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Arms Warrior

Mirrors the current rank-1 Sinister Single parse — every slot is what the best Arms Warrior actually wears.

Midnight Season 2 · Slayer · updated 2026-08-05

The short version

Hero tree: Slayer
Stat priority: Critical Strike > Haste > Mastery > Versatility
Content: Raid

How it plays

Measured on the reference parse below, not a description of the spec — so it changes when the tuning does.

Stat priority

Critical Strike > Haste > Mastery > Versatility

These are not weights pulled from a spreadsheet — they are the live ratings on the reference character this build is taken from, so the order reflects what the best-performing Arms Warrior is actually stacking right now.

SECONDARIES Critical Strike
Critical Strike50%
Haste28%
Mastery22%

Source: Rizuzu — the log. Rank 1 Arms Warrior on Sinister Single (Dummy Dome), avg ilvl 336.

Talent build

Laid out exactly as the in-game talent UI draws it, hero tree Slayer. Lit nodes and gold lines are the path this build takes; everything dimmed was passed over. Hover any node for what it does.

Warrior · 34 points

Battle StanceA balanced combat state that increases the critical strike chance of your abilities by , the critical strike damage of your abilities by , and reduces the duration of movement impairing effects by . Lasts until canceled.
Defensive StanceA defensive combat state that reduces all damage you take by and all magic damage you take by an additional . When an attack deals or more of your maximum health in damage, that damage is reduced by . Lasts until canceled.
Fast FootworkMovement speed increased by .
War MachineYour auto-attacks generate $?c1[]?[][]% more Rage. Killing an enemy instantly generates ${/10} Rage and increases your movement speed by % for .
Thunder ClapBlasts all enemies within yards for Physical damage, roots them for , and reduces their movement speed by % for . Deals reduced damage beyond targets. Generates ${/10} Rage.
Not taken
Leeching StrikesLeech increased by .
Impending VictoryInstantly attack the target, causing damage and healing you for % of your maximum health. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor resets the cooldown of Impending Victory and makes it cost no Rage.
Heroic LeapLeap through the air toward a target location, slamming down with destructive force to deal Physical damage to all enemies within yards and resetting the remaining cooldown on Taunt.
Crackling ThunderThunder Clap's radius is increased by and it reduces affected target's movement speed by an additional .
Not taken
Storm BoltHurls your weapon at an enemy, causing Physical damage and stunning for . Also hits 2 additional nearby targets, stunning for 2 sec.
RendWounds the target, causing Physical damage instantly and an additional Bleed damage over .
Second WindRestores % health every sec when you have not taken damage for ${/1000} sec. Restores % health every sec while you are below % health. The amount restored increases the closer you are to death.
Not taken
Frothing Berserker$?c1[Mortal Strike and Cleave have]?c2[Rampage has][Revenge has] a % chance to immediately refund $?c1[]?c2[][]% of the Rage spent.
Bounding StrideReduces the cooldown of Heroic Leap by ${/-1000} sec and Heroic Leap also increases your movement speed by % for .
Pain and GainWhen you take any damage, heal for ${/10}.1% of your maximum health. This can only occur once every sec.
InterveneRun at high speed toward an ally, intercepting all melee and ranged attacks against them for while they remain within yds.
Choice node — not taken
Not taken
ShockwaveSends a wave of force in a frontal cone, causing damage and stunning all enemies within yards for .
Overwhelming RageMaximum Rage increased by ${/10}.
Rallying CryLets loose a rallying cry, granting all party or raid members within yards temporary and maximum health for . Health granted increased by when not in a raid.
Field DressingHealing received increased by and all self-healing increased by an additional .
Spell ReflectionRaise your shield, reflecting the next spells cast on you and reducing magic damage you take by % for .
Wrecking ThrowHurl your weapon at the enemy, causing Physical damage, ignoring armor. Deals up to % increased damage to absorb shields.
Choice node
Rumbling EarthShockwave's range increased by yards and when it strikes at least targets its cooldown is reduced by sec.
Not taken
FearlessCooldown of Berserker Rage is reduced by and Berseker Rage removes all movement speed-impairing effects.
Choice node
Intimidating ShoutCauses the targeted enemy to cower in fear while all enemies within yards flee from you and their movement speed is reduced by for . Damage may cancel the effect.
Choice node — not taken
Not taken
Honed ReflexesCooldown of $?c1[Die By the Sword]?c2[Enraged Regeneration][Shield Wall], Intervene, Spell Reflection, Storm Bolt, and Pummel reduced by . Successfully interrupting an enemy increases the damage you deal to them by % for .
2/2 Armored to the TeethGain Strength equal to of your Armor.
Double TimeCharge gains additional charge and its cooldown is reduced by ${/-1000} sec.
2/2 Reinforced PlatesStamina increased by and Armor increased by .
Barbaric Training$?c1[Slam, Whirlwind, and Cleave deal more damage and increased critical strike damage.]?c2&s436707[ Thunder Clap, Whirlwind, and Raging Blow deal more damage and increased critical strike damage.]?c2[Whirlwind and Raging Blow deal more damage and increased critical strike damage.][Revenge deals more damage and incr…
Not taken
JavelineerRange of your thrown abilities is increased by yards. Damage dealt by Champion's Spear, Shattering Throw, and Wrecking Throw increased by . Shattering Throw and Wrecking Throw silence non-players for .
Resonant VoiceThe effects of your shouts last longer.
Not taken
Crushing Force$?c1[Mortal Strike]?c2[Bloodthirst][Shield Slam] deals an additional $?c1[]?c2[][]% damage and deals $?c1[]?c2[][]% increased critical strike damage.
2/2 Cruel StrikesCritical strike chance increased by and critical strike damage of Execute increased by .
2/2 Two-Handed Weapon SpecializationWhile wielding two-handed weapons your damage is increased by and damage taken from area of effect attacks is reduced by .
2/2 Wild StrikesHaste increased by and your auto-attack critical strikes increase your auto-attack speed by for .
Anger ManagementEvery $?c1[]?c2[][] Rage you spend reduces the remaining cooldown on Avatar and $?c1[Colossus Smash]?c2[Recklessness][Shield Wall] by 1 sec.
Champion's SpearThrow a spear at the target location, chaining all enemies in the area to the spear's location and dealing Physical damage instantly and an additional Physical damage over . While the spear is active, activating this ability will cause you to leap to the spear, dealing Physical damage to all targets. All damage deal…
Not taken
Stance MasteryYour stances have additional effects. $@spellicon386164 that ability Increases the critical strike damage of your abilities by %. $@spellicon386208 that ability When an attack deals % or more of your maximum health in damage, that damage is reduced by %.
Battlefield CommanderYour Shout abilities have additional effects. $@spellicon6673 that ability: Grants you an additional attack power. $@spellicon97462 that ability: Grants an additional health and duration increased by ${/1000} sec. $@spellicon12323 that ability: Radius increased by $@spellicon384100 that ability: Radius increased by …

