WoW Forever beta Warrior build for level 20: fixing Rage with Unbridled Wrath

Overview

Levels 10–20 · Fury Warrior, solo questing and grinding.

Warrior has the roughest start of any class in the beta. The biggest forum thread calls it “in a really bad state”, and a second one found a concrete cause: critical hits give no extra Rage, so a crit for 40% of a mob’s health still gives about 12 Rage. Until that changes, the answer is to make every swing count. Unbridled Wrath gives you up to a 40% chance for an extra Rage point on every weapon hit, which matters more now than it ever did in Classic. Cruelty comes first for crit, and 10 points in Fury unlock Piercing Howl at 20. Written for the first beta phase: level cap 20, client build 1.60.1.69913. Talents and tuning will change before the level 30 phase and again before launch on November 4.

Why this build

• Unbridled Wrath is the best fix for beta Rage. It pays Rage on every hit instead of on crits, and crits currently pay nothing extra.
• Cruelty from level 10. +5% crit is still the biggest damage talent in reach for a low-level Warrior.
• Piercing Howl at 20 slows everything nearby, so adds and runners stop being a problem.

Weak spots

• Still the slowest class to level in the beta, according to players. Eat between pulls and do not chain pull at half health.
• No self-healing and no Victory Rush before 20. Players have asked for it earlier; for now, First Aid is your healing.
• Two-handers suffer most from the Rage issue. If Rage starves you, a one-hander and shield is a fair alternative until Blizzard responds.

Talent order by level

One point per level from level 10 to 20. The talent tree above shows the finished level 20 build; use the level slider to see it at any level.

• Levels 10–14 · Cruelty 5/5 — +5% melee crit at 5 points: the biggest early damage talent.
• Levels 15–19 · Unbridled Wrath 5/5 — Up to a 40% chance for an extra Rage point on every weapon hit. Crits currently give no extra Rage in the beta, so this is how you keep the bar full.
• Level 20 · Piercing Howl 1/1 — Dazes all nearby enemies for 6 sec. Needs 10 points in Fury, which is exactly what you have at 20.

Key levels

• Level 10 · First talent point into Cruelty.
• Level 15 · Cruelty is maxed, so start Unbridled Wrath. From here, Rage stops running dry mid-fight.
• Level 20 · Piercing Howl completes the build, and the beta’s level cap.

How to pull and kill

1. Open with Charge and Rend anything that will live longer than 10 sec.
2. Spend Rage as it comes: Overpower after a dodge, Heroic Strike only when you have more Rage than you need.
3. Two mobs: Demoralizing Shout first, then Piercing Howl at 20 to slow both and focus one.
4. Rest instead of risking it. A death costs more time than a short break to eat.

Leveling tips

• Watch the forums for a Rage fix. If crits start giving Rage again, two-handers will feel much better overnight.
• Prot’s block talents are an option. One tester found sword and board more comfortable for now, thanks to the extra Rage from blocks.
• First Aid is essential. Bandages are your only healing between pulls.
• Weapon upgrades matter most. A better weapon means bigger hits and more Rage per swing.

After level 20

When the cap rises, continue with the Fury Warrior 1–30 guide or switch to the Arms Warrior leveling guide for Sweeping Strikes. See the beta class report for the latest on Warrior feedback.

Sources

The talent path and leveling advice adapt these Classic guides to the WoW Forever talent trees; talents that are new or changed in Forever are chosen from this site’s talent data.

• WoW Forever Builds: beta class report (level 20)
• Official forums: Warrior is in a really bad state
• Official forums: Rage Nerfs