sinister Strike to 3–5 combo points → Eviscerate (or Slice and Dice on a tanky mob) → loot → move on.
6. The racial button: if your race has a burst ability, use it on every tough mob or double pull, not just in emergencies (see the race box).
7. Level 20: poisons via the class quest. From then on: Instant Poison on the main hand, Crippling Poison or Deadly Poison on the offhand (see below).
8. Panic buttons: Evasion (8), Sprint (10), Gouge (6), Vanish (22) and your race's emergency ability. With Endurance 2/2, Sprint and Evasion get a 60% shorter cooldown – you can use them on almost every tricky pull.

Three strategies – pick the right goal

Strategy	Talents at 40	Pros	Cons	For you?
A. Combat (this guide)	0/31/0	Works with all weapon types, steady damage, Riposte/Deflection/Endurance give survivability, Blade Flurry for two mobs	No big opener burst; less stealth focus	Default pick for solo
B. Assassination	daggers + poisons, Mutilate at 30 points	Clear power spikes, strong with poisons	Needs daggers; poisons only at 20; Method wants you to get a dagger early	If you like daggers and have good dagger drops
C. Subtlety	Ambush/Hemorrhage	Very big openers from stealth	Every pull starts in stealth = slower pace, weak against multiple targets	If you like stealth play and PvP

Why A: the sources disagree. Warcraft Tavern calls Combat "most forgiving", Method recommends Assassination for power spikes but calls Combat "most accessible". No source has published controlled 1–40 tests in Forever. For a guild LAN where people want to get going right away, with whatever weapons they happen to find, Combat is the safest choice. There are no measurements showing that A is fastest – it is a judgement call.

The race – what it gives you as a Rogue

Forever has reworked the racials. Pick your race in the race selector – the box below shows what your race gives a Rogue (client data 1.60.1.70755). The guide is written for Gnome; talents and rotation apply to every race.

How your Rogue works in practice

Energy is your time budget

A Rogue has no mana to drink back up, but HP has to be eaten back up between pulls. Your enemy is therefore not mana but downtime: every pull you finish at 30% HP costs you a food break. The Combat build is designed to make you take less damage (Deflection, Riposte, Precision so the mob dies faster).

Warcraft Tavern reports that Energy regeneration is smoother in Forever and that combo points do not carry over between targets – spend them before you switch targets (with exceptions for abilities like Kick and Blind, according to the same source).

Combo points and finishers

• Sinister Strike gives 1 combo point.
• Eviscerate is your main finisher. Against normal mobs: finish at 3–4 combo points if the mob is going to die anyway; don't save up to 5 just on principle.
• Slice and Dice (10) increases attack speed. Worth it on mobs that live longer than roughly two Eviscerates – on quick kills it is a waste.
• Coup de Grace (passive, level 30 according to client data): Eviscerate deals 2% more damage per application of your Deadly Poison on the target. That is a reason to have Deadly Poison on the offhand from 30.

Weapon choice with Hack and Slash

Hack and Slash (from 32 in this order) gives a different bonus depending on the weapon:

• Sword/axe: 5% chance for an extra attack.
• Dagger/fist: +5% crit.
• Mace: ignores 15% of the target's armor.

This means you don't need to chase a particular weapon type. Take the weapon with the highest damage/DPS. On the main hand a slow weapon is better for Sinister Strike/Eviscerate (assumed from Classic, where SS scales with weapon damage), on the offhand a fast one for more poison procs. Make sure you have trained the weapon type – Warcraft Tavern states that Rogues know daggers, axes and thrown weapons from the start; swords, maces, fist weapons and ranged weapons are trained at weapon masters in the cities.

