WoW WotLK Warrior Leveling Guide: 70-80

Hey guys! So, you're gearing up to smash your way through the icy wastes of Northrend as a Warrior in Wrath of the Lich King (WoTLK)? Awesome choice! Warriors are absolute beasts, capable of some serious damage and tanking, making them a super fun class to level. This guide is all about getting your Warrior from level 70 to 80 efficiently and effectively. We'll dive into the best specs, talent builds, gear, and leveling routes to get you ready to face the Lich King and his minions. Ready to become a Northrend legend? Let's get started!

Choosing Your Warrior Spec for Leveling

Alright, first things first: which spec should you choose for leveling your Warrior? In WoTLK, you've got three main options: Arms, Fury, and Protection. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but for the most part, all three specs are viable for leveling. However, some excel more than others when it comes to speed and ease. Let's break them down:

Arms: Arms is a great choice for leveling. It focuses on dealing high sustained damage, and it has some excellent utility. It's fantastic for both single-target and multi-target fights, thanks to abilities like Cleave and Whirlwind. While it might not be the absolute fastest leveling spec, it offers a good balance of damage, survivability, and utility, making it a solid and reliable choice. This spec uses a two-handed weapon, which can make things a bit slower at times due to the weapon's slower attack speed. The Arms specialization gets the benefit of Deep Wounds, which adds a bleed effect to your critical hits, and Improved Overpower, which will increase the chance that overpower will be triggered.
Fury: Fury is the most popular choice among warriors when it comes to damage dealing. If you like going fast and hitting hard, then this is the spec for you. Fury Warriors use two one-handed weapons, enabling them to unleash a flurry of attacks. Fury boasts incredible burst damage and is great for tearing through mobs quickly. However, it can be a bit more gear-dependent than Arms because it relies on having two good weapons. Fury can be very mana-hungry, especially at lower levels, so you may have to deal with a lot of sitting and drinking. Also, the fury talent tree has a number of talents that increase your attack power, which makes your damage even higher. If you're looking for a fast-paced, high-damage leveling experience, Fury is a fantastic choice.
Protection: Protection might seem like an odd choice for leveling, but it's surprisingly effective. You'll be incredibly tanky, meaning you can pull large groups of mobs without much trouble. This can lead to some fast leveling, especially if you have good gear. You'll be able to survive almost anything the game throws at you, which can be useful when you get into tougher areas. While Protection is slower at dealing damage, the ability to pull multiple enemies at once more than makes up for it. However, the downside is that it can feel a bit slower in the early stages as you work your way through packs of enemies. If you like a more relaxed leveling experience and enjoy being nearly unkillable, Protection is a solid option. It is great for soloing dungeons. This spec has a number of talents that reduce damage and increase your ability to hold threat, and it also gets a number of talents that increase its damage.

Ultimately, the best spec for you depends on your playstyle. If you want maximum damage output, go for Fury. If you prefer a balance of damage and utility, go for Arms. If you want to be nearly unkillable and pull big, go for Protection. Feel free to experiment and find what you enjoy most!

Warrior Talent Builds for Leveling

Now, let's talk about talent builds. You'll want to respec a few times while leveling. Here are some solid talent builds for each spec:

Arms Warrior Talent Build

For Arms, you'll want to focus on maximizing your damage output while maintaining some survivability. Here's a suggested build:

| Read Also : 2022 VW Golf GTI Interior: A Deep Dive

Tier 1: 5/5 Improved Heroic Strike (helps with rage generation) and 2/2 Tactical Mastery (allows you to switch stances for more rage)
Tier 2: 3/3 Deflection (reduces the chance you are parried) and 3/3 Impale (increases crit damage of your attacks)
Tier 3: 2/2 Two-Handed Weapon Specialization (increases your damage with two-handed weapons) and 3/3 Deep Wounds (critical strikes cause a bleed)
Tier 4: 5/5 Improved Overpower (increases the chance that overpower will be triggered) and 2/2 Mortal Strike (reduces healing on the target)
Tier 5: 5/5 Improved Rend (increases damage of rend) and 1/1 Bladestorm (whirlwind for 1.5 seconds)

Fury Warrior Talent Build

Fury builds revolve around maximizing your attack speed and damage output:

Tier 1: 5/5 Cruelty (increases your chance to crit) and 2/2 Tactical Mastery (allows you to switch stances for more rage)
Tier 2: 3/3 Improved Execute (increases damage of execute) and 2/2 Unbridled Wrath (rage generation from crits)
Tier 3: 5/5 Dual-Wield Specialization (increases damage with dual wielding) and 3/3 Precision (increases your chance to hit)
Tier 4: 3/3 Death Wish (increases damage and damage taken) and 5/5 Improved Whirlwind (whirlwind now costs no rage)
Tier 5: 1/1 Bloodthirst (your main rage generator) and 1/1 Whirlwind (whirlwind, deals damage to all enemies around you)

Protection Warrior Talent Build

Protection builds focus on improving threat generation and survivability:

Tier 1: 5/5 Improved Bloodrage (rage gain from bloodrage) and 2/2 Shield Specialization (increases block chance)
Tier 2: 3/3 Anticipation (increases crit chance) and 2/2 Improved Sunder Armor (increases armor reduction of sunder armor)
Tier 3: 5/5 Last Stand (increases maximum health) and 3/3 Concussion Blow (stuns target) and 1/1 Shield Wall (reduces damage taken by 50%)
Tier 4: 2/2 Improved Defensive Stance (reduces damage taken) and 3/3 Devastate (deals damage to a single target)
Tier 5: 5/5 Vigilance (increases threat)

These are just suggestions, feel free to adjust your talents based on your gear and playstyle. Remember to respec as you level to optimize your build.

