
Windwalker PvE Guide
This guide is designed to be a basic, quick guide for Windwalker with just the information you need. For more in-depth, advanced, information follow the links to those pages in the “Further Reading” sections or in the “Advanced” section in the menu above. Navigate quickly to the section you need using the sidebar on the right.
This guide has been updated for Patch 9.0 and is regularly updated when discussion, theorycrafting, or testing yields new information.
Talents
General Talents
- Tier 1 (lv15) – Personal preference for single target; Chi Burst for anything with more than one target
- Tier 2 (lv25) – Personal preference
- Tier 3 (lv30) – Personal preference
- Tier 4 (lv35) – Personal preference; Good Karma or Ring of Peace as reasonable defaults
- Tier 5 (lv40) – Dampen Harm for physical, Diffuse Magic for magic damage
- Tier 6 (lv45) – Hit Combo for pure single target, Dance of Chi-Ji otherwise.
- Tier 7 (lv50) – Whirling Dragon Punch for all situations
War Mode Talents (General Recommendations for Open World)
For more information about talents, including discussion about why the recommendations are what they are see the Talent Guide linked below.
Ability Priority
Windwalkers operate on a priority system, NOT A ROTATION. This means that you use whatever ability is available that’s highest up in the priority and try not to delay a higher up ability in favor of a lower one. This priority is aimed at minimizing damage loss. For more information on how priorities are generated, read Babylonius’s Understanding Priorities article.
Single Target
- Fist of the White Tiger (Talent) (if less than 3 Chi AND about to cap energy)
- Expel Harm (if less than max Chi AND about to cap energy)
- Tiger Palm ( if <4 Chi AND about to cap energy)
- Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger
- Weapons of Order (Kyrian Only)/Bonedust Brew (Necrolord Only)/Fallen Order (Venthyr Only)
- Whirling Dragon Punch (Talent)
- Spinning Crane Kick (with Dance of Chi-Ji proc)
- Faeline Stomp (Night Fae Only)
- Rising Sun Kick
- Fists of Fury
- Touch of Death
- Fist of the White Tiger (Talent) (if less than 3 Chi)
- Expel Harm (if less than max Chi)
- Chi Burst (Talent) (if less than max Chi)
- Blackout Kick (Only if it won’t delay Rising Sun Kick or Fists of Fury)
- Chi Wave (Talent)
- Tiger Palm
Multi-Target
(At least 3 targets)
- Fist of the White Tiger (Talent) (if less than 3 Chi AND about to cap energy)
- Expel Harm (if less than max Chi AND about to cap energy)
- Tiger Palm ( if <4 Chi AND about to cap energy)
- Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger
- Weapons of Order (Kyrian Only)/Bonedust Brew (Necrolord Only)/Fallen Order (Venthyr Only)
- Whirling Dragon Punch (Talent)
- Faeline Stomp (Night Fae Only)
- Spinning Crane Kick (with Dance of Chi-Ji proc)
- Fists of Fury
- Rushing Jade Wind (Talent)
- Touch of Death
- Expel Harm (if less than max Chi)
- Fist of the White Tiger (Talent) (if less than 3 Chi)
- Chi Burst (Talent) (if less than max Chi)
- Rising Sun Kick (ONLY to enable Whirling Dragon Punch)
- Spinning Crane Kick (At least 3 targets or 2 targets with Calculated Strikes)
- Chi Wave (Talent)
- Tiger Palm
Opener
- Precast Expel Harm 15-20 seconds before pull (to start with 1 Chi)
- Precast Chi Burst / Chi Wave to hit after pull
- Faeline Stomp (Night Fae Only)
- Fallen Order (Venthyr Only)
– – Use whichever combination of the following will get you to at least 5 Chi, keeping in mind that if you used Chi Burst you are at 2-3 Chi now): – – - Fist of the White Tiger (Talent)
- Energizing Elixir (Talent)
- Tiger Palm
- Expel Harm
- – – With 5 Chi: – –
- Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger
- Weapons of Order (Kyrian Only, alters the rest of the opener. See the Kyrian guide for more info)
- Bonedust Brew (Necrolord Only)
- Storm, Earth, and Fire
- Rising Sun Kick
- Tiger Palm (only if you will cap energy during Fists of Fury)
- Fists of Fury
- Expel Harm (Tiger Palm if still on cooldown) (only if you are about to cap energy)
- Whirling Dragon Punch
Ability Usage
- Touch of Death – Use when it can be triggered. If you are looking to really min/max, you can make sure to only use it when it will kill the target, as this can do a maximum of 100% of your HP as damage instead of the 35% it normally does. This is not normally feasible in a real boss fight.
- Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger – Use on cooldown, pair it with other DPS cooldowns like
Storm, Earth, and Fire if you are using the Invoker’s Delight Legendary
- Energizing Elixir – Ideally used on cooldown when at 0-1 Chi with
Tiger Palm after, to maximize resource gain.
