Arms Warrior DPS Easy Mode

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.3 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 4. Strengths
  • 5. Weaknesses
  • 6. Viability in the Current Patch
  • 7. Contents
  • 8. ChangeLog
• ×Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resource
  • 3. Basic Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. Offensive Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheet
    • 2.1. Open World, Levelling and Questing
    • 2.2. Dungeons and Raids
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 10. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression
    • 1.1. Early Progression
    • 1.2. Patch 7.2 Post 35 Trait Path
  • 2. Artifact Ability
  • 3. Relic Choice
    • 3.1. AoE Specific:
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Netherlight Crucible Relic Paths
  • 1. Optimization between Light/Shadow Tier 2 and Relic Tier 3 Choices
  • 2. Tier 2 Priorities
    • 2.1. Best
    • 2.2. Good
    • 2.3. Weak
  • 3. Tier 3 Priorities
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single-Target Rotation
    • 1.1. Single Target
      • 1.1.1. Deadly Calm with Soul of the Battlelord
    • 1.2. Execute Usage
    • 1.3. Opening Rotation
    • 1.4. Cooldown Rotation
  • 2. Multiple-Target Rotation
    • 2.1. 4+ Target AoE
  • 3. Important Notes
    • 3.1. Tier 4 Talents
    • 3.2. Focused Rage
    • 3.3. Cooldowns
      • 3.3.1. Battle Cry
      • 3.3.2. Bladestorm/Ravager
      • 3.3.3. Colossus Smash and Warbreaker
  • 4. Mastering your Arms Warrior
    • 4.1. Rage Management
    • 4.2. Colossus Smash
    • 4.3. Movement and Mobility
    • 4.4. Advanced: Heroic Charge
    • 4.5. Defense
  • 5. Tier 19 Set Bonuses
    • 5.1. Tier 19 Trinket optimization
  • 6. Tier 20 Set Bonuses
    • 6.1. Tier 20 Trinket Optimization
  • 7. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
    • 1.1. Getting a Better Understanding
    • 1.2. Statistics
    • 1.3. Breakpoints
  • 2. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
  • 2. Enchants
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Macros
    • 1.1. Generic Macros for Warriors
      • 1.1.1. Bladestorm Cancelaura Macro
      • 1.1.2. Pummel Macro
      • 1.1.3. Heroic Leap Spam
    • 1.2. Specific Macros for Arms Warriors
      • 1.2.1. Charge Macro
      • 1.2.2. Cooldown Stacking Macro
  • 2. Addons
    • 2.1. Generic Addons for Warriors
      • 2.1.1. ElvUI
      • 2.1.2. Boss Mods: Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs
      • 2.1.3. GTFO
      • 2.1.4. Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 2.1.5. Weak Auras
      • 2.1.6. TellMeWhen
      • 2.1.7. Raeli's Spell Announcer
      • 2.1.8. Recount / Skada / Details!
      • 2.1.9. Omen Threat Meter
    • 2.2. Specific Addons for Arms Warriors
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Best in Slot List
    • 1.1. Trinkets
    • 1.2. Tier 19 & 20 Bonus Combinations
    • 1.3. Evaluating Upgrades with dynamic Item Levels
  • 2. Racial Bonuses
  • 3. Legendary Items
    • 3.1. 7.1.5 Legendaries
    • 3.2. 7.2 Legendaries
    • 3.3. 7.2.5 Legendaries
    • 3.4. Recommended Choices
  • 4. Loot Competition
  • 5. ChangeLog

This section is intended for players who are new to the game or class, have no intentions of raiding Mythic difficulty, or simply want a more straightforward way to play their specialization without being overwhelmed by the numerous priorities and active abilities that need to be taken into consideration for optimal play.

1. The Basics

Arms is a very mechanically oriented spec that has a penchant for RNG aspects that need to be managed. Talents can drastically increase this, so in this section I have opted toward the most ease of use options to reduce the burden on playstyle and provide the easiest avenue to entry for a new player.

The core mechanic of Arms that needs to be grasped when learning the spec is the dichotomy between the Colossus Smash effect and the Tactician passive, the first of which increases all damage dealt to a target in a short window whilst the debuff is active, and the latter allowing for resets on both Colossus Smash casts and your Mortal Strike ability. Mortal Strike is the core strike to capitalise upon, so making effective use of these ability resets in tandem based on your Rage state is imperative.

2. Talent Choice

The talents listed below are selected predominantly for ease of use and to mitigate more complex decisions when it comes to resource management. Whilst in a number of cases there are alternatives on the tree that will provide more if played well and selected at the right time in a given situation, they can cause a large performance drop if taken at the wrong time; so this should be taken as an introduction to Arms get a grasp of the specialization.

• Level 15: Dauntless/ Sweeping Strikes
• Level 30: Double Time
• Level 45: Trauma
• Level 60: Bounding Stride
• Level 75: Fervor of Battle
• Level 90: In For The Kill
• Level 100: Opportunity Strikes.

3. Stat Choice

The current Arms stat priority is as follows when using this build:

1. Mastery;
2. Haste;
3. Strength;
4. Versatility;
5. Critical Strike.

Mastery is exceptionally powerful for Arms, empowering your Colossus Smash effect, fuelling the core of the Arms rotation. Haste is further behind, but still very powerful as it allows for additional Rage generation and ability uses within during the Colossus Smash effect. Strength is a stock increase, and Versatility/Critical Strike are both weak but significantly below your alternate stat options.

4. Basic Rotation

Due to increased Artifact catch up mechanics in Patch 7.2, this assumes all rotationally impactful Artifact Traits have been picked up.

• Cast Colossus Smash if available and Shattered Defenses is not active.
• Cast Warbreaker if Colossus Smash is absent from your target.
• Cast Battle Cry if the Colossus Smash debuff is active on your target.
• Cast Bladestorm with Tier 20 4-piece or at 3 or above targets following Warbreaker.
• Cast Mortal Strike with Shattered Defenses active, or with 2 stacks of Executioner's Precision active.
• Cast Execute if your target is below 20%.
• Cast Whirlwind.

Lastly, take note that wasting uptime on the Colossus Smash effect is fine by overwriting it due to the damage the ability deals with no Rage cost. Wasting potential resets from waiting is far more costly, especially when considering Shattered Defenses so you should be using it aggressively; just make sure not to cast it back to back without consuming Shattered Defenses procs.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been written by Wordup, a frequent theorycrafter involved in a number of class communities. He is also an experienced player who has been in the world top 100 since the days of Sunwell, currently raiding in Echoes. You can also follow him on Twitter.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Archimtiros, one of the best DPS Warriors in the world, who raids in Infinity. You can follow him on Twitter.

5. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 14 Jun. 2017: Fully updated for new Arms talent choices and 7.2.5 information.
• 10 Jan. 2017: Updated for Titanic Might change in 7.1.5.
• 27 Nov. 2016: Added section for easier playstyle.