Protection Warrior PVE Guide – Cataclysm

Welcome to the PVE Protection Warrior Guide for World of Warcraft Cataclysm!

This guide will teach you how to play a Protection Warrior in a raid. It covers talents, glyphs, gems, enchantments, rotation, and gameplay tips.

This talent build takes the standard Protection Warrior talents.

Prime Glyphs

• Glyph of Devastate
• Glyph of Revenge
• Glyph of Shield Slam

Major Glyphs

• Glyph of Long Charge
• Glyph of Shockwave
• Glyph of Spell Reflection

Minor Glyphs

• Glyph of Berserker Rage
• Glyph of Command
• Glyph of Demoralizing Shout

Gems are situational and depend on the build and equipment. They are used to reach the required stat caps.

• Meta – Austere Shadowspirit Diamond
• Prismatic
  • If 102.4% Avoidance Cap reached, Solid Deepholm Iolite, Solid Ocean Sapphire, or Solid Chimera’s Eye (Jewelcrafting)
  • Otherwise, Fractured Lightstone, Fractured Amberjewel, or Fractured Chimera’s Eye (Jewelcrafting)
• Yellow
  • If 102.4% Avoidance Cap reached, Regal Elven Peridot, Regal Dream Emerald
  • Otherwise, Fractured Lightstone, Fractured Amberjewel, or Fractured Chimera’s Eye (Jewelcrafting)
• Blue
  • If 102.4% Avoidance Cap reached, Solid Deepholm Iolite, Solid Ocean Sapphire, or Solid Chimera’s Eye (Jewelcrafting)
  • Otherwise, Puissant Elven Peridot or Puissant Dream Emerald
• Red
  • If 102.4% Avoidance Cap reached, Defender’s Shadow Spinel or Defender’s Demonseye
  • Otherwise, Fine Lava Coral, Fine Ember Topaz

• Head – Arcanum of the Earthen Ring
• Shoulder – Greater Inscription of Unbreakable Quartz or Inscription of the Earth Prince (Inscription)
• Cloak – Enchant Cloak – Protection
• Chest – Enchant Chest – Greater Stamina
• Bracers – Enchant Bracer – Major Stamina or Enchant Bracer – Superior Dodge or Draconic Embossment – Stamina (Leatherworking) with Socket Bracer (Blacksmithing)
• Gloves – Enchant Gloves – Greater Mastery with Quickflip Deflection Plates (Engineering) and Socket Gloves (Blacksmithing)
• Waist – Grounded Plasma Shield (Engineering) or Ebonsteel Belt Buckle
• Legs – Drakehide Leg Armor or Drakehide Leg Reinforcements (Leatherworking)
• Boots – Enchant Boots – Mastery
• Rings – Enchant Ring – Greater Stamina (Enchanting)
• Weapon – Enchant Weapon – Windwalk
• Shield – Enchant Shield – Mastery

Dodge and Parry should be kept at similar values.

• Stamina (to ~10,000)
• Mastery
• Parry
• Dodge

Maintain whatever buff you are assigned, whether that’s Commanding Shout or Battle Shout. Same goes for debuffs, Demoralizing Shout or Thunder Clap.

Be in Defensive Stance unless you need to use Shattering Throw (which requires Battle Stance).

Single Target Rotation

• Use Shield Slam
• Use Revenge
• Use Rend, maintain if it is expiring
• Use Devastate
• Use Heroic Strike when over 50 rage

Multi Target Rotation

• Use Rend, maintain if it is expiring via Thunder Clap
• Use Thunder Clap
• Use Shockwave
• Use Cleave when over 50 rage
• Use single target abilities on targets if you need to gain threat

Cooldowns

• Use Taunt as your main taunt
• Use Challenging Shout as your AoE taunt
• Use defensive cooldowns as necessary
  • Shield Block
  • Shield Wall
  • Last Stand
  • Enraged Regeneration
• Use Offensive cooldowns to generate threat
  • Inner Rage
  • Recklessness
  • Retaliation