Undead-Troll As A Symbol Of Arms Warrior

Charge… Release… That’s all you need to learn from the Arms warrior guide for Dragonflight. And okay, let’s bring the jokes back. The Arms warrior is a class with the most mixed impressions. It may seem useless at first glance, but that’s just a first impression. It can play like a god, but to achieve this, you have to learn the Arms warrior DPS guide. Why? To learn how to:

World Of Warcraft: The War Within Arms Warrior Guide | Changes | Rotation | Talents | Others

  1. Create a critical Mortal Strike, which will contribute to at least 80% of your overall DPS.
  2. Survive while leveling your Arms warrior.
  3. Build up at least two different Arms warrior setups for different keys in Dragonflight.
  4. Properly rotate your Mortal Strike for optimal performance.
  5. Choose the right gear if you aim to complete keys at a level of 28 or higher.
  6. Understand why the defensive abilities of the Arms warrior can transform you into an off-tank if your main tank has been wiped and you need to stay alive for at least 10 seconds.

And of course, find the answer to the ultimate question of the universe – why PvE Arms warrior is not as popular as Fury, at least in the last 10 expansions of the World of Warcraft!

We’re also recommend to view our Mythic+ Compendium, with all the Dungeon tactics and M+ Loot.

Arms warrior class overview

Okay, first, you need to learn about Arms warriors, as they are much more complex than Fury warriors and other classes. This is because they have limited rage generation and resource-intensive spending, combined with a proc gameplay.

You are dealing with one of the strictest rotations, requiring mastery of different talent trees, collecting enough primary stats, managing self-healing which is insufficient, and maintaining very strict resource management based on dealing damage from auto attacks and anger management, down to counting milliseconds.

Even if the Arms warrior follows all these stringent rules, they will still fall behind in DPS compared to the “button-spam” Fury warrior and other classes. Therefore, you should only play the Arms warrior in one of two situations:

  1. When you know it perfectly and can adhere to all the rules, creating a miracle by dealing more damage than everyone else in the group with a critical strike from Mortal Strike.
  2. When you can burst effectively with your starting rotation in PvP, raids, and keys, obliterating groups.

So, what does this mean? Simply put, Dragonflight Arms warriors are among the most high-intensity damage dealers, and the shorter the battle, the more effective the Arms warrior becomes. They pair well with classes like Survival hunters and Arcane mages – the most unconventional builds compared to other classes.

Even if you combine the best Arms warrior with the best Arcane mage, and perhaps an Elemental shaman, it would be a miracle. The Arms warrior creates high critical strike bursts at the start of the pack, followed by the Elemental shaman continuing these critical bursts, and ultimately, the Arcane mage obliterating them all with its special global cooldowns.

However, this scenario is a true miracle and requires professional players with exceptional coordination. This is why few opt for burst-oriented classes, and yoau can witness such miracles with sudden death and sweeping strikes only during the “Break the Meta” seasons.

In any case, it doesn’t matter which class is considered meta. A skilled player can execute the Arms warrior starting combo for single target fights as effectively as any other meta class. Nevertheless, achieving this with any other class is much simpler.

Pros

Arms warrior strengths are:

  • Amazing Arms gameplay with the highest single-target damage.
  • The most unconventional talent builds for two-handed weapons.
  • The potential to finish a PvP battle with a Colossus Smash and execute damage.
  • In the hands of a master, with proper resource generation, following optimal talent builds, and managing anger effectively during execution phases, the Arms warrior can become the top DPS in a raid.

Cons

Arms warrior weakness are:

  • The most complex gameplay involves constant management of auto attacks.
  • Difficulty in dealing damage without the correct stat priority.
  • Challenging damage output in Arms gameplay during high Mythic+ keys.
  • Lower damage potential against multiple targets.

Micro Conclusion: weaknesses strengths

If you choose to play as an Arms warrior, embracing all the abilities and weaknesses, be prepared for gameplay that largely centers around bursting down each single target and rapidly switching targets to apply enough bleeding damage-over-time effects to maximize DPS in keys.

Alternatively, you can specialize in raid content, utilizing your mastery of Mortal Strike, Sudden Death, Colossus Smash, and other Arms warrior abilities during the execute phases, achieving god-like status in raids while foregoing other aspects of the game.

Arms Warrior in Tier list among other classes

Mythic+

As you have discovered, the Arms warrior, despite its single-target burst capabilities, new talent system, and strict adherence to the Arms warrior stat priority, remains in the B-Tier. Of course, it is still not on par with a Marksman hunter. However, being in the B-tier does not make it suitable for completing high-level keys.

