Build Introduction
The Dance of Knives Rogue (DoK) features a newly added Skill in the Diablo 4 expansion, Vessel of Hatred. 
Dance of Knives is channeled to rapidly throw knives at enemies while moving in a spin-to-win playstle. Due to the high mobility and cleaver snapshot mechanics, the Dance of Knives Rogue is the best build to level a new character in Season 8.
Check the Rogue Leveling Guide Overview for a comparison of all the starter builds on Icy Veins.
Once your Rogue character reaches Level 60, switch to the Endgame Guide for the Dance of Knives Rogue to continue this build.
Quick Navigation
Want to skip ahead? Use the table below to jump to sections.
Allocation of Skill Points
The following table shows the order in which to allocate your Skill Points while leveling with the Dance of Knives Rogue build. You gain 59 points at Level 60 and 12 points from Renown, for a total of 71.
| Order | Skill | Cluster |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Puncture Rank 1 |  Basic Skill |
| 2 | Enhanced Puncture | Basic Skill |
| 3 |  Barrage Rank 1 |  Core Skill |
| 4 | Fundamental Puncture | Basic Skill |
| 5 | Enhanced Barrage | Core Skill |
| 6 | Barrage Rank 2 | Core Skill |
Important respec step: Once you have unlocked 7 Skill Points, reallocate the 3 points invested into Barrage nodes to gain 
Stutter Step Rank 3.
Skill Bar and Skill Tree Points
Dance of Knives
Puncture
Concealment
Shadow Imbuement
Dark Shroud
DashIf you are unsure on how to use these Skills, read the Build Mechanics section after setting up your Skill Bar.
Wondering what comes after Level 60 or which Paragon boards to pick? Head to the Rogue Builds page and choose an endgame build to continue your character progression.
Rogue Class Mechanic – Specialization
Once you reach Level 15, immediately complete the True Potential class questline to unlock the Rogue Specialization. Combo Points is the preferred Rogue Specialization while leveling the Dance of Knives Rogue, which is not utilized until you equip a Legendary Item with 
Aspect of Star Shards. Once the aspect is acquired, cast Puncture 3 times before channeling Dance of Knives to extend its duration.
Gear, Stats, Gems, and Runes
The following sections cover the important systems that are essential to improving the power of your character during the leveling process. Higher Item Power generally indicates stronger gear, but you should also consider the affixes and effects that are relevant to your class and build.
Legendary Aspects
Legendary Aspects can be found on Legendary Items, which can be salvaged at the Blacksmith to unlock them in the Codex of Power for repeated imprinting. Higher ranks for aspects are unlocked by salvaging Legendary Items with higher aspect values. Some Rank 1 aspects can be unlocked immediately by completing a designated Dungeon. Check the Aspect and Codex of Power guide for more general information.
Aspect of Star Shards is the most beneficial aspect for the Dance of Knives Rogue, increasing single-target damage and hitting additional targets to clear groups of enemies. Unfortunately, Aspect of Star Shards is not unlockable by clearing a Dungeon. Obtaining this aspect from a Legendary Item drop can enable this build to increase the game difficulty to Expert or Penitent. Imprint Aspect of Star Shards onto a Rare or Legendary Ranged Weapon for 2x bonus effect.
Listed below are all the Aspects found on Legendary Items that are important for the Dance of Knives Rogue leveling build. They are listed in order of priority, with the most beneficial at the top. For the best results, combine these Aspects with the ideal Stat Priorities. The best-in-slot Aspects List is in the Endgame Guide for the Dance of Knives Rogue.
| Aspect Name | Legendary Aspect Power | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect of Star Shards | Knives from Dance of Knives have a 50% chance to shatter into 6 shards of metal on hit, dealing [100 – 200%] Physical damage. Dance of Knives now spends Combo Points, granting up to 3 additional Charges that can exceed the Maximum. | Random Drop |
| Aspect of Synergy | Using an Agility Skill reduces the Cooldown of your next Subterfuge Skill by 20%. Using a Subterfuge Skill increases the damage of your next Agility Skill by x [35 – 55%]. | Random Drop |
| Aspect of Stolen Vigor | While at maximum stacks of the Momentum Key Passive, your Cutthroat Skills deal [30 – 50%] increased damage and you become Unstoppable for 3 seconds every 8 seconds. | Random Drop |
 Aspect of Concussive Strikes | Lucky Hit: Damaging an enemy has up to a 20% chance to Daze them for 2 seconds. You deal x [5 – 20%] increased damage to Dazed enemies. | Random Drop |
| Clandestine Aspect | Gain +1 to Agility and Subterfuge Skills. | Random Drop |
| Aspect of Inner Calm | Deal x [5 – 13%] increased damage. Triple this bonus after standing still for 3 seconds. | Raethwind Wilds, Scosglen |
| Aspect of Elements | Gain x [15 – 35%] increased damage to a set of damage types for 7 seconds. This effect alternates between 2 sets: • Fire, Lightning, and Physical. • Cold, Poison, and Shadow. | Random Drop |
 Juggernaut’s Aspect | Gain [X] Armor, but your Evade has 100% increased Cooldown. | Random Drop |
| Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant 20% Damage Reduction for [2 – 6] seconds | Dark Ravine, Dry Steppes |
| Umbrous Aspect | Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes have up to a [45 – 65%] chance to grant a free Dark Shroud shadow. | Random Drop |
Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes
Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear during the early leveling of a Dance of Knives Rogue, ranked by importance. Affixes on the same line have equal value, so attempt to obtain all affixes in each line before moving on to the next.
