Core Concepts
Everything in this section is the foundation. The dungeon pages assume you know it.
Tanking (Protection)
Stat caps
| Stat | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Defense | 540 | Removes boss crits in heroics. Below this, you take random one-shots. |
| Hit | 8% (264 rating @ 80) | Spell hit (17%) is irrelevant — warriors only need melee hit. |
| Expertise | 26 (cap dodge) | Eliminates dodged Shield Slams. Parry cap (56) is overkill in 5-mans. |
| Stamina | As high as possible | Always. |
| Armor / Block Value | Stack while leveling | Mitigation per item budget, falls off slightly in late ICC. |
You can ignore defense entirely while leveling. The 540 crit-immunity threshold only applies to heroic dungeon bosses (level 80 content) and raid bosses. Vanilla, TBC, and WotLK normal mode dungeons don't crit you, so just stack Stamina + Block Value + Armor.
Threat priority (single target)
Shield Slam > Revenge > Shockwave > Concussion Blow > Devastate > filler
Free GCDs while waiting for cooldowns: Devastate to keep 5x Sunder Armor up. Heroic Strike as your rage dump (it's an instant attack-replacer, doesn't cost a GCD).
Threat priority (AoE / pull)
Charge → Thunder Clap → Shockwave → Cleave (instead of HS) → Tab-Devastate
- Thunder Clap on cooldown — slows attack speed by 25%, huge mitigation passive.
- Shockwave is a 4-sec stun on a 20-sec CD — use it to stop a runner or buy a kite window.
- Cleave replaces Heroic Strike on AoE pulls. Glyph of Cleaving makes it hit 3 targets.
- Single-target threat ramps so fast that you can usually skip Sunder Armor on AoE pulls and just spam your AoE buttons — DPS won't pull off you in a 5-man.
Defensive cooldowns
| Ability | CD | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Shield Block | 30s (Glyph: 1min/+10% block) | Default — pop on every hard pull and most boss openers. |
| Last Stand | 3min (2min glyphed) | "Oh shit, healer asleep" button. +30% max HP for 20s. |
| Shield Wall | 5min (Glyph of Shield Wall: 2min) | -40% damage taken, 12s. The big one. |
| Enraged Regeneration | 3min | 30% of max HP heal over 10s. Use during downtime if healer is OOM. |
| Spell Reflection | 10s | Reflects one spell. Great vs. casters in HoR, FoS bone wraith volleys, Grobbulus-style adds. |
| War Stomp (racial) | 2min | 2-sec AoE stun. Use as a free interrupt on a caster pack or panic button. |
Stance dancing in dungeons
You'll spend 95% of your time in Defensive Stance (-10% damage taken, +10% threat). Reasons to leave:
- Battle Stance for Charge (out of combat) — opens every pull.
- Battle Stance for Intervene — break a snare, take a hit for the healer.
- Berserker Stance for Intercept (in combat) — best gap-closer if a mob is fixated on the healer or the boss is mid-pack.
- Berserker Stance for Berserker Rage — clear fear on a fight like Loken or Bronjahm.
Glyph of Charge extends Charge range — keep it for tanking.
Tanking glyphs (level 80)
Major:
- Glyph of Vigilance — your raid utility, but in 5-mans put it on your top DPS. +10% threat transfer.
- Glyph of Devastate — 2 stacks of Sunder per cast. Smoother threat ramp on bosses.
- Glyph of Last Stand — CD reduced to 2min. Lets you use it more freely.
Optional: Glyph of Blocking (+10% block value for 10s after Shield Slam) for heavy physical fights, or Glyph of Shield Wall (lowers Shield Wall CD to 2 min, but reduces effect to -40% from -60% — almost always worth it for 5-mans).
Minor:
- Glyph of Bloodrage — no health cost.
- Glyph of Thunder Clap — +2 yd range, easier to grab a stragglers.
- Glyph of Charge — +5 yd range.