S Tier – Ruling the Dungeon:

A Tier – Still Rocking It:

  • Balance Druid: Moonfire disco and critter summoning.
  • Frost Mage: Snowflakes turned into icy destruction.
  • Enhancement Shaman: Lightning and fancy weapon spins.
  • Devastation Evoker: A different flavor of boom boom.
  • Fury Warrior: Unleashing the barbarian within.
  • Demonology Warlock: Demon buddies raising hell.
  • Destruction Warlock: Setting things ablaze with flair.
  • Elemental Shaman: Shocking the competition.
  • Subtlety Rogue: Sneaky stabs and vanishing acts.

B Tier – Holding Their Own (Kinda):

  • Retribution Paladin: Swinging big swords with divine wrath.
  • Feral Druid: Scratching and pouncing, but needs a boost.
  • Unholy Death Knight: Raising undead ruckus, but not top-notch.
  • Outlaw Rogue: Hitting hard, but not as sneaky.
  • Windwalker Monk: Kicking and punching, but not quite there.
  • Havoc Demon Hunter: Chaos, but needs a bit more havoc.
  • Arms Warrior: Swinging that big weapon, decently.
  • Assassination Rogue: Stealthy stabs, but not shattering.
  • Survival Hunter: Traps and spears, but needs some survival.
  • Beast Mastery Hunter: Pets and arrows, but not beastly.
  • Frost Death Knight: Chilling, but not ice-cold.

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C Tier – Struggling to Shine:

  • Affliction Warlock: Suffering is its own reward, but not top-tier.
  • Arcane Mage: Flashy magic, but missing some oomph.
  • Marksmanship Hunter: Aiming, but not hitting the bullseye.

Raids

The situation with the Arms warrior is entirely different compared to other classes in raids. This time, you do not need to focus on damaging multiple targets and can instead concentrate on rage generation talent builds. This will allow you to combine your execute and Colossus Smash for either a single target.

S Tier – Raid Boss Dominators:

  • Demonology Warlock: Unleash demon armies like it’s Tuesday.
  • Destruction Warlock: Turning foes into fiery pinatas.

A Tier – Raid Aces:

  • Devastation Evoker: Boom goes the enemy.
  • Augmentation Evoker: Buffed up magical mayhem.
  • Fire Mage: Roasting mobs like marshmallows.
  • Enhancement Shaman: Shocking success, electrifying the raid.
  • Subtlety Rogue: Silent stabs, loud results.
  • Arms Warrior: Weaponizing arms with style. Still not as comfortable as others, but it can generate rages quickly, and create miracles at the short distance, which is very important in a spikey gameplay. 
  • Fury Warrior: Embrace the berserker within.
  • Unholy Death Knight: Undead hordes join the party.

B Tier – Solid Support:

  • Arcane Mage: Flashy tricks, but could use a little more pizzazz.
  • Marksmanship Hunter: Aiming, but needs a bullseye touch.
  • Balance Druid: Celestial disco, good vibes but not top-notch.
  • Assassination Rogue: Sneaky, but not raid MVP.
  • Retribution Paladin: Divine smites, but not heaven-tier.
  • Frost Mage: Chilled enemies, but not the iciest.
  • Frost Death Knight: Cold fury, but not frosty royalty.
  • Shadow Priest: Spooky spells, but not raid-shaking.
  • Havoc Demon Hunter: Chaotic clashes, but more havoc needed.
  • Outlaw Rogue: Swashbuckling, but not plundering the top.
  • Elemental Shaman: Elemental vibes, could use a little more zing.

C Tier – Mid-Tier Moxie:

  • Feral Druid: Scratching, but missing some bite.
  • Affliction Warlock: Slow-burning, needs a fiery boost.
  • Survival Hunter: Traps and spears, but survival’s a stretch.

D Tier – Bringing Up the Rear:

  • Beast Mastery Hunter: Pets and arrows, but not the pack leader.
  • Windwalker Monk: Kicks and punches, but needs a punch-up.

The Best race for Arms warriors

The most crucial aspect of choosing the best race for your class in the world of Warcraft, particularly in the Wow: Dragonflight extension, is… to not care about the race at all. The minor advantages gained from the chosen race are not significant, even in PvP, keys, or Raids.

However, if you’re playing end-game content where these details matter, you likely already know that whether it’s east or west, the Horde’s Orc damage burst reigns supreme. Simply incorporate it into your macro, and everything will go smoothly.

Ally

Human: Yeah, I know, not the flashiest choice. But that sword specialization and free trinket action can save your bacon when you’re knee-deep in murlocs.

Dwarf: These beer-loving brawlers bring Stoneform to the table, giving you a cheeky get-out-of-CC-free card. Plus, it’s like a mini spa day for your warrior.

