Getting Started - Warrior

Choosing your class in World of Warcraft can be intimidating, so we've put together this guide to help you decide which class is for you. This guide will cover basic questions you may have concerning levelling speed, survivability, PVP roles, PVE roles, and class defining skills and traits.

Unlike most previous MMORPGs, in WoW every class is capable of soloing from level 1 right to the cap. This is mainly possible due to all of the group-proficient classes being hybridized to some extent, usually in the form of talent trees focussed on dealing damage. With proper talent choices, any class can be self-sufficient in their Azerothian adventures. For information on talent choices for the class of your choosing, check out the appropriate levelling tips link contained in the writeups below.

Warrior:

Warriors are heavily armored meat-shields with an extreme capability for damage output depending on their talents. They level at a moderate pace initially, but this picks up significantly upon hitting level 40 and picking up one of the instant attack 31-point talents and plate armor. Warriors are a very gear dependent class, not ideal for soloing as a first character unless you have a friend willing to cover keeping your gear up to date. If you already have a high level main or you plan on grouping enough to pick up the good drops from instances, your warrior should fare quite decently. As a general rule, try to keep your gear no more than 5 levels out of date and your damage and survivability should be more than adequate for levelling.

A warrior's role in PVP is to immobilize and crush his enemies. Abilities like Hamstring and Piercing Howl (talent) allow you to slow down your foes, keeping them in your melee range and away from your teammates. Mortal Strike, the 31-point talent in the Arms tree (generally considered the PVP tree) reduces all healing done on the target by 50%, in addition to doing a very respectable chunk of damage. This talent essentially makes warriors the kings of the assist train, meaning that whoever the warrior is focussed on is target number one. A warrior backed by a healer is a terrifying thing indeed.

In group PVE situations, a warrior is generally the meat shield, the person keeping the nasties from beating on the squishy little healer and damage classes. This is referred to as tanking, and is generally considered the most difficult job in the game. Warriors are capable of putting out very decent damage in groups, but are generally passed over as a damage dealer, due to a general shortage of tanks and abundance of DPS (damage per second) classes and a lack of group utility and crowd control. Long story short, if you don't like the idea of tanking, plan on soloing to the cap.

Warriors are defined by their ability to wield every type of weapon and wear every type of armor. They are, in essence, the masters of toe to toe combat, and possess skills appropriate to that role. Mortal Strike is the de facto anti-healing attack, as it is easily kept up and un-dispellable. Hamstring is the most reliable snare effect in the game. In terms of tanking, warriors are the most versatile and dependable, whether you are fighting 1 mob or 10. If you are looking for a melee class that take damage just as hard as they can dish it out, this may be your class. If you're interested in some warrior-specific tips for levelling, check out our Warrior Levelling Tips and Talents.