- Storm, Earth, and Fire – Used as close to on cooldown while lining up with other abilities and damage bonuses. Also useful to easily tag targets for increased
Spinning Crane Kick damage. Don’t sit on 2 charges, always have it recharging. Ideally you fit in 2x
Rising Sun Kick, a
Fists of Fury, and a
Whirling Dragon Punch.
- Spinning Crane Kick – Casting another spell does not interrupt the channel of Spinning Crane Kick, with the exception of Expel Harm and anything else that is a cast/channel (Fists of Fury, Chi Burst, Crackling Jade Lightning, Vivify, or another Spinning Crane Kick, which you wouldn’t do for Mastery reasons anyway). You can cast your next spell as soon as the GCD is up and not interrupt Spinning Crane Kick as long as it is not one of the abilities mentioned. For when to use this spell in general, follow the AoE priority above, and advanced players can make a copy of this spreadsheet to find more specific comparisons for their character.
- Hit Combo and Mastery – Any ability that does damage both benefits from and continues Mastery and
Hit Combo.
- Blackout Kick! – Used before you would potentially generate another proc.
- Rushing Jade Wind – If you are talented into this, keep it up ONLY when there are 2 or more targets. Be aware of having less resources and make sure you have enough for
Fists of Fury and other important abilities.
- Touch of Karma – Although technically a defensive ability, it can provide offensive power. Best used as frequently as you can get as much damage absorbed as possible.
- When you have
Dance of Chi-Ji, it is best to use the proc on
Spinning Crane Kick quickly to prevent overwriting a proc.
- Expel Harm – Damage based on the healing it does, healing amount is based on your health, but because it generates Chi for very little Energy, just use it on cooldown.
Covenant Abilities
-
Kyrian:
Weapons of Order – See the Advanced: Kyrian page for more information on how to use this ability.
-
Necrolord:
Bonedust Brew – See the Advanced: Necrolord page for more information on how to use this ability.
-
Night Fae:
Faeline Stomp – Used on cooldown and when it resets, see above for its place in priority.
-
Venthyr:
Fallen Order – Used on cooldown.
Conduits
Single Target
- Coordinated Offensive
- Bone Marrow Hops (Necrolord Only)
- Strike with Clarity (Kyrian Only)
- Imbued Reflections (Venthyr Only)
- Xuen’s Bond
- Inner Fury
- Way of the Fae Night Fae Only)
- Calculated Strikes
Multi Target
- Calculated Strikes
- Bone Marrow Hops (Necrolord Only)
- Strike with Clarity (Kyrian Only)
- Way of the Fae (Night Fae Only)
- Coordinated Offensive (Only take this if you can keep up MotC stacks while fixating your clones)
- Xuen’s Bond
- Inner Fury
- Imbued Reflections (Venthyr Only)
Legendaries
Crafting Priority
- Invoker’s Delight (Head)
- Jade Ignition – Multi-Target (Legs)
- Last Emperor’s Capacitor – Single Target (Waist*)
- Keefer’s Skyreach (Hands*)
For more information about all the legendaries (*and an explanation for slot choices), see the Legendary Guide.
Gearing
Stats
Agility > Versatility > Mastery = Critical Strike >> Haste
Stat priority can change for your character depending on your current gear and stats. Stat weights are largely an outdated thought. Sim the gear you have through Top Gear. If you’re looking for what gear to aim for, use Droptimizer.
Dual Wielding vs 2 Handed Weapons
In general, at equal item levels, dual wielding outperforms a 2 handed weapon by 1-2% when fully enchanted and using all consumables. As a rule of thumb, testing very roughly shows somewhere around a 10 item level increase before 2 handed weapons match the damage of dual wielding, with a smaller gap needed in AoE or if you have a relatively lower item level off hand weapon. The difference is also smaller if you are not using all consumables and enchants. As always, the best way to tell what is best for your character is to use Raidbot’s Top Gear Tool for the most specific and accurate results.
Gems
Use Raidbot’s Top Gear Tool for the most specific and accurate results for your character. In general, it will usually follow the stat priority above.
Enchants
Major DPS Enhancing Enchants:
- Weapons – Use Raidbot’s Top Gear Tool for the most specific and accurate results for your character, but here are some general recommendations: for single target, use 1 Sinful Revelation. For AoE, use 1 Lightless Force. If you are dual wielding, use 1 Celestial Guidance on the other weapon in all situations. It doesn’t matter which hand each one is on. Don’t double up on two of the same enchant.
- Chest – Eternal Skirmish
- Boots – Eternal Agility
- Rings – Use Raidbot’s Top Gear Tool for the most specific and accurate results for your character. In general, it will usually follow the stat priority above.
Minor Utility Enchants:
- Cloak – Soul Vitality. Technically, this is a minor DPS enhancing enchant due to Touch of Death and Touch of Karma using your max HP as a reference for damage values.
- Bracers – Shaded Hearthing, though if you ever play Mistweaver as an off spec, you’ll want Eternal Intellect
- Gloves – Shadowlands Gathering
Trinkets
The easiest thing is to look at the lists on BloodMallet or HeroDamage. They’re lists based on the sim profiles.
