5.4 Arms Warrior: The Other DPS Spec... (A Guide)

[Sajakain 104]

*** NOTICE *** | This guide is out of date as of 10/14/2014. For updated information please refer to the official Icy Veins Arms Warrior Class Guide. |

 

_____________________________________________________

 

Disclaimer

I simply want to say, up front, that this is a guide (and I use that term loosely) written from hands-on experience and acquired knowledge. If such presented knowledge can be proven slightly off or flat out wrong then be my guest and inform me. I will be happy to discuss and view things with an open mind and, with such, make necessary changes. At the end of the day I simply hope you find this guide useful as I enjoyed writing it.
 

=================================

Now, up front, I'd like to inform you that if you are interested in a straight-forward guide that is well written and organized... please review the guide here provided by the fine folks of Icy Veins: Guide: Arms Warrior. It is, in fact, updated for 5.4 and is a great resource for any Arms Warrior.

My intention with this post is to bring things centering around the Arms Warrior to you from, again, a "hands on" approach. If you're still not following me, take it like this; there is a difference between reading a "how to" manual on skydiving and then actually skydiving. Make sense? Good.
 

=================================

Frequently Asked Questions (Or at least the ones I've heard):

1. "Which is better? Arms or Fury?"
 

You're reading an Arms.... guide.... which do you think is better?! But seriously...this is a relative answer. If you are asking the question in terms of simulated numbers and which brings out the "highest DPS possible" then it can be summed up as follows:

 

A - Below a 530 item level Arms will typically out perform Fury; single target.
B - Above a 530 item level, Fury will typically out perform Arms; single target.
C - In multi-target fights, Arms will outdo Fury.

 

The real answer to the question though is this: the better spec is the one that suites you and your playing style.

 

Take, for example, two identical Mustangs. One is a 6-speed, however, and the other is automatic. Both run just the same but have different "mechanics" to them. You obviously have a preference because you handle one better than the other. The same thing applies to your Warrior.

 

2. "2H Axe, Mace, Sword, or..... Polearm???"
 

Wait.... polearm? Yes! 5.2 did bring a strength polearm! Let me introduce you two if you have not met. Player... meet Bo-Ris, Horror in the Night. So, yes, polearms are viable if they have the appropriate stats!

 

Honestly, though, the answer is which ever has the highest damage. It's really that simple. Sure you have your various specializations depending on your race: Mace Specialization (Dwarfs & Humans), Sword Specialization (Humans), and Axe Specialization (Orc) but honestly all these are going to do is directly affect how you reforge due to your Expertise cap. Get the weapon that hits the hardest and swing it proudly as you go to arms against your enemies. (See what I did there?)

 

Last thing here... Under no circumstance as an Arms Warrior should you use a 1H weapon. Ever. Like... ever. Never ever ever.

 

Talent Choices:

I'm going to break this down (hopefully) short and sweet. Again, for detailed information, please refer to the Icy Veins Arms Warrior Guide for all the nit and gritty details.

Tier 1:

Default I always choose Juggernaut. Shorter CD on charge which increases your mobility. Overall I find it more reliable than Double Time due to the attached (stacking) CD that comes with this particular talent.

Tier 2:

Here you're obviously centering around self-healing. Honestly I find this all completely situational. If you want the absolute maximum DPS you should use Impending Victory on CD and enjoy the healing benefits that come with it. However, I choose Second Wind because it's great for pulling a lot of mobs during those dailies, soloing old raid content for mounts, and is absolutely passive. I do not have to do a thing to activate it (except dip to the low end of my health pool!). But again... purely situational / personal.

Tier 3:

Do you ever look at a talent tier and say "None of these seem really flat-out useful"? Well I do. This tier is the first of two that come with our wonderful warriors. In saying that, however, I suppose you have to pick one, eh? Choose whatever suits your play style or what is needed due to mechanics. It's that simple. I personally use Disrupting Shout because it's another interrupt. Choose to your heart's content, though.

Tier 4:

Now this tier is unique because it presents serious debate more often than not and it only comes down to two choices as an Arms Warrior: Bladestorm or Dragon Roar?

 

Dragon Roar will do more damage in a single target fight. When it comes to two or more targets, Bladestorm will come out on top.

