Tank Rotation & Cooldowns (5.2)

Maintaining a proper Rotation and using the right Cooldowns is essential to maximizing your Protection Warrior. Use this guide to optimize your single target and AoE rotations while learning how to get the most out of your cooldowns.

Single Target Rotation

Stance: Defensive Stance

Tanking Priority: Execute this priority to build Rage and threat.

1. Shield Slam on every cooldown. Watch for Sword And Board procs.
2. Revenge whenever available.
3. Battle Shout / Commanding Shout for additional Rage.
4. Thunder Clap to maintain Weakened Blows.
5. Devastate to maintain Weakened Armor.
6. Heroic Strike to consume Ultimatum.

Active Mitigation: Consume Rage with these skills to mitigate damage.

• Shield Block Reduces physical damage taken.
• Shield Barrier Reduces all damage taken.

Protection Warrior single target tanking involves building up Rage and spending it on either Shield Block or Shield Barrier. To build Rage, use Shield Slam on cooldown while watching for Sword And Board procs. Use Revenge whenever it’s available and cast Thunder Clap every 30 seconds to maintain Weakened Blows. Devastate is your filler ability and provides Weakened Armor. Use Heroic Strike to consume Ultimatum procs. Finally, try to use Battle Shout and Commanding Shout on every cooldown for additional Rage, but only when the Shout will not cap your Rage.

The choice between spending Rage on Shield Block or Shield Barrier depends on the specific encounter. Shield Block is used to mitigate physical damage delivered through melee attacks. Shield Barrier can be used to mitigate any type of damage, but is best used to mitigate magic damage and raid AoE damage. In general, Shield Block is your go-to Rage spender as it helps you mitigate boss auto-attacks with Shield Barrier used to bleed off excess Rage. However, if you are expecting a major magic based attack, then you should pool Rage to use on Shield Barrier.

AoE Rotation

• Thunder Clap to apply Deep Wounds
• Revenge
• Cleave

In AoE situations, try to use Charge or Heroic Leap to start the fight followed by an immediate Thunder Clap for initial threat. Use Shockwave if available. After that, stick to the normal rotation, but replace Heroic Strike with Cleave as your Rage dump and to consume Ultimatum procs. Continue to use Thunder Clap on cooldown. Also, Shield Block tends to take priority as your Rage spender when tanking multiple mobs as it has the potential to mitigate more incoming attacks than Shield Barrier

Effective Cooldowns

These effective cooldowns are available if you chose them in your talent build.

• Avatar Use for burst threat and additional Rage to spend on mitigation skills.
• Disrupting Shout Use as needed to interrupt spell casting.
• Enraged Regeneration Combine with Berserker Rage for an on demand heal.
• Shockwave Use as needed to stun or interrupt adds. Provides quick threat.
• Vigilance Use to save a key raid member. Allows you to spam Taunt on mobs.

These are effective cooldowns to try and incorporate into most all encounters.

• Battle Shout Maintain buff and use for Rage (see single target priority).
• Berserker Rage Use as often as possible for additional Rage.
• Commanding Shout Maintain buff and use for Rage (see single target priority).
• Demoralizing Banner Use often and try to line up with moment of high incoming damage.
• Demoralizing Shout Use proactively as a minor defense cooldown.
• Heroic Leap Use to quickly close the gap to your targets.
• Last Stand Use if very low health or expecting a large attack.
• Mocking Banner Use as needed for an AoE taunt.
• Rallying Cry Use as needed to boost raid Health.
• Reflection Use proactively to prevent magic damage.
• Recklessness Use as often as possible for additional threat.
• Shattering Throw Use as often as possible. Best timed with other raid cooldowns.
• Shield Wall Use proactively to prevent damage.
• Skull Banner Use as often as possible. Best timed with other raid cooldowns.
• Taunt Use to establish threat on targets not attacking you.