Post by Thundax
I don’t waste my time, and I don’t waste other people’s time. Please read the following disclaimer before you move on.
If you are one of the conquest emblem farmers, you should at least know there is a build that will…
- dramatically increase your pace of heroic farming.
- amuse your eye with nearly endless critical strikes, without you being a DPS.
- Produce surprisingly high amount of threats that can be easily maintained with a few pushes of macros.
- put yourself on top of average DPS classes in overall damage chart.
Interested? Let’s get started then.
Speedy Theory
In most cases, warrior tanks have troubles to hold multiple targets attention. This defect makes warriors having a hard time to keep their teammates from over threating. In speedy theory, there is no need for sheep, trap or sap. But, how does warrior make themselves efficient tanks in situations like HoS zergs and ToC Black Knight Phase 2 then?
The answer, use AoE attacks.
And if that don’t work, use more AoE attacks. (Yes, TF2)
Bring down all mobs at once saves a lot of effort, and in some particular boss fights, AoE makes heroic a lot easier, and a lot faster. Bear in mind that this build is so far proven only plausible in heroic instances, not raids…yet. Done with the introduction, here is the build:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#LZGxc0xZVItMxczVdIzsGo:MNfMmoStrength for this build
- Multiple AoE attacks in arsenal.
By reducing shockwave cool down, warrior can keep his targets stand still as often as possible while they getting toast by thunderclap and cleave.
- Produce great amount of damage (Therefore generate a large amount of threat).
Improved by talents and glyph, cleave had become one of the best ability for speedy tanks to dump their rages. As we all known, while in defensive stance, all sort of damage done by warrior will produce threats, meaning the more damage done, the more threats will be generated. Now, cleave does +120% damage, hits 3 targets and have at least 20% chance to land a critical strike, most important, it only cost 17 rages. On top of that, if combined with devastate, you can also add an extra piece of sunder armor on your current target, and the target next to it. Same deal with thunderclap, an amazing spells that warrior use as often as possible become much more powerful than it used to be.
- Flexible, extra bonus health or AP (survivability or threat, suit yourself).
Having a so-so healer in your party? No problem, your commanding shout now gives you around 2818 (originally 2255) extra health. Got a lot of physical DPS in your run? Sure, your Battle shout now surpass blessing of might by 135 attack power. Depend on various situations, your improved shouts benefits you and your teammates.
- Flexible continue…
It is totally fine if player choose to discard concussion blow and vigilance. Since you are already a threat making machine, you can spare those two points on either Gag order, Spell reflection, Improved disarm or even Enrage.
Weakness for this build
- Minus 5% parry.
Enough said, therefore this build does not suitable for tanks that have low mitigation (Although stacking parry is already not so useful).
- Given up a great combo (Deep wound & Impale).
We all know that DoT also generate additional threats, it is unfortunate that we are too far away to access these two awesome talents. However, compare to the massive amount of AoE attacks, these talents are worth to be sacrificed.
- People in your party will mistaken you as a DPS.
Not trying to prove anything, but it actually happened to me, I was second on the chart, with 1.7K DPS, beating 2K+ by overall damage.
Macros
These two macros are core of this build; they must be made and glued on your action bar.
“Sunder Cleave” Macro 1
Cost: 26 rage
#showtooltip Devastate(Rank 5)
/cast Devastate(Rank 5)
/cast Cleave(Rank 8)
“Heroic devy” Macro 2
#showtooltip Devastate(Rank 5)
/cast Devastate(Rank 5)
/cast Heroic Strike(Rank 13)
Rotations
Although this build is based on AoE, it doesn’t mean it can't be use on single target bosses. Here are the rotations for various situations…
General Opening
Bloodrage -> Cleave -> Charge
*Note* Cleave shares the same way how heroic strike works; it can be activate before you are close enough to hit the target, therefore, as long as you have rage in your bar (and already selected a target), you can pre-activate it and it will land as soon as you charge right in.
Elite crowds pull
(Sub opening) -> Demoralizing shout -> Thunderclap -> Cleave -> Wait till 26 rage -> Macro 1 -> Shockwave -> Macro 1 … Repeat from Thunderclap.
Non-elite swarm pull
(Sub opening) -> Thunderclap -> Cleave -> Shockwave… Repeat from Thunderclap.
Single Target Boss pull
(Sub opening) -> Berserker rage -> Shield Slam -> Thunderclap -> Concussion Blow -> Macro 2…Use Shield Slam, Concussion Blow, Thunderclap and revenge whenever they are available. Here is another list for priority for those cool downs:
Shield Slam > Revenge > Thunderclap > Macro 2.
Basic Concept
In order to correctly use this build, here are some important tips that must be learned.
- Whenever S&B procs, use your Shield Slam
- This build so far only works in heroic instances, not raids.
- This build require a decent geared tank to exercise, do not try it if you are greens and blues.
- When charging, choose not the closest to you, but the one that is closet to corner.
- When charging, target caster / range before melee. You will not be able to AoE efficiently if there are mobs out of your range.
- If there are two casters, charge into one of them first, Concussion blow it, and then intercept the second caster. After that, resume to the first caster and start your rotation.
- Thunderclap always comes before Cleave when they are both available to use (or Macro 1, in rotation wise).
Small conclusion…
Although this build is specific for heroic farming only, it is still worth your 50g to at least give it a try. I am posting this just so I can get full credit of it before I lose the chance. This is what I can spill so far for today, if I ever recall something I will definitely post again. /bow
Hiichan @ Eonar