Horde

Orc: No surprises here. The blood rage and that sweet Axe Specialization make you the ultimate cleaving machine. Just remember, it’s not a party until someone loses an eyeball.

Troll: Regeneration means you’ll be healing faster than a potion addict in a health spa. Plus, Berserking cranks up your attack speed for some serious button-smashing fun.

Undead: Cannibalize? Yup, you can munch on your fallen foes. Your enemies won’t know if they’re fighting a warrior or a zombie buffet.

How to play Arms warriors without suffering: Wow Dragonflight

Rotation for the Raids 

Battle Start:

Charge; Avatar; Colossus Smash; Ignore Pain; Mortal Strike; Dragon Roar; Thunder Clap; Overpower; Mortal Strike; Whirlwind

Ability Priority:

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Rage Expenditure Priority: Whirlwind>Ignore Pain>Thunder clap.

  • Priority for EXECUTE Phase:
  • Mortal Strike under two stacks of EXECUTE: Executioner’s Precision; Execute;
  • if you have less than two stacks or more than 60 rage — Overpower;
  • if you have low rage or Mortal Strike is on cooldown;
  • Also, try to use Charge when your rage is low:
  • Keep track of your auto-attacks before moving away and using Charge; wait until your auto-attack hits the target.
  • Stand at maximum melee distance from the target to reduce the time needed to move away for Charge, as well as to avoid delaying auto-attacks.

Rotation for mythic +

Skullsplitter M+ Build:

Single Target Opener:

Single Target Priority:

Multi-Target Opener:

Multi-Target Priority:

Universal M+ Build:

Single Target Opener:

—Charge>Rend>Avatar + Warbreaker>Dragon Roar>Bladestorm>Mortal Strike>Skullsplitter>Rend>Whirlwind>Overpower>Mortal Strike

Single Target Priority:

Multi-Target Opener:

Multi-Target Priority:

Arms warrior guide for leveling

Alright, pay attention, future wielder of oversized toothpicks! So, you’re eager to level up an Arms Warrior in World of Warcraft without losing your sanity? First rule: cleave through enemies like you’re at a buffet on half-price day – seriously, more enemies means more XP; it’s like a mathematical equation for mayhem. Second, become best buddies with your Charge ability – think of it as your warrior GPS, leading you to unsuspecting mobs as if they owe you gold.

Now, for the enjoyable part: your pals might try to persuade you to tank, but remember, you’re an Arms Warrior, not a walking metal shield. Politely inform them that you’re allergic to holding aggro and dive headfirst into that DPS glory. And hey, on gloomy days, envision yourself as a one-man lumberjack crew, chopping down mobs like trees.

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So, seize your axe, embrace the rage, and go show Azeroth who’s the genuine boss of the hack-and-slash party!

Alright, and if you’re seeking a more serious answer, here it is: When it comes to leveling, your skill and your class don’t matter much. Leveling in the current world of Warcraft is quite straightforward. We can offer you one piece of advice:

If you’re aiming for high-end content like Mythic Keys, always use the most current gear. Whether you acquire it from the Auction House or the Dungeon Finder system, the source doesn’t matter.

Feeling fatigued from leveling in Arms and interested in trying out a tank spec? Take a look at our WoW Protection Warrior Tank Guide!

Arms Warrior stats: The best of possible, with weights and explanations

Everything is clearly simple!

Primary stat is more valuable than secondary stats.

The Best Gear Stats From Our Warriors Guides, Use Them With Weapons And Proper Talents

The best way is to collect 30% of critical strike, and 40% of haste. All other stats are not important. So here you collect as it drops. There aren’t any special abilities for large chunks, which depend on two handed builds with the best talent tree, or with one handed builds. 

Just remember: Strength>Haste>Critical Strike>Mastery>Versatility

Of course, if you play many PvP, prefer versatility, to stay alive, exactly when you are trying to attack mages.

Arms Warrior gearing. Follow the leaders, and it will go fine!

Arms Warrior Best Gear

There’s no better way in how to properly arm warrior gearing, than following the leaders of the ladder. All you need is to look, and copy. But please, keep in mind that following all the secondary stats is not the best way. Because the top Arms warriors have the highest ilvl gear, and the best trinkets, cause they’re close mythic raids, and highest keys. You do not always have the same opportunities, that’s why more concentrate on new talent trees and on following the rotation, than on arms warrior gearing.

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And here you also can see the list of the top dps gear arms warriors for burst damage in any situation. 

So here’s a meta build for the your arms Warrior:

Find chic warrior gear in our Warrior Transmog Sets Guide.

