Can you Help me understand WAR better please? Thanks!

So I made a thread about where I asked about advice on tanking a couple of days ago, a few people were able to give insightful replies. Anyways I now have more questions about WAR as to how the proper rotations should be as well as when to use other defensive cooldowns And the other abilities.Many of the guides I looked up are from 4.0 with a few covering WAR from 4.2. I am unsure if these guides are viable since I was told the mechanics of WAR have changed in 4.3 but alas I’m unable to find any guide. Also I’m now level 62 on WAR. What should my rotation be to maximize both my dps and tanking capabilities as a level 62 WAR? I don’t have anyone to ask in game since my free company is totally inactive except for me and I don’t really have friends in game, I mostly play alone except when I do dailies or spam dungeons to practice tanking. Again any help, advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Galactica153

I am unsure if these guides are viable since I was told the mechanics of WAR have changed in 4.3 but alas I’m unable to find any guide.

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Whoever told you this, is wrong! 4.3 did some changes to DRK, not WAR. WAR recieved a design change with 4.2, so all Guides for 4.2 are up-to-date.

Your basic rotation between Berserk/Inner Release didn't change since level 50 with exceptions, like your DPS stance and using Fell Cleave instead of Inner Beast, even on 70.

Keep up your Storm's Eye (apply it again 1-3 sec before it's running out) keep using Storm's Path combo for max Gauge generation, do NOT overcap your Gauge, try to keep it at 50+, and save Infuriate for Berserk window (this will change with level 70).

Before using Berserk, end your last combo with Storm's Eye if your buff is lower then 10 sec, overwise use Path. Try to have 90/100 Gauge when ending this combo.
Use Heavy Swing, wait 2/3 of your GCD reset, use Berserk, Fell Cleave, Infuriate, Fell Cleave, Maim, Storm's Eye or Path (depending on your remaining Storm's Eye buff duration), Onslaught, Fell Cleave.
If you end your combo in Berserk window with Eye, you need 100 Gauge before entering it, overwise you wouldn't get an Onslaught in that window.
Your Opener is an exception, you will not have Infuriate ready again for 3 Fell Cleaves, you don't have the advanced Trait yet.
On level 62 you got Onslaught, use it if you are about to lose aggro or you would overcap your Gauge before your Berserk window.

PS: The only guide for 4.2 I've seen so far: 4.2 Warrior: The Berserkless Berserker

you are 62, why bother......

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Originally Posted by aqskerorokero

you are 62, why bother......

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Yea, this pretty much, unfortunately. The "rotation" will change quite a bit once you hit 70 and get Inner Release trait. Until then just focus on the basics: keep up Storm's Eye buff, Use Path combo for building gauge, only Butcher's if you need threat, don't overcap beast gauge.

For Berserk, it's kinda wonky until 70 now, use it either for spamming overpower on large pulls or a 3x Fell Cleave burst (100 gauge + Infuriate) for single targets.

Dude youre only 62
Calm down and save the min maxing for 70
Youll figure it out on the way

The basic rotation is the same at lv 50 as it is at 70. Eye>Path>Path>Repeat. Use FC before you go over gauge cap. Theres nothing fancy going on. If you need enmity, replace Path combos with Butchers combos as needed.

Theres really not much to 'plan' except your zerk window. When Zerk is coming up, save some gauge to use more Gauge skills (FC, Decimate, infuriate) while zerk is up so you force crit an FC instead of a heavy swing. But if you don't, its lv 65 or whatever dungeon. No one will care, and it wont matter. At 70 the gauge comes for free so you wont even need to 'prepare' before a zerk window anyway.

SE has gone to great lengths to simplify every job's rotation in SB and have succeeded. HW war had to really prepare and plan minutes in advance, but nowadays all 3 tanks can basically just use their DPS abilities on cooldown and perform a simple combo rotation and your nearly home.

Don't sweat it. Leveling is very shortlived and basic rotation will get you 90% of optimal as it is. Optimization at 70 is more about aligning your damage with party buffs than some complicated rotation to manage.

As people have said your basic rotation won't change, the biggest piece of advice I can give is to practice weaving in your off GDC's during your berserk window if you can. The Fell Cleaves should be your priority but if you have 20 to burn and berserk is wearing off then I would suggest you get in that onslaught charge. When you hit 64(?) you can work on weaving in upheaval. I recommend using thrill of battle just before upheaval since it scales with your health. Once you hit 70 you'll want to try to weave in more ogcd's between your fell cleaves.

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Originally Posted by vVAstrAVv

Dude youre only 62
Calm down and save the min maxing for 70
Youll figure it out on the way

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This is the best advice imo.
Learn as you go, and at 70 see what you may have misinterpreted.

I'd have to agree with the sentiment of "Wait until you're 70".

As long as you're holding threat and not dying, you're fine. Do some Roulettes at 70, some Lv70 content, and ease into improving your rotation bit-by-bit. Start off being a bit cautious and then dial back on the defenses a little until you see what's good to do and what's not good to do. Get better at the job gradually over time, instead of trying to cram everything into your skull all at once and then you show up to a group and you're "uh uh, I think it said to do A B C... or was that A C B?" and next thing you know, a BLM drops dead because you were fumbling over your keys worrying too much about trying to remember what you read and trying to follow it to the letter.

You need to build muscle memory and you do that by just playing the job. Play it. Go solo some crap, practice the rotations. Tweak your hotbars until you can hit buttons without even looking at the hotbar. That's what Muscle Memory is. Your conscious mind says "I wanna use Rampart" and your subconscious brain translates that into Ctrl+3 for example, without you even going "uh, where's Rampart again?"

This takes time to do.

I just got mostly done with RDM, and I'm to the point I don't even have to think about where keys are. My fingers already know, by themselves, what to do in what order. And if some emergency pops up or something, I'm comfortable enough with the job I can usually handle it.

But if you try to cram it all in there from reading a guide, an emergency pops up, you won't know what to do usually, you'll be like a deer in the headlights, that situation where you just lock up and go "uh...." and before you know it, it's a wipe.