Warrior

Basics[]

The warrior focuses their studies on toe to toe melee combat. Their study is so intense that once it is complete there is no piece of armor and weapon that they are incapable of using to the fullest. Serving in the front lines of almost every military endeavor every undertaken, warriors act as the thin steel line separating the enemy from their comrades, protecting others with their thick armor, astonishing constitutions, and near invulnerability.

Warriors come in almost as many variations as the armor they wear. The solid bulwark of a sword and shield wielding defender, the rapid dodge and slash of twin swords, or the crushing blows of a massive axe, one thing remains the same though, few can stand before them if they are brought within reach of a warrior.

Specializations[]

Sword Master[]

Some Warriors grow to prefer the precision and finesse of a finely crafted blade over the crushing blows of an axe or hammer. These warriors train with their blades until their speed and accuracy are unmatched, often striking twice in what seems to be the same swing. Whether it’s the light weight and blazing speed of a rapier or the punishing of a broadsword, sword masters know how to make the most of their weapons.

These Warriors tend to specialize in the Arms tree of Warrior talents.

Knight Commander[]

While the Warrior can be a stanch stalwart against an overbearing foe or the tip of Death's scythe, there are others that choose to command the winds of battle and urge others to war. A combination of charisma and tactical knowledge brings to bear the war leader's strength: the ability to lead with sheer force of will.

These Warriors tend to specialize in the Fury tree of Warrior talents.

Alternative Warriors[]

Perhaps not from WoW, but certainly from the RPG, previous installments, or other pieces of the Warcraft franchise that have a rightful place on Azeroth.

Blademaster[]

Horde; Orcs

Originated from WCIII (Hero class)

These have not been seen many times in WoW and though Thrall has heavily armored "elite guard", they do not resemble Blademasters.

"Though their numbers are few, the seasoned Blademasters represent an elite fighting force within the Horde. These skilled swordsmen were once part of the ill-fated Burning Blade Clan which consumed itself in the throes of Demonic corruption. With their Clan scattered and broken, the proud Blademasters swore a grim oath to free themselves and their brethren from Demonic control once and for all. Under Thrall's command, the Blademasters have once again joined the Horde and serve as the young Warchief's personal honor guard."--WCIII

Demon Hunter[]

Neutral (according to WCIII, but they are maligned and probably more neutral-chaotic); Night Elf, Blood Elf, and few others (Most likely the majority of the non Elven demon hunters are human)

Originated from WCIII, (Hero class)

"Demon Hunters are dark, shadowy warriors who are shunned by the greater Night Elf society. They made a pact, long ago, to fight against the forces of chaos using its own terrible powers against it. These mysterious warriors ritually blind themselves so that they develop 'spectral sight' that enables them to see demons and undead with greater clarity. They wield demonically charged warblades in battle and even call upon demonic energies to augment their formidable combat skills. Although they are counted as some of the mightiest warriors within the Night Elves' society, the Demon Hunters are always maligned and misunderstood for making their selfless pact with darkness."--WCIII

Although it seems to be an oxymoron to place "Demon Hunters" in the Warrior class, I haven't found much evidence supporting the actual traits of a hunter other than tracking demons and undead. They use melee weapons, mostly glaives, with backup fel magic. The phrase "fight fire with fire" comes to mind when one learns that Demon Hunters use demonic magic and form to fight the Burning Legion.

Feasible archetypes could be hunter or rogue, though there are few traits with either. However, most roleplayed demon hunters are the hunter class in WoW.

Knight[]

Alliance; Humans

Originated from WCI (WCIII cavalry)

Sound like paladins, but they do not use any Light/Divine magics. "These heavily armored warriors use mighty swords in combat which can damage enemy warriors up to several feet away. The Knights' speed and mobility mark them as the most versatile warriors of the Alliance."--^WCIII

Raider[]

Horde; Orcs

Originated from WCIII (cavalry)

A specific group of wolfriders. They utilize their wolf mounts for combat but are known for their huge blades or "hefty warblades." (Jhash and Kerr are two Raiders seen in Durotar -- The Den.)

Runemaster[]

Alliance and Horde; Dwarves, Tauren

From World of Warcraft RPG: More Magic and Mayhem

Historically, rune magic comes from the Titans. Dwarves (or Earthen?) learned these practices but later forgot it. Tauren rediscovered rune mastery and taught it to the dwarves who came to Kalimdor with Jaina Proudmoore.

"The runemaster is a free spirit, more at home in the wild than in the city. He merges brute strength with arcane magic, covering his body with mystic tattoos and often imbuing them with magical energies to increase his skill in hand-to-hand combat. While a runemaster shuns armor, this is more to prevent hindrances to inscribing his runes than to demonstrate his subtlety and finesse with unarmed strikes. Quite to the contrary, a runemaster prefers to get in the face of his enemies. Using little trickery or subterfuge, the runemaster takes down foes with toe-to-toe, all-out assaults, hammering them with tattooed fists and feet brimming with arcane power. Runic magic is considered primitive yet complex by most other races. The dwarves have taken to it with deft skill, while the tauren study it more slowly."^WoWWiki

Sentinel[]

Alliance; Night Elves

From WCIII

By the lore, "sentinel" is a blanket term for more specific female night elf fighters (cavalry and archers), but in WoW the sentinels we see are offensive/defensive guards in Kaldorei territory. They use a variety of weapons, mostly glaives (spear or shuriken form). The sentinels branched off from the Sisters of Elune centuries ago, and they do not appear to practice Divine magics (in WoW!), though they are Elunites/Elunists.

Warden[]

Alliance; Night Elves

From WCIII (Hero class)

"The mysterious wardens serve as the night elves' special police force in Kalimdor. Set apart from the militant Sentinels, wardens are usually employed as jailors, assassins, and bounty hunters. When loosed upon escaped criminals, wardens employ a number of supernatural powers that enable them to recapture their prey and mete out the night elves' justice. Wardens have a line of sight teleport ability called "blink," which they can use to outmaneuver even the quickest of foes."--^WCIII

Much like the Demon Hunter, the fitting archetype to play in WoW for a Warden is vague. They do not use pets nor can they fully stealth. Instead, they have limited arcane abilities. It should be noted that most wardens are probably reclusive or they followed Maiev to certain doom.

Others[]

Spell Breaker, Thane