TBC Classic Arms Warrior Guide (Phase 3)

Arms Warrior is a plate-wearing melee fighter who wields two-handed weapons: strikes are slow but heavy. In a raid they are brought first and foremost for the unique debuff Blood Frenzy, which increases physical damage for the entire raid. The buffed talent Improved Overpower made the specialization a fully viable raid pick, but in personal damage it falls behind Fury, so there is usually only one raid slot for it.

• Battle Shout or Commanding Shout — keep up the one you are responsible for the entire fight
• Demoralizing Shout — heavily cuts enemies' physical damage
• Execute — on a target below 20% health
• Overpower — right after an auto-attack; it requires standing still and resets the swing timer
• Mortal Strike — on cooldown
• Whirlwind — on excess rage
• Heroic Strike — when rage is above 60 or while moving, when there is nothing else to press

The Arms rotation is more complex than the others: it is built around the swing timer. Overpower resets that timer, so pressing it too early or too late eats your auto-attack. In the execute phase you should switch to two fast one-handed weapons and press Execute as often as possible.

Multi-Target Priority

• Sweeping Strikes — on cooldown, when you can hit several targets
• Whirlwind
• Execute — on a target below 20% health
• Cleave — if it will hit several targets and you have enough rage
• Overpower — if there is nothing else to press
• Mortal Strike — if you have rage left over after everything

On AoE the warrior pulls threat very easily, so let the tanks build threat before you start.

• Sweeping Strikes — the main multi-target cooldown
• Last Stand — a temporary health buffer for heavy incoming damage
• Insane Strength Potion and Haste Potion — tie them to your other cooldowns
• Mighty Rage Potion — a sudden burst of rage

Rage management is an important part of playing a warrior. Know the cost of your abilities, keep the rage bar in view, and think a couple of buttons ahead. Before big cooldowns it is better to bank rage: skipping one Heroic Strike or Whirlwind to have a reserve for your cooldowns is usually worth it. But you must not let it hit the cap either.

Human

• Sword Specialization increases your Expertise Rating with swords by 5.
• Mace Specialization increases your Expertise Rating with maces by 5.
• The Human Spirit increases Spirit by 10%.
• Perception sharply increases stealth detection for 20 seconds. 3-minute cooldown.
• Diplomacy increases reputation gained by 10%.

Dwarf

• Stoneform removes and prevents bleed, poison, and disease effects for 8 seconds and increases armor. 3-minute cooldown.
• Gun Specialization increases your critical strike chance by 1% while wielding a gun.
• Frost Resistance increases Frost resistance by 10.
• Find Treasure marks nearby chests on the minimap.

Night Elf

• Quickness increases your dodge chance by 1%.
• Shadowmeld turns you invisible while you stand still. It does not work in combat.
• Nature Resistance increases Nature resistance by 10.
• Wisp Spirit turns you into a wisp after death and increases ghost movement speed by 50%.

Gnome

• Escape Artist instantly removes immobilizing and slowing effects. 2-minute cooldown.
• Expansive Mind increases Intellect by 5%.
• Arcane Resistance increases Arcane resistance by 10.
• Engineering Specialization increases Engineering skill by 15.

Draenei

• Heroic Presence increases the hit chance of your whole party within 30 yards by 1%.
• Gift of the Naaru heals the target over 15 seconds.
• Shadow Resistance increases Shadow resistance by 10.
• Gemcutting increases Jewelcrafting skill by 5.

Orc

• Axe Specialization increases your Expertise Rating with axes by 5.
• Blood Fury increases attack power for 15 seconds, but healing received is reduced by 50% for that duration. 2-minute cooldown.
• Hardiness increases your chance to resist stun effects by 15%.
• Command increases pet damage by 5%.

Undead

• Will of the Forsaken grants immunity to Fear, Charm, and Sleep for 5 seconds and removes effects already applied. 2-minute cooldown.
• Cannibalize restores 7% health every 2 seconds for 10 seconds by eating a nearby corpse.
• Shadow Resistance increases Shadow resistance by 10.
• Touch of the Grave triples the time you can spend underwater.

Tauren

• War Stomp stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. 0.5-second cast, 2-minute cooldown.
• Endurance increases your health pool by 5%.
• Nature Resistance increases Nature resistance by 10.
• Cultivation increases Herbalism skill by 15.

Troll

• Berserking increases attack speed by 10–30% depending on how wounded you are, for 10 seconds. 3-minute cooldown.
• Beast Slaying increases damage against beasts by 5%.
• Bow Specialization increases your critical strike chance by 1% while wielding a bow.
• Throwing Specialization increases your critical strike chance by 1% while wielding a thrown weapon.
• Regeneration increases health regeneration by 10% and lets you regenerate it even in combat.

Blacksmithing

Crafted weapons hold up until the late stages of the expansion, so this profession is recommended for anyone who wants to squeeze out maximum damage. It also provides Adamantite Weightstone, Adamantite Sharpening Stone, and Greater Rune of Warding.

Engineering

It offers no benefit for the main specialization, but the profession provides many useful things: Rocket Boots Xtreme, explosives, and stamina trinkets for tanking — Goblin Rocket Launcher and Gnomish Poultryizer hold up for almost all of TBC.

Enchanting

It provides Enchant Ring - Stats — +8 to all stats in total: a bit of health, attack power, and Critical Strike Rating.

Jewelcrafting

It provides Crimson Sun and Stone of Blades — gems slightly better than the normal ones.

Leatherworking

A decent option if no one else in your group can bring Drums of Battle. Crafted starter gear is also handy, but it is quickly replaced.

Alchemy

It provides Oil of Immolation — free AoE damage.