How to Level a Warrior – Speccing, Gearing, and Playing
Written by Roy Dodger on December 18, 2009 – 3:05 pm -Want to start a Warrior but don’t know how? Don’t worry, this guide will tell you everything you need to know to get started on the path to level 80. In this we’ll discuss specs, gear, and how to play from levels 1-40.
Gear is the first thing you need to know about as a warrior. And the first thing you need to know about gear is : Cap your hit ASAP. But don’t get more than you need (5%) if you can avoid it, as it is worthless beyond this point. Otherwise, get as much Strength and AP as you can; Strength is better, one Strength is worth about 2.25 AP for leveling purposes. Agility and Stamina aren’t horrible, but are nowhere near as good as the others.
So you know what to wear, now how should you spec? We’re going to ignore the conventional wisdom here, because these days it is wrong. So instead of a DW Fury spec, we’re going to go Prot and use a one-handed weapon and a shield, at least for these first forty levels. Not only is it the best questing spec, it is the best spec for taking advantage of the new DF System to run instances while you level.
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#LZZi0trx0dV:bZc is our go-to spec for Protection leveling. Make sure to get key damage-improving talents like Improved Revenge and Concussion Blow as soon as you can. With this spec you will rarely drop below 80% health, and at these levels will be doing as much damage as any pure DPS build. Not to mention you have more to do, meaning it is more fun to play.
At 40 you can either continue to play Protection, or re-spec and start working towards an endgame-style DPS spec. This is when the DPS specs get their real damage-improving talents, and you should be wearing plate, which will handle the survivability issues these specs start with.
Now, you know you should spec Protection, but there is a lot to keep in mind to play Protection to it’s maximum, so pay attention! First of all, stay in Defensive stance. You may lose a tiny bit of damage, but a ton of amazing reactive abilities are D-stance only, meaning you need to stick to it! The only exception is switching over to Battle stance, Charging or Victory Rushing, then switching back.
Once you are on the mob, you should use a priority system; in other words, always use the best ability you can. If you don’t have an ability, obviously skip it until you get it. The order is as follows: Bloodrage>Shield Block>Concussion Blow>Revenge>Mocking Blow>Battle Shout(If down)>Heroic Strike. The only exception is if you want to save Shield Block for emergencies, or use Concussion Blow as an extra interrupt.
Now, obviously that list isn’t all you need to know about warrior. When things go bad or you have to pull multiple enemies, obviously things will change. Don’t forget to use cool-downs like Retaliation(Battle Stance), Shield Wall, and Last Stand. When damage gets too heavy, use Demoralizing Shout and Thunderclap. Don’t let Battle Shout drop off for long; use Bloodrage to start it up before you start fighting, if you need to.
Longing to read more guides and articles from this author? Be sure to check out my blog, WoW Gold Spot, for all my latest writings for everything World of Warcraft related. For more on Warriors specifically, check out my farming guide for Warrior Gold.
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