Beat Arms Warrior

What they want to do

Keep Mortal Strike on whoever they are trying to kill, land Storm Bolt or Champion's Spear, then overlap Avatar with Warbreaker and Bladestorm. They win Solo Shuffle when you stay in melee and Mortal Strike sits on your healer.

Main danger

Bladestorm during Avatar cannot be stunned. If you already used a defensive, leave melee and line it. Spell Reflection turns your first crowd-control spell back onto you. Die by the Sword eats a full damage window if you keep hitting into it.

Interrupt priority

1. 1 Storm Bolt (on you)

   Do not interrupt the Arms warrior. Storm Bolt is on you — trinket it if Intimidating Shout is still available, otherwise sit the stun. Save your kick for their healer.

2. 1 Your own crowd control into Spell Reflection

   Throw a cheap instant first to bait Spell Reflection, then stun. Do not open the round with your real crowd control; the first spell they see is often Spell Reflection.

Watch for

• Avatar overlapping Warbreaker is their kill — you need a defensive or to leave melee before that window.
• Bladestorm after you already used a defensive. It cannot be stunned, so line it; do not stay in melee to trade.
• Spell Reflection the moment they Charge onto you. The first spell of the connect is theirs.
• Intimidating Shout on your healer as Bladestorm starts, so nobody peels you out of the spin.

Offensive cooldowns

• Avatar. Major damage window. Assume Warbreaker is pressed with it. Be in a defensive or already leaving melee; this is when Bladestorm actually kills.
• Warbreaker / Colossus Smash. Armor reduction on you. Mortal Strike and Execute hit much harder here. Use a defensive before this lands, not after the second Mortal Strike.
• Bladestorm. They cannot be stunned while spinning. Line of sight it, or already be in a defensive. Do not stay in melee and try to trade hits.
• Champion's Spear. Ground root and damage under you. Walk out of the spear; they use it to hold you still for Bladestorm.
• Mortal Strike. Healing reduction on the kill target. If it sits on your healer, peels and healing both fail — get it off them or the round leaks.

Defensive cooldowns

• Die by the Sword. Stop your damage. Swap targets or wait it out. Do not finish offensive cooldowns into it.
• Spell Reflection. Throw a cheap instant first, then your real stun. Do not open with crowd control; the reflected spell hits you or your partner.
• Rallying Cry. Group health increase, not an immunity. Keep chip pressure; do not stop the round.
• Ignore Pain. Absorb shield. Keep hitting unless Die by the Sword is also up.
• Impending Victory / Victory Rush. Small self-heal after they land a hit. Not a wall — keep going.

Crowd control

• Storm Bolt
• Intimidating Shout
• Shockwave
• Spear root
• Hamstring

Dispels

• Intimidating Shout is a fear — dispel it off your healer, or spread so it does not hit the group.
• Hamstring and Mortal Strike are not magic. Do not spend a dispel looking for them.

Mobility

Charge, Heroic Leap, and Intervene. They close gaps for free, and Intervene eats a kick or stun meant for a partner. Do not kite in a straight line; root them or put terrain between you before the second Charge. After Intervene, recast crowd control on the warrior, not on the person they covered.

Kill windows

• Die by the Sword and Spell Reflection are both used — that is when your damage window is allowed.
• After Bladestorm ends they are often committed with no wall left.
• They Charge or Heroic Leap onto someone else and cannot immediately return.

When to run

When Avatar and Champion's Spear are up and you have no personal defensive. Line Bladestorm. Do not stay in melee on a spinning warrior.

When to attack

After Die by the Sword and Spell Reflection are both used. After Bladestorm ends they are often committed with no wall. While they Charge or Heroic Leap onto someone else.

Common tricks

• They Intervene onto a partner to eat your kick or stun. Cast the next crowd control on the warrior, not on the person they covered.
• Spell Reflection is often pressed with Charge. Assume it is up the first time they connect; throw a junk spell, then stun.
• They Hamstring you and walk you into Champion's Spear so Bladestorm cannot be kited. Root or line before the spear lands, not after.

Common mistakes against them

• Dumping your offensive cooldowns into Die by the Sword.
• Casting your first crowd-control spell into Spell Reflection.
• Staying in melee during Bladestorm without a defensive already up.
• Leaving Mortal Strike on your healer while you tunnel the warrior.