Warrior PvP

Rotations & Guide · PvE · PvP · Builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Changes vs Classic

Warriors are rage-fuelled melee fighters that excel as tanks or two-handed/dual-wield damage dealers. Forever makes Tactical Mastery baseline so stance dancing keeps rage, reworks Slam into an 18 sec cooldown strike (Improved Slam no longer resets your swing), and adds Spearing Strike for dismounting and hitting giants.

Arms Warrior PVP guide

Arms is the warrior's PvP damage spec. At 20 it wins fights by landing Charge from outside combat, keeping the target in reach with Hamstring and spending Rage efficiently, with Anger Management supplying Rage while you are kited and Deflection adding parry against melee. Mortal Strike, the spec's big PvP talent, arrives at 40, so for now your edge is Overpower against classes that dodge, Disarm against melee and Retaliation against groups.

Burst

• Charge: From outside combat: 9 Rage and a 1 sec stun. Charge from behind cover or out of the target's sight so the fight starts on your terms.
• Hamstring: Straight after Charge: the target moves 40% slower for 15 sec and can't walk out of your reach.
• Bloodrage: Once you are in melee: 10 Rage at once and 10 Rage more over 10 sec. It puts you in combat, so press it after Charge, never before.
• Rend: Early, on anyone who won't die in a few hits; the bleed keeps ticking while you chase them.
• Overpower: Every time the target dodges. Rogues with Evasion and Hunters with Aspect of the Monkey dodge more, so it comes up often against them, and it can't be blocked, dodged or parried.
• Slam: When the target is stunned, disarmed or standing to trade blows. It has a cast time, so don't start it on a player who is moving away.
• Heroic Strike: With spare Rage, once Hamstring is on the target and you have enough left to reapply it.

Control

• Hamstring: Keep it on anyone who wants to leave melee range: 40% slower for 15 sec. Reapply it before it runs out.
• Charge: Its 1 sec stun opens the fight and gives you the first swing. You can't use it again until you leave combat.
• Disarm: On Rogues, Warriors, Paladins and Shamans who fight with a weapon: 10 sec without it cuts their damage hard. Use it when they start winning the damage race.
• Thunder Clap: Against two or more melee players: they attack 20% slower for 14 sec.

Staying alive

• Defensive Stance: When the fight turns against you: 10% less damage taken for 10% less damage dealt. Tactical Mastery and Improved Tactical Mastery keep Rage when you switch, so it costs you little.
• Retaliation: When melee players hit you from the front, every melee hit for 15 sec is counterattacked. Attacks from behind aren't, so turn to face a Rogue first. It has a 15 min cooldown.
• Demoralizing Shout: Lowers the melee attack power of every enemy within 10 yd for 45 sec; worth the Rage when two or more melee players are on you or your healer.
• Hamstring: To get away from a melee player: slow them by 40% and walk toward your team or a guard.

Battlegrounds

In a battleground an Arms warrior is a melee damage dealer who hunts healers and flag carriers. Charge into a fight from outside combat, Hamstring the player you want dead and stay on them, and Disarm enemy melee who dive your healers. When a flag carrier runs, Hamstring keeps them in reach until your team catches up. At a control point Retaliation and Thunder Clap punish a group of melee players who rush it, and Demoralizing Shout weakens all of them. Blizzard has announced Darkspear Islands, a new 15 vs 15 battleground off the coast of Kalimdor that mixes strategic control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures and defense; it opens for beta testing later. The client also contains Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley maps, but which battlegrounds and level brackets are open in the beta isn't confirmed, so this advice is about roles rather than maps.

Open-world PvP

On the PvP ruleset open-world conflict can happen anywhere. As the attacker, wait until your target is busy with a monster or low on health, then Charge from outside combat and Hamstring at once; Charge can't be used in combat and Intercept only arrives at 30, so once the fight starts Hamstring is your only way to stop a runner. When you are the one ganked you have no escape spell: turn and fight, use Defensive Stance if two players jump you, and Retaliation if melee players surround you. Don't press Bloodrage until you are ready to Charge, and don't Charge into extra monsters near an enemy player. Near busy quest objectives, eat to full health and keep Battle Shout up before you engage. Spearing Strike, new in Forever, dismounts mounted targets, so use it if an enemy rides past on a mount.

