Hey, yo... (A Survey)

First thing's first. I'm not in love with the new composition tool that blogger uses. That aside, I found a wonderful post through WoW.com about a dps survey that is being done, obviously inspired by the healer and tank surveys that have been going through the blogosphere. And they're missing a dps warrior's opinions. Well, guess what?


What is the name, class, and spec of your primary dps?


Xirella, Proud Fury Warrior


What is your primary dpsing environment? (i.e. raids, pvp, 5 mans)

I primarily dps in the 10 and 25 man scene.  Heroics are a bit too frustrating to dps on a regular basis, given the skill level and threat output of the average PuG tank.  PvP is out of the question because a) I'm fury, and b) PvPing as a warrior is like being the fat kid on the playground.

What is your favorite dps spell/ability for your class and why?

Whirlwind.  This embodies everything about who I am and what I do.  Fury warriors are one-man wrecking crews, wading into battle, blindly swinging gigantic weapons in a powerful frenzy that can bring even the mightiest foes to their knees.
What dps spell do you use least for your class and why?

Victory Rush.  It was easy to get excited about it when 3.0 first dropped, and we all got to level with it.  Lots of damage, for free, right?  Well, this thing is never used in a raid.  Ever.  Even if I get the killing blow on a boss, I get to watch it light up while we're distributing loot and then fade away into a meaningless nothingness.


What do you feel is the biggest strength of your dps class and why?

I suppose the real strength of a warrior is the ability to suck it up and tank.  I know that's not really what people ask for, but I find that, with the introduction of dual spec, there is no sensible reason for a warrior not to have a tank spec and a bag of gear with you at all times.  You never know when the opportunity will arise where you can show off your tanking chops on a big stage.

What do you feel is the biggest weakness of your dps class and why?

I feel that the DPS warrior suffers from a lack of versatility.  All of our buffs are mirrored by an array of different classes, we have limited ability to heal ourselves or others.  We have no abilities that can be considered "raid savers" (such as Lay on Hands, bubbles, battle res, etc.), and our raw dps is underneath that of the "pure" dps classes.


In a 25 man raiding environment, what do you feel, in general, is the best dps assignment for you?

I am a boss killer.  Put me behind a stationary target and let me go to town.  I face roll from one side of my keyboard to the left, keeping the damage rolling in until we're smacking the master looter for our stuff.

What dps class do you enjoy dpsing with most and why?

Warriors.  Fury only.  I find the arms rotation to be a bit too clunky for my tastes.  Warriors have gone through a lot of changes over the ages, but they still manage to maintain an easy to learn, difficult to master dps rotation, and more than capable of making your guild leader want to adopt you for your in-game prowess.  (No, really...  she wants to adopt me.)

What tanking class do you enjoy dpsing with least and why?

Feral druids.  Short of quoting my raid leader ("Druid Tanks ****ing suck"), it doesn't seem as though, through game mechanics of lack of skill, druid tanks have the ability to hold threat on a level that is necessary for competitive dps.  I'm sure there are druids out there who could prove me wrong.  I'd love to meet them.

What is your worst habit as a dps?

Ignoring my Threat Meter. While I dance around the clouds/fire/orbs/whatever with the greatest of ease, I can't seem to watch my threat meter for more than a few seconds after engagement.  This isn't normally a problem, since our raid tank is top notch, but say, for example, the tank is stunned or slowed by the ridiculous poison debuff in heroic beasts, I may or may not be able to pull off long enough to keep from dying horribly.

What is your biggest pet peeve in a group environment while dpsing?

Players who settle for mediocrity.  Just because we're not in a top end guild doesn't mean you don't have to give it your all.  My guild is only in here for 6 hours a week, and I don't think it's too much to ask that people read up on their class rotation, bring consumables and focus until we call it for the night.

Do you feel that your class/spec is well balanced with other dps?

I think warriors are fine.  I've heard the blues talk about more buffs to compensate from the 10% that was cut in 3.1, but as long as we don't get another large chunk cut away before Cataclysm, I think I'll be just peachy.

What tools do you use to evaluate your own performance as a tank?

WoW Meter Online.  I watch my progress like a hawk, and keep track of my dps milestones so that I know that I'm improving.


What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about your class?

That we are all tanks.  Since Titan's Grip, I'm sure this has been reduced somewhat.  But it was a big deal in BC.

What do you feel is the most difficult thing for new dpsers of your class to learn?


Capitalizing on the global cooldown.  Doing something every 1.5 seconds adds so much to dps as opposed to simply pressing a button when you happen to notice it's off cooldown.  Learning to feel the GCD is probably the best way to boost a newbie's dps.

What dps class do you feel you understand least?

Warlocks.  I can't even keep track of their buffs. I remember walking into Heroic Botanica and asking the warlock...  "Hey, do you have any CC?"

...I did the same thing in Utgarde Pinnacle, at the start of Wrath.

What add-ons or macros do you use, if any, to aid you in dps?

You can't ask me that.  You'll make me blush...


Seriously though, there are a lot of things I do to keep my DPS as high as it can be.  I abuse Power Auras Classic, and have all of my macros listed here.

Strength over other stats or balanced stat allocation, and why?


Oh, wow.  There's a lot involved in determining how you should gear and gem.  I use Landsoul's Warrior DPS Spreadsheet to determine what upgrades are for me, and which stats hold a priority.  The basics are:

-Reach the soft hit cap
-Reach the expertise cap
-Slot for either str or armor penetration as your primary.