Arms Warrior Talent trees

Ok, the logic of the each tree, is compromise between three ways to play an arms warrior:

  1. Mega burst in the execution phase.
  2. Whirlwind.
  3. Skullsplitter.

That’s why in the raid, you have only one build, and at least three different builds for the mythic+ keys.

Arms warrior best build for Raids

Pick up the World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Tier sets from patch 10.2 to bolster your efficiency!

This build is created to increase your damage, exactly at the execute phases.

Only One Way To Fight With All Your Weapons, Is Choose This The Best Talent Tree For Raids
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Arms warrior best build for Mythic+ content

First build — based on the skullsplitter.

The Primal Best Talent Tree Which Is Quickly Fills Your Attack Power At The Execute Phase
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It’s based more for creating solo damage, and switching between targets.

Second build — based on whirlwind

The Best Talent Tree With Massive Amounts And Increased Duration Of Your Main Skills
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Third build — compromise between previous both.

Simply The Best Talent Tree With A Significant Amount
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Arms Warrior enchantments and consumables

As usual, Arms Warrior enchants have a minor impact on DPS, HPS, and other factors. However, if you’re interested in discovering which of the Arms Warrior enchants can contribute a slight increase in damage, you’re welcome to explore further.

WeaponSophic Devotion
LegsFierce Armor Kit
RingsDevotion of Critical Strike
CloakGraceful Avoidance
BracersDevotion of Avoidance
BeltShadowed belt Clasp
BootsWatcher’s Loam
ChestplateWaking Stats

Gems for arms warriors

There’s only one gem to rule the arms war and it’s called — Crafty Emerald.

As an alternative, you can use Crafty Alexstrasza. That’s all.

Food & runes for restoration shamans

For food, you should consider using the following:

If you need extra boost, use the runes. Here they’re

So, stop suffering, buff yourself, and prepare to conquer them all!

Promodrial stone gems for Arms warriors

QE tells us that primordial stone gems are now entirely useless in the current content patch, so forget about them and focus on increasing your item level. It’s better to learn how to manage your Colossus Smash with Sweeping Strikes.

Addons, tips, Hints — The best Arms Warrior extensions

Whether you’re in the East or the West, nothing beats the fun of WoW with cool addons. Check out our WoW Best Addons Dragonflight guide where we lay out the top addons for WoW: Dragonflight retail. We’ll help you figure out which ones are the best and why you gotta have them for the latest expansion!

The most valuable lesson that an Arms Warrior can glean from this exceptional guide is to master anger management. The perfect talent choice doesn’t actually exist, and there is no level cap for secondary stats. Place more trust in your personal experience than in add-ons, especially when you find yourself needing to switch between either single target and deviate from your standard rotation.

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Addons for arms warriors

Here’s nothing special, all Dragonflight arms warriors using all the same addons:

  • QE – to simulate a proper arms warrior gear.
  • DBM to learn the timing when you have to use defensive abilities.
  • WAgo.io to control colossus smash, auto attacks, rage starved and other resource generation to burst damage properly.
  • MDT — to learn tank routes.

It’s the minimal basement to control all arms, warrior abilities, and other things, which are really important in keys, and raids. 

Macros for arms warriors

Charge and Intervene by Cursor:

#showtooltip Charge

/cast [target=mouseover,help,exists,nodead]Intervene;

/cast [target=target,harm,exists,nodead]Charge; 

Bounding Stride by Cursor:

#showtooltip Bounding Stride

/cast [@cursor] Bounding Stride

Pummel on Focus or Main Target if no Focus:

#showtooltip Pummel

/cast [@focus, harm, exists][@target] Pummel

Storm Bolt by Cursor. Right-click casts Storm Bolt on Main Target:

#showtooltip Storm Bolt

/cast [@mouseover, harm, exists][@target] Storm Bolt

Defensive Stance Toggle:

#showtooltip

/cast [stance:2]!Defensive Stance;!Battle Stance

Instead of conclusion — is the Arms Warrior for masochists?

You might have a valid question: Why, with all these Arms Warrior stat priority guides, recommendations on how to gear Arms Warriors, explanations of talent builds, global cooldowns, and other information, do we not provide PvP guides for warriors, complete with suitable talents and guidance on combat strategies?

The answer is straightforward. In every PvP fight, factors like gear, unique resource, and set bonuses are not as crucial as your reaction time and ability to adapt on the fly. The most effective approach in PvP is not necessarily to read warrior guides, but rather to observe the best Arms Warrior PvP streams from top players. By doing so, you can learn the precise strategies they employ against each class. This method is the key to mastering proper talent choices, auto attack management, and finding the optimal talent setup that can elevate you from an average contender to an Arena 2v2 Dominator.

For a different perspective on another DPS spec for warriors, you can refer to our Fury Warrior DPS Guide.