Rogue

The  Rogue is one of the nine classes in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, represented by Valeera Sanguinar and Maiev Shadowsong.

Heroes

Valeera Sanguinar is the default hero for rogues. Players who have unlocked the Maiev Shadowsong alternate hero may choose to play as one of her instead when using any rogue deck. Both heroes use the same gameplay mechanics; the difference is purely cosmetic.

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.

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!

Replacement Hero Powers

Justicar Trueheart Battlecry and Baku the Mooneater Start of Game effect will replace Dagger Mastery with Poisoned Daggers.

Valeera the Hollow Battlecry will replace the current Hero Power with Death's Shadow, as well as replacing the hero.

Unique mechanics

Combo is an ability where the stated effect occurs only 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.

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 effects together with the rogue's Hero Power weapon to do surprising burst damage. 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. Other good rogue burst cards include Tinker's Sharpsword Oil, Deadly Poison and Cold Blood, as well as their various direct damage spells.

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 drawing another card. In general Combo rewards the use of cheap cards (primarily spells) and allows the rogue to deal large amounts of damage in a single turn. Synergistic rogue cards include Preparation, Backstab and Counterfeit Coin. Edwin VanCleef is the archetypal Combo card, potentially growing into a monster if the rogue can play enough cards that turn.

Rogues are exceptional at using single target damaging abilities on both minions and heroes with cards like Eviscerate, Shadow Strike, and Headcrack, as well as minion Battlecries like SI:7 Agent, Dark Iron Skulker and Undercity Valiant. 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. Rogues also possess many single target hard removal like Assassinate, Vilespine Slayer, and Blade of C'Thun to push aside whatever huge minion the opponent plays to block their way while keep them defenseless as their health is chipped away at.

The rogue Hero Power Dagger Mastery provides a constant opportunity for low damage removal or hero damage, but can be improved with cards like Deadly Poison, Buccaneer, and Goblin Auto-Barber to much higher levels, in turn setting up the possibility of a Blade Flurry for high damage removal. Rogues can also equip a range of other weapons, such as Assassin's Blade, Perdition's Blade and Deadly Fork.

The rogue weapon theme ties into another: Pirates. Rogues have access to the only class-specific cards for the Pirate minion type, with One-Eyed Cheat, Buccaneer, and Luckydo Buccaneer as well as the synergistic Shady Dealer. The constant availability of weapons to the rogue fits well with the weapon-dependency of Pirate cards like Small-time Buccaneer, Southsea Deckhand, Dread Corsair and Captain Greenskin, although arguably not as well as that of the warrior.

Return effects are another theme of the rogue class, allowing their minions to slip away to restore themselves, or forcing the opponent's minions to retreat back into the hand. Shadowstep, Gadgetzan Ferryman, Anub'ar Ambusher and Anub'arak are friendly examples, while Sap, Vanish and Kidnapper offer other options. These effects can be useful for stalling the opponent, or allowing the rogue to benefit multiple times from useful Battlecries.

A theme that has been added to Rogues in more recent expansions is the ability to steal the power of their opponent's class, in the form of gaining cards from the opponent's class such as Burgle, Undercity Huckster, Swashburglar, Shaku, the Collector, and Hallucination. Rogues also have cards that synergizes with cards not of their own class, like Ethereal Peddler and Obsidian Shard, although it does little to help in mirror matches.

Infamous for striking from the shadows, Stealth is a minor rogue theme, with minions like Master of Disguise, Mini-Mage and Ogre Ninja, as well as Conceal. Shadow Sensei can buff these minions while they're hiding to make their first strike deadlier.Patient Assassin combines Stealth with the Poisonous effect, another minor rogue theme, also seen on Pit Snake and Envenom Weapon.

Rogue is also the only class able to generate The Coin, normally only available at the start of each match, through cards like Cutpurse and Tomb Pillager. Trade Prince Gallywix provides a similar spell in Gallywix's Coin and Counterfeit Coin functions the same as the Coin except they can be added to the deck.

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.
• Rogues are one of the more fragile classes, so they will have a difficult time stabilizing when they have taken heavy damage early on.

