[7.3] - Arms - Pointing Your Weapon In The Right Direction

[Sajakain 104]

NOTICE: This guide is out of date and no longer relevant. It is why it was unpinned.

First off, welcome! I am Sajakain and my main class has always been a warrior with the very first one being a Night Elf on the EU realms. I started toward the end of Vanilla and the start of Burning Crusade. Primarily I fancy the DPS side of the Warrior and it's what I feel I do best. From time to time I have dabbled in tanking but we'll leave that aspect to Estarriol.

This guide is written by me, obviously. It really is a single collection of multiple sources that include, but are not limited to, Blizzard patch notes, other guides, forum discussions, in-game testing, using SimulationCraft, reviewing logs. . . a whole slew of resources. Hopefully this guide will be able to present relevant information to you, separated by self-titled sections, in an easy-to-understand fashion.

It is worth noting that, as you progress with your Warrior or conduct your own research you may find something in this guide that doesn't make sense or... may actually be wrong. That's completely acceptable by me and, with such questioning, I'd be glad to sit down with you and discuss your findings and questions over a mug of whatever the Brew of the Month is at the time while we figure out what's right.

With all this being said, let's get to the guide! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed composing it.

 

Before we get knee deep into things, I'd like to make you aware of some other resources at your disposal. It is only fitting that I provide these up front and give respect to those that have done the math. These resources are what I use to improve my performance in game and, ultimately, compose this very guide. If you should have any questions about these resources, don't hesitate to ask!

• Icy Veins: Arms Warrior Guide
• SimulationCraft
• MMO Champion Warrior Forum Board
• The Arms Compendium
• Warrior Discord

 

  1. Which does more damage: Arms or Fury?   This discussion is pretty heated more often than not and, frankly, comes down to results compiled by SimulationCraft. As such, people generally take these results and use it to determine which spec they'll play.

I cannot give this question justice better than that of what Azortharion has said. In relation to the question of "Does anyone have a class/spec DPS comparison sim?" he said this:
 

Quote

Any class DPS Sims on the Internet are essentially flawed by design. Single target DPS does not often make a spec good in its own right in a progression setting, and choosing spec or class based on these sims is simply misinformed. In short, the answer is "yes, but none that are correct". Additionally, all simulations currently out there have other significant flaws even if we were to pretend that they actually matter.

 

 

Alliance:

• Draenei: Heroic Presence
• Dwarf: Might of the Mountain, Stoneform
• Gnome: Expansive Mind, Nimble Fingers
• Human: Every Man for Himself, The Human Spirit
• Night Elf: Quickness, Touch of Elune
• Worgen: Viciousness

Horde:

• Blood Elf: Arcane Torrent, Arcane Acuity
• Goblin: Time is Money
• Orc: Blood Fury
• Tauren: Brawn, Endurance, War Stomp
• Troll: Berserking
• Undead: Touch of the Grave, Will of the Forsaken

Neutral:

• Pandaren: Epicurean,

The objective of Blizzard making these changes was to (hopefully) level the playing field between the races. As you can tell there are some that may seem more beneficial than others (such as the guaranteed bonus damage that comes from the Dwarf and Tauren Racials). The end result is simply to pick whichever race you really enjoy whether it be a dwarf of the Alliance or an orc of the Horde. It's really up to you!

 

Talents, starting in patch 7.0.3, have moved closer to Blizzard's goal of personal choice. Each choice you make can be beneficial in respective situations. Use your best judgement of your needs (or your raid's needs) and select the appropriate talent.

Speculation Note: It is advisable to run simulations as you obtain gear for talent choices. As always - select the talent that is most appropriate for the encounter you are facing and your raid team's needs. These choices are based off current simulations and a "Patchwerk" style fight. They can change very quickly with hotfixes and class changes implemented by Blizzard.

The talent choices that are suggested here are for a Rend build. It's worth noting that there are other viable builds to the Arms spec if this rotation / playstyle does not suit your preferences.

 

Tier 1 / Level 15:

• Dauntless: Your abilities cost 10% less Rage.
• Overpower: Overpowers the enemy, causing 375% Physical damage. Cannot be blocked, dodged or parried, and has a 60% increased chance to critically strike. Your other melee abilities have a chance to activate Overpower.
• Sweeping Strikes: Mortal Strike and Execute hit 2 additional nearby targets.

Dauntless is the preferred choice here. Overpower is also viable, at a potential DPS loss, if you wish to have more activity in your rotation / playstyle. For multiple target situations, you will be switching to Sweeping Strikes.

