Which spec to level
Level Protection. Icy Veins and Mobalytics call it the best Warrior leveling spec in Forever: Revenge hits harder than in Classic, the tree’s talents give Rage on blocks, and the shield cuts incoming damage, so you hardly need to rest between fights. Protection holds several enemies at once and tanks dungeons without a respec.
The sources disagree. Warcraft Tavern says Warriors traditionally level as Arms and counts all three trees as workable. Method recommends Arms with a two-hander for a duo or trio, and Protection for solo. Icy Veins allows Fury later, once the key talents are in and you have two good weapons.
| Spec | When to take it | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Solo and dungeons, the whole way to 60 | Shield Block only from level 16; before that Revenge procs rarely |
| Arms | A group or a duo with a healer | More rest between fights |
| Fury | After 30–40, once you have Flurry and Bloodthirst | Two weapons; you have to train the skill of both |
Talents by level
Icy Veins order for Protection (updated Oct 21). The beta confirms it up to level 30. Levels 31–60 are closed on the beta: this is the source’s plan for Forever talents, and we will check it on live after Nov 4.
| Levels | Talent | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | Shield Specialization | 5 |
| 15–17 | Improved Revenge | 3 |
| 18–19 | Improved Thunder Clap | 2 |
| 20–21 | Master of Defense | 2 |
| 22 | Improved Thunder Clap | 3/3 |
| 23 | Last Stand | 1 |
| 24 | Defiance | 1 |
| 25 | Vanguard | 1 |
| 26–28 | Improved Sunder Armor | 3 |
| 29 | Defiance | 2 |
| 30–32 | Focused Rage | 3 |
| 33 | Concussion Blow | 1 |
| 34 | Defiance | 3/3 |
| 35–39 | Bastion | 5 |
| 40 | Shield Slam | 1 |
| 41–45 | Cruelty | 5 |
| 46–50 | Lingering Rage | 5 |
| 51 | Piercing Howl | 1 |
| 52–55 | Unbridled Wrath | 4 |
| 56 | Raging Blows | 1 |
| 57–60 | Enrage | 4 |
TipMobalytics starts differently: before level 16, Improved Rend 3/3 and Cruelty 3/5, then at 16, once Shield Block arrives, a respec into Protection. The Legacy Talented perk gives talents up to 5 levels earlier: the order is the same, just shift the levels.
Abilities and trainer
Visit the trainer every two levels: new ability ranks matter more than armor, especially Battle Shout, Rend and Revenge. Level a new weapon type on weak enemies first: with low skill you miss.
| Level | What to take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Charge, Rend | Open a fight with Rage, and a bleed |
| 8 | Hamstring | Slow a fleeing enemy |
| 10 | Defensive Stance, Taunt, Sunder Armor, Bloodrage | The Protection stance, and Rage outside combat |
| 12 | Overpower, Shield Bash | A strike after a dodge, an interrupt |
| 14 | Revenge, Demoralizing Shout | The main Protection strike |
| 16 | Shield Block | Makes Revenge available all the time |
| 20 | Victory Rush, Cleave, Retaliation; polearms from the weapon trainer | A heal after a kill, damage to several targets |
| 24 | Execute | Finishing off |
| 30 | Berserker Stance (quest), Intercept | The third stance |
| 36 | Whirlwind | Area damage |
| 40 | Plate, mounts, dual specialization | Armor and a second set of talents |
- 1Before the fight
Battle Shout; Bloodrage between enemies so you don’t waste Rage.
- 2Opening
Charge; with Vanguard the charge works in Defensive Stance too.
- 3In the fight
Shield Block before an enemy strike, Revenge on every proc, Rend, Sunder Armor 2–3 times; against two or more enemies, Thunder Clap and Demoralizing Shout.
- 4After
Victory Rush if your health isn’t full; save leftover Rage for the next enemy.
In a dungeon, threat matters more than saving resources: Revenge, Sunder Armor up to 5 stacks on a boss, Thunder Clap on the group, Taunt when you lose a target. According to Mobalytics (Oct 18), Demoralizing Shout generated no threat on the beta because of a bug: don’t open a pull with it. Use Heroic Strike and Cleave only with spare Rage: the strike gives no Rage for the auto-attack.
Solo, duo, group
Pull one enemy at a time. Take several enemies one by one and slow the rest (Hamstring). Keep bandages (First Aid), food and healing potions: Victory Rush heals only after a kill. Protection has a harder time against casters and elementals.
The best partner is a healer or a class with self-healing. Battle Shout buffs the group, and Sunder Armor boosts your partner’s physical damage. If your partner is also melee, Arms with a two-hander kills faster.
Protection is ready to tank right away: the talents are the same as for leveling. Dungeon speed comes from a good weapon: a Warrior’s damage comes almost entirely from it.
Stats and gear
A Warrior’s damage comes almost entirely from the weapon, so a new weapon matters more than any armor (Method). For Protection, Mobalytics puts Strength first (2 attack power per point), then Agility (crit) and Stamina for dungeons; Spirit speeds up health regeneration, but Protection needs it less than Arms does. A fast one-hander beats a slow one: Revenge and Shield Slam don’t depend on weapon damage.
Professions: Mining and Blacksmithing for sharpening stones and gear; Skinning brings money and a stool at camp (+2% crit). Class pairings and camp objects are in the professions guide.
How Forever differs from Classic
| What | In Forever |
|---|---|
| Rage | Based on weapon speed, not damage. Crits give 100% more Rage (it was 75%). |
| Victory Rush | Available from level 20: 10% of health after a kill, 30 sec cooldown, usable within 20 sec. It did not exist in Classic. |
| Thunder Clap | Works in Defensive Stance, and its improvement moved to the Protection tree. |
| Rend | Scales with attack power and, like Sunder Armor, immediately ties the enemy to you. |
| Battle Shout | The improvement became baseline; no talent needed. |
| New talents | Vanguard, Master of Defense, Gore Drinker, Bloodthrill: not in Classic. |
| Dual specialization | From level 40 at the trainer. |
Questions
What is the best spec for leveling a Warrior in WoW Forever?
Protection: Icy Veins and Mobalytics recommend it. Warcraft Tavern and Method allow Arms, especially in a group.
Why does the Warrior level slowly?
It has almost no self-healing or control and depends on its weapon. In Forever, Victory Rush and the Protection talents soften that, but by LFCarry’s estimate the Warrior is still about 12% slower than average.
Do I need a shield for leveling?
For Protection, yes: Shield Block gives a steady Revenge. Mobalytics recommends a fast one-handed weapon: Revenge and Shield Slam don’t depend on weapon damage.
When should I take Fury?
Not before level 30–40, when you have Flurry, Bloodthirst (40) and two good weapons. Before that, Fury is slower than Protection (Icy Veins).
Can I keep two talent sets?
Yes, dual specialization opens at level 40. Handy: Protection for dungeons, the second set for solo or PvP.
