Levelling first rogue

[Basili]

I'm going to be levelling my first rogue when it's time on Nostalrius. Any advice on levelling swords or daggers? Also, any extra tips and tricks would be great!

Thanks

[bishop]

Daggers only get the full potential, when you attack from behind with backstab or ambush. Since the mobs stand most of the time infront of you, daggers get kinda inefficient. You should level with swords or maces til 60. Also the combat tree is the way to go for efficient leveling as a rogue.

This talents i would choose for leveling, starting with the combat tree:

http://www.wowprovider.com/?talent=11215875_4_8025320105h2305501d50150231r

[Drain]

Combat. The other trees cannot compete with the frontal defense/damage of this tree. This is the mob slayer tree. Ambush is largely ineffective vs mobs due to their armor values, and Backstab is basically worthless. If you really want to use a dagger, then respec into Hemo at 30. Hemo gives dagger a frontal strike.

[Basili]

Great, thanks for the replies from both of you. Swords it is!

[Youfie]

If you really want to use a dagger, then respec into Hemo at 30

Anything is better than Hemorrhage with a dagger, really. If he wants to be Dagger, then any regular BS/Ambush Assassination or Sub build will be more effective than using Hemo with a Dagger.

I agree 100% about Combat Swords / Maces / Fists (depending on what weapons you manage to get, i.e. mostly swords) is the way to go to level .

[Imbaslap]

as soon as you hit level 10 and gain ability to learn swords, do it. dual wielding swords and going combat will speed things up at the start. once you get poisons, it will go a bit faster too.

[Thrashing]

Like people already stated, Combat Swords is the way to go. I agree with the spec Bishop already linked. The first few specs in Assassination often seem tempting to pic, but ultimately there's simply not as good as the options you have in Combat. Like stated before, just fill out Combat first, then spec into Assassination afterwards.
For example, at lvl 30 you'd be specced into the following:
http://www.wowprovider.com/?talent=1121 ... 2305501d5y

Until level 30+ when you start actually speccing into Swords, you can obviously use any decent weapons you come across regardless of weapon class, since you wouldn't get the extra Sword spec bonus anyway.
However afterwards, there's a couple of weapons (from quests) you really do not want to miss out on:

Horde - Sword of Omen lvl 33 required, lvl ~37 recommended.
Alliance - Sword of Serenity lvl 33 required, lvl ~37 recommended.
Both factions - Vanquisher's Sword lvl 37 required.
Both factions - Thrash Blade lvl 45 required.

[Carnax]

Daggers work fine for leveling. You use gouge, get behind your target, and backstab. Or you use kidney shot to stun your target, get behind and backstab.

All you need is timing. Make sure you perform your gouge or kidney shot when your energy will tick to 60 or above before the effect expires.

EDIT: I forget Blind, you can also use it to position yourself for a backstab. Many ways to use backstab and it works very well.

[Gelbin]

Daggers work fine for leveling. You use gouge, get behind your target, and backstab. Or you use kidney shot to stun your target, get behind and backstab.

All you need is timing. Make sure you perform your gouge or kidney shot when your energy will tick to 60 or above before the effect expires.

EDIT: I forget Blind, you can also use it to position yourself for a backstab. Many ways to use backstab and it works very well.

I agree. I leveled a rogue to 60 in vanilla this way. Killing mobs goes very fast if you use dagger the right way. Also, being able to one hit slightly lower targets / clothies is so much fun

[Carnax]

I agree. I leveled a rogue to 60 in vanilla this way. Killing mobs goes very fast if you use dagger the right way. Also, being able to one hit slightly lower targets / clothies is so much fun

Yes, this is very much fun!

With improved Ambush, you will score a critical at a very high rate. The rotation for leveling with daggers is ambush, gouge, backstab, eviscerate. If you manage a critical on two of the attacks, you will kill a mob your own level usually with just this simple rotation while taking little to no damage in return.

In my opinion, rogues were made to use daggers. I find skilled players almost always prefer daggers. If you're a mouse-clicker you're probably better off facing up your target and using swords.