The 
Rogue is one of the nine classes in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, represented by 
Valeera Sanguinar.
Heroes
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Overview
Rogues are backstabbing assassins, known for their stealth, speed and deadly efficiency. Masters of deadly poisons and hidden strikes, most victims of rogues never see their attacker coming. Rogues can slip silently among the shadows, sowing distrust and 
Betrayal among allies, incapacitating sentries and assassinating targets without a sound. Rogues are also masters of speed, unleashing flurries of attacks in devastating combos before sprinting to safety or vanishing out of sight.
Rogues can equip a range of weapons to deal with their enemies on a personal basis. Unlike the huge, clumsy weapons favoured by warriors, rogues prefer small, light weapons such as daggers and knives which they can use to take out their opponents one by one. Rogues always have a knife hidden somewhere, and are always ready to get their hands a little dirty.
Background
- Main article: Rogue
For rogues, the only code is the contract, and their honor is purchased in gold. Free from the constraints of a conscience, these mercenaries rely on brutal and efficient tactics. Lethal assassins and masters of stealth, they will approach their marks from behind, piercing a vital organ and vanishing into the shadows before the victim hits the ground. Rogues can dip their weapons in paralyzing toxins that render foes unable to defend themselves. These silent stalkers wear leather armor so they can move unencumbered, ensuring that they land the first strike.
With the rogue’s poisons and speed, the first strike is often the last step before the killing blow.[1]
Hero Power
Hero Powers are unique abilities, specific to each class. Hero Powers cost 2 mana, and can be used once per turn.
The rogue Hero Power offers some ability to maintain board control, as it allows your hero to destroy 1-Health minions. This allows you to establish control and force them to waste valuable removal early on. This can also allow you to keep your minions alive longer, adding value. Be careful though, don't take your own Health too low attacking minions or you can tip the advantage into a disadvantage very quickly!
Strategy
The rogue class has a number of different play styles. One of the main threats a rogue presents is the ability to do a lot of damage quickly, using "combo" cards and the rogue's Hero Power weapon to do surprising burst. Minions like Questing Adventurer, Mana Addict, and Edwin VanCleef can be buffed up to huge amounts of damage by using the rogue's arsenal of numerous low-cost spell cards while cards like Gadgetzan Auctioneer give the draw power needed to sustain combos.
A combo card is a card that has an additional effect if it is played after any other card. These effects can range from additional damage to picking up a card. Rogues are exceptional at using single target damaging abilities on both minions and heroes with cards like Eviscerate and Headcrack. This aspect can be augmented with decks focused on increasing Spell Damage which allows rogues to whittle down the enemy hero with strengthened spells while also buffing weak spells like Backstab and Fan of Knives into formidable removal cards.
The Rogue Hero Power can also be built around with cards that buff their Weapon for one nasty hit like Deadly Poison or cards that simply synergize well with weapons such as Blade Flurry and Bloodsail Raider.
Rogues excel at single target removal with abilities like Assassinate and Sap which give strong board control for Rogues to set up devastating combos or to keep the enemy defenseless as their hero is chipped away at.
Countering a rogue
- Equipment destruction such as
Acidic Swamp Ooze or Harrison Jones to prevent massive damage output from the rogue's Assassin's Blade and Dagger Mastery. - Units that make it difficult for the Rogue to attack you in the face directly, helpful effects include Divine Shield and Taunt.
- Bait the use of board clearing abilities such as Assassinate with your second or third strongest minion so that you can safely summon your strongest minions.
- Having a few Spellbreakers can be incredibly effective against a rogue deck because of their affinity towards minions such as Bloodsail Raider.
- Try to play many small minions rather than fewer large ones, since most rogue removal spells are single target.
Rogue unique mechanics
Combo is an ability where the stated effect occurs if the card is not the first one played during the turn. Playing any card is sufficient to trigger a Combo, but Hero Powers will not trigger Combos. Cards with this ability are limited to the rogue class. For more information, see Combo.
Examples:
- Using Backstab and then Eviscerate will trigger Eviscerate's Combo effect, making it deal 4 damage instead of 2.
- Using Preparation and then Headcrack will trigger Headcrack's Combo effect, returning it to your hand next turn.
Rogue spells
See Spell.
Uncollectible
The following spells are generated by other rogue cards, and are uncollectible.
Rogue minions
All classes can also use neutral minions. See Minion.
Uncollectible
The following minions are generated by other rogue cards, and are uncollectible.
Rogue weapons
See Weapon.
Uncollectible
The following weapons are generated by other rogue cards, and are uncollectible.
Leveling rewards
As a hero reaches various levels they are awarded new cards, with each class having its own rewards. All cards awarded by gaining levels are soulbound, and cannot be crafted or disenchanted.
Levels up to 10 award new basic class cards, while levels after this award only golden versions of existing cards.
Starting cards
All rogues start with the following class cards.
Level 2-10
Up to level 10, reaching each even-numbered level will reward the player with a new basic class card x 2. These cards are not obtainable through any other means.
| Level 2 | Level 4 | Level 6 |
|---|---|---|
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| Level 8 | Level 10 | |
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Level 11-60
Above level 10, reaching certain levels will award golden versions of existing basic cards. As they are soulbound, it is not possible to disenchant these cards, making the reward purely cosmetic. Reaching each required level will award one golden card. Levels after 10 award golden basic class cards, whereas levels after 50 award golden basic neutral minion cards.
| Level 15/20 | Level 23/26 | Level 28/30 |
|---|---|---|
   | ||
| Level 32/34 | Level 36/38 | Level 40/42 |
   | ||
| Level 43/44 | Level 45/46 | Level 47/48 |
   | ||
| Level 49/50 | Level 51/52 | Level 53/54 |
  | ||
| Level 55/56 | Level 57/58 | Level 59/60 |
   |
Trivia
- Valeera was chosen to represent the rogue class partially in order to balance faction, race and gender representation across the cast of heroes. As a blood elf female, Valeera added diversity to the cast of characters, as opposed to options such as Matthias Shaw or Edwin VanCleef (human male, already represented by both Anduin and Uther), or Garona Halforcen (a female half-orc, making the fifth orc hero).[2][3][4]
- During the game's early development, the rogue class was represented by Edwin VanCleef.[5]
Patch changes
- Patch 1.0.0.3645 (Alpha, 2013-08-12): Received some new hero artwork.
References
- ↑ http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/class/rogue
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-10-25).
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-01-02).
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-01-02).
- ↑ Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-01-04).