Spells

For Wild format listings, see Rogue/Wild format

See Spell.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Class	Cost	Description
Assassinate	Free	Rogue	5	Destroy an enemy minion. If you don't want to be assassinated, move to the Barrens and change your name. Good luck!
Backstab	Free	Rogue	0	Deal 2 damage to an undamaged minion. It's funny how often yelling "Look over there!" gets your opponent to turn around.
Deadly Poison	Free	Rogue	1	Give your weapon +2 Attack. Rogues guard the secrets to poison-making carefully, lest magi start incorporating poison into their spells. Poisonbolt? Rain of Poison? Poison Elemental? Nobody wants that.
Fan of Knives	Free	Rogue	3	Deal 1 damage to all enemy minions. Draw a card. I wouldn't say I LOVE knives, but I'm definitely a fan.
Sap	Free	Rogue	2	Return an enemy minion to your opponent's hand. Rogues love sappy movies.
Shiv	Free	Rogue	2	Deal 1 damage. Draw a card. Rogues are experts at SHIV-al-ry.
Sinister Strike	Free	Rogue	1	Deal 3 damage to the enemy hero. There's something about this strike that just feels off. Sinister, even.
Sprint	Free	Rogue	7	Draw 4 cards. Rogues are not good joggers.
Vanish	Free	Rogue	6	Return all minions to their owner's hand.
Betrayal	Common	Rogue	2	Force an enemy minion to deal its damage to the minions next to it. Everyone has a price. Gnomes, for example, can be persuaded by stuffed animals and small amounts of chocolate.
Cheap Shot	Common	Rogue	2	Echo Deal 2 damage to a minion. 50% off. Every shot must go!
Cheat Death	Common	Rogue	2	Secret: When a friendly minion dies, return it to your hand. It costs (2) less. Reported.
Cold Blood	Common	Rogue	1	Give a minion +2 Attack. Combo: +4 Attack instead. "I'm cold blooded, check it and see!"
Eviscerate	Common	Rogue	2	Deal 2 damage. Combo: Deal 4 damage instead. There is a high cost to Eviscerating your opponent: It takes a long time to get blood stains out of leather armor.
Hallucination	Common	Rogue	1	Discover a card from your opponent's class. It's the good kind of hallucination.
Leeching Poison	Common	Rogue	2	Give your weapon Lifesteal. No actual leeches were harmed in the creation of this card.
Razorpetal Volley	Common	Rogue	2	Add two Razorpetals to your hand that deal 1 damage. The result of a fundamental misunderstanding of the phrase "flower power".
Shadowstep	Common	Rogue	0	Return a friendly minion to your hand. It costs (2) less. Rogue dance troops will sometimes Shadowstep away at the end of a performance. Crowds love it.
Sudden Betrayal	Common	Rogue	2	Secret: When a minion attacks your hero, instead it attacks one of its neighbours. You thought he was your bro-bold, but turns out he's your foe-bold.
Blade Flurry	Rare	Rogue	4	Destroy your weapon and deal its damage to all enemy minions. "Look, it's not just about waving daggers around really fast. It's a lot more complicated than that." - Shan, Rogue Trainer
Envenom Weapon	Rare	Rogue	3	Give your weapon Poisonous. Like Deadly Poison, but deadlier.
Headcrack	Rare	Rogue	3	Deal 2 damage to the enemy hero. Combo: Return this to your hand next turn. When all else fails, nothing beats a swift whack upside the head.
Lesser Onyx Spellstone	Rare	Rogue	5	Destroy 1 random enemy minion. (Play 3 Deathrattle cards to upgrade.) The trolls of old embraced the gift A jewel of black for daggers swift No party lasts who finds the stone Those wielding it soon stand alone.
Mimic Pod	Rare	Rogue	3	Draw a card, then add a copy of it to your hand. Jinx!
Pick Pocket	Rare	Rogue	2	Echo Add a random card to your hand (from your opponent's class). He'll pick anyone's pocket, except a gnome's. He'd never stoop so low.
Roll the Bones	Rare	Rogue	2	Draw a card. If it has Deathrattle, cast this again. Call it: Heads or Tailbone…
Doomerang	Epic	Rogue	1	Throw your weapon at a minion. It deals its damage, then returns to your hand. Guaranteed to return your weapon directly to your hand! (Wear gloves. Thick ones.)
Evasion	Epic	Rogue	2	Secret: After your hero takes damage, become Immune this turn. Works on weapons, missiles, and taxes.
Preparation	Epic	Rogue	0	The next spell you cast this turn costs (3) less. "Be Prepared" - Rogue Motto
WANTED!	Epic	Rogue	4	Deal 3 damage to a minion. If that kills it, add a Coin to your hand. Wanted: Dead or Undead.
The Caverns Below	Legendary	Rogue	1	Quest: Play five minions with the same name. Reward: Crystal Core. Why can't it ever be The Taverns Below?
Showing all 31 cards

