An Arms Warrior leveling build is absolutely the best leveling build for Cataclysm due to mass pull abilities, crowd control, rage efficiency, and self-healing ability. However, there is a right way to do Arms and there is a wrong way. If you don’t specify the specs, glyph, or equipment correctly, you can easily add days to your leveling time. Read on to find out how and why to level up as an Arms Warrior.
Why choose an Arms Warrior leveling build?
Arms is a high DPS, self-healing, massive burning energy source. With talents like Blitz and abilities like Sweeping Strikes and later, Bladestorm, Arms Warrior can break through small groups with ease and large groups with proper management. If you’re wondering why you shouldn’t take Fury, there are a couple of reasons. First, Fury operates out of Dual Wield. He has a much higher chance of missing his target, which can drastically hamper his DPS. Also, Dual Wield means that he must constantly maintain and upgrade two weapons instead of one. This can be costly in both time, if you’re buffing dungeons, or DPS if one of your weapons is lagging, and you just can’t find that upgrade. And don’t even think about buying one from the Auction House. It’s a waste of gold. These two concepts alone are enough to get Arms past Fury.
Glyphs for a weapon warrior leveling build
Glyphs make about as much of a difference as talent points for your Arms Warrior. Choosing the right ones can make the difference in hours or even days off of your gaming time. The main glyphs you want to use are Mortal Strike, Overpower, and Bladestorm. These are the bread and butter of your rotations. The increased damage and decreased cooldown make them an excellent perk for your leveling build. Primary glyphs include Victory Rush, Sweeping Strikes, and Rapid Charge. The first provides excellent survivability, while the others provide a huge buff to two of his main cooldown abilities. Minor glyphs include Enduring Victory, Demoralizing Shout, and Battle. The first two add some survivability, while the last one is a nice utility glyph. Refreshing buffs suck, and you don’t have to worry as much about them dropping while you’re in combat.
Preparing for an Arms Warrior leveling build
As a warrior, you are extremely dependent on equipment. You take a lot of hits, so Plate Armor is a must. Also, the damage you deal is directly related to the weapon you use. You want a slow two-handed weapon with high level damage. Don’t worry so much about DPS. That comes from your skills, not your weapon speed. Once you’ve found a good weapon, you’ll want to start building up Strength and Stamina. Strength increases the damage you deal, while stamina keeps you alive. When it comes to secondary stats, Critical Strike is your friend. Crit is the basis for several Arms abilities that will increase your damage by several levels. Hit is fine, but I wouldn’t worry about stacking it too high. You only miss 1 out of 20 strikes. Worry about limiting it late in the game. Agility also grants a decent critical hit. At lower levels, before you start seeing a lot of crits on your team, this will come in very handy.