Protection Warrior Tank Spell List and Glossary — Midnight Pre-Patch (12.0)

This page goes over Protection Warrior's various abilities and passives, explaining what each does and how they function in detail. It is recommended that you read through this page in order to have a basis for the various topics that are discussed throughout the rest of this guide.

If you first start leveling a Protection Warrior, you will not have access to all of the abilities stated below. To get a better understanding of when you will get all the abilities mentioned on this page, you can go over our Leveling guide.

In the table below, you can find the baseline abilities. You will have access to these without having to Talent into them.

Ability	Abbreviation	Description / Effect
Shield Slam	SS	Deals Physical damage to a single target on a 9-second cooldown (reduced by Haste). It is also one of our main Rage generators.
Devastate	—	Deals Physical damage to a single target. It has no cooldown and generates no Rage.
Charge	—	Makes you sprint towards an enemy. It generates 20 Rage and has 1 charge with a 20-second cooldown.
Execute	—	Deals heavy single-target damage but is only usable on enemies below 20% HP. It has no cooldown and costs 20-40 Rage.
Whirlwind	WW	Deals Physical damage in an area around you. It costs 20 Rage and has no cooldown.
Pummel	—	Interrupts spell casts or channels and prevents any spell in that school from being cast for 3 seconds. It is on a 15-second cooldown.
Heroic Throw	HT	Deals Physical damage to a single target and generates an increased amount of threat. It has no cooldown or cost. It has a minimum range of 8 yards and a maximum range of 30 yards.
Battle Shout	BS	A pre-combat group buff on a 15-second cooldown. It increases the Attack Power of all party or raid members by 5% for 1 hour. It has a maximum range of 100 yards.
Taunt	—	Forces a target to attack you for 3 seconds on an 8-second cooldown. It increases your threat generation significantly for its duration. It has a maximum range of 30 yards. It can be reset with Heroic Leap.
Vanguard	—	Increases your Stamina by 40% and increases your Armor by 70% of your Strength.
Berserker Rage	—	Both removes and grants immunity to Fear, Sap, and Incapacitate effects for 6 seconds on a 1-minute cooldown.
Challenging Shout		Forces all targets around you to attack you for 6 seconds on a 2-minute cooldown. It has a 10-yard range.

Below, you can find abilities that can be obtained through the Class Talent tree sorted by the Rows. For a more detailed view of the best talents and when to use them, take a look at our Talent Page below.

Ability	Abbreviation	Description / Effect
Fast Footwork	—	Increases your movement speed by 5%.
War Machine	WM	Causes your auto-attacks to generate 1 extra Rage. Killing an enemy generates 5 Rage and increases your movement speed by 30% for 8 seconds.
Thunder Clap	TC	Deals damage to all enemies in an 8-yard radius on a 6-second cooldown (reduced by Haste). Deals reduced damage beyond 5 enemies. It generates 5 Rage, and applies Rend to enemies hit if you have Rend talented.
Leeching Strikes	—	Increases your Leech by 3%.
Impending Victory	IV	Heals you for 30% of your maximum health. It has a 25-second cooldown, which can be reset when killing an enemy that yields experience or honor. Costs 10 Rage.
Heroic Leap	—	Makes you leap through the air towards a target location. When you land, you deal Physical damage to all enemies in an 8-yard radius. It is on a 45-second cooldown, has a minimum range of 8 yards and a maximum range of 40 yards. It also resets the remaining cooldown on Taunt.
Crackling Thunder	CT	Increases the radius of Thunder Clap by 50% and reduces the movement speed by an additional 20%.
Storm Bolt	—	Stuns a single target for 4 seconds on a 30-second cooldown.
Rend		Places a strong bleed on the enemy for 15 seconds. This bleed is automatically applied by Thunder Clap, so you never need to cast it. Costs 20 Rage.
Second Wind	—	Restores 6% of your health every 1 second when you have not been damaged in the last 5 seconds. Also heals you for 2% health every second if you are below 35% health, regardless of combat status.
Frothing Berserker	—	Revenge has a 20% chance to refund 50% of the Rage spent on it.
Bounding Stride	—	Reduces the cooldown of Heroic Leap by 15 seconds and causes it to also grant 70% movement speed for 3 seconds.
Pain and Gain	—	Heals you for 2% of your maximum health when you take damage. Can only occur once every 10 seconds.
Intervene	—	Sprint towards an ally and intercept all melee and ranged attacks against them for 6 seconds. It has a 30-second cooldown.