Matchups

• vs Rogue: Rogues open from Stealth, often Sap you while you're out of combat, and Gouge you to stop your swings for a few seconds. Evasion raises their dodge chance by 50%, which is exactly when Overpower lights up, so press it every time. Disarm them early, since their damage comes from their weapons, face them so Retaliation can counter their hits, and Hamstring them when they Sprint. Blizzard's notes say Sap now flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target.
• vs Mage: Mages keep you at range with Frostbolt's slow and Frost Nova, which freezes you in place, and from 20 Blink moves them 20 yards and frees them from stuns. Charge from outside combat before they see you, Hamstring at once and keep hitting. Once they Blink you can't Charge again until Intercept at 30, so fight around walls and obstacles that force them to stay in line of sight. Anger Management keeps your Rage up while you are frozen.
• vs Priest: Priests absorb damage with Power Word: Shield, which also stops your hits from interrupting their casts, and Psychic Scream sends two nearby enemies running for 8 sec. Hex of Weakness and Touch of Weakness lower your melee attack power. Keep Rend and Hamstring on them and pressure them until they run out of Mana; Arms has no interrupt without a shield, so pressure is your answer to their heals.
• vs Warlock: Warlocks Fear you for up to 10 sec, stack Corruption and Bane of Agony, and fight with a demon beside them. Damage may break Fear early, sometimes from their own spells. Charge the Warlock, not the demon, Hamstring and stay on them; every second in melee counts. Curse of Weakness lowers your physical damage, so expect a longer fight.
• vs Hunter: Hunters slow you with Concussive Shot and Wing Clip, freeze you with Freezing Trap, which any damage breaks, and send their pet to hold you. Charge from outside combat and fight them in melee, where Overpower punishes the extra dodges from Aspect of the Monkey. Watch the ground near them: a Freezing Trap freezes the first enemy that approaches it. The Hunter is usually the better target than the pet.
• vs Druid: Druids root you with Entangling Roots, heal themselves and, from 20, shift into Cat Form to Prowl or Bear Form for Feral Charge, which immobilizes and interrupts. Changing shape frees them from movement-impairing effects, so a Hamstring won't hold a Druid who shifts. Hit them hardest while they are in caster form healing, and don't waste Rage into Bear Form, which adds armor and health.
• vs Paladin: Paladins stun you with Hammer of Justice for 3 sec, heal through damage and use Divine Protection, which stops all physical attacks and spells for 6 sec but stops them attacking too. Blessing of Protection makes its target immune to physical attacks, which is all you deal, so switch targets when you see it, and Blessing of Freedom makes them immune to Hamstring. Disarm them when they fight in melee. Lay on Hands drains all their Mana, so after it they can't keep healing.
• vs Shaman: Shamans interrupt and damage with Earth Shock, slow you with Frost Shock from 20, and drop Earthbind Totem, which slows enemies within 10 yards; it has 5 health, so one hit kills it. Lightning Shield hurts you when you hit them, but only fires every few seconds. Ghost Wolf speeds them up outdoors, so Hamstring them as soon as you reach melee, and Disarm them when they fight with a weapon.
• vs Warrior: Mirror matches come down to Rage and cooldowns. Don't hit a warrior with Retaliation up from the front: step behind them or wait out its 15 sec. Disarm them before they Disarm you, Overpower their dodges, and use Thunder Clap and Demoralizing Shout to blunt their hits. Hamstring the one who is losing so they can't walk away and reset.

Stats

Weapon DPS, Strength, Stamina, Hit, Critical Strike, Agility, Armor. Weapon damage still matters most, since Overpower, Slam and Cleave hit for your weapon damage plus a bonus. Strength is your main damage stat. Stamina matters far more than in dungeons: players focus you, and extra health buys time for Hamstring and Rend to work. Hit keeps Hamstring and your attacks from missing, and Critical Strike grows in value at 30 with Improved Overpower. Armor on mail pieces helps against Rogues, Warriors and Hunters.

