Arms Warrior DPS Spell Summary — Battle for Azeroth (BfA) 8.2.5

If you are new to Arms, this is a great place to start to get an understanding of how the spec works. In this section, we will discuss what abilities you have, what they are used for, and how they interact with each other. If you have prior experience with Arms or are already comfortable with the spec in Battle for Azeroth, it is recommended you skip this section and move on to the rest of the guide.

Rage is your primary resource, generated through autoattacks and a select few abilities. It is used to fuel nearly all of your special attacks, including Mortal Strike and Execute, so managing it effectively is vital to maintaining a stable rotation.

These are the innate skills that are available regardless of talents, which form the foundation of the specialization's gameplay.

Mortal Strike is the centerpoint of Arms gameplay, inflicting high damage, Deep Wounds core ability, and synergizing with Overpower.

Overpower's main purpose is in buffing Mortal Strike, but it also serves an important purpose in filling global cooldowns with a free attack, delaying Rage expenditure and giving time for autoattacks to generate more. The cooldown is reset by Tactician, adding a dynamic flow to the rotation.

Execute serves as the most powerful Rage spender, only usable on targets under 20% health. In addition, it inflicts Deep Wounds, allowing it to supplement or replace Mortal Strike entirely. It is the main ability used once the enemy enters a weakened state, with the Rage refund mechanic allowing you to maintain pressure until the target is defeated.

Slam is your main filler, typically used only when nothing else is available, giving it an important role in Rage management. Recognizing when to use it and when to save that Rage for more important abilities is a crucial part of playing Arms effectively.

Whirlwind primarily fills the multitarget role, dealing low damage, but to all nearby targets instead of only one or two. Like Slam, knowing when and when not to use this is paramount to managing Rage and maintaining a smooth rotation.

Charge is a combat initiator and mobility tool, which generates Rage to help enable the rotation and roots the target to prevent escape. Use it to start combat, stay on target, and close gaps whenever necessary.

Tactician grants a 1.40% chance per Rage spent to reset the cooldown of Overpower. This can trigger from any Rage spending ability, allowing you to both fill more global cooldowns with a free attack and buff Mortal Strike more often.

Bladestorm deals massive damage and inflicts Deep Wounds on single and against multiple targets. Paired with Colossus Smash it can be a devastating ability, which is both free and allows you to continue autoattacking, banking Rage for follow-up attacks.

Colossus Smash is a high damage offensive cooldown which causes the target to take increased damage, creating a burst window that serves as the linchpin of Arms' damage. Anticipating its cooldown and saving Rage can greatly improve your ability to fill global cooldowns and overall output during the debuff.

Sweeping Strikes is a secondary cooldown which enables two target damage. Most importantly, it also causes your attacks to inflict any debuffs on both targets, making it easier to maintain bleeds and create burst windows.