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Shadow Dance
  • Shadow Dance
  • Row 10 rogue talent
  • Level 22 Subtlety rogue ability
  • 1 min recharge
  • Instant
  • Allows use of all Stealth abilities and grants all the combat benefits of Stealth for 6 sec. Effect not broken from taking damage or attacking.

    If you already know Shadow Dance, instead gain 1 additional charge of Shadow Dance.
Properties
Class Rogue
School Physical
Recharge 1 minute
Talents
Talent required [Find Weakness]
Improvements [Danse Macabre], [Dark Shadow], [Fade to Nothing], [Improved Shadow Dance], [Lingering Shadow], [Master of Shadows], [Nightstalker], [Shadow Focus], [Shadowrunner], [Shot in the Dark], [Silent Storm], [Soothing Darkness], [The First Dance]
Related buff
  • Shadow Dance
  • Access to Stealth abilities.
  • Duration: 6 seconds

Shadow Dance is a rogue class talent. It is unique as a rogue ability in that it adds the ability to the rogue's Stance Bar, allowing configuration of the ability on a separate action bar. Subtlety rogues also learn it at level 22, allowing them to gain an additional charge by also taking it as a talent.

Tips and tactics

A very effective tactic is to build up 5 combo points and full energy, Shadow Dance, and [Shadowstrike] repeatedly. This effectively makes Shadow Dance an extremely powerful [Backstab] ability which can also leave the user with 5 more combo points. In PvP situations, [Kidney Shot] can be used immediately after Shadow Dancing to make [Shadowstrike] easier.

Patch changes

  • Dragonflight Hotfix (2022-11-28): Fixed an issue where Shadow Dance's recast cooldown was always 8 seconds, regardless of its duration. Recast cooldown now correctly matches duration.
  • Dragonflight Patch 10.0.0 (2022-10-25): Now also available as a row 10 class talent; Subtlety rogues who take the talent gain an additional charge. No longer increases damage.
  • Shadowlands Patch 9.0.1 (2020-10-13): Now has 1 charge (was 2), grants all the combat benefits of Stealth for 8 seconds (was 5 seconds), and also increases damage dealt by 15%. Now learned at level 22 (was 40).
  • Legion Patch 7.2.5 (2017-06-13):
    • Shadow Dance now has 2 charges (was 3), and is no longer on the global cooldown.
    • Shadow Dance's base duration increased to 4 seconds (was 3 seconds).
  • Legion Hotfix (2017-01-24): Shadow Dance should no longer sometimes consume a charge but fail to trigger.
  • Legion Patch 7.1.0 (2016-10-25): Now learned at level 40 (was 36).
  • Legion Hotfix (2016-09-28): Shadow Dance should now be useable and should not be cancelled when the Rogue is affected by an enemy Hunter's Flare.
  • Legion Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): No longer reduces energy cost of Ambush while active. Duration reduced from 8 seconds to 3 seconds, but has 3 charges. Now learned at level 36 (was 80).
  • Warlords of Draenor Hotfix (2015-03-05): Fixed an issue where macros intended to work while Shadow Dance was active would stop working when the effects of [Subterfuge] ended.
  • Mists of Pandaria Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Now applies to all abilities that require stealth. Reduces Energy cost of Ambush by 20 while active. Now a level 80 Subtlety ability (was a Tier 7 Subtlety talent).
  • Cataclysm Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Moved to Tier 7 (was Tier 11).
  • Wrath-Logo-Small Patch 3.2.0 (2009-08-04): Cooldown reduced to 1 minute. Now lasts 6 seconds, down from 10 seconds.
  • Wrath-Logo-Small Patch 3.1.2 (2009-05-19): Issues with action bars and ability use arising from using Stealth while Shadow Dance is active have been fixed.
  • Wrath-Logo-Small Patch 3.1.0 (2009-04-14): Now opens a new action bar when used.
  • Wrath-Logo-Small Patch 3.0.3 (2008-11-04): The cooldowns on [Sap], [Garrote], [Ambush], [Cheap Shot], [Premeditation], Pickpocket, and [Disarm Trap] are no longer increased while this ability is activated.
  • Wrath-Logo-Small Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): Added.
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