Mage / Rogue vs. Warlock / Priest 2v2 Arena Strategy

Rogue Arena Tactics

The strategy for the rogue is pretty basic here. If at all possible you want to sap the priest. This will allow you to get a solid start on the warlock and in many cases fill him outright. If you must use shadowstep to pull off the sap, it’s crucial you get it off quickly and cleanly.

Once you’re on the lock you need to be very watchful for fears. The mage cannot afford to burn his CS on the lock, so it’s up to you to kick / kidney shot any single target fear or howl of terror. Additionally, be ready to use your blind on the priest to assist the mage in his crowd control rotation.

I highly suggest using a focus blind macro to make this cc transition as seamless as possible. In an ideal game your rotation might look something like this. Sap –> Sheep –> Trinkets the sheep. Blind –> Sap –> CS — Sheep. While this always isn’t going to work out perfectly like this knowing your CC rotation from the beginning will be a huge aid to your success.

Mage Arena Tactics

While the mage is certainly going to be adding damage your primary role is still to crowd control the healer. Most mages are very confident in their own sheep / CS rotation, but don’t forget the fact you have a rogue. It will be very important for you and your rogue to successfully communicate through the match to maximize your collective crowd control.

Just like with the rogue’s blind, using focus sheep or focus CS macros can be very helpful. Not only do they allow you to quickly pull off your various forms of CS, but many times they can catch your opponents off guard. Many players watch for you as the mage to target them, often this is a dead give away to an incoming sheep or blind. Using focus macros you never actually have to target them, so they have zero idea what’s coming!

Looking for more strategies? Check out the complete rogue / mage 2v2 arena strategy guide!

Warrior Guide

This warrior guide is intended to be a compilation of all warrior arena strategies, warrior pvp guides, warrior tips, warrior talent builds, warrior raiding guides and any other resources that may be useful to improving your game as a warrior in World of Warcraft.

This central guide will be updated as often as possible to reflect new changes to the class as well as updated information. If you would like to suggest a guide to appear on this warrior guide please post a comment below or post a note on the Zug Gaming forums.

Warrior PvP Guides

This section on warrior arena guides will incorporate as many arena team specific strategies in addition to other PvP guides related to the warrior class.

• Warrior / Druid 2v2 Strategy
• Warrior / Rogue / Druid 3v3 Strategy

Warrior Talent Builds

• Warrior Arena Talent Builds

Warrior Macros

• Warrior Arena Macros Guide
• Focus Macros Guide - How To Use / Build

Other Guides

• Hotkeys Guides - Building For Speed

Druid Macro Guide

When it comes to macros, the druid class has seen both extremes. From the classes initial conception, which literally required dozens of macros to effectively operate in both PvP and PvE environments, to the more simplistic druid we see today. After years of tweaking and adjustment this type of mass macro creation is no longer environment (thank God!), as many shifting abilities are now automatic.

Also, if you’re interested in druid focus macros, make sure you check out my other guide here.

Restoration Druid Macros

Nature’s Swiftness Heal
/cast Nature’s Swiftness
/stopcasting
/cast Healing Touch

Mouseover Healing Macros
/cast [target=mouseover] Healing Touch

/cast [target=mouseover] Rejuvenation

/cast [target=mouseover] Lifebloom

Simply adjust the spell and you’re good to go. These macros are simply amazing and I’ve used them on my shaman as a raid healer to incredible effectiveness. This allows you to simply hover over frames and pop heals off as fast as your mouse can move to the next raid frame (as opposed to having to click the frame).

This method of raid healing really gets awesome when you take advantage of another user interface mod for raids called grid. Grid is pretty simplistic, but that’s even better for us. It’s simple, it’s easy…simply hover and start dropping heals and HoTs across the raid. Checkout the full Grid user interface guide.

In addition, you could also handle other spells, buffs, etc. in this same manner.

Innervate Protection Macro

/castsequence reset=30 [target=player] Innervate, Thorns(Rank 1), Mark of the Wild(Rank 1), Rejuvenation(Rank 1)

Feral Druid Macros

Taunt + Auto Attack Macro
/startattack
/cast Growl

Mangle + Auto Attack Macro
/startattack
/cast Mangle

This type of macro helps druid’s to overcome one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen while raiding…failure to quickly engage auto attack. Simply putting a one line /startattack line before each of your primary attack abilities will do a world of good…not only for feral DPS, but for feral tanking. Many player’s view these as “unnecessary”, and believe me, those are the players who aren’t topping the DPS charts and are letting other player’s in the raid die due to their tanking failures.

Take Potions in Bear Form Macro
#show Super Healing Potion
/use Master Healthstone
/use Super Healing Potion
/cast !Dire Bear Form

I really like this macro simply because it’s so damn fast. Even if you are tanking this is a nice macro to have for those panic situations. Simply take a step away from the boss, spam this macro and you’ll be healed to full in a snap.

