Top Leveling Specs For Warriors

There are more ways than ever to level in Cataclysm. It’s now viable to quest in just about every spec, and you can also use the Random Dungeon Finder and Random Battleground tools to your benefit, as well. In this series, we’ll take a look at three styles of play and specs that could be used for them. As always, your mileage may vary.

Next in our series, the Warrior:

This guide is only intended to provide a general overview of the potential Warrior Leveling Specs as of Patch 4.2. For a more comprehensive guide including options for all styles of play, the best glyph choices, and rotation help, check out Edge: The first ever talent, glyph, and rotation adviser.

Arms

Leveling Type: Questing

Heirlooms: Bloodied Arcanite Reaper, Swift Hand of Justice x2, Polished Valor Plate set

Build: 33/8/0 http://www.wowhead.com/talent#LGrccRMRurkcbzZ0b:McmaRccz0

Arms is an ideal solo questing spec because it is hardy due to self-healing, but can still put out a lot of damage. Your strategy involves taking on several mobs (at least 3) at once. With a Bloodied Arcanite Reaper, your Mortal Strike will completely destroy mobs until level 40 or so, and it still takes a big chunk out even after that. This build takes advantage of AE and a couple AE glyphs, so make use of it and pull big! Try to quest in clustered areas.

Ideally what you can do is mount up, run into all the mobs you want, Shout for rage, Rend, Thunderclap to spread it, and then start working your actual Arms rotation. Cleave whenever it’s up. Sweeping Strikes. Then you can work down mobs with Mortal Strike, Colossus Smash, Slam, and Overpower. Keep Rend up by hitting Thunderclap when it’s about to drop off, and always make use of your Victory Rush procs. In an Arms spec you should stay at full health through most of the fight.

Protection

Leveling Type: Dungeons

Heirlooms: Bloodsoaked Skullforge Reaver, Swift Hand of Justice x2, Burnished Might Plate set

Build: 4/0/37 http://www.wowhead.com/talent#LMbZZIfGdRRRbRu:o0Vcaso0c

Protection Warriors can be one of the most fun classes to play, though they do have a lot of abilities to use. It’s best to learn them as you go, and tanking low-level dungeons to level is a great way to do this. You’ll want to use the new tanking heirlooms they’ve added, including the 1H sword, and then pick up the best shield you can get through quests or the AH. Consider doing a little PVP at level 60 for the shield, as it will last you until level 80 and it looks great.

The single biggest problem you’ll face as a Warrior tank is rage starvation. Fortunately you have many tools for this. You’ll want to spec into Warbringer as soon as possible so you can charge in Defensive Stance, but even before that you can use a quick Battle Shout to generate enough rage to start. Charge once you can, Rend then Thunderclap to spread it. If you’re tanking a boss, always use Heroic Strike. But if you’re tanking multiples (most cases) use a glyphed Cleave to hit 3 targets. You can glyph Devastate to make it a Cleave as well which can help with threat. Always use Revenge when it’s up as it causes massive threat, and tab target Shield Slam to build threat quickly, especially with mobs about to peel.

It’s true that your biggest problem will be keeping threat, but most Warriors can keep everything on them with Rend+TClap and Cleave. Take the breathing room you’ve got to learn to use all of your tools. Interrupt spells with Pummel. Silence with Heroic Throw. Stun a mob that’s peeling off you with Concussive Blow. Use your glyphed Intimidating Shout to buy some time for your healers. Learn the fun of Spell Reflect. And of course, utilize your standard tanking cooldowns.

Fury

Leveling Type: Battlegrounds

Heirlooms: Reforged Truesilver Champion x2, Swift Hand of Justice x1, Inherited Insignia of the Horde/Alliance x1, Stockade Pauldrons, Burnished Might Plate set OR Polished Valor Plate set

Build: 4/34/3 http://www.wowhead.com/talent#LMbZIrRssdkofdZM:zcmmwomcz

Fury Warriors are a great choice for PVP. They have a high damage output including high burst, yet their survivability and utility is also quite respectable. At lower levels a Fury Warrior with a Reforged Truesilver Champion can dominate battlegrounds. It’s a grade blade with STR, STA, and a ton of resilience for the level. And later on once you get Titan’s Grip you can wield two of them!

Your basic skills are pretty simple. Raging Blow is a priority move and everything should be built around it. Don’t neglect Bloodthirst because glyphed and talented it provides quite a bit of healing and damage that is far from negligible. Slam and Heroic Strike will always be high-damage moves, but HS should only be used if you’ve got rage to spare and nothing else to spend it on.

The best Fury warriors, however, know exactly where they belong in Battelgrounds and why they belong there. Your ideal spot is protecting a healer. It may not be as flashy as camping midfield and getting all the cheap HKs, but you’ll win games by keeping a healer alive while they keep you alive. In fact this spec is designed around that, sacrificing some self-preservation glyphs/talents so you can help someone else. Use Intercept frequently to soak up damage directed at your healer. Use talented Charge to stun 3 targets. Piercing Howl to give the healer some time to get away from melee. Pummel as often as you can, then take advantage of the damage boost and pop (glyphed) Death Wish to burn down an opponent.