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Warrior

⚪ Both factionsTankMelee DPS
Resource
Rage
Armor
Cloth → Plate (lvl 40) · Shields
Talent trees
Arms · Fury · Protection

Overview

Warriors are the backbone of any group - the toughest melee class and the undisputed best tank in vanilla raids. They have no mana; instead they build Rage in combat and burn it on powerful strikes, shouts and defensive abilities. Every race can roll a Warrior, and they can wield every weapon in the game.

Specializations

ArmsMelee DPS / PvP

Two-handed weapon spec built around Mortal Strike - a hard hit that also cuts enemy healing by 50%. Great burst and the go-to PvP build.

FuryMelee DPS

Dual-wields fast weapons for sustained Rage and damage via Bloodthirst and Death Wish. The top Warrior raid-DPS spec at 60.

ProtectionTank

Shield-and-board tanking with Shield Slam and Defiance for rock-solid threat and survivability. This is what main-tanks raids.

Signature abilities

ChargeRush a target, stun it briefly and generate Rage (out of combat).
Battle / Commanding ShoutParty-wide attack power / max health buff.
Mortal StrikeArms strike that reduces the target's healing received by 50%.
BloodthirstFury strike scaling with attack power; core of the Fury rotation.
Shield SlamProtection's biggest source of threat and damage.
TauntForce an enemy to attack you - the tank's key tool.
WhirlwindHits up to four nearby enemies at once.
Intimidating ShoutAoE fear to escape or control a fight.

Playable races

🔵 Alliance

HumanDwarfNight ElfGnome

🔴 Horde

OrcUndeadTaurenTroll
  • Orc (Horde) - Blood Fury (attack power) and Axe Specialization make Orc the top Horde DPS/tank warrior.
  • Tauren (Horde) - War Stomp AoE stun and +5% base health - an excellent tank.
  • Human (Alliance) - Sword and Mace Specialization (+weapon skill) boosts DPS.
  • Dwarf (Alliance) - Stoneform removes bleeds/poisons and boosts armor - great for PvP and tanking.

Armor & weapons

ArmorCloth → Plate (lvl 40) · Shields
WeaponsAll weapons - daggers, fist, 1H/2H swords, axes and maces, polearms, staves, bows, guns, crossbows and thrown - plus shields.

Strengths & weaknesses

✅ Strengths

  • Best raid tank in the game
  • Wanted in every group and raid
  • Wears plate and uses any weapon
  • Strong burst in PvP (Arms)

⚠️ Weaknesses

  • Very gear-dependent for DPS
  • Rage-starved and fragile early on
  • No self-heals - relies on food and bandages
  • Slow, item-hungry leveling

Tips for Warriors

  • Level as Arms with a big two-hander for the fastest kills.
  • Keep Battle Shout up and use bandages/food to stay topped off.
  • For raids, gear a Fury DPS set and a separate Prot/shield tank set.
  • Stance-dance (Battle / Defensive / Berserker) to reach all your abilities.