Backstab

Backstab

Backstab is the Rogue’s signature burst ability — a positional strike that deals 250% weapon damage when hitting an enemy from behind. Against unaware targets, the attack is guaranteed to crit, making it the cornerstone of every Rogue and Shinobi PvE build.

How it works

Backstab can only hit enemies from behind — facing the target makes the skill greyed out and uninteractable. Against enemies that haven’t detected you (no aggro), the attack is guaranteed to crit and applies Surprise (the target takes 20% more damage from your next 2 attacks).

Rotation

The classic Rogue opener is Shadowstep → Backstab → Backstab → Poison Blade:

1. Shadowstep to teleport behind the target (8m range, breaks stealth).
2. Backstab — guaranteed crit if the target was unaware.
3. Backstab again — second hit benefits from Surprise debuff.
4. Poison Blade for the DoT finisher.

The full PvE opener is on the Shinobi wiki page.

When to invest

Max Backstab first — every Rogue and Shinobi build maxes it before anything else. The 250% damage multiplier is the single biggest damage spike available to the class.

PvP usage

In PvP, Backstab is the kill-securing move. The standard duel combo is Shadowstep → Backstab → Poison Blade → Shuriken Storm which deals ~70% of a typical opponent’s HP in one rotation.

FAQ

Q: Does Backstab work from the side? A: No — only from directly behind. The directional check uses a 90-degree cone behind the target.

Q: Can Backstab crit on a target that’s aware of you? A: Yes, but it’s not guaranteed. The guaranteed crit only applies when the target hasn’t detected you.

Q: Does the Surprise debuff stack? A: No — re-casting Backstab before the 2-attack window expires refreshes the debuff but doesn’t stack duration.