Melee class · A tier
Warrior build guide
Huge health and cleaving swings make it the most forgiving melee class. The Bladestorm capstone turns you into a blender that never stops spinning.
Tier
A
Ease
#1 of 9
Damage ceiling
#4 of 9
Range
Melee
Best race
Human / Orc / Tauren
“Unstoppable in the thick of it. Huge health, cleaving swings, and every kill feeds the fury.” The game's own pitch
Best Warrior build
Recommended
Eternal Whirlwind
- Bladestorm capstone
- strike-twice milestone
- free Whirlwind on kills
- area and haste passives
The community favourite "warrior build": constant spinning in the middle of the horde.
Alternative
Shield wall
- Titan capstone
- shockwave and shield milestones
- Fortitude
- armor
Up to 70% damage reduction plus max-health scaling. Slow but nearly unkillable.
Avoid: Ignoring pickup range. Melee heroes have to walk to every gem.
Warrior talents: capstones and milestones
A capstone rebuilds Warrior around one idea, and you run one at a time. Milestones are the big mid-tree talents on the way there. Text below is the game's own. For every talent with its numbers, see all Warrior talents.
Capstones
Bladestorm
Start with Whirlwind and spin for free every 3 sec.
Mortal Wounds
Start with Mortal Strike; killing blows from it or Execute ready it again at once (up to once a second).
Titan
Start with Shield Slam; damage reduction can reach 70%, spells deal +1.5% of your max health, and Shield Slam deals 2% of target max health.
Milestones worth chasing
- Flurry: Whirlwind and Bloodthirst strike twice, hitting everything a second time for 40% damage.
- Rampage: every 7th kill unleashes a free Whirlwind.
- Sweeping Strikes: Cleave, Mortal Strike and Execute sweep on to 2 more enemies for 70% damage.
- Shockwave & Fortified: Shield Slam stuns enemies within 8 yd for 40% damage and raises a 10% health shield (stacking to 30%, +20% damage while shielded).
Spells you will see
- Cleave
- Whirlwind
- Mortal Strike
- Execute
- Shield Slam
- Bloodthirst
- Thunder Clap
All Warrior talents & planner (game 0.114.1)
All 40 talents in the three Warrior trees, in the game's own words. A row opens after 5 more points in that tree, and you can spend up to 51 points in total with one capstone active. Numbers are for the first rank; click any talent below to plan a 51-point build and share the link.
Arms 0 pts · 13 talents
Available at once
-
Trauma
You deal 3% more damage to enemies suffering your damage-over-time effects, such as Rend and Deep Wounds.
-
Deflection
Reduces all damage taken by 1%.
5 points in Arms
-
Improved Rend
Rend deals 15% more damage.
-
Tactical Mastery
Your cooldowns recover 2% faster.
10 points in Arms
-
Deep Wounds
Your critical strikes make the target bleed for 80% of the hit over 6 sec.
-
Anger Management
Regenerate 0.6 more health per second.
15 points in Arms
-
Impale
Your critical strikes deal 10% more damage.
-
Two-Handed Weapon Specialization
Increases all damage by 2.5%.
20 points in Arms
-
Sweeping Strikes
Cleave, Mortal Strike and Execute sweep on: each hit also strikes 2 more enemies near its target for 70% of it.
Requires Deep Wounds
-
Improved Execute
Execute and Mortal Strike deal 12% more damage.
25 points in Arms
-
Sword Specialization
1.5% chance for any spell to strike twice.
-
Weapon Mastery
You deal 10% more damage to enemies below 30% health.
30 points in Arms
-
Mortal Wounds
You start every run with Mortal Strike; a killing blow by Mortal Strike or Execute readies it again at once, at most once a second.
Requires Sweeping Strikes
Fury 0 pts · 13 talents
Available at once
-
Cruelty
Increases your critical strike chance by 1%.
-
Booming Voice
Your shouts reach 10% farther and last longer.
5 points in Fury
-
Bloodlust
Battle Shout and your other damage, haste, shield and thorns buffs are 6% stronger.
-
Improved Battle Shout
Battle Shout's cooldown is 10% shorter.
10 points in Fury
-
Rampage
Every 7th kill unleashes a free Whirlwind.
-
Improved Cleave
Cleave deals 10% more damage.
15 points in Fury
-
Dual Wield Specialization
Increases all damage by 2%.
