Current

UPDATE 4/10/2014: The build has been updated for the latest UI 2.0 Patch which has yet to be played in the closed/pre-order beta. I have moved previous version history to a different chapter to help keep this page clean.

As always, this is a work in progress until the game launches...

There are significant changes in this patch. I highly recommend you read the full patch notes linked above. Generally, all classes have had all AMPs reduced in power reflecting Carbine's intention to increase overall TTK, time-to-kill. Personally, I like it because it should result in the game favoring skill further - on a longer timeline bad players make more mistakes and better ones make fewer. The less a game is about RNG and who's buffs stacked first the better. Still, we can't really say how it affects the overall dynamic until we test it out. Regardless, expect further tuning but don't flip out when you learn Power Hitter caps out at 22.5% boost to critsev instead of +75%. Oh yeah, they fixed Stalker's prep healing and the out of control nature of Engineers. Pull has diminishing returns and Grapple is off the gcd; its root now breaks on damage. It seems most roots work like this now - at least from what I've read so far.

Other notable changes include how debuffs are prioritized when dispelling. Carbine has assigned more threatening debuffs (like MS) a higher priority for dispelling. Previously there were so many trash debuffs protecting important ones that it was near impossible to remove what you needed to. This makes Expulsion more interesting for warriors too.

Laceration took a pretty significant nerf, and the coming AP boost makes Tremor really hard to ignore. PvP stats are getting massively buffed so investments are made there.

Currently there are several tradeoffs you can make within my AMP tree and ability tiering; this is by no means the exact build you should play with because your playstyle should influence the choices you make. This build is suited to my individual playstyle but I'm happy if you found it helpful.

Unless you have someone else bringing the mortal strike debuff I strongly recommend you take Augmented Blade. Near perfect uptime (you're really only limited by globals here) of 40% reduced healing puts significant pressure on your opposing healers and is just about the only way you ever have a chance to kill a healer 1v1 in this decade. Then again, healing and dispelling got buffed with this patch so you're probably screwed anyway...

Primarily you want to be gearing for Brutality and Moxie. You really want to buff your crit chance and AP but it's far too early to give accurate info on what thresholds to reach for each stat.

Do not underestimate Detonate. It is massive, juicy burst damage right at the moment you're wanting to get bursty (when you pop Overcharge, hopefully because you have an important kill lined up). Don't be selfish with Power Link, if you have other DPS in your group use it to the group's advantage not just yours.

How you should play this is pretty straightforward:



Here's a quick video showing that on random mobs (will try to get some actual PvP footage next weekend, queues don't seem to pop lvl 30+):

Please note, this video was from an older build using Savage Strikes as filler for PS1 & PS2. Just imagine Breaching Strikes in its place. Also, Tremor Strike is not featured here.

Here's a deeper description of the priorities you should mind:

Tremor while outside of melee range then immediately apply Ripsaw and start work building kinetic energy with Relentless Strikes. Power Strike after you cross the damage bonus threshold in KE. Save your Grapple and Kick to interrupt important casts or at the very least use them to score a moment of opportunity by interrupting any old cast. I try to use Breaching Strikes in between the first and second swing of Power Strike, but it's not worth holding off on the proc for more than a few seconds. Prioritize, don't just tunnel a memorized rotation because this isn't a mathematically perfect raiding rotation you can minmax around globals.

In general, just play with your head up and go wreck some kids... oh yeah, don't forget to peel for your healers :)

glhf

~Cold <Eminent>

Old

UPDATE 3/28/2014: The build has been updated for Pre-order beta weekends. I have moved previous version history to a different chapter to help keep this page clean. A brief video showing the priority-rotation has been included below.

As always, this is a work in progress until the game launches...

Currently there are several tradeoffs you can make within my AMP tree; this is by no means the exact build you should play with because your playstyle should influence the choices you make. This build is suited to my individual playstyle but I'm happy if you found it helpful. Warriors are in a great place diversity wise. I'm having fun with a Tremor build too and I honestly find it just as viable. I encourage you to experiment and find what suits you.

Unless you have someone else bringing the mortal strike debuff I strongly recommend you take Augmented Blade. Near perfect uptime (you're really only limited by globals here) of 40% reduced healing puts significant pressure on your opposing healers and is just about the only way you ever have a chance to kill a healer 1v1 in this decade. Just keep in mind that an Engineer brings 75% reduced healing with good uptime by themselves and full uptime with a teammate using their stun/blind together. Stalkers can MS 60% reduced healing and also maintain it. You might think cleansing would make some redundancy necessary in your comps but there are so many trash debuffs that reliably cleansing MS is tough.

