Arms Warrior DPS Spell Summary (Legion 7.3)

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

General Information

On this page, we list the spells that you will often use as an Arms Warrior.

The other pages of our Arms Warrior guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

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.

1. Spell Summary

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 within the specialization, how they interact with each other and also with important cooldowns. If you already have experience with Arms before or are comfortable with the spec in Legion, it is recommended you skip this section and move on to the rest of the guide.

2. Main Resource

Rage is your primary resource, generated both through your auto attacks and through some active abilities at differing rates. It is used to fuel your most powerful abilities such as Mortal Strike and Execute, and managing it correctly to fill out gaps in your rotation is vital to maximizing your output.

3. Basic Abilities

These are your core skills that are available regardless of talents, and form the core gameplay of the specialization.

Mortal Strike is your core ability, dealing high damage to your target at the cost of 20 Rage, with a 6-second cooldown. This is kept on cooldown so as to get the most out of Tactician resets.

Colossus Smash deals high damage to your target at no cost on a 20-second cooldown. This also leaves a debuff on the target for 8 seconds increasing all damage dealt to the target by 12%, and both the damage dealt and damage taken increase scale with Mastery: Colossal Might.

Slam is your main filler, costing 20 Rage and dealing moderate damage. This is used above 20% on a target when both Mortal Strike and Colossus Smash are on cooldown to gain resets through Tactician.

Execute is only usable on targets under 20% health, and deals massive damage with no cooldown, costing 10 Rage and consuming up to 10 additional Rage for up to double damage. 30% of the Rage consumed is also refunded if this does not kill the target. This is your hardest hitting ability and is used frequently on targets when available, especially during Colossus Smash debuffs.

Cleave deals low damage to all targets in front of you at the cost of 10 Rage, with a 6-second cooldown. Additionally, each target hit by this increases the damage of your next Whirlwind by 20%, up to a maximum of 5.

Whirlwind deals low damage to all targets within 8 yards at the cost of 30 Rage, with no cooldown.

Charge is your primary movement tool on a 20-second cooldown that instantly rushes you to your target, generating 20 Rage and rooting them for 1.5 seconds. Use this often to stay on targets and generate additional Rage.

4. Important Procs

Tactician grants a 0.75% chance per Rage spent to reset the cooldown of Mortal Strike and Colossus Smash. This is a random effect that will occur periodically in your rotation and allow for extra casts of your main abilities.

5. Offensive Cooldowns

Battle Cry increases your critical strike chance by 100% for 5 seconds, on a 1-minute cooldown. This should be used on cooldown for increased burst.

Bladestorm deals massive damage to all targets within 8 yards over 6 seconds, but cannot cast any other spells during this time, on a 1.5-minute cooldown. This should be used whenever possible against large groups of enemies and ideally with Battle Cry.

6. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 14 Jun. 2017: Updated spell descriptions for Patch 7.2.5.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Updated for Legion's launch.
• 19 Jul. 2016: Updated for the Legion pre-patch.