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

As a Protection Warrior you tank with a one-handed weapon and shield, using Revenge and Shield Slam to build threat while keeping enemies facing you. Shield Block helps you block incoming melee attacks, giving you more chances to use Revenge and generate Rage through Shield Specialization.

Most of your time is spent in Defensive Stance, switching targets as needed to keep enemies on you. Save enough Rage for your main attacks, an interrupt, or a defensive ability, before spending the rest on Heroic Strike or Cleave.

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. Remember that you can use Shield Block alongside your attacks while taking regular melee hits; it doesn't trigger the global cooldown, so you don't need to delay an attack to use it.

1. Maintain Buffs and Debuffs
   • Battle Shout: Keep the Attack Power buff active on yourself and nearby group members.
   • Sunder Armor: After landing Shield Slam or Revenge on the pull, build five stacks quickly.
   • Demoralizing Shout: Maintain its melee Attack Power reduction when needed and nobody else is covering it.
2. Shield Block
   • Use it on cooldown against melee attackers. It is not on the global cooldown and can always be used if ready.
3. Shield Slam
   • Save enough Rage to use it when it comes off cooldown.
4. Revenge
   • Use it when blocking, dodging, or parrying makes it available.
5. Thunder Clap
   • Use it when ready.
6. Rend
   • Apply it if the bleed is missing.
7. Sunder Armor
   • Use it between your main attacks, including after reaching five stacks.
8. Heroic Strike
   • Queue it only with extra Rage, leaving enough for your higher-priority attacks and Shield Block.

Keep enemies in front of you so you can block and parry their attacks, using Shield Block on cooldown while melee enemies are attacking you. Start with Thunder Clap as enemies reach you, then spread your attacks between targets instead of spending the whole pull attacking just one mob.

1. Thunder Clap
   • Use it when ready while several enemies are in range. It hits up to four nearby targets.
2. Shield Slam
   • Use it on your main target or an enemy you're close to losing threat on.
3. Revenge
   • Use an available proc on an enemy that needs more threat.
4. Sunder Armor
   • Spread it between enemies that need more threat while your main attacks are unavailable.
5. Cleave
   • Use it instead of Heroic Strike when a second enemy is in range and you have extra Rage.

• Revenge
  • This is a cheap high-threat attack that becomes available after you block, dodge, or parry. It costs 5 Rage before reductions, has a 5-second cooldown, and requires Defensive Stance. Its damage scales with Attack Power, and Improved Revenge improves it further.
• Shield Slam
  • Shield Slam is an instant shield attack with a 6-second cooldown and a base cost of 20 Rage. Its damage increases with Block Value rather than with Attack Power, and it has a 50% chance to dispel one Magic effect from the target. Use it to establish threat at the start of a pull and keep it ahead of Revenge in your single-target priority.
• Shield Block
  • Costs 10 Rage and increases Block Chance by 75% for up to 7 seconds or until you've blocked two attacks. It requires Defensive Stance and has a 5 second cooldown without triggering the global cooldown. Against a pack, both charges can disappear almost immediately, so watch the charges rather than assuming you're covered for the full duration.
  • Shield Specialization can generate Rage when you block, while Master of Defense does the same when you dodge or parry with a shield equipped. These interactions make regular incoming melee attacks valuable, but you won't be able to benefit from these Rage or Revenge opportunities while off-tanking.

Shield Block doesn't trigger the global cooldown, so you can macro it into major abilities such as Shield Slam. This macro tries to use Shield Block before Shield Slam whenever you press it. You can use this macro with all of your major abilities.

• Sunder Armor
  • Reduces the target's Armor, stacking up to five times and lasting 30 seconds. It also generates threat that scales with Attack Power on every use, so it remains your filler attack even after the Armor reduction is fully stacked. Improved Sunder Armor and Focused Rage reduce its Rage cost.