 

Tier 5:

This is a tier that holds three abilities based completely on situational needs. By default, I choose Vigilance. You may find times where Safeguard or Mass Spell Reflect can be more beneficial.

Tier 6:

Bloodbath. It's honestly that simple. No... really. It is. Simulations show that the other two may come out slightly ahead and that's fine but let me stress this to you: those are simulations and that's it.

Glyphs:

Glyphs are fun. There are a small handful of them and all of them supply their respective usefulness for one event or another. If you'd like full details on all the possibilities then please, again, refer to the Icy Veins Arms Guide provided here on this website. For ease of reading and bluntness, I'll give you the three that I use most often than not:

 

Glyph of Unending Rage
Glyph of Colossus Smash
Glyph of Rude Interruption

 

All of these should be self explanatory but, if they are not, it's real simple. Unending Rage gives more rage to use. More rage = more abilities = more damage. Yay! -- Colossus Smash. It supplies your target with the Weakened Armor debuff as a bonus. It's already in your rotation so you might as well tie this onto it for beneficial purposes to your party / raid group. And, let's face it. As melee we're always stuck with interrupting something most of the time. You're probably aware of this by now. Be happy with that assignment and get more damage from it!

Again... there are other glyphs out there as well that prove their usefulness in certain situations and I am well aware of that. These are just my "Default ones".

Macros:

I have a handful of macros that I find useful to make my life easier as an Arms Warrior. Now a couple of these may seem harmful, in the long run, for absolute maximum DPS and that very well may be. However I find using these helps me out, overall, to maximize the use of my abilities and put out effective and "acceptable" DPS.

These are not complicated. They are very easy and straight forward to implement, use, and for the most part - should be self explanatory.

Colossus Smash / Berserker Rage

#showtooltip Colossus Smash
/cast Colossus Smash
/cast Berserker Rage

This one is unique. Just because I have it macro'd in doesn't mean I solely ignore Berserker Rage as a standalone DPS cooldown - I don't. But, more often than not, having it tied into is useful so I don't have to worry about it as much. There are times where I use Berserker Rage by itself without the use of the macro and you should, too, if you use this macro.

Mortal Strike / Bloodbath

#showtooltip Mortal Strike
/cast Bloodbath
/cast Mortal Strike

Being that Bloodbath is a cooldown that you can theoretically time for optimal.... or simulated... maximum DPS... I find it just better to macro into this. Mortal Strike is to be kept on CD and putting Bloodbath in with it simply ensures that it's CD is always used as well.

 

Heroic Strike / Battle Shout

#showtooltip Heroic Strike
/cast Battle Shout
/cast Heroic Strike

This was, originally, a Slam / Battle Shout Macro with an alternate being the actual Heroic Strike / Slam macro. However, due to the fact that both Slam and Battle Shout are both on the GCD it is best to macro this with Heroic Strike as it is off the GCD. Overall it's a nice rage boost prior to dumping some with Heroic Strike if need be and you won't be completely raged starved. There may be times, also, that you use Battle Shout as a standalone rage gain and that is acceptable, as well.


Cleave / Sweeping Strikes

#showtooltip Cleave
/cast Cleave
/cast Sweeping Strikes

Sweeping Strikes is a wonderful ability, honestly. The great thing about it is that its buff duration is the same time as its cooldown. So when the buff fades you can use it again, immediately, to reapply it.

This is great for your AoE situations. Spamming Whirlwind, Dragon Roar, Thunder Clap, and this macro keeps your AoE rotation nice and simple. I have Sweeping Strikes on an unused action bar slot simply to monitor its cooldown but there are much more (and better) ways to do so. It's just something I've gotten use to.

This macro really shines when you only have 2 - 3 mobs to attack. Using this macro and your single target rotation will ultimately maximize your damage for those 2 - three adds rather than spamming Thunder Clap and Whirlwind as you would in larger groups.

Addons:

There is only one addon that I find useful, really, and it's regardless of class. It's called "Need To Know". It tracks many things depending on your needs but, for my Arms Warrior, I have it track the important things such as:

 

Colossus Smash
Weakened Armor
Enrage
Sudden Execute

 

You can set it up to also monitor trinket procs, enchant procs, etc. Additionally I have a video on my YouTube channel that covers this very addon. If you have the time I recommend reviewing it. Overall the addon will benefit you regardless of which class you play. The video shows the perspective from my Arms Warrior and shows you how to set it up.