 

Tier 2 / Level 30:

• Shockwave: Sends a wave of force in a frontal cone, causing [(125% of Attack Power) * 1.25] damage and stunning all enemies within 10 yards for 4 sec. Cooldown reduced by 20 sec if it strikes at least 3 targets.
• Storm Bolt: Hurls your weapon at an emey, causing 60% Physical damage and stunning for 4 sec. Deals quadruple damage to targets permanently immune to stuns.
• Double Time: You can use Charge twice in a row, but it can only grant Rage once every 12 sec. Each use has a 20 sec recharge time.

Double Time is the go-to here in most situations. Shockwave is useful for Mythic+ dungeons.
 

Tier 3 / Level 45:

• Trauma: Slam, Whirlwind, and Execute now cause the target to bleed for 20% additional damage over 6 sec. Multiple uses accumulate increased damage.
• Rend: Wounds the target, causing 150% Physical damage instantly and an additional (1000% of Attack Power) Bleed damage over 8 sec.
• Avatar: Transform into a colossus for 20 sec, causing you to deal 20% increased damage and removing all roots and snares.

As the recommendations of this build are centered around Rend, it is the required talent here. In an alternate build / playstyle, however, you can opt for Trauma. In a couple of encounters, Trauma actually proves to perform better than Rend.

Tier 4 / Level 60:

• Second Wind: Restores 6% health every 1 sec when you have not taken damage for 5 sec.
• Bounding Stride: Reduces the cooldown on Heroic Leap by 15 sec, and Heroic Leap now also increases your run speed by 70% for 3 sec.
• Defensive Stance: A defensive combat state that reduces all damage you take by 20%, and all damage you deal by 10%. Lasts until cancelled.

Bounding Stride should be your default choice here. Second Wind is great for leveling, maybe, and Defensive Stance (aside from being really weird as a talent) is only to be used if you seem to have a problem surviving heavy-hitting mechanics that are unavoidable otherwise.

Tier 5 / Level 75:

• Fervor of Battle: Whirlwind deals 80% increased damage to your primary target.
• Mortal Combo: Mortal Strike now has a maximum of 2 charges.
• Titanic Might: Increases the duration of Colossus Smash by 8 sec. and reduces its cooldown by 8 sec.

The recommended talent here is Titanic Might. As mentioned above, you can also select Fervor of Battle as another viable option.

Tier 6 / Level 90:

• Deadly Calm: Battle Cry also reduces the Rage cost of your abilities by 75% for the duration.
• In For The Kill: Colossus Smash grants you 10% Haste for 8 sec.
• Focused Rage: Focus your rage on your next Mortal Strike, increasing its damage by 30%, stacking up to 3 times. Unaffected by the global cooldown.

For this tier you will want In For The Kill. It's worth nothing that your artifact ability, Warbreaker, can also trigger this buff.

Tier 7 / Level 100:

• Anger Management: Every 20 Rage you spend reduces the remaining cooldown on Battle Cry by 1 sec.
• Opportunity Strikes: Your melee abilities have up to a 60% chance, based on the target's missing health, to trigger an extra attack that deals 160% Physical damage and generates 5 rage.
• Ravager: Throws a whirling weapon at the target location that inflicts [7 * (337.5% of Attack power)] damage to all enemies within 8 yards over 7 sec.

For this tier you can readily pick Ravager or Opportunity Strikes. Currently, in Tomb, Ravager seems to be the best pick in most encounters.

 

 

While the above talent choices are the overall recommended, I'll let you know which talents are doing the best for each specific encounter in Tomb currently. Keep in mind that this data is pulled from Warcraft Logs and is for the Heroic versions of these encounters. While it is assumed these can also work for Normal / LFR, Mythic encounters may require different set ups. You can check out what players are using for Mythic encounters by reviewing the data here: Click me!

It is also worth noting that some talents do not change, except for very specific reasons, regardless of the encounter. These talents remain the same throughout and they are:

• Tier 2: Double Time
• Tier 4: Bounding Stride
• Tier 5: Titanic Might
• Tier 6: In For The Kill

 

    

This is one of the most discussed topics I come across. I considered putting this in the "F.A.Q." section but, in my opinion, it is so important that I gave it it's own section. Stat weights are pretty straight forward for an Arms Warrior. Before I get to that, however, let's look at the stats and how they directly affect our warrior, shall we?

• Strength: This is our main stat. All your pieces, save trinkets, will have this stat on it.
• Critical Strike: This stat increases our chance to make our attacks critically hit which means more damage. We love doing more damage!
• Haste: This stat directly affects attack speed.
• Mastery: Our mastery buff is Mastery: Colossal Might. It increases the damage of your Colossus Smash by %, and causes it to increase damage you deal to the target by an additional % (% is based on the amount of mastery you have.)
• Versatility: Versatility increases damage done and decreases all damage taken.