• Thunder Clap
  • Damages up to four enemies within 8 yards and slows their attacks, with its damage scaling from Attack Power. It has a 6-second cooldown and works in Battle Stance or Defensive Stance. Improved Thunder Clap and Focused Rage reduce its Rage cost. Use it when ready for damage in both single-target and AoE fights.
• Rend
  • Costs 10 Rage before bonuses and applies a bleed that lasts 21 seconds. Use it in Defensive Stance after your higher priority attacks when the bleed is missing, letting the existing application finish before refreshing it.
• Heroic Strike
  • Adds damage and extra threat to your next main hand swing, with Improved Heroic Strike reducing its Rage cost. It replaces that auto attack rather than adding a separate hit between swings, so you pay its Rage cost and give up the Rage that swing would normally generate. Queue it when you can afford that cost without delaying your other attacks.
• Cleave
  • Also replaces your next main hand auto attack, but hits a second nearby enemy. Raging Blows can reduce its Rage cost. Use it in place of Heroic Strike when two enemies are in range, while still leaving enough Rage for your main attacks.

Focused Rage reduces the cost of offensive abilities, while Bastion increases damage with a shield equipped and Defiance increases threat in Defensive Stance while using a shield. If you're off-tanking and Rage is scarce, save it for your main attacks and stop queueing Heroic Strike or Cleave until you can afford them.

• Shield Wall
  • Reduces damage taken by 60% for 12 seconds and requires Defensive Stance and a shield. Use it before the hit or burst of damage you're trying to survive. Its base cooldown is 15 minutes, with Improved Shield Wall able to reduce it to 4 minutes.
• Last Stand
  • Temporarily grants 30% of your maximum health for 20 seconds as additional health, with a 3-minute cooldown. It gives your healers more time to recover when you're in danger, but doesn't reduce incoming damage, and the extra health is lost when the effect ends.
• 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.
  • Improved Bloodrage increases both the initial Rage gain and the Rage generated over the following seconds.
• 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.
• 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. The extra incoming damage makes it a risky threat cooldown while tanking, especially during an already dangerous pull.
• Retaliation
  • Counterattacks enemies that hit you from the front for 15 seconds with melee attacks, up to 30 counterattacks. It requires Battle Stance and has a 15-minute cooldown. It can add damage when several melee enemies are attacking you, but changing stances also affects the defensive tools you can use.
• Victory Rush
  • Is a free attack that heals 10% of your maximum health after killing a non-trivial 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.

• Shield Bash
  • Is your interrupt in Defensive Stance, requiring a shield and locking the interrupted spell school for 6 seconds. Its base cost is 10 Rage and its cooldown is 12 seconds, so keep Rage available when you're responsible for a cast interrupt. Improved Shield Bash can also add a silence.
• Concussion Blow
  • Stuns an enemy for 5 seconds, with a 45-second cooldown. Use it to stop a dangerous mob or a cast when Shield Bash isn't available, provided the target can be stunned.
• Battle Shout
  • Increases Attack Power for you and nearby group members. Keep it active, refreshing it before a pull when possible so you don't need to spend an early global cooldown on the buff.
• Demoralizing Shout
  • Reduces the melee Attack Power of nearby enemies. Keep it active when the reduction matters and nobody else is maintaining an equivalent or stronger effect.
• Taunt
  • Raises your threat to match the highest threat on the enemy and forces it to attack you briefly. It requires Defensive Stance and costs no Rage. Follow it with threat attacks rather than relying on the forced attack to hold the enemy after the effect ends.
• Mocking Blow
  • Forces an enemy to attack you for 6 seconds and requires Battle Stance. It can help when Taunt is unavailable, but doesn't copy another player's threat.
• Challenging Shout
  • Forces nearby enemies to attack you for 6 seconds without copying another player's threat. Use that time to build threat across the pack, and be ready for the extra incoming damage.
• Disarm
  • Can reduce the damage from an enemy's weapon attacks when it's susceptible, but requires Defensive Stance. Improved Disarm can reduce its cooldown.
• 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.

• Charge
  • Closes the gap and generates Rage before combat in Battle Stance. Vanguard also lets you use it in Defensive Stance, though it still requires you to be out of combat.
• Intercept
  • Gives you another way to reach an enemy and briefly stun it during combat, but requires Berserker Stance and costs Rage. Improved Intercept can shorten its cooldown.

More WoW Forever Warrior Guides

Class Quests Arms Warrior Melee DPS Guide Protection Warrior Tank Stats Fury Warrior Melee DPS Leveling Arms Warrior Melee DPS Stats Fury Warrior Melee DPS Stats

More WoW Forever Guides from Other Classes

Holy Priest Healer Stats Class Quests Destruction Warlock Ranged DPS Leveling Elemental Shaman Ranged DPS Leveling Assassination Rogue Melee DPS Leveling Survival Hunter Melee DPS Leveling