 

Rotation:

First of all, I want you to make reference to this particular thread / post. It covers all the abilities and buffs you can utilize while playing Arms. I'm sure you have reviewed it already but I want you to review it again. Got that done? Good! Now I can go a bit more in depth in how I manage my personal rotation. These abilities are listed in order of priorities. I'll explain from my point of view on how I handle them accordingly.

1. Colossus Smash

• I always try and maintain this debuff on the target simply for the Physical Vulnerability debuff it supplies. For this reason I prioritize Colossus Smash above all else making sure that the debuff is applied if possible. A great addon, by the way, for tracking such debuffs (and buffs) is Need To Know.

2. Mortal Strike

• This ability is always on CD (cooldown). When it's available you need to use it prioritizing it above any other ability. It generates rage. It is also an ability that can triggerEnrage. These two applications make this your primary ability.

3. Execute

• This ability is prioritized when your target is below 20% HP (Outside of the T16 4P Set Bonus). During this time you will do everything you can to maximize opportunities to use Execute. Ideally this means you pool your rage for your Colossus Smash debuff to spam Execute within it.
  
  In 5.4 the T16 DPS 4P Bonus has a chance to trigger Death Sentence making your Execute ability useable above 20% HP and free of cost below 20% HP.

4. Dragon Roar

• This is a nice ability because it ignores all armor on the target. For this reason you should use this ability outside of a Colossus Smash debuff. (This will save the GCD for more useful abilities like Mortal Strike, Execute, Slam, and Overpower). Additionally, it is a guaranteed critical hit. This is strong for both single target and AoE situations and you can use it outside of Recklessness because of the guaranteed Crit.

5. Slam

• Slam, in 5.4, received some changes to it which, in my opinion, gave it more of a distinguished placement in the Arms Rotation. First of all it was buffed to a nice 275% weeapon damage. It also received two modifiers depending Colossus Smash and Sweeping Strikes.
  
  With Colossus Smash applied, Slam does an additional 10% damage. Obviously you want to prioritize this ability when your debuff is applied.
  
  With Sweeping Strikes up 35% of the damage from Slam will be applied to all targets within 2 yards.
  
  With these changes to Slam, as I said, it now has a distinguished place in priorities within the Arms rotation.

6. Overpower

• Overpower, in 5.4, sort of took a back seat to Slam. The two abilities used to be, in my opinion, relatiively equal despite the weapon % difference. Now.... in 5.4... not so much. Overpower sits behind Slam for reasons listed in the Slam explanation.
  
  Overpower, though, does retain it's usefulness in a handful of situations. The first thing to note is that it reduces the CD of Mortal Strike by 0.5 seconds. Using it twice, then, obviously makes Mortal Strike a 5 second CD instead of a 6 second.
  
  Second, while it only has 105% weapon damage, it has an extremely high chance to crit (60%). With only a 10 rage cost (compared to 25 for Slam) it can be used twice within 1 use of Slam.
  
  With these considerations, Overpower is still important in your rotation but will take a back seat to Slam in more than one occasion. The first one being during a Colossus Smash window and the second one being during your Recklessness. Overpower already has a 60% chance to crit so do not waste the benefits of Recklessness on Overpower - use it for your heavier hitting ability(ies); ie, Mortal Strike, Execute, Slam.

7. Heroic Strike

• This is strictly a rage dump ability. The only benefical aspect of this ability is that it is off the GCD (meaning you can use it whenever you need it - which is to dump rage.) When you're floating in the 60 rage and above area you can consider using your next prioritized ability + Heroic Strike to dump your rage and get it back down to avoid capping (and wasting) rage. Personally I find myself using this after a Slam or Overpower to dump anywhere from 40 - 55 rage.
  
  Ideally, though, you will hardly use Heroic Strike. Don't get me wrong... you'll use it... but at the end of the fight you'll find it on the bottom of your list of "used abilities" to such an extent you may even question using it at all.

 

Rotation: T16 2-PC Set Bonus

The rotation can be altered slightly when you have the T16 2-PC Set Bonus: Colossal Rage.

