What Makes Fury Warriors Special
Fury Warriors in Mists of Pandaria Classic deliver some of the most satisfying melee DPS gameplay you'll find. You're dual-wielding massive two-handed weapons while maintaining a constant rage that boosts all your physical damage by 10%. The whole class revolves around landing critical hits that trigger your Enrage state and fuel your most devastating attacks.
Sure, you'll need solid gear to really shine, but once you get there, few specs can match your damage output. What really sets Fury apart isn't just the numbers though. You bring incredible utility to raids. Your group cooldowns can save entire encounters, your mobility lets you handle mechanics others can't, and you've got external damage reduction abilities that tanks absolutely love.
Unlike previous expansions where Warriors were mostly about raw damage, Mists of Pandaria Warriors are raid MVPs. You'll always have a spot because of what you bring to the team, not just your DPS meter position.
How Mists of Pandaria Changed Everything
If you played Fury in Cataclysm, get ready for some major changes. Most of them make the spec way more fun to play.
No More Stance Dancing
You won't be constantly switching stances anymore. You'll spend almost all your time in Battle Stance now, which gives you the best rage generation from auto-attacks. The old juggling act is dead and buried.
Rage Actually Works Now
Running out of rage constantly in early gear is mostly fixed. Bloodthirst now generates 10 rage instead of eating it up, so your resource management becomes much smoother. You'll still need to plan around your big damage windows, but you won't be sitting there with nothing to press.
Enrage Gets Better
Your Enrage state now gives a flat 10% boost to all physical damage and lasts 8 seconds. Critical hits from Bloodthirst and Colossus Smash automatically trigger it, or you can force it with Berserker Rage when needed.
New Toys to Play With
Wild Strike becomes your new bread-and-butter ability. It hits with your off-hand and applies a mortal wounds effect. The Bloodsurge passive makes your next three Wild Strikes free and super fast.
Raging Blow works on charges now. Each time you get Enraged, you gain a charge (up to 2 maximum). This creates interesting decisions about when to spend them versus saving for your big damage windows.
The new banner system gives you serious group utility. Skull Banner increases everyone's critical damage by 20%, Demoralizing Banner cuts enemy damage by 10%, and Mocking Banner lets you taunt everything in sight.
Whirlwind got a complete overhaul too. It now stacks something called Meat Cleaver, which lets your Raging Blow hit multiple targets. Perfect for those multi-mob situations.
What You're Getting Into
- Scaling Like Crazy: Fury Warriors get better with gear more than almost any other spec. More critical strike rating means more Enrage uptime, which means more Raging Blow charges and higher damage across the board.
- Move Like Lightning: Between Charge (which now has no minimum range), Heroic Leap, and various talent options, you've got incredible mobility. You can stay on target during movement phases that leave other melee behind.
- Team Player: You're not just another DPS anymore. Skull Banner alone makes raids want multiple Warriors. Add in Vigilance (one of the best tank externals in the game) plus defensive raid cooldowns, and you're invaluable.
- Flexible Damage: Switch from single-target to cleave damage instantly through the Meat Cleaver system and talents like Bladestorm. No awkward transitions or setup time.
- Gear Hungry: Early in the expansion, you'll struggle. Arms Warriors typically outperform Fury until you get enough critical strike rating, usually not until the later raid tiers.
- Lots to Juggle: Managing rage, Raging Blow charges, and cooldown windows all at once takes practice. Resource starvation can still happen if you're not careful.
- Weapon Drama: You need two high-quality two-handed weapons, which puts you in competition with other classes and can slow down your upgrades.
Picking Your Race
Horde Options
Troll (Beast Mode): Berserking provides attack speed instead of attack power, which sounds weaker than the Orc option. Beast Slaying makes Trolls absolutely dominant on beast-type encounters with 5% extra damage. Not many fights qualify, but when they do, you'll crush everyone.
Pandaren - Solid Choice: Epicurean doubles your food buff stats, eventually giving you 300 bonus Strength from top-tier food instead of 150. That's a massive passive benefit, even without an active damage cooldown.