Replace the master health stone / super healing potion with what ever potions you’d like to consume, or add additional consumables in there. Since the first /use macro will pull you out of bear and take the pot, you consolidate several steps together, making this macro nearly instantaneous.

Mangle Trinket Macro
/startattack
/use Moroes’ Lucky Pocket Watch
/cast Mangle

Just replace Moroes’ Lucky Pocket Watch for your current tanking trinket(s). Also, for cat druids check out the macro below.

Feral DPS Trinket Macro
/startattack
/use Bloodlust Brooch
/cast Claw

Same as the above macro, change the trinket name / attack name to those of your choosing. The same will apply to any spec. These are great macros to help put several button combinations together.

General Druid Macros

Totem Sniping Macro
/targetexact Wrath of Air Totem
/targetexact Mana Spring Totem
/targetexact Poison Cleansing Totem
/targetexact Windfury Totem V
/targetexact Mana Tide Totem
/targetexact Grounding Totem
/cast Moonfire(Rank 1)

Hilarious macro to really piss off shamans. Spam this while you’re kiting in PvP situations to really punish a shaman’s totem forest.

Self Druid Buffing Macros
/castsequence [target=player] reset=10 Thorns, Omen of Clarity, Mark of the Wild

Simple Druid Buffs
/castsequence reset=target Mark of the Wild, Thorns

Balance Druid Macros

Trinket + Starfire Bomb
/use Hex Shrunken Head
/cast Starfire

Just change the name of the trinket to your own spell damage trinket.

Shaman Focus Macros

When you’re playing a hybrid class like shamans, it is going to be of absolute importance to maximize your macro usage. General macros and focus macros allow you to not only simplify your hot bars, but also enhance your ability to make faster decisions, consolidate spells, and will allow you to manage multiple targets with greater ease.

If you haven’t already read my general guide, or don’t know why focus macros are you should check it out here, focus macro guide. Also, if you’re just looking for generic shaman macros head over here, shaman macro guide.

Focus Earth Shock (Rank 1)
/cast [target=focus] Earth Shock(Rank 1)

Focus Earth Shock (Max Rank)
/cast [target=focus] Earth Shock

Focus Frost Shock (Rank 1)
/cast [target=focus] Frost Shock(Rank 1)

Focus Frost Shock (Max Rank)
/cast [target=focus] Frost Shock

You may also choose to create a focus flame shock macro in the same manner. Beyond the occasional flame shock on a rogue, I rarely find myself preferring flame shock in a PvP scenario. As a PvE enhancement shaman you may want to create one, as a flame shock / earth shock rotation will yield maximum damage.

Focus Lightning Bolt
/cast [target=focus] Lightning Bolt

Probably one of the most under rated macros in the shaman’s arsenal. What I like about this is you can completely change your target without ever have to look in their direct, target them, or even stop chain casting for a second.

This type of seamless target switching allowed my elemental shaman to lead quick switches and drop a 2345 bomb at a moments notice.

Restoration Focus Macros

Focus Lesser Healing Wave
/cast [target=focus] Lesser Healing Wave

Focus Healing Wave
/cast [target=focus] Healing Wave

Focus Nature’s Swiftness Healing Wave
/cast Nature’s Swiftness
/stopcasting
/cast [target=focus] Healing Wave

These are certainly more PvE oriented, but still solid macros never-the-less. What I like about these focus healing macros is you’re able to handle many targets without having to constantly switch target frames. I typically will set my focus as one of the tanks in PvE, while I’m typically healing the raid with chain heal, being able to quickly switch to them has saved many lives.

Focus Purge Macro
/cast [target=focus] Purge

Not a game breaker by any stretch, but once again this further simplifies the amount of target switching you have to do in both PvP and PvE. Quite honestly, the more time you can spend focusing on your positioning and planning your next move, and not finding a target, the better off you are going to be.

Rogue / Rogue 2v2 Arena Strategy

Double rogue is perhaps the most exciting and exacting 2v2 matrix you can choose to play as a rogue. While many players see the matrix as an insta-gib team, true veteran players understand the perfection required in order to attain victory. While the learning curve for this matrix is quite steep, mastering it will reward players with an exhilarating experience unlike any other in the 2v2 bracket.

Rogue Arena Talent Specs
Generally speaking you are going to be want to be shadowstep spec. A traditional 20/0/41 allows you to have maximum mobility, survivability, and solid burst on command when required. Ideally you’ll want one rogue to have improved expose armor. This will allow you to really put the pressure on priests and other low armor classes that you can bomb on.

I’d suggest dropping 2 points out of vile poisons to get the 2 points in expose armor, though lethality may also be an option if you’re not a fan of crit based RNG.

