Updated March 3, 2025. I play Champion often and I’ll tell you plainly: this soul hits hard and lives long when you play it right. I’ve noticed players either crush content with it or flame out because they misunderstood Power timing. This is a clear, no-fluff guide to get you effective fast — by the way, I’m writing as a player who raids and pug dungeons.
🗡️ What the Champion does (short)
The Champion is built for two-handed weapons and big cleave damage. It builds Power with certain strikes and spends it on high-damage abilities. You want to control when you blast and when you hold — timing matters. Seriously, timing matters.
Core mechanics (one slightly longer paragraph)
Champions mix instant hits and channeled moves. Titan’s-type abilities act as both damage and Power generators. Bladefury-style skills give sustained AoE for pulls and trash. In my experience, the game rewards positioning: stand where your cleaves hit most targets and don’t waste Power on low-value swings. There are exceptions when you tank swap or need a defensive burst — depends on your niche (and group comp).
Essential stats — what to chase
Focus on Strength first. It’s the backbone. After that, push crit and attack power. Hit rating matters for raids; don’t ignore endurance for tough fights.
| Stat | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 1,200 → 1,800+ | Direct damage boost |
| Critical Hit | 25% → 35% | More crits = more Power procs |
| Hit Rating | 220 → 320 | Raid cap stabilizes your rotation |
| Endurance | 800 → 1,200 | Survive heavy pulls |
Gear notes and realistic BiS advice
Gearing matters, but the specific names aren’t the point — look for high Strength and crit/attack power on gear. Community favorites (like a two-hander with a crit proc from Hammerknell-style content) are useful, but crafted pieces can be competitive — some will disagree about that, and yes, it’s controversial: crafted gear sometimes outperforms early raid drops in small groups.
Quick list of priorities:
- Weapon: highest two-handed damage you can wield
- Armor: Strength > crit > attack power
- Swap sockets/gems to hit raid caps when needed
Rotations — the why and how
Don’t memorize a robotic rotation; know priorities. You want buffs up, Power built, then spent on big hits. That’s the simple version. Here’s pseudocode (so you get the logic):
// Pseudocode rotation
if (!BuffActive) cast Buff
if (Power >= 3) cast Bladefury
if (TitanStrike ready) cast TitanStrike
use Power builder between big spends
Why this works: the rotation keeps your damage steady and avoids wasting Power on weak moments. Watch this: if you spam Bladefury when adds are dying, you lose DPS. Want top numbers? Position, timing, and not panicking matter more than perfect sequence.
Single-target vs AoE — practical tips
Single-target: hold some Power to burst at key windows (boss mechanics, adds). Multi-target: position centrally and spam cleaves while maintaining threat. Honestly, Champions are often overrated in tight PvP; mobility and interrupts beat raw cleave sometimes. Agree or not?
PvP vs PvE changes you’ll make
PvE: maximize sustained damage and resource flow. PvP: move points into mobility and defensive tools. A common swap is cutting late-game sustain talents for movement utility and quick breakers.
Talent snapshot (simple)
Core 51-point Champion build gets your main damage and survivability. Use remaining points in souls that give mobility or group utility (Riftblade or Paragon are popular picks). Experiment — respeccing is easy and often necessary.
Practical advice and hard truths
Play with timers and a weak a/o opener — that is, learn when to delay your biggest hits. To be fair, this doesn’t always work in pug groups where targets flip. Between us, practice on farm bosses before trying big fights. Surprisingly, small adjustments in positioning can outperform a full gear upgrade.
Tip: prioritize situational awareness over perfect rotation. A missed stun or bad position costs more than a single missed crit.
One counterintuitive note: sometimes lowering your raw DPS to keep uptime and fewer deaths wins the raid. It’s annoying, but true.
Final push — pick your goals, practice for a week on dungeons, then test in raids. You’ll get better fast if you record a fight or ask a raid lead for feedback. Now pick up that two-hander and go hit things (yes, go!).
— your Champion player and guide (I’m a woman who raids regularly). Oops — did I repeat myself? Maybe. That’s fine.
