Rogue Finishers: Which Finishing Move to Use in PvE and PvP

Section: Classes & races 4 min read Vanilla 1.12.1 · x5 Updated 04.10.2026

Rogue finishing moves turn the combo points you build into damage, attack speed or crowd control. Choosing the right finisher is what separates an experienced rogue from a beginner. Below we cover every rogue finisher in patch 1.12.1 and the situations where each one wins, with the WoW x5 server in mind.

Slice and Dice20% faster attacks

Kidney ShotStun for up to 6 seconds

How combo points are generated and lost is explained on the combo points mechanics page. Here the focus is only on where to spend them.

Contents

The five Vanilla finishers
Table: what each combo point gives
Choosing a finisher in PvE
Choosing a finisher in PvP
Talents that improve finishers
Related guides

The five Vanilla finishers

Eviscerate — level 1, 35 Energy. Instant physical damage that grows with combo points and attack power. The Improved Eviscerate talent adds 5/10/15% damage.
Slice and Dice — level 10, 25 Energy. Increases melee attack speed by 20%. At rank 1 it lasts 9 to 21 seconds depending on combo points. Since patch 1.10 it cannot miss.
Rupture — level 20, 25 Energy. A bleed lasting 8 to 16 seconds; since patch 1.12 its damage scales with attack power. It does not work on creatures immune to bleeds.
Kidney Shot — level 30, 25 Energy, 20 second cooldown. Stuns for 1 to 5 seconds at rank 1 and 2 to 6 seconds at rank 2.
Expose Armor — level 14, 25 Energy. Lowers the target's armor for 30 seconds; at rank 1 by 80 per combo point.

Table: what each combo point gives

Finisher	1 point	3 points	5 points	Main role
Slice and Dice (rank 1)	9 sec	15 sec	21 sec	Attack speed, PvE
Kidney Shot (rank 2)	2 sec	4 sec	6 sec	Control, PvP
Rupture	8 sec	12 sec	16 sec	Damage over time
Expose Armor (rank 1)	−80 armor	−240 armor	−400 armor	Armor debuff
Eviscerate	lowest	medium	highest	Burst damage

Almost every finisher is most efficient at 5 combo points. The exception is Slice and Dice at the start of a fight: it is reasonable to apply it at 1 or 2 points to get the attack speed bonus right away.

Choosing a finisher in PvE

The baseline priority for raids and dungeons:

Keep Slice and Dice up; if it is missing, it is your first finisher.
Spend all other 5 point finishers on Eviscerate.
Use Rupture and Expose Armor only when the raid leader asks or when the target lives long and other options are covered.

The full sequence of strikes is in the rogue rotation guide.

Choosing a finisher in PvP

Against players the key finisher is Kidney Shot: after Cheap Shot from stealth it extends your stun chain. A typical sequence is an opener from stealth, building points, a 5 point Kidney Shot, then Eviscerate during the stun window. Rupture can pay off against durable, high health targets, but in short fights it usually loses to Eviscerate. Openers are covered in rogue stealth, and class matchups in the rogue PvP guide.

Talents that improve finishers

Ruthlessness — 3 ranks, 20/40/60% chance for a finisher to add a combo point to the target.
Relentless Strikes — 1 point, 20% chance per combo point spent to restore 25 Energy.
Improved Slice and Dice — 3 ranks, +15/30/45% Slice and Dice duration.
Improved Kidney Shot — 3 ranks, the stunned target takes 3/6/9% more damage from all sources.
Improved Expose Armor — 2 ranks, +25/50% armor reduction.

All of these talents are in the Assassination tree. To see how they combine with other trees, check rogue talent builds.

Совет

Do not waste a finisher on 1 or 2 points unless the target is about to die: at 5 points Relentless Strikes returns more Energy.

Related guides

Want to sharpen your rotation in practice? Create an account and connect to the WoW x5 server: experience comes five times faster, and finishers work exactly as in 1.12.1.

FAQ

What is the most important rogue finisher in PvE?

Slice and Dice. It increases melee attack speed by 20% and should be up for almost the entire fight. The rest of your combo points go into Eviscerate.

How long does Kidney Shot last?

Rank 1 lasts from 1 to 5 seconds and rank 2 from 2 to 6 seconds, depending on combo points. The cooldown is 20 seconds.

Should I use Rupture in raids?

Usually not: in Vanilla it loses to Eviscerate and debuff slots on bosses are limited. Rupture is useful while leveling and against high health targets in PvP.

Does Expose Armor stack with a warrior's Sunder Armor?

No, the two effects do not stack. Expose Armor only makes sense when the raid leader asks for it and the rogue has the Improved Expose Armor talent.