Uncollectible

For Wild format listings, see Rogue/Wild format

The following spells are generated by other rogue cards or effects, and are uncollectible.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Class	Cost	Description
Crystal Core	None	Rogue	5	For the rest of the game, your minions are 4/4.
Razorpetal	None	Rogue	1	Deal 1 damage.
Shadow Reflection	None	Rogue		Each time you play a card, transform this into a copy of it.
Spider Ambush!	None	Rogue	4	Summon a 4/4 Spider. Draw a card. Cast this when drawn.
Greater Onyx Spellstone	Rare	Rogue	5	Destroy up to 3 random enemy minions.
Onyx Spellstone	Rare	Rogue	5	Destroy up to 2 random enemy minions. (Play 3 Deathrattle cards to upgrade.)
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Minions

For Wild format listings, see Rogue/Wild format

All classes can also use neutral minions. See Minion.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Blink Fox	Common	Minion	Beast	Rogue	3	3	3	Battlecry: Add a random card to your hand (from your opponent's class). It's like, SUPER bad at staring contests.
Bone Baron	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	5	5	5	Deathrattle: Add two 1/1 Skeletons to your hand. "Oil," "Rail," and "Blubber" were already taken.
Cavern Shinyfinder	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	2	3	1	Battlecry: Draw a weapon from your deck. They call her the candled vandal.
Cutthroat Buccaneer	Common	Minion	Pirate	Rogue	3	2	4	Combo: Give your weapon +1 Attack. In life he worked as a sword swallower.
Defias Ringleader	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	2	2	2	Combo: Summon a 2/1 Defias Bandit. He stole the deed to town years ago, so technically the town is his. He just calls people Scrub to be mean.
Razorpetal Lasher	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	2	2	2	Battlecry: Add a Razorpetal to your hand that deals 1 damage. The reason why there are no zombies in Un'goro.
Cursed Castaway	Rare	Minion	Pirate	Rogue	6	5	3	Rush Deathrattle: Draw a Combo card from your deck. She was an ordinary castaway... until she found that cursed volleyball.
Elven Minstrel	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	4	3	2	Combo: Draw 2 minions from your deck. "After that gig in Hamlin went south, I swore off rats."
Kobold Illusionist	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	4	3	3	Deathrattle: Summon a 1/1 copy of a minion from your hand. He can make ANYTHING look like a candle.
Master of Disguise	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	4	4	4	Battlecry: Give a friendly minion Stealth until your next turn. She's actually a male tauren. People don't call him "Master of Disguise" for nothing.
Mistwraith	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	4	3	5	Whenever you play an Echo card, gain +1/+1. One little Mistwraith sitting in a tree. M-I-S-T-I-N-G.
Plague Scientist	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	3	2	3	Combo: Give a friendly minion Poisonous. The excruciating pain means it's working!
Runeforge Haunter	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	4	5	3	During your turn, your weapon doesn't lose Durability. Don't worry, he'll keep an eye on that for you.
SI:7 Agent	Rare	Minion	General	Rogue	3	3	3	Combo: Deal 2 damage. The agents of SI:7 are responsible for Stormwind's covert activities. Their duties include espionage, assassination, and throwing surprise birthday parties for the royal family.
Biteweed	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	2	1	1	Combo: Gain +1/+1 for each other card you've played this turn. AKA Edwin VanLeaf.
Fal'dorei Strider	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	4	4	4	Battlecry: Shuffle 3 Ambushes into your deck. When drawn, summon a 4/4 Spider. What's worse? Seeing the spider, or NOT seeing the spider, but knowing it's somewhere in your deck?
Kidnapper	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	6	5	3	Combo: Return a minion to its owner's hand. He just wants people to see his vacation photos.
Patient Assassin	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	2	1	1	Stealth Poisonous He’s not really that patient. It just takes a while for someone to walk by that he can actually reach.
Spectral Pillager	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	6	5	5	Combo: Deal damage equal to the number of other cards you've played this turn. It turns out you CAN take it with you.
Vilespine Slayer	Epic	Minion	General	Rogue	5	3	4	Combo: Destroy a minion. 'Cause slayers gonna slay, slay, slay, slay, slay.
Edwin VanCleef	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	3	2	2	Combo: Gain +2/+2 for each other card you've played this turn. He led the Stonemasons in the reconstruction of Stormwind, and when the nobles refused to pay, he founded the Defias Brotherhood to, well, deconstruct Stormwind.
Face Collector	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	3	2	2	Echo Battlecry: Add a random Legendary minion to your hand. “I'll trade you a Malfurion for an Anduin.”
Lilian Voss	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	4	4	5	Battlecry: Replace spells in your hand with random spells (from your opponent's class). She doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And she absolutely will not stop... ever, until all necromancers are dead.
Sherazin, Corpse Flower	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	4	5	3	Deathrattle: Go dormant. Play 4 cards in a turn to revive this minion. A Tortollan gardener's worst nightmare.
Sonya Shadowdancer	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	3	2	2	Whenever a friendly minion dies, add a 1/1 copy of it to your hand. It costs (1). Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like a 1/1 is watching.
Tess Greymane	Legendary	Minion	General	Rogue	8	6	6	Battlecry: Replay every card from another class you've played this game (targets chosen randomly). Those who cannot remember their card history are doomed to repeat it.
Showing all 26 cards