Leveling Gear for Your Warrior

Gear is crucial for leveling any class in WoW, and Warriors are no exception. While you won't need the absolute best gear, upgrading your equipment regularly will significantly speed up your leveling experience. Here's a breakdown of what to look for at each stage:

Early Levels (70-73)

Dungeon Gear: Running dungeons is a great way to acquire good gear. Focus on dungeons like Utgarde Keep, The Nexus, and The Oculus. They offer some good gear at this level.
Quest Rewards: Complete quests in Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord to get gear that's an upgrade. Focus on pieces with strength, attack power, and stamina.
Crafting: You might be able to find or craft some good gear on the Auction House. Look for crafted gear with good stats.

Mid-Levels (73-76)

Dungeon Gear: Continue to run dungeons such as Drak'Tharon Keep, Azjol-Nerub, and Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom. These will give you better gear. Focus on pieces with strength, attack power, and stamina.
Quest Rewards: Finish quests in Sholazar Basin and Grizzly Hills. Focus on pieces with strength, attack power, and stamina.
Reputation Gear: Start building reputation with factions like the Kalu'ak and the Sons of Hodir. They offer great gear options at friendly and honored levels.

Late Levels (76-80)

Dungeon Gear: Keep running dungeons like The Culling of Stratholme, Halls of Stone, and Halls of Lightning. These are great for getting gear before you hit level 80. Focus on pieces with strength, attack power, and stamina.
Quest Rewards: Finish quests in Icecrown, Zul'Drak, and Storm Peaks. These zones offer the best gear.
Reputation Gear: Maximize your reputation with factions like the Kirin Tor, and Knights of the Ebon Blade. The gear at exalted level is some of the best you can get before hitting level 80.
Heroic Dungeons: Once you hit level 80, Heroic dungeons are a great source of end-game gear.

Important Stats for Warriors:

Strength: Increases attack power, which boosts your damage.
Attack Power: Directly increases your damage output.
Stamina: Increases your health pool, which helps you survive.
Hit Rating: Reduces the chance of missing attacks. Aim for around 8% hit chance to avoid missing.
Expertise: Reduces the chance of your attacks being dodged or parried. Get some, but don't overcap it.

Efficient Leveling Routes for Warriors

Choosing the right leveling route can make a huge difference in your leveling speed. Here are some efficient routes you can take, split by level ranges. Remember to always prioritize quests and dungeons:

Level 70-72

Borean Tundra: Start here. Complete the quests in Warsong Hold and then move to Valiance Keep. This zone is packed with quests. It is a good starting location to begin with.
Howling Fjord: Another great starting zone. Complete the quests in Westguard Keep and then move to Unu'pe. This zone is packed with quests. You can get good gear from the quest rewards here.
Dungeons: Run dungeons like Utgarde Keep and The Nexus as you level. They provide good gear and experience.

Level 72-75

Dragonblight: This is a quest-rich zone, with a lot of quests close to each other. Head to Agmar's Hammer and complete all available quests.
Grizzly Hills: An excellent zone with a lot of quests that are easy to complete. Fly to Camp Oneqwah. Complete quests until you reach the next level.
Dungeons: Continue to run dungeons like Drak'Tharon Keep and Azjol-Nerub.

Level 75-77

Sholazar Basin: This zone is fantastic for leveling. The quests are well-designed, and the zone is beautiful. Complete all quests at River's Heart.
Zul'Drak: Another great zone for quests. Lots of easy quests available. Head to Zim'Torga and complete the available quests.
Dungeons: Continue to run dungeons like Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom and The Culling of Stratholme.

Level 77-80

Icecrown: Head to Argent Vanguard and start completing quests here. This zone has some of the best quests in the game. It is a great place to finish off the last few levels.
Storm Peaks: Another great option for the end of leveling. Quests are rewarding and lead to some great experiences. Complete quests at K3. This is another place with some great quests, and a great place to reach 80.
Dungeons: Continue to run dungeons like Halls of Stone, Halls of Lightning, and any Heroic dungeons you can queue for when you hit level 80.

Pro Tips for Leveling:

Quest Efficiency: Always pick up all available quests in an area. Group them by location to minimize travel time.
Dungeon Grind: Running dungeons is a great way to level, especially if you have a group. If you're tanking, you'll get instant queues! Be sure to do daily dungeon quests!
Buffs: Use food buffs, flasks, and elixirs to boost your stats. They can make a big difference, especially in tougher fights.
Resting XP: Make sure to log out in inns or cities to gain resting experience. This will give you double experience for a certain amount of time.
Professions: Consider leveling a profession that benefits your class, such as Blacksmithing, Engineering, or Jewelcrafting. They can provide some useful gear and consumables.
Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help: If you're struggling with a quest or a mob, don't hesitate to ask for help in general chat. The WoW community is generally very friendly and helpful.

Conclusion: Becoming a WotLK Warrior Legend

There you have it, guys! This guide should give you a solid foundation for leveling your Warrior from 70-80 in WoTLK. Remember to choose a spec that you enjoy, select talents that complement your playstyle, acquire the best gear you can, and follow an efficient leveling route. With a little bit of effort and dedication, you'll be tearing through Northrend in no time, ready to face the Lich King. Good luck, and have fun smashing things! The journey to level 80 can be quite long, but with this guide, it will be much easier. Remember to always enjoy the journey and have fun along the way! See you in Northrend, and remember, FOR THE HORDE!