Exact talent order 10–60

One talent point per level from 10: 31 at 40 and 51 at 60. The full order is in the site's talent view. Here is why:

Levels	Talent	Why now
10–11	Improved Sinister Strike 2/2	Cheaper main ability = more SS per fight from day one
12–14	Improved Eviscerate 3/3	+20% on your finisher – shorter fights
15–17	Precision 3/3	+3% hit; misses are wasted energy. Also required for Dual Wield Specialization
18–20	Deflection 3/3	+6% parry. Less damage to eat back up, and a requirement for Riposte
21	Riposte	Free counterattack after a parry that also disarms the target
22–23	Endurance 2/2	Sprint and Evasion get a 60% shorter cooldown – your biggest solo safety net
24	Lightning Reflexes 1/5	Filler point to reach 15 points in the tree (+1% dodge)
25	Flawless Execution	Eviscerate costs 10 less Energy
26–30	Dual Wield Specialization 5/5	+25% offhand damage; done anyway before tier 5 opens
31	Blade Flurry	+20% attack speed and hits one extra target for 15 s – for double pulls and strong mobs
32–36	Hack and Slash 5/5	Constant weapon bonus (see above)
37–39	Aggression 3/3	+6% on Sinister Strike and Eviscerate
40	Adrenaline Rush	100% faster Energy regen for 15 s – your big burst cooldown
41–42	Weapon Expertise 2/2	−2% chance to be dodged or parried. Mobs above your level dodge more, and every miss is wasted Energy. Requires Blade Flurry
43–47	Malice 5/5	+5% crit on all attacks and poisons. The last meaningful Combat talent is taken; Assassination tier 1 gives the most per point
48–50	Ruthlessness 3/3	Finishers have a 60% chance to put a combo point on the target – the next Eviscerate comes sooner
51–52	Remorseless Attacks 2/2	+40% crit on the next Sinister Strike after a kill. Suits mob-after-mob leveling. Also fills up to 10 points in the tree
53	Relentless Strikes	Finishers have a 20% chance per combo point to restore 25 Energy. Less waiting for Energy
54–58	Lethality 5/5	+20% crit damage on Sinister Strike and Gouge. Requires Malice 5/5; works together with Malice and Remorseless Attacks
59	Cold Blood	+100% crit on the next Sinister Strike or Eviscerate. An extra burst button alongside your racial burst
60	Murder 1/2	+2% damage against Humanoids and Giants. Last point; see alternative F

Optional tweak: if you die a lot at 15–25, move Endurance ahead of Deflection (the tier requirement is the same: 10 points in the tree). If your weapons are bad: take Lightning Reflexes instead of Flawless Execution (Warcraft Tavern). Improved Sprint (breaks slows when you sprint) is skipped here; take it if slows are your biggest problem and your race has no ability of its own against them.

Legacy: if your account has Legacy points in Talented, talents can be unlocked up to five levels earlier (according to Warcraft Tavern, not verified). In that case, follow the same order, just earlier.

Why Assassination after 40 and not the rest of Combat: after Weapon Expertise, only Lightning Reflexes, Puncturing Wounds (dagger), Improved Sprint and Improved Kick are left in Combat. Assassination's first tiers give crit and combo points that apply to every fight. Hearthproof makes the same choice for the final points, but puts levels 42 and 44–47 into the Combat talents Composure and Flash of Steel. Those do not exist in client data 1.60.1.70755 (alternative E). No source has played 41–60 in Forever – the order is theory.

Your level-by-level plan

Level 1–5: Coldridge Valley – learn the loop

Goal: reach 5, vendor your grays, get a better weapon than the starting dagger.

• The headings for levels 1–13 follow the Gnome/Dwarf start in Dun Morogh. Your race's starting zone and first trainer are in the race box.
• From level 1: Sinister Strike, Eviscerate, Stealth. Thrown weapon (Throw) to pull mobs from range – buy a thrown weapon early.
• Level 4: Backstab and Pick Pocket at the trainer. Backstab requires a dagger and that you stand behind the target – in Combat it is rarely used solo.

Checkpoint level 5: can you kill a mob of your level without dropping below half HP? If not: swap weapons, take mobs one at a time.

Level 6–9: Dun Morogh / Kharanos – first tools

Goal: Gouge and Evasion on buttons and the habit of using them.

• Level 6: Gouge – stops the mob for a few seconds. Used to interrupt a caster or to buy time when you have picked up an add.
• Level 8: Evasion – greatly increased dodge. Five-minute cooldown without talents: use it on double pulls, not on normal mobs.
• Start collecting Linen Cloth if you want to take First Aid – Linen Bandage cuts down on food breaks.

Checkpoint level 9: do you know which button saves you when two mobs aggro on you? (Evasion + focus one.)

Level 10–13: Ironforge – talents, Sprint and Sap

Goal: Improved Sinister Strike 2/2, new weapon training, the first class quest.

• Level 10: Slice and Dice, Sprint, Sap and Dual Wield (Dual Wield at 10 is assumed from Classic – passive abilities are missing from the client data). Two weapons give more damage right away, even without talents.
• Method mentions a class quest at level 10 that rewards an early weapon – do it. Verify the exact quest with the Rogue trainer in your capital.
• Level 12: Kick and Parry (Parry at 12 assumed from Classic). Kick interrupts casters – important against humanoid spellcasters in Loch Modan and Westfall.
• Visit the weapon master in your capital and learn swords/maces if you have found any (verify in game which weapon types the trainer teaches).

Checkpoint: do you have two weapons? Do you have a thrown weapon?

Level 14–19: Loch Modan and nearby zones – steady rhythm

Goal: Improved Eviscerate 3/3 and Precision 3/3, and kills without a food break between each one.

• Level 14: Garrote and Expose Armor. Garrote is an alternative stealth opener; for Combat it is usually faster to just walk up and hit.
• Level 16: Feint (not important solo) and Pick Lock (assumed from Classic – profession-like abilities are missing from the client data).
• Level 18: Ambush – big damage from stealth but requires a dagger. If you have a sword/mace in your main hand: skip it.
• Zone: Loch Modan or Westfall/Darkshore depending on where the guild is – assumed from Classic. Pick clusters with lots of quests and mobs at your level.

Checkpoint: are you eating after every mob? Then you are fighting targets that are too hard or your weapon is too weak.

Level 20–24: poisons and Riposte

Goal: poisons on both weapons, Deflection 3/3 and Riposte.

• Level 20: Rupture at the trainer and the poison quest. Warcraft Tavern lists the quest chain (including "Mathias and the Defias", "Klaven's Tower", "The Touch of Zanzil") but the table is unclear about faction – ask the Rogue trainer in your capital.

• Poisons in Forever can crit and stack with sharpening stones (Rough Sharpening Stone, Coarse Sharpening Stone) according to Warcraft Tavern and Method. Gfinity states that poisons have received more charges.
• Poison choice: Instant Poison on the main hand for pure damage. Offhand: Crippling Poison if you often get mobs that run or want to be able to run away, otherwise Instant Poison there too. From 30: Deadly Poison on the offhand for Coup de Grace.
• Level 21: Riposte – put it on a visible button; it only lights up after a parry.
• Level 22: Vanish and Distract. Vanish is your "get out of the fight" button – combine it with running away afterwards.
• Level 22–23: Endurance 2/2 – from now on Sprint and Evasion are roughly a two-minute cooldown instead of five (60% shorter).

Checkpoint: are you using Evasion in every fight where you get two mobs? With Endurance you should be.

Level 25–29: Flawless Execution and offhand

Goal: cheaper Eviscerate and a better offhand.

• Level 25: Flawless Execution – you fit in more finishers per fight.
• Level 26: Cheap Shot – stun opener from stealth. Good against dangerous mobs (casters, elites): Cheap Shot → SS → SS → Eviscerate.
• Level 26–30: Dual Wield Specialization – now a real offhand pays off. Upgrade it actively.
• Dungeon: Method lists, among others, Ruby-Adorned Blade (class quest around 30) and Subdued Dragon's Fang (Alliance, around 31) as weapon quests – verify in game.

Checkpoint: how much HP do you have left after a normal mob? More than 60% = you can take more mobs back to back.

Level 30–34: Blade Flurry and Kidney Shot

Goal: Blade Flurry and control over double pulls.

• Level 30: Kidney Shot (finisher stun), Coup de Grace (passive) and Disarm Trap. Switch to Deadly Poison on the offhand.
• Level 31: Blade Flurry – while two mobs are standing next to you, you hit both. Perfect when you have picked up an add anyway: Blade Flurry + Evasion, plus your racial burst if you have one.
• Level 32–34: Hack and Slash – choose weapons by DPS, not type.
• Level 34: Blind – a "no thanks" button against an add: blind one, kill the other, walk away or kill the next.

Warning: Blade Flurry hits all nearby targets, including mobs that are Sapped, Gouged or Blinded, so the CC breaks. Assumed from Classic – verify in game.

Level 35–39: Aggression – toward 40

Goal: Hack and Slash 5/5 and Aggression 3/3.

• No new major ability at the trainer in the client data between 35 and 39 – spend the money on new rank upgrades and weapons.
• Keep some level margin for elite quests. The beta had a level cap of 30, so everything in this range is theory.

Checkpoint: take stock of weapon DPS, poisons, bandages/food and save up for riding.

Level 40: Adrenaline Rush, dual spec and riding

Goal: Adrenaline Rush on a button, riding and a plan for 41–60.

• Level 40: Adrenaline Rush – 15 seconds of double Energy regen. Combine it with Blade Flurry and your racial burst for short, very powerful windows.
• The trainer has Eviscerate rank 6, Feint rank 3, Stealth rank 3 and Safe Fall (less fall damage) at 40 according to the client data.
• Riding: Warcraft Tavern states Apprentice Riding at the riding trainer at 40. Save money for it during your 30s – a mount saves more time than almost anything else. The cost is not in the client data.
• Dual spec: opens at level 40 and reportedly costs 10 g (according to the pre-launch guides, not in the client data – verify with the trainer). According to Hearthproof, talents and Legacy talents are swapped at the class trainer in a capital city. Save the second spec for dungeons or raids and keep leveling in this one.
• No respec needed: 0/31/0 is a complete leveling build, and 41–60 just builds on it.
• From 40 on, everything is theory. The beta stopped at 30 and no source has played 40–60 in Forever. The zones below come from Warcraft Tavern and Hearthproof (pre-launch lists); the level ranges are theirs.

Checkpoint level 40: do you have a mount, Adrenaline Rush on a button and poisons on both weapons?

Level 41–44: Weapon Expertise and new zones

Goal: Weapon Expertise 2/2 and the first points in Malice.

• Talents: Weapon Expertise 41–42, then Malice from 43.
• Trainer (client data): level 42 Ambush rank 4, Kick rank 3, Slice and Dice rank 2 and Vanish rank 2. Level 44 Backstab rank 6 and Rupture rank 4. No new abilities – just higher ranks.
• Poisons: Instant Poison IV requires Poisons 200 and level 44 (client data). Poisons are a class skill – raise it by making your own poisons.
• Zones: Warcraft Tavern lists Shen'dralas, Tanaris and The Hinterlands from 40 and Searing Gorge from 43. Hearthproof starts in The Riverglades and mentions Feralas. Shen'dralas and The Riverglades are new zones in Forever.
• Dungeons in the range (Hearthproof): Krol'dok Stronghold 40–45 and Uldaman 41–51.

Checkpoint: do mobs two levels above you still dodge and parry often? Weapon Expertise and Precision help, but prefer mobs at your own level.

Level 45–49: Malice and Feralas

Goal: Malice 5/5 and Ruthlessness started.

• Talents: Malice up to 47, Ruthlessness 48–49.
• Trainer (client data): level 46 Sinister Strike rank 7, Gouge rank 4, Garrote rank 5 and Expose Armor rank 4. Level 48 Eviscerate rank 7 and Sap rank 3.
• Poisons: Deadly Poison III (Poisons 210, level 46).
• Weapons (Hearthproof, Classic quests): Ceremonial Elven Blade (Alliance, Feralas) and Zorbin's Mega-Slicer (Feralas). The site's item DB lists 26.7 and 28.7 DPS respectively. Verify in game that the quest exists in Forever.
• Zones: Azshara, Felwood and Blasted Lands from 45, Un'Goro Crater from 48 (Warcraft Tavern). Feralas 41–49 according to Hearthproof.
• Dungeons: Zul'Farrak 44–54, Maraudon 46–55 and Alcaz Prison 48–53 (Hearthproof).

Checkpoint: does Malice give noticeably more crits on Sinister Strike? If you often have 5 combo points before the mob dies: finish earlier.

Level 50–54: Ruthlessness and Burning Steppes

Goal: more combo points per finisher and less waiting for Energy.

• Talents: Ruthlessness 3/3 at 50, Remorseless Attacks 51–52, Relentless Strikes 53, Lethality from 54.
• Trainer (client data): level 50 Ambush rank 5 and Kidney Shot rank 2. Level 52 Backstab rank 7, Feint rank 4 and Rupture rank 5. Level 54 Sinister Strike rank 8 and Garrote rank 6.
• Poisons: Crippling Poison II (50), Instant Poison V (52) and Deadly Poison IV (54) according to client data.
• Zones: Burning Steppes and Western Plaguelands from 50, Winterspring and Eastern Plaguelands from 53 (Warcraft Tavern).
• Dungeons: Sunken Temple 50–60 and Blackrock Depths 52–60 (Hearthproof).

Checkpoint: do you use Eviscerate right away when Ruthlessness has given you a free combo point? That is the point of the talent.

Level 55–59: Lethality and the last weapons

Goal: Lethality 5/5 and Cold Blood.

• Talents: Lethality up to 58, Cold Blood 59.
• Trainer (client data): level 56 Eviscerate rank 8 and Expose Armor rank 5. Level 58 Ambush rank 6, Kick rank 4 and Sprint rank 3.
• Weapons (Hearthproof, Classic quests): Linken's Sword of Mastery (Un'Goro Crater) in the main hand and Enchanted Azsharite Felbane Dagger (Stranglethorn Vale) in the offhand. Hearthproof states 36.9 DPS for the sword, the site's item DB 33.3 – trust the tooltip.
• Zones: Silithus and Deadwind Pass from 55 (Warcraft Tavern), otherwise the rest of the Plaguelands and Winterspring.
• Dungeons: Dire Maul 54–60, Lower Blackrock Spire and Blackmaw Hold 55–60 (Hearthproof).

Checkpoint: do you have Cold Blood next to your racial burst button? Together they give a guaranteed crit with extra damage.

Level 60: Murder and raid start

Goal: 18/33/0 and ready for dungeons and raids.

• Talents: Murder 1/2 as the last point (see alternative F for Improved Slice and Dice).
• Trainer (client data): Backstab rank 8–9, Eviscerate rank 9, Feint rank 5, Gouge rank 5, Rupture rank 6 and Stealth rank 4. The poisons Instant Poison VI and Deadly Poison V.
• Zone: Mount Hyjal is the level 60 zone (Warcraft Tavern, Hearthproof).
• Raid: the raids Barrow Deeps (10), Hyjal Summit (20) and Onyxia (40) open on 9 December 2026. Warcraft Tavern has no level 60 builds yet ("Level 60 builds will be added at launch"). This guide therefore gives no raid spec – use dual spec for it once the sources have tested.
• Dungeons: Scholomance, Stratholme and Shaper's Terrace 58–60, Upper Blackrock Spire 59–60 (Hearthproof).

Checkpoint: all 51 talent points spent, poisons in your bags and a second spec planned.

Rotations – rules, not lists

A. Normal mob at your level

1. Pull with a thrown weapon or walk up and open.
2. Sinister Strike until 3–4 combo points.
3. Eviscerate. If the mob lives long: Slice and Dice first, then SS → Eviscerate.
4. Riposte when it lights up.

B. Tough mob (yellow/orange or caster)

1. Your racial burst right at the start, if your race has one (see the race box).
2. From 26: open with Cheap Shot from stealth.
3. Caster: Kick or Gouge on dangerous casts.
4. SS → Eviscerate; from 30 Kidney Shot if you need another stun.
5. From 59: Cold Blood before a 5-point Eviscerate when the mob has to die now.

C. Two mobs by accident

1. Evasion right away.
2. From 31: Blade Flurry, otherwise Gouge one and kill the other.
3. From 34: Blind on the second one if Gouge is not enough.
4. If it goes badly: Vanish (22+) or Sprint, run back toward cleared ground.

D. Elite or three mobs

• Not alone. Group up or come back later. A corpse run takes longer than moving on to the next quest.

Keybinds – suggestion

Key	Ability	Why
1	Sinister Strike	Used all the time
2	Eviscerate	Main finisher
3	Slice and Dice	Long fights
4	Riposte	Lights up after a parry
5	Kick	Interrupt casters
Q	Gouge	Short control
E	Racial burst	Eureka!, Blood Fury, Berserking or Elune's Light
R	Evasion	Defensive
F	Sprint	Escape
Shift+F	Racial panic button	Escape Artist, Stoneform, Will to Survive or Will of the Forsaken
Shift+R	Vanish	Emergency exit
Shift+Q	Blind	CC on an add
T	Blade Flurry (31+)	Double pull
Shift+E	Adrenaline Rush (40)	Burst
Shift+T	Cold Blood (59)	Guaranteed crit

