Circle of Violence: The World of Warcraft Warrior
While some players are drawn to World of Warcraft for magic, most are drawn for violence. The ability to run through environments, slaughtering creatures, attacking other players, looting bodies, upgrading weaponry and armor, selling parts for money and doing it all again hooks many gamers for hours, days and even years at a time. Stationed in front of their computer screens, players boost their characters' statistics and prepare for all-out war. However, players must declare this desire for bloodshed from the beginning; a character's race and class directly affect how successful a melee fighter he or she will be. And for those gamers thirsting for the ultimate killing machine, the World of Warcraft warrior is the perfect choice.
The Killing Fields
The World of Warcraft warrior is the most popular melee class; it has the ability to cause and absorb substantial amounts of damage. While unable to perform magic, they can utilize a number of melee attacks and abilities, using rage instead of mana to fuel these talents. In a group or a party, the World of Warcraft warrior can serve as a tank, meaning it prevents damage to the other members of the group by becoming the main target of the enemy. Warriors can also become the main source of damage infliction in a party, especially if the player distributes skill points appropriately and equips the right gear.
Many races can choose to be warriors, including trolls, dwarves, gnomes, humans and night elves. Humans especially are popular warriors; the knight is the elite warrior of the Alliance, and champions are best seen in the middle of melee combat with swords in their hands. The World of Warcraft warrior is also a popular class choice for Horde races, as the ability to inflict large amounts of damage quickly and effortless is a sought-after situation for evil-minded creatures.
The talents of the World of Warcraft warrior are split into three categories: arms, fury and protection. Arms refers to a mix of offensive abilities and weapon utilities. A World of Warcraft warrior high in arms talents will prefer a two-handed weapon, so to better inflict top-end damage. Fury talents are also offensive, but are more less the finesse behind brute strength. Protection talents increase the defensive advantages of a World of Warcraft warrior, allowing him or her to adequately handle a shield.
A World of Warcraft warrior can also choose from different stances, including a battle stance, defensive stance and berserker stance. The battle stance is the standard stance of warriors, balancing both offensive and defensive abilities. The berserker stance is quite the opposite of the defensive stance: the World of Warcraft warrior will attack all-out with little regard to his or her own health.
