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Redirects all threat you cause to the targeted party or raid member, beginning with your next damaging attack within the next 30 sec and lasting 6 sec.
All threat transferred from the Rogue to the target.
Duration: 6 seconds
Tricks of the Trade is a rogue class talent. It is similar to a hunter's [Misdirection] in which it will transfer all threat gained from the rogue's next attack and all the of the rogue's actions taken for 6 seconds after that attack to the party or raid member on which it is cast. Casting Tricks of the Trade on a member will give the rogue a 30 second window to start attacking or it will expire.
Tips and tactics
Tricks of the Trade removes any inhibitions for rogues opening up on a target with high burst damage and taking the chance of pulling aggro away from the tank. Not only is pulling aggro from the tank less of a concern, but the threat transfer conferred by this ability helps make sure that the tank maintains enough aggro to keep mobs off of healers in healing-intensive fights (or in parties where the designated tank is not well-geared or skilled enough to maintain aggro).
This ability can serve as a useful escape mechanism in situations such as having a [Sap] go bad or accidentally being detected while in [Stealth], by redirecting aggro onto the tank. In certain situations this can even be used as a "creative" pull method, with the rogue using [Vanish] following the aggro redirect.
Assassination and Subtlety rogues can pair this with [Fan of Knives] or [Shuriken Storm] to do an AoE misdirect with correct timing and placement.
Handy in trash group pulls where one mob - often a caster mob - stops short of the AoE area of the tank, doesn't gain sufficient aggro on the tank, and begins engaging other party members (such as, horror of horrors, the healer) with ranged attacks/spells. The rogue can apply Tricks of the Trade on the tank and move to engage this mob solo, hopefully tossing in some interrupts in the process, without worrying about having the mob turn and attack them.
If you wear two pieces of the Shadowblade's Battlegear or its upgraded versions your Tricks of the Trade ability will grant you 15 energy.
Tricks of the Trade has a 100 yard range which means if your target is not nearby and you try pulling something you will have to be sure you have the buff active.
[Sap] is considered an offensive ability and will therefore activate the six-second countdown you have for aggro gain. Since you will most likely be needing this only for 5-man dungeons you can sap the target, move back closer to your tank and cast Tricks of the Trade, then move to the mob pack to start attacking.
Patch changes
Patch 10.0.0 (2022-10-25): Now a row 3 class talent (was a level 44 ability).
Hotfix (2020-10-23):Can now be cast on characters level 10 and above.
Patch 9.0.1 (2020-10-13): Now learned at level 44 (was 70).
Patch 7.1.0 (2016-10-25): Now learned at level 70 (was 64).
Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): Now learned at level 64 (was 78).
Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): Now has no energy cost and no longer increases damage caused by the target by 15%.
Patch 4.1.0 (2011-04-26): Now has a 100-yard range, up from 20.
Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Transferred threat is no longer permanent, and will fade after 30 sec.
Patch 3.3.3 (2010-03-23): Now works properly on targets below level 65. Also fixed a bug where the threat transfer would not happen sometimes.
Patch 3.2.0 (2009-08-04): Using this ability on a target affected by [Cyclone] or [Banish] will no longer place the ability on permanent cooldown and will instead give an error message.
Patch 3.1.2 (2009-05-19): To prevent exploits, this ability can no longer be cast on non-player targets.