Mists of Pandaria Classic Protection Warrior Leveling

Protection Warrior is not as quick as Arms leveling is, as Fury is much more end-game gearing required, but can still do okay.

In Mists of Pandaria, you will unlock a new row of talent selections every 15 levels, starting at level 15. The goal of our talent recommendations is to maximize your up time and damage so you may quickly progress through each zone.

Recommended option: Juggernaut.

This tier of talents aim to improve your Charge ability, with Juggernaut allowing you to use it more often. Synergizes very well with the Glyph of Bull Rush.

• Juggernaut — Reduces the cooldown of your Charge by 8 seconds. Synergizes well with Glyph of Bull Rush to generate Rage.
• Double Time — You can use Charge twice in a row; each use has a 20 second recharge time.
• Warbringer — Your Charge roots the target for 4 seconds and reduces their movement speed by 50% for 15 seconds.

Recommended option: Second Wind.

This tier of talents brings defensive skills that aim to restore your missing health.

• Enraged Regeneration — Instantly heals you for 10% of your max health, and an additional 10% over 5 seconds; can be used while stunned, and heals for doubled if used while Enraged.
• Second Wind — Whenever you are below 35% health, you regenerate 3% health per second.
• Impending Victory — Upgrades Victory Rush, allowing you to use it any time, healing you for 20% of your maximum health.

Recommended option: Disrupting Shout.

This tier of talents offer you additional crowd-control options, giving you additional means of wrecking havoc on your enemies.

• Staggering Shout — Roots all nearby enemies for 5 seconds.
• Piercing Howl — Slows all nearby enemies by 50% for 15 seconds.
• Disrupting Shout — Interrupts all enemy spellcasting in 10-yards, and prevents any spell in that school from being cast for 4 seconds; shares a cooldown with Pummel. Great for interrupting multiple casters at once, or if your enemy is slightly out of range.

Recommended option: Shockwave.

This tier of talents gives you a new AoE daamge ability, offering you the choice between crowd control and damage.

• Bladestorm — You become a whirling storm of destructive force, becoming immune to all slows and crowd control while you deal damage to all nearby enemies every 1 second for 6 seconds total; you are able to perform "shout" abilities while this is activated.
• Shockwave — Send a wave of force in a frontal cone, dealing damage and stunning all enemies hit for 4 seconds; causing damage to 3 or more targets reduces the cooldown by 20 seconds.
• Dragon Roar — Roar fiercely, dealing damage to all nearby enemies, knocking them down for 0.5 seconds; this ability always crits and ignores all armor.

Recommended option: Vigilance.

This tier of talents will give you a new defensive ability that allows you to protect your allies.

• Mass Spell Reflection — Reflects the next spell cast on you, and on all party and raid members within 20-yards for 5 seconds.
• Safeguard — Replaced Intervene, causing the targeted ally to take 20% reduced damage for 6 seconds.
• Vigilance — Reduce an allies damage taken by 30% for 12 seconds. Great external defensive cooldown to save an ally.

Glyphs were changed in a major way during Mists of Pandaria. Primal Glyphs have been removed, while minor glyphs have been changed to be mostly cosmetic changes, offering no combat improvements.

• Glyph of Heavy Repercussions — While your Shield Block is active, your Shield Slam hits for an additional 50% damage. Remains the go-to choice for getting absolutely huge Shield Slam hits off.
• Glyph of Hold the Line — Improves the damage of your next Revenge by 50% following a successful parry.
• Glyph of Incite — Using Demoralizing Shout makes your next 3 Heroic Strike or Cleave abilities free. Allows you to be defensive by debuffing the enemy while still dishing out a ton of damage and threat.

Your leveling rotation on single-target enemies will be as follows:

1. Heroic Strike If Ultimatum procs;
2. Shield Slam;
3. Revenge;
4. Shockwave;
5. Execute if target is below 20% health;
6. Devastate stack and refresh Weakened Armor, as well as Deep Wounds;
7. Thunder Clap; to apply Weakened Blows against a boss.
8. Devastate fill;
9. Heroic Strike If you are Rage capped.

Your leveling rotation against multiple enemies will be as follows:

1. Cleave If Ultimatum procs;
2. Thunder Clap;
3. Shockwave;
4. Shield Slam;
5. Revenge;
6. Execute if target is below 20% health;
7. Devastate fill;
8. Cleave If you are Rage capped.

Use your cooldowns as needed, usually when pulling multiple enemies.