Primarily you want to be gearing for Brutality and Moxie. You really want to buff your crit chance and AP but it's far too early to give accurate info on what thresholds to reach for each stat.

Do not underestimate Detonate. It is massive, juicy burst damage right at the moment you're wanting to get bursty (when you pop Overcharge, hopefully because you have an important kill lined up). Save Detonate for when you have as many stacks of Relentlessness up as possible. Think about picking up Defense Grid as an option too. The tooltip on here is wrong for Defense Grid, it is on a 25s cooldown - not 60s as it shows, but you could swap this for Flash Bang if you wanted and gain a better defensive C/D, particularly for group play.

How you should play this is pretty straightforward:



Here's a quick video showing that on random mobs (will try to get some actual PvP footage next weekend, queues don't seem to pop lvl 30+):



Here's a deeper description of the priorities you should mind:

Immediately apply Ripsaw and start work building kinetic energy with Relentless Strikes. Power Strike after you cross the damage bonus threshold in KE (500 for 12% bonus or 750 for 25%). Save your Grapple and Kick to interrupt important casts or at the very least use them to score a moment of opportunity by interrupting any old cast. In a pinch, FB can be used as a gap closer if you're getting kited though no daze sprint should usually do the job. Use Savage Strikes on incapacitated foes. I try to use Breaching Strikes as early as possible so I can Savage Strike in between the first and second swing of Power Strike, but you can also fill that gap with Breaching Strikes. Prioritize, don't just tunnel a memorized rotation because this isn't a mathematically perfect raiding rotation you can minmax around globals. Moments of opportunity can lead to some ugly damage, especially when outnumbered.

In general, just play with your head up and go wreck some kids... oh yeah, don't forget to peel for your healers :)

glhf

~Cold <Eminent>

UPDATE 2/24/2014: The build has been updated. I will add more details discussing my choices next weekend (sorry been busy).

UPDATE 2/14/2014: This build is out of date, not optimized for the latest WB3 patch. I will post an update to this page over the weekend - sorry was traveling internationally.

UPDATE 1/26/2014: Special thanks to WS-Base for updating the tool to the latest patch.

CHANGES:

1. Assault Power III & Assault Power II AMPs have been dropped in favor of Kinetic Drive AMP for better synergy with the build. You lose 2% attack power, gain 100 K.E. per second while sprinting and K.E. no longer decays while sprinting (useful to maintain K.E. damage bonuses while you get back on target).

UPDATE 1/18/2014: Special thanks to RealBlankSpace on Twitch.tv, the most active WS streamer currently and the man who has answered some questions to bring you a better build.

CHANGES:

1. Menacing Strike has been dropped in favor of Relentless Strike for better damage and since Kinetic Energy generation isn't as important anymore.

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2. Whirlwind has been dropped in favor of Power Strike for way better damage output since you cannot chain Whirlwind anymore.

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3. Shield Burst has been dropped in favor of Ripsaw (formerly Plasma Saw) due to the nerf to shields and addition of a snare to Ripsaw. Only use it as a snare, not for damage. Keep in mind the ticks can proc Power Hitter & Frenzy; nice bonus.

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4. Grapple (formerly Plasma Whip) has been reduced to Base Tier. The base tier now has a 22% snare. Feel free to swap for Augmented Blade if nobody in your group brings a mortal strike effect.

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5. Augmented Blade has been dropped in favor of Breaching Strikes for supreme damage output. BS is our highest burst skill now. AB is still excellent for PvP and could be slotted in place of Plasma Whip or Ripsaw.

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6. Leap has been dropped in favor of Bum Rush for better mobility. Tier 4 of Bum Rush swapped with Tier 8, it now grants the double charge and is on a 15s cooldown.

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7. Unstoppable Force has been dropped in favor of Power Link for much improved damage (gives +15% at base) and because CC in this game just isn't the same as in other titles.

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8. Substantial changes to AMPs for better build synergy.


Rotational Priorities
This is still pretty simple but that should change by the next patch. Right now warriors often find themselves with only Relentless Strike to spam. Your priority is: Breaching Strikes on cooldown, Power Strike on cooldown, Plasma Saw to maintain snare, Relentless Strike to build KE / fill gaps. Use the other situational abilities as needed.

Random Thoughts
If Kinetic Energy becomes an important resource to manage again in the future, and I think it will, perhaps Kinetic Drive will have some utility in maintaining your KE levels. I have not tested this of course so I'm not sure, but this is based on the vague idea that KE doesn't decay as it is being generated - only X seconds after the last generation event.