Tips

• Never press Bloodrage before a fight you plan to open with Charge: it puts you in combat, and Charge can't be used in combat.
• Arms has no interrupt before Pummel at 38 unless you carry a shield for Shield Bash. Against healers your answer is pressure: Hamstring, Rend and steady hits that force them to heal instead of fight.
• Tactical Mastery (new in Forever as a trainer passive) and Improved Tactical Mastery keep Rage when you change stance. The client doesn't list which stance each attack needs, so if one stays greyed out, change stance without worrying about the Rage.
• Fight near walls and obstacles against casters and Hunters, so they have to come closer or lose line of sight to hit you.
• Honor exists in Forever, and the Legacy System has a perk, For Great Honor, that increases Honor gains, plus a Field of Honor PvP Season's Journey. Honor ranks and rewards aren't confirmed yet.

Fury Warrior PVP guide

Fury in PvP is about crits and control. At 20 Cruelty makes your hits crit more often, Unbridled Wrath keeps Rage flowing, and Piercing Howl slows every enemy near you, something no other warrior spec can do at this level. At 30 Death Wish adds a burst window that also makes you immune to Fear.

Burst

• Charge: From outside combat: 9 Rage and a 1 sec stun, so the fight starts on your terms.
• Hamstring: At once: the target moves 40% slower for 15 sec and can't walk out of your reach.
• Bloodrage: After Charge: 10 Rage at once and 10 Rage more over 10 sec for a fast start. It puts you in combat, so never before Charge.
• Slam: While the target is stunned or trading blows with you. Its cast time makes it a poor choice on a player who is moving.
• Heroic Strike: Where your spare Rage goes; Cruelty's extra crit applies to it like every other attack.
• Overpower: Whenever the target dodges; it can't be blocked, dodged or parried.

Control

• Piercing Howl: Slows every nearby enemy by 50% for 6 sec. Use it on a group chasing your healer, on a flag carrier, or to stop a player backing out of reach.
• Hamstring: Your single-target slow: 40% for 15 sec, and cheap enough to keep up for the whole fight.
• Disarm: Against melee players with a weapon: 10 sec without it.
• Thunder Clap: When several melee players are on you or a friend: they attack 20% slower for 14 sec.

Staying alive

• Piercing Howl: To escape: slow everyone near you by 50% for 6 sec, then walk to your team or a guard.
• Defensive Stance: When the fight turns: 10% less damage taken for 10% less damage dealt. Tactical Mastery keeps some Rage when you switch.
• Retaliation: Against melee players hitting you from the front: every melee hit for 15 sec is counterattacked.
• Demoralizing Shout: Lowers the melee attack power of every enemy within 10 yd for 45 sec when two or more melee players are on you.

Battlegrounds

Fury is a skirmisher in battlegrounds, and Piercing Howl is the tool your team will thank you for: it slows every enemy near you, so use it when a flag carrier runs past, when attackers pile onto a control point, or when your healer is being chased. Charge in from outside combat to open on a healer or caster, Hamstring them and keep hitting; at 30, Death Wish turns that into a real burst and makes you immune to Fear. You are weaker than a Protection warrior at holding a point alone, so fight near your team. Darkspear Islands, the new 15 vs 15 battleground Blizzard announced, mixes control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures and defense, which suits a warrior who can slow many players at once; it opens for beta testing later. Honor exists in Forever and the Legacy System's For Great Honor perk increases Honor gains, but which battlegrounds and brackets are open in the beta, and what Honor buys, isn't confirmed.

