Initiative, a Subtlety Rogue talent in WoW Forever

Initiative is a passive talent in row 3 of the Subtlety tree. It needs 10 points in Subtlety, so the earliest you can take it is level 20 (up to 5 levels sooner with the Legacy perk Talented). It has 3 ranks. It has changed since Classic Era.

Initiative

3 ranks

Requires 10 points in Subtlety

Gives you a 33% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.

Every rank of Initiative

Rank	Text
Rank 1	Gives you a 33% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.
Rank 2	Gives you a 67% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.
Rank 3	Gives you a 100% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.

Numbers in gold changed from the rank above.

Where it sits in the Subtlety tree

Needs

No prerequisite talent

Unlocks

No talent needs it

Same row

Row above (row 2)

Row below (row 4)

Row numbers are on the left and the number in a corner is a talent's rank count. Gold marks Initiative.

Compared with Classic Era

What differs from Classic Era: its rank 1 text.

Rank 1 text

Classic Era

Gives you a 25% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.

WoW Forever

Gives you a 33% chance to add an additional combo point to your target when using your Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot ability.

Open the Rogue talent calculator

All Subtlety talents

The other Rogue trees: Assassination and Combat. Everything that changed for the Rogue since Classic is on the changes page.

Game data from the WoW Forever beta client, build 1.60.1.70291, as published by talentsforever.com (CC BY 4.0) on 2026-10-08 and reformatted by us. Numbers can still change before launch.