Arms Warrior DPS Artifact Talents/Traits and Relics (Legion 7.2.5)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2 Changes
  • 4. Strengths
  • 5. Weaknesses
  • 6. Viability in the Current Patch
  • 7. Contents
  • 8. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resource
  • 3. Basic Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. Offensive Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheet
    • 2.1. Open World, Levelling and Questing
    • 2.2. Dungeons and Raids
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 10. ChangeLog
• ×Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression
    • 1.1. Early Progression
    • 1.2. Patch 7.2 Post 35 Trait Path
  • 2. Artifact Ability
  • 3. Relic Choice
    • 3.1. AoE Specific:
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single-Target Rotation
    • 1.1. Single Target
      • 1.1.1. Deadly Calm with Soul of the Battlelord
    • 1.2. Execute Usage
    • 1.3. Opening Rotation
    • 1.4. Cooldown Rotation
  • 2. Multiple-Target Rotation
    • 2.1. 4+ Target AoE
  • 3. Important Notes
    • 3.1. Tier 4 Talents
    • 3.2. Focused Rage
    • 3.3. Cooldowns
      • 3.3.1. Battle Cry
      • 3.3.2. Bladestorm/Ravager
      • 3.3.3. Colossus Smash and Warbreaker
  • 4. Mastering your Arms Warrior
    • 4.1. Rage Management
    • 4.2. Colossus Smash
    • 4.3. Movement and Mobility
    • 4.4. Advanced: Heroic Charge
    • 4.5. Defense
  • 5. Tier 19 Set Bonuses
    • 5.1. Tier 19 Trinket optimization
  • 6. Tier 20 Set Bonuses
    • 6.1. Tier 20 Trinket Optimization
  • 7. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
    • 1.1. Getting a Better Understanding
    • 1.2. Statistics
    • 1.3. Breakpoints
  • 2. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
  • 2. Enchants
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Macros
    • 1.1. Generic Macros for Warriors
      • 1.1.1. Bladestorm Cancelaura Macro
      • 1.1.2. Pummel Macro
      • 1.1.3. Heroic Leap Spam
    • 1.2. Specific Macros for Arms Warriors
      • 1.2.1. Charge Macro
      • 1.2.2. Cooldown Stacking Macro
  • 2. Addons
    • 2.1. Generic Addons for Warriors
      • 2.1.1. ElvUI
      • 2.1.2. Boss Mods: Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs
      • 2.1.3. GTFO
      • 2.1.4. Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 2.1.5. Weak Auras
      • 2.1.6. TellMeWhen
      • 2.1.7. Raeli's Spell Announcer
      • 2.1.8. Recount / Skada / Details!
      • 2.1.9. Omen Threat Meter
    • 2.2. Specific Addons for Arms Warriors
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Best in Slot List
    • 1.1. Trinkets
    • 1.2. Tier 19 & 20 Bonus Combinations
    • 1.3. Evaluating Upgrades with dynamic Item Levels
  • 2. Racial Bonuses
  • 3. Legendary Items
    • 3.1. 7.1.5 Legendaries
    • 3.2. 7.2 Legendaries
    • 3.3. 7.2.5 Legendaries
    • 3.4. Recommended Choices
  • 4. Loot Competition
  • 5. ChangeLog

General Information

This page shows you how to level up the Artifact and how to choose the right Relics for your Arms Warriors. It is updated for World of Warcraft Legion 7.2.5.

The other pages of our Arms Warrior guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been written by Wordup, a frequent theorycrafter involved in a number of class communities. He is also an experienced player who has been in the world top 100 since the days of Sunwell, currently raiding in Echoes. You can also follow him on Twitter.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Archimtiros, one of the best DPS Warriors in the world, who raids in Infinity. You can follow him on Twitter.

1. Artifact Progression

For the Arms Artifact, Strom'kar, the Warbreaker, there are some options that branch out from the first choice you make. Given that there is a strictly better first choice that also has access to more beneficial and versatile options, this leans very strongly toward a fixed route.

1.1. Early Progression

This path prioritises rushing to Shattered Defenses as it has a significant impact on the Arms playstyle, alongside the powerful Exploit the Weakness along the way. Transitioning then into Corrupted Blood of Zakajz to boost Battle Cry, and ending with other passive traits that augment abilities exploited best by the optimal talent build.

1. Warbreaker
2. Thoradin's Might
3. Crushing Blows
4. Will of the First King
5. Exploit the Weakness
6. Shattered Defenses
7. Tactical Advance
8. Precise Strikes
9. Corrupted Blood of Zakajz
10. Many Will Fall
11. Focus in Battle
12. Unending Rage
13. Deathblow
14. One Against Many
15. Void Cleave
16. Touch of Zakajz
17. Defensive Measures
18. Unbreakable Steel

Rushing to Shattered Defenses is crucial, as it provides a powerful boost to the damage delivery method of Arms, alongside grabbing Exploit the Weakness along the way. Whilst the effect of Corrupted Blood of Zakajz is limited to your Battle Cry window, this is still very powerful, and boosts the benefit of Shattered Defenses by getting Precise Strikes along the way..

1.2. Patch 7.2 Post 35 Trait Path

Following Patch 7.2 additional traits have been added upon reaching 35 traits in your current Artifact. This includes 4 additional new traits, a 4th rank in each of the previous Relic traits, and finally a new Paragon trait in Concordance of the Legionfall which all additional Artifact Power will be spent on.

Arms gains a solid increase to its high impact Execute phase with its new golden trait, and as such should be rushed early. Following that moving through the stronger 4th ranks in old traits in descending order is ideal.

1. Arms of the Valarjar
2. Four points in Storm of Swords
3. Soul of the Slaughter
4. Executioner's Precision
5. Fourth rank of Exploit the Weakness
6. Fourth rank of Precise Strikes
7. Fourth rank of Crushing Blows
8. Fourth rank of Unending Rage
9. Fourth rank of Deathblow
10. Fourth rank of Many Will Fall
11. Fourth rank of One Against Many
12. Personal choice filling out Tactical Advance and Touch of Zakajz
13. Concordance of the Legionfall

2. Artifact Ability

Strom'kar comes equipped with Warbreaker when you acquire it, which has uses in single target, but is exceptionally strong during AoE. Being able to combine the debuff with Bladestorm is highly effective, and otherwise, simply having another way to apply Colossus Smash when the effect is down has some great uses and adds to reliability.

3. Relic Choice

As with many classes when deciding on Relics, Item Level is the most important in your decision, and going for the highest regardless of trait will generally serve as the best rule. If you have two Relics that share the exact same Item Level, the following traits are ideally ones to look for:

1. Many Will Fall (with Fervor of Battle taken).
2. Precise Strikes
3. Exploit the Weakness

3.1. AoE Specific:

1. Many Will Fall
2. One Against Many

Outside of these Relics the others are quite poor, and should be avoided if possible assuming you have multiple Relics to choose from.

4. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 14 Jun. 2017: Updated for new Relic values in Patch 7.2.5.
• 27 Mar. 2017: Updated for 7.2 Artifact path.
• 10 Jan. 2017: Checked and confirmed for Patch 7.1.5.
• 16 Nov. 2016: Slight path update — swapped One against Many and Deathblow.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Added.