[Rho]

Becoming a Successful PvP Warrior

In PvP, many classes will avoid melee combat which will make defensive equipment significantly less usable, as well as protection tree specified talents.

Nowadays (it wasn't always so) the warrior is a very capable player killer. His/her strength lies in the offensive nature of the class, and the ability to charge into a fight and deal a lot of damage fast without having to rely on 20 different skills or spell. The warrior always does damage. That combined with the excellent defense that is the warriors trademark, makes for a somewhat unique but very effective PvP class, that however requires a bit of training to master. The problem is often to avoid being kited by more ranged oriented classes. For this combat controlling abilities such as Hamstring and Intercept are excellent remedies.

These are general guidelines for PvP warriors.

Always have battle shout applied in any fight - its a big damage bonus! Although this is open to debate you will notice in battle grounds that most PvP warriors use a big slow 2H weapon, and have spent talents mostly in arms for mortal strike (MS). From the fury tree you should almost certainly choose cruelty (+ crit chance). You also MUST have tactical mastery from the protection tree to keep rage when switching stances in battle which you will be forced to do often. Assuming you agree with this, heroic strike is almost redundant. It costs half the rage of mortal strike - true. But mortal strike is an instant attack so is an extra 'free hit' (this is the advantage of a slow heavy hitting weapon as MS is unaffected by weapon speed). Heroic strike merely gives additional damage to a swing you get anyway. MS also does more damage and decreases the efectivness of any heals. The one weakness is its cool down which is why it's also strongly recommended you spend talents to reduce this from 6 sec to 5 sec. You will often find yourself with extra rage to 'dump' on your target while MS is cooling down. If this is the case use it carefully, always save enough so as soon as MS comes off cooldown you can spank your target with another big shot. Use demoralising shout, thunder clap and sunder armours if you have extra rage to 'dump', this may also be where you could use heroic strike from time to time. When fighting casters never use all your rage, you may have to interupt a spell at any time

General PvP Tactics

In PvP, warriors primarily focus on:

1. Keeping enemies within melee attack range (and facing the enemy).
2. Proper counters to enemies abilities, or proper usage of ability-attacks.

Against ranged classes, (Mage, Hunter, Warlock, Priest, Druid) the major theme in the battle is whether the warrior can keep the target within, or at least close to, melee range. While in melee, the warrior should be dealing significantly more damage to the low armor foe. Additionally, any non-instant spells cast by the warrior's opponent are in danger of being interrupted. If the target is kept within melee range, the secondary requirement for a warrior win revolves around properly interrupting key spells. Intimidating Shout can be used from 10 yards away and will stop the targeted enemy in place. This is very useful for closing the gap on ranged attacker or stopping them from damaging you while you wait for an immobilize effect to wear off.

Against melee classes, (Rogue, Warrior, Shaman, Paladin), the warrior tactics are much more class-specific. The common tool against all melee enemies is Disarm. This ability will deny enemy abilities that require a melee weapon (there are many of these for these melee classes), as well as maximize damage differential in the warrior's favor. The timing of Disarming a rogue is critical to preventing of the rogue's finishing move, whereas against Shaman and Paladin, you just want to get in this move as often as you can. Other than Disarm, increased melee combat means more "swings" of the melee weapons by both warrior and foe, providing more opportunities to use the high-value/rage warrior counterattacks of Overpower and Revenge (Revenge is only worthwhile if stun-talent added, and can be caused by shield-block). These two counterattacks can be the difference if they are used within their relatively small time windows (management of weapons and stances required).

Warriors vs. Rogues

Notable Rogue Abilities:

• Vanish (Rend damage-over-time breaks stealth)
• Stun Attacks: Gouge, Kidney Shot, Cheap Shot
• High Damage Finishing Moves: Eviscerate, Envenom
• Weapon Poisons: Crippling Poison
• Damage over time bleed attacks: Garrote, Rupture
• Powerful cooldown abilities: Evasion, Adrenaline Rush

Rogues deal tons of damage and have lots of ways to control the fight. However since they must get down and dirty with your plate-covered self to do this; unless a Rogue catches you completely unaware, you will have a fairly easy time whacking them down if you know what you're doing.

