Rogues in TBC Classic choose from six poisons: Crippling, Instant, Mind-Numbing, Deadly, Wound, and Anesthetic. Each one does a different job, so the right pick depends on what the fight needs: damage, slowing a target, making enemy spells take longer, or reducing healing in PvP. The guide this article draws on treats poison selection as a matchup decision rather than a single best setup for every encounter.
The six rogue poisons at a glance
The table below lists each poison with the effect the Warcraft Tavern TBC rogue guide describes. Where that guide gives no figure, the cell says so rather than filling it in from memory.
| Poison | Main effect | Figures stated in the cited guide | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant | Immediate Nature damage on proc | 20% proc chance; 146–194 Nature damage | Burst damage when damage is the goal |
| Deadly | Damage over time that stacks | 30% proc chance; 180 Nature damage over 12 seconds; up to five stacks | Sustained pressure on a single target |
| Crippling | Movement slow | 30% proc chance; 70% movement-speed reduction for 12 seconds | Keeping a target in range or controlling its movement |
| Mind-Numbing | Increased casting time for the target | 20% proc chance; 60% increased casting time for 14 seconds | Making enemy casts take longer |
| Wound | PvP pressure, including healing pressure | Not stated in the cited guide | Matchups where reducing the opponent’s healing matters |
| Anesthetic | Not stated in the cited guide | Not stated in the cited guide | Not stated in the cited guide; check the in-game tooltip |
These are game-mechanic figures as the Warcraft Tavern guide states them. The guide does not give a publication date, so they describe that guide’s TBC ruleset rather than a dated patch. They are not usage or performance statistics, and no source reviewed says how often players pick each poison.
Choosing a poison by situation
The guide frames poison choice around the opponent and the goal. The four situations below follow its groupings.
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When damage is the goal
Instant Poison adds immediate Nature damage on proc, which suits short bursts. Deadly Poison works differently: it deals damage over time and stacks up to five times, so it rewards keeping a target under pressure for longer. The guide discusses both as damage or pressure options rather than ranking one above the other in every case.
When a target needs to be slowed
Crippling Poison reduces movement speed by 70% for 12 seconds on proc. It is the guide’s main movement-control tool, useful for keeping a target inside your range or limiting how far it can run.
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When the enemy is casting
Mind-Numbing Poison increases the target’s casting time by 60% for 14 seconds on proc. The guide presents it as a way to make enemy spells slower to land, which is a different tool from an interrupt. Because it is a proc, it does not guarantee any single cast is affected.
Healing pressure in PvP
Wound Poison appears in the guide’s list of PvP pressure tools. The guide does not give its exact values in the material reviewed, so check the in-game tooltip before building a plan around its numbers.
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Applying poisons: Shiv and weapon choice
The guide says TBC introduced Shiv, and it treats poison application as something to manage during play rather than a fixed rotation. It also covers weapon selection and weapon swaps. Treat these as tactical options: a rogue can choose which weapon carries a poison and when to change it, depending on the opponent, without needing a single required loadout.
Ruleset details: application length and charges
The TBC ruleset the guide describes uses one-hour poison applications with no charges. This is a version-specific detail. It should not be assumed for every World of Warcraft edition or private server, and other rulesets may track poisons differently.
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What this answer does not settle
- PvE versus PvP. The guide is a PvP-focused off-hand and poison-management guide. It supports matchup-based choices in PvP, but it does not establish a best poison or weapon pairing for raids or dungeons.
- Anesthetic Poison. The guide lists it among the six poisons but does not describe its effect in the material reviewed.
- Edition and date. The guide is third-party, not an official Blizzard reference, and its publication date is not stated. If exact proc rates or durations matter for a specific server or patch, confirm them in-game.
For PvP, the practical approach is to match the poison to the threat: damage for burst, Crippling for movement, Mind-Numbing for casters, and Wound where healing pressure changes the outcome.
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