Slayer · 13 points

Slayer's DominanceYour attacks against your primary target have a chance to overwhelm their defenses and trigger a Slayer's Strike, dealing Physical damage and granting you a stack of Executioner, increasing your Execute damage by % for . Multiple stacks of Executioner may overlap.
Imminent DemiseEvery Slayer's Strikes you gain Sudden Death. Using Sudden Death accelerates your next Bladestorm, striking 1 additional time (max ). Bladestorm's total duration is unchanged. Sudden Death has a chance to trigger Reap the Storm at effectiveness.
Overwhelming BladesEach strike of Bladestorm applies Overwhelmed to all enemies affected, increasing damage you deal to them by % for , max stacks.
Relentless PursuitCharge increases your movement speed by % for . Charge removes all movement impairing effects, this effect cannot occur more than once every .
Choice node
Violent EuphoriaBladestorm puts you into a battle trance, granting you 15% haste for 8 sec after you stop Bladestorming.
Death DriveYou heal for of damage dealt by Sudden Death.
Culling CycloneEach strike of Bladestorm deals an additional damage evenly split across all targets.
Choice node
Fierce FollowthroughMortal Strike critical strikes increase the damage of your next Mortal Strike by %.
Choice node
Deadly FocusExecutioner's duration is increased by ${/1000} sec.
Show No MercyExecutioner also increases your Execute critical strike chance and critical strike damage by % per stack.
Reap the StormWhen Cleave hits or more targets via Improved Whirlwind you have a chance to unleash a flurry of steel, striking all nearby enemies for Physical damage and applying Overwhelmed. Deals reduced damage beyond targets.
Slayer's MaliceOverpower and Execute damage increased by .
UnhingedEvery strikes of Bladestorm, you automatically cast a Mortal Strike at your target or random nearby enemy, dealing of normal damage.
Unrelenting OnslaughtUsing Sudden Death causes you to both reduce the cooldown of Bladestorm by sec and apply stack of Overwhelmed to your primary target per stack of Executioner you have. You can use Pummel and Storm Bolt while Bladestorming. Bladestorm damage increased by .