Open-world PvP

In open-world PvP on the PvP ruleset, pick your moment: Charge a player who is busy with a monster or low on health, then Hamstring and hit them before they recover. When you are the one ganked, Piercing Howl is your one escape tool at 20: slow everyone near you and walk to cover, a guard or a friendly group, or turn and fight if it's one on one. Rogues and Druids can be waiting in Stealth or Prowl near busy quest areas, so arrive with full health and Battle Shout up. Don't press Bloodrage until you are ready to Charge, since it puts you in combat. Spearing Strike, new in Forever, dismounts mounted targets, so use it if an enemy rides past on a mount.

Matchups

• vs Rogue: Rogues open from Stealth, Gouge you for 4 sec and use Evasion, which raises their dodge chance by 50% for 15 sec. Answer Evasion with Overpower and Disarm, which takes away their weapon damage. Piercing Howl and Hamstring stop a Sprint escape, and facing them lets Retaliation counter their hits. Blizzard's notes say Sap now flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target.
• vs Mage: Mages slow you with Frostbolt, freeze you with Frost Nova and Blink away from stuns. Open with Charge before they start casting, Hamstring and hit hard; Cruelty's crits can end the fight before they reset. After a Blink you can't Charge again until Intercept at 30, so fight near obstacles that force them to stay close for line of sight.
• vs Priest: Priests shield themselves with Power Word: Shield, send you running with Psychic Scream for 8 sec and heal. Stay on them with Hamstring and save your Rage for when the shield breaks. At 30 Death Wish makes you immune to Fear effects, so press it before you close in and Psychic Scream can't break your burst.
• vs Warlock: Warlocks Fear you, wear you down with damage over time and fight with a demon. Go for the Warlock, not the demon. At 20 you only reach them with Charge and your feet, so open from outside combat and Hamstring at once. At 30 Death Wish makes you immune to Fear effects for 30 sec, which covers most of the fight.
• vs Hunter: Hunters want range: Concussive Shot and Wing Clip slow you, Freezing Trap freezes you and their pet holds you. Charge from outside combat, fight in melee and use Piercing Howl when they try to walk away. Watch the ground for traps, and only switch to the pet if the Hunter is out of reach.
• vs Druid: Druids root you with Entangling Roots, heal, and change shape, which frees them from Hamstring and Piercing Howl. Slow them after they shift rather than before, pressure them hardest in caster form, and don't pour Rage into Bear Form, which adds armor and health.
• vs Paladin: Paladins stun you with Hammer of Justice, heal through damage and hide behind Divine Protection for 6 sec. Blessing of Freedom makes them immune to your slows for 10 sec. Save your burst until Divine Protection has been used, and Disarm them in melee. Lay on Hands heals them fully but drains all their Mana.
• vs Shaman: Shamans slow you with Frost Shock and Earthbind Totem and interrupt with Earth Shock. Kill Earthbind Totem, which has 5 health, with one hit, and Hamstring them before they turn into a Ghost Wolf. Disarm them when they fight in melee. From 22 your Intimidating Shout meets their Tremor Totem, which removes Fear from their party.
• vs Warrior: Against another warrior, crits and Rage decide it. Don't attack into their Retaliation from the front, Disarm them when they start hitting hard, and use Piercing Howl or Hamstring so the one who is losing can't walk away and reset.

Stats

Strength, Stamina, Hit, Critical Strike, Weapon DPS, Agility, Armor. Strength drives your damage and Stamina keeps you alive while players focus you, so both come first. Hit makes sure Hamstring and your attacks land, and Critical Strike stacks with Cruelty. A two-hander with high damage is a strong choice at this level, since Unbridled Wrath gives 2 Rage per proc with one. Armor on mail pieces helps against melee classes and Hunters.

Tips

• Charge first, Bloodrage second: Bloodrage puts you in combat, and Charge can't be used in combat.
• The client lists no cooldown for Piercing Howl, only a Rage cost, so use it whenever players are around you and you can spare the Rage.
• Fury has no interrupt before Pummel at 38 unless you carry a shield for Shield Bash. Against healers, slow them and keep the pressure on.
• Keep Battle Shout up before fights: it lasts 3 min and helps every melee ally within 20 yards.

