World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Protection Warrior: PvP
How Protection Warrior fights other players in the open world: where it ranks on the PvP tier lists, and why.
Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.
Battlegrounds are not rated yet; builds, matchups and battleground roles are being written for this spec. Honor, ranks, gear and the battlegrounds themselves are on PvP in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Verdict
- At 60
- Ranked 28 of 28 on Open-World PvP
The sturdiest Warrior, with
Shield Wall, 
Last Stand, a stun and a silence, but almost no damage to finish anyone. - While leveling
- Ranked 20 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
Defensive Stance at 10,
Shield Bash at 12 and Shield Wall at 28 make it hard to kill on the way up, but it does almost no damage. - Battlegrounds
- Not rated yet.
Profile
The rubric the lists score on, 1 to 5 on each line, with the weight each line carries. The class’s other specs are shown at 60 for comparison.
| Criterion | Weight | At 60 | While leveling | Arms | Fury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst and kill pressure | 25 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Survival and escapes | 20 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Control | 15 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Fighting outnumbered | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Choosing the fight | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Sustain between fights | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Group fights | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Weighted score | 2.50 | 2.65 | 3.20 | 3.20 |
Strengths and weaknesses
At 60
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Shield Wall and Last Stand | Lowest burst of the class |
 Concussion Blow stun and Improved Shield Bash silence | Kills nobody |
 Disarm and  Hamstring | No  Intercept in Defensive Stance |
 Charge in Defensive Stance with  Vanguard |  Victory Rush is its only heal |
| Holds a spot | Needs a shield |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Protection has the lowest burst of the three: 
Shield Slam, 
Revenge, 
Heroic Strike and Concussion Blow. Blizzard describes it as meant to be a PvP tech secondary specialization. Its control is better than its damage: Concussion Blow stuns for 5 s every 45 s, Shield Bash locks a school on a 12 s cooldown and Improved Shield Bash gives it a 50 or 100% chance of a 3 s silence, and Disarm, Hamstring and 
Thunder Clap add more.
Shield Wall comes every 4 minutes, with Last Stand's +30% health, 
Shield Block and 
Iron Will, so it survives a gank better than the other Warriors. Against two, Thunder Clap, Shield Wall and Last Stand keep it alive longer, but it kills nobody. Vanguard lets it Charge in Defensive Stance, but Intercept needs 
Berserker Stance, so it loses a gap closer. Victory Rush is its only heal. It can hold a spot, using Shield Bash on casters, Disarm and Concussion Blow.
It is not C because burst is 1, engage is 2 and sustain is 2, so it cannot end a fight or leave one. Its defense and control are strong, but nothing it does kills. 2.50 is 0.25 short of C.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Defensive Stance, Shield Block and Shield Wall | Lowest burst of the class |
| Shield Bash at 12 and Disarm at 18 | Kills slowly |
| Thunder Clap at 6 | Charge only in  Battle Stance |
| Last Stand at 20 | Recovery is Victory Rush and  Bloodrage |
| Holds a spot |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Charge arrives at 4, Thunder Clap at 6, Shield Bash at 12 and Disarm at 18, with 
Taunt at 10. Shield Bash needs a shield, and Concussion Blow arrives at 30. Burst stays low throughout, with Revenge at 14 and Shield Slam only at 40.
Defensive Stance at 10, Shield Block at 16, 
Retaliation at 20 and Shield Wall at 28 give it more than one defensive cooldown, with Last Stand at 20. Against two, Thunder Clap at 6 and Shield Wall at 28 hold on, but it kills slowly. Charge works only in Battle Stance until Vanguard, and Victory Rush at 20 and Bloodrage are its recovery. Taunt, Shield Bash and Disarm let it hold a spot.
It is not C because burst is 1, engage is 2 and sustain is 2, so fights last long and it cannot choose or leave them. Its defense and control are strong for the levels. 2.65 is 0.10 short of C.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Protection’s PvP tools arrives. A talent shows at the earliest level a point can reach it; the Talented Legacy perk brings talents 5 levels sooner.
- Level 4 Charge
- Level 8 Hamstring
- Level 12 Shield Bash
- Level 18 Disarm
- Level 20 Retaliation
- Level 22
Intimidating Shout - Level 28 Shield Wall
- Level 30 Intercept,
Berserker Rage, Concussion Blow (talent) - Level 38
Pummel - Level 50
Recklessness
Races
The Warrior’s races as Races PvP ranks them, best first.
Alliance
Human: 
Will to Survive is the only full stun break in the game, and 
Ruthless and 
Perception add steady crit and stealth detection.
Dwarf: 
Stoneform is the strongest defensive racial of any race, and the widest class choice helps, but burst and mobility are the weakest.
Night Elf: 
Shadowmeld, extra stealth and speed give the joint best mobility of any race, and 
Elune's Light is a crit burst, but it breaks nothing.
Gnome: 
Escape Artist breaks roots and slows and its burst racial adds +10% damage, but Gnome lacks defense, mobility and class choice.
Skyborne (High Order): 
Wind Blessed gives steady haste, but High Order has no control break, no defensive and only a glide for mobility.
Horde
Undead: 
Will of the Forsaken breaks fear and charm and 
Touch of the Grave drains in combat, but it has the weakest burst and no mobility.
Orc: 
Blood Fury is the strongest burst cooldown of any race, and 
Hardiness and 
Shatter Curse give some breaks and defense, but no mobility.
Tauren: 
War Stomp and 
Plainsrunning give the best mobility and 
Endurance adds health, but it breaks nothing and has the weakest burst.- Skyborne (Windshaper): Wind Blessed gives steady haste and
Skysight a 30 second sprint, but it has no control break and no defensive. 
Troll: 
Berserking is a burst for seven classes, but Troll has no control break or mobility and 
Rapid Regeneration works out of combat.
What we don’t know yet
At 60
Rated on assumptions:
- Everything at level 60 is projected from client data and the spec's own talent tree; nobody has played past the beta cap of 30.
- Shield Slam at 40 and Last Stand are client data and the own tree, not played.
- Blizzard's description of Protection as PvP tech is intent, not a measured result.
- Diminishing returns on stuns, fears and silences are not documented for Forever.
What would move it: Level-60 play showing whether a Protection Warrior can finish a target, or a document on Concussion Blow's diminishing returns.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Levels past the beta cap of 30 are projected from client data and the spec's own talent tree; nobody has played past 30.
- Last Stand at 20 and Concussion Blow at 30 are client talent levels; neither has been tested against players.
- Shield Slam at 40 is client data past the cap, not played.
What would move it: Play at 20 to 30 showing Protection killing fast enough to level at a normal pace, or play at 30 showing Concussion Blow changing its fights.