Leveling a Warrior - Speccing, Gearing, and Playing

Looking to start a new warrior but unsure of how to go about it? Well, put aside your worries, because we'll tell you everything you need to know to get your new warrior on the way up. This guide will teach you the ropes of warrior, and tell you all you need to know for your first forty levels.

Gear is the first thing you need to know about as a warrior. And the first thing you need to know about gear is : Cap your hit ASAP. But don't get more than you need (5%) if you can avoid it, as it is worthless beyond this point. Otherwise, get as much Strength and AP as you can; Strength is better, one Strength is worth about 2.25 AP for leveling purposes. Agility and Stamina aren't horrible, but are nowhere near as good as the others.

The second thing we should discuss is spec. In the past, going with a duel-wielding Fury spec was by far the best option for any leveling warrior. Indeed, this is still what most Warrior leveling sources will tell you. But the truth is, that with the changes to warrior talent trees, low level warriors will now benefit the most from a Prot spec, at least until level forty or so. This is true even before you consider the fact that it is now very viable to instance your way through the levels using the DF system.

Something like http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#LZZi0trx0dV:bZc will have you plowing through mobs without ever needing to rest, while dealing equal or greater damage than comparable Fury or Arms builds. Not to mention there is more to do as a low-level Protection warrior, making it much more fun to play than other specs.

At 40 you can either continue to play Protection, or re-spec and start working towards an endgame-style DPS spec. This is when the DPS specs get their real damage-improving talents, and you should be wearing plate, which will handle the survivability issues these specs start with.

Now, you know you should spec Protection, but there is a lot to keep in mind to play Protection to it's maximum, so pay attention! First of all, stay in Defensive stance. You may lose a tiny bit of damage, but a ton of amazing reactive abilities are D-stance only, meaning you need to stick to it! The only exception is switching over to Battle stance, Charging or Victory Rushing, then switching back.

You should use a priority system when deciding which attack to use. Rather than some set rotation, always use the best ability available. Priority should generally be Bloodrage>Shield Block>Concussion Blow>Revenge>Mocking Blow>Battle Shout(If down)>Heroic Strike. You can opt to skip Shield Block and save it for emergencies, but be careful not to leave it sitting around unused too much.

Now, obviously that list isn't all you need to know about warrior. When things go bad or you have to pull multiple enemies, obviously things will change. Don't forget to use cool-downs like Retaliation(Battle Stance), Shield Wall, and Last Stand. When damage gets too heavy, use Demoralizing Shout and Thunderclap. Don't let Battle Shout drop off for long; use Bloodrage to start it up before you start fighting, if you need to.

Longing to read more articles and guides from me? Be sure to read my blog, WoW Gold Spot, for all my latest writings for everything WoW related. To read about Warriors specifically, read my farming guide for Warrior Gold.