Protection Warrior PVP guide

Protection is the warrior's PvP survivor. You won't kill quickly, but a shield, Defensive Stance and Last Stand keep you alive long enough to carry a flag, hold a point or keep enemies off your healer. Shield Bash is the only interrupt a warrior has at this level, and you always have the shield it needs, which makes you the answer to enemy healers and casters.

Burst

• Charge: From outside combat: 9 Rage and a 1 sec stun.
• Hamstring: So the target stays with you: 40% slower for 15 sec.
• Bloodrage: After Charge: 10 Rage now and 10 Rage more over 10 sec, raised by Improved Bloodrage.
• Shield Block: When a melee player swings at you: 75% more block chance for 7 sec, so you block, gain Rage and light up Revenge.
• Revenge: Every time it lights up after a block, dodge or parry. It is cheap, so it is most of your damage.
• Rend: On a target you will be fighting for a while; the bleed keeps working while you block.
• Heroic Strike: Only with Rage left over once you have enough for Shield Bash and Hamstring.

Control

• Shield Bash: Interrupt a heal, a Fear or a big spell and lock out that spell school for 6 sec. Save it for the cast that matters.
• Hamstring: Keep a flag carrier or a runner within reach: 40% slower for 15 sec.
• Disarm: Takes a melee player's weapon for 10 sec.
• Charge: A 1 sec stun to open the fight, usable only from outside combat.
• Thunder Clap: Players near you attack 20% slower for 14 sec.

Staying alive

• Defensive Stance: Your home in PvP: 10% less damage taken. You deal 10% less, which matters less than staying alive on a flag or a point.
• Shield Block: Against melee players: 75% more block chance for 7 sec, and every block gives Rage through Shield Specialization.
• Last Stand: Before your health is low, not after: 30% of your maximum health for 20 sec, lost again when it ends. It has a 3 min cooldown.
• Retaliation: When melee players surround you: every melee hit from the front for 15 sec is counterattacked.
• Demoralizing Shout: Lowers the melee attack power of every enemy within 10 yd for 45 sec.

Battlegrounds

Protection is the battleground role player. Carry the flag: Defensive Stance, Shield Block and Last Stand keep you alive while your team clears the way, and Hamstring slows the players chasing you. Defend a control point or your own flag: stand on it, Shield Bash any healer or caster who starts a cast, use Thunder Clap and Demoralizing Shout to weaken the attackers, and Retaliation when melee players crowd you. Peel for your healer by Hamstringing and Disarming anyone who reaches them. Darkspear Islands, the new 15 vs 15 battleground Blizzard announced off the coast of Kalimdor, combines strategic control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures and defense, which is exactly this role; it opens for beta testing later. The client also has Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley maps, but which battlegrounds and brackets are open in the beta isn't confirmed.

Open-world PvP

Open-world PvP on the PvP ruleset is where Protection feels slowest: you rarely kill a player before they escape or get healed. Use that to your advantage. You are hard to gank, so when someone jumps you while you quest, turn to face them, put up Shield Block and trade blows in Defensive Stance while Revenge does the damage; Last Stand buys time for a friend to arrive. Shield Bash a caster's heal to finish them. Don't chase: at 20 you can't Charge once combat has started, so let a runner go and get back to your objective. Fight near your quest objective or a friendly guard rather than following a player into their friends.