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Uncollectible

For Wild format listings, see Rogue/Wild format

The following minions are generated by other rogue cards, and are uncollectible.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Type	Subtype	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Leyline Spider	None	Minion	Beast	Rogue	4	4	4
Sherazin, Seed	None	Minion	General	Rogue				When you play 4 cards in a turn, revive this minion.
Defias Bandit	Common	Minion	General	Rogue	1	2	1
Showing all 3 cards

Weapons

For Wild format listings, see Rogue/Wild format

See Weapon.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Assassin's Blade	Free	Rogue	5	3	4	Guaranteed to have been owned by a real assassin. Certificate of authenticity included.
Obsidian Shard	Rare	Rogue	4	3	3	Costs (1) less for each card you've played from another class. You know you’re a Rogue when a sharp rock makes you go “Ooh! Dagger!”
Perdition's Blade	Rare	Rogue	3	2	2	Battlecry: Deal 1 damage. Combo: Deal 2 instead. Perdition's Blade is Ragnaros's back-up weapon while Sulfuras is in the shop.
Shadowblade	Rare	Rogue	3	3	2	Battlecry: Your hero is Immune this turn. It's tacky to call it "Shadeblade."
Spectral Cutlass	Epic	Rogue	4	2	2	Lifesteal Whenever you play a card from another class, gain +1 Durability. So sharp it can cut through a spectral tomato!
Kingsbane	Legendary	Rogue	1	1	3	Deathrattle: Shuffle this into your deck. It keeps any enchantments. But it has a soft spot for emperors.
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Uncollectible

For Wild format listings, see Rogue/Wild format

The following weapons are generated by the Hero Powers Poisoned Daggers and Dagger Mastery, and are uncollectible.

Name / Desc	Rarity	Class	Cost	Atk	HP	Description
Wicked Knife	Free	Rogue	1	1	2
Showing the only card

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 award the player two copies of a new Basic class card. These cards are not obtainable through any other means.

Level 2

Level 4

Level 6

Level 8

Level 10

Level 11-60

Above level 10, reaching certain levels will award golden versions of existing Basic cards. As they are uncraftable, 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 Mathias 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).

• During the game's early development, the rogue class was represented by Edwin VanCleef.

Patch changes

• Patch 5.2.0.13619 (2016-07-12): Golden Priest, Rogue, and Neutral cards are now easier to tell apart. [The ribbon at the tops and bottoms of golden cards are now black for Rogue, and white for Priest.]
• Alpha patch 2 (2013-08-12): Received some new hero artwork.

References

Classes
Druid Hunter Mage Paladin Priest Rogue Shaman Warlock Warrior Death Knight (special class)