Ability	Abbreviation	Description / Effect
Shockwave	—	Stuns all enemies in front of you within 10 yards for 2 seconds and deals damage. It has a 40-second cooldown.
Overwhelming Rage	—	Increases your maximum Rage by 30.
Rallying Cry	—	Grants 10% temporary and maximum health to all party or raid members for 10 seconds on a 3-minute cooldown. It has a maximum range of 40 yards. Grants 50% more health if you are not in a raid group.
Field Dressing	—	Increases your healing received by 3%, and self-healing by 10%.
Spell Reflection	SR	Grants a buff that reduces magic damage taken by 25% and will reflect a single spell cast at you. The buff lasts 5 seconds or until a spell is reflected. It is on a 20-second cooldown. A spell that is reflected returns to the caster and deals damage to the caster as if you had cast it.
Shattering Throw	—	Deals damage to enemies, ignoring Armor, and removes any magical immunities. Damage dealt to absorb is increased by 500%. 1.5 second cast time and 3-minute cooldown.
Wrecking Throw	—	Deals damage to the target, ignoring Armor. Damage dealt to absorbs is increased by 500%. Has a 45-second cooldown.
Rumbling Earth	—	Increases the range of Shockwave by 6 yards, in addition it reduces its cooldown by 15 seconds as long as Shockwave hits 3 or more enemies.
Berserker Shout	—	Removes and grants immunity to Fear, Sap, and Incapacitate effects for 6 seconds on a 1-minute cooldown for all group members.
Fearless	—	Reduces the cooldown of Berserker Rage by 50%, and causes it to also remove all movement speed impairing effects.
Intimidating Shout	—	Causes a target enemy to cower in fear (the enemy does not move) and all additional enemies to flee. Both effects last 8 seconds. Targets are technically disoriented, and there is a damage threshold at which that disorient breaks. It is on a 1.3-minute cooldown and has a maximum range of 8 yards.
Piercing Howl	—	Snares all enemies within 12 yards, reducing their movement speed by 70% for 8 seconds while also increasing yours, and your allies movement speed by 30%.
Honed Reflexes	—	Reduces the cooldown of Shield Wall, Pummel, Intervene, Spell Reflection and Storm Bolt by 10%. If you manage to interrupt a enemy, you also deal increased damage to them for 10 seconds.
Armored to the Teeth	—	Increases your Strength equal to 2% of your Armor per point.
Double Time	DT	Provides an additional charge to Charge and reduces its cooldown by 3 seconds.
Reinforced Plates	—	Increases your Armor by 8% and stamina by 5% per point.

Ability	Abbreviation	Description / Effect
Barbaric Training	—	Revenge deals 10% more damage and has increased critical strike damage.
Javelineer	—	Increases the range of your thrown abilities. Causes Champion's Spear, Wrecking Throw and Shattering Throw to deal 20% more damage. Also makes your Shattering Throw and Wrecking Throw to silence enemies hit for 3 seconds.
Resonant Voice	—	All of your shouts last 20% longer.
Crushing Force	—	Increases the damage and Critical Strike damage of Shield Slam by 5%.
Cruel Strikes	—	Increases your Critical Strike chance by 1% per point. Further increases the Critical Strike damage of Execute by 5% per point.
One-Handed Weapon Specialization	—	Increases your damage done by 3% and Leech by 2% per point, as long as you have a one-handed weapon equipped.
Wild Strikes	—	Increases your Haste by 1% per point and also causes your auto-attack critical strikes to increase your auto-attack speed by 10%, also per point, for 10 seconds.
Anger Management	AM	The cooldown of Avatar and Shield Wall is reduced by 1 second for every 20 Rage spent.
Champion's Spear	—	Throw a spear to a targeted area, damaging all enemies hit and tethering them to the spear's location for 4 seconds, you can also re-cast this ability to jump to the spears location. It has a 1.5-minute cooldown and generates 10 Rage.
Stance Mastery	—	Battle Stance now increases your critical strike damage by 3% while Defensive Stance reduces damage of attacks dealing 20% or more of your health by 15%.
Battlefield Commander	—	Enhances your Shout abilities. Battle Shout grants 3% additional attack power. Rallying Cry has increased duration and health. Piercing Howl and Berserker Shout radius is increased. Intimidating Shout cooldown is reduced.

This section is dedicated to abilities which are unique to Protection Warriors. These aim to provide us with some of our best defensive and offensive tools.

To get a better grasp of which are the best options to pick, take a look at our Talent page.

Ability	Abbreviation	Description / Effect
Ignore Pain	IP	Grants an absorb, which prevents 50% of the damage taken. It stacks up to 30% of your maximum health and costs 35 Rage.
Demoralizing Shout	DS	Applies a debuff to all enemies within 15 yards, reducing the damage they deal to you by 20% for 8 seconds. This is on a 45-second cooldown. This does not apply a buff to you. Any enemies that were out of range for the initial cast does not deal reduced damage.
Revenge		Deals Physical damage to all enemies in a cone in front of you; it has no cooldown. Deals reduced damage beyond 5 enemies. It costs 20 Rage to cast and has a chance to become free to cast when you successfully parry or dodge an attack.
Brace For Impact	BFI	Shield Slam deals increased damage and the amount of damage you block is increased by 5%. It stacks up to 3 times and has a 16-second duration.
Armor Specialization		Increases your Armor by 6%.
Fight Through the Flames		Defensive Stance grants you 4% extra magic damage reduction.
Devastator		Replaces Devastate, enhancing your auto-attacks with increased damage and a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of Shield Slam.
Disrupting Shout		Taunts all targets around you, interrupting any spells being cast. If it successfully interrupts a spell being cast, it silences the enemy for 6 seconds. It has a 90-second cooldown.
Strategist		Gives Devastate, Thunder Clap, Revenge and Execute a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of Shield Slam.
Devastating Focus		The target struck by Devastator takes 30% more damage from Revenge.