“Best-in-Slot”
The concept of “Best-in-slot” lists is mostly obsolete, although it has “returned” a little bit in Shadowlands. Sim the gear you have through Top Gear. If you’re looking for what gear to aim for, use Droptimizer.
Miscellaneous
Consumables
- Flask – Spectral Flask of Power
- Potion – Potion of Spectral Agility. However, in pure single target for some profiles, Potion of Phantom Fire has a small edge and gets another little bump when paired with Shadowcore Oil. As always, you can also use Raidbot’s Top Gear Tool for the most specific and accurate results for your character.
- Rune – Veiled Augment Rune
- Food – Feast of Gluttonous Hedonism. You can use stat food that matches your gems/enchants if feasts are not available.
- Weapon Enhancement – Shaded Weightstone/Shaded Sharpening (use 2 if dual wielding). However, in pure single target for some profiles, using 1 Shadowcore Oil has a small edge when paired with Potion of Phantom Fire. As always, you can also use Raidbot’s Top Gear Tool for the most specific and accurate results for your character.
- Armor Kit – Heavy Desolate Armor Kit, though this is mostly utility/optional. Technically, it can provide a very small DPS increase, as Touch of Death and Touch of Karma use your max HP as a reference for damage values.
Racials
Currently all races sim within 1.4% of each other and reshuffle constantly. The added utility of Blood Elf’s Arcane Torrent can be useful at times. Other than that, pick whatever race you prefer.
Professions
Professions have no bearing on your ability to perform your role. Pick whatever will make your playing time easier and more enjoyable.
WeakAuras
WeakAuras are ways to show things on your screen in a customized and personalized way. The best WeakAuras are the ones that you set up for yourself specific to your style and needs. However, many people have already made ones for themselves to share, so check them out and use them as bases to customize your own.
No WeakAuras are “required” but some are very useful:
- Last Ability Tracker – Tracks the last ability you used in order to minimize mistakes with Mastery. Turns red when a mistake is made, turns blue when an ability is dodged, parried, or misses.
- Touch of Karma Absorb remaining – Tracks the duration of Touch of Karma and the amount of shield left to absorb.
- Storm, Earth, and Fire 0.1 Second Timer – A simple timer for Storm, Earth, and Fire that shows the remaining duration to tenths of a second.
- Coordinated Offensive – Shows you when you are using the Coordinated Offensive Conduit and need to focus your clones for the bonus damage.
- Mark of the Crane Stacks – Tracks the amount of Mark of the Crane debuffs you have out.
- Last Emperor’s Capacitor – Tracks the charges for the Last Emperor’s Capacitor legendary. Plays a sound when you hit 20 stacks.
- Babylonius’s WeakAuras – WeakAura group created by Babylonius (author of this guide), aimed at having all you need to play Windwalker.
Macros
Don’t Clip FoF
#showtooltip Tiger Palm
/stopmacro [channeling:Fists of Fury]
/cast Tiger Palm
Change Tiger Palm to whatever ability you want. This macro prevents you from cancelling the channel of Fists of Fury early and missing a tick of damage. It is recommended to use this on your main rotational abilities. If you are using Last Emperor’s Capacitor, you may want to add this line in the middle for the same effect for Crackling Jade Lightning:
/stopmacro [channeling:Crackling Jade Lightning]
Don’t Clip SCK
#showtooltip Expel Harm
/stopmacro [channeling: Spinning Crane Kick]
/cast Expel Harm
Only Expel Harm and other channels or casts can stop the damage from SCK, this macro will make it so you don’t accidentally cancel it.
Using Invoke Xuen in a Castsequence Macro
Normally, Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger cannot be used in a castsequence macro due to the comma in the name. However, there is a workaround that will allow you to, for example, combine Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger and Weapons of Order into a single macro. Note that you still have to press this twice, since they are both on the GCD:
#showtooltip
/cast [nopet] Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger
/cast [pet] Weapons of Order
Talent Swap Macros
These macros will allow you to have one button that functions for whatever talent you’ve selected at that talent row. This isn’t useful for all talent rows as some take the place of other abilities, or provide massively different functions.
Tier 1 (Level 15)
#showtooltip
/stopmacro [channeling:Fists of Fury]
/cast [talent:1/1] Eye of the Tiger; [talent:1/2] Chi Wave; [talent:1/3] Chi Burst
Tier 3 (Level 30)
#showtooltip
/stopmacro [channeling:Fists of Fury]
/cast [talent:3/1] Ascension; [talent:3/2] Fist of the White Tiger; [talent:3/3] Energizing Elixir
Tier 5 (Level 40)
#showtooltip
/cast [talent:5/1] Inner Strength; [talent:5/2] Diffuse Magic; [talent:5/3] Dampen Harm
Changelog
- 1/12/2020 = Dual Wielding vs 2 Handed Weapons section updated to match balance patch
- 11/28/2020 = Xuen Castsequence Workaround Added
- 11/22/2020 = Guide Went Live
- 11/15/2020 = Guide Created (In Progress)