Sprint and Dash should be used more liberally with this build. They gain 21% capacity/regen and you cannot be dazed while sprinting any longer.

glhf

~Cold


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UPDATE 1/6/2014: I have not made any changes to the build in this update, but I have some minor tweaks planned. If anyone out there is part of the PRESS BETA (Carbine has lifted your NDA for level 1-15 content) and you would like to help please post in the comments below. DO NOT post if you just have normal beta access. You are still under NDA and cannot discuss the game yet!

Here are some questions I want answered:

Do shields negate damage beyond what is necessary to break the shield or is the remainder subtracted from health?
What abilities scale off of Support Power?
What is the Kinetic Energy decay rate, both in and out of combat?
Does the pushback from Tremor Strike interrupt casts?
Does the breakout system (tapping F to break CC) trigger Bust Out (AMP:Utility tree)?

Based on the answers to these questions the build will be updated. Stay tuned for more info...

UPDATE 12/29/2013: Special thanks to RealBlankSpace on Twitch.tv, the most active WS streamer currently and the man who has answered some questions to bring you a better build. As always this is BETA so expect things to change, but with this new info we have a much better build damage, survivability, and mobility wise. The old build I had can be accessed here.

CHANGES:

1. Relentless Strike has been dropped in favor of Menacing Strike for monumentally better Kinetic Energy generation.

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2. Power Strike has been dropped in favor of Whirlwind for better damage output, mobility, and so you can be a blender.

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3. Plasma Saw has been dropped in favor of Shield Burst for better survivability and optimum GCD usage.

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4. Leap has been upgraded to Tier 4 for more mobility from a second charge.

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Second charges explained (thanks to RealBlankSpace):
When an ability has two charges you use it once and it goes on cooldown immediately. However, as the cooldown ticks off you can opt to trigger the second charge and have the cooldown reset or you can simply wait it out for both charges to be available again. Each charge allows the use of that ability, so double charges on Leap (tier4) means you can leap twice if you need to.

Why make these changes?
I've been running various builds through a spreadsheet I will publish once we are into open beta and abilities are more finalized. For now, this is the best a PvPer could hope for. Whirlwind gives you an interrupt armor (protecting you from cc) and 40% movement speed. It is lolbladestorm from World of Warcraft all over again. This is massive, and it is more efficient in damage/kinetic/gcd spend.

Rotational Priorities
This is pretty simple. Some people may be put off by the simplicity and really we can expect all of this to change by game launch. However there is value in thinking like a PvPer even this early so these imaginative builds serve a purpose in that they prep you to better understand the balancing WS will undergo between now and launch. This is a powerful build and given the severe penalty for melee vs. ranged it might survive in close to this state, though only in-game testing can confirm how OP it is comparatively.

As for the priority based rotation? Dead easy: Menacing Strike until above 500 Kinetic Energy (for sustain) or 750 Kinetic Energy (for higher burst), then Whirlwind. Use Shield Burst as needed defensively. Focus most of your attention on positioning, what your healers are doing, what their healers are doing, and your longer CD management. Never forget that your damage output and snares are also valuable in peeling enemies off your healer; basically don't just tunnel one target - the advantage of a simpler rotational priority is that you should have the most battle awareness of anyone on the field, so please don't squander that advantage.


This is a work in progress until the game launches...

Primarily gearing for Brutality and Moxie. You really want to buff your crit chance and severity but it's far too early to give accurate info on what thresholds to reach for each stat. I will update this page periodically and provide video footage when possible to help you out. Please also note that without more information on the PvP offense/defense stats it is very difficult to rate these trees. As more information becomes available such builds may be better suited and I will expand on this in the future.

This build focuses on pretty standard PvP tropes you will encounter playing a warrior at high ELO rating. Unstoppable Force could be swapped out for Tether, Bum Rush, or another DPS ability; for example you could reorganize AMP to get Tremor Strike and this may be preferable to anything else depending on how the ability scales in game. Since I don't have formulas for damage yet this is just a first draft that will be revised as I get more accurate information.



The main points to understand are the reasoning behind these choices. Generally against skilled pvpers you are going to want high burst capability, decent sustain, good survivability, and a strong emphasis on mobility or denying it to your opponents. If another class can bring mortal strike feel free to swap that out appropriately.

= mortal strike

FYI my builds will always tend to favor static, synergistic gains so please keep that in mind. Frankly I hate RNG based procs but if you prefer that style you should definitely go for it - to each his own. In this guide the only random element to consider is the 50% proc rate on Augmented Blade. With proper gearing it should be no problem expecting a crit within 6 GCD's but I do want you to be aware of this so you can make your own decision.

glhf

~Cold