Assassination Rogue Essences for the Heart of Azeroth - Shadowlands 9.0.1 Shadowlands 9.0.2

By Mystler Updated: 2020/03/15

Heart of AzerothHeart of Azeroth Essence OverviewPatch 8.3

This page won't be updated for Shadowlands Pre-Patch and may be out of date.

SimulationCraftHeroDamageHeroRotationRavenholdtTwitterAssassination Rogue Essences Suggestions per Content Type

Activity

Major Essences

Minor Essences

Organized Raiding
World Content

Worldvein Resonance (General, esp. with Allies)
Blood of the Enemy (Alternative)
Essence of the Focusing Iris (AoE)

Memory of Lucid Dreams
Breath of the Dying
Conflict and Strife or Essence of the Focusing Iris (Single Target) or Purification Protocol (AoE)

Mythic+
Horrific Visions

Essence of the Focusing Iris

Memory of Lucid Dreams
Breath of the Dying
Purification Protocol

Alternative
Mythic+*
Horrific Visions*

Breath of the Dying*

Memory of Lucid Dreams
Purification Protocol
Conflict and Strife

Breath of the DyingAssassination Rogue Essence SimulationsRaidbotsHow To GuideWhat are Essences?Heart of Azeroth Essences Overview GuideTome of the Quiet MindEssence Calculator

Learn more about Essences in our Essence Overview Guide

Account-Wide Essences for Alts

Learn more about Echoes of Ny'alotha in our Guide

Best Assassination Rogue Major EssencesWorldvein ResonanceFluctuating Worldvein

Rank 1: Complete the weekly quest Azerite for the Alliance / Azerite for the Horde.

Rank 2: Combine Fragment of Zem'lan's Lost Treasure Map from island expeditions.

Rank 3: Complete the mission chain starting with "A Disturbing Rumor".

Rank 4: Complete a specific Mysterious Treasure Map mission.

Use for: Any content

Effect on gameplayVendettaBlood of the EnemyChurning Blood of the Conquered

Rank 1: Storming the Battlefields.

Rank 2: Battlefield Brawler, purchase from War Coordinator NPC.

Rank 3: Battlefield Tactician, purchase from War Coordinator NPC.

Rank 4: Battlefield Master, purchase from War Coordinator NPC.

Use for: Any content, Burst

Seal FateEchoing BladesEffect on gameplayVendettaToxic BladeMaster AssassinVanishBreath of the DyingToken of Death's Glee

Source: Uldum Accord Reputation

Use for: Single Target, AoE/M+ (with sniping opportunitites), Execute, Solo

Effect on gameplayEssence of the Focusing IrisStabilizing Lens of the Focusing Iris

Rank 1: Complete a +4 Mythic dungeon in season 3.

Rank 2: Complete a +7 Mythic dungeon in season 3.

Rank 3: Combine 15 Focused Life Anima from the weekly cache.

Rank 4: Complete Battle for Azeroth Keystone Master: Season Three.

Use for: AoE, M+

Deadly PoisonPoisoned KnifeEffect on gameplaybeforeCondensed Life-ForceResonating Elemental Heart

Rank 1: Combine 9 Aqueous Reliquary.

Rank 2: Combine 18 Aqueous Reliquary.

Rank 3: Combine 27 Aqueous Reliquary.

Rank 4: Defeat Queen Azshara on Mythic difficulty.

Use for: Single target at rank 3

Effect on gameplayThe Crucible of FlameTempered Scale of the Scarlet Broodmother

Rank 1: MOTHER Knows Best.

Rank 2: Neck level 54 and In Darkness, I Dream.

Rank 3: Neck level 60 and Investigating the Highlands.

Rank 4: Neck level 70 and A Bolt from the Blue.

Use for: Alternative, lacking other essences

Effect on gameplayVendettaVision of PerfectionPerfection-Enhancing Gearbox

Rank 1: Defeat King Mechagon.

Rank 2: Blueprint: Perfectly Timed Differential from King Mechagon and craft Perfectly Timed Differential.

Rank 3: Combine 4 Progression Sprocket, dropped by King Mechagon.

Rank 4: Obtain Hertz Locker.

Use for: Single target, you want no extra buttons

VendettaEffect on gameplayVendettaVendettaNothing PersonalMemory of Lucid DreamsPearl of Perspicuous Intentions

Rank 1: Complete A Brief Respite / Down Into Nazjatar.

Rank 2: Complete Friends In Need / Down But Not Out.

Rank 3: Obtain Nautical Battlefield Training / Nautical Battlefield Training.

Rank 4: Obtain Aqua Team Murder Force / Aqua Team Murder Force.

Use for: Anything if you just started out and do not have a minor-only slot unlocked yet

allEffect on gameplayToxic BladeSpark of InspirationQuickening Azerite Geode

Source: Horrific Visions

Use for: Selflessly buffing your party

The Formless VoidVolatile Void Droplet

Source: Ny'alotha Raid

Use for: You need to switch essences mid-fight for some reason

Purification ProtocolEnhanced Purification Protocols

Rank 1: Honored, purchase for 4 S.P.A.R.E. Crate and 2 Galvanic Oscillator.