 

To keep it simple, Overpower & Heroic Strike both move up in the priority list above Slam while Colossus Smash is active. You'll maintain a priority of Mortal Strike -> Overpower -> Heroic Strike and use Slam when you cannot use Mortal Strike or Overpower.

 

Outside of the Colossus Smash, your priority will remain the same, only using Heroic Strike as a rage dump.

 

 

=================================

This.... guide... can (and probably will) be updated as time goes on. If you have any questions, comments, or smart remarks concerning what I have written please feel free to post here or send me a private message on the website here. I'll be glad to discuss any issue / questions you may have.

I'd like to give a shout out and thanks to Ragebarr as we have had a communication or two in private concerning the warrior class. We both hope to be active and helpful on the forums here at Icy Veins and if, for whatever reason, you do not like my pleasing personailty then - please! - go talk to Rage. He knows what he's doing with his warrior and he will be just as glad to help.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Sajakain

[ragebarr 153]

Awesome guide! (It looks much cooler than mine too, with colors and stuff... :) ) Guess I'll have to update mine to be as pretty as yours. :P

[Sajakain 104]

Hahaha... man that's tedious. Every time I went to preview it some things (like the indents) would double space itself. Sometimes more annoying than it's worth but I have OCD issues when posting on forum boards. :P

[vagiclapter 0]

i tried using that battle shout slam combo macro but it just casts BS and no slam

[ragebarr 153]

They are both on the GCD, so you'd have to hit that macro twice to have it cast both abilities.

[Sajakain 104]

i tried using that battle shout slam combo macro but it just casts BS and no slam

They are both on the GCD, so you'd have to hit that macro twice to have it cast both abilities.

I edited the original post; Ragebarr pointed out something I had neglected to consider and that was, in fact, the GCD. It's best to use that macro, if you do, with Heroic Strike as it is not on the GCD and both will be executed simultaneously.

[Sajakain 104]

The post, due to what seems to be a popular request, has been updated with a rotation explanation.

[Michh 0]

Hey guys - great guide here and thanks for the hard work.

 

After leveling my Arms Warrior and getting decently geared up, I have a few questions I hope you can help me with. I have Weak Auras to track the various buffs/debuffs. Without logs I can't prove this, but I feel my CS uptime is pretty good, never letting it sit idle for more than a few seconds. I really enjoy playing this spec, and haven't had this much fun with a toon in a long time.

 

At this point I'm looking to fine tune my rotation and try to break any bad habits I have aquired. After my opening burst using CD's and initial CS window, I often either need to wait for Mortal Strike to come off of CD, or either use CS before and work MS into my window. Is this correct, or should I wait 1.5-3 seconds for MS before using CS. I use Overpower to shorten the CD of MS, but I always seem to have to either wait for MS to use before CS, or go ahead and use CS and work MS into the window.

 

1) Is this a sign that I'm doing something wrong, maybe using Overpower too much at the wrong time, and not having enough stacks to be able to shorten the CD of MS at the correct time? I understand that CS can proc at uncertain times and this can't be avoided sometimes, but it seems to happen to me very often.

 

2) I feel I use HS too much and Slam not nearly enough, and this is hard to explain without logs. But I often use HS 2 times during a CS window. Is this a bad habit I need to break? And start making myself use Slam more often? Because HS is off the GCD, it's too easy to hit it right after CS-HS, then go to OP-OP-MS-Slam and back to HS because again it's off the GCD. Am I wasting DPS here doing this. It's bad because it feels really good during the rotation. I know from reading guides I should only use HS when above 105 rage, is this a very rigid rule, in which case I'm doing it wrong and have answered my own question.

 

For macros I have Springs-Bloodbath-Dragon Roar together, and Reck-Skull Banner together. I open with Shout-Charge-MS-Dragon Roar Macro-Reck Macro, then CS and window stuff. When DR comes back up I work it in again considering a CS window.

 

Now I'm starting to focus on Trinket and Weapon procs, working to fine tune that part. I know it's critical to stack as much as possible together for CS windows, without delaying CS for long. What would be an acceptable time limit in delaying CS while waiting for a trinket or weapon proc? is it in the 3 second range, or can you wait 8-15 seconds? I'm just trying to get better at optimizing instead of just smashing buttons, which is kinda what I feel like I'm doing now to some extent.