Gear

• Weapons first. A main-hand weapon upgrade makes a bigger difference than all other slots combined while leveling.
• Stats: Agility and Strength (Attack Power), then Stamina. There is no published, verified stat weight for Forever – rely on tooltip comparison and weapon damage.
• Thrown weapon in the ranged slot for pulls.
• Warcraft Tavern mentions several classic Rogue weapons as good upgrades (including Cruel Barb and Thief's Blade from Deadmines/Westfall, Shadowfang from Shadowfang Keep) – verify in game whether they exist in Forever and where they drop.
• Thistle Tea (a Rogue consumable that restores Energy) can be worth keeping for tough fights.
• 40–60: weapons still come first. Hearthproof lists quest and dungeon weapons (including Linken's Sword of Mastery and Enchanted Azsharite Felbane Dagger), but all of them are Classic data – verify that the quest exists. Leather all the way; Leatherworking's Skulker's set covers many slots 30–50.

Professions

Poisons are not a profession but a class skill (Poisons) that you raise by making poisons. It does not count toward your two primary professions.

Goal	Recommendation	Comment
Fastest to 60	Skinning + Leatherworking or Skinning + Mining	Gathering while you quest; Leatherworking gives a Camp Tent that grants rested XP at the camp (client data, also Method) and the BoP Skulker's set (Agility/Strength) for levels 30–50
Gnome synergy	Engineering + Mining	Engineering Specialization reduces backfire. Engineering gives its own thrown weapons (Satchel of Copper Bombs through Satchel of Dark Iron Bombs), grenades with a stun and Emergency Field Cloak. Its value for leveling has not been measured; Hearthproof calls Engineering "the PvP pick"
Survival	First Aid + Cooking	Bandages between pulls; in Forever, First Aid also makes healing potions (Minor Healing Potion, Lesser Healing Potion, Healing Potion). Food that gives Well Fed also gives +5% XP from kills (client data "Well Fed XP Boost", conditional – read the tooltip)

Camping (new in Forever): at a campfire, each profession can place a camp object with a buff (client data). For a Rogue: Skinning's Camp Chair (crit), Mining's Lodestone (melee AP) or Leatherworking's Camp Tent (rested XP). Exact values are missing from the data.

Zones – flexible Alliance route

The outline below is assumed from Classic – Forever may have changed quests and zones.

Approximate level	Zones	Comment
1–10	Coldridge Valley, Dun Morogh	Start, trainer in Ironforge
10–20	Loch Modan, Westfall, Darkshore	Westfall suits the poison quest at 20
20–30	Redridge, Wetlands, Duskwood, Ashenvale	Lots of humanoid mobs – Kick and Gouge are important
30–40	Stranglethorn Vale, Arathi, Hillsbrad, Desolace	Higher PvP risk on PvP servers
40–45	The Riverglades, Shen'dralas, Tanaris, The Hinterlands, Feralas, Searing Gorge (43)	Pre-launch lists from Warcraft Tavern and Hearthproof; The Riverglades and Shen'dralas are new zones
45–50	Azshara, Felwood, Blasted Lands, Un'Goro Crater (48)	Warcraft Tavern
50–55	Burning Steppes, Western and Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring	Warcraft Tavern
55–60	Silithus, Deadwind Pass, Mount Hyjal (60)	Mount Hyjal is the level 60 zone

Rule: pick zones by quest density and travel, not by a fixed list.

Risk management

Before every pull: are there adds around? Are Evasion and Sprint ready? Do you have enough HP for another fight?

• Rooted or slowed: Sprint (and your racial, see the box below).
• Add: Evasion first, then Gouge/Blind/Blade Flurry depending on level.
• Caster wearing you down: Kick or Gouge, step in close so it stops casting from range.
• Things are going south: Vanish (22+). If you wait too long, you will not have the Energy or HP left to get away.
• Level gaps: a mob two levels above you parries and dodges more – Precision helps, but prefer easier targets.

Sources and quality

Source hierarchy: client data first (talents, ability levels, racials from 1.60.1.70755), then Forever guides (beta-based), and Classic assumptions last.

