PvE Protection Warrior Tank Rotation & Cooldowns

Protection Warriors in Mists of Pandaria have a far more complicated rotation based on procs! While their playstyle received a massive Quality-of-Life improvement, it also made them considerably more challenging to play correctly, with the specialization having a lot more buttons to press and effects to track during an encounter.

Protection Warrior Basics & Rage Generation

Much has changed for Protection Warriors in terms of general gameplay, ranging from how their former offensive abilities work to massive overhauls to the Rage Generation mechanic and a completely different way of proactively managing their mitigation, rather than their former mechanics, which implied a more laid-back and less spammy approach.

Rage Generation has been revamped into a much more complex system. Specific abilities, such as Shield Slam and Revenge, act as direct Rage Generators, while others, such as Devastate and Thunder Clap, no longer have a Rage Cost. Classic and well-renowned abilities such as Heroic Strike and Cleave kept their Rage Cost, acting as Rage spenders besides the newly overworked Shield Block & Shield Barrier. In addition, much of their Rage Generation is now achieved through Enrage, which turns any Critical Block or Devastate critical into 10 Rage.

As for active mitigation, Shield Block was overhauled into an ability that has two charges but a high Rage Cost, while Shield Barrier is a new addition to Protection Warrior’s kit that provides an absorption effect for any type of damage, effectively buffing their mitigation against Magic Damage by a considerable amount.

Since those two spells now have a 1.5-second cooldown, they are an integral part of any rotation, although they are also very tied to your overall Rage Generation. Since they consume a high amount of Rage, their use must be carefully incorporated into the rotation, and Rage spenders such as Heroic Strike and Cleave must be kept track of to maintain a healthy DPS. Even with their high Rage Cost, you will realistically want to use them as much as possible. While it is good to try to have Shield Block active at all times, the reality is that its use depends on the encounter and personal playstyle, with many using Shield Barrier more instead.

Single-Target Rotation & Spell Priority

1. Initiate with Charge + Heroic Throw (Use Macro)
2. Cast Shield Slam
   • Recast Shield Slam on every Sword and Board proc & on cooldown
3. Cast Revenge
   • Recast Revenge on every Parry reset & on cooldown
4. Cast 3x Devastate to stack Sunder Armor
   • Only spam Devastate 3 times if nobody else can apply Sunder Armor or an equivalent effect.
5. Cast Devastate as a Filler & to proc Sword and Board
6. Prioritize using Avatar/Bloodbath/Storm Bolt during the initial moments to generate Threat.
   • Alternatively, if you play with Avatar, you can use it during Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp.
   • If you play with Bloodbath, prioritize activating it right after Charge to make the most out of the short cooldown.
   • If you play with Storm Bolt, cast it right after the Shield Slam > Revenge> Devastate sequence.
7. Use the initial Rage to proc either Shield Block or Shield Barrier
   • Maintain Shield Block and Shield Barrier as much as possible throughout the fight
8. Cast Heroic Strike to dump Rage in moments where you don’t need to use either Shield Block or Shield Barrier.
   • Recast Heroic Strike on every Ultimatum proc!
9. Use Demoralizing Shout to reduce incoming damage.
   • Cast 3x Heroic Strike after using Demoralizing Shout
10. Cast either Shockwave or Dragon Roar on cooldown.
11. Use either Enraged Regeneration or Impending Victory to heal yourself when needed.
    • If you play with Enraged Regeneration, use it during Enrage or with Berserker Rage.
12. Use Skull Banner on demand, depending on the encounter!
13. Use either Safeguard or Vigilance on demand!
14. Use Taunt when needed.
15. Use Battle Shout or Commanding Shout whenever you need extra Rage or everything else is on cooldown.

AoE Rotation & Spell Priority

1. Initiate with Charge + Heroic Throw (Use Macro).
2. Cast Thunder Clap to spread Deep Wounds through Blood and Thunder!
   • Recast Thunder Clap on cooldown as often as possible.
3. Use Demoralizing Shout to reduce incoming damage.
   • Use the 3x free Cleave casts after Demoralizing Shout
4. Follow the Single-Target Priority Order (Shield Slam >Revenge>Devastate).
5. Use Cleave as the main Rage spender.
   • Recast Cleave on every Ultimatum proc!
6. Maintain Shield Block and Shield Barrier as much as possible throughout the fight.
7. Cast either Shockwave or Dragon Roar on cooldown.
8. Use Taunt + Vigilance to AoE Taunt.
9. Use Mocking Banner to AoE Taunt in emergency cases.
10. Prioritize using Avatar/Bloodbath/Storm Bolt during the initial moments to generate Threat.
    • Alternatively, if you play with Avatar, you can use it during Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp.
    • If you play with Bloodbath, prioritize activating it right after Charge to make the most out of the short cooldown.
    • If you play with Storm Bolt, cast it right after the Shield Slam > Revenge> Devastate sequence.
11. Use either Enraged Regeneration or Impending Victory to heal yourself when needed.
    • If you play with Enraged Regeneration, use it during Enrage or with Berserker Rage.
12. Use Battle Shout or Commanding Shout whenever you need extra Rage or everything else is on cooldown.