Matchups

• vs Rogue: Rogues open from Stealth and rely on their weapons, so Disarm takes much of their damage away for 10 sec. Keep Shield Block up while they hit you, turn to face them so Retaliation works, and let Revenge punish their Evasion dodges. Hamstring them when they Sprint. Blizzard's notes say Sap now flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target.
• vs Mage: Mages kite you with Frostbolt and Frost Nova, Blink out of stuns and use Mana Shield to absorb physical damage. Shield Bash a Frostbolt to lock out their Frost spells for 6 sec, which takes away their slows and Frost Nova for that time. Charge from outside combat, Hamstring and stay close.
• vs Priest: Priests heal, shield themselves and Psychic Scream you away. Power Word: Shield stops damage from interrupting their casts, but Shield Bash is an interrupt, not damage, so use it on their heals. You won't out-damage their healing alone, so in a battleground keep them interrupted and busy while your team does the killing.
• vs Warlock: Warlocks Fear you and wear you down with damage over time. Fear and Shadow Bolt are both Shadow spells with a cast time, so a Shield Bash on either locks out their Shadow spells for 6 sec. Go for the Warlock, not the demon, and Hamstring them so they can't back away to recast.
• vs Hunter: Hunters slow you and set Freezing Trap. Charge from outside combat, and once in melee use Shield Block and Revenge against their melee attacks and their pet. Armor, raised by Toughness, cuts their physical damage. Watch the ground for traps before you walk in.
• vs Druid: Druids heal, root you with Entangling Roots and change shape, which frees them from your Hamstring. Shield Bash their heals in caster form. In Bear Form they gain armor and health, so save your Rage for when they shift back to heal.
• vs Paladin: Paladins are sturdy like you. Hammer of Justice stuns you for 3 sec, Divine Protection blocks your attacks for 6 sec, and Voice of Truth (new in Forever) makes them immune to interrupts for a short time, so check for it before you Shield Bash a heal. Lay on Hands drains all their Mana, so after it they can't keep healing. Disarm them when they fight in melee.
• vs Shaman: Shamans interrupt with Earth Shock, slow you with Frost Shock and heal. Shield Bash their heals, kill Earthbind Totem (5 health) so you can move freely, and Disarm them when they fight with a weapon. Lightning Shield damages you when you hit them, but only fires every few seconds.
• vs Warrior: Another warrior hits harder than you, but you last longer. Keep Shield Block up so their swings feed your Rage and Revenge, Disarm them when they commit, and don't hit into their Retaliation from the front.

Stats

Stamina, Armor, Strength, Dodge, Parry, Block, Agility, Hit. Stamina is your most important stat in PvP: it keeps you alive on a flag or a point while several players hit you. Armor, raised by Toughness, cuts every physical hit. Strength is your damage stat, and you still need some to finish anyone. Dodge, Parry and Block only help against melee players, so they come after Stamina and armor. Agility is a smaller gain, and a little Hit keeps Shield Bash and Hamstring from missing.

Tips

• Shield Bash is the only interrupt a warrior has until Pummel at 38, and it locks out the whole spell school. Save it for a heal or a Fear, not for its small damage.
• Every block gives 5 Rage through Shield Specialization and lights up Revenge. Against melee players, Shield Block is both your defense and your damage.
• Press Last Stand early. It adds health for a while and takes it away again when it ends, so it buys time for a heal or a flag capture; it isn't a free heal.
• Charge first, Bloodrage second: Bloodrage puts you in combat, and Charge can't be used in combat.

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70009.

Warrior abilities

• Improved Intimidating Shout
• Long Daze
• Battle Shout (level 1)
• Battle Stance (level 1)
• Heroic Strike (level 1)
• Improved Challenging Shout (level 1)
• Improved Pummel (level 1)
• Spearing Strike (level 1)
• Charge (level 4)
• Rend (level 4)
• Thunder Clap (level 6)
• Hamstring (level 8)
• Bloodrage (level 10)
• Defensive Stance (level 10)
• Sunder Armor (level 10)
• Taunt (level 10)
• Overpower (level 12)
• Shield Bash (level 12)
• Demoralizing Shout (level 14)
• Revenge (level 14)
• Tactical Mastery (level 14)
• Mocking Blow (level 16)
• Shield Block (level 16)
• Disarm (level 18)
• Cleave (level 20)
• Retaliation (level 20)
• Slam (level 20)
• Intimidating Shout (level 22)
• Execute (level 24)
• Challenging Shout (level 26)
• Shield Wall (level 28)
• Berserker Stance (level 30)
• Intercept (level 30)
• Berserker Rage (level 32)
• Whirlwind (level 36)
• Pummel (level 38)
• Recklessness (level 50)