 

I am also working to get Heroic Leap in without destroying my rotation, it's not as easy as it would seem during the CS window. Do you guys do this at the beginning of the 6 second window, or the end?

 

Sorry for the wall of text, and appreciate in advance any help that is offered, by anyone. Thanks

Edited August 7, 2013 by Michh

[Dots 0]

To answer some of your questions:

1) If I understand you correctly, you are delaying CS until after you have used MS. There is no reason to do so, there will always be a MS in your CS window. MS is also your highest priority, so always use it when available.

CS is your second highest priority and should be used as soon as possible. There are only very few reasons to delay CS:

- Mortal Strike is available, this takes priority.

- The CS debuff is already up on the target.

As an exception to this rule, you can still use CS anyway if the duration of the debuff is less than a GCD in order to keep it on the target. Otherwise you should delay until the debuff is about to run out.

- Lastly, there may be some situations where you should delay it for long CDs like Dragon Roar, but I wouldn't worry too much about these if you are still getting used to the rotation.

2) It sounds like you should indeed use Slam more often. During a CS window, you should often end up using: 1x MS, 1x OP, 2x Slam. Between OP, Slam and HS, it basically comes down to this:

- OP is the most rage efficient of the three, but does less damage than Slam. During a CS window, you are more concerned about using some of the rage you have pooled for high damage rather than rage efficiency. The main reason to still use 1x OP is because of the reduced 1 second GCD, so that you can definitely fit 4 abilities into the 6 second CS window, even with some lag.

- Slam is your best ability to convert some extra rage into more damage during a CS window, so make use of it when CS is up.

- HS is the least rage efficient of the three by a long shot. Basically you should only use this if you would otherwise hit the rage cap and ideally you will only use it during a CS window. Don't think that this is generally a good ability to blow rage for more damage during CS, it is not. Slam is far better at that.

The tricky part is anticipating if your rage will cap before you get another CS window. I generally use HS during a CS window if I am at 80+ rage (with 120 being the cap due to Unending Rage glyph).

Edit: something screwed up the text formatting long after i posted this.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Dots

[Sajakain 104]

First off I'd like to thank Dots for posting and addressing your questions. Reading both posts I can safely say that what Dots is trying to explain is correct on your questions. I'll reitterate them for further clarification, though, and I hope it helps. If it doesn't then feel free to post more questions or concerns and we'll be glad to help you out.

 

After my opening burst using CD's and initial CS window, I often either need to wait for Mortal Strike to come off of CD, or either use CS before and work MS into my window. Is this correct, or should I wait 1.5-3 seconds for MS before using CS. I use Overpower to shorten the CD of MS, but I always seem to have to either wait for MS to use before CS, or go ahead and use CS and work MS into the window. 1) Is this a sign that I'm doing something wrong, maybe using Overpower too much at the wrong time, and not having enough stacks to be able to shorten the CD of MS at the correct time? I understand that CS can proc at uncertain times and this can't be avoided sometimes, but it seems to happen to me very often.

 

It does sound like you're using OP too much. Remember (and as I pointed out in the first post) that Slam is your hardest hitting ability. While under the effects of Colossus Smash you need to prioritize Slam above Overpower.

 

The tricky part here is knowing how and when to use the 1:2 / 2:1 ratio I explained in my rotation section. Sometimes you may not (for whatever reason) have the rage to use Slam twice. However the bottom line is that, with your CS debuff applied, you want the most damage done and Slam, of your choices of secondary rotational abilities, is the one that provides that damage. Spamming Overpower will most likely have you waiting for abilities to come available such as you are currently experiencing.

 

Pay attention to your rage pool, your CS window, and get used to prioritizing Slam. You'll soon learn precisely when Slam, Overpower, and Heroic Strike even need to be used.

 

2) I feel I use HS too much and Slam not nearly enough, and this is hard to explain without logs. But I often use HS 2 times during a CS window. Is this a bad habit I need to break? And start making myself use Slam more often? Because HS is off the GCD, it's too easy to hit it right after CS-HS, then go to OP-OP-MS-Slam and back to HS because again it's off the GCD. Am I wasting DPS here doing this. It's bad because it feels really good during the rotation. I know from reading guides I should only use HS when above 105 rage, is this a very rigid rule, in which case I'm doing it wrong and have answered my own question.