If you have it available, Retaliation. Rogues do ton of strikes for low damage each, with Retaliation and a big two hander, you are doing the same attack rate, but BIG damage, toe-to-toe Retaliation is basically an "I win" button vs. a rogue. However an animation is now added for this cooldown ability, which will signal a Rogue to stop attacking. A stun-lock rogue, however is a different story.

If, however, you want to beat rogues more than once every half hour, use a two handed weapon and overpower as much as possible. Rogues dodge quite a bit because they have bunches of Agility which simply makes them dodge. You can use Hamstring and other instant attacks to 'probe' for a dodge. The improved overpower talent is amazingly effective, especially with a slow two handed weapon. Disarm can also be useful against rogues, but overpower is bread and butter in a rogue fight. Note that well-geared combat rogues may disarm you with Riposte and simply spam you down.

Furthermore, many rogues will attempt to backstab you, or use any other attack through Stealthing, if you get your timing right, you can use a Demoralizing Shout or any other Area of Effect spell to remove their Stealth, if successful, you will have a large step ahead from the Rogue, since it's a large part of their Stun Lock tactics. The 'second wind' talent is very good at mitigating some of the damage done to you while incapacitated by one of the rogues stun lock abilities.

Rogues' Gouge and Sap abilities are often used to buy them time, either to kill another target or regenerate their energy. If hit by either of these abilities while in Berserker Stance, (which really you should never be in, because you NEED to have constant access to overpower) you can activate Berserker Rage, giving you immunity to these Disorient effects and breaking you free to continue fighting. Since a rogue's lower armor makes it difficult for them to beat a warrior in a straight up fight, they often make good use of stuns and disorients to get in extra hits-by breaking a Gouge, you can often turn the battle in your favor. The problem with this is you are forced to be in Berserker Stance, thus losing your main anti-rogue attack (overpower) which you CANNOT afford to do. The best advice is probably to get Berserker Rage off early in the fight and switch straight back to battle stance in anticipation of the upcoming dodge (especially when he has evasion active, which he often does) and hope he attempts a gouge before the ten seconds are up, wasting his energy and usually sealing your victory and his defeat.

Remember lots of the rogue's abilities revolve around positioning and by hamstringing him you seriously impare his ability to manoevre around you and use these abilities effectivly. DON'T just stand still while fighting a rogue, run round, jump, spin about on the spot...anything you can do to make it difficult for him to use his incapacitate abilities on you, if he can't stun lock you he has no chance against you. Disarming a rogue is also an effective tactic to prevent him using most of his abilites.

He will also be sure to blind you if hes losing and then bandage while you are disoriented. This is what you save your pvp trinket for. Don't use it on stun lock...tempting as it may be to do so. You are going to need to break the blind.

Warriors vs. Warriors

Notable Warrior Abilities (Which you should know):

Warrior abilities are a guessing game as to what their talent build is, in order to guess effectively you must base your assumptions on what gear they are wearing as well as what weapons they are using (or by the less reasonable way of engaging them and hoping they will reveal their higher talent tree abilities). In general, a warrior using a two hander will be Arms, dual wielding will be Fury, and a one hander and shield will be Protection.

Arms/Fury Build Abilities:

• Mortal Strike
• Second Wind
• Improved Hamstring

Arms/Fury Warriors are specialized in dealing damage and dealing damage in quick bursts with a heavy two-handed weapon. It's like getting hit with a train, hitting rewind and getting hit with a train again. Talents like Second Wind and Improved Hamstring can be a major nuisance. Try to time your abilities better than they do and get them down quick.

Fury Build Abilities:

• Improved Intercept
• Piercing Howl
• Enrage
• Death Wish

Fury Warriors deal large amounts of sustainable damage and will have great amounts of rage to use, as well as greater freedom in mobility than arms and protection builds. A fury warrior will wear you down with strike after strike. Talents like Death Wish make them immune to your Intimidating Shout ability, they can usually intercept more often and they get a damage bonus and heal-over-time when struck with a critical attack. Play them like you would a combat rogue.

Protection Build Abilities:

• Last Stand
• Improved Revenge
• Concussion Blow
• Shield Slam
• Tons of armor and health

Protection Warriors take damage, and that's about all they do, no spectacular damage potential, they have limited use of stuns, simply do more damage to them then they do to you and it will be an easy win. Clever Prot warriors will toy around with disarming you, stunning at opportunistic moments and stripping you of armor. Almost no PvP-interested warriors spec Protection, so these are a very rare encounter.

Also, don't forget retaliation. It can be incredibly useful against warriors, as essentially the only way they do damage is in melee. And if they are taking all the damage they are dealing plus what you are dishing out.

Warriors vs. Priests

Notable Priest Abilities:

• Power Word: Shield
• Mind Flay
• Holy Fire
• Devouring Plague
• Shadowguard
• Prayer of Healing
• Shadow Word: Pain
• Desperate Prayer
• Flash Heal
• Psychic Scream
• Mind Blast
• Mind Control

Holy/Discipline priests (i.e. pure healers) are usually overmatched by a Warrior, but Shadow priests are a different story. With the ability to jump out of their Fear using Berserker Rage and with use of Pummel to stop casting, combined with high physical damage that is the bane of casters it would seem that Warriors would have an easy time of them, but the combination of the defenses of a Priest (especially Power Word: Shield) combined with respectable damage of a type that warriors cannot mitigate can often make for an almost unbeatable combination. Beating on a Priest whose shield is up and who is draining the Warrior's life from behind it using Mind Flay is the definition of futility: the Shadow Priest can damage the Warrior, but the Warrior is powerless to respond. Nevertheless with a little luck, judicious use of Pummel to stop the larger, longer cast-time heals, and Bloodrage to recover from the loss of Rage while the Priest is bubbled, they can be defeated. As is usual with casters, a Warrior should try to get the jump on them with an initial Charge, fight always in Berserker Stance, and Hamstring them to keep them from getting out of melee range. If you see that a shadow priest is just to mount up and get out there if you can - theres no shame in a tactical retreat! You're 95% sure to lose unless you're seriously kited out. Even with only half a health and mana bar they can often beat a full health warrior. A shadow priest is without doubt the warrior's worst enemy, even more so than the mage now - thanks to spell reflect.

Warriors vs. Warlocks

While you will often lose to a well geared warlock because of the heavily beefed up damage over time spells he can spam onto you, which will eat your health away like popcorn, if your not too far from a graveyard and you see one you can charge its usually worth a go (unlike the shadow priest). To stand a chance against a warlock you can't really afford to make any mistakes, and even then you can still lose if he doesn't either.

Assuming you are arms specced and hence do not have the luxury of the 'death wish' talent (immune to fear 30 secs), and you have the element of surprise, you should proceed as follows:

Charge, hamsting and berserker rage to prevent the first fear. He will be certain at some point early on to use death coil on you. You can counter this with your trinket, (the quicker you use the trinket the better because death coil takes health from you and restores his - not something you want happening) then, if you need to - intercept to bring yourself back into melee range. After the first fear has failed and he has used death coil and still not got you off his back, he will be sure to attempt another fear - knowing you have spent your berserker rage. The fight hinges on you stopping him casting this second fear. You can (with the new patch) now see when he is casting fear and if your quick should be able to interupt by any means nessecary (your own fear, war stomp, pummel, etc).

If you avoid the two fear attempts you will have been spanking him with your big sword for the entire fight aside the couple of seconds you were death coiled. Most warlocks cant stand up to this kind of punishment and you should be able to out damage him.