The Item Power of weapons determines its DPS and is the most important factor when selecting a Dual-Wielded Weapon. The choice between Daggers or Swords does not make a big difference in overall performance. Prioritize beneficial stat affixes on a Bow or Crossbow instead of the DPS, as there are no attacks utilizing them in this build.
The most beneficial tempering affixes while leveling are included below. The best-in-slot tempering affixes are available in the Endgame Guide for the Dance of Knives Rogue. Check the Tempering Guide for more information on this system.
| Slot | Gear Affixes | Tempering Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | 1. Critical Strike Damage 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity | 1.  Agile Augments (Weapon): Chance for Dance of Knives Projectiles to Deal Double Damage2. Subterfuge Expertise (Offensive): Damage Per Dark Shroud or your highest damage increase temper that is applicable to the build |
| Helm | 1. Cooldown Reduction 2. Any uncapped Resistances or Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | 1. Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor (up to 1,000 cap) or Rogue Cloaking: Concealment Cooldown Reduction |
| Chest | 1. Ranks to Dark Shroud 2. Any uncapped Resistances or Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | 1. Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor (up to 1,000 cap) or Rogue Cloaking: Concealment Cooldown Reduction |
| Gloves | 1. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Any uncapped Resistances or Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | 1. Subterfuge Expertise (Offensive): Damage Per Dark Shroud or your highest damage increase temper that is applicable to the build 2. Agility Efficiency (Resource): Agility Cooldown Reduction or Subterfuge Efficiency: Subterfuge Cooldown Reduction |
| Pants | 1. Any uncapped Resistances or Armor 2. Maximum Life, Dexterity | 1. Worldly Endurance (Defensive): Total Armor (up to 1,000 cap) or Rogue Cloaking: Concealment Cooldown Reduction |
| Boots | Implicit Stat: Maximum Evade Charges 1. Movement Speed 2. Any uncapped Resistances or Armor 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | 1. Rogue Motion (Mobility): Movement Speed per Dark Shroud Shadow |
| Amulet | 1. Ranks to Frigid Finesse, Unstable Elixirs, Malice, Alchemical Advantage 2. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed, Cooldown Reduction | 1. Subterfuge Expertise (Offensive): Damage Per Dark Shroud or your highest damage increase temper that is applicable to the build 2. Agility Efficiency (Resource): Agility Cooldown Reduction or Subterfuge Efficiency: Subterfuge Cooldown Reduction |
| Rings | 1. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed 2. Any uncapped Resistances 3. Maximum Life, Dexterity | 1. Subterfuge Expertise (Offensive): Damage Per Dark Shroud or your highest damage increase temper that is applicable to the build 2. Agility Efficiency (Resource): Agility Cooldown Reduction or Subterfuge Efficiency: Subterfuge Cooldown Reduction |
↑ Back to Legendary Gear Table
Gems and Runewords
Listed below are the best Gems and Runes to socket into gear for each item type.
Gems
| Weapon Gems | Armor Gems | Jewelry Gems |
|---|---|---|
 Emerald for increased Critical Strike Damage. | Emerald for Dexterity. | Any Resistance Gems needed or  Skull for Armor (up to the 1,000 Armor cap). |
Runewords
Runes are drop after unlocking them during the Vessel of Hatred campaign. A Rune of Offering and a Rune of Invocation can be combined by inserting them into equipment with 2 available sockets, creating a Runeword. A limit of 2 Runewords can be equipped.
Listed below are the best Runewords utilizing Magic and Rare Runes that are beneficial for this build. The best-in-slot Runewords utilizing Legendary Runes are in the Endgame Guide for the Dance of Knives Rogue.
| Runewords | Effects |
|---|---|
 Neo Wat | Gain: 200 Offering — Deal damage after not taking any within 2 seconds. (Resets if Invulnerable.) Requires: 100 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Invoke the Necromancer’s Horrid Decrepify, Slowing enemies, reducing their damage, and letting you Execute them. |
 Feo Lac | Gain: 1000 Offering — Become Injured or Crowd Controlled (Cooldown: 10 seconds). Requires: 400 Offering, Cooldown: 1 Second — Evoke the Barbarian’s Challenging Shout, reducing your damage taken for 3 seconds. |
Boss Powers (Season 8)
In the Season of Belial’s Return (Season 8), Boss Powers can be equipped to enhance your character. Unlocking specific powers for a build is challenging due to their random appearance, so utilize any that provide the most damage. Check the Endgame Guide for the Dance of Knives Rogue for the best-in-slot setup of Boss Powers.