 

Indeed you seem to have answered your own question and this, to some extent, ties into your first one. The only beneficial effect of Heroic Strike is that it is off the GCD - meaning you can use it whenever. This "whenever", though, should not be taken as liberal as you seem to be. ;) - Typically I use Heroic Strike as a massive rage dump right after a Slam regardless if it's in a CS window or not. Focusing on your rage pool for a moment you do not want to cap it. Heroic Strike is the premier ability to make sure this doesn't happen and should only be used to dump rage (when you're floating around 90 - 110 rage).

 

In the perfect CS window you will typically open up with MS -> Slam -> Slam - OP -> MS. If your rage is near capping you may need to throw in a HS to dump rage. But seeing as how it's off the GCD it won't matter.

 

 

When DR comes back up I work it in again considering a CS window. Now I'm starting to focus on Trinket and Weapon procs, working to fine tune that part. I know it's critical to stack as much as possible together for CS windows, without delaying CS for long. What would be an acceptable time limit in delaying CS while waiting for a trinket or weapon proc? is it in the 3 second range, or can you wait 8-15 seconds? I'm just trying to get better at optimizing instead of just smashing buttons, which is kinda what I feel like I'm doing now to some extent. I am also working to get Heroic Leap in without destroying my rotation, it's not as easy as it would seem during the CS window. Do you guys do this at the beginning of the 6 second window, or the end? Sorry for the wall of text, and appreciate in advance any help that is offered, by anyone. Thanks

 

Remember, firstly, to try and use Dragon Roar when CS is NOT up. The reason being is that the ability already ignores all armor and you do not want to waste the GCD during the CS window.

 

As far as Bloodbath goes I typically use it after CS has been applied and right before using Mortal Strike. More often than not this situation will present itself as opposed to saving BB for Dragon Roar. The theory here is that with CS window opened and then BB is popped, MS will hit harder (due to ignoring armor) and the damage given by BB will directly be higher as a result.

 

As far as delaying trinkets it depends on the type. For on-use trinkets then, sure, you would probably want to wait a maximum of 2 - 3 seconds because it's very possible you could get a proc just to refresh it if you have to wait longer than that. If it's an equip effect then I typically do not montior the procs because of the internal GCD and probability of them lineing up to my own CDs is so miniscule that it'd be too tedious to try and "hope" for a proc. It is important to know that this is personal preference. There may be much better and more accomplished Warriors who would disagree and that is fine. This is my personal approach to trinkets. The alternative here is to simply track these procs and adjust and apply CDs if possible but you then run to the possibility of blowing CD's prior to a Hero, target switch, burn window, etc. As I said - with an on-use trinket it is much easier to manage but a simple equip proc is considerably more difficult.

 

As far as Heroic Leap goes this is another personal preference. Sometimes it's woth it and sometimes it is not. It's up to the individual warrior to decide. An example would be something to that of Jin'rokh. While standing in the water you can maximize your time there and use Heroic Leap to not only immediately get out within 1 second but also deal damage. Here, Heroic Leap has a double advantage. In other instances that may not be the case. I typically take advantage of Heroic Leap when mobility is a factor in the fight. Otherwise I tend to just maintain my rotation and leave HL out of it. You can, however, always use it as an opener to put you in position and deal that damage. If you're really fast with keybinds you can charge (to get the rage) and HL to your target at the same time to take advantage of both abilities and their respective uses.

 

 

Hey guys - great guide here and thanks for the hard work.

 

Thanks for the compliment. It was fun to write and I'm glad it can be of use to people. If you have any questions at all do not hesitate to ask by posting here, sending a PM, contacting me on my guild website, or even contacting me in game directly. I'll be glad to help.

[Michh 0]

Thanks very much for the replies - that really explains a lot. Not sure what happened to my original comment section, it got all jumbled up. I know they changed the site and it muct have affected it.

 

So it'll be easy to fix the Slam issue, I'll change slam and OP positions on my keybind structure. Actually, after reading the first reply I have already started paying more attention to slam.

 

I think I went off script on HS and knew it was wrong - I've also been working to break bad habits with that. I have noticed my rage is much more manageable withouit using it as much.

