Guide:Warrior

The Warrior profession specializes in melee damage, so normally forms the frontline of many (if not most) teams. Their roles usually encompass using either swords, axes, or hammers to produce pressure through conditions, damage, interrupts, and knockdowns. Their armor does not provide any additional energy regeneration so many of their attack skills use the adrenaline mechanic, which cost no energy but need to be "charged" through attacking.

Warrior armor has a maximum armor rating of 80 and provides an additional 20 armor against physical damage. Warriors can also wear a shield when using one-handed weapons. These provide a maximum bonus of 16 armor but require investment in either Strength or Tactics for the full bonus.

Primary Weapons
Warriors have access to three weapon types. Each of these weapons has the property that if they strike a moving opponent in the back, it will always be a critical hit.

Swords are one-handed weapons with a maximum range of 15 to 22 slashing damage and an attack rate of 1.33 seconds.

Axes are one-handed weapons with a maximum range of 6 to 28 slashing or piercing damage and an attack rate of 1.33 seconds.

Hammers are two-handed weapons with a maximum range of 19 to 35 blunt damage and an attack rate of 1.75 seconds.

Primary Attribute: Strength

 * "When you use attack skills, each point of Strength gives you 1% armor penetration."

For each point of strength, attack skills used by a warrior get a 1% armor penetration bonus. This does not apply to autoattacks or other types of skills. This attribute contains many key offensive skills such as Bull's Strike and is essential for meeting the requirements of some shields.

Swordsmanship

 * "Swordsmanship increases the damage you do with swords and your chance to inflict a critical hit when using a sword. Many skills, especially sword attack skills, become more effective with higher Swordsmanship."

Swordmanship focuses mainly on Sword Attack skills, many of which revolve around inflicting conditions. Popular skills from this line are Sever Artery, Gash, Hundred Blades, and Sun and Moon Slash.

Axe Mastery

 * "Axe Mastery increases the damage you do with axes and your chance to inflict a critical hit when using an axe. Many skills, especially axe attack skills, become more effective with higher Axe Mastery."

Axe Mastery focuses mainly on Axe Attack skills, many of which are damage oriented. Popular skills from this line are Dismember, Agonizing Chop, and Eviscerate.

Hammer Mastery

 * "Hammer Mastery increases the damage you do with hammers and your chance to inflict a critical hit when using a hammer. Many skills, especially hammer attacks skills, become more effective with higher Hammer Mastery."

Hammer Mastery focuses mainly on Hammer Attack skills, which focus on knocking down opponents and applying conditions to knocked down foes. Popular skills from this line are Crushing Blow, Hammer Bash, Earth Shaker, and Devastating Hammer.

Tactics

 * "No inherent effect. Many skills, especially defensive skills and skills that aid your allies, become more effective with higher Tactics."

Tactics focuses mainly on defensive skills, shouts, and stances. However, it does contain some useful offensive skills, such as Thrill of Victory and "Fear Me!". Since most warriors are expected to be offensive while supported by a backline this attribute is rarely used for it's defensive skills on Warriors, but other classes (like Monks and Necromancers) use the self defense skills often. Defensive skills from Tactics include Healing Signet and Bonetti's Defense.

PvP

 * Whirling Axe is popular for it's ability to break through stances repeatedly, negating Distortion and tactics stances used by many casters.
 * "Coward!" is also an often-used elite for it's superb anti-kite functionality.
 * The classic Shock Axe is the build of choice for Axe warriors and only saw significantly reduced usage during the buffs to Warrior's Endurance and Primal Rage (which were eventually nerfed).
 * The standard Hammer Warrior bar normally consists of Hammer Bash, Crushing Blow, Bull's Strike, Enraging Charge, Flail, and one of the elite hammer skills (usually Magehunter's Smash, Devastating Hammer, or Earth Shaker).

PvE

 * Build:W/any Dragon Slash is a choice build to fuel Save Yourselves! and keeping foes knocklocked with Brawling Headbutt.
 * Build:W/any PvE Earth Shaker is favored for its ability to permanently keep multiple foes knocked down, making it an unusual tank of sorts. To spam more efficiently and keep enemies down more consistently, players usually pair this with Infuriating Heat or Dark Fury.
 * Build:W/any Hundred Blades has the ability to perform extremely powerful AoE spikes, especially in conjunction with a necromancer using Mark of Pain. This tactic is also used in raptor farming, with the warrior carrying MoP itself.