Analysis: WoW Pandaria Warrior Talents

World of Warcraft has expanded into many realms since its 2004 launch. Adventurers from both factions have explored the two vast continents of their world, braved through the Dark Portal into the mysterious world of Outland, sailed to the frozen wastes of Northrend, and have survived the sundering of the world that was the Cataclysm.

As many players were hoping to delve into the Emerald Dream to explore the primal world of what Azeroth would have been if no sentinent races existed. However we are blindsided by the Pandaren and their never before established homeland of Pandaria. Out of all the changes Blizzard has proposed, the complete overhaul of the Talent System seem one of the most extreme.

Despite whether you are for or against the change, I'm here to break down the new Talents for Warriors and describe what they'd be best for.

WARNING! These Talents are from an unofficial talent calculator and are not offical data nor are they set in stone.

Every 15 levels, your character can choose one out of three talents from that tier of their talent tree. For Warriors, Level 15 are talents modifying their Charge ability.

Juggernaut. You can charge every 12 seconds instead of every 20 seconds.

By nearly halving the cooldown, this seems to be ideal for tanking as you can charge individual mobs faster. It could be used for PVP as well with the reduced cooldown, but usually get one charge before you're in the thick of melee.

Double Time. Instant, 20 sec cooldown. You can use charge twice before incurring its 20 second cooldown.

This is the active ability of this tier, needing to push a button to use it. This can be used for AoE Tanking as you can charge two sets of mobs, but then the cooldown incurs after the second charge. This can be used for PVP if you charge a melee, then caster or a caster followed by another caster. However this could leave a warrior fending for himself, which is deadly in PVP.

Warbringer. Your charge also roots a target for 5 seconds.

This is the primary PVP Talent for most raid mobs and bosses are immune to various stun/immobilize/daze abilities. This could keep an escaping player in place long enough for your allies to gank them.

Level 30 Talents deal with a Warrior's Self-Healing ability.

Enraged Regeneration. Instant Cast. 3 Minute Cooldown. You regenerate 30% of your total health over 10 second. Can only be used while Enraged.

This tier's active ability can give you a good boost in your health for a short while, but have to wait three minutes to use it again makes this the least desirable talent. This means it is a last resort for PVP and can be used 1-2 times during a boss fight.

Second Wind. Whenever you are struck by a Stun or Immobilize effect, you generate 20 Rage and 5% of your total health over 10 seconds. Whenever you take direct damage, you have a 10% chance to regenerate 3% of your total health over 5 seconds.

This is the primary PVP talent for this tier as enemy players are more likely to stun and immobilize you than a raid boss and his/her adds.

Impending Victory. You can use a Victory Rush at any time, but with a 30 second cooldown and at a 20 rage cost.

This can mess with your Tanking Rotation, but seems more desirable than Enraged Regeneration unless Victory Rush restores only 5% of your total health than you get the same effect with 20 rage cost per hit and spread out over three minutes.

At Level 45, this tier affects a Warrior's ability to slow his enemies.

Throwdown. 15 Rage, Melee Range, Instant Cast, 35 second cooldown, Requires Melee Weapon. Knocks the target to the ground and stuns it for 5 seconds.

This has to be a last ditch effort PVP Talent for you have to wait thirty seconds after the Stun wears off. However when compared to the other Talents, this one seems to come up short.

Piercing Howl. 10 Rage, Instant Cast. Causes all enemies within 10 yards to be Dazed, reducing their movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds.

This is the Tanking Talent as it hits every member of the mob group. With no cooldown and a low rage cost, this can be used by only Warrior looking for a quick slow.

Cripple. Your autoattack hits and Rend tickets maim your target, reducing movement speed by 50% for 15 seconds.

This is the PVP Talent as it slows for the same amount as Piercing Howl but for 2.5 times longer. Since you'd have to hit/rend every mob in the group to max out the effect, it seems easier to use for PVP.

At Level 60, these Talents enhance a Warrior's ability to silence enemy spellcasters.

Gag Order. Your Pummel and Heroic Throw have a 100% chance to silence that target for 3 seconds.

This is more for silencing a Raid Boss or the single caster in a mob group more so than an enemy caster as there will be more than one enemy present during PVP.

Rude Interruption. Successfully interrupting a spell with Pummel increases your damage by 5% for 30 seconds.

Pummel must have a 50% chance to interrupt already because this doesn't increase the chance of Stun. It is nice to get a damage boost for a while, but this would be more ideal for PVP. You don't want to go 50/50 against a Raid Boss.

Disrupting Shout. 10 Rage, Instant Cast, 40 Second Cooldown. Interrupts all spellcasting within 10 yards and prevents any spell in that school from being cast for 4 seconds.

This seems more of a PVP Talent for they are not a lot of mob groups in the game where they have more than one caster. Plus having to wait 10 times the amount of the silence seems silly.

The Level 75 Tier deals with Enrage or Rage Cost.

Deadly Calm. Instant Cast, 2 Minute Cooldown. You enter a battle stance, causing your next 3 Heroic Strike or Cleave attacks to cost no rage. Lasts 15 seconds.

This is the Tanking Talent, allowing the Tank to retain their rage for future rotations. This is better for Raiding than PVP as it deals with rage cost rather than overall damage.

Death Wish. Instant Cast, 3 Minute Cooldown. You attack with reckless abandon for the next 10 seconds, which Enrages you and causes you to generate additional rage from damage received. While under the effects of Death Wish, you take 5% additional damage.

This is more of a PVP Talent as taking added damage for a Tank is never something you want while Tanking.

Bull Rush. Your Charge and Intervene Enrage you for 6 seconds.

This is nice for some added damage, but like the Level 15 tiers, it is likely you're only going to use this once per fight.

Level 90 Tier deals with your final defining ability.

Bladestorm. 25 Rage, Instant Cast, 1.5 Minute Cooldown, Requires Melee Weapon. You become a whirling storm of destructive force, instantly striking all nearby targets for 150% weapon damage and continuing to strike all nearby targets every 1 second for 6 seconds. During a Bladestorm, you are immune to movement impairing and loss of control effects, but can be Disarmed, and you can only perform Shout abilities.

The Primary Damage Dealing Talent. This hits a lot of targets for a lot of damage quickly. You can use it for both Raiding and PVP. But if you raid, make sure the Tank gets the aggro first.

Shockwave. 15 Rage, Instant Cast, 20 Second Cooldown. Sends a wave of force in front of you, causing 497 damage and stunning all enemy targets within 10 yards in a frontal cone for 4 seconds.

The Primary Tanking Talent. Good to charge in and stun the enemy while they are group together. The enemy is unlikely to be clustered together for PVP.

Avatar. Instant Cast, 1 Minute Cooldown. You transform into an unstoppable colossus for 10 seconds, which increases your damage dealt by 20% and causes your attacks to generate additional rage. While transformed, you are immune to movement impairing effects.

The Primary PVP Talent. Being able to deal 20% more damage and generate more rage is nice for Tanking, but for only 10 seconds, it seems such a small effect especially for a Raid Boss. Though I could see some Tanks using this in the right Raid composition, the added damage and rage generation is more for a PVP Zerg Move when an enemy is kept in place long enough.

Thank you for reading this. Remember that these came from an unofficial talent calculator and nothing has yet to be set in stone.