World of Warcraft: Forever Arms Warrior - Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities

Arms uses a two-handed weapon, spending Rage on heavy attacks while reacting to Overpower procs. Bloodthrill makes Rend part of that rotation, while Mortal Strike and Slam give you regular attacks to fit between procs. Most of your single-target rotation takes place in Battle Stance.

Rage limits how many attacks you can use, so work down the priorities below and save enough for your next important ability. Heroic Strike and Cleave are for extra Rage after those attacks, rather than buttons to queue on every swing.

You should work your way down this priority list, but make sure to consider saving Rage instead of spending it on a lower priority attack, if it would delay one higher on the list. Use Reckless Swings when you need more Rage, have health to spare, and can keep attacking.

1. Maintain Buffs and Debuffs
   • Battle Shout: Keep the Attack Power buff active on yourself and nearby group members.
   • Sunder Armor: Build five stacks and refresh them before they expire if you're responsible for the Armor debuff.
   • Demoralizing Shout: Maintain its melee Attack Power reduction when needed and nobody else is covering it.
   • Thunder Clap: Maintain its attack speed reduction when needed. It requires Battle Stance and affects up to four nearby enemies.
2. Overpower
   • Use it when a dodge or Bloodthrill enables it, before the opportunity expires.
3. Mortal Strike
   • Save 30 Rage for it when it's about to come off cooldown.
4. Execute
   • Only available when the target is at 20% health or lower.
5. Slam
   • Use it when you can finish the cast without needing to move.
6. Spearing Strike
   • Make this your top damage priority against Giants, Dragonkin, and mounted enemies.
7. Hamstring
   • Use it to fish for melee attack procs such as windfury attacks or sword procs, as well as crits for additional Deep Wounds damage, whenever you have spare Rage after your higher priority attacks.
8. Heroic Strike
   • Queue it only with extra Rage, leaving enough for your higher priority attacks.

Keep enemies close enough for your attacks to hit them, and give the tank time to gather the pack before starting. Sweeping Strikes needs a second nearby enemy. Start using Whirlwind when at least three enemies are nearby; it can hit up to four.

Rend and Cleave are a bit higher-priority if you are fighting two enemies that will live for awhile, as having Rend applied to both allows Cleave to give you two chances to proc Bloodthrill, giving you way more Overpowers.Use Reckless Swings when you need more Rage, have health to spare, and can keep attacking.

1. Sweeping Strikes
   • Activate it in Battle Stance when at least two nearby enemies will survive long enough to use up its charges.
2. Whirlwind
   • Use it in Berserker Stance when at least three enemies are in range.
3. Overpower
   • Return to Battle Stance to use an available proc.
4. Mortal Strike
   • Save 30 Rage for it when it's about to come off cooldown.
5. Execute
   • Use it on a target at 20% health or lower.
6. Slam
   • Use it when you can finish the cast.
7. Rend
   • Keep it on your main target without refreshing the existing bleed early.
8. Spearing Strike
   • Make this your top damage priority against Giants, Dragonkin, and mounted enemies.
9. Cleave
   • Use it instead of Heroic Strike when a second enemy is in range and you have extra Rage.

• Overpower
  • Costs only 5 Rage and can't be blocked, dodged, or parried, making it one of your most reliable attacks. It normally becomes available after an enemy dodges, but Bloodthrill also lets your main hand attacks against an enemy affected by your Rend enable it. The bleed ticks themselves don't trigger Bloodthrill.
  • Improved Overpower can add up to 50% Critical Strike Chance, making these procs particularly valuable. Impale increases the critical strike damage bonus of your abilities, and Deep Wounds adds a bleed when you critically strike. Watch for the proc while using your other attacks so you can spend it before it expires.
• Mortal Strike
  • Is an instant weapon attack with a 6-second cooldown and a 30 Rage cost. It also reduces healing received by the target by 50% for 10 seconds. Its Rage cost is a big part of why you need to hold back on lower priority attacks when it's almost ready.
• Execute
  • Becomes available at 20% health or lower and works in Battle Stance or Berserker Stance. It costs 15 Rage before talent bonuses and spends your remaining Rage for additional damage, so one cast can empty most or all of your bar. Continue following the priority instead of spending every swing's Rage on another Execute.
• Slam
  • Gives you another weapon attack between your higher priorities, but it has a cast time and requires you to stand still. Improved Slam brings its cooldown to 10 seconds, reduces its cast time and global cooldown, and prevents it from interrupting or delaying your auto attacks.