Arms · 30 points

Mortal StrikeA vicious strike that deals Physical damage and reduces the effectiveness of healing on the target by % for .
OverpowerOverpower the enemy, dealing Physical damage. Cannot be blocked, dodged, or parried.$?s316440&s845[ Increases the damage of your next Mortal Strike or Cleave by , stacking up to times]?s316440[ Increases the damage of your next Mortal Strike by , stacking up to times.][] Generates ${/10} Rage.
Sudden DeathYour attacks have a chance to make your next Condemn cost no Rage, be usable on any target regardless of their health, and deal damage as if you spent Rage.
Fueled by ViolenceYou are healed for of the Bleed damage dealt by Rend and Deep Wounds.
Choice node
Die by the SwordIncreases your parry chance by and reduces all damage you take by for .
BloodsurgeDamage from Rend has a chance to generate ${/10} Rage.
Improved OverpowerOverpower has ${1+} charges and deals more damage.
Improved ExecuteExecute no longer has a cooldown and if your foe survives, % of the Rage spent is refunded.
Fervor of BattleIf Cleave or Whirlwind hits or more targets you also Slam your primary target. This Slam deals additional damage.
Not taken
TacticianYou have a chance to gain a charge of Overpower when you use an attack that has a Rage cost. This effect applies even if that ability's Rage cost has been reduced to zero.
Colossus SmashSmash the ground and shatter the armor of all enemies within yds, dealing Physical damage and increasing damage you deal to them by % for . Deals reduced damage beyond targets. Generates ${/10} Rage.
ImpaleCritical strike damage of your abilities is increased by .
Brute ForceSlam has a 10% increased chance to trigger Tactician.
Choice node — not taken
Not taken
Overpowering FinishOverpower deals additional damage to targets below health.
Choice node
2/2 Strength of ArmsOverpower and Slam damage increased by and critical strike damage increased by . Critical strike chance of Slam and Overpower increased by .
Just Warming UpColossus Smash generates ${/10} Rage.
Choice node
2/2 Sharpened BladesMortal Strike, Cleave, and Execute damage increased by and critical strike damage increased by .
CleaveStrikes all enemies in front of you for Physical damage. Deals reduced damage beyond targets. Inflicts Rend on all targets
Not taken
Powerful MomentumSecondary targets take an additional damage from Sweeping Strikes.
Not taken
Martial ProwessOverpower and Slam increase the damage of your next Mortal Strike by %, stacking up to 3 times.
DreadnaughtOverpower's impact causes a seismic wave, dealing damage to all enemies in a yd line around your target. Deals reduced damage beyond targets. Dreadnaught benefits from all effects that modify Overpower's damage.
Not taken
Deep WoundsExecute inflicts Deep Wounds on the target. $@spellicon262115 that ability $@spelldesc262115
Tactical EdgeColossus Smash immediately grants use of Sudden Death.
Choice node
MassacreCondemn is usable on targets below health.
Collateral DamageWhen an ability used during Sweeping Strikes damages a second target, your next Cleave or Whirlwind deals % increased damage, stacking up to times.
Not taken
BloodborneYour Bleed effects deal increased damage and increased critical strike damage.
Not taken
BladestormBecome an unstoppable storm of destructive force, striking all nearby enemies for $<dmg> Physical damage over . Deals reduced damage beyond targets. You are immune to movement impairing and loss of control effects, but can use defensive abilities and can avoid attacks. Generates ${/10} Rage on each strike.
Choice node
2/2 Critical ThinkingExecute critical strike chance increased by and Execute immediately refunds an additional of the Rage spent.
Master TacticianTactician has a increased chance to trigger.
Not taken
BloodlettingYour abilities have a increased chance to critically strike targets affected by Rend. Mortal Strike inflicts Rend on targets below health. Deep Wounds lasts longer.
Executioner's PrecisionExecute increases the damage of your next Mortal Strike by %, stacking up to times.
FatalityMortal Strike has a chance to apply a Fatal Mark to your target, stacking up to times. Your next Execute on a target with a Fatal Mark causes the Fatal Mark to deal additional Physical damage per stack.
BattlelordOverpower has a % chance to reset the cooldown of Mortal Strike and reduce the cost of your next Mortal Strike by %.
Mortal WoundsMortal Strike and Slam critical strikes inflict Deep Wounds at effectiveness. $@spellicon262115 that ability $@spelldesc262115
AvatarTransform into a colossus, increasing all damage you deal by $?c1[and reducing damage you take from area of effect attacks by ]?c2[and increasing your movement speed by ]?c3[and reducing all damage you take by ][]for .
Master of WarfareYour single target melee abilities have a chance to upgrade Slam to Heroic Strike. All modifiers and talents that affect Slam also affect Heroic Strike. $@spellicon1269383 $@spelltooltip1269383
Choice node — not taken
Not taken
Paste into the in-game talent UI to load this build exactly.