Now that we know what our stats are - what are their weights? As stated, it's pretty straight forward. Initially it is Mastery -> Haste -> Versatility = Strength = Critical Strike. Pretty simple, right?

With Tier 20, it changes slightly to 20% Haste (10% if you've taken the recommend In For The Kill talent) > Mastery > Haste >= Critical Strike = Strength = Versatility.

Important Note: Stat weights change constantly based on your gear. It is highly recommended that you download and use the latest version of Simulation Craft to gauge your personal stat weights as you obtain new gear. Over time you may see a need to gear toward one stat over another as you approach certain percentages. This is a somewhat complicated concept and the above priority is for general knowledge and purpose. The best way to get the most out of your warrior is to, again, use Simulation Craft to determine your stat weights.

 

Single Target Rotation

This priority system is assuming you've taken the above recommended talents. As stated, this is a priority system and not a strict step-by-step system.

Your overall priority is this:

• Rend if it is not applied to your target.
• Colossus Smash if not applied to your target / Shattered Defenses isn't up.
• Execute (From Ayala's Stone Heart proc)
• Mortal Strike (With Shattered Defenses up / no Executioner's Precision debuff)
• Slam

If you've taken Overpower in your Tier 1 talents, this jumps to #4 in your priority above Mortal Strike.

 

Using Battle Cry

Depending on whether or not you have your Tier 20 4PC bonus depends on how you handle your Battle Cry window. In either situation, however, you will want to make sure Colossus Smash is applied to your target prior to using Battle Cry.

With your Tier 20 4PC: Make sure Colossus Smash is applied then cast Rend -> Battle Cry + Bladestorm -> Continue normal priority.

Without your Tier 20 4PC, Make sure Colossus Smash is applied then then cast Rend -> Battle Cry + Mortal Strike -> Continue normal priority.

 

Execute Priority

Your Execute priority (sub 20% HP) is relatively simple and straight forward. If you don't have Shattered Defenses up, use Colossus Smash / Warbreaker to obtain it. With Shattered Defenses available, your priority is

• Mortal Strike (with x2 Executioner's Precision and Shattered Defenses)
• Colossus Smash if you don't have Shattered Defenses
• Execute
• Overpower (if talented)

 

Multiple Target Rotation

It's important to note that if you are doing a multiple target rotation you should have changed talents from the ones recommend above if the targets are able to be stacked together. You will change the Tier 1 / Level 15 talent from Dauntless to Sweeping Strikes. If the targets are spread out or cannot be stacked for a duration of time then Dauntless will still be your talent of choice.

Depending on the amount of time the multiple targets live depends on how much you deviate from the single target rotation as well as if they're stacked or not. If you have 2 - 3 targets, your rotation stays the same with the adjusted talent change to Sweeping Strikes.

If you have 4+ targets, however, your priority changes to the following:

1. Warbreaker
2. Bladestorm
3. Cleave
4. Whirlwind

Take note of the improved Cleave. For each add you hit with it, up to 5 maximum, it'll increase your damage of your next Whirlwind by 20%. (5 adds hit = 100% increased Whirlwind Damage).

 

With the release of 7.2, things have changed for your Artifact Weapon. With a series of quests, you are able to imbue your weapon with power from the Council of Six making it stronger to deal with the incoming threat of Kil'Jaeden in the Tomb of Sargeras.

Below I have listed two leveling paths for the Strom'kar; the first one being if you haven't leveled your Arms weapon yet and the second path being once you have the extra traits unlocked.

Initially you unlock the weapon by placing your first 100 Artifact Power in Warbreaker. Once that's unlocked you should continue your progression into the weapon in the following order:

1. Shattered Defenses

• Thoradin's Might
• Crushing Blows
• Will of the First King
• Exploit the Weakness
• Shattered Defenses

2. Corrupted Blood of Zakajz

• Tactical Advance
• Precise Strikes
• Corrupted Blood of Zakajz

3. Focus in Battle

• Many Will Fall
• Focus in Battle

4. Deathblow
5. Unending Rage
6. One Against Many
7. Void Cleave
8. Touch of Zakajz
9. Defensive Measures
10. Unbreakable Steel

Once you complete this path, you will receive a quest that will start a small series to empower your weapon. It will start with the quest The Broken Shore: Investigating the Legion in which you will need to find a randomly-dropped item: Mysterious Runebound Scroll. Once you find this item you will begin a short quest chain:

1. Arms: The Thieving Apprentice
2. Professionally Good Looking
3. Order of Incantations (The order is Arcane -> Frost -> Fire -> Shadow)
4. The Archmage Accosted

Once you complete these, you'll be asked to go back to Dalaran and receive the power from the Council of Six. Strom'kar will empower and you will have access to the new traits.