Warriors vs. Mages

Notable Mage Abilities:

• Blink - instant cast, 15 sec cooldown, teleports caster 20 meters in front of the caster. frees the caster from stuns or bonds (roots)
• Ice Barrier (31 point Frost talent) - instant cast, 30 sec cooldown, absorb next 838 (at lvl 60) damage to caster, lasts 1 minute. While the shield holds, spells will not be interrupted.
• Ice Armor - instant cast, lasts 30 minutes, increases caster's armor by 560, enemy melee attacks have a chance to cause the attacker to have movement slowed by 30%, and attack slowed by 20% for 5 sec.
• Frost Nova - instant cast, 25 sec cooldown, enemies near the caster take 71-79 frost damage, and are rooted for 8 seconds.
• Polymorph - 1.5 sec cast, Transforms the enemy into a sheep, forcing it to wander around for up to 50 sec. While wandering, the sheep cannot attack or cast spells but will regenerate health very quickly. Any damage will transform the target back into its normal form. Only one target can be polymorphed at a time. Only works on Beasts, Humanoids and Critters.
• Cone of Cold - instant cast, targets in a cone in front of the caster take 335 to 365 frost damage and are slowed to 50% of their normal movement speed for 8 sec.
• Frost Bolt - 2.5 sec cast (with talents), deals 429-463 damage, reduces movement of target by 40%.
• Pyroblast (11 point Fire talent) - 6 sec cast, deals 716-890 damage plus 268 damage over 12 secs.
• Presence of Mind (20 point Arcane talent) - instant cast, 3 min cooldown, any mage spell with a casting time less than 10 seconds will cast instantly.
• Ice Block (21 point Frost talent) - instant cast, 5 min cooldown, encases mage in a block of ice protecting them from all forms of damage for 10 seconds and removes all negative effects (stuns, roots, disorients, magic, poison, disease, etc.) Mage cannot move or cast spells during this time.
• Arcane Power (31 point Arcane talent) - instant cast, 3 min cooldown, when activated increases mage spell damage by 30% while also costing 30% more mana to cast. Effect lasts for 15 secs.

Generally, warriors will lose to magi because they have many tools to escape melee range and keep the warrior snared. Once separated, mages can then rely on snares and instant cast damage spells that never give the warrior a chance to effectively close the distance gap. If they lose their distance, a mage may choose to use Ice Barrier (if talented) or Mana Shield so that their spells that take casting time cannot be interrupted via damage. Shield Bash and Pummel will still stop their casting regardless.

Despite this, here are concepts that work:

Intercept is best used if done in reaction to blink, so that the mage cannot blink away immediately in response to intercept and leave you high and dry. Unfortunately, the mage will have to blink first - hopefully in response to a charge you've gotten off. A mage may actually blink *into* you in order to prevent the intercept and confuse you, so be ready for this.

His other main trick to put distance between you and himself is frost nova which roots you in place for a few seconds while he nukes you. Fortunatly blizzard have provided us with a remedy to this problem in the form of 'spell reflect', though I hasten to add its not as easy as it may sound. Having blinked away from you and been intercepted you will be almost sure to find yourself frozen to the ground while he conjures up a big fireball for you to eat. To reflect the spell it is required you switch to battle stance, change to a shield, blood rage, and ping the shield reflect spell, all before his fireball hits you, then revert back to your 2 hander to kill him. But not too far before he finishes casting because the animation of spell reflect will signal him to stop casting. You MUST have a macro to do all this with a one button mash or you have no chance of pulling it off in time. If it works well he'll crit himself for about 2.5K fire damage just in time for frost nova to break and you to run in and execute him. He will be left wondering what the hell hit him. Blizzard hasn't made things easy with mages, but they have now at least given warriors a fighting chance.

You should also have your pvp trinket equipped to escape any sheep or frost nova if he is casting instant spells (which you can't reflect). Mages will often open up the fight by trying to sheep you. This gives them ages to plan out how they re gonna kill you. If you can intercept/pummel/intimidating shout and start hammering him with mortal strike before he can do this, it will often panick him into a mistake and give you the upper hand. Also remember if you are out of melee range and hes about to launch something nasty at you, using intimidating shout will interrupt him.

