An Arms Warrior Leveling Build is the absolutely best leveling build for Cataclysm due to the mass pulling abilities, crowd control, rage efficiency, and self healing ability. However, there's a right way to do Arms, and there's a wrong way. If you don't spec, glyph or gear correctly, you can easily add days to your leveling time. Read on to find out how and why to level as an Arms Warrior.
Why pick an Arms Warrior Leveling Build?
Arms is a high DPS, self healing, Mass Burning powerhouse. With talents like Blitz and abilities like Sweeping Strikes and later on, Bladestorm, the Arms Warrior can tear through small groups with ease, and large groups with proper management. If you are wondering why you shouldn't take Fury, there are a couple reasons. First, Fury operates off of Dual Wield. You have a much higher chance to miss your target, which can drastically hinder your DPS. In addition, Dual Wield means you have to maintain and constantly upgrade two weapons instead of one. This can be costly in both time, if grinding dungeons, or DPS if one of your weapons is lagging, and you just can't find that upgrade. And don't even think of buying one of the Auction House. It's a waste of gold. These two concepts alone are enough to make Arms tower over Fury.
Glyphs for an Arms Warrior Leveling Build
Glyphs make as much difference as talent points for your Arms Warrior. Choosing the right ones can make a difference of hours or even days off of your play time. Prime glyphs you want to use are Mortal Strike, Overpower, and Bladestorm. These are the bread and butter of your rotations. Increased damage and decreased cooldown make these an excellent buff to your leveling build. Major Glyphs include Victory Rush, Sweeping Strikes, and Rapid Charge. The first one provides some excellent survivability, while the others provide a great buff to two of your major Cooldown abilities. Minor Glyphs include Enduring Victory, Demoralizing Shout, and Battle. The first two add some survivability, while the last is a good utility glyph. Refreshing buffs sucks, and you don't have to worry about it dropping while in combat as much.
Gearing up for an Arms Warrior Leveling Build
As a warrior, you are extremely gear dependent. You take a lot of hits, so Plate Armor is mandatory. Also, the damage you deal is directly related to the weapon you use. You want a slow, 2-handed weapon with high end Damage. Don't worry so much about DPS. That comes from your abilities, not your weapon speed. After you've found a good weapon, you want to start stacking Strength and Stamina. Strength increases your damage done, while Stamina keeps you alive. As far as secondary stats go, Critical Strike is your friend. Crit is the basis for several Arms abilities that will increase your damage on several levels. Hit is OK, but I wouldn't worry about stacking it too heavily. You only miss 1 in 20 strikes. Worry about capping it at endgame. Agility also grants some decent crit. At lower levels, before you start seeing a lot of Crit on your gear, this will come in pretty handy.