Other Horde Races: Goblin gets Time is Money (1% haste) and Rocket Jump mobility. Undead gains Touch of the Grave. Tauren offers War Stomp crowd control. Blood Elf provides Arcane Torrent. They all work, but you're giving up damage for convenience.
Alliance Options
Draenei - Smart Alternative: Heroic Presence gives 1% hit rating, letting you reach the 7.5% hit cap with less gear investment. You can put those stats into critical strike instead.
Human - Versatile: Sword and Mace Specialization each provide 1% expertise with the right weapons. Will to Survive has utility value, especially if you do any PvP.
Others: Dwarf gets Mace Specialization and Stoneform. Gnome provides Shortblade Specialization and Engineering bonuses. Night Elf offers the least for Fury Warriors.
Leveling Your Fury Warrior
Stats That Matter While Leveling
Your priorities shift slightly while leveling since you're fighting enemies at different levels:
Best Heirlooms
If you're starting fresh or have access to heirlooms, here's what to grab:
Weapons: Dual Bloodied Arcanite Reapers once you get Titan's Grip at level 38. Before that, use one-handed heirloom weapons.
Armor: Standard Warrior heirloom pieces (helm, shoulders, chest, legs, cloak).
Trinkets: Swift Hand of Justice for the proc.
Ring: Dread Pirate Ring if you can get it.
Leveling Talent Build
Focus on AoE burst potential since you'll be dealing with multiple enemies frequently:
- Level 15: Juggernaut or Double Time (both work well)
- Level 30: Second Wind for solo play, Enraged Regeneration for groups
- Level 45: Disrupting Shout for AoE interrupts
- Level 60: Bladestorm (your bread and butter for leveling)
- Level 75: Vigilance for group utility
- Level 90: Storm Bolt for single targets, Bloodbath for AoE
Leveling Rotation
Single Target Rotation
Stay in Battle Stance for maximum rage from auto-attacks. Switch to Berserker Stance if you're taking damage and need rage from both sources. Use defensive cooldowns before Bladestorm since you can't activate them during the channel. You can use shouts during Bladestorm for extra rage. Pair damage cooldowns with Bladestorm for maximum carnage. Don't forget Victory Rush after kills for free healing.
Talent Builds and Strategy
The new talent system gives you tons of flexibility. You can swap talents out of combat with Tome of the Clear Mind, so adjust based on what you're facing.
Standard Raiding Build
Tier 1 (Movement):
- Juggernaut: Cuts Charge cooldown by 8 seconds for more frequent gap closing and rage generation.
- Double Time: Two Charge charges with separate 20-second cooldowns, better for burst mobility.
- Warbringer: Adds root and slow to Charge, mostly for PvP.
Tier 2 (Survivability):
- Enraged Regeneration: Instant 10% health heal plus another 10% over 5 seconds, doubled during Enrage.
- Second Wind: Passive 3% health regen when below 35% health.
- Impending Victory: Active 20% max health heal on 30-second cooldown.
Builds by Content Type
- Single-Target Raids: Juggernaut, Enraged Regeneration, Disrupting Shout, Dragon Roar, Vigilance, Storm Bolt
- AoE/Dungeons: Double Time, Enraged Regeneration, Disrupting Shout, Bladestorm, Vigilance, Bloodbath
- High Movement: Warbringer, Enraged Regeneration, Piercing Howl, Dragon Roar, Vigilance, Storm Bolt
Glyph Selection
Must-Have Major Glyphs
Situational Major Glyphs
- Glyph of Death From Above: Cuts Heroic Leap cooldown by 15 seconds. Great for movement-heavy encounters.
- Glyph of Rude Interruption: 6% damage increase for 20 seconds after interrupting. Take this on interrupt-heavy fights.
- Glyph of Raging Wind: Raging Blow boosts your next Whirlwind damage by 10%. Useful in AoE situations.
- Glyph of Enraged Speed: 20% movement speed during Enrage. Good for encounters with constant movement.
