Sources: Icy Veins (Mwahi — Prot, Archimtiros — Arms/Fury, Karanze — PvP) | Updated Mar 2026
Mountain Thane (recommended for M+ and Raid)
- Converts Thunder Clap into Thunder Blast via procs — the core upgrade of the tree
- Burst of Power: Lightning Strikes can proc Shield Slam resets
- Creates a positive Rage feedback loop that maintains rotational fluidity
- Apex Talent: Phalanx — minor damage increase with a small enemy damage reduction component; fully passive, no rotational changes
Colossus
- Centers on Demolish as a powerful channeled finisher
- Colossal Might stacks reduce Demolish's cooldown via Shield Slam usage
- Earthquaker and Boneshaker require Shockwave to be talented
- Demolish channel can be interrupted by Heroic Leap — be careful with movement abilities
Pull Opener:
1. Charge → Avatar → Demoralizing Shout
2. Shield Charge (on cooldown)
3. Shield Slam → Thunder Clap loop begins
Core Priority:
1. Shield Charge — on cooldown if talented
2. Shield Slam — on cooldown; never delay
3. Thunder Blast — react instantly when it procs; never finish another cast first
4. Thunder Clap — on cooldown
5. Execute — only if you do not need Rage for survivability; skip in AoE
6. Revenge — if you do not need Rage for survivability
Active Mitigation (always running alongside rotation):
- Shield Block — keep near-constant uptime; buffs Shield Slam by 30%; blocks physical hits
- Ignore Pain — off-GCD; use before you would cap 100 Rage; never overcap
Storm Surge + Avatar Combo (Mountain Thane specific):
- Avatar empowers your next Rampage (Storm Surge talent) — get Rampage/Shield Slam out immediately after Avatar
- Avatar → immediate Shield Slam or Thunder Blast proc is the burst window
Cooldowns:
- Avatar (1.5 min) — offensive; use on cooldown, pair with Shield Slam
- Demoralizing Shout — AoE damage reduction; use on cooldown
- Shield Wall — major defensive; save for dangerous incoming hits
- Spell Reflect — reflects magic; can deal massive damage back to some bosses
- Rallying Cry — raid-wide HP increase; use for big group damage events
- Challenging Shout — AoE taunt; combine with Disrupting Shout for AoE interrupt+silence
- Storm Bolt — single-target stun; use when only stunning one target to avoid stun DR with Shockwave
- Shockwave — AoE stun; delay or cancel dangerous abilities, use as survivability tool when defenses are down; Rumbling Earth lowers cooldown
Same core loop with key difference: Revenge deals more damage than Thunder Clap in Colossus, so extra Rage should go to Revenge over Ignore Pain when survivability allows. Use Demolish on cooldown; Shield Slam usage is even more important as Colossal Might reduces Demolish's cooldown.
Versatility ≥ Mastery > Haste > Critical Strike
- Always sim your character — tank stat weights shift with gear and content
- Raidbots tank survival sim is the unique value for Prot (not available in AMR)
Weapon = Shield → Helmet/Chest/Legs → Trinkets → Shoulders/Gloves/Belt/Boots
Mountain Thane (recommended M+)
- Thunder Blast replaces Thunder Clap procs with a much harder-hitting version
- Entire tree creates a Rage feedback loop feeding more Thunder Blast procs
- Burst of Power: Lightning Strikes can proc instant Thunder Blast resets
- More fluid, higher AoE ceiling
Slayer (recommended Raid ST)
- See Fury Warrior — Slayer section below
Pull Opener:
1. Charge (free Rage, off-GCD)
2. Odyn's Fury (triggers Enrage immediately)
3. Recklessness + Avatar together (always pair these)
4. Thunder Blast (start cooldown)
5. Rampage (stack Apex, maintain Enrage)
6. Thunder Blast again if proc up
7. Rampage/Bloodbath → continue loop
Core Priority:
1. Recklessness + Avatar — always together, on cooldown, never hold
2. Rampage — when near Rage cap OR Enrage is about to fall off
3. Thunder Blast proc — react INSTANTLY; never finish another cast first
4. Odyn's Fury — on cooldown (~45s)
5. Execute — Sudden Death procs
6. Bloodthirst — on cooldown always; feeds entire proc chain
7. Raging Blow — filler, 2 charges
8. Thunder Clap — maintain Improved Whirlwind cleave buff; lowest priority
Key Rules:
- NEVER let Enrage drop — Rampage fixes it immediately
- Bloodthirst on cooldown always — it is the engine of the entire rotation
- During Recklessness window: Rampage becomes Bloodbath; Raging Blow becomes Crushing Blow (same buttons)
- Storm Surge: Avatar empowers next Rampage — get Rampage out FAST after Avatar
Mastery > Haste > Versatility > Critical Strike
- Always sim at Raidbots — weights shift with gear
Slayer
- Slayer's Strike: auto-attack based extra proc that hits hard on single target
- Enhanced Bladestorm interactions for cleave situations
- Favors sustained output over burst; aligns well with raid fight profiles
Same core Fury loop as Mountain Thane with the following differences:
- Execute becomes higher priority — Slayer has stronger Execute-phase performance
- Bladestorm windows are more impactful — use on cooldown; Slayer buffs it significantly
- Bladestorm cooldown is reduced by Execute casts
- Otherwise: Recklessness + Avatar together, Rampage for Enrage, Bloodthirst on cooldown
Mastery > Critical Strike > Haste > Versatility
- Sim your character — Slayer values differ slightly from Mountain Thane
Midnight changes: Heroic Strike returns as an Apex-powered proc replacing Slam. Rage generation reduced — Shaman Skyfury (Skyfury) is more valuable. Mastery no longer interacts with Deep Wounds. Sweeping Strikes now uses a charge system to reduce waste. Tactician now consistently procs from all rotational abilities including Sudden Death.