 

Now, I have DR and BB(with springs as well) macro'd together. What you're saying is to break that macro and use DR before(or not during) a CS window (which I do understand), and use BB right after using CS before MS. These are the types of things I'm looking for, the caveats.

 

As far as trinkets go, they're all equip procs, so far. I have created progress bars for them and often look for times to line up something with it, I completely understand what you mean about messing up your rotation sometimes. This is something I'll tinker with, besides it's fun to see them all proc together and have everything else on CD.

 

thanks again for the help.

[Hoofer 0]

First time poster, long time lurker.

 

Trying to figure out the priority for Overpower and Slam.

 

As far as I understood from your discussion. During CS (and Reck), you'll prioritize Slam > OP. Outside CS (and during execute range) it's OP > Slam.

 

Am I on the right track, or completely clueless? :)

[Sajakain 104]

First time poster, long time lurker.

 

Trying to figure out the priority for Overpower and Slam.

 

As far as I understood from your discussion. During CS (and Reck), you'll prioritize Slam > OP. Outside CS (and during execute range) it's OP > Slam.

 

Am I on the right track, or completely clueless?

 

Hoofer:

 

Good evening. Up front I want to explain the lack of a reply (from me at least) - I have recently moved across state and have not had access directly to the internet as I have also started a new job. Today is literally the first day I'm online since my last posting.

 

That aside... onto your question!

 

==================

 

You are correct; you want to priroritze Slam > OP during a CS window and especially under Recklessness. Overpower already has a 60% chance to crit so using Overpower during  this window is an overkill on Crit and, additionally, Slam hits harder so by all means you want to use those windows and prioritize Slam. A typical CS window will look something like

 

CS -> Mortal Strike -> Slam -> Slam - OP -> Mortal Strike.

 

If you have the rage you can also throw in a Heroic Strike in there probably once (maybe even twice) - It's off the GCD so it won't effect your "priorities" while under the CS window. However other things can obviously effect this; timing, rage pool, target switching, etc... you probably know by now all the things that can throw off the "preferred rotation".

 

As far as outside of the CS window you can still prioritize Slam > OP if you have the rage; the base damage is still greater. However do not forget that OP reduces the GCD of mortal Strike. Typically what I do is "pool" my rage by maintaining a priority of Mortal Strike - Overpower - Overpower - Mortal Strike. This will pool your rage for your next CS window. However if you have the rage to spend then feel free to use Slam (the prime example would be if you're about to cap rage). The reason I pool it is to have the rage to execute my "preferred rotation" during the CS window.

 

==================

 

This is pretty long winded and I hope I explained it well. By all means if you have any other questions then do not hesitate to ask.

[Sajakain 104]

The thread has been updated, finally, to reflect 5.4 changes. Main changes appear in the Rotation section with updated priorities and tooltip information.

 

Further updates included minor format editing for cosmetic purposes.

 

As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

[Worgorr 0]

Yes, I'm curious about your need to rage dump.

 

You talk about putting HS right behind a Slam or OP to dump rage, but I rarely if ever find myself in a situation where I would need to dump rage. Wouldn't I be better off saving Rage for CS so I can spam more Slams during CS? I can't remember the last time I was rage capped considering Overpower is almost always up with so much MS

[ragebarr 153]

In between Slam and Overpower, I rarely find myself in a situation where I ever use HS as Arms. It only happens when I get so much rage income from berserker stance that Slam spamming isn't enough to keep my rage below cap.

 

The thing is also, with the T16 2p, rage usage becomes a bit more liberal. Since CS uptime is quite high, you get a lot of free rage to use that you can spend on more slams. Even then though, HS is a keybind I seldom hit as arms. I just make sure I have enough rage to spam Slam while I'm inside a CS, and the rest of it goes on OP.

 

It might not be the right way to do it, since I only picked up arms this tier, but it works decent enough for me.

[Sajakain 104]

Yes, I'm curious about your need to rage dump.

 

You talk about putting HS right behind a Slam or OP to dump rage, but I rarely if ever find myself in a situation where I would need to dump rage. Wouldn't I be better off saving Rage for CS so I can spam more Slams during CS? I can't remember the last time I was rage capped considering Overpower is almost always up with so much MS

 

Yes, if you should need to dump rage (specifically just to avoid capping it) then you can use Heroic Strike to do so following Slam (or any other ability, really) just to get it down. Notice the last part of my explanation of the ability:

 

Ideally, though, you will hardly use Heroic Strike. Don't get me wrong... you'll use it... but at the end of the fight you'll find it on the bottom of your list of "used abilities" to such an extent you may even question using it at all.