Mastering Your Rotation
Fury rotation goes beyond pressing buttons in order. You need to understand the flow between rage management, Enrage uptime, and damage windows.
Core Concepts
Colossus Smash Windows: This 20-second cooldown creates your main damage phase. Pool resources beforehand, then dump everything during the debuff.
Raging Blow Charges: Each Enrage gives you one charge (max 2). Charges last 12 seconds and refresh when you get new ones. Never waste charges by letting them expire at max stacks.
Rage Flow: Battle Stance gives the best rage from auto-attacks. Berserker Rage adds rage and triggers Enrage when you need it. Don't cap rage, but don't starve yourself either.
Single-Target Rotation
Opening Sequence:
1. Battle Shout for buff and rage
2. Shattering Throw 0.5 seconds before pull
3. Charge immediately when fight starts
4. Recklessness + Skull Banner together
5. Bloodthirst for rage and Enrage attempt
6. Colossus Smash to start damage window
7. Storm Bolt if target is stun-immune
8. Raging Blow to use Enrage charges
9. Berserker Rage if you need more charges
10. Heroic Strike during Colossus Smash when rage is highExecute Phase (Below 20% Health)
Once enemies drop below 20% health, Execute becomes available and changes your priorities:
- Charge on cooldown
- Bloodthirst if you need Enrage
- Colossus Smash with good resource management
- Execute during Colossus Smash windows
- Continue standard rotation priorities
Stat Priorities and Gear Strategy
Getting your stats right makes the difference between mediocre and amazing performance.
Stat Priority Order
Pre-Raid Gear Guide
Before you step into raids, you need to hit your accuracy caps and build a solid foundation.
Weapon Priorities
Your top choice from Mogu'shan Palace Heroic. Get two of these if possible for dual-wielding.
Trinket Priorities
- Relic of Xuen (Inscription): Best pre-raid trinket with strength proc and baseline strength. Expensive but worth it.
- Carbonic Carbuncle (Stormstout Brewery Heroic): Great critical strike proc with strength baseline.
- Lessons of the Darkmaster (Scholomance Heroic): On-use strength with expertise baseline.
Raid Best-in-Slot Gear
Tier 14 Set Analysis
2-Piece Bonus: Boosts Bloodthirst damage by 25%, making it even more central to your rotation and rage economy.
4-Piece Bonus: Cuts Recklessness cooldown by 90 seconds for more frequent critical strike windows. This lets you sync better with Skull Banner and raid damage phases.
Best-in-Slot Items by Slot
Your attacks have a chance to grant 500 Strength for 15 seconds. Get two copies for dual-wielding.
Gemming and Enchanting
Gemming Philosophy
Secondary stat gems give double the value of primary stat gems in MoP, making critical strike gems extremely valuable once you have enough strength.
Best Gems for This Build
Meta Gem
Enchanting Priorities
| Slot | Best Enchant | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | Dancing Steel | Elemental Force |
| Chest | Glorious Stats (+80 all stats) | - |
| Gloves | Superior Strength (+170) | Synapse Springs (Engineering) |
| Boots | Pandaren's Step (+140 Mastery) | Greater Haste |
Consumables and Preparation
Flask and Food
Flask of Winter's Bite: +1000 Strength for 1 hour. This is your go-to flask for all content.
Black Pepper Ribs and Shrimp: +300 Strength food buff (doubled to +600 for Pandaren with Epicurean racial).
Potion of Mogu Power: +4000 Strength for 25 seconds. Use during your biggest damage windows and execute phases.
Profession Selection
Top-Tier Combinations
Engineering Benefits: Synapse Springs (+1920 Strength on-use), Nitro Boosts for mobility, and cogwheel gems for extra stats.
Blacksmithing Benefits: Two extra gem sockets from Socket Bracer and Socket Gloves, providing significant critical strike rating.
Alternative Option: Swordguard Embroidery provides +4000 Attack Power for 15 seconds with high proc frequency. Less controllable than Engineering but more consistent.