Rotation

Arms has no spend threshold — it has a window. Everything that hits hard wants to land while Colossus Smash is on the target.

Single target Execute phase Three or more targets

Keep this up

  • Rend whenever it has five seconds or less left. It is small damage and a large amount of your Rage generation.

Priority

  • Mortal Strike on cooldown — it is the button the rest of the rotation is scheduled around.
  • Overpower to keep the Rage flowing and, with Fierce Followthrough, to buff the next Mortal Strike.
  • Execute whenever Sudden Death procs, at any target health.
  • Slam only as a Rage dump when nothing above it is available.

Cooldowns

  • Avatar and Colossus Smash together — Avatar first, so the window is buffed for its whole duration.
  • Champion's Spear while Colossus Smash is on the target, or under Avatar.
  • Ravager just before Colossus Smash comes up, so its ticks land inside the window.
  • Bladestorm inside Colossus Smash, never outside it.
  • Everything is scheduled around Colossus Smash. A cooldown that lands outside the window is worth a fraction of the same button inside it.

Openers

Single target

  1. Charge in.
  2. Rend, then Avatar.
  3. Colossus Smash, then Champion's Spear.
  4. Bladestorm inside the window.
  5. Mortal Strike and Overpower for the rest of it.

How much damage, and where

The same best-in-slot profile below, simulated across four fights on our own SimulationCraft build. A spec's number moves with the fight — and each card opens its full report: DPS timeline, buffs, and a Copy-SimC button to reproduce it in Raidbots. Compare every spec →

Single Target 182,768 1 target · Patchwerk baselinereport ↗ Cleave 232,941 CleaveAdd — boss + an add +27% vs STreport ↗ Cleave Big 297,490 HecticAddCleave — boss + spawning adds +63% vs STreport ↗ Mythic+ 212,348 DungeonSlice — a full key +16% vs STreport ↗

Where the damage comes from

Measured on the reference log — a 300-second single-target parse. Worth comparing against the rotation above: the button you press most is rarely the one doing the most.

AbilityShare
Mortal Strike22.8%
Execute21%
Slayer's Strike9.8%
Bladestorm8.1%
Deep Wounds6.6%
Reap the Storm6.3%
Melee5.6%
Overpower5.4%
Heroic Strike4.6%
Perfected Guillotine3.7%
Fatal Mark2.4%
Venomfang1.4%

Source: Sinister Single, 300s.

Best in slot

The finished loadout, built by Pathfinder — the strongest item available for every slot, with the item level to chase and where it drops. 336 average item level across 15 slots, gathered from 3 places.

Tempered Horns of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Twin Fangs ✦ Empowered Hex of Leeching
Sentinel's Vitriolic Chain 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Entombed Sentinels ◆ Powerful Eversong Diamond
Raging Pauldrons of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Lost Explorers ✦ Silvermoon's Mending
Adherent's Silken Shroud 331 · Spark Crafted +Myth Epic Profession Items — Tailoring
Cuirass of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Vashnik the Malignant ✦ Mark of the Worldsoul
Spellbreaker's Bracers 331 · Spark Crafted +Myth Epic Profession Items — Blacksmithing
Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury 344 · Myth 9/6 (VC) · Two-handed The Venomous Abyss — The Coiled Altar ✦ Acuity of the Ren'dorei
Arms Warrior 336 average item level
Jeweled Gauntlets of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Entombed Sentinels ✦ Gloves Enchant (+3 Stamina)
Greatbelt of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Coiled Altar
Chausses of Unbound Rancor 344 · Myth 9/6 (VC) The Venomous Abyss — Ula'tek ✦ Forest Hunter's Armor Kit
Scaled Fiend's Warboots 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Vashnik the Malignant ✦ Lynx's Dexterity
Alluring Bubbleband 334 · Myth 6/6 The Tidebound Grotto — Nymrissa Wavecaller ✦ Silvermoon's Alacrity◆ Flawless Quick Amethyst
Vile Alchemist's Band 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Vashnik the Malignant ✦ Silvermoon's Alacrity◆ Flawless Quick Amethyst
Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique 344 · Myth 9/6 (VC) The Venomous Abyss — The Coiled Altar
Gebbo's Bottomless Bag 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Lost Explorers

Where to spend bonus rolls as Arms Warrior

A Voidcore pays out an item every time — the question is only whether it is one you wanted. For this build, in order:

Roll Vashnik the Malignant — 3 of its 4 drops are on your list

75% of every roll here lands something on the list. In The Venomous Abyss, it owes you chest, feet and ring 2.

