I agree with every bit of this except the sustain damage. We (warriors) are not there for damage. We're there to get punched in the face and enjoy it. Staying alive and Agro are the only things we need to worry about. Other than that, that's a great summary of a warrior job

Sorry, but I have to strongly disagree. Your first concerns as a warrior is STA, HP, and AC. I would follow that with AGI and DEX, and then STR. Keep in mind, getting items to upgrade what is primary will usually include some STR boosts, so worry about the more important things, and STR will find a way to keep up.

Remember, contrary to what a lot of folks think, the warriors job is NOT doing damage. It is maintaining aggro and staying alive so that the mob stays off the casters. This means you want deep AC/hp reserves so you don't get dropped like a hot rock, and becoming skilled at aggro control, which has nothing to do with your stats, but how you play your toon. Leave the damage dealing to non tank melees and nukers.

The main raid tank in my guild regularly has very low DPS (around 15 to 20). This is because his weapons are maximized to keep aggro, not do damage.

you'll max out all your stats by the time you really need them anyway

Edited, Tue Oct 26 16:45:05 2004 by mokuba

Generally adding procs IS the way to go. Short of that, then damage(as well as attempts to do damage) and taunt/incite is what generates hate.

This is 100% incorrect. I almost want to shout WRONG!!!! out loud while reading it.

Strength is NOT the main attribute for a warrior. In fact, strength, IMO, is ranked even lower than where the original author put it in their guide.

#1 attribute for warrior is HITPOINTS. Then STAMINA, because thats more HP. Then Armor Class, because AC means you'll get hit for less damage. THEN Agility, because AGI raises AC. Then Dexterity, because DEX=higher proc rate, and procs will create more hate than a few extra points of melee damage. Then, maybe strength, although you could make a compelling argument that Charisma is more important, since it affects death save spells, which are more likely to affect the outcome of a raid battle.

What's definitely below STR for a warrior? INT and WIS. That's about it.

Also, NEVER, EVER under any circumstances, waste starting points on strength. Strength is WAY too easy to raise, and even with a human warrior, my styrength is near maxxed, without buffs, and without once ever intentionally trying to raise strength. Also no strength augments.

Last comment; TBB is worthless for a warrior. ANY haste belt is better, even fbbs, which has no real stats except for haste. FBSS increases your swing rate by 21%, which means more dps hate, and more "touch" hate. TBB would occasionally give you a point or 2 more damage on a hit, but nowhere near a 20% increase. Of course, I'd recommend saving up for a good belt like soulscream, that has haste and sta/hp/ac.

How big a differance dose a str of 200 vs a str of 100 make? one point per hit? ten points per hit? The damage bonus, of which a lot is made, ranges from 1 to 13 or is is 14 now? As part of a study I'm doing using a damage 10 weapon my lvl 65 warrior hit for an avd damage of 42 (500 hits). Using weapon damage and the bonus the avg hit should of be 33. That leaves a unacounted 9 hit points of damage per swing....

You make a lot of assumctions
1. that a warrior can at will upgrade his weapons
2. That a warrior has the means to obtain gear uber enough to blow through 40 lvl in a week of casual play.
3. Any warrior who wants a haste belt or item can obtain one.
Thess assumction might be true for a uber twink, but not for an avg new warrior.
The truth is for most young warriors the armor they use pre lvl 40 is not the same armor they use post lvl 50. Therefor if I were looking for armor for the avg lower lvl warrior I would focus on AC and Str pre lvl 40 and AC, Sta, and HP post lvl 40. The placing top priority of hit points assumes that the warrior has a lvl apporitate AC. If your AC is sub par all the hit points in the world will not make you an acceptable tank.

The starting str of a human warrior is 85. If your warrior is lvl 65 or above then your maximun str should be between 305 to 355. That means you need over 200 points of str to be near max. Since you are near max with out buffs that means you have an avg of 16 str or more in every slot....
If stats are so easly upgraded to near maximun at higher lvl, why dose is matter where you spend your starting points? After all if you so easly got your str to near maximun couldn't of you just as easily gotten your sta to near maximun, if you had spent your starting points in str?
In the high end game you have AA points, aguments, and equipment with all kinds of bonuses to rase the stat of your choice, this being the case does where you place your starting points impact the high end game at all?

If it is true that you can so easily maximize any stat in the high end game, then you should use your starting points to benifit you during the lower levels.

My point is this: If starting point alocation is inportant to the end game, then it can not be easy to maximize your stats.

In theory yes, but not in practice unless you are in a high end raid guild that is time/tacvi flagged.

Most guilds who are not cannot get access to gear that brings STA up to high levels. STR upgrades are more common. Also, look at buffs. STR buffs can bring up your STR by over 100 easily. Not so for STA.

In your earlier post you stated that the guild main tank hand a low dps to maximize agro....here you are saying that a higher dps will give you more agro....

I should have been clearer. Our MA sacrifices his DPS for weapons that proc hate boosts and the like. Of course at lower lvls this usually isnt practicable.

I still would not consider STR a primary at lower levels. Important, but not primary. More important would be AGI, as that effects how often you hit. You can have a STR through the roof, but if you can't hit your target, it is meaningless. Misses generate FAR less aggro than hits do.

Edited, Fri Oct 29 23:26:57 2004 by dfrnchman

Ummm hi, you don't even have to be elementally geared to cap out STA. I was at max just from bazaar bought gear.