Mercenaries
Once the Den is unlocked during the main questline in the Vessel of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4, complete the Mercenary key quests to acquire them. Hire a Mercenary and enlist a Reinforcement in the following setup.
- Hired Mercenary: Varyana
- Skills:
Cleave, 
Hysteria, 
Bloodthirst, 
Bloodlust
- Skills:
- Reinforcement: Raheir
- Skill:
Bastion - Opportunity: Cast when the player becomes Injured
- Skill:
Build Mechanics
The Dance of Knives Rogue is a spin-to-win build featuring a simple playstyle that excels in all Diablo 4 activities. While there are several utility skills to improve performance, Dance of Knives is channeled for the majority of combat.
Movement Speed
Movement Speed is the most important stat while leveling with the Dance of Knives Rogue. Every 30 meters you travel while Channeling Dance of Knives grants 4 Charges from Enhanced Dance of Knives. Reach the Movement Speed cap at 200% to have a near-infinite Channeling duration for Dance of Knives, which provides a longer benefit of snapshot mechanics.
A Total of +105% Movement Speed bonus is easily obtained from the Skill Tree by Dance of Knives (+20%), Stutter Step Rank 3 (+15%), 
Haste Rank 3 (+15%), Enhanced Dark Shroud (+25%), and 
Momentum (+30%). Any additional Movement Speed provided by gear can still be beneficial when there are no enemies to Critically Strike to activate Stutter Step or Dark Shroud Shadows are depleted.
Snapshot Mechanics
Multiple snapshot mechanics, which extend the duration of temporary buffs by applying them to a channeled skill, are utilized. Cast Concealment and then channel Dance of Knives immediately afterward to create the snapshot. Maintain the channeling without interruption to keep the following buffs active the entire time.
Subverting Concealment guarantees Critical Strikes and applies Vulnerable status to hits from Dance of Knives and Aspect of Star Shards. Stealth granted by 
Shadow Clone or 
Shroud of False Death must be broken by attacking before casting Concealment for the snapshot to apply. - Shadow Imbuement snapshots while only costing 1 charge.
- Aspect of Synergy
Danse Macabre (when Paragon is unlocked at Level 60)
The Damage on Next Attack After Entering Stealth temper from Subterfuge Expertise does NOT snapshot.
Rotation and Playstyle
Use the following rotation to optimize damage output.
- Activate Shadow Imbuement to increase damage with Mixed Shadow Imbuement and for explosive damage against groups of enemies.
- If you have Aspect of Star Shards equipped, cast
Puncture 3 times to build Combo Points. - Cast Concealment to prepare temporary buffs for snapshotting.
- Channel Dance of Knives without interruption to maintain snapshotted buffs.
- While channeling, drink a Potion near Elites to activate
Unstable Elixirs.
Elixirs
Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants for 
Bundled Herbs during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world. Elixirs can also drop randomly from enemies and chests during many activities in Diablo 4.
Listed below are the best Elixirs to consume while leveling the Dance of Knives Rogue, ranked by importance.
Elixir of Advantage increases damage output.
Elixir of Fortitude is the best general-purpose option for survivability.
Return to the Alchemist every 10 Levels to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.
Season 8 Updates
A brief summary of the seasonal changes are provided below. For a complete overview of Season 8, take a look at the comprehensive season guide.
Fists of Fate no longer applies random crowd controls.- Worldly Fortune can no longer apply any crowd control tempers.
- Aspect of Concussive Strikes no longer provides increased damage.
- Frostbitten Aspect is now in the Offensive category.
Trick Attacks - Previous: Dazing or Stunning an enemy increases your Critical Strike Chance by 2/4/6% and Critical Strike Damage by 2/4/6% for 5 seconds, up to 12/24/36%.
- Now: Attempting to Daze or Stun an enemy increases your Critical Strike Chance by 1/2/3% and Critical Strike Damage by 1/2/3% for 8 seconds, up to 5/10/15%.
Difficulty and Endgame
Once you hit Level 60 with this build, tackle harder difficulties and more challenging endgame content. Make sure to pick one of our recommended endgame builds for Rogue to continue your journey! The endgame builds also cover the Paragon setup unlocked at Level 60.
Gameplay Video
Changelog
- April 26, 2025: Guide updated for Season 8 (Patch 2.2.0).
- January 21, 2025: Guide updated for Season 7 (Patch 2.1.0).
- October 4, 2024: Guide updated for Season 6 (Patch 2.0.2).
- September 27, 2024: Guide created.