Then Entombed Sentinels — 2 of its 5 drops are on your list

40% of every roll here lands something on the list. In The Venomous Abyss, it owes you neck and hands.

The general principles behind this — knockout protection, why finishing one boss beats spreading rolls, and the crests a roll quietly costs you — are in the bonus roll guide.

Week-by-week route

  1. Pre-season: the campaign, a world tour of Mythic 0s for a 292 loadout, and the weekly Spark quest. No Myth crests exist yet — bank the Spark.
  2. Week 1: farm +10 keys to a full Hero 3/6 (311) loadout and fill the vault. You open the week holding two full Sparks, so craft Adherent's Silken Shroud and Spellbreaker's Bracers back to back if your Myth crests cover both infusions. Every Hero crest goes into lifting pieces toward 6/6 (321).
  3. Week 2: first Voidcore — roll Vashnik the Malignant, where 3 of 4 drops are on this list. Catalyse the set slots for the 4-set. No new Spark this week — the next whole one banks in Week 3.
  4. Weeks 3–6: one Voidcore a week down the order above — finish a boss before starting the next. Keep spending Hero crests; every slot should sit at 321 by about Week 6.
  5. Week 7 onward: two Voidcores a week (the vault and Orin Straylight). Roll Myth-track bases in the set slots, re-catalyse them, and take each to 6/6 for 80 Myth and 20 Hero crests.
  6. Late season: Chausses of Unbound Rancor, Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique and Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury come from the last two bosses at Myth 9 (344). Secure the base items early — that is the only place the extra three ranks exist.

The fast variant

Same stat priority, 5 slots moved. Pathfinder builds the list above for raw power and does not care how many bosses that takes; Slate prices the route as well, and takes an equal-strength item from a boss you are already farming over one that sends you somewhere new. It visits 3 places against the strongest list's 3, at 337 average item level against 336.

Tempered Horns of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Twin Fangs ✦ Empowered Hex of Leeching
Aqirbane Reliquary 344 · Myth 9/6 (VC) The Venomous Abyss — Ula'tek ◆ Powerful Eversong Diamond
Raging Pauldrons of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Lost Explorers ✦ Silvermoon's Mending
Adherent's Silken Shroud 331 · Spark Crafted +Myth Epic Profession Items — Tailoring
Cuirass of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Vashnik the Malignant ✦ Mark of the Worldsoul
Shellbound Bracers 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Lost Explorers
Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury 344 · Myth 9/6 (VC) · Two-handed The Venomous Abyss — The Coiled Altar ✦ Acuity of the Ren'dorei
Arms Warrior 337 average item level
Jeweled Gauntlets of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Entombed Sentinels ✦ Gloves Enchant (+3 Stamina)
Greatbelt of the Jade Warlord 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Coiled Altar
Chausses of Unbound Rancor 344 · Myth 9/6 (VC) The Venomous Abyss — Ula'tek ✦ Forest Hunter's Armor Kit
Aetherlume Stompers 331 · Spark Crafted +Myth Epic Profession Items — Engineering ✦ Lynx's Dexterity
Vile Alchemist's Band 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — Vashnik the Malignant ✦ Silvermoon's Alacrity◆ Flawless Quick Amethyst
Alluring Bubbleband 334 · Myth 6/6 The Tidebound Grotto — Nymrissa Wavecaller ✦ Silvermoon's Alacrity◆ Flawless Quick Amethyst
Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique 344 · Myth 9/6 (VC) The Venomous Abyss — The Coiled Altar
Gebbo's Bottomless Bag 334 · Myth 6/6 The Venomous Abyss — The Lost Explorers

Load this into a plan

GearPath can load this build straight into a full season plan — the BiS list, the talents, and the route — then price it against the crests, sparks and vault choices you will actually earn, and tell you when the plan is impossible. Free while in open beta.

Plan your Arms Warrior →