In the vast, dark world of Sanctuary, where danger lurks at every corner and the forces of evil continuously plot their destruction, there’s a character that thrives in the shadows—the Rogue. A master of stealth, precision, and agile combat, the Rogue in Diablo 4 brings a unique playstyle that blends physical prowess with shadowy manipulation. Whether you're laying waste to enemies with swift, deadly strikes or controlling the Diablo IV Items battlefield with traps and evasive maneuvers, the Rogue is a versatile and deadly force.

In this Diablo 4 Rogue Compendium, we’ll take a deep dive into everything you need to know about playing the Rogue class, from its strengths, and key abilities, to the most effective builds, gear recommendations, and tips for mastering this deadly class.

1. Introduction to the Rogue
The Rogue is one of the five playable classes in Diablo 4, and like its predecessors in the Diablo series, it thrives on agility, precision, and versatility. Unlike the brute force of the Barbarian or the arcane power of the Sorcerer, the Rogue focuses on quick attacks, ranged combat, and the ability to avoid damage rather than endure it.

The Rogue is primarily a damage dealer, capable of dishing out high single-target and area-of-effect (AoE) damage. Their primary weapons include bows, crossbows, and daggers, which allow them to engage both in ranged and melee combat. Rogues also excel at stealth and traps, making them an excellent choice for players who prefer a more tactical and adaptive playstyle.

Core Attributes
The Rogue’s stats are primarily focused on Dexterity and Willpower:

Dexterity: This stat increases the Rogue's attack speed, critical hit chance, and dodge chance, making it an essential attribute for a high-damage and evasive playstyle.

Willpower: Willpower helps with resource generation and crowd control resistance, ensuring that the Rogue can keep attacking while maintaining mobility and avoiding debuffs.

2. Key Rogue Skills
The Rogue has a wide variety of skills that allow for immense customization in playstyle. Here are some of the key abilities and skill trees to know:

2.1. Basic Skills
Flurry: A rapid flurry of melee strikes that deals damage to enemies in close range. This is ideal for getting up close and personal with enemies and shredding through their defenses.

Puncture: A quick, ranged attack that deals damage to a single target and leaves a bleeding effect. It’s useful for picking off enemies from a distance or initiating combat.

2.2. Core Skills
Twisting Blades: The Rogue throws two blades that slice through enemies in a straight line. It’s a powerful AoE skill that can deal significant damage in crowd control situations.

Rain of Arrows: A ranged AoE skill that fires multiple arrows over a wide area. This ability is particularly effective when dealing with large groups of enemies.

2.3. Defensive Skills
Shadow Step: The Rogue becomes a shadow, teleporting to a target location and dealing damage to enemies in the area. This ability is crucial for positioning and escaping from danger.

Dash: A short burst of movement that allows the Rogue to reposition quickly and avoid enemy attacks. This is essential for keeping distance between you and melee foes.

2.4. Trap Skills
Spike Trap: A trap that deals high damage to enemies within a certain radius. It's perfect for controlling choke points or luring enemies into carefully set traps.

Poison Trap: This trap releases a cloud of poison that deals damage over time. It's great for creating areas of denial or finishing off weakened enemies.

2.5. Ultimate Skills
Shadow Clone: The Rogue summons a shadowy duplicate of themselves that fights alongside them, dealing damage and confusing enemies. This skill is great for doubling your DPS in intense battles.

Marked for Death: This skill marks a target, causing them to take increased damage from all sources. It’s excellent for boss fights and elite monsters where maximizing damage is essential.

3. Rogue Specializations and Subclasses
The Rogue in Diablo 4 can specialize in three main archetypes, or subclasses, each focusing on different playstyles. These specializations allow the Rogue to adapt to various combat roles, from ranged sniper to melee assassin to trap-focused support.

3.1. Combo Points (Assassin)
The Combo Points specialization focuses on maximizing damage through combos and finishers. This build focuses on building up Combo Points and then unleashing powerful attacks that consume them.

Key Abilities:

Combo Points: These are built through specific attacks, and the Rogue can consume them for powerful finishing moves.

Poison or Bleeding Finishers: Using Combo Points, finishers apply either poison or bleed effects, creating a devastating combination of damage-over-time effects.

3.2. Bowmaster (Sharpshooter)
The Bowmaster specialization emphasizes long-range combat, turning the Rogue into a high-damage sniper capable of taking down enemies from afar.

Key Abilities:

Precision Shot: The Rogue focuses their aim, increasing the damage of their next attack, which can be crucial for taking down bosses or elite monsters.

Rain of Arrows: A devastating AoE skill that shoots multiple arrows, great for clearing out groups of enemies quickly.

3.3. Trapmaster (Traps and Mobility)
The Trapmaster specialization focuses on setting traps and using movement to gain an advantage in combat. This is ideal for players who want to control the battlefield with environmental hazards and crowd control.

Key Abilities:

Spike Traps: Place traps that cause enemies to cheap Diablo IV Items take significant damage as they step on them.
Shadow Step: A movement ability that allows the Rogue to teleport short distances, helping to avoid damage or reposition for better trap placement.