Rank 2: Revered, purchase for 20 S.P.A.R.E. Crate and 10 Galvanic Oscillator.

Rank 3: Exalted, purchase for 40 S.P.A.R.E. Crate and 10 Galvanic Oscillator.

Rank 4: Rustbolt Resistance Paragon cache.

Use for: AoE, M+

The Unbound ForcePolarized Azerite Slivershards

Rank 1: Honored, purchase for 10 Prismatic Manapearl.

Rank 2: Revered, purchase for 25 Prismatic Manapearl.

Rank 3: Exalted, purchase for 50 Prismatic Manapearl.

Rank 4: Nazjatar reputation Paragon cache.

Use for: Single target

Conflict and StrifeRib-Bone Choker of Dominance

Rank 1: Earn 500 Conquest and claim a weekly PvP War Chest.

Rank 2: Reach 1,000 Rating in Rated PvP and claim your next weekly PvP War Chest.

Rank 3: Collect Burgeoning Battlefield Furor from your weekly PvP War Chest.

Rank 4: Reach Elite rank and claim your next weekly PvP War Chest.

Use for: Utility, PvP

ManeuverabilityRipple in SpaceStalwart Battlefield Memento

Rank 1: Complete Drowning the Horde / Drowning the Alliance.

Rank 2: Obtain Fighting on Two Fronts.

Rank 3: Collect Call to Arms Distinction from weekly Call to Arms quests.

Rank 4: Obtain Supplying the Assassins.

Use for: Utility

ShadowstepSprintBest Assassination Rogue Minor EssencesMemory of Lucid DreamsPearl of Perspicuous Intentions

Source: Nazjatar Quests

Use for: Any content

Breath of the DyingToken of Death's Glee

Source: Uldum Accord Reputation

Use for: Single target

Conflict and StrifeRib-Bone Choker of Dominance

Source: PvP War Chests

Use for: Filler

Purification ProtocolEnhanced Purification Protocols

Source: Mechagon Reputation

Use for: Sustained Multi-target, Mythic+

Effect on gameplayWorldvein ResonanceFluctuating Worldvein

Source: Island Expeditions

Use for: You have 3 allies that also use this essence.

Effect on gameplayThe Crucible of FlameTempered Scale of the Scarlet Broodmother

Source: Starter Essence / Neck Level

Use for: Single target

Essence of the Focusing IrisStabilizing Lens of the Focusing Iris

Source: Mythic+ Dungeons

Use for: Single target (when using as minor)

Deadly PoisonBlood of the EnemyChurning Blood of the Conquered

Source: War Mode

Use for: Any content

badSpark of InspirationQuickening Azerite Geode

Source: Horrific Visions

Use for: Group content

The Formless VoidVolatile Void Droplet

Source: Ny'alotha Raid

Use for: Group content

Condensed Life-ForceResonating Elemental Heart

Source: The Eternal Palace Raid

Use for: Single target

Vision of PerfectionPerfection-Enhancing Gearbox

Source: Operation: Mechagon

Use for: Reduction adds another cooldown window

The Unbound ForcePolarized Azerite Slivershards

Source: Nazjatar Reputation

Use for: AoE, M+

notEffect on gameplayToxic BladeRipple in SpaceStalwart Battlefield Memento

Source: War Mode

Use for: Utility

SprintFeedbackDiscord server

Comments

Comment by jacho981

maybe add where do you get the essences from, so we dont have to be jumping from this guide to the essences guide the whole time?

Comment by Hanz0

This guide is marginally wrong.

It has Lucid Dreams listed as top contender until you get Rank 3 Condensed Life Force, which is wrong.

Every Assassination rogue that has Blood of the Enemy Rank 3 is running that as their major, as it's the best essence to run into major slot until you get Rank 3 of Condensed Life Force. The error that the guide makes is a very common one, people take Major + Minor values as a single entity when comparing essences, as opposed to a combination of both.

What I mean by this is, to check what is your best Major + minor combinations, if you have only 1 Major and 1 Minor slot currently unlocked, you're supposed to check it lit like this:

Major + Minor + Minor, as you get 2 minor slots and 1 Major.

That means that a combination like Lucid Dreams in Major Slot + Crucible of Flame Minor would be value of Lucid Major + Lucid Minor + Flame Minor.

Value of Lucid Major is 4750 minus the Minor, which is 2570, so the Lucid Major is worth 2180.

Which would make Lucid Dreams Major + Crucible Minor be 2180(Lucid Major) + 2570(Lucid Minor) + 1647(Flame Minor) for a total of 6397 gain.

Now if you compare the combination of Blood of the Enemy in Major slot + Lucid in Minor slot, we get:

2889(Blood Major) + 1401(Blood Minor) + 2570(Lucid Minor) for a total of 6860 gain.

This is why you see everybody and their mother that has BotE run it as Major, until you get R3 Condensed Life Force.

Assassination Rogue Essences for the Heart of Azeroth - Shadowlands 9.0.1 Shadowlands 9.0.2

Contribute