Arms Warrior
One huge weapon. Mortal Strike everything.
The two-handed warrior: big single hits, Overpower and Rend, and new WoW Forever talents like Spearing Strike, Bloodthrill and Weaponmaster.
Three things to remember
Slow two-hander
Arms hits are based on weapon damage, so the slowest, hardest-hitting two-hander wins.
Rend opens Overpower
With Bloodthrill, hits on a target with your Rend can let you Overpower. Keep Rend up.
Mortal Strike at 40
Your 31-point talent and your best button. Use it on cooldown.
What changed for you
Victory Rush
New: after you kill an enemy that gives experience, Victory Rush hits and heals you for 10% of your health. Great for levelling.
Tactical Mastery is free
It is a spell at level 14 now, not a talent: you keep up to 10 rage when you switch stance.
Whirlwind hits with both weapons
Dual wielders get the off-hand hit too.
Shorter big cooldowns
Shield Wall and Retaliation are on 15-minute cooldowns (were 30). Shield Wall cuts all damage by 60% for 12 sec.
Weaponmaster
One talent for every weapon: axes and polearms +1% crit, maces and staves ignore 3% armor, swords get extra attacks.
Spearing Strike
New strike for 75% weapon damage, double against Giants, Dragonkin and mounted targets (and it dismounts them).
Low-level tips and what to press as you level
- Charge in, Heroic Strike with spare rage, Rend (4) on mobs that live a while.
- Victory Rush after each kill heals you; it is your free food.
- Thunder Clap (6) for two or more mobs.
- Keep Battle Shout up. Grab the biggest two-handed weapon from quests.
- Take Improved Rend and Deflection, then Improved Overpower.
- Overpower (12) after a dodge: fast, cheap and hard to miss.
- Pull with Charge, then Rend, Thunder Clap if more than one.
- Take Deep Wounds, Two-Handed Weapon Specialization and Spearing Strike.
- Execute (24) when a mob is under 20%. Slam (20) to spend rage.
- Sweeping Strikes (talent) makes two-mob pulls fast.
- Mortal Strike (40): use it on cooldown.
- Take Bloodthrill and Weaponmaster, and Improved Slam.
- Whirlwind (36) in Berserker Stance for packs.
Your priority
The order the WoW Forever simulator uses for Arms. Cooldowns first, then go down the list.
- Death Wish and Recklessness at the start of the fight, together. Recklessness also makes you take 20% more damage.
- Mortal Strike on cooldown.
- Overpower when it lights up (in Battle Stance).
- Whirlwind on cooldown, in Berserker Stance.
- Slam when you have the rage and nothing above is ready.
- Rend keep it on the target; with Bloodthrill it gives you more Overpowers.
- Execute when the target is under 20%.
- Heroic Strike only with spare rage.
Talents that matter
| Talent | Tree | Why take it |
|---|---|---|
| Improved Rend | Arms | 12% more Rend damage. |
| Improved Overpower | Arms | More Overpower crits. |
| Deep Wounds | Arms | Your crits make the target bleed. |
| Two-Handed Weapon Specialization | Arms | +6% damage with two-handers (3 ranks now). |
| Spearing Strike | Arms | An extra strike, strongest on Giants and Dragonkin. |
| Bloodthrill | Arms | Hits on targets with your Rend can enable Overpower. |
| Weaponmaster | Arms | One bonus for whatever weapon you use. |
| Sweeping Strikes | Arms | Hit a second target. |
| Improved Slam | Arms | A better Slam (moved to Arms). |
| Mortal Strike | Arms (31) | Your big hit; it also cuts healing on the target. |
| Cruelty | Fury | +5% crit. |
Best race for this spec
Artisan's Precision gives +1% hit, so fewer misses on every attack. It beats Human's 1% crit for raiding.
Blood Fury (+10% attack power every 2 minutes) lines up with your big hits. Troll is almost as good.
| Race | Side | Racials |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Alliance | Ruthless: +1% crit. The Human Spirit: +10% Spirit. Will to Survive: break out of a stun. Perception: spot stealthed players. |
| Dwarf | Alliance | Artisan's Precision: +1% hit with attacks and spells. Stoneform: removes bleeds, poisons and diseases and cuts physical damage taken by 10% for 8 sec. Big Game Hunter: +5% damage to Beasts. |
| Night Elf | Alliance | Elune's Light: +10% crit for 15 sec. Shadowmeld: hide when standing still. Quickness: +1% dodge and a little extra run speed. |
| Gnome | Alliance | Eureka!: 10% more damage and cheaper abilities for 8 sec (also boosts Power Word: Shield). Expansive Mind: +5% maximum mana (rage for Warriors, energy for Rogues). Escape Artist: break out of roots and slows. |
| Skyborne (High Order) | Alliance | Wind Blessed: +2% attack and casting speed. Elemental Insight: +5% damage to Elementals. Walk on Air. Read Leyline: +50% mana and health regeneration for 15 sec (+100% while Attuned from a Ley Line; Attuned ends when you enter a raid). Paid race. |
| Orc | Horde | Blood Fury: +10% attack power and spell power for 15 sec, every 2 minutes. Command: +5% damage for Hunter and Warlock pets. Shatter Curse: 5% less magic damage taken for 8 sec. |
| Undead | Horde | Touch of the Grave: your hits can drain health from the target (30% chance for casters, 20% for Paladins, Rogues and Warriors; once every 15 sec). Will of the Forsaken: break fear, charm and sleep. Cannibalize: eat a corpse to heal. |
| Tauren | Horde | Endurance: +5% health. War Stomp: stun nearby enemies. Plainsrunning: run speed that builds while you run (2% a stack, up to 60%; not on mounts). |
| Troll | Horde | Berserking: faster attacks and casts for 15 sec. Beast Slaying: +5% damage to Beasts. |
| Skyborne (Windshaper) | Horde | Wind Blessed: +2% attack and casting speed. Elemental Insight: +5% damage to Elementals. Walk on Air. Skysight: +15% run speed for 15 sec (+30% while Charged from an elemental convergence; Charged ends when you enter a raid). Paid race. |
These are small edges, about 1 to 2 percent. Play the race you enjoy and the side your friends are on. Skyborne needs the paid Skyborne Heroic Pack.
Play it better
Victory Rush between pulls
It heals 10% of your health after a kill. You will rarely need to eat.
Keep rage on stance swaps
Tactical Mastery keeps 10 rage, so swapping to Battle Stance for Overpower is cheap.
Hamstring runners
Mobs flee at low health. Hamstring them, or they bring friends.
Pick a weapon type
Weaponmaster rewards one weapon type. Use the same type as you level up.
When something seems off
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Always out of rage | Pull with Charge, take Anger Management, and stop using Heroic Strike unless rage is near full. |
| Overpower never lights up | It needs a dodge or (with Bloodthrill) your Rend on the target. Keep Rend up. |
| Dying on every pull | Victory Rush after kills, Thunder Clap to slow packs, and pull one at a time. |
| Whirlwind is greyed out | It needs Berserker Stance (level 30 quest). |
Let Bonkr Compass+ call your buttons
Compass+ shows your next button and the warrior levelling list. It can see Execute, Overpower and Victory Rush light up by themselves. Type /cplus why to see why it picked a spell.