Pull templates
Standard trash pack (3-5 mobs):
Bloodrage (pre-pull, in Defensive) → Charge first target → Thunder Clap →
Shockwave → Cleave + Devastate on focus → Cleave + Shield Slam →
Tab through any unattended mob with Devastate
Caster pack:
Charge primary → Thunder Clap → War Stomp (interrupts the cast) →
LoS pull around a corner if possible to clump them → AoE
Single big mob / mini-boss:
Bloodrage → Charge → Shield Slam → Revenge → Devastate → Heroic Strike (rage dump)
Maintain 5x Sunder, Shield Block on cooldown.
DPS (Arms / Fury)
Arms rotation
Mortal Strike (on CD) > Bladestorm (on CD, only if 3+ targets) >
Overpower (when proc'd) > Execute (during Sudden Death proc, or sub-20%) >
Slam > Heroic Strike (rage dump only above 60 rage)
Keep Battle Shout or Commanding Shout up. Battle Shout for higher DPS, Commanding for HP buffer.
AoE: Sweeping Strikes (10s / 30s CD) → Bladestorm or Cleave spam.
Fury rotation
Bloodthirst (on CD) > Whirlwind (on CD) > Slam (during Bloodsurge proc, instant) >
Heroic Strike to dump rage, but stop if rage < 50 to keep specials available
Once you're decently geared, Heroic Strike can be on auto-cast — but watch your rage; a Heroic Strike-starved BT/WW is much worse than a 5-rage white swing.
AoE: Whirlwind hits all four weapons via Titan's Grip — just spam it on cooldown plus Cleave.
DPS glyphs (level 80)
Arms (major):
- Glyph of Mortal Strike (+10% damage)
- Glyph of Execution (+1 free Execute)
- Glyph of Rending (+3s Rend duration)
Fury (major):
- Glyph of Whirlwind (-2s CD)
- Glyph of Heroic Strike (+10 rage on crit, virtually free)
- Glyph of Cleaving (+1 target on Cleave) — for AoE; otherwise Glyph of Execution
Cooldowns to bank for DPS
- Recklessness (5min) — +20% crit, 12s. Open with this on bosses.
- Death Wish (Fury, 3min) — +20% damage, 30s. Pair with Recklessness when both are up.
- Bladestorm (Arms, 1.5min) — channeled AoE, also immune to disarm/silence/snare. Use as a soft defensive too.
- Berserker Rage — fear immunity, generates rage with the talent. Press it on Bronjahm, Loken, etc.
Stuff that applies to both roles
Consumables (level 80)
- Flask of Stoneblood (tank) / Flask of Endless Rage (DPS).
- Spiced Worm Burger or Dragonfin Filet (food).
- Indestructible Potion (tank pre-pot) / Potion of Speed (DPS pre-pot).
- Scrolls of Stamina/Strength are dirt cheap and worth using even at low levels.
Pre-pulls and trash discipline
- Mark targets (skull → focus, X → next, etc.). 5-man pugs respect marks; the warrior is usually the one who places them.
- Always Bloodrage before Charge — you arrive with rage to immediately Shield Slam.
- LoS pulls: walk back behind a corner so casters come to you. The single most underrated tank tool.
- Don't move during Bladestorm — yours OR an enemy's. Save Spell Reflection for casters mid-cast, not someone autoattacking you.
Common tank mistakes
- Tanking in Battle Stance. -10% mitigation is huge. Stay Defensive unless using a stance-locked ability.
- Spamming Heroic Strike at low rage. It blocks your next white swing, killing rage generation. Stop using HS below ~40 rage.
- No Shield Block uptime. It's a 30s cooldown and free threat (Critical Block via Shield Specialization). Use it.
- Forgetting Vigilance. Cast it on your top DPS at the start of every dungeon — it persists until you die or recast. Free 10% threat transfer.
- Overpulling for healer mana. A 5-man healer at level 40 in green gear cannot drink between every pull and clear at speed. Match the healer.