Slayer (PvE recommended)
- Slayer's Strike provides strong sustained single-target
- Bladestorm heavily enhanced — use on cooldown in both ST and AoE
- Execute use further reduces Bladestorm cooldown
- Provides surprising multi-target capability through Sweeping Strikes + Bladestorm
Colossus (burst/PvP)
- Demolish delivers fatal burst damage windows
- Increased durability via No Stranger to Pain and Mountain of Muscle and Scars
- Colossal Might stacks reduce Demolish cooldown via Mortal Strike
Core Priority:
1. Colossus Smash — on cooldown; the primary damage amp window
2. Avatar — on cooldown; reduced by Anger Management, pair with Colossus Smash
3. Mortal Strike — always on cooldown; core ability
4. Heroic Strike — proc reaction; consume immediately via Master of Warfare
5. Execute — primary Rage spender below 20% (35% with Massacre); Sudden Death procs any time
6. Overpower — on cooldown; proc management
7. Bladestorm — on cooldown (Slayer-enhanced)
8. Slam — above 50 Rage, no Tactician proc, no Heroic Strike proc
Execute Phase (target <20%):
Execute replaces Slam as the primary Rage spender. Continue Mortal Strike and Colossus Smash; Execute fills everything else. Do NOT delay Mortal Strike for Execute.
Cooldowns:
- Avatar (1.5 min, reduced by Anger Management) — use on cooldown; virtually never hold
- Colossus Smash (45s, further reduced by Anger Management) — core damage window
- Bladestorm (1 min, reduced by Execute casts in Slayer) — AoE and ST value
- Warbreaker (if talented) — replaces Colossus Smash; same usage
Sustained priority:
1. Hamstring on kill target (always)
2. Mortal Wounds via Mortal Strike (always)
3. Rend if talented (maintain)
4. Avatar + Warbreaker for burst window
5. Heroic Strike procs → Whirlwind via Fervor of Battle
6. Mortal Strike on cooldown
7. Execute (Sudden Death or below threshold; hold proc for burst window)
8. Bladestorm
9. Slam (above 50 Rage, no Tactician proc)
10. Overpower
Burst window (CC on healer):
Avatar → Warbreaker → Storm Bolt on kill target (or Storm Bolt healer + Shockwave kill target) → Heroic Strike procs → Mortal Strike → Execute
Strength > Critical Strike > Haste > Mastery/Versatility
- Crit and Haste are top secondaries; Mastery and Versatility are situational based on sim results
- Haste has breakpoints (GCDs inside Colossus Smash) — sim for accuracy
Weapon → Trinkets → Helmet/Chest/Legs → Shoulders/Gloves/Belt/Boots
| Spec | Icy Veins | Method.gg | Wowhead | Raidbots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protection | Protection Warrior | Prot Warrior | Prot Warrior | Raidbots |
| Fury | Fury Warrior | Fury Warrior | Fury Warrior | Raidbots |
| Arms | Arms Warrior | Arms Warrior | Arms Warrior | Raidbots |
Primary authors: Mwahi (Prot), Archimtiros (Arms/Fury), Karanze (PvP) — Icy Veins; Method.gg class team. Updated March 2026.