 

It's sole purpopse (in my opinion) is to dump rage to avoid capping it; nothing else. 9.9 times out of 10 you will not need this because you are spending it appropriately throughout your rotation. There are times where, in a ~10M fight, I may use Heroic Strike a total of 1 - 5 times depending on which fight / mechanics, etc. I would also wager that, when I see HS used 5 or so times, I came close to capping simply because I wasn't managing my rotation properly (for whatever reason) and realized "Hey... I need to get rid of this rage now." and I'll use HS to dump some. This is what I mean by "you'll use it".

 

I hope this helps clarify things. If not, do not hesitate to ask.

[Stocki 0]

Hello,

 

I got a simple question regarding stat prioritation. This guide says I should prioritize Haste before Mastery, but there are many guides which say i should prefer Mastery before Haste. Right now I actually reforge on Haste instead of Mastery, cause I think it is a more stable damage source but I would like to know if there is a big damage difference between the two stats. Im just really  confused because Im not able to find a good explanation if and how much I would benefit from prioritising Haste/Mastery from one another.

 

Dont get me Wrong, I know the Prioritation is Hit (7,5%) > Expertise (7,5%) > Strength > Crit (32%) > Haste > Mastery

 

Im just not sure if Mastery would be put before Haste or if Haste is still better than Mastery and how much the difference between those two would be.

 

Sorry if my english isnt perfect but it is not my mother language. But I think you guys will get what I mean ;)

 

Thanks for any replies.

[Cheesywar 0]

The way things are looking this tier with most people going Fury single target and arms for AoE; Mastery pulls ahead because the extra swings from your mastery proc can proc off the damage done with sweeping strikes up and vice versa. In theory, with high enough mastery and impeccable luck, they could keep proccing off eachother so long as you stayed within ~3 yards of your target. 

[ragebarr 153]

OMG ITS CHEESY ON ICY-VEINS! HI! (I hope you're the cheesywar on Thrall else I'll just look crazy >_>)

[Sajakain 104]

I'm not sure where I discuss stat prioritzation in my guide but, in reference to that, I would put Mastery over Haste as Arms. I'm not 100% sure as Fury, though. That's Rage's department.

[ragebarr 153]

Fury is pretty much Crit>Mastery>Haste>Hit.

 

If you're dual speccing in Fury/Arms (like I am) your Fury reforges should be more than fine to do good in Arms. 

[Panzerfar 0]

Hi guys, die hard arms warrior here :-)

I have a question regarding the 2-pcs rotation with CS up. if I'm at 70-80 rage, is Mortal strike still prior to slam/overpower? I only see MS as a rage-generator, not a big hitting ability. As far as I know, MS doesnt hit harder than slam/OP? I find it a bit confusing :-)

[ragebarr 153]

Slam definitely hits harder than MS, but OP doesn't.

 

However, MS still does hit pretty hard. I know I'm not the best Arms warrior, but what I would do in that situation is use MS anyway because it has a chance to enrage you and hit HS to avoid rage capping. Overall, MS+ HS will hit harder than Slam, so you don't lose out on damage, or on rage. :)

 

Hope this helps,

 

-Rage

[Sajakain 104]

 

Hi guys, die hard arms warrior here :-)

I have a question regarding the 2-pcs rotation with CS up. if I'm at 70-80 rage, is Mortal strike still prior to slam/overpower? I only see MS as a rage-generator, not a big hitting ability. As far as I know, MS doesnt hit harder than slam/OP? I find it a bit confusing :-)

 

 

You're correct; Mortal Strike does not hit harder than Slam. However, as Rage noted, Mortal Strike is still a priority because it has the potential to activate Enrage. Under the effects of Colossus Smash I prioritize the rotation to Mortal Strike -> Slam. If, due to the Warrior 2PC, you're at the high end of the rage pool do not hesitate to throw in a Heroic Strike or two just to get the extra numbers.

 

Since this post was made I have edited the OP to reflect the proper rotation while having your T16 2-PC Set Bonus.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Sajakain