• Rend
  • Deals bleed damage that scales with Attack Power and can critically strike, with Improved Rend increasing that damage. With Bloodthrill, your main hand attacks against a target affected by Rend can trigger Overpower; this includes Heroic Strike and Cleave. Refreshing it early discards the remaining bleed damage, while applying it to an enemy that's about to die uses Rage and a global cooldown for little return.
• Spearing Strike
  • Is an instant attack in Battle Stance with a 20-second cooldown and a 15 Rage cost. It deals 40% weapon damage, with an additional 80% weapon damage against Giants, Dragonkin, and mounted targets, and dismounts mounted enemies. Make it your top damage priority against those targets.
• Hamstring
  • Costs 10 Rage and deals a small amount of damage while slowing the target. Use it to fish for melee attack procs when your higher priority attacks are unavailable and you have spare Rage, without delaying those attacks for another attempt.
• Heroic Strike
  • Adds damage against one enemy, with Improved Heroic Strike reducing its Rage cost.
  • Heroic Strike and Cleave replace your next auto attack instead of adding a separate attack between swings. You pay their Rage cost and give up the Rage that swing would normally generate, so using them too often can leave you unable to afford your other attacks. Queue them when you have enough Rage to cover both the swing and what you need next.
• Cleave
  • Also hits a second nearby enemy, and Raging Blows can reduce its Rage cost and the cost of Whirlwind.
• Whirlwind
  • Deals weapon damage to up to four enemies within 8 yards and requires Berserker Stance. Start using it when at least three enemies are nearby; Raging Blows can reduce its Rage cost. Plan the stance change around your Rage so you can afford Whirlwind without discarding a large amount on the way into Berserker Stance.
• Sweeping Strikes
  • Makes your next five melee attacks also hit a second nearby enemy. It costs 30 Rage, requires Battle Stance to activate, and has a 30-second cooldown. Use it when both enemies will stay close enough for you to spend the charges; activating it as the second target dies wastes much of the benefit.

• Bloodrage
  • Trades 20% of your base health for 10 Rage immediately and another 10 over 10 seconds, with a 1 minute cooldown. Use it when you have room for the Rage and need it for your attacks, including at the start of a pull.
• Reckless Swings
  • Costs 25% of your base health and makes your next four melee attacks generate 5 additional Rage each. The effect lasts 8 seconds and the ability has a 15-second cooldown, so use it when you have room for the extra Rage, enough health to pay the cost, and can keep attacking.
• Recklessness
  • Grants 100% additional Critical Strike Chance and prevents Fear for 15 seconds, but also increases damage taken by 20%. It requires Berserker Stance to activate and has a 30 minute cooldown, so use it when you can stay in melee and safely benefit from the extra crits. Make sure you have Rage available to spend during it.
• Retaliation
  • Counterattacks enemies that hit you with melee attacks from the front for 15 seconds, up to 30 counterattacks. It requires Battle Stance and has a 15-minute cooldown. It can help when melee enemies are attacking you, but does little for your damage while the tank has their attention.
• Berserker Rage
  • Removes and grants temporary immunity to Fear and Incapacitate effects, while increasing the Rage you generate from taking damage. It requires Berserker Stance and has a 30-second cooldown. Save it for a Fear when one is coming.
• Shield Wall
  • Reduces damage taken by 60% for 12 seconds, but requires Defensive Stance and a shield. Keep a one handed weapon and shield ready to equip for emergencies, and use it before the hit you're trying to survive. It has a 15-minute cooldown.
• Victory Rush
  • Is a free attack that heals 10% of your maximum health after killing a nontrivial enemy. You have 20 seconds to use it, and the ability has a 30-second cooldown. Use the opportunity while fighting adds or moving through a dungeon, particularly when you're missing health.

Recklessness, Shield Wall, and Retaliation have separate cooldowns, so using one doesn't lock you out of the others.

Keep enough Rage available when you're responsible for stopping a cast, and account for the stance change before the spell is nearly finished.

• Pummel
  • Is your interrupt in Berserker Stance and doesn't require a shield.
• Shield Bash
  • Gives you an alternative in Battle Stance or Defensive Stance with a shield equipped.
• Disarm
  • Can reduce the damage from an enemy's weapon attacks when it's susceptible, but requires Defensive Stance.
• Intimidating Shout
  • Makes your target cower and nearby enemies flee. It can buy time during a bad pull, though fleeing enemies can reach other packs, so check what's around you before using it.
• Taunt
  • Requires Defensive Stance and can pull an enemy back onto you when the group needs emergency help.
• Mocking Blow
  • Forces an enemy to attack you temporarily and requires Battle Stance.
• Challenging Shout
  • Forces nearby enemies to attack you temporarily.

• Charge
  • Closes the gap and generates Rage before combat in Battle Stance.
• Intercept
  • Gives you another way to reach an enemy and briefly stun it during combat, but requires Berserker Stance and costs Rage.

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