1. WoW Forever Armory – Rogue talents, client build 1.60.1.70755 – talent names, tiers, requirements. https://armorywowforever.com/talents/rogue
2. Warcraft Tavern – Rogue Leveling Guide (Forever) – Combat as most forgiving, ability levels, poison quest at 20, weapon types, Forever changes (Energy, combo points). Undated, beta-based. https://www.warcrafttavern.com/forever/guides/rogue-leveling/
3. Method – WoW Forever Rogue Leveling Guide & Talents, updated 2026-11-03 – Assassination as an alternative, Gnome as the recommended Alliance race, Expansive Mind +5% Energy, weapon quests. https://www.method.gg/wow-forever/wow-forever-rogue-leveling-guide-and-talents
4. Warcraft Tavern – Gnome Racial Abilities – how the racials work. https://www.warcrafttavern.com/forever/guides/gnome-racials/
5. Gfinity – WoW Forever Rogue Class Guide, 2026-10-29 – poisons (more charges, stack with sharpening stones). https://www.gfinityesports.com/article/world-of-warcraft-forever-rogue-class-guide-specs-builds
6. Icy Veins – Combat Rogue Leveling – listed as a reference; the page could not be read during research, and its content is not used in detail. https://www.icy-veins.com/wow-forever/combat-rogue-leveling
7. Hearthproof – Rogue Leveling Guide, v2.21, 2026-11-03, client build 1.60.1.70425 – talent order 40–60 (marked SPEC), weapons 40–60, poison levels, dungeon ranges and Engineering. The talents Composure and Flash of Steel do not exist in 70755. https://hearthproof.com/classes/rogue/leveling/

The zone levels for 40–60 come from Warcraft Tavern ("recommended minimum levels"). The profession boxes' skill, reagents and level requirements come from the site's recipe data (data/recipes) and item DB, client build 1.60.1.70755.

To be tested after launch

• The talent order can be clicked in the live client.
• Eureka! for Rogue: 10% Energy/10% damage/8 s/2 min, or other values?
• Expansive Mind actually gives +5% max Energy for Rogue.
• No Gnome-unique Rogue abilities or class quests at the trainer.
• The Alliance poison quest: start, chain and level.
• Which weapon types the Ironforge/Stormwind weapon master teaches.
• Coup de Grace and Kidney Shot at level 30 as the client data states.
• Blade Flurry breaks CC on nearby targets.
• Class quest/weapon at level 10 and weapon quests around 30.
• Zone and quest route 20–40 (the beta stopped at 30).
• Dual Wield 10, Parry 12 and Pick Lock 16 (assumed from Classic).
• Dual spec at 40: cost and requirements. Apprentice Riding at 40: cost.
• The talent order 41–60 (Weapon Expertise → Assassination) can be clicked and feels right in practice.
• Zone levels 40–60, especially the new zones The Riverglades and Shen'dralas.
• Weapon quests 45–58 (Ceremonial Elven Blade, Zorbin's Mega-Slicer, Linken's Sword of Mastery, Enchanted Azsharite Felbane Dagger) exist in Forever.
• Engineering: Iron Grenade stun and Emergency Field Cloak invisibility (data from Hearthproof).
• Thistle Tea: how much Energy it restores.
• What the upgraded camp objects (Rock Garden, Field Guide, Trapper's Workbench, Molten Foundry) give.

What this guide does not claim

• It has not been tested in game 1–60.
• It has not shown that Combat is faster than Assassination or Subtlety.
• It contains no measured XP/hour, stat weights or coordinates.

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Version history

• 2026-11-05 (1–60): extended to level 60: talent order 41–60 (18/33/0), level sections 40–60 with ability ranks and poisons from client data, zones and dungeons from Warcraft Tavern and Hearthproof, riding and raid start. New profession boxes (Leatherworking, Engineering, Skinning, Mining, First Aid, Cooking) with facts from the recipe data.
• 2026-11-05: short version; Classic assumptions marked (Dual Wield, Parry, Pick Lock); Coldridge Valley as fact; Safe Fall at 40 from client data; shared lines on dual spec, Well Fed, Camping and First Aid potions.
• 1.0 research (2026-11-04): First version. Combat 0/31/0, validated against client data 1.60.1.70755. Gnome racials according to client data; Gnome-unique Rogue abilities are missing from the data.