While I rarely will deviate from the tried and true shadowstep build, I believe with practice an old school AR / prep build may also be beneficial. Now, I want to preface this with a warning…this type of build is not for everyone. It never really fit my play style, and it still does not today.

That said, if you’re comfortable operating without cheat death and the quite different play style required to master the spec, I believe you could pull it off. For AR / prep I’d go with a standard 0/31/30 or a 0/33/28 (with stun resist / fear talent).

Check out rogue arena talent specs for additional information on choosing your talent build.

Rogue Arena Strategies
Coming Soon!

Rogue Arena Macros
Rogue Macro Guide
Rogue Focus Macros

Rogue Arena Enchants / Gems
Rogue Arena Enchants Guide
Rogue Arena Gem Guide

Rogue Poison Strategies
Coming Soon!

Rogue Arena Macro Suggestions

This post is in response to a question I received from a fellow rogue. I hope the contents of the answers I provide will assist other players who have similar questions.

Rogue Arena Macro Question…
I was just wondering what macros you find particularly useful in arenas as a rogue. I am by no means an expert in the arena setting, but I would like to be better. My wife is a holy priest, and I’d like to get better in the 2v2 setting with her, and you seem to be pretty up on what to do with a rogue+disc/holy priest.

I recently found a few posts in other places that gave me a direction for useful macros such as macroing stealth with sinister strike or hemo (depending on my current build) so that I stealth automatically if I get out of combat as I catch up with my target for another opener. I tried to macro vanish -> sap together last night, but it doesn’t seem to want to work so I thought I’d ask you what macros you find particularly good and use yourself.

Rogue Arena Macro Answers…
I’m a big fan of focus macros, if you aren’t already using a focus frame you should definitely start. It really makes it much easier to land kicks, blind, and gouges in the heat of battle.

Here’s a few of the focus macros I’m currently using. (on a side note, in order to setup a focus frame you need to have the hotkey bound in the keybindings options, it’s called “focus target”, you then may also want to get a unit frame mod with a focus frame addon to help manage the targets).

/cast [target=focus] blind

/cast [target=focus] gouge

/cast [target=focus] kick

/cast [target=focus] shadowstep

Here’s the mashable start attack macro I use.

/startattack
/cast Hemorrhage(Rank 4)

just replace hemo with what ever your current main attack is

Here’s a macro I use for shadowstep

/cast Premeditation
/stopcasting
/cast Cheap Shot

Check out my full guide here, rogue macro guide

Rogue / Priest 2v2 Arena Guide (Compiled)

If you’re looking for rogue / disc priest strategy then you’ve come to the right place. Below you’ll find a complete listing of all of the essential resources you should check out to take your arena team to the next level!

Rogue / Priest Arena Strategies
Rogue / Priest 2v2 Arena Strategy (includes all team vs. team strategies)
Rogue / Priest 2v2 Arena Video (video of myself and my 2s partner, Engage, playing in the 2300 bracket, article includes link to video as well as contextual commentary)

Rogue / Priest Specific Strategies
Druid / Hunter
Druid / Warlock
Druid / Warrior
Druid / Rogue
Mage / Rogue
Mage / Warlock
Paladin / Warlock
Paladin / Warrior
Priest / Rogue
Priest / Warlock
Shadow Priest / Rogue
Shadow Priest / Warlock
Shaman / Warrior
Warlock / Rogue

Rogue / Priest Arena Talent Specs
rogue arena talent specs
priest arena talent specs
Arena Builds Choosing the Right Spec (generic guide)

Rogue / Priest Arena Macros
Rogue Macros Guide
Rogue Focus Macros
Priest Macros Coming Soon!

Individual Forum Questions Answered
Discipline Priest Arena Strategy

Arena Enchants
Rogue Arena Enchant Guide

Arena Gems
Rogue Arena Gem Guide

Arena Gear
Coming Soon!

Shadow Priest Macros

These macros are ideal for the a shadow priest, though several of them could also be used with a more traditional holy or discipline talent spec.

Spam Mass Dispel without losing targeting circle
#showtooltip Mass Dispel
/cast !Mass Dispel
*This is for those of you who want to spam mass dispel without losing that “green targeting circle” it helps for those quick dispels

Shield yourself
/cast [target=player] Power Word: Shield
Note: You can also set the option in your interface to cast spells on yourself when no target is present

Flash heals your “mouse over” target
/cast [target=mouseover] Flash Heal

Shadow Form Healing
/castsequence Flash Heal, Shadowform

Mana burns your focus target
/cast [target=focus] Mana Burn

Summon pet and auto attack
/cast [nopet] Shadowfiend
/petattack

Strategy courtesy of Dumblepizzle