-
Improved Whirlwind
Whirlwind reaches 6% farther.
20 points in Fury
-
Flurry
Whirlwind and Bloodthirst strike twice: everything they hit is struck again at once for 40% of the blow.
Requires Rampage
-
Death Wish
Bloodthirst and Whirlwind deal 6% more damage.
25 points in Fury
-
Blood Craze
0.2% of all the damage you deal heals you.
-
Improved Berserker Stance
Increases your critical strike damage by 5%.
30 points in Fury
-
Bladestorm
You start every run with Whirlwind, and you never stop spinning: a free Whirlwind every 3 sec.
Requires Flurry
Protection 0 pts · 14 talents
Available at once
-
Shield Specialization
Reduces all damage taken by 1.5%.
-
Anticipation
Increases your maximum health by 3%.
5 points in Protection
-
Improved Thunder Clap
Thunder Clap deals an extra 1.5% of your maximum health.
-
Toughness
Regenerate 0.2% of your maximum health per second.
10 points in Protection
-
Heavy Shield
Shield Slam deals an extra 3.5% of your maximum health.
-
Shockwave
Each Shield Slam sends a shockwave from its first target: every enemy within 8 yd of it is struck for 40% of the blow and stunned.
-
Improved Demoralizing Shout
Enemies hit by Demoralizing Shout take 5% more damage from you for 6 sec.
15 points in Protection
-
Defiance
You deal 100% more damage for every 10% damage reduction you have.
-
Improved Shield Slam
Shield Slam deals 15% more damage and recovers faster.
20 points in Protection
-
Shield Mastery
Shield Slam's shield holds 4% more of your maximum health.
-
Fortified
Every Shield Slam raises a shield of 10% of your maximum health, stacking up to 30% (42% with Shield Mastery), and while a shield holds, you deal 20% more damage.
Requires Shockwave
25 points in Protection
-
Last Stand
A blow that would kill you leaves you at 40% health instead, then you answer with a free Shield Slam and a shield of 10% of your maximum health. Once every 90 sec.
-
Unbreakable
Damage reduction past the cap is not wasted: each 1% of it becomes 100% more damage.
30 points in Protection
-
Titan
You start every run with Shield Slam, your damage reduction can reach 70% instead of 60%, and every spell you cast deals an extra 1.5% of your maximum health, and Shield Slam also strikes for 2% of its target's maximum health.
Requires Fortified
Best rings, trinkets, amulets & gear for Warrior
Protection / Titan scales damage off Damage Reduction and Max Health, making Archimtiros’ Ring, Star of Mystaria and Medallion of Steadfast Might double-dip for both tankiness and DPS. For Bladestorm or Mortal Wounds, swap in Master Dragonslayer’s Ring and Onyxia Tooth Pendant. See the full items, trinkets & Codex guide for every ring, trinket and amulet in game 0.120.4.
In-run · Codex jewelry
Best rings, trinkets & amulets
- Rings: Archimtiros' Ring of Reckoning, Band of Accuria
- Trinkets: Star of Mystaria, Blackhand's Breadth
- Amulets: Medallion of Steadfast Might, Onyxia Tooth Pendant
Between runs · Armory (Plate)
Warrior armor sets & weapons
- Armor sets (Common → Legendary): Recruit's → Valor → Might → Wrath → Dreadnaught
- Main hand: Worn Claymore → Bastard Sword of Valor → Blackhand Doomsaw → Ravager's Greatblade → Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros
Best race for Warrior
Every race can play Warrior by default. Our pick: Orc (Blood Fury, health), Tauren (War Stomp, health) or Human.
Cross-Race Unlock Tip: On the title screen's Rewards → Races tab (new in v0.120.0), any race can be unlocked for all classes for 100 achievement points. Bought races stay permanently unlocked through resets, enabling cross-race synergy builds.
