Combat at level 20

Training dummy

A sword in each hand, 2.6 and 1.8 sec swing, Instant Poison, your Talent Path talents at 20.

Action bar

• Sinister Strike40 Energy
• Slice and Dice25 Energy
• Eviscerate35 Energy

Opener

Sinister StrikeSinister StrikeSlice and DiceEviscerate

Priority

1. 

   A quick Slice and Dice with 2 points on a longer fight: 20% faster swings and more poison hits.

2. 

   5 combo points: Eviscerate. Your Talent Path at 20 makes it stronger with Improved Eviscerate.

3. 

   Sinister Strike builds your combo points. With Improved Sinister Strike it costs 40 Energy.

Tips

• Upgrade your main hand first: Sinister Strike and your auto attacks both hit with it.
• Sap one humanoid of a pull. In Forever it no longer breaks your own Stealth, so you fight the pack in two parts.
• Gouge buys you 4 seconds to bandage or reposition when a fight turns bad.

Combat at level 60

Training dummy

Two swords, 2.7 and 1.8 sec swing, Instant Poison, the Combat Swords build.

Action bar

• Sinister Strike40 Energy
• Slice and Dice25 Energy
• Eviscerate25 Energy
• Blade Flurry25 Energy · 2 min cooldown
• Adrenaline Rush5 min cooldown

Opener

Sinister StrikeSlice and DiceAdrenaline RushBlade Flurry

Priority

1. 

   Slice and Dice is the backbone: 30% faster swings, every extra swing feeds more poison and more combo points.

2. 

   Adrenaline Rush right after Slice and Dice: double Energy for 15 seconds goes into strikes, not into a refresh.

3. 

   Blade Flurry on cooldown: 20% faster swings, and on packs every swing hits a second enemy.

4. 

   5 combo points with Slice and Dice safe: Eviscerate.

5. 

   Sinister Strike to build. Hack and Slash gives swords extra swings.

Tips

• Hack and Slash rewards your weapon type: extra swings for swords and axes, more crits for daggers and fists, armor penetration for maces.
• Blade Flurry and Adrenaline Rush have separate cooldowns, so a big pull can see both at once.
• Refresh Slice and Dice with whatever points you have when it is about to fall off. Losing it costs more than a weak finisher.

Assassination at level 60

Training dummy

Two daggers, 1.8 and 1.4 sec swing, Instant Poison and Deadly Poison, the Mutilate build.

Action bar

• Mutilate60 Energy
• Slice and Dice25 Energy
• Eviscerate35 Energy
• Cold Blood3 min cooldown

Opener

Cold BloodMutilateSlice and DiceMutilateEviscerate

Priority

1. 

   Slice and Dice: faster swings, and with them more poison procs.

2. 

   Cold Blood right before a Mutilate: a guaranteed crit.

3. 

   4 or 5 combo points and Slice and Dice is safe: Eviscerate. Mutilate gives 2 points, so 4 is often the moment.

4. 

   Mutilate: both daggers at once, 2 combo points and 20% more damage on a poisoned target.

Tips

• Mutilate needs a dagger in each hand. Check both slots before you pull.
• Poisons scale with your Attack Power in Forever, so a weapon upgrade raises your poison damage too.
• Keep Cold Blood for a fight that lasts. A sure crit on a pack that dies in 3 seconds is wasted.

Subtlety at level 60

Training dummy, you start in Stealth behind it

Dagger main hand, 1.8 sec swing, the Hemorrhage Subtlety build.

Action bar

• Ambush60 Energy
• Premeditation2 min cooldown
• Hemorrhage35 Energy
• Rupture25 Energy
• Backstab60 Energy

Opener

PremeditationAmbushHemorrhageRupture

Priority

1. 

   Premeditation from Stealth: 2 free combo points. Spend them within 20 seconds.

2. 

   Ambush from Stealth behind the target, your hardest opener.

3. 

   5 combo points right after Hemorrhage: its debuff makes this Rupture 15% stronger.

4. 

   Hemorrhage when its debuff is missing: a combo point and more Rupture damage for 15 seconds.

5. 

   Backstab from behind as your builder while Hemorrhage is up.

Tips

• Thousand Cuts at the bottom of the tree makes every Rupture tick lower the cost of your next Hemorrhage or Backstab.
• Preparation resets Vanish, Sprint and Kick at once. Save it for a long PvP fight.
• Ambush and Backstab need you behind the target and a dagger in your main hand.