Protection Warrior PvE guide: raid main tank with Shield Slam, Vitality and Bastion

Overview

Level 60 · Protection Warrior · Tank in dungeons and raids.

In Classic raids the main tank was almost always a Warrior in a Protection build, and WoW Forever looks built to keep that. The Forever Protection tree adds several Rage and threat tools that Classic Warriors had to borrow from Arms and Fury: Master of Defense gives Rage when you dodge or parry, Focused Rage makes offensive abilities cheaper, Bastion raises all damage while you hold a shield, and Vitality adds Stamina and Strength. Shield Slam now scales with Block Value and can dispel a magic effect from the target. The build below is a deep 43-point Protection main tank with Cruelty and Unbridled Wrath for Rage and threat.

Your job in the group

You hold the boss and the loose adds. On pull, you build a threat lead fast enough for the damage dealers to start; during the fight you keep the boss facing away from the raid, taunt back anything that runs, and use cooldowns before a spike instead of after it. In five-player dungeons you set the pace and mark kill order, and you pick up whatever breaks crowd control first.

Why play it

• Rage from defense. Shield Specialization and Master of Defense turn blocks, dodges and parries into Rage, so a slow boss still feeds you.
• Big threat per Rage. Bastion, Defiance and Focused Rage make Shield Slam, Revenge and Sunder Armor cheaper and stronger.
• Deep cooldown kit. Last Stand, Shield Wall with Improved Shield Wall, and the Tier 1 set’s shorter Shield Wall cooldown.
• Shield Slam’s dispel can strip a magic buff from an enemy.

Weak points

• Multi-target threat is still harder for a Warrior than for a Paladin with Consecration; mark targets and use Thunder Clap and Cleave.
• Rage starvation on pull. Nothing has hit you yet, so Bloodrage and Improved Bloodrage are your only early Rage.
• Heavy gear checks. Defense and Stamina requirements for raid bosses come before any threat stats.

Level 60 talent build

Arms 0 / Fury 8 / Protection 43, all 51 points. The talent tree above shows the finished build.

Protection (43)

• Shield Specialization 5/5 — more blocks and Rage from each block.
• Anticipation 5/5 — Defense skill, which reduces how often bosses crit or hit you.
• Improved Bloodrage 2/2 — more Rage on the pull, when you have none.
• Toughness 5/5 — more armor from items.
• Last Stand 1/1 — temporary health for an emergency.
• Master of Defense 2/2 — Rage from dodges and parries while you hold a shield.
• Defiance 3/3 — more threat in Defensive Stance with a shield.
• Improved Sunder Armor 3/3 — cheaper Sunder Armor, your filler threat move.
• Improved Shield Wall 2/2 — a longer Shield Wall.
• Concussion Blow 1/1 — a stun for adds and casters, and the path to Shield Slam.
• Vitality 5/5 — Stamina for survival and Strength for Block Value and threat.
• Focused Rage 3/3 — cheaper Shield Slam, Revenge, Sunder Armor and Heroic Strike.
• Bastion 5/5 — more damage, and so more threat, with a shield equipped.
• Shield Slam 1/1 — your biggest threat button; Block Value makes it stronger.

Fury (8)

• Cruelty 5/5 — crit on melee for more damage and threat.
• Unbridled Wrath 3/5 — Rage from your own hits to smooth out slow boss swings.

Flexible points: Improved Revenge (stun chance) is useful in dungeons; take points from Improved Shield Wall. If you tank adds more than bosses, Improved Thunder Clap is worth considering.

Rotation and priority

1. Pull: Bloodrage for Rage, then Shield Slam or Sunder Armor on the target the raid will attack first.
2. Shield Slam on cooldown, your main threat source.
3. Revenge whenever it is available after a block, dodge or parry.
4. Sunder Armor as filler until the boss has a full stack, then keep refreshing it.
5. Heroic Strike with excess Rage, which Master of Defense and Unbridled Wrath make common later in the fight.
6. Demoralizing Shout and Thunder Clap on bosses that hit hard, when another tank or class is not already providing them.
7. Multiple targets: mark kill order, Thunder Clap and Demoralizing Shout for area threat, and tab Sunder Armor through the pack.

Cooldowns

• Shield Block before heavy hits to force blocks.
• Shield Wall for predictable damage spikes; Improved Shield Wall and the Battleplate of Glory 5-piece both help.
• Last Stand as the emergency button when the healer is out of range or mana.
• Taunt and Mocking Blow for taunt swaps and running adds.

Resources

Early Rage comes from Bloodrage and the first boss swings; mid-fight Rage comes from blocks, dodges and parries through Shield Specialization and Master of Defense. Focused Rage lowers what everything costs, so a Protection Warrior in this build should rarely be starved once the boss is hitting them. The main mistake is spending all Rage on Heroic Strike and having none for Shield Slam or Revenge.

Stat priority

Reach the Defense needed for raid bosses first, since Classic raid bosses could crit and crush tanks without it. Then Stamina and armor, then avoidance (dodge and parry) and block, which also feed Rage through this build. Threat stats come after survival: hit so taunts and Shield Slam land, then Strength for Block Value and Attack Power.

Gear and set bonuses

Battleplate of Glory is the Protection Warrior Tier 1 set in the beta datamine: 2 pieces give +7 Defense, 3 pieces take 10 sec off Intervene, 4 pieces reduce the chance your attacks are dodged or parried by 1.2%, and 5 pieces take 30 sec off Shield Wall. The Intervene bonus means Intervene is a Warrior ability in Forever; use it to reach a healer or a second tank. Keep a set of fire resistance or other resistance gear in mind for encounters that demand it, as Classic raids did.

Legacy planner

No Legacy node adds threat or defense. Reinforce reduces durability loss on death, which matters for a tank who dies on every wipe, and Gourmand extends Stamina food. Both are unconfirmed beta data; see the Legacy planner.

Consumables and professions

• Stamina and armor: Elixir of Superior Defense, Elixir of Fortitude and Stamina food.
• Damage reduction: Greater Stoneshield Potion for dangerous pulls.
• Threat: Elixir of the Mongoose or Juju Power once survival is covered.
• Rage: Mighty Rage Potion on pulls where you need an instant threat lead.
• Resistance potions for fights built around fire, frost or shadow damage.
• Professions: Engineering for utility and a tank trinket slot, or Blacksmithing for tank crafts.

Sources

Rotation, stat and matchup advice adapts these Classic 1.12 guides to the WoW Forever talent trees; talents, set bonuses and new abilities come from this site’s WoW Forever data.

• Icy Veins: Classic Warrior Tank Guide
• Icy Veins: Classic Warrior DPS Stat Priority
• Icy Veins: Classic Warrior DPS Enchants and Consumables