How to be a superhero

Zoom!

Bang!

Ka-pow!

Yup, warriors do indeed have the ability to save the day. Warrior utility is something everyone who plays or has enjoyed the company of one can agree upon - and I'm not just talking about tanks, though that is my specialty. It is a topic we will likely return to numerous times in the future, and so I think it is a suitable way to kick off my posts.



There are many things one thinks of when the word "warrior" is brought up, but in World of Warcraft, the warrior charge is perhaps one of the most iconic. We are given a veritable Swiss army knife of mobility tools and any warrior worth their snuff should make use of them at every opportunity. We are warriors, damnit! We are no clunky mass of flesh, hindered by our own armor and rippling muscles; we are beasts of unprecedented agility and uncompromising force. We are no paladin or druid or DK who needs to lumber towards their enemies, waving a big, red flag that says "Here I am! Come to me!" We are the class that, with only our brute strength and madly flailing weapons, can zip around the battlefield, rescuing our friends and striking down our foes!  Don't believe me? First off, here are the descriptions the game gives us for each of these abilities:

Charge (Battle Stance) - "Charge an enemy, generate 15 rage, and stun it. Cannot be used in combat."
Intercept (Beserker Stance) - "Charge an enemy, causing (AP * 0.12) damage (based on attack power) and stunning it for 3 seconds."
Intervene (Defensive Stance) - "Run at high speed towards a party member, intercepting the next melee or ranged attack made against them as well as reducing their total threat by 10%."
Heroic Leap - "Leap through the air towards a targeted location, slamming down with destructive force to deal (1 + 0.5 * AP) damage on all enemies within 8 yards."

Let's look at this from a tank's perspective for a moment. The Warbringer talent allows you to use Charge, Intercept, and Intervene in combat and in any stance; this is incredibly powerful and a key tool for any protection-specced warrior. Like the reckless, raging behemoth of impenetrable plate you are, you charge into battle, meeting your enemies head-on before they even know what hit them. Spot a straggler a few seconds later, perhaps seeking to snipe your healer? No worries; with Charge on cooldown, you have only to intercept their dastardly plans and bash them soundly upon the head with your shield (remember kiddos: Gag Order is your friend). Nothing says "Hey, you creep, you pay attention to me!" like a shield to the face, right? And uh oh, a pesky dps has earned the ire of your foe and it is hellbent on chewing on their bones. Nothing to fear; Intervene is here!

Heroic Leap is kind of like the second cousin of the warrior charges. I won't get into the pathing issues our latest gift from the WoW gods has (it has been beaten to death often enough in other forums), but for the sake of description, let's ignore those for the moment. Read through the description again: "Leap through the air towards a targeted location, slamming down with destructive force..." Heroic Leap is clearly intended as an offensive ability and can easily be used as such, but don't let this limit you. Remember at all times the word "utility". Our Leap is fantastic for kiting, avoiding a boss's whirlwind, leaping out of the way of Bad Stuff, defending your unsuspecting healer from the pack of adds bearing down on them, and much more. (It is also a handy retreat tool in PvP, but *sshhhh* we don't talk about that.)

"Okay, so what?" you might say. "I play fury/arms. What good do all those defensive uses do for me?"

You're a warrior, sir/madam! You are a superhero! Now more than ever, with the onset of Cataclysm and the new approach to PvE encounters, every party member must be ready to do whatever they can to make a pull go smoothly. Use what abilities you can - be it Charge or Intercept or Heroic Leap - and help the tank by picking up a stray add and kiting them back to the group. DPS are not immune to Standing the the Bad Stuff, so minimize your risk by making use of your Leap. If the tank is stunned or otherwise incapacitated during a pull (perhaps even dead), you can save the day (and avoid a wipe!) with the proper application of any of these abilities. Remember, health pools are massive nowadays and the damage is less spiky; this makes it viable for an arms or fury warrior to provide emergency backup if a situation gets hairy as their large health pools give them a certain amount of survivability.

In short, be the comic book hero you always wanted to be, though perhaps with less tights and more armor plating. Whether you are prot, fury, or arms, you were given the ability to be one of the most mobile classes in the game, so don't be afraid! Look your enemies in the face and know with pride that no matter where they go, you can follow.