Recommended
Human
- Perception: +15% damage for 10 sec, every 30 sec
- Diplomacy: +20% gold
- The Human Spirit: +10% experience
Alliance
Dwarf
- Stoneform: a shield worth 30% of max health, every 45 sec
- Gun Specialization: +6% damage
- Treasure Finding: +30% pickup range
Alliance
Gnome
- Escape Artist: roots nearby enemies for 2 sec, every 20 sec
- Engineering Specialization: +20% luck
- Expansive Mind: -8% cooldowns
Alliance
Night Elf
- Shadowmeld: 3 sec of immunity near death (75 sec cooldown)
- Quickness: +8% move speed
- Nature Resistance: +5% damage reduction
Recommended
Orc
- Blood Fury: +35% damage for 12 sec, every 40 sec
- Hardiness: +10% max health
Horde
Undead
- Will of the Forsaken: 4 sec of immunity near death (60 sec cooldown)
- Cannibalize: every kill heals 1 health
- Shadow Resistance: +4% damage reduction
Recommended
Tauren
- War Stomp: stuns nearby enemies for 2 sec, every 15 sec
- Endurance: +15% max health
Horde
Troll
- Berserking: cooldowns 30% faster for 10 sec, every 35 sec
- Throwing Specialization: +3% crit
- Regeneration: +1.5 health per second
Zone path with Warrior
Zones unlock per class: each win with Warrior opens the next zone for your Warriors only. Here is the road from the tutorial to the endgame, and who waits at the end of each run.
- 1 Elwynn Forest Final boss: Edwin VanCleef
- 2 Duskwood Final boss: Morbent Fel
- 3 Warsong Gulch Final boss: Lord Kazzak
- 4 Un'Goro Crater Final boss: King Mosh
- 5 Arathi Basin Final boss: Lord Aliden Perenolde
- 6 Feralas Final boss: King Gordok
- 7 Gurubashi Arena Final boss: Hakkar the Soulflayer
- 8 Scarlet Monastery Final boss: High Inquisitor Whitemane
- 9 Alterac Valley Final boss: Azuregos
- 10 Blackrock Mountain Final boss: Nefarian
- 11 Gates of Ahn'Qiraj Final boss: C'Thun
- 12 Naxxramas Final boss: Kel'Thuzad
Warrior vs other classes
| Class | Tier | Range | Ease | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | A | Melee | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Paladin | A | Melee | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Hunter | S | Ranged | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Warlock | S | Ranged | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Druid | B | Hybrid | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Shaman | A | Hybrid | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Priest | B | Ranged | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Mage | S | Ranged | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Rogue | B | Melee | 2/5 | 4/5 |
Sorted by ease. Rankings are our opinion for game 0.120.4; see the full tier list for the reasoning.
Warrior FAQ
Is Warrior good in Azeroth Survivors?
Warrior is A tier in our tier list: #1 of 9 for ease and #4 of 9 for damage ceiling. Huge health and cleaving swings make it the most forgiving melee class. The Bladestorm capstone turns you into a blender that never stops spinning.
What is the best Warrior build?
Eternal Whirlwind: Bladestorm capstone, strike-twice milestone, free Whirlwind on kills, area and haste passives. The community favourite "warrior build": constant spinning in the middle of the horde.
Alternative: Shield wall. Up to 70% damage reduction plus max-health scaling. Slow but nearly unkillable.
What are the Warrior capstone talents?
- Bladestorm. Start with Whirlwind and spin for free every 3 sec.
- Mortal Wounds. Start with Mortal Strike; killing blows from it or Execute ready it again at once (up to once a second).
- Titan. Start with Shield Slam; damage reduction can reach 70%, spells deal +1.5% of your max health, and Shield Slam deals 2% of target max health.
You can only run one capstone at a time; respecs are free between runs.
How many talents does Warrior have?
40 talents in three trees: Arms (13), Fury (13), Protection (14). Each row of a tree opens after 5 more points in it: the first milestones at 10 points, the next at 20 and the capstones at 30. See every Warrior talent.
What is the best race for Warrior?
Orc (Blood Fury, health), Tauren (War Stomp, health) or Human. Every race can play Warrior by default. Starting in version 0.120.0, you can also unlock any race for 100 achievement points on the Rewards → Races tab. If cross-race unlocked, Gnome (+20% Luck, -8% cooldowns) is a premier scaling choice for proc and cooldown builds, while Orc (+35% Blood Fury damage) provides unmatched burst damage.
How do you unlock Warrior talents?
Play Warrior runs. Every run pays talent experience to the class you played, based on time survived, kills, bosses, a win and how hard the zone was. If Warrior is behind your best class it earns bonus experience, so it catches up faster. Zones also unlock per class: beating Elwynn Forest with Warrior opens Duskwood for Warrior only.
More: Azeroth Survivors guide · builds for every class · items, trinkets & amulets · how to play · all zones and bosses