Important Note: The following path can be simplified, for general purposes, as such: Get the new golden trait (Executioner's Precision). Once that's done you can chose whatever talents in the weapon you wish. The differences in numbers are literally so close and variable based on your personal character there is no 100% definitive path to take. If you're looking for definitive choices, you can sim your warrior to find the best results.

If you're looking for a direction to take because you do not want to sim yourself or whatever reason, you can take the following path. The steps that have multiple choice is, again, a choice completely up to you. Just make sure all choices are filled before you move to the next step.

 

1. Executioner's Precision

• Arms of the Valarjar
• Storm of Swords
• Soul of the Slaughter
• Executioner's Precision

2. Exploit the Weakness
3. Deathblow / Crushing Blows / Precise Strikes
4. One Against Many / Unending Rage / Many Will Fall
5. Touch of Zakajz / Tactical Advance

Once you have these traits filled in, the last trait will become available. It has 50 points to dropped into it and it's my belief that Blizzard does not want us to cap it out this expansion. According to the Wowhead Calculator it would take a total of 865,842,644,766,330 Artifact Power to fill 100%.

 

 

The only addon that I really deem significant is Weak Auras. You can use it to track literally everything in the game if it's trackable. Use this for boss encounters and, more specifically, monitoring your buffs / debuffs for your Arms Warrior. Important things to track include, but are not limited to:

• Shattered Defenses
• Colossus Smash
• Executioner's Precision
• Rend
• Battle Cry
• Potion of the Old War

____________________________________________

Change Log:

7/17/2016: Original Post
7/19/2016: Updated Post to reflect similarities in IV's Guide on Talents and Stat weights where needed.
7/31/2016: Updated for recent simulation results in talent choices and stat priority. Also updated Addons.
8/27/2016: Added Artifact path information.
9/4/2016: Updated Stat Priorities, Rotation, Artifact Path, and Macros.
9/18/20126: Updated Links of Interest, Stat Priorities, & Rotation Priority sections.
9/27/2016: Updated FAQ and Macros sections.
10/26/2016: Updated Macros section.
12/08/2016: FAQ, Talents, Rotation, Macro sections updated.
3/30/2017: Artifact Path updated for 7.2 changes.
6/15/2017: Talents, Stats, & Rotation sections updated due to 7.2.5 changes to the Arms specialization.
8/2/2017: Talents & Rotation sections updated to Rend Build. Included Fight Specific Talent choices. Addons updated. Removed Macros section.

[Svanir 0]

What gives Versatility to the player? I mean, Haste gives more DPS and more Rage Spending and benefits the Mastery through Tactician. Mastery gives more DPS than this two. Crit only gives more rage (50% of 25). But what gives Versatility? Excepting less DPS.

 

Sorry for my bad english.

[Valks 2,375]

On 14.9.2016 at 2:03 AM, Svanir said:

What gives Versatility to the player?

Versatility is a basic stat that gives:

• More damage dealt
• Less damage taken
• More healing given

[Svanir 0]

On 16/9/2016 at 6:22 PM, Blainie said:

Versatility is a basic stat that gives:

• More damage dealt
• Less damage taken
• More healing given

It's ok, more damage dealt. Haste can give more %, and damage anticipated is more DPS.

[Aaroncruz 0]

Do you think you can let me know the stat weight?  

[demonardvark 556]

I was derping hard with arms which was disappointing as it's always been my favorite warrior spec. Other guides were confusing me but this one made me see the light, thanks so much for making it :D

[Sajakain 104]

23 hours ago, demonardvark said:

I was derping hard with arms which was disappointing as it's always been my favorite warrior spec. Other guides were confusing me but this one made me see the light, thanks so much for making it :D

You're welcome.

[Sajakain 104]

The guide has been updated to reflect Strom'kar's changes with the new traits in 7.2 and the updated appropriate paths to take while speccing the weapon.

[Sajakain 104]

This guide has been updated to reflect the changes brought to Arms with patch 7.2.5. As always, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

[Sajakain 104]

It's been overdue now for a little while but the guide has been updated. I've changed the talent section to reflect the data from Warcraft Logs (the Rend build seems to be the go-to build for Arms). I've also included fight-specific talent choices.

The rotation guide was updated as well.
The Macro section was removed.
The Addons section was updated.