Warriors vs. Druids

Druids are highly overrated against warriors in PvP, but they will kill you efficiently if they are overlooked. If a Druid engages you as a bear at the beginning of the battle he has about 1.5 to 3 times as much armor as you do, so do not expect a quick kill. In addition, the majority of Feral spec Druids tend to favour Cat form, which is substantially more fragile than Bear. Balance is by far the most effective Druid tree for PvP against warriors, but most of them aren't willing to respec to specialize as warrior killers, so they don't use it. A Cat form Feral Druid is unlikely to cause you significant problems, unless he is well geared or very smart. However, once Druids gain their level 62 skill Maim, they earn some of the stun-lock capabilites of a rogue and Cat druids become significantly more difficult to kill, as they can now stun, heal, and climb behind you for major burst damage at the middle to end of the battle.

As with all casters, shield bash is crucial to fighting a druid. If you are outside, the spell to look out for is Entangling Roots, which will root you in place. In melee combat, A warrior should always beat a druid. They should not be taken lightly though, a competent, power-shifting druid has many ways to stun, root, or disable you and you cannot afford to have them get off a heal or they simply will bleed you to death or tank you down.

Things to watch out for, druids (in bear form) have an ability to stun you for a few seconds. Expect them to use this as they are getting low in hitpoints. They stun you, change back to caster, heal, then back to bear. To counter this, make sure you are in berserker stance (ideally have your rank 2 PvP trinket for breaking stun ready and equipped). When they stun you, hit your trinket. When their hands turn green as they begin to case heal...pummel them to stop the heal. Blood rage if necessary to get the rage for this, as that heal will likely mean death for you. Also if you are MS spec, keep that on them, that 50% healing reduction goes a LONG way in winning the battle as druids have several Heal Over Time spells, that your MS will nicely gimp. Another classic trick is to cast cyclone giving them ample time to heal. This can be prevented by being in berserker stance. Use berserker rage to break cyclone and the trinket to break any other stun effect, then pummel his attempted heal. You can be sure hes gonna heal if he casts cyclone so get you finger on that pummel button!

As druids are the best class at escaping slowing and snare effects be weary of a druid that get low on health as he can quickly shift forms out of a snare/speed debuff and run away much faster than you can catch him on foot.

Warriors vs. Hunters

The advice for fighting warlocks applies to hunters as well, as does the bloodrage/intercept strategy used against mages. Keep in mind that chasing a hunter who is stunning/dazing you is an entirely futile exercise until intercept goes away; switch to a shield, shield wall if necessary, and build up rage on the pet while doing what you can to mitigate damage until intercept recycles.

Another option is to try to get close enough to where you can get off an intimidating shout. If you get the jump on them it's even easier, if not you can still get this to work. Make sure you are targeting them and not their pet, this will get their pet out of your hair for more than enough time to punish them. Most of the time they freak out that their pet is gone so all you got to do is hamstring, disarm whatever you have to do, MS, execute. It's that easy. If they get the drop on you do like he said above, build up rage intercept. That's one of your strongest weapons against the hunter. It's all about tactical mastery gents, if you don't believe me keep on trying to win battles with 1/3 of your char. It is a must.

One tactic to easily kill a hunter goes like this. If you charge in, likely they will have an ice trap waiting for you. BUT, have no fear. Spamming the AoE taunt ability (challenging shout) as you are charging in, you will likely get it off before you are frozen in the trap. This will force the hunter's pet to attack you, breaking the ice trap, and royally screwing over your enemy. Once the pet has broken the ice trap, you should immediately hamstring the hunter. Next (this is crucial) you should disarm your opponent. But hunters can't do much damage at a melee range, you say? This may be so, but taking away your enemy's melee weapon will take away their single greatest ability: Wing Clip. If a hunter can't wing clip you, and they are kept at 50% movement speed for 15 seconds, you will have more than enough time to destroy your opponent.

The beastmaster talent 'beastial wrath' poses a real problem and has made the hunter almost unbeatable if he's any good. It is an unfair ability against warriors. It makes him immune to fear, snare and intercept stun; basically EVERY trick you have to keep him close, for about 15 secs. This is plenty of time in which to kill you or put you in such bad shape that you cannot win the fight. There is no tried and true way to reliably beat these Beastmaster hunters.