Utility & Defensive Cooldowns

• Crowd Control
  • Shockwave is an offensive AoE spell that can stun unlimited targets. Its cooldown is reduced whenever it hits three or more targets, making it a very spammable form of crowd control in long-lasting fights.
  • Charge is a mobility tool that doubles as a stun. It is very reliable in MoP as it can freely be used in combat.
  • Hamstring is a spammable Movement Speed-reduction tool that can be used on adds! Bosses are immune to this ability.
  • Storm Bolt is a ranged stun that deals decently high damage. It can also be used as a powerful Single-Target damage ability for targets that can’t be stunned, such as raid bosses.
• Major Cooldowns
  • Last Stand is one of your kit’s three strongest defensive tools, temporarily increasing current and maximum HP by 30% for 20 seconds. This ability shares an inner cooldown with Rallying Cry, meaning both abilities can’t be used simultaneously.
  • Shield Wall is by far the strongest defensive tool in your kit. It reduces all incoming damage by 40% for 12 seconds.
  • Rallying Cry is the AoE version of Last Stand, yet slightly weaker. It increases your maximum HP and that of your allies by 20% for 10 seconds.
  • Spell Reflection is an ability that reflects the next spell directly targeted at you back to your target. This ability does not work against passive effects.
  • Skull Banner is one of the most coveted abilities for raid encounters, increasing all raid members’ Critical Strike Chance by 20% for 10 seconds. This ability alone can guarantee you a raid spot.
  • Mocking Banner is an ability that is often viewed either as an emergency AoE taunt or a niche way of pulling in specific encounters.
  • Recklessness grants all your special attacks a 30% increased chance to deal a critical strike for up to 12 seconds.
  • Berserker Rage should always be used against Fear mechanics or with Enraged Regeneration whenever Enrage is not triggered and you need an instant heal.
  • Dragon Roar is a strong AoE damaging spell that always lands a critical strike. It is perfect for AoE encounters where adds can’t be stunned. Due to its high damage, this ability is often also taken for Single-Target encounters.
  • Heroic Leap is a mobility tool useful for chain pulling and extra mobility in raid encounters. Due to its huge value, this ability should be used whenever possible.
• Utility
  • Disarm should be used as much as possible, as it massively reduces the damage you receive. Most raid bosses are immune to this ability.
  • Demoralizing Shout is a debuff that reduces damage dealt by all targets by 20% for up to 10 seconds. This ability counts as both a utility and a self-defense tool. It should always be used on cooldown!
  • Disrupting Shout is an AoE silence tool that should always be used against caster adds! Keep in mind that it shares a 15-second cooldown with Pummel.
  • Intimidating Shout is finally viable in Mists of Pandaria and can be used to fear up to 6 targets, making them cower in place. It should be used for CC-chaining mobs as often as possible.
  • Shattering Throw is an ability that reduces a target’s armor by 20%, increasing all Physical Damage dealt to it by both you and your allies! This ability is usually utilized during Bloodlust/Heroism/Time Warp.
  • Pummel is a Single-Target interrupt that should be used against any dangerous spell!
  • Intervene allows you to quickly aid an ally, absorbing the next attack meant for the target in their stead. This ability should not be used if you are Main-Tank, unless the target is in close proximity!
  • Safeguard is an improved version of Intervene that works similarly. It provides a 20% Damage Reduction buff for up to 6 seconds. This ability is often used while Off-Tanking to support the Main Tank.
  • Vigilance is an ability that provides a 30% Damage Reduction buff for up to 12 seconds! It can’t be used on yourself. During its duration, it allows you to use Taunt with no cooldown!
• Self-Healing
  • Enraged Regeneration is your kit’s most potent self-healing tool, providing up to 40% maximum HP heal when enraged or 20% in the absence of the enraged status.
  • Victory Rush is a powerful yet very situational self-healing tool. It should be used whenever adds are present in an encounter.
  • Impending Victory is a self-healing tool with a lower cooldown than Enraged Regeneration, making it great for encounters where healing is scarce.