Advanced Strategies
Rage Management Mastery
Primary Sources: Battle Stance auto-attacks, Bloodthirst (10 rage per use), Charge with glyph enhancement, Berserker Rage (10 rage + Enrage), and various shouts.
Smart Spending: Never waste Enrage charges, pool rage before Colossus Smash windows, use Heroic Strike to prevent capping, and balance Execute usage with rage generation.
Cooldown Synchronization
Major Cooldown Stacking
Stack these cooldowns every 3 minutes for maximum damage windows. Time with encounter damage phases for best results.
Multi-Target Mastery
Target Count Adaptation
2 Targets: Maintain single-target rotation with Whirlwind integration and Cleave for rage dumping.
3-4 Targets: Switch to Bladestorm talent, integrate Bloodbath, prioritize Meat Cleaver maintenance.
5+ Targets: Full AoE rotation with Bladestorm focus, coordinate cooldowns for maximum cleave.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Low Damage Output
- Hit and expertise at 7.5% minimum
- Enrage uptime and critical strike prioritization
- Colossus Smash window usage
- Cooldown frequency and timing
- Gems, enchants, and consumables
Resource Management Issues
Practice pooling before Colossus Smash, improve Raging Blow charge management, use Glyph of Unending Rage for extra capacity, and learn fight timing for predictable generation.
Survivability Concerns
- Use full defensive cooldown rotation
- Coordinate Vigilance with dangerous phases
- Position to avoid unnecessary damage
- Use mobility proactively, not reactively
- Keep healing potions handy
Addons and Interface Setup
Must-Have Addons
| Category | Addon | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Boss Encounters | BigWigs / DBM | Encounter timers and warnings |
| Performance | Details | Damage meters and analysis |
| Tracking | WeakAuras | Custom tracking for cooldowns and buffs |
| Nameplates | Plater | Better target information |
Essential WeakAuras Tracking
- Colossus Smash debuff duration and cooldown
- Raging Blow charge count and remaining time
- Enrage state duration and trigger sources
- Major cooldown availability
- Rage level with capping warnings
Learning Path and Mastery
Master the basics: Learn single-target rotation priorities and hit your accuracy caps. Focus on resource management and get comfortable with rage and Raging Blow charge management.
Advanced synchronization: Stack cooldowns effectively for maximum damage windows. Learn Meat Cleaver usage and AoE rotation adaptation. Use Vigilance and interrupts effectively.
Perfect timing: Master cooldown coordination for specific encounter phases. Use group utility for maximum raid benefit and adapt strategies for progression encounters.
Performance Benchmarks
Early Gear: Focus on consistency and meeting accuracy requirements. Don't worry about topping meters yet.
Mid Gear: Your Enrage uptime should improve noticeably. You'll start seeing the true potential of the spec.
Full Phase 1 Gear: You should be competitive with any DPS spec and providing excellent utility value.
Final Thoughts
Fury Warriors in Mists of Pandaria Classic offer one of the most rewarding DPS experiences in the game. You're not just a damage dealer but a vital team member who brings game-changing utility while delivering impressive numbers.
The journey from fresh 90 to mastery takes time and practice. Early on, you might struggle compared to other specs, but stick with it. Once you get the gear and experience, few classes can match what you bring to a raid team.
The rotation might seem complex at first, but it becomes second nature with practice. The resource management, charge system, and damage windows all flow together into a satisfying gameplay loop that rewards good decision-making and planning.
Most importantly, you're playing one of the most iconic specs in WoW history during what many consider its golden age. Dual-wielding massive two-handed weapons while maintaining constant rage and delivering crushing blows never gets old.
Fury Warriors are always valuable in Mists of Pandaria. Your Skull Banner alone makes raids want multiple Warriors, and that's before considering your incredible damage potential and defensive utility.
Take your time learning the spec, experiment with different approaches, and don't be afraid to ask questions. The Fury Warrior community is generally helpful, and there's always more to learn about maximizing your potential.
Now get out there and show everyone what a properly played Fury Warrior can do. Those two-handed weapons aren't going to swing themselves.