Warrios vs. Paladins

From a Paladin's point of view, warriors are probably their easiest opponents. Should you be fighting a Paladin, you can't afford any mistakes. You need to keep them in front of you in order to maximize your damage output, and try to stay behind them to receive the lowest amount of damage possible. Keep them Hamstring and have Rend applied at all times. If you are an Arms spec warrior, Mortal Strike won't do anything for you unless they heal before putting on Blessing of Protection or Divine Shield. If the Paladin puts up any of their "Protection" shields, stay back about 10 yards from them and bandage - this way you should be out of range for their Hammer of Justice and Consecration - stay back further if fighting a retribution pally, he has the "repentance" stun ability as well. All of these will interrupt your bandaging. When the Paladin comes out of their shield, you should be far enough away from them to Charge; a paladin fight is all about rage generation. Without an ample supply of rage to fuel your abilities, you will be easily killed. Paladins are easily the most durable class. They can survive for long periods of time with stuns, invulnerability, plate armor, and other abilities (e.g. Lay on Hands: Restores the Paladin to full health, and gives them mana, 1 hour cooldown, lowered to 40 mins with talents. This drains all of the Paladin's mana but can even be cast at 1 mana. Luckily, most Paladins use this very rarely, saving it for a critical moment).

Holy Paladins can use the spell "Holy Shock", which will interrupt your bandage from 20 yards. Which spec a Paladin is using can often be discovered by looking at their gear: A Paladin wearing a 2h and low mana gear such as BG-rewards are likely to be retribution specced or protection. If they wear a shield and 1h they are either protection or holy specced. Also, Paladins with epic dungeon gear, Judgement and/or Lawbringer, are very often holy specced.

Notes:

• MS MUST be applied whenever they are about to heal.
• Keep Rend on them.
• Keep Hamstring on them.
• Keep them in front of you.
• Stay behind them.
• Try to keep them disarmed.
• A Paladin survives based on their mana. A Paladin with no mana is a dead Paladin.

If they ever try to heal without their shields, punish them for their foolishness! Should they stun, just use your PvP-trinket, then pummel them immediately. Don't try to do anything else; what you need to do is silence them, not interrupt their spell.

If you're losing (which happens more often than not), there is really nothing you can do other than fight to your death and try to kill them. Watch out for their Hammer of Wrath from 25 yards, if they try to do it either pummel them, stand behind them, or Concussion Blow them if you have it. Your survival hinges on your ability to prevent this killing blow.

Warriors vs. Shamans

Ignore totems, especially if you are arms spec. It is not worth wasting an entire swing of a slow weapon for a crappy totem. They do not cause a great deal of damage, though the earthbind totems are a pain, so long as you have a hamstring on him you are both equally disadvantaged. That swing you could use on a totem is much better off critting him for about 2000 damage than trying to mitigate a few hundred from a fire totem. You should easily be doing more damage to him than he is to you while in hand to hand combat (which, as a shaman, he cannot realistically avoid), especially with you having having disarmed him early on. This will pretty soon force him to resort to healing himself. Interupt the heal attempt and you are on easy street. Just bash him down. Shaman probably are the simplist (though sometimes not the easiest) fight for a warrior. The formala is always the same - Charge; hamstring; disarm; beat him up and pummel his attempts to heal. You do not really need to do too much thinking, complicated tricks or stance swapping as you would when fighting a mage or a rogue for example.

While not a shaman ability, the Tauren racial ability Warstomp is worth mentioning. The vast majority of Shaman are Tauren, so you will likely see this ability used frequently. It can be very effective in close quarters. The simple solution to this is to use your trinket as soon as he uses warstomp. He will be guarenteed to be attempting a heal when he does this. Just quickly trinket out and pummel and you will be fine.

Throughout levels 1-50, a skilled Shaman will probably beat a warrior. Level 51-70, Shaman start to balance with other classes, and the better player (or more lucky warrior) will win. At Level 70, a well played warrior should never lose to a shaman (with equal equipment levels).