Ability	Abbreviation	Description / Effect
Brutal Vitality	BV	Adds 8% of your damage dealt to your active Ignore Pain, or if no active Ignore Pain is present, it will add it to your next cast of it.
Instigate		Makes Devastate deal 20% more damage and generate 2 Rage. If you have Devastator talented, it instead increases its damage by 10% and also makes it generate 2 Rage.
Shield Wall	SW	Reduces all damage taken by 40%, on a 3 minute cooldown.
Bloodsurge		Gives your Rend a chance to generate 5 Rage.
Best Served Cold	BSC	Increases the proc chance of the Revenge! buff by 20%, and increases the damage the free Revenge deals by 15%. Revenge also increases the damage of the next Thunder Clap.
Spellbreaker		8% chance to reduce any magic damage dealt to you by 50%.
Hunker Down		AoE damage taken is reduced by 2%. Spell Reflection reduces magic damage taken by an additional 10%.
Thunderlord	TL	Demoralizing Shout gains 5 yards extra range and causes each enemy hit by Thunder Clap to reduce the cooldown of Demoralizing Shout by 1.5 seconds, capping out at 4.5 seconds.
Defender's Aegis	UW	Shield Wall gains 1 extra charge and its cooldown is reduced by 60 seconds.
Impenetrable Wall		Casting Shield Slam reduces the cooldown of Shield Wall by 6 seconds.
Last Stand	LS	Increases your maximum health by 30%, healing your for the same amount, for 8 seconds when you cast Shield Wall.
Bloodborne		Increases the damage dealt by Deep Wounds and Rend by 25%.
Sudden Death	SD	Gives your attacks a chance, approximately 1.7 procs per minute, to make your next Execute cost no Rage and be usable on any target, regardless of health.
Punish		Shield Slam deals 15% increased damage and reduces enemies damage against you by 3% for 9 seconds. It stacks, but each stack has its own duration.
Tough as Nails		Blocking an attack deals physical damage, ignoring Armor.
Fueled by Violence	FbV	Heals you for 85% of the damage dealt by Deep Wounds and Rend.
Enduring Defenses	ED	Extends the duration of Shield Block by 2 seconds, 1 second per node point.
Unyielding Stance		Defensive Stance reduces damage taken by an additional 4%.
Deep Wounds		Your Execute now applies a heavy bleed on the target. Casting Execute while Deep Wounds is already on the target increases its bleed damage.
Red Right Hand		Execute damage increased by 15%.

Ability	Abbreviation	Description / Effect
Heavy Repercussions	HR	Shield Slam generates 2 more Rage and also extends the duration of an active Shield Block by 1 second.
Into the Fray	ITF	Grants you 2% extra Haste for each enemy or ally within 10 yards, up to 8% Haste.
Focused Vigor		Increases your Strength and Armor by 3% and increases your Critical Strike chance by 1%.
Shield Specialization		Increases your Block chance by 8% and your Block value by 16%.
Enduring Alacrity		Increases your Stamina and Armor by 5% and your Haste by 2%.
Avatar	—	Increases your damage dealt by 20% for 20 seconds on a 1.5-minute cooldown. It generates 10 Rage and removes all roots and snares currently on you. This ability is not on the global cooldown.
Massacre		Lets you use Execute starting from 35% health instead of 20%.
Booming Voice	BV	Demoralizing Shout generates 20 Rage and increases the damage you deal to affected targets by 20%.
Indomitable		Increases your maximum health by 6% and heals you for 1% of your maximum health for every 20 Rage you spend.
Violent Outburst		Gives you a stack of Seeing Red every 30 rage you spend. Once you reach 8 stacks, it turns into Violent Outburst, increasing the damage your next Shield Slam by 200% and the Rage it generates by 50%. Also grants a free Ignore Pain.
Heavy Handed		Execute hits up to 2 additional targets for 70% of damage.
Shield Charge	SC	Charges to an enemy, stunning the main target, dealing damage to it and all nearby enemies. It generates 20 Rage, grants Shield Block and has a 45-second cooldown. Unlike Charge, this ability has no minimum range.
Battle-Scarred Veteran	BSV	Reduces the damage you take by 80% for 8 seconds and increases healing received by 100% for the same duration when your health is brought below 30%. Has a 3-minute cooldown.
Ravager		Throw down your weapon, dealing damage to any enemies within the area over 12 seconds. It grants 10 Rage each time it deals damage and it increases the damage of Thunder Clap and Revenge while its active. It has a 1.5 minute cooldown.
Whirling Blade		Attacks have a chance to trigger Ravager for 4 seconds.

Most of our rotational abilities interact with each other in some way. Knowing these interactions is very important, as they will provide you with a better understanding of the class. To fully comprehend how all of these spells work together and when to actually use the correct one, you can go over to our Rotation page linked below.

More details about which abilities can be macroed to make casting them more efficient can be found on the following page: